!! WARNING!! : I'M NOT TEACHING THE YOUNG PEOPLE TO GAMBLE, WE ALL KNOW SURYA WAS JUST 10 YEARS OLD, BUT Don't GET THE WRONG IDEA.
Could be 18+
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We parted ways beneath the gray skies. Each of us had chosen a different path, and for the first time since meeting, our vessels split in three directions.
Thriller guided his chain-woven vessel toward North Krimnaa, a land said to be brimming with scholars and knights.
Kael veered south, his wind vessel catching the currents that carried him toward South Krimnaa, where merchants and adventurers crossed paths every day.
And me? I turned toward the Roddesha Empire, its banner of flame and steel rising somewhere beyond the clouds.
They said Roddesha was one of the oldest empires on the continent, a place where power and politics tangled like thorns.
If there were secrets about the Order, I was sure some thread would lead back there.
I tightened my grip on my vessel. This is where my next chapter begins.
The walls of Roddesha rose high above the clouds, carved from red stone and steel. Unlike other kingdoms, the gates here weren't built for roads or caravans,they floated in the sky itself, meant only for those who could reach them by vessel.
I guided my light wings upward, landing at the checkpoint. The guards were already waiting, armored in black and crimson.
"Identity stone," one of them demanded.
I reached into my satchel and held it out. The stone pulsed faintly with my mana signature, and the guard studied it before nodding.
"Surya Noor. Adventurer. Entry granted. Welcome to the Empire of Roddesha."
The gates creaked open, revealing a city of spires and glowing forges, suspended high above the world.
I glided into the skies of Fanna, the capital of Roddesha, and the first thing I noticed was the sky.
It wasn't empty.
Dozens,no, hundreds,of vessels filled the air. Sleek winged boards, glowing orbs, enchanted carriages pulled by nothing but mana. The sky was as busy as the streets of any market I had ever seen.
I slowed my pace, watching. Some of the riders were clearly elemental mages like me. But others… no, their mana was different. They weren't bending fire or water or wind. They were using raw magic, pure control, to keep their vessels aloft.
That's when it hit me.
Vessels weren't just for elemental users.
Anyone with strong enough mana and skill could wield them.
I looked down at my own light-wing vessel, glowing faintly under the sun, and felt both proud and challenged. In this city, I wasn't special. Here, flying was just… life.
I landed on one of the main streets, folding my vessel away. The city below was just as alive as the skies above—vendors shouting over each other, buyers haggling, the smell of roasted meat and hot metal from forges filling the air.
At the center of the street stood a giant bulletin board, covered with quest posters. Most were the usual—monster hunts, delivery jobs, guard work.
But one stood out.
"Defeat the Gamble King, Jugar. The undefeated gambler of Roddesha's underground halls. Beat him in a gamble to earn 500 gold. Bonus: 50 silver if you clear both the gamble and the quest."
I froze, staring at it.
A quest… about gambling?
Not fighting, not magic, not monsters. Just pure chance.
And yet, the reward was real.
I pulled the poster from the board, wondering what kind of man this "Gamble King" really was.
With the poster in hand, I headed straight for the guild hall. The place was loud as always—adventurers drinking, laughing, arguing over rewards. I walked past them and up to the quest counter.
The receptionist looked up with a polite smile. "Quest submission?"
I set the poster down. "I'll take this one. The Gamble King."
Her smile flickered for a moment, like she was surprised anyone would pick it. Then she stamped the quest with the guild seal and slid it back to me.
"Very well. The Gamble King, Jugar. Be warned… he's never lost."
I nodded, tucking the paper away. "Then I'll be the first."
The whole guild went silent for a beat. Then, laughter broke out. Tables shook, mugs spilled, people pointed at me.
"A kid? What are you, ten? Eleven?" one adventurer jeered. "And you think you can beat the Gamble King?"
Another slapped his knee, wheezing. "Hah! Forget the quest, boy—go back to training wheels!"
I stood there, letting them laugh, their voices mixing into a storm of mockery. But inside, my resolve didn't waver.
I tightened my grip on the poster. "Mock me all you want. We'll see who's laughing when I walk out with his crown."
That shut a few of them up. The receptionist stared at me, a little wide-eyed, like she wasn't sure if I was reckless or just fearless.
As I left the guild hall, their laughter still echoing behind me, I nearly bumped into a tall man leaning against the wall outside. His coat was rough and patched, but his eyes had a sharpness that made me pause.
"You're serious about that quest, aren't you?" he asked, his voice low but steady.
I frowned. "And if I am?"
A faint smirk tugged at his lips. "Name's Brillo. Used to be known around here as the Gamble King's rival."
I blinked. "Rival? Then why aren't you the one taking him down?"
His smirk faded, and he crossed his arms. "Because Jugar doesn't play fair anymore. His games aren't about luck or skill,they're rigged with magic. Last time I faced him, I nearly lost more than my gold." He tapped his chest. "Almost lost my life."
I tightened my grip on the quest poster. "Then why tell me this?"
Brillo leaned in close, his eyes narrowing. "Because maybe you're reckless enough to try what I couldn't. If you're really going after him, you'll need more than guts, kid. You'll need someone who knows his tricks."
Brillo led me down a narrow alley, the kind where the sunlight barely touched the ground. The walls closed in tighter with every step until we stopped in front of what looked like nothing but stacked crates and scraps of wood.
Then he pushed one aside, and a hidden door creaked open.
Inside was a small room,dusty, dim, with a single table and a few candles melted down to their last inches. A pile of blankets in the corner told me this was where he slept.
I thought to myself, so this is his life… a rival to the Gamble King, yet living like this.
If I win against Jugar, maybe I'll share the reward with him.
Brillo sat down across the table and motioned for me to sit. "Alright, kid. If you're going to face him, you need to learn the way he plays. His games are never just about cards or dice—they're about reading people, breaking them down, and cheating when they least expect it."
I leaned forward on the rickety table. "What kind of game are we even going to play against this Jugar guy?"
Brillo gave a dry chuckle. "That's the thing—no one ever knows until the match starts. He decides the game, and everyone has to play by his rules. Cards, dice, coin tosses, even guessing games. Doesn't matter. He twists them all in his favor."
My brows furrowed. "So… he cheats?"
Brillo smirked. "Of course. But not in a way you can catch easily. He uses sleight of hand, but also mana tricks. Tiny illusions, misdirection. He makes people doubt themselves,that's the real game."
I sat back, thinking hard. If that's how he plays… then beating him would take more than luck.
Brillo shuffle an old deck of cards and drop it on the table. "First game—cards. Like poker, but it's not only about the best hand. It's about making the other guy believe you got the best hand."
I look at my cards. Just a pair of threes, nothing special. Brillo sit there with that lazy grin, but his eyes sharp.
"So, what you do?" he ask, tapping the table.
"…Bluff," I say.
Brillo laugh and show his hand—three kings. "Not bad, kid. But your mana spike when you lie. Anybody with sharp eyes will see it. You can't bluff if your aura scream the truth."
I grit my teeth. I didn't even notice that.
"Again," Brillo say, shuffle again.
After few rounds, Brillo bring out two dice and drop them on the table.
"Next game harder. Rule is simple: no two players can roll same number. If you do, you lose right away. Doesn't matter if you win earlier—it's over."
I frown. "But… that's just luck, right?"
Brillo grin wide. "Exactly. That's why gamblers don't leave to luck." He roll the dice, they spin, then land clean on seven. "Control your mana. Push the number just a little. Not too strong or dice feel wrong. Just enough to guide."
I hold the dice, my hand sweat. Brillo lean close, eyes like he waiting for me to slip.
"Show me," he say. "Can you guide fate without breaking it?"
Brillo slam the dice back into my hands. "Again."
I roll. A three. He shakes his head.
"Again."
This time, a six.
"Too stiff. You're pushing too hard. Dice not follow you—they fight you."
Hours pass like this. Cards, dice, even coin flips. Brillo never let me rest. Every time I think I got it, he break me down again.
"Kid, listen. Gambling isn't just numbers. It's reading people. Reading the flow of mana in the room. You don't win by luck—you win because you already know what comes next."
I wipe sweat from my forehead. "Then… how do I know what's next?"
Brillo chuckles, lighting a pipe. "Feel it. Mana is everywhere. Even dice got weight, even cards got a whisper. The trick is hearing it before the others."
He deal me another hand of cards. I glance down—worthless junk. But Brillo's eyes flicker, just for a moment, when he looks at his.
"…I raise," I say, pushing coins forward.
Brillo grins. "Better. You still shaking, but at least you're learning."
He lay down his cards. A strong hand. Mine? Trash.
But he smirks. "Still, not bad. You almost had me believe you."
That night, I collapse on the floor of the secret house, exhausted. My fingers sore from shuffling, my head spinning with numbers and tricks. Brillo toss a blanket over me.
"Rest, kid. Tomorrow you face Jugar. And if you go in blind, he'll eat you alive."
I stare at the ceiling, my eyes heavy. "…I'll win. Somehow."
Brillo mutters, almost to himself, "That's what I said too, once…"
Then silence.