!! 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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-Surya's POV-
A few days passed in that hidden house. Cards kept shuffling, dice rolled nonstop, coins spun across the table until the sound drilled into my head. Brillo didn't let me slack off even once.
By the third day, my hands were moving on their own. I could shuffle cards smooth without dropping them. I could roll dice and almost tell what number was coming just from the way they landed. Brillo watched me for a while, then finally gave a small nod.
"You're something else, kid. Ten years old, and already reading mana flow better than most gamblers in Roddesha."
I couldn't help but smile, even though I was exhausted. "So… does that mean I'm ready?"
He lit his pipe, blowing smoke lazily. "Ready? Hah. You're a genius, Surya. But don't let it get to your head. Jugar isn't just a gambler—he's a beast. He cheats in ways most people can't even notice."
I tightened my grip on the cards. "Then I'll just have to cheat better."
Brillo laughed so hard it echoed through the little house. "Now that's the spirit! A real gambler doesn't wait for luck. He becomes the luck."
That night, I lay awake staring at the ceiling, my chest tight,not from fear, but from excitement.
Tomorrow, I'd face the Gamble King.
And I'd prove that even a 10-year-old could break a king's pride.
The day finally came. My stomach twisted, but I didn't back down. Brillo led me through the busy streets of Fanna, then down into a narrow alleyway. At the end, two guards stood in front of a heavy metal door, torches lighting their sharp faces.
"This is it," Brillo said. "The underground gambling center. Once we're in, there's no turning back."
The guards crossed their spears.
"No kids allowed."
Before I could answer, Brillo tossed a pouch of silver onto the ground. The guards glanced at it, then stepped aside without another word.
We walked inside, and the air instantly changed. The smell of smoke, sweat, and alcohol hit me like a wave. The underground center was packed,men and women crowding around tables, shouting, cheering, throwing coins. Lanterns hung low, casting everything in a golden haze.
And at the very center of it all sat him.
Jugar.
He wore a long black coat, gold chains around his neck, and his smile was the kind that made you want to punch him. Cards spun effortlessly between his fingers as he leaned back in his chair, surrounded by people chanting his name.
"Jugar the Gamble King!"
"Undefeated!"
"Make him bankrupt, King!"
Brillo leaned down to me. "Remember everything I taught you. Don't blink. Don't let him see through you."
I nodded, heart pounding.
Jugar's eyes finally landed on me. He chuckled, loud enough for the crowd to hear.
"Brillo… don't tell me this is my challenger? A brat? What are you doing, wasting my time with kids?"
The crowd laughed. I didn't.
I stepped forward, meeting his eyes.
"My name's Surya. And I came here to beat you."
The laughter stopped for just a moment, replaced by curious stares. Jugar smirked, flicking a card into the air and catching it with ease.
"Fine then, boy. Let's gamble."
-Jugar's POV-
Another night, another fool thinking they can take my crown. I've seen them all,drunks, nobles, even magicians trying to use tricks. They all fall the same.
But tonight? A child walks up to my table. Ten years old, maybe eleven. The crowd laughs, and I almost laugh too. But then I see his eyes.
Calm. Too calm for a kid.
He doesn't fidget. Doesn't glance away. He stares at me like he's already sitting on my throne.
Interesting.
Brillo's standing behind him, watching. That explains it. Brillo never shows his face down here unless he thinks someone actually has a chance.
I flip a card between my fingers, testing the boy. He doesn't even blink. The crowd's noise fades in my ears. For the first time in years, I feel a spark of… excitement.
"Well then, little sun," I mutter under my breath, "let's see if you burn out fast… or if you can shine in my darkness."
I raise my hand.
"Deal the cards."
-Surya's POV-
The cards slide across the table, smooth as silk. The crowd presses in, hungry for the show. I take my hand and glance down,junk. Nothing worth keeping. My chest tightens, but I keep my face calm.
Jugar leans back, spinning one of his cards casually between his fingers. His grin never fades.
"Not bad for your first hand, kid. Wanna fold already?"
I smirk, forcing confidence into my voice. "Not a chance."
The crowd cheers, some laugh. I raise the bet. Jugar's eyes narrow, just a little. He calls.
-Jugar's POV-
He doesn't even twitch. Most rookies, their hands shake, their eyes dart. This kid? Solid as stone. Even when I test him with a little mana flare under the table, he doesn't flinch.
Brillo's been teaching him, no doubt. But can a boy really read a table better than me? Impossible.
Still, he's not backing down. His hand has to be garbage, but he's betting like a shark. Bluffing, maybe. Or maybe he's just stupid.
Heh. This might actually be fun.
-Surya's POV-
I push my coins forward. The pile grows. My pulse is racing, but I remember Brillo's words: "Don't let the cards control you. Control the man across from you."
Jugar flicks his last card down, grinning wide. His hand is strong,too strong.
I glance at my worthless cards, then at him. His grin's a little too wide. A little too confident.
"…I call," I say, steady.
Gasps ripple through the crowd.
-Jugar's POV-
What? He called me? On that garbage hand?
No,wait. Look at his eyes. He knew. This brat knew I was bluffing strength.
I slam my cards on the table. A strong hand, but not unbeatable. His hand is worthless, but he doesn't flinch. He doesn't need to. The crowd thinks he already won.
The boy smirks. For the first time in years, I feel my confidence slip.
"This kid…" I mutter under my breath. "…he's dangerous."
-Surya's POV-
The crowd explodes in cheers and gasps. Coins scatter across the table as the dealer slides the pile toward me. I won. With nothing but a bluff.
Jugar's grin twists, his teeth grinding loud enough for me to hear. His hands slam down on the table, rattling the cups and dice.
"You think this is over, brat?" His voice cuts sharp through the room. "One lucky bluff doesn't make you a winner."
The crowd quiets. Some whisper, others step back.
Jugar points at me, his face red with fury.
"Round two. Not cards. Not dice. We'll play chess."
Chess? My brows furrow. That's not gambling,it's pure strategy. No luck. No bluff.
He snarls, pushing the gambling chips aside as a servant rushes in with a carved board and polished pieces.
"If you really think you're smarter than me," he growls, "prove it."
-Jugar's POV-
The boy humiliated me. Me. Jugar, King of the Tables.
His win wasn't skill. It was luck. A trick. But chess… chess is different. Here, there's no hiding behind chance. No bluffing. Only the sharpness of the mind.
I'll crush him, slowly, piece by piece. And when I do, the crowd will see the truth l, no child can stand against me.
-Surya's POV-
The chessboard is set. The pieces gleam under the lantern light. I reach for the white pawn. My hands don't shake.
Jugar leans forward, his glare locked on me.
"Let's see what you've really got, kid."
The crowd circles closer, silent now. The real game begins.
-Surya's POV-
The game starts. I pinch the little pawn between my fingers and push it forward… one square.
Jugar smirks.
"Pathetic. You don't even know how to open."
The crowd chuckles. A few laugh openly, shaking their heads. To them, I look like a kid just moving pieces without thought.
I move my knight next, clumsy, almost careless. Then a bishop,cornered in seconds. Jugar leans back, laughing louder.
"You're nothing but a child playing pretend. This won't even last five minutes."
His pieces sweep across the board with confidence, cutting down my pawns one after another. The spectators cheer with every move he makes.
But what they don't see… is that every pawn I sacrificed, every piece I "misplaced," was on purpose. I'm leading him. Slowly. Patiently.
I glance up at him and smile. Just a small smile.
Jugar's laughter falters.
-Jugar's POV-
Wait. That smile.
Why does he look so calm? He's losing. His pieces are scattered like crumbs across the board. But his eyes… they're sharp. Calculating.
My next move freezes in my hand. Did he… lure me?
-Surya's POV-
I push my rook to the side. The crowd doesn't even notice. Jugar laughs again, sweeping up another pawn.
"You see? Child's play. This is MY board!"
I don't answer. I move my queen. A silence starts to fall. Jugar frowns, looking down at the position.
"What…?" he mutters.
He tries to move his knight, then his rook,no escape. He scans the board again, sweat breaking on his forehead.
I lean forward.
"Checkmate."
Gasps erupt around us. The board is clear: my queen, my rook, and a single pawn trap his king. Every exit sealed.
Jugar slams the table.
"Impossible! You,You were playing like a fool!"
I sit back, calm.
"Maybe I was. Or maybe I was letting you think I was losing."
The underground hall falls into stunned silence, and for the first time, the undefeated Gambling King looks like a beaten man.
Narrator POV
Word spread faster than the wind. By the next morning, fresh posters were plastered on walls, gates, and markets in every kingdom.
"The Gambling King Jugar—defeated! By a boy no older than eleven!"
In North Krimnaa, Kael stopped in his tracks as he saw one stuck to a stone pillar. His eyes widened at the drawing—Surya's face sketched in bold lines, his name written clear.
"…Master!?" Kael was shocked, half proud, half envy. "Congratulations , master. "
Meanwhile, in South Krimnaa, Thriller leaned against a wooden post, staring at another copy of the poster. His chain clinked at his side as a grin tugged his lips.
"So, Surya is not just talk." He chuckled. "Guess I'll have to step up my game too."
The news was unstoppable now. Every tavern, every guild hall, every crowded street whispered the same thing:
A child genius had crushed the undefeated Gambling King.
And from the shadows, even the Order was listening.