The Primal Hunter

gambling. Cheating simply wasn’t possible in most cases. One such example was playing cards. Each person would get their cards just like usual, but each person would only be able to view their own cards and those laid out by the dealer. The face would just be blank to anyone but the owner of the cards, making it look a bit weird when Jake saw people sit there with face-up cards while playing blackjack, only for their cards to be revealed once it was time.

Jake had to admit that it was an elegant and easy solution by the system. It still allowed some forms of tipping the odds in your favor. In the end, it was still people playing the games. If you played poker and wanted to bluff or read your opponents, nothing stopped you. Jake was sure some mental skills and social skills could help here, but it was also a double-edged sword as people learned how to fake responses.

People clearly realized this, and the place was flooded. Hundreds were there, people at every table and dealers working overtime. They even had god damn slot machines and nearly everything Jake would expect from an old-world casino. The entire atmosphere was also spot-on. Jake had only been in a casino once before in his life during a company outing, and back then, he had only played the slots.

Now, to bring the topic back to why gambling is bad… all the system-imposed rules and regulations only made this more obvious. Someone could set up a lottery that was one in a thousand, and sure enough, it would truly be one in a thousand that would win. The same was true if a slot machine was designed with an eighty-percent payout rate for over a hundred thousand games… it would truly have that payout rate. It limited risk, making it a sure win.

There was no way around this. The rules of the system in this regard were absolute. You just couldn’t use any skills to cheat besides perhaps the aforementioned social skills. Skills were all blocked…

Skills.

Jake didn’t use any skills.

“He does it again!” the dealer yelled as Jake tapped his cards, revealing a straight. The seven other masked players at the poker table groaned as the dealer pushed their chips over to Jake. Jake was grinning from ear to ear as he just stocked up on Credits.

Another hand was dealt, and Jake checked the cards. Average at best, but better than his last hand. The flop came, and his cards were still good. One pair, highest card. No straight possibilities, but two spades.

Jake thought a bit as he raised. Most had already folded, but big blind stayed in together with one other guy. He still felt like he had it and was keeping a poker face as the two called. Then the turn then came. Hearts. Low card. Not a threat; still no straight possibilities either quite yet.

He looked at the two others. Both looked stoic, and Jake did not have the slightest chance to read them. Luckily he didn’t need to read them to know what he would do. A slight feeling welled up in his stomach, but Jake stayed in even after one of the others raised with only big blind.

Then came the river. Two pairs for Jake, but also another spade. The only thing that beat him was a flush, but…

Jake instantly knew. No one at the table told him, but he knew. As Jake had been small blind, he decided to check. The big blind checked. The last guy raised the pot by double. Jake looked at him for a moment… he knew he would lose this hand. Now he could either choose to fold, call or raise. Jake looked at the relatively small pot and decided to do what any good cheater would do: he made himself not look like one. Jake called as big blind folded.

Both revealed their cards as the other guy had a flush, just as expected. The man cheered as the others padded him on the back for taking down the big evil Jake. Jake, in turn, just mulled to himself, acting all dissatisfied.

he didn’t instantly know if he would win or lose. Roulette was too easy as Jake

allowed nearly all the excitement to remain.

to that. Likely because the display on them was entirely magical. He could not really use it to read the other players either. Danger sense only went off a few times when another player really looked like he or

moment things were decided. Jake had a theory the deck of cards only “decided” what card

also felt an aura from the man that actually gave him pause as Jake turned his head. The newcomer was wearing a white suit and tie. He looked like a clean-cut man in his mid-forties and was flanked by a man and a woman,

[Human – lvl ???]

and even when he tried to get around the obfuscation, he failed. The presence the man gave off was the most powerful Jake had felt from another human he didn’t already know about. He was stronger than Peter or anyone else Jake had

he should not fight the man. Not within Paradise. This made him quickly reach a conclusion.

as Miranda. Someone not necessarily supremely powerful in regular combat, but fighting them within their own domains was an uphill battle. Jake scanned

see the Chosen is enjoying my establishment,” the suited man said as he went over to Jake, who stayed seated. Jake felt the dealer tense up as the game paused. The other players at the table also looked on with wide eyes as their gazes darted between the City Lord

playing,” the man said to the dealer and

said as she began dealing a new set of cards.

game of poker,” Jake

to be an experienced player,” the man said with a smile. One thing to note was that he was one of the only people not wearing any mask

hand. He wasn’t lying either. He had utterly annihilated his family in poker several times in the past during family game nights to the point of them never wanting to

man in the suit said with a big smile. “I just

I got some time,” Jake smiled as he got up from the table while swiping up all his chips. “Been a

the casino were clearly loaded. Not a single E-grade was in sight, not even the dealers. Jake had no shame ripping them off, even if they knew who he was. What would they do, go complain that the Chosen of the Malefic Viper had dared rip them off in a poker game?

say, I do appreciate you

misunderstand. I didn’t do it to spare your wallet. I just wanted to play some poker,” Jake answered curtly. He felt the

hallways as all the employees bowed toward the suited man. A swift elevator ride later and Jake found himself within a spacious office. “You may excuse us,” the man said to his bodyguards, who both bowed and

a small bar and looked at it. “Any

he said a bit

poured two glasses. “Ah, I also believe it is due time I introduce myself. I

down on a couch across from Jake. Jake took a swig and quickly concluded it was good stuff. “So, Renato. A bit on the nose

merely indulging in one’s desires and embracing one’s Path? The world is cruel and relentless. Is it not far crueler to then also deny others the freedom to truly express themselves?” Renato asked, giving Jake the feeling this was another guy who believed he had Jake all figured out. Why did everyone assume he was some guy who didn’t really