Chapter 374
‘Step, step.’
Having changed into their formal attire, the group finally entered the underground casino, Shadow, and stood at the top of a staircase.
‘Whoosh—!’
Watching the stairs move down automatically, powered by Mana Stones, Chelsea hummed and muttered.
“They must be ridiculously rich. To build even the entrance stairs like this.”
“You can say that again. Look at the ceiling.”
Carr clicked his tongue as he looked up.
The ceiling, glittering as if coated in gold, was studded with what looked like expensive jewels, like stars in the sky.
A Magic Stone Lamp, emitting a bright light among the jewels, caught their eyes.
“It’s so blatantly showing off its wealth that it’s starting to look tacky.”
“I agree.”
Juen nodded at Betty’s remark.
“Leo, what are you thinking so hard about?”
Chloe asked Leo, who was standing at the front, lost in thought.
“I was thinking about this underground casino.”
To be precise, he was thinking about Rodia’s Vault, located beneath this place.
According to Laurel, there was a labyrinth on the way to Rodia’s Vault.
‘She said this casino was built on top of that labyrinth.’
When Leo had asked what was inside the vault, Laurel had shaken her head.
‘I don’t know for sure what Rodia left there either. I only know that, like Seiren’s Cometes, it was a reward obtained from the Hero Record.’
Leo thought of Cometes, which lay dormant in his Subspace.
The most powerful existing Magic Staff, imbued with both Luna’s and Seiren’s magic.
As it was an item left by Rodia, who could be called the leader of the Heroes of Genesis, it might be an object on par with Cometes.
‘In any case, to get to the labyrinth, I need to pass through this casino.’
‘Clank—!’
‘Step, step, step.’
The stairs came to a stop.
Leo’s group walked down the hallway.
Unlike the splendid entrance, there wasn’t a single Magic Stone Lamp in sight, only a door at the end of the corridor from which light was leaking.
“Welcome to Shadow.”
“Welcome.”
The men guarding the door greeted the group and opened it.
‘Fwaaah—!’
Everyone squinted slightly at the bright light.
And at the sight that unfolded within, everyone’s jaws dropped.
The interior beyond the door was reminiscent of a social hall’s lobby.
From the hall beyond the lobby, a beautiful melody played by an orchestra flowed, and neatly dressed waiters moved about with elegant strides.
“The atmosphere is different from what I expected.”
Chloe tilted her head.
Those who had been secretly nervous about it being an illegal casino now looked relieved.
Leo approached the lobby’s counter.
“Good evening, esteemed guests.”
A woman in a suit standing at the counter bowed with a kind smile.
“If you have anything to prove your identity, could you please place it on the counter?”
At the staff member’s words, the group took out their Lumene student IDs from their pockets.
The staff member who received the IDs examined them carefully.
Then, she reached under the desk and placed nine small boxes on the counter.
“In order, these belong to Luke, Austin, Betty, Juen, Eliana, Carr, Chelsea, and Chloe. And this one is for Leo.”
The staff member placed each student ID on top of its respective box and smiled brightly.
The group, puzzled, picked up the boxes, put away their IDs, and opened them.
‘Click—’
“A card?”
“This looks like platinum.”
“Wow, are these diamonds embedded in here?”
“Only the class rep’s is a different color. His is black.”
“These are our establishment’s membership cards. It has been confirmed that all nine of you are Lumene students. Luke, Austin, Betty, Juen, and Eliana are Platinum tier, while Carr, Chelsea, and Chloe are Diamond tier.”
At her words, everyone looked intrigued.
“How do the VIP tiers work?”
At Austin’s question, the staff member continued with a smile.
“We have Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond tiers.”
Hearing the explanation, Eliana looked slightly disgruntled.
“I have a question. Why isn’t the class rep in any of the tiers? And why am I Platinum while they’re Diamond?”
“Students of the Hero Division are automatically granted Platinum tier. Afterward, we upgrade you to higher tiers based on your reputation and school grades.”
“Then why is he Diamond?”
Eliana pointed at Carr.
“Carr Thomas has a history of conquering the Divine Blacksmith’s Hero Record, so we have granted him Diamond tier.”
“Pfft… Eliana. Among the second-years, you’re the only one at the same level as the first-years.”
“Grr! You of all people, Carr!”
“Ahem! How dare you! How dare a Platinum speak so rudely to a Diamond!”
“You! Get back here!”
Eliana, provoked by Carr’s teasing, lunged at him.
Carr dodged her and continued to taunt her obnoxiously.
“Take this!”
In response, Eliana took off the heel she was wearing and threw it.
The heel flew like a boomerang and struck Carr squarely on the temple.
“The reason Leo Plov is not in a VIP tier is because he is someone whose rank we dare not presume to assign. We refer to such individuals as ‘King’.”
“What kind of people receive the King tier?”
When Juen asked with a curious expression, the staff member pondered for a moment before smiling brightly.
“The King tier is granted to those with status and prestige comparable to the monarch of a nation.”
Everyone’s mouths hung open, but Chelsea and Chloe nodded as if it made sense.
“Well, he is the Lumene student council president.”
“His external prestige is on par with the head of a major hero family or a king.”
Leaving the two shrugging behind him, Leo asked.
“So, what’s the benefit of having a high tier?”
As Leo asked, waving his card, the staff member smiled.
“There are areas in our establishment that are accessible based on your VIP tier. In the case of the King tier, you can assume there are no restricted areas.”
“Is that so? Then can I go to the basement?”
“The basement…? This place is the basement.”
“I mean even further underground than here.”
Leo tapped the floor with the tip of his shoe.
The staff member’s eyes widened at his words, but she soon broke into a smile.
“It is difficult for me to answer that inquiry at my level. I recommend you have a meeting with our establishment’s master.”
“How do I arrange a meeting?”
“You can pay 100 million points, the currency used in our establishment, in a lump sum.”
“Is it possible to exchange Shillings for points?”
“Yes, it is. 1 point is equal to 1 Shilling.”
“’Gasp’?”
“’Hah?!’”
“Then… 10 million Golings?!”
It was an astronomical sum.
The Fatigue Recovery Potions Carr sold were 5 Shillings per bottle.
And 1 Goling was 10 Shillings.
Everyone wore expressions of shock.
“Is there another way?”
“There is also the method of participating in events held at our establishment to earn points.”
“Are you telling us to gamble?”
“That is a good method, but our establishment has countless ways to earn points besides gambling. This is… the shadow of the world, after all.”
At her dangerous-looking smile, everyone swallowed dryly.
Carr crossed his arms.
“The subsidy we received was 2,000 Golings per person… so that’s completely out of reach.”
Having said that, Carr glanced at Chelsea and Juen.
“What are you looking at?”
“Can’t we borrow the wealth of you rich young ladies?”
“Do you think 10 million Golings is pocket change?”
At Chelsea’s words, Carr scratched his head.
“True.”
Just as everyone was pondering.
“For now, please go inside and enjoy yourselves. For our VIP customers, we provide 10,000 points for Platinum tier, 20,000 for Diamond tier, and 50,000 for King tier.”
At those words, everyone’s eyes widened.
“Can we exchange that money and leave with it?”
“Of course.”
Watching the staff member answer cheerfully, everyone clicked their tongues.
Just by entering this place, they had easily obtained money that ordinary people couldn’t dream of touching.
“Wouldn’t asking the other students for help be an option?”
“That’s true, but… I doubt it would be recognized. In here, the master of this place is the law.”
Betty shook her head at Luke’s words.
“Let’s go in and think about it. I haven’t even had breakfast, I’m starving.”
Eliana said, looking at the buffet set up in the hall.
“Right, let’s eat first and think later!”
”’
The buffet set up in the hall was laden with all sorts of luxurious food.
Waiters bustled about, offering the students high-class wine and champagne.
As Eliana reached for one, Chloe narrowed her eyes.
“We’re students. No alcohol.”
“Aww! We came all this way! Don’t be so stingy!”
When Eliana protested, Chloe spoke more firmly.
“Absolutely not. We’re here on a mission.”
At her words, Eliana reluctantly put down the wine glass.
“Juen.”
“Tch, what a goody-two-shoes.”
Juen was caught by her classmate Betty as she tried to sneak a glass of champagne.
Meanwhile, Leo and Carr, who had gone to the casino floor, returned.
“Wow, the gambling den here is really a gambling den.”
“What do you mean?”
“Look. There’s no one in the hall.”
Despite the atmosphere that any noble would love, there was no one in the hall.
“They’re all playing games in the casino.”
Carr clicked his tongue.
“It looks like they’re all of pretty high status… but their eyes have gone crazy. You guys, don’t ever show them your cards. They keep asking to borrow money.”
Carr grimaced, recalling an old nobleman who had begged him for money.
It had been a very unpleasant experience.
“So, did you find a way to earn points?”
“Yeah.”
Carr crossed his arms.
“What is it?”
“The arena.”
“What?”
“This casino has an arena. The guys who are good with their fists earn money there.”
“What? That’s simple. We’re Lumene students, after all.”
Eliana said as if it was a great idea.
“No, not at all.”
“What?”
“The casino arena has ‘rules.’ Basically, ‘no mana usage.’ You have to wear Mana Restraint Cuffs.”
At that, Eliana froze.
“You don’t know your opponent either. You might fight another guest, or you might fight a monster or a beast. And people die there frequently.”
At those words, everyone’s expression grew tense.
“What else is there?”
“There’s a labyrinth escape relay and chess.”
“If it’s chess, we have Chloe.”
Chelsea looked at Chloe.
She was Lumene’s chess champion.
“Since this is the underworld, there’s bound to be something dangerous.”
Leo crossed his arms.
“For now, let’s find out more about this casino. If it really doesn’t work out, giving up is also an option.”
‘I can always infiltrate it by myself later.’
They had come here as Lumene students to explore a Hero Dungeon.
And there was no Hero Dungeon here.
In that case, they could just wash their hands of this place and head to the suspicious Forest of Monsters.
For Leo, Rodia’s Vault wasn’t an immediate priority.
Everyone nodded at Leo’s words.
“Let’s meet back in the hall in an hour.”
At Leo’s words, Luke raised his hand.
“Sunbae, what should we do with the points?”
“If it’s necessary for gathering information, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to use them actively. Or…”
Leo glanced at the casino interior.
“Try playing a game.”
“Hey, Leo! Telling us to gamble.”
The students looked flustered at his unexpected words.
Leo chuckled.
“Since we’re here, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have a variety of experiences.”
“Wow, that sounds like something a bad old man would say.”
Chelsea jeered slightly.
Chuckling, Leo ruffled Chelsea’s hair.
“As a hero, I think learning about the darkness of the world is also a form of study.”
”’
After parting with the group, Leo walked through the casino.
All sorts of games were being played under the dazzling lights.
Cheers and screams of despair erupted.
This place was an abyss where one could glimpse the true nature and essence of humanity.
‘Step, step.’
As he walked, Leo slowly lifted his head.
‘I feel like I’m being watched.’
He felt gazes from the Mana Stones embedded in the ceiling.
They were probably ‘surveillance’ Mana Stones.
He could feel eyes watching him through them.
Normally, it was almost impossible to feel a gaze through magic.
But Leo’s senses were incomparably sharper than others.
As he walked, Leo stopped in front of a certain room.
A golden crown shape was embedded in the black door.
Beastmen who appeared to be guards blocked Leo’s path.
“This area is only accessible to ‘Kings’.”
At their words, Leo took the card from his pocket.
After confirming it, the guards bowed their heads and opened the door.
Stepping into the room, Leo narrowed his eyes.
Silhouettes were faintly visible under the dim lighting.
He didn’t sense many people.
“Welcome, guest.”
Just then, a clear voice came from his side.
‘This voice is…’
A subtle killing intent was laced within the voice.
When he turned his head, a girl wearing a rabbit-ear headband was bowing her head.
“I am Rabbit, here to serve you…”
The girl who raised her head was dressed strangely.
She had blue eyes reminiscent of a lake.
And pure white hair.
Thanks to that, the rabbit-ear headband stood out even more.
But what stood out even more were the ‘cat ears’ on which the headband rested.
The girl in the rabbit costume froze solid as she saw Leo.
As the girl gaped like a broken cat, Leo asked.
“What are you doing here?”
At his question, the girl, Ar, tried to flee without a moment’s hesitation.
Leo reached out and grabbed Ar’s tail.
“I told you not to grab a lady’s tail so casuallyyyyyy!”
Ar, her fur standing on end, shouted at Leo as if hissing.
“So, what are you doing here?”
Ar, who had become Rabbit, hugged her tail to her chest, her eyes darting around, before she puffed out her chest and said.
“I’m working!”
“Why?”
“To pay off a debt!”
“…”
Leo let out a deep sigh.
There was only one kind of debt to be had in a place like this, but he asked, hoping he was wrong.
“A gambling debt?”
“Yup!”
Looking at the far-too-confident Ar, Leo muttered.
‘I really hope our school’s kids aren’t as foolish as her.’