The Victor

“Not just the casino and the money; now, even your life belongs to me, doesn’t it?”

As those incredibly cold and mocking words echoed, the once lively casino instantly fell into a deathly silence.

The elegant, soft music had ceased at some unknown moment, replaced by a chilling hum. Sharp weapons were drawn from sleeves, walls, and beneath tables, as the formerly polite attendants transformed instantly into armed thugs.

Even the scantily clad croupier beauties produced small repeating crossbows from unknown places, aiming them directly at Ewan.

Killing intent surged from all directions.

In an instant, the man who had just won everything found himself plunged into a perilous predicament.

“Boy, who do you think I am?”

Sam Jade glared at Ewan, veins throbbing on his forehead. “I am Rat King Sam! The last person who dared to cause trouble in my casino was gnawed down to nothing but bones by the sewer rats!”

“Cause trouble? How can I be considered to be causing trouble, Sir Sam? You were the one who agreed to play a few rounds with me. You were the one who decided on the rules. You were the one who lost everything. And you were even the one who cheated.”

Ewan’s eyes held a mocking glint. “Yet, you are still the first one to overturn the table. So, who exactly is causing trouble here?”

“Shut up! Shut up!”

Sam Jade was consumed by rage, his ugly face twisted into a ferocious snarl.

When had he ever been mocked like this?

Never!

Since he had stepped onto this path, he had always been the one to mock others!

And…

Sam Jade’s gaze swept over Ewan’s face, his anger becoming even more uncontrollable.

He was being mocked by a nouveau riche from the Northern Territories?

If word got out that Rat King Sam had been played for a fool by someone widely known as ‘rich and idiotic’ from the Northern Territories, it would become the laughingstock of the entire Lower City within a day!

He would absolutely not allow such a thing to happen!

“Boy, I admit I messed up this time.”

Sam Jade let out a cold laugh. “But you’re new here, and it seems you don’t understand…

In the Lower City, winning or losing has never had anything to do with luck or skill. What determines victory… is always power!”

Sam Jade’s finger hovered over the trigger of his repeating crossbow. This military-grade magical crossbow, capable of piercing even monster scales, finally brought him a semblance of calm. He meticulously scrutinized Ewan, hoping to find a hint of satisfying fear on his face.

Yet, the man surrounded by numerous thugs and targeted by a dozen crossbows remained utterly composed.

He even had the leisure to turn his head and observe the croupier beauties holding the crossbows, seemingly pondering how they could produce such large weapons while dressed so revealingly.

“Mr. Sam, I advise you not to do that.”

Ewan shifted his gaze, as if oblivious to the repeating crossbow in Sam Jade’s hand that could end his life with a single shot. Instead, he offered a serious suggestion, “Such dangerous things can easily injure people.”

“Screw you! You’re the one I’m aiming for!”

Ewan’s composure made it impossible for Sam Jade to suppress his fury any longer. Without hesitation, he pulled the trigger.

Whoosh—

The arrow pierced the air, emitting a shrill hum.

The arrow accurately struck the forehead, and with the powerful magical enchantment, it instantly caused the head to explode, splattering crimson and white matter everywhere.

A scent of blood permeated the air.

The atmosphere in the room froze once more, broken only by a helpless sigh.

“Why didn’t you listen to me, Mr. Sam?”

Ewan, having subtly shifted to dodge the arrow, adjusted his slightly askew top hat. He cast a regretful glance at the headless corpse behind him.

That had been a thug attempting to block his escape route. Now, he was dead.

Dead by the Rat King’s crossbow.

“You see? The moment I dodged, he was the unlucky one. I told you it was dangerous; why didn’t you believe me?”

“You bastard!”

Rat King Sam’s face instantly turned incredibly ferocious. Without needing any command, a dozen crossbows around him were already poised and ready.

You might dodge one, but can you dodge a dozen?

‘I’ll shoot you into a—’

“Wait… wait, everyone stop! Everyone put your weapons down!”

But just as the dozen crossbows were about to unleash a volley, the Rat King’s ferocious expression changed, transforming instantly into one of extreme terror.

He stared at Ewan’s hand, as if he had witnessed something unbelievable, his voice almost a gasp.

“Everyone stop! Put your weapons down, now!”

The thugs exchanged bewildered glances, unable to comprehend why their boss, who could clearly dispatch the man opposite with a single word, was suddenly acting so erratically.

Yet, as it was their boss’s command, they could only comply.

The frozen atmosphere thawed, the killing intent dissipated, replaced by an unsettling, inexplicable strangeness.

Witnessing this, Ewan couldn’t help but offer a mocking smile, his fingertips nimbly flipping. “It seems you’ve noticed, Mr. Sam.”

“When did…”

Sam Jade stared at Ewan’s flipping fingertips, his expression utterly grim.

Yet, Ewan held no weapon, no large-scale destructive magic artifact. In his hand, there was merely a playing card.

A playing card that Rat King Sam was intimately familiar with.

Because that card should have been among the hand he had discarded, helping him secure victory in this gamble.

But now, it was in the hand of this man who called himself Bruce.

And he, Sam Jade, had been completely unaware.

Subconsciously touching his empty sleeve, then recalling the sudden change in his hand of cards, the Rat King instantly broke into a cold sweat.

If this man could replace and take his card without his knowledge, then…

“I could also kill you in the blink of an eye, before you even react.”

Ewan completed the Rat King’s unspoken thought, then smiled and spun the playing card, letting it fall before the Rat King.

“Just as Mr. Sam said earlier, this gamble isn’t important at all. The stakes, the cheating—those are merely small prizes in the game.

The important thing is that you sat down in front of me, within my reach. That’s enough, isn’t it?”

Sam Jade lowered his head, staring at the playing card that still carried his scent. The color instantly drained from his face, leaving him paler than the card itself.

“I thought it was just some kind of illusion,” he stammered.

“Ha, an illusion? In a place like a casino, illusions are quickly exposed.”

“Who exactly are you?”

Rat King Sam looked up, staring at the unfamiliar man.

He finally realized that this was no idiotic, rich upstart, but a monster emerged from the shadows.

And he, in his naivete, had actually tried to win a gamble from a monster. What was the difference between that and delivering himself onto its dinner plate?

“Bruce Wayne.”

The man introduced himself again. “Just a passing… ordinary citizen.”

“An ordinary citizen? Ha, what an ‘ordinary citizen.'”

Sam Jade slumped back in his chair, smiling bitterly. “Let’s just say you are… So, Mr. Bruce, what do you want from me?”

“Don’t worry.”

Ewan interlaced his fingers, smiling with the gentle warmth of a gentleman. “I merely wish for Mr. Sam to do me a small favor.”