Chapter 80: The Slacker, Runs Wild (1)
Six, six, six, six, three, one.
“Twenty-eight!”
“Whoa! Look at those numbers!”
The spectators were shocked by the number Dokbi had gotten. It was precisely one less than Wi Yeonho’s earlier score. And the dice faces showing those values weren’t ordinary either.
‘Did he lose on purpose?’
‘Looks like it, doesn’t it?’
“…They say top-tier gamblers can manipulate dice however they want—so it’s true after all.”
Everyone stared at Dokbi in awe.
‘But why would he throw the match?’
That was the part no one could understand.
Being able to control dice numbers at will was an extraordinary feat. But what reason was there to lose on purpose?
Dokbi cleared up their confusion soon enough.
“You’ve won, Young Master.”
“Must’ve been my lucky day.”
Wi Yeonho smiled gently.
“Luck is a form of skill. Now, with this, the match is back to square one. Your stake is twenty taels, and so is mine. The stake for the next round will be twenty taels.”
“So it’ll be settled in one round?”
“That’s correct.”
Only then did the onlookers fully grasp the situation. Though the match had reset, unlike the beginning, the stakes had doubled—from one thousand silver taels to two thousand, or twenty gold taels.
‘He’s giving him a path to escape, only to tighten the leash afterward.’
‘Losing hope after getting a taste of it is even crueler. Dokbi must be dead set on this.’
For soone like Dokbi, who could win any ti he wanted, it made no difference whether he won in ten rounds or eleven. But it was clear which outco would crush the opponent more.
“Young Master Wi.”
Before they realized it, Jin Soa had returned to Wi Yeonho’s side and spoke with concern.
“Yes?”
“…Are you alright?”
“Why wouldn’t I be? I ca in here with just one tael of silver to begin with.”
“You’re clearly not grasping the concept of debt properly.”
“Huh?”
Jin Soa looked at Wi Yeonho’s bright and carefree face and let out a long, weary sigh. It felt like he had filled a man who had been living a decent life with hot air, only to ruin him.
“Maybe… It’s best to quit here?”
“We agreed not to stop until one of us ends up with a hole in their coin pouch.”
“If you just talk to him calmly…”
“No chance. Do you know what kind of place a gambling den is?”
Wi Yeonho lightly tapped Jin Soa’s head with a finger.
“So don’t worry, and step aside. If you stick too close to , people will say I had help.”
“Young Master…”
Jin Soa’s eyes trembled.
This man…
Usually, he seed so clueless it was almost unbelievable, and yet—why did he seem so reliable in monts like this?
“Hmmm…”
Wi Yeonho straightened his back.
“If I had backed out earlier, I wouldn’t have co this far.”
“Yeah… that’s probably true.”
Wi Yeonho scratched his head.
“But strangely, I’ve got a feeling I’m going to win this.”
“Hahaha, everyone says that.”
And that was exactly how people ended up in ruin.
What one must fear most at the gambling table was baseless confidence.
“Well then, let’s begin. The stake for this round is twenty gold taels.”
Chrrr—
Chrrr—
The silver piled up in front of Wi Yeonho and Dokbi was pushed to the center. A showdown with all their stakes on the line had begun.
“I’ll go first.”
“Alright.”
As soon as Wi Yeonho responded, Dokbi reached for the dice cup.
‘How should I finish this?’
Dokbi had fully regained his composure.
‘It wasn’t much after all. I got scared for no reason.’
The kid was such a greenhorn that he had even suspected there might be sothing hidden. Even if he really was just a clueless brat, gambling was sothing that could spiral out of control at any mont—so Dokbi had been a little on edge. But now, it was obvious Wi Yeonho was completely ignorant when it ca to dice.
Chak!
Dokbi confidently swept the dice into the cup.
Tap, tap, tap, tap!
The dice cup shook rhythmically, making crisp sounds. To others, the sound was like the footsteps of the Do-su warriors heading to sever Wi Yeonho’s throat.
‘Poor guy.’
‘He should’ve run the mont he saw Dokbi. This is why they say information is life at the gambling table.’
Everyone ca up with their own reflections and interpretations, but Wi Yeonho remained calm and steady. No, it wasn’t just that—he seed completely unfazed.
“Don’t fall asleep!”
Bang!
Dokbi slamd the dice cup onto the table and shouted.
“Whoa!”
Startled awake from nodding off, Wi Yeonho looked annoyed.
“You scared .”
“What kind of person falls asleep at a ti like this?!”
“…I was just thinking about sothing.”
“Grrgh…”
Dokbi suddenly felt pathetic for gambling against a man like this. No matter how much he loved money, gambling was supposed to be sothing done with knife-edge tension…
‘Whatever. Doesn’t matter.’
This was the final round anyway.
“I’ll reveal it.”
“Okay.”
Dokbi, his eyes filled with killing intent, glared at Wi Yeonho and slowly lifted the dice cup.
The crowd watched, eyes nearly popping out of their heads.
Six, six, six, six, six, six.
“Whoaaa! A perfect score!”
“He rolled six sixes!”
The crowd went wild, shouting and hopping in place.
Seeing a six-six roll at the gambling table was no easy feat. Even soone who spent their life in gambling dens might never witness it. And yet now, it was happening before their eyes.
“Amazing!”
“I’ve seen perfect rolls with three dice, but never with six!”
“As expected of Dokbi!”
Dokbi smiled triumphantly as waves of praise poured in.
‘Hehehehe.’
A high-level gambler knew how to win a match, but a top-level gambler knew how to stir the crowd into a frenzy. That was what raised one’s value and earned a seat at the higher tables.
Especially for soone like Dokbi, who was employed by the gambling house, putting on such displays regularly was crucial. The more people heard of his na and reputation, the more gamblers would flock to the den.
“What do you say? Will you continue?”
“Sorry?”
Wi Yeonho tilted his head.
“Is there a reason not to?”
“But the match is already decided, no?”
“Well, you never know.”
Anyone watching would think Wi Yeonho was just being stubborn.
“Y-Young Master!”
Jin Soa looked at him with a panicked expression. If Wi Yeonho failed to roll six sixes now, the match would be over.
“Do you trust ?”
When Wi Yeonho asked seriously, Jin Soa nodded furiously without hesitation.
“Of course I do! If I can’t trust you, who can I trust!”
“Hehehe.”
Wi Yeonho scratched his head.
“No one’s ever said anything like that to in my life…”
Anyone in their right mind wouldn’t normally put their trust in soone like Wi Yeonho.
“Then I’d better return the favor.”
He reached out and took hold of the dice cup in front of him. Countless eyes followed his slow movent.
‘He looks composed.’
‘So he’s not just a fool after all?’
‘Well, if he really was just a fool, he wouldn’t have won ten straight rounds in Yin and Yang. Honestly, losing the previous rounds didn’t matter. The winner of this round takes everything.’
Squeeze.
As Wi Yeonho gripped the dice cup tightly, the spectators began to tense up.
It didn’t matter how many tis he had lost before. If he won this round, he would sweep the entire pot.
“What happens if that young master rolls six sixes?”
“What else? Then it’s back to a tie.”
“So he hasn’t lost yet.”
A sliver of hope remained.
But everyone present knew that hope was just another na for despair.
“Hmph.”
Wi Yeonho let out a low chuckle.
‘Huh?’
Dokbi felt a sudden chill in that laugh.
‘Don’t tell …’
Had he been waiting for this mont all along?
Clatter!
At that mont, Wi Yeonho’s dice cup soared into the air.
Clack-clack! Clack!
It wasn’t as precise as Dokbi’s movents, but the sound of Wi Yeonho’s dice was just as crisp.
Thud!
Then it landed quickly back onto the floor.
Dokbi stared intently at the dice cup.
‘No way.’
There was no way. Even for soone like him, rolling six sixes wasn’t sothing he could do every ti. If soone could perfectly control the outco of every die, they wouldn’t be a gambler—they’d be a god.
Even among top-level gamblers, pulling off six sixes once out of ten tries was a near miracle.
‘There’s no way that boy can do it.’
Dokbi repeated that to himself over and over, trying to calm his nerves.
“Hehehehe.”
Wi Yeonho laughed quietly.
“If I win this, that’s forty taels!”
Forty gold taels.
More than enough to live in luxury for the rest of his life.
Wi Yeonho’s face twitched with barely contained joy.
Who in this world wouldn’t love money?
“You can’t win.”
“Huh? Oh, that’s true.”
When Dokbi threw cold water on his excitent, Wi Yeonho agreed without resistance.
“Shall I open it?”
“Uh…”
Wi Yeonho looked at the dice cup with a slightly conflicted expression. Dokbi didn’t rush him. Any true gambler would understand what Wi Yeonho must be feeling right now.
In situations like this, rushing the final mont was considered taboo in a gambling den.
“Young Master, you’re okay, right?”
Jin Soa ran over and stared intently at the dice cup.
Only six sixes.
Without that, there was no way to win this round.
Jin Soa was convinced that Wi Yeonho had done it. Odd personality aside, when it ca to ability, Wi Yeonho was undeniably capable.
“You don’t trust ?”
“I do!”
Jin Soa spread his arms wide and praised him like a devotee.
At a glance, it almost looked like he was worshiping a cult leader.
“Alright then!”
Wi Yeonho grinned and tightened his grip on the dice cup.
“Should I open it?”
“Yes!”
“Or should I not?”
“…”
“Opening it is probably better, huh?”
“What are you even doing?”
Wi Yeonho spoke in a deflated tone.
“Truth is, I’m human too, so I’m getting nervous. If the numbers I want don’t co out when I lift this, I’m ruined.”
“…That’s true.”
And ruined didn’t even cover it.
With a debt of ten gold taels, it was a sum impossible to repay in a lifeti. Jin Soa, already burdened with a debt of twenty gold taels, knew that all too well.
“Guess I’ll be beaten to death.”
“…What?”
“My father will probably try to kill . My brother might hang upside down from a tree and feed to the eagles.”
“Quit talking nonsense and just open it.”
“So heartless.”
Wi Yeonho smiled confidently and, without another word, lifted the dice cup.
“Ooooooooh!”
“Waaaaaaah!”
The crowd let out a collective cheer upon seeing the revealed dice.
“How could this happen!”
“Is this even possible?!”
Everyone gasped and stared at the dice. Seeing six sixes in gambling was rare—but still possible. But seeing this right after a six-six roll? That was sothing unheard of in all of history.
“My god! Six ones!”
One, one, one, one, one, one.
The revealed dice all showed ones. A number just as rare as six sixes—but for a completely different reason.
Wi Yeonho’s hand trembled as he stared blankly at the dice.
“Well, I’m screwed.”
Jin Soa foad at the mouth and collapsed on the spot.
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