And this ticking, soon resounded on the fifth occasion, which pocketed the sixth.
And it sounded again on the seventh ball...
But it was not a complete ticking.
It stopped.
Just as the breathing of those present did.
Everyone looked at this in shock.
’Shit... It was because of how hard I hit it at the start.’ His heart raced as he realized he had missed.
Sotis, in classic 8-ball pool, whether the ball is an inch too far forward or a centiter too far back can an the difference between winning and losing.
And because he had hit with greater force, he could not calculate the correct distance between where he left the cue ball and where the last of the seven balls to be pocketed was.
Although he had been in a good position for his next shot...
He had missed.
He frowned and stepped aside. Then he watched Louis grab his cue with a smile that gave him chills.
’...’ His mind stopped thinking for a mont when the first sound echoed...
CLANK*
It was a clear sound. He even closed his eyes slightly. He didn’t want to see his fall.
The cue ball traveled until it hit the first striped ball, the one it was his turn to pocket, and then ca dangerously close to a hole...
But he stopped.
It had missed.
When the man betting against him opened his eyes after not hearing the typical sound of pocketing a ball. He was stunned.
Louis was off to the side, waiting and simply watching him.
’Did he miss?’
’One that easy, did he miss it?’
’Wasn’t he a pro in that area? Was it luck?’
Suddenly, the pressure in his heart and back decreased drastically. He only had two balls left to pocket, while his opponent had all of them left.
But his opponent had missed the first one.
Oh, shit.
What luck.
Or maybe... that’s how it had to have been from the beginning.
The older man smiled and picked up his cue again with an air of smugness in his walk.
’100 million... that’s how easy it is to win it.’ He thought and prepared to hit the ball that had stuck close to him earlier.
10 seconds passed, and he couldn’t move.
The striped ball had been right in the middle of where his ball was going to end up. He would inevitably pocket a striped ball if he hit it this way.
He tried to look for another angle, but he couldn’t. He tried to get it in another spot.
He tried to get it in sowhere else... He couldn’t either.
He had no angle at all.
Not even with bounces.
’This bastard...’ He looked up to see Louis and noticed that he had a slight smile on his face.
He looked harmless, smiling. But it sent cramps through his body.
In his eyes, it was the smile of a devil. He had done everything to humiliate him...
Ultimately, he tried to hit a rebound, but to no avail.
He was furious, but he felt humiliated.
And Louis then grabbed his cue once again.
Then, the sound of a ticking, but not a ticking clock, began to resonate, with a victorious sound at the end.
Slowly and progressively.
Seven balls were pocketed consecutively.
And the eighth...
They all went in.
There was no sign of cheating. Nor anyone wanting to interfere.
’Although they wanted to.’ Louis smiled, grabbing the 200 million in chips he was entitled to.
"You’re not doing it wrong." Louis said as he looked at the dazed man behind him. "Though I can see you haven’t been at this long."
The man looked up and frowned. "What is your na, Young Master?" He asked.
"Louis Carwine."
"Carwine?" he smiled. "Interesting. You belong to none of the great families. I must respect you."
"What is your na?" Louis asked back.
"Williem Mosconi."
’Williem Mosconi?’ He frowned, though after a few seconds he smiled. ’Have I t the reincarnation of the Great Willie Mosconi of Arican Billiards?’
He took a few steps forward and patted his shoulder.
Then he whispered, "Good na. How long have you been playing?"
Williem frowned, quizzical. "30..."
"Tell the real number. I think you’ve been playing this for less than ten years."
’How...’ Despite feeling quizzical, Williem spoke again, albeit in a whisper.
"Four years, Young Lord Carwine."
His eyes sparkled with interest. ’At only four years, he has already co a long way. And in a world like this. It seems he really is so kind of being, just like that Mosconi.’
"Not bad." He spoke. "If you have trouble, co to in Velharthe. You can look for at the House of Shadows." After patting him down, he turned and went back.
He couldn’t deny that he was curious about how these talents matured. More so because he had seen him try to collude with so of these guards to try to do so cheating.
They were Awakened, not very powerful, but they were wind mages. They could go so far as to use wind to slightly alter the directions of so balls, making them go in or outright unable to.
That ans that a talent so good at this ga was desperate to win, even going so far as to want to cheat.
So he’s not soone with a backing behind him. Maybe he was simply forced to work for the casino after becoming a legend after so few years of playing. That’s why he wanted to see how far he could grow in this little ga.
He was curious, just as his father was curious, to see how far his son could go when he noticed he had talent.
Louis then looked around at everyone present, who looked at him in shock.
"8-ball, 9-ball, Carom or any modality, anyone want to play with big bets?" He asked.
Play against him who had just beaten a man who, so far, had been undefeated since he’d just arrived in the city? And not once, but twice.
Who would be that stupid?
Evidently, no one would be.
But soone still asked.
"By big bets, do you an...?" He looked at the chips in his hand, curious.
"Hahaha." Louis smiled. "Minimum 50 million. That would be ideal if they could 500 or a billion in one ga."
’Bil... A billion.’ They gasped exaggeratedly.
It was too much money to even think about gambling on it. There were incredibly profitable ventures that cost that much.
In fact, couldn’t you live quietly for the rest of your life on such an amount of money?
Although, of course, for insane gamblers, there is never a ceiling...
Evidently, no one took the bet.
Still, from the side, soone was looking at him curiously, and a smile blood on her lips.
She took a few steps forward.
"I want to bet with you, but I’ll only take bets over 100 million," she said.
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