A Gambler's Fate

Rein studied the technique of "Condense Qi into Gang" very seriously.

This secret technique is difficult for ordinary Transcendent individuals to learn, but what's even more difficult is enduring the loneliness and arduous practice day after day.

Condensing battle qi is a very tedious process, like embroidery, requiring complete concentration and the expenditure of energy and time.

This is also the most important reason why this "first man of Omar" from seventy years ago suddenly disappeared and guarded this treasure trove in this dark palace cabin for many years.

In the martial arts world back then, he had no rivals. For a "martial arts fanatic," wealth, fame, and pleasure were nothing compared to the ultimate pursuit of martial arts.

Andrew then devoted himself to the arduous study of this secret technique, which led to Rein seeing the complete and perfect version of the technique.

Two hours later, the lesson was nearing its end.

"Alright, I've taught you everything I need to. From now on, you'll have to figure it out and practice on your own."

Andrew originally only intended to settle the matter of the "gift" by giving the manual a few words.

But later he discovered that it Rein the person with the best "talent" he had ever seen, the one most suitable to cultivate this secret technique, and thus he developed a sense of cherishing talent, which is why he has been talking about it ever since.

At this point, he couldn't help but add, "You have great talent, and perhaps you can go further than me. But Qigong cultivation is a long process, and for many years to come, you will likely devote most of your energy to it. I hope you can persevere."

"Thank you for your guidance, senior!"

Rein nodded solemnly.

I benefited greatly from this lesson.

Andrew's words truly made him feel that he had grasped the essence of "Qi Master".

But not everyone can be a "martial arts fanatic".

Spending decades in seclusion in a confined cabin, practicing diligently, is something not everyone can do.

Especially for Rein, a transmigrator eager to see the wonders of this world, the allure of this dazzling world is immense. He also needs plenty of time to understand this world, to explore, to adventure, and to enjoy this transmigrated journey of life.

However, although he cannot meditate in seclusion, he has an "Mind Core" and spends a lot of time in dreams.

With twenty times the dream time and a pre-set system training program, there's no way to slack off.

Therefore, this secret technique was not difficult for him to cultivate.

Andrew didn't say anything more. He knew his days were numbered and there was nothing he couldn't let go of.

Everything that needs to be taught has been taught; whether one can ultimately master it depends on fate.

The secret method has been passed on, and the matter of the "gift" is now settled.

At this moment, Andrew said again, "There's another guy locked up in the secret room. Dopler should have told you that he's his illegitimate son. Now, take him with you."

After a pause, the patriarch of the Spurglin Royalty couldn't resist criticizing the Old Emperor, saying, "Dopler was just too indecisive. Since he became emperor, he should have been prepared. In that position, there's no room for sentimentalities; the interests of the empire come first. If he had discovered this earlier and been killed, things wouldn't have come to this."

These words reveal the cold-blooded nature of imperial scheming.

For those in positions of power, nothing is more important than the interests of the imperial court.

Family, love, and friendship can all be sacrificed.

Upon hearing this, Rein realized that the "illegitimate child" the old man was referring to was naturally the one with the squinty eyes.

He hadn't expected that Metternich was actually imprisoned here, guarded by a top-tier expert.

At this moment, Andrew warned again, "However, that kid is the inheritor of the 'Gambler Sequence,' his abilities are very troublesome, and his mentality is somewhat paranoid and twisted. You have to be careful."

He paused for a moment, looked at Ymir, and said, "Although Dopler said to let him live, that kid gives me a dangerous feeling. If he makes any move, you can kill him."

Ymir frowned slightly as she listened.

She had no real connection with Metternich; she had only seen him a few times when they were in the capital, when he was with the Empress.

I initially thought they were enemies, but now it seems they aren't.

Rein, however, remained calm.

Before I knew his identity, I always felt that this guy was two-faced and I couldn't figure out who he was helping.

Now that we know he came for revenge, we can understand what he did and his twisted mentality of wanting the aristocratic system to collapse.

Before long, the three of them walked through a dimly lit, enclosed passageway.

The old man led Rein and Ymir to an iron gate with a magical array, where several Heavy Armor Guard stood.

Before opening the door, Andrew said again with a serious expression, "The Gambler Sequence is a mental power specialty. They are skilled in divination and mental curses, and their methods are hard to defend against. This room has a magic-suppressing restriction, but it cannot completely limit his abilities. So, you need to be extra careful when you go in."

His tone was very serious, as if they would be facing a ferocious, man-eating beast once the iron gate was opened.

"."

Rein listened without saying a word, his brow furrowing slightly.

Although he and Metternich only met once, they didn't have much of a relationship.

However, he always felt that the guy wasn't a bad person.

Master Cavo had dealt with this guy for a while. His assessment was: Metternich is a man of great talent and not a bad person.

Otherwise, Cavo wouldn't have conceded a bet on the crucial gamble that would determine the fate of City of Radiance.

"Creak."

The heavy iron door opened, producing a slightly harsh metallic scraping sound.

It was a decent room; at least it didn't look like a prison cell.

Although there are no windows, it has all the necessary furniture and is quite spacious.

Hearing Andrew's warning before entering, Rein was prepared to see Metternich completely "darkened" and dominated by Violent Personality.

Upon entering, they found the man with squinty eyes calmly playing cards on the table.

He heard someone open the door, seemingly unsurprised that someone would come looking for him at this hour.

I glanced up briefly.

He didn't even glance at Andrew or Ymir, two great masters, who were right in front of him.

However, when he saw Rein, a look of surprise appeared in Metternich's eyes.

A moment later, he even stood up with a smile and greeted him, saying, "Mr. Rein, it's been a long time."

His tone was very polite, displaying the demeanor of a harmless gentleman.

Rein responded, "Mr. Metternich, it's been a long time."

Andrew, who was standing to the side, was slightly surprised to hear that the two knew each other, but he didn't say anything.

At this moment, Metternich guessed the three men's purpose and asked directly, "Did that old man send you to let me out?"

When he heard the word "old thing," a red glint flashed in Rein's eyes.

After a pause, Metternich muttered with a cold laugh, "Tsk tsk, looks like that old guy won't make it through the night."

"."

Rein didn't know how this guy, who was locked up here, could guess the situation outside, but he just knew.

Could it be a divination ability? Rein guessed.

With the Old Emperor dead, Metternich could be said to have avenged his great grudge.

But the man didn't show much joy on his face. Instead, he said with a ferocious grin, "That old bastard really thought I was able to survive because of his 'charity'? Hahaha, how laughable."

His tone was low and menacing, and anyone could hear the sarcasm in his voice.

Upon closer inspection, Metternich instantly transformed into his Violent Personality, a seductive smile spreading across his face.

Upon seeing this, Andrew's pupils contracted slightly.

He slightly stepped aside, blocking Rein and Ymir, and coldly warned Metternich, "Boy, if it weren't for the fact that you bear the blood of our Spurglin Royalty, I would have spared your life. Otherwise, this old man wouldn't mind giving you a quick death right now!"

"Heh. Old man, you don't have many days left to live, so where does your tough talk come from? Do you really think I came back to Wussenbar to await your judgment?"

Metternich mocked mercilessly, seemingly unafraid that Andrew would kill him, "After tomorrow, your Spurglin Family will be a thing of the past. Ha, what a load of rubbish, royalty! Even now, do you still think that you so-called nobles, your so-called royal blood, make you superior?"

"."

Andrew didn't respond to that, but his gaze was rather gloomy.

Rein could tell that he really didn't want to keep this guy alive.

At this point, the old man seemed to no longer want to see Metternich, fearing that if he continued talking, he would be tempted to snap the man's neck.

He turned his head to look at Ymir and said in a deep voice, "Take him out of here."

Ymir felt the atmosphere was strange and glanced at Rein out of the corner of her eye.

She herself was a member of the Omar royal family, so she was also affected by this sweeping generalization. Although she knew that the struggle for royal power was fierce, it was ultimately an internal power struggle within their Spurglin Family, and the idea of it "becoming a thing of the past" sounded very harsh.

She began to doubt whether her brother's decision was right. Was letting this guy out really a good idea?

Rein, however, was used to it.

This guy's Violent Personality side is evident in his constant utterances of phrases like "filthy nobles should be destroyed."

He began, "Mr. Metternich, we are here at the request of His Majesty Dopler. He wants us to take you away from the Oma Imperial Capital."

Upon hearing Rein speak, Metternich seemed to suddenly regain his composure.

"Go out?"

He shook his head, seemingly having no intention of leaving.

Only then did he slowly say, "Before I died, I had a small regret. That was not being able to visit the then-powerful 'Black Dragon City.' I never expected that I would have the honor of meeting you, Mr. Rein, the city lord."

After a moment's pause, Metternich squinted at Rein with his signature narrowed eyes, revealing a sunny smile, and said, "Mr. Rein, you really are a surprise. I never thought you would actually use your theory of social order to build an ideal city."

Before he died?

Rein caught a hint of something unusual in his words, and a sense of doubt flashed through his mind.

He didn't ask further, but instead gave a wry smile and replied, "The establishment of 'Black Dragon City' wasn't my achievement alone. It was also thanks to His Ymir, my teacher Ilubeck, the Kolman people, and Elder Tuster, and everyone else, that the city was built."

Metternich shook his head, not agreeing with his modesty, and said, "Without a perfect theoretical foundation, no matter how many resources you have, it would be impossible to build such a magnificent city. Mr. Rein possesses unparalleled talent."

His words made no attempt to conceal his praise and admiration for "Black Dragon City" and for Rein, and he continued, "Originally, I had left some 'seeds' after the collapse of Omar, hoping to change the social order. But now it seems that none of them can compare to your 'Black Dragon City.' Not just far inferior. Mr. Rein's feat has extraordinary significance for this era."

"."

If it were someone else, it would be one thing to brag about themselves.

But the squinty-eyed man in front of me is a truly capable person.

Rein looked slightly uncomfortable being praised so highly by a "real expert".

The social order established by Heilong was the crystallization of the wisdom of countless ancestors and the result of countless historical trials and errors.

He naturally dared not take credit for it.

However, now is clearly not the time to discuss this topic.

While Andrew treated Metternich as a formidable foe, Rein didn't see him as much of a threat.

At this point, he said, "Mr. Metternich, if it's convenient for you now, would you like to leave here with us?"

Originally, I planned to go back to the palace to rest for the night, but now that I've been listening to lectures for several hours and it's almost dawn, I might as well take this guy out with me.

Surprisingly, Metternich refused. "Although I also very much want to get out alive and see your Black Dragon City, it seems I won't have the chance."

"???"

Rein was completely confused.

This guy looks healthy and rosy-cheeked; he doesn't seem to be unwell.

But what he meant was that he was going to die soon?

Rein had a vague feeling that what this guy said might be related to some of the reasons behind his gambler lineage.

However, he was right.

Seemingly on his deathbed, Metternich made no attempt to hide anything, saying, "I've been holding back this final 'bet' just to hear the old man's death. Now, I can't hold back any longer."

"But it's just right. Almost exactly as expected."

His tone was calm, as if he didn't care about his own life or death. He glanced at Rein again and explained, "A gambler's life, besides being taken away by God, is only in my own hands! That old man thought that doing this would lessen his conscience. Unfortunately, his 'charity' seemed so cowardly and laughable. My life was already gambled away with fate. Using the 'Joker Card' doesn't come without a price."

It turns out that the [Gambler Sequence] has very strong and strange abilities.

Whether it's divination or the "Joker Card, it's essentially gambling with your life, trying to seize a chance against fate.

The greater the power of an ability, the greater the price that must be paid.

Metternich continued, "In order to quickly master the Gambler Sequence and gain an opportunity for revenge, I used the [Joker Card] multiple times. This ability saved me from a violent death several times, but the cost has become increasingly greater."

At that moment, a bizarre scene unfolded.

Just then, the phantom image of the Fifty-Four Poker Cards suddenly appeared in front of Metternich.

Unlike ordinary playing cards, the backs of these cards are covered with extremely mysterious magical patterns.

"The first time, to escape my enemies, I used the Joker Card. Fate gave me a choice: choose the red card to survive. Luckily, I chose the right one."

"The second time, in order to advance to the Fifth-tier Extraordinary, I used my ability to glimpse the mysteries of the laws again. Fate gave me a choice of four; as long as I chose the spade card, I could live."

"The third time, fate gave me the opportunity to choose the 'KING' card."

"The fourth time"

"."

"The sixth time, which is also the last time. Back in City of Radiance, I used my ability to avoid Quentin's assassination attempt. This time, however, Fate has given me a very difficult choice. My teacher died because of this very choice."

After a pause, Metternich squinted and said, "This time, I need to pick out the 'Colored JOKER Card to survive."

Upon hearing this, the three of Rein immediately understood why Metternich didn't think he could survive.

A deck of cards has fifty-four cards, with only two Joker Cards.

There is only one color copy.

That means his chances of survival are only one in fifty-four?!

Upon hearing about the aftereffects, all Rein could say was "Holy crap."

The abilities of this Gambler Sequence are fucking monstrous!

Every time you use your ability, it's a gamble with your life; you have to keep winning to survive.

Lose one game, and you're dead!

No wonder it's called the "Gambler Sequence," this is just too insane.

Who with a sound mind would choose to advance to this Extraordinary Sequence?

At that moment, Metternich suddenly revealed a relieved smile.

It seems they have already made up their minds to face death calmly.

"In the past, no matter how slim the odds were, I always felt I could survive. Because I had the conviction to live and take revenge. But now, fate has given me the best possible outcome, and I really can't think of any reason why I should ask destiny for the hope of survival."

He didn't rush to choose his playing cards; his eyes, narrowed to slits, gleamed with a sharp light.

After saying that, he suddenly looked at Rein with a smile and asked, "Mr. Rein, which card do you think I should choose?"

For the first time, the gambler handed over the right to choose his own destiny to someone else.