I'm Not a Gambling Addict

What is all this about?

The first two were fine, but Xiao Xiao had already experienced the might of those three vicious dogs. As for tearing down the house, Xiao Xiao had heard their owner ranting and raving in the room many times before.

And that old record player, Xiao Xiao had heard it many times as well. He remembered one time during the Spring Festival, when the record player was playing cheerful songs like "Gong Xi Fa Cai," but it still managed to give off an eerie, underworldly vibe...

But that butcher...

...Didn't the city's will just accidentally reveal some important information?

That butcher has actually killed people? And he might be caught at any time?

He used to think that the butcher might be a pervert hiding in the streets. So his hunch was actually right?

Then, shouldn't he call the police now?

If this had happened before all of this, Xiao Xiao would have definitely called the police without hesitation.

However, in these short few days, too many incredible things have happened around him. He's even seen Rat-Man, so another perverted killer doesn't seem so incomprehensible anymore.

Especially since the whole city is full of monsters, a perverted killer seems to be on his side.

He didn't call the police. Instead, he surprisingly remained calm and quickly thought:

"Things that are detected have the potential to become Aberrant Creatures, meaning there's some kind of 'abnormal' substance in their bodies that the city considers to be 'abnormal'."

"However, I can't eliminate them until these things actually become Aberrant Creatures."

"Otherwise, the city will treat it as murder or other illegal activities, and deduct the Points I currently have..."

"..."

He was used to thinking under pressure, and at this moment, he felt his thoughts were very clear: "Experienced people like Yang Jia and Ruan Ruan usually pay special attention to or track things after they've been detected."

"Because once these things are detected, they often break through the critical point and become Aberrant Creatures in just a few days."

"But I've lived here for a long time. They've always been here, always giving me this strong sense of danger, but they've always been like this, without turning into monsters like Rat-Man..."

"So, should I tell Yang Jia and them about this and get rid of them as soon as possible, or..."

He thought of another option that Ruan Ruan had mentioned before, and he found it a bit unbelievable: "Buy them?"

Is it possible that these three could become the special items that Ruan Ruan mentioned?

According to Ruan Ruan, as long as something is detected to have "abnormality" and danger, it can be bought and strengthened to observe whether these things will become Aberrant Creatures.

If they become Aberrant Creatures, they're cleaned up and exchanged for Points.

If they don't become Aberrant Creatures, they can form things with some special powers, which are the "special items" that collectors love the most.

Of course, the latter possibility is extremely low, which is one of the reasons why the collector route is particularly difficult and prone to bankruptcy.

He wouldn't be so lucky as to see three at once, would he?

Just looking at the three options flashing on the screen, he was actually a little tempted: One hundred and thirty Points, 90 Points already spent, leaving 40 Points.

He can't buy anything else, but those three dogs...

Xiao Xiao immediately thought of the three strong dogs in his neighbor's house, with their dark red eyes and always drooling as they stared at him intently...

Logically speaking, it would be extremely unwise to spend thirty Points to buy three vicious dogs.

But precisely because they left such a deep impression on him during that painful memory, Xiao Xiao didn't want to tell Yang Jia or Ruan Ruan about this, and this was also a factor.

When a person has been affected by their fear for as long as four years, it forms a strange psychology.

Regardless of what these things are like in themselves, they have long had a unique concept for him.

There was also a hidden thought: "Since these things once brought me so much fear, then in a world where everything has become a monster..."

"If I buy them, make them my own, and then bring fear to others..."

"...Wouldn't that be great?"

"..."

This inexplicable sense of catharsis made Xiao Xiao unable to suppress this idea, even though he knew it might be a losing investment.

He just couldn't tell Yang Jia and them about this idea, and they definitely wouldn't agree.

"I'm not a gambling addict, I just need to try it out..."

After struggling for a long time, he became more and more tempted: "I'll just buy the three vicious dogs first and observe them."

"If, afterward, those two things become Aberrant Creatures, or show signs of becoming Aberrant Creatures, I'll tell Yang Jia and Ruan Ruan and quickly solve them."

"But what if..."

"What if these three things really have the potential to become special items, even if only one of them can, I'll make a lot of money..."

"..."

With a ruthless heart, he made a decision.

Out of the forty Points, he allocated thirty to purchase the Three Adorable Hounds.

Speaking of which, out of these three options, only these Three Adorable Hounds were something he could afford; the other two were beyond his means.

Moreover, those two, with their high prices, gave off a distinctly unreliable vibe.

The Old Gramophone's ability was just to make the opponent feel a little down. What use was that?

What if the opponent, feeling down, just beat him up harder? Isn't it common for people to want to hit someone more when they're angry?

And that Butcher...

... Honestly, his combat power was the highest on paper, and Xiao Xiao was most afraid of him.

Who wouldn't be afraid of a butcher who spends all day cutting up large animals with a chainsaw?

But, this guy had already broken the law. What if he bought him and the Guard Hall immediately arrested him? Wouldn't that be a complete loss?

Analyzing in his mind, Xiao Xiao completed the transaction.

He watched as his remaining forty Points in his field of vision jumped once, leaving him with only ten.

Text popped up:

[Transaction Complete]
[The Three Adorable Hounds are now yours. They will appear on the battlefield when you need them.]
[Friendly Reminder: Don't bring them home, or your neighbors will report you...]
[...]

"They're mine now?"

Xiao Xiao leaned out of the window, trying to get a good look at the Three Adorable Hounds.

Then he saw that the Three Adorable Hounds were also huddled in the corner of the fence, each stretching its head, looking at him inside the window.

Their eyes seemed both familiar and strange.

They weren't barking wildly at him like before. They were quiet, tilting their heads, and he could even vaguely see their tails trying to wag at him.

If one were to describe the moment, it would be a bewildered face quietly staring through the window at three simple, honest faces.

"They do seem a lot friendlier..."

Xiao Xiao felt a little more confident. If he walked past them now, they probably wouldn't bark at him as fiercely as before.

After purchasing the Three Adorable Hounds, he also saw new information pop up:

[Name: Three Adorable Hounds]
[Status: Can be Enhanced]
[Cost: 100 Points/Attempt]
[Note: After enhancement, their ferocity will far exceed your imagination. Also, their ability to destroy your home will exceed your imagination too...]
[...]

"I have a vague feeling I've been tricked..."

Xiao Xiao's heart sank slightly. The cost of enhancement was much higher than he had expected.

Although the description was tempting, that was a full one hundred Points! How many Rat-Men would he have to kill to earn that back?

Besides, even if he spent those one hundred Points, it would only be to enhance them and see the effect. It was highly unlikely that it would be a cost-effective improvement.

But, having already bought them, he couldn't just not enhance them.

Otherwise, he would have just spent thirty Points for three hounds?

And ones whose home-wrecking ability was greater than their fighting ability?

Xiao Xiao suddenly felt a little overwhelmed, and silently withdrew from the window, returning to his computer.

In the yard not far away, the three hounds, seeing him disappear from the window, simultaneously let out a disappointed whimper, and even their frantically wagging tails drooped.

As if extremely disappointed, they turned and began digging in the yard again.

Thinking about it, Xiao Xiao also found this purchase to be very strange, and this nature of purchase was somewhat difficult to understand.

He had already made a deal with this city. At the city level, these three dogs were actually his, and were especially loyal to him.

Even if he were to be attacked by the city's malice again in the future, they would not participate in the transformation.

But in the "real" world, or rather, according to the city's laws and perceptions, these three dogs were still the neighbors'. If he wanted to bring them back to raise himself, he would have to be careful that the neighbors didn't call the police on him.

If he had to describe it, it would be that beneath the surface of reality, the city's will had constructed another set of logical systems.

If he understood it this way, then he wasn't at a loss.

It wasn't that he had spent money and the three hounds were still the neighbors', but that the three hounds were actually his, but the neighbors were helping him raise them...

He felt much better.

Silently calculating, at least he had three dogs in this twisted and vast foreign land.

It was just that he only had ten Points left.

He still needed to adapt as soon as possible. After all, compared to the ubiquitous terror and malice of this world, a buffer of ten Points seemed very weak.

The gambling dog route really wasn't viable