“Jack, you have to help me! Just for tonight, and we can definitely pay for your mother’s hospital treatment!”
Rendy’s voice, belonging to Jacky’s close friend since middle school, sounded utterly convincing inside the rental car parked right in front of the magnificent Black Dragon Casino. Rendy slipped an arm around Jacky’s shoulder, then held out a sheet of paper to him.
That night, twenty-four-year-old Jacky—a poor young man wearing nothing but a worn-out jacket and canvas shoes with nearly threadbare soles—stared hesitantly at the agreement.
He was just a day laborer trying to save enough money for his mother’s surgery.
“But, Ren… I don’t know anything about gambling. In my entire life, I’ve never even held a single playing card,” Jacky whispered as he wiped the cold sweat soaking his forehead.
“Relax! Tonight, I’ve got an inside contact at the VIP betting table. He’s the dealer there, and everything’s been arranged so we’ll win big. You just need to act as the stand-in player because my betting account is frozen. Just write your name down as the initial guarantor, and if we win, we’ll split the prize money fifty-fifty. You want to save your mother, don’t you?”
Hearing the word “mother,” Jacky’s defenses crumbled instantly.
His deep love for his mother overpowered every ounce of common sense. With trembling hands, Jacky signed the loan agreement for two hundred million rupiah that Rendy had offered him. He trusted that his close friend would never lead him into danger. Unfortunately, this was actually the beginning of the long suffering he was about to endure.
One hour later, inside the luxurious VIP casino room, Jacky slumped weakly in his chair.
His pile of betting chips was completely gone. Instead of winning, he had lost bet after bet until his debt ballooned to one billion rupiah because of the compound-interest system imposed by the casino.
Jacky immediately looked around for Rendy, desperate for an explanation. Instead, he saw his friend standing beside Boss Tyson, the casino owner feared by so many people, with a satisfied smile on his face.
“Good work, Rendy. By using this idiot as a sacrificial pawn, your half-billion-rupiah debt is officially paid off,” Boss Tyson said as he tossed a thick wad of cash in front of Rendy.
Jacky’s eyes flew wide in shock. It felt as though an iron hammer had smashed straight into his heart. “Ren… you… you set me up?”
Rendy snatched up the money, then looked at Jacky with utter contempt—a stark contrast to the friendly attitude he had shown in the car earlier.
“Sorry, Jack. In this world, a poor and powerless guy like you is only good for other people to step on. Blame yourself for being so stupid and gullible!”
After saying that, Rendy sauntered away without the slightest trace of guilt, leaving Jacky alone as several burly men began slowly closing in.
“One billion rupiah, Jacky.” Boss Tyson’s deep voice echoed through the room, shattering the silence. “If you can’t repay the debt you signed for within thirty seconds, then your right hand belongs to me.”
One of Tyson’s men immediately pulled out a meat cleaver that reflected a sharp gleam beneath the room’s crystal lights.
Jacky leaned helplessly against the back of his chair, breathing hard. The agony of betrayal mixed with the overwhelming fear of losing a limb.
“I’m such an idiot… I’m truly pathetic… Mom is still lying weak in the hospital, but my life is about to end in a filthy place like this…” he thought.
As tears of despair began rolling down his cheeks and the cleaver was about to come down, a cold, toneless voice suddenly rang out clearly inside his head.
【Ding! Deep despair and betrayal detected in the target.】 【God of Gamblers System activation requirements fulfilled!】 【Bound user data: Jacky.】 【First Activation Reward: Passive Ability “Opportunity Eye.”】
What is this voice?! Jacky thought, stunned out of his mind.
Before he could understand what was happening, a stream of icy energy suddenly flowed from inside his brain and spread all the way to both his eyes.
The brief stinging sensation instantly gave way to a vision far sharper and clearer than usual.
When Jacky looked at the silver dice cup in front of the dealer, the thick metal container suddenly appeared transparent, as if there were no obstruction at all!
Right above the cup, glowing blue text appeared—visible only to him.
【Current Dice Result: 4, 5, 6 (Total: 15 – BIG).】 【Win Probability for “BIG” Bet: 100%】
Witnessing this incredible miracle, the despair in Jacky’s heart vanished instantly, replaced by blazing rage.
“Wait!” Jacky shouted, stopping the hand that was about to swing the cleaver at him.
He straightened his back. The weak, pathetic young man who had been there just a moment ago disappeared in the blink of an eye.
He fixed Boss Tyson with a sharp stare, the corners of his lips lifting into an utterly confident smile.
“Boss Tyson, cutting off my hand won’t get you that one billion rupiah. How about we play one last round? If I win, my entire debt is considered paid. But if I lose, feel free to take any part of my body you want.”
Boss Tyson narrowed his eyes, amused by the young man’s sudden courage. “Interesting. Come on, shake the dice!”
The dealer skillfully shook the dice, then slammed the cup onto the table. In secret, he pressed a hidden magnetic button beneath the table to change the result to “SMALL,” because he knew desperate players usually chose “BIG.”
But in Jacky’s eyes, the glowing text above the cup changed in real time to reflect what was actually happening:
【Warning: External magnetic interference detected. Result changed to SMALL (1, 2, 2). Win Probability for “SMALL” Bet: 100%】
Jacky’s smile grew even wider. He leaned slightly forward and slapped his palm onto the betting table. “I choose… SMALL.”
The dealer’s face instantly turned deathly pale. He hurriedly tried to press the control button again, but with lightning-fast movement, Jacky lunged forward and grabbed the dealer’s wrist.
His grip was so strong that the sound of bones grinding together rang out through the room.
“Don’t move, Mr. Dealer,” Jacky whispered in a chillingly cold tone, while a faint sapphire-blue gleam shone from his eyes. “Lift the cup. Right now.”