Chapter 74

*

- This is ridiculous...!

Greed was in despair.

In a game where he was supposed to win, suffering consecutive losses was enough to drive him to despair.

A simple game of chance.

If it were a contest of who had better luck, I would never lose.

Crushing the opponent with absolute value?

Such tricks don't work on me.

Because I can see it.

《The hidden trait 'Golden Favor' is activated.》

《Odd 36.1% / Even 63.9%》

The probabilities.

No matter how much you try to deceive the eyes, 'Golden Favor' can discern the probabilities.

While it's not 100%, this level of accuracy is sufficient.

《I have bet a value of 5,000 on Even.》

《The result is Even.》

《The value I possess now is 37,000.》

Starting with 7,000, it has now reached 37,000.

In terms of gold coins alone, it's worth 370 million gold.

- ...Let's change the game.

Greed raised the white flag, realizing that he could never win with odds and evens.

It was a wise choice, if it could be called that.

However, the next game was not much different.

- The next game is High or Low. Guess whether the gold I pick up is above or below a certain amount.

After odds and evens, it's high and low.

Could this guy actually be a true golden goblin?

If this were a casino, he might have tried to cheat or trick me. But Greed aimed for pure gambling.

Crushing the opponent with overwhelming gold and value.

Of course, it's not 100%, so I can't be completely at ease.

Zzzz!

A huge amount of gold coins floated up from the treasure pile.

Much more than in the high and low game.

- Go ahead, place your bet. I'll give you 5 seconds.

"All in."

- ...?

Wait. All in?

Greed doubted his ears.

'What is this guy doing?'

He hasn't always won.

He has alternated between winning and losing, always gaining an advantage.

I thought he was a gambler who only aimed for safe games.

All in?

- Think carefully. If you lose everything, all that's left is your worthless body!

Only the one who has everything can leave this place.

And Greed has never lost everything in his domain.

Because even with the best luck, one mistake can cost you everything.

"All in."

He said it with certainty.

As if there was no intention to change.

Greed smiled slightly.

'You've taken the bait.'

The first game was just a warm-up.

Can this guy really guess it?

Rumble! Rumble!

Even more gold coins floated up.

A number that no living being, including humans, could ever count.

- 1 billion gold. High or Low? I'll give you 10 seconds.

You need to think carefully.

But if you really think about it, the answer is obvious.

Greed's initial value was around 200,000.

Among them, the Essence of Gold and the Jar of Greed combined for 60,000.

Add the value he has won so far, 30,000.

In total, it reaches 90,000, so naturally, the gold he possesses is below 1 billion gold.

Since the game was only with pure gold, not other treasures.

- 10, 9... ...

"Neither high nor low."

Greed frowned.

- ... Neither high nor low? What does that mean?

"Exactly 1 billion gold."

Greed was inwardly flustered.

'How did he know?'

Observation skills are impossible to use in front of me.

It means he had to count them one by one, but counting 1 billion gold coins in 10 seconds is impossible for anyone.

Not even a million, ten million, or a hundred million, but a billion.

How could he count them in 10 seconds!

- Are you sure?

"I'm sure."

- I'll give you one last chance to change your answer.

"You have a long tongue."

- ... Correct ... it is ... ...

It was incomprehensible.

But what was clear was that he could never beat this guy in a game of numbers.

- Let's move on to the next game.

A more complex and difficult game seemed necessary.

*

《I have bet a value of 37,000 on 1 billion gold.》

《The result is 1 billion gold.》

《The value I possess now is 74,000.》

It's sweet.

So sweet that it feels like my teeth will rot.

'The Essence of Gold.'

Finally, the unique-grade equipment material is in my hands.

Now, the only thing left to take from him is the Jar of Greed.

The dungeon exploration has been erased from my mind.

That's not important now.

What's more important is to strip this greedy guy.

'Not just Golden Favor. I have the Great Sage too.'

Along with the hidden trait Golden Favor, I also have the Great Sage.

A function that provides accurate information along with probabilities.

While simple observation skills are blocked, even Greed can't block a hidden trait.

In the high and low game, which was not hidden, the Great Sage's function was absolute.

The exact number of 1 billion gold was clearly visible.

- Ah, ah...!

In the end, Greed knelt.

《The value I possess now is 237,000.》

Because I had sucked him dry to the last bit.

Greed's treasure room was now empty.

The Essence of Gold, the Jar of Greed, all the gold coins and treasures.

I had swept them all.

But I wasn't satisfied with just this.

- My, my treasures...!

"There's still one thing left, isn't there?"

"What's left?"

"Your body."

The body of the golden goblin named Greed was still there.

Greed looked at me as if he couldn't believe it.

- ...

What a greedy guy.

Sword Saint vs. Sword Saint

Greed thought.

He was just taken aback because he had never been pushed this far, but there was still one thing left.

The thing with the greatest value.

All his possessions were valued, but there was still one thing that hadn't been valued!

It was 'Greed' itself.

Even all the treasures in this place couldn't match his 'value'.

Peace returned to Greed's face.

It's not over until it's over.

- It's not enough.

"What's not enough?"

- You can't play a game with me with just the value you possess.

"237,000 is not enough?"

237,000.

237 million gold in value.

At the very least.

An amount that could buy a small city, and it's not enough?

Greed nodded.

- I'll bet everything I have. But then you must do the same.

"What do you mean, bet everything?"

- Value!

He still talked about value.

But from the moment he ignored the value of 237,000, it was clear that he was talking about a new level of 'value'.

- Let's bet our own values.

"Let's bet on whose value is higher?"

- Exactly. Whether your value or mine is higher! The one with the higher value wins. It's only natural for the one with the higher value to conquer the one with the lower value!

Greed was confident.

This bet was a game he couldn't lose.

Pushing him this far was impressive. I commend you.

It's the first time in countless challenges.

You could be the most outstanding among those who reached the golden abyss.

'Your winning streak is over.'

But that's over now.

The ruler of the golden abyss.

Just the title alone is worth an enormous value.

For eons, the golden goblin named Greed was the only one.

Even the many golden goblins in the abyss didn't have this name.

Why?

Because he has that much value.

Because he has that much qualification.

He has sought and gathered all treasures, and only with pure 'desire' has he achieved this.

Becoming one with the abyss, mastering the abyss itself, and thus being called Greed, how could his value be lower than a mere human?

He has never valued himself before.

'I am the king of all gold.'

From the beginning, gold has been the treasure with the highest value.

The value of the king of gold, myself, must naturally be the highest in the world.

"What criteria will be used to determine our values? What is the standard?"

- Don't worry. My power can objectively determine the value of everything. Even if it's a god, I can judge.

No cheating.

A pure game of desire.

It's a test of luck, intuition, and decisiveness.

'So accept it.'

As I have done so far.

Try accepting it confidently.

But no matter how lucky, it won't work in this 'value game'.

Only one's own value is the criterion.

There is no room for luck or tricks in this game.

A different game from before.

Can you really accept it?

"Hmm... "

- Are you scared? I understand. But you were the one who said to bet everything. If you don't accept, everything you've won so far will be for nothing.

I suggested the type of game, but the human suggested the game itself.

Saying to bet your body was the trigger.

So you can't back down.

If you back down, you lose everything you've won so far.

Accepting or not, it's the same.

Greed was very pleased with this setup.

'It's a dilemma.'

... And I was pondering, looking at Greed's attitude.

Of course, his self-assured attitude has been the same from the beginning, so it didn't really bother me.

I was just curious about the clear criteria for 'value'.

'The value judgment changes depending on the standard.'

The value changes depending on the standard.

Just like in all the previous games, the value was based on 'gold'.

So it could be the same this time.

For example, if the value is determined based on 'the amount of gold one can earn until death', it would naturally be disadvantageous for me.

He is immortal, and I will die someday.

Of course, the endless gold-earning Greed would be overwhelmingly advantageous.

'... Greed has been doing pure gambling all along.'

I changed my thinking.

In any casino, tricks are used.

Deceiving the eyes, cheating, and intimidating are common.

But Greed is doing a textbook game.

At least his desire for gambling itself is extremely pure.

He doesn't cheat, even if he has an advantageous position. Simply having more money and the ability to set the game rules is not cheating.

Since he has been doing this all along, should I believe he will do the same this time?

'The rulers of the abyss have been set in their ways for a long time. They never change.'

No