Welcome to the Ability Shop!

Chapter 176 I am irreconcilably opposed to gambling
This was the twenty-second day since Gustav discovered the New World.

A brand new, complete, untouched virgin land.

The first to summon him was a foolish middle-aged Asian man. He lived a comfortable life, had an excellent job, and seemed to have nothing to be dissatisfied with in his life. But his desire was to gain power... the kind of power that only a few possessed, even if that power would change the course of his life.

Gustav granted his wish, turning him into his puppet. A puppet is, of course, a form of power, far surpassing that of a mortal.

At the same time, he also reaped the other's soul.

This is the devil's contract. Even though it contains countless traps, as long as the other party's needs are met on the surface, a reward can be obtained immediately.

Since this is a new world, he, as a powerful demon, naturally wouldn't give up so easily. This puppet manages a company with several thousand employees; he can freely plunder the souls of these mortals and turn them into his servants.

The only drawback is that these people's spiritual power is quite shallow, so while it's simple to enjoy, it's not delicious enough.

On the fifteenth day, Gustav encountered a person with special abilities—at least that's what people in this world called these extraordinary lucky individuals.

Without hesitation, he forced the other party to make a choice: to be killed or to offer everything to him. When the ability user's wish to live was fulfilled, ten times the soul power of an ordinary person became the best reward for him.

However, Gustav also learned from his servants that this world, so similar to his homeland, was maintained by a group of people with special abilities. They called themselves the Limit Authority, which reminded Gustav of the Angel Alliance with disgust.

So he decided to continue hiding in the city, using puppets and servants to find targets for himself, rather than taking the initiative to hunt.

Then… Gustav saw a full and vibrant soul, its radiance ranking among the top three of all the souls he had ever encountered. So he used a puppet to lure the person to the general manager's office. Now, this person stood before him, completely unaware that he had fallen into a trap.

As a demon, Gustav preferred to admire the despair and pain of his opponents rather than force them to sign a contract, because intense emotional fluctuations would make the soul sweeter and the rewards of the contract more generous.

Unfortunately, the person in front of me seems a bit dull.

While Gustav felt slightly disappointed and annoyed, his competitive spirit was also aroused.

"Deal the cards!"

He believed that whether someone was truly dull-witted, feigning composure, or genuinely strong, after experiencing indescribable, endless suffering, they would suddenly awaken and kneel before him, begging for mercy.

This is not the first time such a situation has occurred.

Chen Xuan received his hand: Jack of Hearts, Queen of Clubs, King of Diamonds, and Ace of Spades. At the same time, he understood the rules of this gambling game.

"Isn't this just a simple comparison of sizes?" he scoffed.

In simple terms, each player takes turns attacking and defending, playing one card per turn. The attacking player announces the card they played, and the defending player responds with a card in ascending order: J, Q, K, A, but J beats A. After comparing card values, the lower card is eliminated, and the higher card returns to the player's hand. The next round then alternates between attack and defense. The game ends when one player's hand is completely eliminated.

In other words, both players will receive these four cards, but the suits are random.

Furthermore, without the announcement phase, it's purely a matter of luck.

However, after the announcement, it adds another layer of psychological game.

For example, if one side actually plays an Ace but declares that they will play a Queen, and the other side believes it and tries to use a King to kill the opponent's Queen, the result will be that they are counter-killed by the Ace.

Since the cards in hand can be used multiple times, the core is the duel between A and J. As long as A is not caught, it can keep taking cards. Similarly, once A is caught by J, the situation will be greatly disadvantaged in an instant.

Chen Xuan smiled outwardly, but inwardly he harbored no intention of underestimating this ability. He knew that the chips wagered in the game would definitely be paid out, just like the previous coin toss.

Once he loses, he will inevitably suffer the endless pain that the other party mentioned. At that time, let alone resist, his mind and self will probably be destroyed.

Chen Xuan just didn't understand why the demon would set up such a hurdle, instead of letting the winner take away the loser's abilities and life, like Fei Wu Niang did.

It couldn't possibly be because the other party was kind, could it?

“That’s right, it’s a comparison of sizes, but it’s a comparison that will decide your fate.” Gustav took out a card and placed it face down on the table. “The card I’m playing is—K!” If he wasn’t lying, he could win by playing an Ace.

Honestly, Chen Xuan had a pretty good hand. His highest Ace was a spade, which meant that as long as he didn't play a Jack, he could easily take the Ace from any other suit. Of course... the opponent's Ace could also be a spade, as the rules don't mention that there's only one Ace of each suit.

Logically speaking, playing the Ace of Spades is the safest bet, with a 4/16 chance of losing, an 11/16 chance of winning, and a 1/16 chance of a draw.

Chen Xuan didn't hesitate for long and immediately placed his A.

The blue hand picked up the two players' cards, and then Gustav's cards returned to his hand, while his Ace of Spades was chopped into pieces in mid-air!
"Looks like you lost this round... Did you play an Ace, the highest Ace of Spades?" The opponent grinned. "Because your suit was high, you wanted to go for the safest outcome, which could take the King, the Aces of all three suits, or at worst, a draw. Was I right? But you lost your trump card! Your thinking was way too predictable!"

"So you played J?" Chen Xuan asked expressionlessly.

“Absolutely true.” Gustav turned the returned card over and showed it to him generously. “It’s the Jack of Hearts.”

It was Chen Xuan's turn to attack in the second round.

He immediately covered up a card, "The card I played... is also an Ace!"

Gustav froze, then threw his head back and burst into laughter. "Fool! Suits can be repeated, but card types can never be repeated. Everyone only gets one Ace, so how could you possibly play Aces in a row?"

"Who said I just played an Ace?" Chen Xuan laughed along. "I saw through your plan long ago. You played a Jack, but unfortunately, you couldn't beat me in suit. This time, I'm playing the real Ace!"

"Nonsense! You think you can fool me with this kind of sophistry? You clearly just gave an A!"

"Whether you win or lose, the cards are always face down. How dare you say I definitely have an Ace? Do you... have the ability to see the bottom of the cards?"

Gustav's face darkened.

He sensed something was off. Why was this person so calm? Normally, after losing their best hand, someone would be trembling with fear, or even collapsing onto the table.

But this man named Chen Xuan not only didn't panic, he even dared to challenge him, which didn't seem like a deliberate act of toughness.

Could it be that what the other person said is true?
Was the card you just dealt actually a Jack, not an Ace?

With this in mind, Gustav decided to use his special power to peek at the card face down on the table. Indeed, as the possessor of this ability, he had the advantage of seeing through the opponent's cards once in a round. Therefore, whenever he drew the Ace of Spades, he would boldly play the Jack instead of the King in the first round, luring the opponent to play their Ace. This tactic always worked.

If he loses J by accident, he can still use his cheating advantage to single out the opponent's J, and the worst result is a draw.

The moment the thought crossed my mind, the pattern on the face-down cards on the table turned transparent.

Gustav accurately predicted the card – the Jack of Hearts.

"Really...too easy to deal with." He sneered inwardly, thinking that A was indeed bluffing. What was even more foolish was that the other party had so quickly handed over his only chance to turn the tide.

Based on this, the first card that this person had to break must have been the Ace of Spades.

No matter how stubborn the other party is, it cannot change the fact that they have failed.

Gustav casually placed a Q on the board.

Panic ensues when you discover that both of your key cards are lost!
Chen Xuan watched as the large blue hands picked up the cards.

If this were a fair contest, he might have considered how to set up a trap and find the enemy's key cards. But like flipping a coin, this ability wasn't a gamble, but a trap; he never intended to seriously engage in a game with his opponent.

What this competition truly tests is the ability of both sides to control the game and their cheating skills.

Just before the cards were dealt, Chen Xuan aimed directly at the blue hand and activated the ability he had prepared beforehand—

"Pyrolysis and Remelting!"
If you don't want to play, I'll flip the table!
(End of this chapter)