Hello, is this a letter addressed to Demon Fortress?

The gambling den was bigger inside than it appeared from the outside.

Several gambling tables were scattered throughout the hall, surrounded by a crowd of people.

The air was thick with the smell of tobacco and cheap ale, mixed with the clinking of coins and the occasional bursts of cheers or curses.

The magic lamp hung from the ceiling, casting a dim, yellowish light that illuminated everyone's face in a half-light, half-shadow.

As soon as Elvia went in, she started yelling.

"Make way, make way—"

"The nobleman's mistress has won money!"

People around instinctively made way for them.

It wasn't because her voice was loud.

It's because they recognized her.

A week ago, this excessively beautiful woman lost 10,000 gold coins here.

Her beauty is unforgettable.

Her long golden hair, delicate features, and captivating eyes could leave a lasting impression on you for days, even with just a glance.

And that's how she got in back then.

However, they remained curious about who this "great nobleman" she mentioned actually was.

So this time, when everyone saw her intimately pulling someone in, their fingers intertwined, all eyes fell on the man she was pulling.

It must be that great nobleman, right?

Then, their expressions turned strange.

The gray robe was faded from washing, with severe wear at the elbows and frayed edges at the cuffs.

The oak staff was plain, without any decorations, and not even a decent magic crystal was embedded in it.

Black hair, black eyes, and a blank expression on his face.

How could this be a nobleman?

He's clearly a wandering mage.

Those wandering monks who make a living in the wilderness, sometimes not knowing where their next meal will come from.

Regardless, they still made way for Elvia.

Most of the people gambling here are high-level adventurers.

Their extraordinary strength made them big shots in their hometown, a small city-state, but in a place with transport guilds and magic guilds, they were nothing special.

Any one of the transport team members could easily beat them to a pulp.

Needless to say, the Magic Guild recruits mages, and behind them stands the City of a Thousand Towers.

Therefore, it is best not to offend anyone if possible.

Especially a beautiful woman.

The relationships behind beautiful women are often far more complex than they appear on the surface.

Elvia pulled Lin Gui through the crowd to the gambling table.

She glanced at the gambling table and frowned.

"Too small."

She looked at a few more tables.

"Too small."

She looked around and raised her voice:

"Is there a game with 10,000 gold coins per round?"

The people around him twitched at the corners of their mouths, but no one responded.

A game costs 10,000 gold coins. It's not uncommon in a place like Drywood Town, but not many people dare to bet that high.

After all, most of the people who come here are lumberjacks and low-level adventurers, and they might not even have 10,000 gold coins even if they save up for a lifetime.

Just as the atmosphere became a little awkward, a noisy commotion came from outside the door.

"Get out of the way! Get out of the way!"

"Get out of my way!"

The crowd was roughly pushed aside, and a few people walked in.

Leading the way was a young mage.

Wearing the standard robes of the Magic Guild's mage guild, a deep blue robe with silver runes embroidered on the collar that gleamed coldly under the lamplight.

The badge on his chest gleamed; it was an open book with a star floating above it.

But he was very fat.

Her round belly stretched her robes so tight that the belt could barely hold them together, as if it would burst open at any moment.

The flesh on his face was bunched up, and his eyes were squeezed into two slits, with the pupils almost invisible.

His chin was folded into several layers, swaying with his movements, like a jiggly jelly.

A female mage, around thirty years old, followed behind him, also wearing a woven robe.

But she walked half a step behind the fat man, her body slightly bowed, her attitude very humble.

He kept muttering something, as if he was trying to persuade someone.

"Young Master, you can't gamble anymore—"

"Have you forgotten the lesson you learned last time?"

"About the family—"

"Shut up!"

The fat man turned around and yelled.

"Who do you think you are?"

"Does he even have the right to tell me what to do?"

The female monk lowered her head, not daring to say anything more.

But he kept walking, his eyes filled with anxiety and helplessness.

The surrounding gold-level adventurers involuntarily took a few steps back when they saw the robes.

Even those who are officially registered as monks are not to be trifled with.

These people are backed by the City of a Thousand Towers. If you offend them, you won't even know how you died.

Lin Gui saw it too.

He then pulled Elvia and skillfully shrunk into a corner.

They used the wooden stakes in the house to cover their bodies, especially Elvia's face.

Several gold-level adventurers around him watched his practiced movements, and one of them couldn't help but ask:

"Brother, you're a nobleman, what are you afraid of?"

Lin Gui remained silent.

"I am not a nobleman."

The adventurer was even more surprised.

He glanced at Elvia, then at Lin Gui, and lowered his voice:

Wow, bro, you're amazing!

"He actually managed to hook up with a nobleman's girlfriend?"

"Aren't you afraid they'll turn you into mincemeat and use you as floor mats?"

Lin Gui sighed.

"I'm from the transport team."

The adventurer's expression changed instantly.

He shrank back and forced a smile:

"Oh, sir, you should have said so sooner."

"Excuse me, excuse me."

Lin Gui ignored him.

His gaze pierced through the gaps in the wooden stakes, looking at the two people.

The fat man had already walked up to a gambling table.

"Let's start the table!"

He slammed his hand on the table, making a loud noise that made the chips on the table jump.

"Is anyone playing?"

Those around him looked at his robes, but no one responded.

It's not that I don't want to play, it's that I'm afraid to.

Playing cards with the magic guild's mages is a risky game: winning offends people, losing costs money.

No matter how you calculate it, it's not worth it.

The fat man waited for a while, and when no one answered, his face turned even uglier.

"What's wrong?"

"Nobody dares?"

The fat man looked around and his gaze fell on the gambling den manager.

"You, play with me."

The manager smiled obsequiously.

"Young master, our gambling den only takes a cut, we don't act as the house."

The fat man snorted coldly, about to lash out.

At this moment, everyone around looked towards the corner.

He looked at Lin Gui and Elvia.

To be precise, it fell on Elvia.

After all, she had just been clamoring for a 10,000 gold coin party.

Although half of Elvia's face was obscured by the pillar, that half of her face was enough to make it impossible to look away.

Fair skin, a refined jawline, and eyes that still shine brightly even in the shadows.

The fat man narrowed his eyes.

"Yo—"

His tone changed.

"Hey beautiful lady over there, wanna play a game?"

People around looked over.

Elvia laughed, using the pillar to hide her face.

She turned her head to look at Lin Gui and whispered:

"Shall we go?"

Lin Gui sighed.

Elvia's entrance was too conspicuous; she was noticed and called out by name.

If we retreat, it will be troublesome if the inspector behind us, who may or may not have caught up, finds out.

He patted Elvia's hand and stepped out from behind the pillar.

He walked up to the gambling table and sat down opposite the fat man.

He propped his chin on his hand and looked at the fat man.

"Let me play with you."

The fat man looked him up and down.

That faded white robe, that simple oak staff.

He smiled.

His smile carried undisguised contempt.

"you?"

"Are you qualified to bet with me?"

He paused.

"I always bet at least 10,000 gold coins."

"Can a wandering mage like you afford to play this game?"

Lin Gui remained silent.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a heavy bag.

Place it on the table.

The bag was loosened, and the contents rolled out.

Star Coin.

One, ten, a hundred, a thousand...

The pale blue luster shimmered under the light, casting a bluish glow on the faces of those around them.

Everyone around stared in disbelief.

One Star Coin is worth one hundred Gold Coins, and one hundred Star Coins would be worth ten thousand.

The other party had brought out nearly 10,000 Star Coins, totaling a million gold coins.

Those around him were astonished by Lin Gui's wealth.

They were completely unaware of how the other party had produced such a small mountain of Star Coins.

Did you pull it out of your pocket?

How could that faded robe hold so many Star Coins?

Although Star Coins are designed to be much smaller than gold coins for easy portability.

But even with over ten thousand coins, it's still difficult to hide them on your person.

On the other side, the fat man's smile froze.

Lin Gui looked at him and said calmly:

Is that enough?

The fat man's face turned very ugly.

He gritted his teeth and forced out a sentence:

"A despicable nouveau riche."

He then took out a bank receipt and placed it on top.

That's a staggering amount of millions of gold coins.

After the casino manager took inventory, the gambling officially began.

"Let's begin."

The betting begins.

They were playing cards.

The rules aren't complicated; it's all about strategy and courage.

Lin Gui lost the first round.

Ten thousand gold coins.

In the second round, Lin Gui lost.

Twenty thousand.

In the third round, Lin Gui lost.

fifty thousand.

The fat man's smile grew wider and wider.

"this one?"

"I thought it was something really amazing."

"A nouveau riche is just a nouveau riche; money is useless to them."

As he spoke, he gathered the chips in front of him with exaggerated movements, deliberately making a loud noise.

Fourth game, fifth game, sixth game.

Lin Gui kept losing.

The fat man got more and more excited as he played, his fat face jiggling, and sweat rolling down his forehead, which he didn't bother to wipe away.

"Hahaha--"

"Is this all you've got?"

"I thought it was something really impressive."

"A nouveau riche is just a nouveau riche. What's the use of having a lot of money if you can't even think straight?"

As he won, he hurled all sorts of mocking words at Lin Gui's face.

Lin Gui remained expressionless and continued placing bets.

Five hundred thousand, lost.

One million, lost.

His chips are dwindling.

The fat man's chips piled up higher and higher, forming a small mountain on the table.

Until Lin Gui lost all his chips.

The fat man laughed loudly and slammed his fist on the table:

"Out of money, huh?"

"Get out of here!"

"Don't embarrass yourself here."

Lin Gui did not move.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out another bag.

He dumped it on the table.

Thousands more Star Coins rolled out and bounced on the table.

The fat man's laughter sounded stuck in his throat.

Lin Gui looked at him, his tone indifferent:

"continue."

This time, he increased his bet.

50,000 per game, 100,000 per game, 200,000, 500,000.

There are wins and losses.

But each time, Lin Gui won by a little more.

The fat man wins small rounds, while Lin Gui wins big rounds.

The fat guy won five rounds, but the total won was less than 100,000.

If Lin Gui wins one round, he'll get 300,000.

The fat man's expression began to change.

From excitement to tension, from tension to embarrassment.

His chips are dwindling little by little.

Lin Gui's chips are gradually increasing.

The people around them began to sense that something was wrong.

Especially the managers of the gambling dens.

He squinted, staring at Lin Gui's hands and the cards on the table.

Although the entire betting game had its wins and losses, the initial losing streak coupled with the current small win makes it hard not to draw connections.

First, let the other person taste the sweetness, and then they will become more and more deeply involved.

Is it cheating?

But that mage was only a high-ranking mage.

Moreover, neither of them heard the other's chanting.

Not to mention the sound, when the cards were dealt, the other party basically kept their mouth shut and didn't even move their lips.

The adventurers around frowned.

The female mage next to the fat man also kept a close eye on Lin Gui.

Her brows were furrowed, and deep lines appeared on her forehead.

Just as the fat man was getting carried away and was about to hand over more money, she spoke up.

"Young Master, that's enough."

Her voice was very soft.

"Let's check the license plate."

The fat man paused for a moment, then nodded.

The female monk stepped forward and picked up the cards on the table to examine them carefully.

I turned it around and looked at it again, then put it to my nose and smelled it.

The magic perception scanned it again and again.

I checked the wine cup and the table.

After going around the area, we found nothing.

She didn't go back, but walked to Lin Gui's side.

The magical senses probed over.

There was no magical energy fluctuation on Lin Gui's body.

The female mage frowned even more deeply.

She reached out, wanting to touch Lin Gui's body.

A slender hand grasped her wrist.

Elvia walked over at some point.

She stood beside Lin Gui, smiling as she looked at the female mage.

"What do you want to do to my man?"

Her voice was soft and tinged with laughter.

"Are you trying to commit indecent assault?"

The female mage said coldly:

"I suspect your man used dishonest means... and indecent acts? Who would want to indecently assault him?"

Elvia chuckled softly.

"There are far too many beautiful girls who want to molest him."

Lin Gui replied calmly:

"Having self-awareness."

The female mage frowned, ignoring Elvia, and turned to the gambling den manager, pointing at Lin Gui and saying:

"I suspect he cheated."

The person in charge looked very troubled.

They couldn't afford to mess with the magic guild's mages.

However, they dared not provoke this little mage who could suddenly produce millions of gold coins.

He couldn't afford to offend either side.

Lin Gui spoke:

"Let her examine it."

He turned to look at the female mage.

"How about you keep sensing the flow of magic in my body throughout the rest of the bet?"

His tone was calm, carrying a kind of nonchalant confidence.

This confidence, however, made the female mage hesitate.

But looking at the fat man's increasingly ugly face, she gritted her teeth.

He reached out, wanting to place his hand on Lin Gui's chest.

That's the closest point to the core of the magic circuit.

Elvia reached out and blocked her.

Her voice turned cold:

"Hey, move to another spot."

"He's my man, after all. I need that spot... I'll need it tonight."

Lin Gui rolled his eyes.

The female mage blushed slightly, clearly understanding what kind of "use" Elvia was referring to.

She withdrew her hand and whispered, "Excuse me."

Then he placed his hand on Lin Gui's shoulder.

Magic senses probe in.

She could sense the magical fluctuations within Lin Gui's body.

Even if it's a basic spell, she can sense it at such close range as long as the other party is casting it.