A Villain's Journey Begins in the Type-Moon World

"Don't worry, I wouldn't lie through my teeth, would I? I won't set the stakes too low." Seeing Artemis agree, Wang Chong's tone softened, and he continued:

"Now, you need to offer something that can be exchanged for 100 chips as collateral. Otherwise, this game cannot even begin."

"Is this Noble Phantasm enough?" Artemis pressed her Moon Goddess Bow onto the table and said in a deep voice.

"Hehe, although I don't need this kind of thing, since it's the only thing you can use as collateral, let's just say it's worth 100 chips."

Wang Chong pointed, and a hundred chips appeared in front of Artemis.

"Okay, one last thing: you can always add new things to your bargaining chips. Don't blame me for not taking good care of you."

Wang Chong smiled and placed the three dice in the middle of the table. The three dice transformed into golden light, enveloping the two of them, as if binding them with the rules of a contract.

Then, dice cups appeared in front of each of them, and inside each cup were three dice.

Wang Chong took out a gold coin and said, "Alright, the bet is settled. Let's decide who will be the banker by guessing heads or tails of this gold coin. Ladies first."

"Ding--"

The gold coin was thrown out and then slammed onto the table by Wang Chong's palm.

“Frontline,” Artemis said.

"Tails. Sorry, I'll take the banker's turn then." When Wang Chong opened his palm, the gold coin was tails up, so Wang Chong rolled the dice first.

"Clatter—clatter—"

The crisp sound of dice being shaken rang out, and Wang Chong twirled the dice cup, as if confirming the number he could roll.

Artemis also began to concentrate, listening intently to the subtle differences in sound produced when each face of the die collided.

Only by recognizing these sounds could she determine what number the other person had thrown.

"boom--"

As Wang Chong placed the dice cup down, he said with a slight smile, "This round, it's a contest of size."

Artemis took a deep breath. She could tell that all three of her opponent's dice were at least four points, which explained why they were going for the higher number.

This put immense pressure on Artemis, who picked up the dice cup and began to shake it.

Although Artemis, as the goddess of the hunt, possessed an extraordinary level of control over her power, it was, after all, her first time dealing with something like dice, and she inevitably made mistakes due to her lack of experience when shaking them.

Sure enough, after she threw the die, her expression wasn't very good; clearly, the die hadn't rolled a high number as she had expected.

"Since this is only the first sentence, I won't bet too much. Five chips should be enough for Miss Artemis, right?"

Wang Chong pushed out five chips and said with a smile.

Artemis wanted to refuse, but wasting an opportunity and only offsetting 5 penalties was really not worth it.

Therefore, she had no choice but to nod and throw out 5 chips as well.

Then, the two sides uncovered the dice cup together.

Artemis: 2 points, 5 points, 3 point, total 10 points.

Wang Chong: 5 o'clock, 5 o'clock, 6 o'clock, a total of 16 o'clock.

Clearly, Wang Chong won this round. Artemis now has 95 chips, while Wang Chong has 105. Artemis becomes the dealer for the next round.

"Am I right? The house still has a significant advantage. Miss Artemis, seize this opportunity and don't make any more mistakes," Wang Chong said with a smile.

"Don't get cocky, this is just the beginning!"

Artemis took a deep breath and began rolling the dice again.

As she gently set down the dice cup, she frowned slightly, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Smaller."

Wang Chong didn't say anything, but shook the dice and then placed them on the table.

“It’s still 5 chips this time,” Artemis said in a deep voice.

"Call," Wang Chong said calmly, placing his bet.

The dice cups for both sides were uncovered again.

Artemis: 2 points, 4 points, 3 points, a total of 9 points, stuck at a number quite close to the middle, no wonder Artemis hesitated so much.

Let's look at Wang Chong's side: 1 o'clock, 6 o'clock, 3 o'clock, a total of 10 o'clock.

Clearly, Artemis has won this time. The stakes are now even again.

Chapter 665 The Gamble Begins (Part 2)

The cold dice cup scraped across the table, making a slight grinding sound.

In the next dozen or so rounds, the dealer position alternated between Artemis and Wang Chong.

Basically, Artemis often had bad luck and would be the dealer once or twice in a row, which resulted in her losing more often than winning against Wang Chong.

There's nothing that can be done about it; she's not proficient enough in this area yet.

At this moment, the chips in front of her had shrunk to a pitiful 70, while Wang Chong's chips were piled up into a small hill of 130, silently demonstrating his status as the one in control.

Perhaps it was Artemis's caution, or perhaps it was Wang Chong's deliberate act, but in recent rounds, both sides have tacitly kept their bets at the minimum of 5.

This tiny bet gave Artemis precious breathing room, allowing her to hold her breath and concentrate with each throw, trying to feel the weight and trajectory of the dice, attempting to master that elusive skill of controlling the numbers.

However, as the game continued, a strange feeling quietly grew in Artemis's heart, like a stone thrown into a still lake, the ripples of which continued to expand.

Although losing more than winning was within her expectations, she had a vague feeling that she had beaten Wang Chong more times than she had anticipated.

What unsettled her even more was that each victory seemed too "lucky," as if an unseen hand was manipulating the outcome.

The feeling grew clearer and clearer—it seemed that the opponent was deliberately throwing the game, intentionally handing over victory.

This feeling of being fooled clung to her thoughts like vines, yet she struggled to find concrete evidence. Until this round, the dice cup was revealed once more.

Artemis: 4 points, 2 points, 5 point, total 11 points.

Wang Chong: 5 o'clock, 3 o'clock, 2 o'clock, a total of 10 o'clock.

This round was a contest of points, and Artemis won again by a narrow margin.

"Sigh, I lost again. I'm always just a little bit away from winning." Wang Chong sighed softly, with a perfectly measured hint of regret.

This seemingly casual whisper was like a lightning bolt that instantly cleaved through the fog in Artemis's mind!

"It was just a tiny bit short..." She suddenly recalled all her previous failures.

Each time, Wang Chong's score was precisely in a position that allowed her to narrowly win. It was either just slightly higher or slightly lower than hers.

And this pattern completely confirms that the other party was deliberately losing to him!

When this cruel truth was laid bare before her eyes, Artemis's heart sank into a cold abyss.

Even though she had just won back five chips, that meager joy was instantly washed away by immense humiliation and frustration. She held the newly won chips, her fingertips icy cold.

At first, she was puzzled: Why would he deliberately lose to her? And why leave such an obvious flaw?

But at this moment, under immense psychological pressure, the answer is already obvious.

From the moment she felt panic, Wang Chong's goal was achieved.

He wanted to use this cruel, cat-and-mouse game to declare to her that he could win or lose at will, and that everything in this gamble was in his hands!

Wang Chong's deliberate teasing attitude planted an invincible shadow in Artemis's heart, making her feel immense pressure every time she faced him.

Under immense pressure, you're more likely to make mistakes.

Artemis saw the game clearly, but sadly found herself powerless to break free from those invisible shackles.

The confident and composed smile on Wang Chong's face now seemed like an abyss in her eyes. Every time they met, her nerves tightened a little more, and the heavy pressure almost suffocated her.

"What's wrong, Miss Artemis? I've already rolled the dice, why are you still spacing out?"

Wang Chong's voice, like a cold bell, suddenly rang out, startling Artemis from the chaotic storm of her thoughts.

She then realized with a start that in the brief moment she was caught in her inner struggle, the other person had already completed the throwing motion, and she hadn't even caught the sound of the dice shaking.

In this round, she completely lost her judgment on Wang Chong's points!

"Alright, Miss Artemis, let's see who wins this round. Begin your throw." Wang Chong's voice was calm and even, yet carried an undeniable urgency.

Artemis swallowed hard, her throat dry.

She could only force herself to concentrate, hold the dice cup with both hands, and flick her wrists. The three dice collided and spun violently in the small space, making a crisp clattering sound.

She held her breath and listened intently, trying to catch the subtle sound of things settling down.

When the dice cup was slammed heavily onto the table, Artemis felt a little more at ease—judging from the sound, the numbers should all be above three, at least a fairly high number.

Just as Artemis breathed a sigh of relief, Wang Chong suddenly spoke, a meaningful smile playing on his lips:

“Miss Artemis, don’t you think it’s really petty to keep comparing five chips like this?”

"What do you mean?" Artemis's heart tightened, and she asked warily.

"I just feel that this slow pace is a waste of time. Now that we've warmed up enough, it's time to get to the real action."

Wang Chong leaned forward slightly, his slender fingers pointing towards Artemis from a distance, and announced in a clear and slow tone:

"A new rule has been added: when betting as the house, the number of chips bet cannot be less than the number of chips you have bet in the past."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the chips on the table, and continued:

"In other words, once you start increasing the amount of your bet, you can't reduce it when you're the bookmaker later."

"Hehe, this is like adding fuel to our game and speeding things up. Otherwise, if everyone becomes hesitant and bets smaller and smaller in the end, it will drag on for a long time without a winner."

“Because this rule will not disrupt the balance of the game, and can effectively bring the betting game to a swift end.” Wang Chong’s voice carried a cold, contractual power. “Therefore, it will take effect immediately as a supplementary rule, without the need for our mutual agreement.”

Sure enough, the moment Wang Chong finished speaking, an invisible binding force originating from the laws of the gambling dice contract descended upon Artemis's consciousness. The rules had become ironclad!

"How...how could such a rule be added on the spot! Without even getting permission!" Artemis clenched her fists tightly, her knuckles turning white, her voice trembling slightly with anger and shock as she questioned sharply.

"Would you rather drag things out and waste time, chip by chip?"

Wang Chong spread his hands, a hint of mockery in his smile:

"A supplementary rule that helps end the game quickly and is fair and unbiased to both sides' winning odds will naturally be immediately approved by the gambling dice. If you can come up with a similar rule, you can also apply to it."

He then changed the subject and added:

"On the contrary, only those rules that might favor one side's winning percentage or lead to an unnecessary prolongation of the game require our mutual agreement. Does Miss Artemis understand now?"

Artemis took a deep breath, her chest heaving as she suppressed her surging rage. She had once again fallen into Wang Chong's meticulously crafted trap!

This cunning man, he only mentioned such crucial information now.

She's starting to suspect that there might be some hidden mechanism in this gambling dice game that hasn't been triggered yet, and that it might trick her again at any time.

"He proposed this rule at this critical juncture... Could it be... that he's already planning to drastically increase the bets?" Alarm bells rang in Artemis's mind, and the thought sent chills down her spine.

Wang Chong's next words confirmed her worst suspicions.

He gently pushed out a pile of chips, his voice tinged with excitement: "Well then, let me set a good example. I'll bet all 25 of these extra chips."

The clinking of the chips produced a crisp sound, like the urgent beat of a drum.

Wang Chong looked up at Artemis, whose face had turned pale, his smile both seductive and oppressive:

"How about that? As long as you win this round, you can instantly turn the tide and bring the chips back to their original balance."

"Hahaha, of course..." His smile suddenly turned cold. "If you lose, you'll only have half your chips left. When I take the banker position again, you might not even have two chances to call."

Wang Chong's voice, like the whisper of a demon, echoed across the silent gambling table:

"This is the true taste of gambling! Only by feeling the pain to the bone, only by knowing how terrible the price is, can a person become obsessive and crazy, see the danger of gambling, see their own fate, and struggle to the very last breath in order to grasp that slim hope of winning everything!"

These words struck Artemis like a heavy hammer, leaving her distraught and barely able to think.

She now fully understood that the other party had taken advantage of her momentary lapse in concentration and inability to judge the value of the chips, suddenly increasing the stakes fivefold! These 25 chips were like an abyss looming before her.

Now, should I follow or not? Although my points seem substantial, compared to Wang Chong's undefeated record when he was the dealer, this advantage seems so pale and powerless.

What worries Artemis even more is Wang Chong's precise control ability that he previously demonstrated.

Since he can "just happen" to lose by a little bit every time, then this time, he could very well roll three sixes, the highest possible number!

Everything Wang Chong is doing now is aimed at quickly draining her of her resources with overwhelming force!

The immense pressure made it almost impossible for her to breathe. Reason told her that following suit now would be tantamount to a moth drawn to a flame.

"I...I give up..."

To preserve her last bit of strength, Artemis uttered those three words with difficulty, choosing to concede. According to the rules, she paid one chip as the price for giving up.