The carriage maneuvered through the West's streets before stopping before a very luxurious building. The large golden letters above the massive entry read 'The Gilded Siren.'

"A casino, young master? Right now?" Henry asked. "It's still early in the morning."

"What's there to complain about?" I winked and jumped out of the carriage.

As Henry said, it was early morning. And yet, The Gilded Siren was full of Western Adovorian citizens gambling away money they didn't know what else to do with.

We walked through the massive golden doors and entered an ample space of exuberant wealth. The casino's interior walls were made of jade, the columns in foiled gold, and the ceiling flashed brilliantly with crystal chandeliers.

Voices, laughter, and the sound of chips tossed on tables filled the air. The smell of smoke, perfume, and spilled liquor filled my nose.

I walked up to the main counter and put in a request for chips.

"How many?" the blonde young woman in the green cap asked.

"This much." I placed the five phoenix eye gemstones before her.

The young woman's eyes widened momentarily. She was likely used to big rollers, but a nineteen-year-old casually dropping five phoenix eye gemstones was probably unusual even to her.

"Of course. How would you like your chips spread out?" She asked and pointed to a sign.

Each chip had a different value assigned to it. There were red, orange, white, green, blue, black and gold.

"Five golden chips." I selected the highest value chips.

"Of course, five golden chips for you." The blonde woman pushed them over. "Please wait just a moment. I have a concierge on their way to help you around the casino."

"Young master, are you sure? Are you planning to gamble away your money in just a few games?" Henry whispered into my ear.

"One game, actually." I winked at Henry.

To be honest, I had no real intention of gambling. I was here mainly to observe and pick a game where I could use my regression knowledge to strike it big—big enough to afford to purchase the phoenix egg. I knew my odds of success on the first try were unlikely, but with a few losses, I was sure to find a certain path to success.

"Young master Luca Frey?" A middle-aged woman with black hair pulled back in a tight bun appeared. She had a bright customer service smile that looked genuine. It probably was. I had just waltzed in and announced that I planned to waste an enormous fortune on some entertainment.

I wasn't even surprised they already knew my name. I was infamous enough due to my own doing and my family's background, and it was good business to know who your clientele was. They probably had a sheet on all the wealthy individuals in Adovoria that they kept updated.

Rumor had it that one of the underground factions supported this particular casino. I never had confirmed this in my original life, but it was likely true. There was a reason Lord Blanche resorted to stealing and selling off mana stones from the army reserves to cover his debts with the Gilded Siren. Fear for one's life was a good motivator.

"Yes." I nodded.

"If you'd please follow me, I'll provide you with complimentary food and refreshments. What games were you looking to play?"

I followed her around the casino. She was the primary purpose of dropping a fortune here. I needed a personal concierge to get the necessary access to gamble in the game I wanted.

I gazed around the luxurious casino. I could have tried my luck at any of the games on the floor. The problem with them was that there were too many variables. The die roll might adjust depending on how I smiled or bumped into another casino guest. A card picked one round was unlikely to appear on the next shuffle.

"I prefer something… a little more exciting," I said.

"There's a private card game taking place soon. Buy in is a gold coin, which you are good for," she suggested. "The other players could make for good connections as well."

"No, I'm looking for someone a little more physical. Violent," I said.

"Ah. I have just the thing." The concierge seemed to realize what I was hinting at. "Please come with me."

She walked me to one of the jade walls and pressed her hand against a golden emblem of a mermaid. The wall gave way to a hidden door.

"After you, young master Luca Frey." She presented the entrance.

"Thank you," I said and entered, followed by a very puzzled Henry.

It was a reasonably spacious stairwell made of luminous stone that shone in the dark. There was no need for any additional lights.

"Where are we going?" Henry leaned in and whispered to me.

"You'll see shortly," I whispered back.

The concierge closed the door behind us and walked beside me, leading the way. She was saying something into a red mana stone on her sleeve.

If the concierge here could afford those communication mana stones, business must have been going extremely well for The Gilded Siren.

"I had them set up the table on the third floor for you." She opened another door, and we entered an equally luxurious space as the casino we had just left. Jade, gold, and crystal covered the interior.

It was a circular area with seven balcony floors and a closed roof. Booth seats on each floor looked down at the caged stage in the center. Old blood stains covered the ground of the arena. This one oddity contrasted drastically against the luxury of its surroundings.

I sat down on the comfortable leather sofa and plopped a green grape into my mouth from the table spread of food. Henry stood stiffly beside me, not daring to sit down. He was my guard, after all.

I had expected the concierge to require him to give up his sword and any other weapons on him, but she had not. So I presumed the clientele here usually came with a guard. Especially all of the high rollers and those high up in one of the factions.

My eyes swept the other booths, but it was impossible to determine who was in attendance. Sheer dark curtains covered each of the booths, so while it was possible to see out, it was hard to look in.

I smirked.

Anyone that enjoyed this arena's spectacle likely didn't care to show their face.

"You have come just in time; the first round was just about to start." the concierge said. "Would you like to place a bet or observe first?"

I was about to answer the latter, as my sole purpose right now was mainly to observe, but I was interrupted by a loud voice.

“LADIES AAAAAND GENTLEMEN!” An announcer's voice boomed through the arena. "Welcome to our first tournament of the day! To our right, we have–"

"The Ogre of Adovoria…" I whispered, seeing the massive man enter. I had heard the legends about him, but seeing him in person was something else altogether.

I leaned forward in my seat to take in the entirety of this massive man.

He wasn't called an Ogre for nothing. He had a disfigured face, was twice the average man's height, and each of his biceps was as wide as two of my torsos. The man was a monster. A shiver went up my arms at his sight.

A hovering blue screen suddenly appeared over the Ogre's head.

[ Level 1 Character Check in progress for Ned Inga (The Ogre). ]

Huh. I guess this skill can even identify people's real names. That would be more useful if I had a choice in selecting who the random character checker worked on.

Letters rolled through the screen like a slot machine until they finally stopped in place.

[ Strength: 412]

I gasped at the number.

It was shocking enough to see Micah's Intelligence stat, but this guy here was an absolute monster. Had I had him as a soldier in the war against the demonic army of Kobar, I wondered if we'd have been able to last longer.

I looked over towards the scrawny contender standing at the opposite entrance, waiting for the announcer to introduce him and to enter the cage.

A wide smile filled my face.

I realized I already knew the outcome of this match. I didn't need to bother regressing.

"I'll place a bet. Five golden chips." I put all of my chips down on the table.

"Ah, yes, the Ogre has been the undefeated champion for two years running now." The concierge nodded her head in approval.

"Five golden chips on the Ogre?" she asked to confirm.

"AAAAND to our left is a first-time contender in The Cage!" An announcer's voice boomed again. "This young man has decided to try his odds against The Ogre! He is a brave lad who–"

I didn't bother paying attention to the rest of the speech.

"Oh, no. Not him. I want to put my bet on him." I pointed towards the left gate at a scrawny, short punk with faded pink hair.

"Him??"

Henry and the concierge asked at the same time.

"Ahem," the concierge collected herself. "Are you certain? He's a newcomer and has never competed in any of the tournaments. Unfortunately, that young man was paired with the Ogre for his first round; it's rare to have the champion compete in the first round. Usually, he fights at the end with the winner. However, now and then, we have a Rampage Round, where the Ogre fights in all the rounds."

"What's your point?" I asked.

"It'd be a shame to have your fun ended so quickly for your first game," she replied. "I'm not supposed to say this, but it's common knowledge, so it doesn't matter—the best way to win during the Rampage Round is to bet on the Ogre. It's a gift to our clientele."

"How do you make an income then? It's a complete loss for you." I frowned.

The concierge's red lips widened into a smile. "Oh, we make quite a bit. Most of the small contenders are brought in by clients themselves. Usually, they are individuals who have defaulted on their loans. However, our clients were kind enough to forgive their loans if they won a round against The Ogre."

Hah. Kind my ass.

It meant they sent defaulters to certain death. No wonder Lord Blanche stole to pay off his debt to The Gilded Siren. He would have been standing in the arena below if he couldn't make payment.

"If you or anyone else of the Frey Merchant Guild want to enjoy something more entertaining, I recommend purchasing one of our contender packages," the concierge said.

No, thank you. I've seen enough violence in my original lifetime. I was here already somewhat reluctantly. I wasn't here to be entertained. I was here to make money.

"Thank you for letting me know. I still wish to bet on the other contender. It's my money." I picked up a piece of buttered bread and bit into it.

"Very well." The concierge spoke something into her sleeve. "I shall leave you to your entertainment. Signal if you need anything else before the next round."

She bowed and swiftly walked off.

"Contenders! Get into your corners!" The announcer shouted. "Everyone, please enter your final bets! Place your bets on The Ogre, our two-year champion of The Cage, or Kleave, our first contender of the Rampage Round. I know which one I'm leaning on betting on personally!"

"Young master," Henry leaned over and whispered. "Why didn't you pick The Ogre? That pink-haired kid looks like a toothpick that can be snapped in half."

I smiled.

"Do you know something interesting about toothpicks?" I picked up a toothpick from the table.

"What do you mean?" Henry frowned.

"A toothpick is nice and sharp. When used correctly, it can plunge into something bigger and fatter." I jabbed the toothpick into a sliced plump sausage on the table spread and plopped the piece into my mouth.

I savored the rich and fatty juices of the meat.

"The meat gets eaten. But the toothpick remains." I picked up an olive with the toothpick to contrast the richness of the sausage.

I felt sorry for the poor Ogre. Neither he nor anyone else in here knew the torment he would be in for.

"Bets are closing! In 3…2…1…Closed! Contenders, BEGINNNNNNN!" The announcer rang a bell signaling the fight was to start.

DONG DONG DONG!

A wide grin spread across my face as the two stepped forward towards one another in the caged arena.

Kleave, show me the fight that made you a legend. Show me how you managed to defeat a monster that has a Strength stat of 412.