---Third POV---
Even the man with the full beard was no exception. He clapped forcefully, as if he couldn't feel pain.
"This is the best trial I've ever seen!"
The person next to him laughed even harder. "Hahaha! Anyone who survives this trial isn't an opportunist anymore!"
Even the patrolling security captain stopped to offer his congratulations, eyes full of admiration. Such a brilliant performance was enough to go down in the history of the Scarlet Casino.
He could already see it, the prestigious guests who would come in the future, drawn by the word-of-mouth tales of the Opportunist's Trial.
A guard came running in from outside the gate, his hat lost in the rush.
"Sir, there seems to be a problem with the western exit…"
"If there's a problem, go fix it! Why do you come to me for everything? What's the point of feeding so many of you?"
The security captain impatiently shoved the guard aside.
The defensive magic array on the western side had started malfunctioning half a year ago. There was no suitable array master available, and the higher-ups refused to allocate funds. As a result, every time something went wrong, it fell to him to deal with it.
And every time, it turned out to be just some minor magical array error.
Now, just hearing "western exit" annoyed him.
What the security captain needed to do most right now, was to go to the Opportunist's Trial corridor and retrieve their casino's future cash cow.
He grabbed the guard by the collar and shoved him aside.
Pointing a finger at the unlucky guard, he said, "Let me tell you, any issues with the western exit from now on, you all handle them yourselves. Don't come to me."
"And also, today's top story at the casino must be the Opportunist's Trial. You'd better not let me hear any news that could harm the Scarlet Casino!"
With that, he strode off, flinging his arm.
The guard, left behind after receiving a load of threats but solving nothing: "…"
He actually wanted to say, the malfunctioning magical sensor array had, for once, worked properly, detecting someone trying to escape the dungeon without permission… But because the person had many magic tools, they only managed to seriously injure him, yet he still got away.
The guard stood there for two minutes, then gritted his teeth and decided to bury the matter. The escaped guy didn't even use spells, only relied on magic tools to flee, and they'd already injured him badly.
Even if he wasn't dead, the surface-level guards should be able to spot and take care of him.
After all, the western magical array malfunctioned all the time.
As long as he and the others claimed it was "just another malfunction," they could push the responsibility to the surface team, avoiding scoldings or dismissal.
The guard exhaled a long breath.
"Besides, the 'cleaners' on the surface are from the three major auction houses. The casino won't even bother verifying."
All they were trying to do was keep their jobs before the winter magic tide arrived. And before things spun completely out of control, use money to buy an entry pass to a nearby town.
Everyone was just trying to survive.
He certainly didn't believe that the stingy, greedy mayor cared whether commoners lived or died during the tide.
Having thought it through, he turned back resolutely.
---
58, 59, 60.
Exactly one hour offline, after chatting idly on the forum for a bit, Garble put his gaming helmet back on.
As expected, the "unconscious" debuff caused by mana exhaustion had already worn off.
Now that players had access to detailed data for mana, health, and physical stats, they could control their characters' bodies with incredible precision.
It was enough for him to perfectly pull off a convincing performance of a "low-level mage barely surviving the Opportunist's Trial by sheer desperation."
Yes, he had no intention of revealing his true class as a ranger. He hadn't shown any of his combat skills during the trial either. To everyone watching, he simply looked like a weak, untrained mage who survived only through ruthlessness and luck.
He slowly opened his eyes, immediately focusing on the strongest presence in front of him.
It was a refined-looking man with golden curls, wearing a black-and-white tailcoat. He was flanked by two bodyguards nearly twice his size, creating a striking contrast.
Claude's eyes narrowed slightly, his admiration unconcealed.
"Good alertness. As expected of the only person in five years to pass the Opportunist's Trial."
Garble calmly assessed his surroundings.
He was sitting in a chair, his limbs restrained.
There was at least a three-meter gap between him and the group facing him.
Various torture devices of different shapes and sizes hung on the wall. It looked like a frequently used interrogation room.
He played the part of a clueless, unfortunate mage, speaking fiercely. "I don't know what you're talking about!"
Claude wasn't angry at all, in fact, he smiled.
"No worries. We've got plenty of time to help you understand your situation. Originally, this could've been handled in a much simpler and more effective way. But unfortunately, you're too popular. Having you bedridden for a month wouldn't do. So I had to come personally."
One of the burly men, likely a bodyguard or elite guard, spoke up at the right moment, "This is the spokesperson for the Scarlet Casino, and also a Divine Attendant of the Goddess of Spring. Blessed by the divine, he can see through all lies."
Truth be told, even though Garble had been wandering around Nary Town for over half a month,
He still wasn't exactly sure what a "Divine Attendant" was.
The nuns at the church claimed to be servants of the goddess. So a Divine Attendant was a step above that?
In another situation, he might have tried to chat with him and learn more about divine blessings.
He had idly triggered divine blessings three times from Luminaris but felt no difference.
No special abilities came with them either.
Outwardly, his expression grew more guarded.
"This is your casino?"
"No," Claude said, crossing his legs with elegance. "But it will be your casino."
"You were smart enough to find the entrance to the dungeon and pass the Opportunist's Trial. I trust you'll continue making intelligent choices. Your performance during the trial was very well received by our guests."
"In fact, some VIPs have requested to meet you, and are willing to gift you resources that lead straight to high-tier mage training."
"All you have to do is say yes, and it's all yours."
Garble's pupils shrank, and his tone grew sharp.
"You saw everything I did in the corridor?!"
"Don't be afraid, Gale," Claude said calmly.
"I know you're a fallen noble, and it's hard for you to accept your current reality."
"But believe me, in the real world, killing is no big deal. All those so-called rules are just excuses to keep the commoners in line. In truth, many of our clients love your ruthlessness!"
His voice rose and fell like an operatic aria.
His tone was hypnotic, seductive. He extended his right hand in invitation.
"Let's leave these petty matters behind."
"They say only high-tier mages are true mages."
"You wouldn't want to remain stuck in place your whole life just because you lacked training resources… would you?"
Garble didn't respond immediately, lowering his head to look at his toes.
Claude didn't rush him, waiting with calm assurance.
Based on the way he had handled himself in the corridor, Claude already saw the outcome as a foregone conclusion, a single-choice question.
It didn't take long before him lifted his head again.
"Alright, what do I need to do to join you?"
Claude naturally withdrew his hand, flashing a brilliant smile.
"I'll tell you about that later. Trust me, your job is very easy. You might just need to accompany guests for dinner. If you're not comfortable with it, you can even refuse a date."
His voice suddenly dropped.
"But for now, we need to test your loyalty."
Garble had still been wondering what kind of job involved sharing a meal, but these words snapped his attention back. His expression turned resolute.
"Of course, I understand the rules."
Claude first asked about Garble's background.
Although they'd already gathered quite a bit about him through the hallway projections, a physical check had confirmed the sudden downfall in his circumstances.
The agony of magic depletion couldn't be faked. But Claude's cautious nature still drove him to verify Garble's story face-to-face.
Once everything checked out, he relaxed visibly.
"Now, there's just one last thing."
He clapped his hands.
A burly man carried in a large linen bundle that reeked of blood. Blood trickled down from the bottom of the bundle, forming a dotted trail along the floor. The man set the bundle down and left.
Garble glanced at the bundle calmly before quickly looking away. He already had a good guess as to what was inside.
The bundle was opened.
Sure enough, it was a mangled corpse, the scalp completely torn off.
More accurately, it was the prop Garble and Child had thrown out to fake Gaeman's death.
Although the game prohibited players from carrying corpses in their inventory, to prevent certain extreme player behaviors, by exploiting a glitch, they had still managed to bring in this essential infiltration "tool."
Even though he knew where the corpse came from, seeing the assassin he'd personally taken care of three days ago still stirred mixed feelings in him.
And that was exactly how Claude wanted him to feel.
He smiled, pleased to be in control.
"How does it feel to see a teammate you personally killed?"
"I heard you even cut off another teammate's arm, used it to block a rolling boulder, and made him a human stepping stone to cross into another corridor."
"To do all that in a life-or-death crisis, impressive courage!"
Claude genuinely praised him.
Garble's eyebrow twitched. Where the hell did this guy get that intel?
"So?"
Claude continued, "The last person who passed the trial earned my trust by eating the flesh of a teammate."
A hint of melancholy appeared on his face.
"He was just an ordinary person, not very gifted, and mentally weak. Even though he was partly responsible for his comrade's death, he cried and vomited for a long time after eating him."
He smirked, the smile full of malice.
"Too bad we had treated the meat specially. Even if he threw up bile, it made no difference."
Garble's face tensed, his mind racing.
Eat human flesh?
Even in a game, that was beyond his limits.
If the other side forced this...
Before Garble could decide the best course of action, Claude suddenly changed the subject.
With a cheerful smile, he said, "Of course, you're different from him. I believe your willpower far exceeds the average person's. You're one of us."
In truth, the ruthlessness Garble had displayed in the corridor had far surpassed his expectations.
If he really pushed someone like that to cross the ultimate human boundary and eat a fellow human... It would actually make Claude more afraid of him.
He motioned for the guards to loosen the restraints on Garble.
Then he continued, "I just need two of your fingers."
Before Garble could react, Claude shouted sharply, "Do it!"
A dagger gleamed with a flash of cold light, heading straight for Garble's left hand, which rested on the armrest.
Garble squinted and instinctively jerked his hand away.
The dagger curved in pursuit, its speed was terrifying.
Just as he was about to react again, the dagger abruptly stopped just short of hitting him.
Then, just as quickly, the bodyguard withdrew it back into the shadows.
Garble touched the cut skin on his finger, and even though he tried to control his expression, his gaze was still sharp and cold.
His tone was also harsh, influenced by the sudden emotional spike.
"What the hell was that?"
"Nothing," Claude replied, visibly relieved.
That completely wrong dodging instinct, almost zero reaction capability, seemed like this guy really had no combat skills.
A fatal weakness he could easily exploit. He stood up and extended his right hand.
"Congratulations. You passed the test."
Garble hesitated, then shook his hand.
"Where's my room? I want to rest today."
---
Bang!
The door slammed shut.
In the hallway, Claude walked briskly, giving instructions to the people beside him:
"Tell White Dove that Gale wants to rest and will meet her tomorrow."
"Also, give her his residence location. Let her create a 'coincidental' encounter, but make sure she gets paid."
"Reassign everyone from Bloodblade's team. Plan out Gale's training and his full schedule for the next week."
"I'm going to make the name of the Opportunist's Trial legendary!"
His eyes were wild with excitement, as if he could already see himself making a fortune thanks to Garble.
"Oh, and don't forget to give him his training resources. Don't skimp on the magic potions. I want to see him become an intermediate mage within three days."
His subordinate agreed to everything, then paused as a thought occurred to him.
"But with Bloodblade's people reassigned, the VIP lounge might be hard to manage…"
"If it's hard to manage, then fire him!"
Claude didn't hesitate at all to give Bloodblade a death sentence.
"A useless man who is still an advanced mage after five years, what's the point of keeping him?"
"Now that I have a new opportunist, all the privileges given to the last one should be taken back. Install the new lounge manager as planned. Go through his five years of accounts, and if he can't pay it back…"
A cruel glint flashed in Claude's eyes.
"You know what to do."
"Yes, sir!"
The subordinate bowed even lower.
Claude's expression returned to normal.
"Oh, and go install surveillance on the left side of the corridor."
Because of limited projection range, the left side had always lacked proper monitoring.
He had previously been too lazy to spend money on something like that.
But after meeting Garble, this dangerously extreme lunatic made him feel deeply out of control. If he was going to make someone like that a subordinate, he had to know everything they did.
The subordinate acknowledged and left, carrying out all of Claude's orders.
---
Meanwhile, after confirming there were no high-end surveillance devices in the room, Garble finally looked down, rubbing the finger that had been cut, and muttered, "Divine blessing powers… really are something else…"
That casino boss' lie-detecting ability? Way too overrated.
What Garble had said earlier wasn't entirely true, but it was barely truthful at all.
And that still passed the guy's test?
It wasn't even as good as a lie detector!