The casino buzzed with every imaginable game, dazzling Wenwu. He chose the simplest: dice betting on big or small.

Wenwu approached a table. The dealer’s dice cup flipped rapidly. Then the dealer slammed it down. "Bet big or small. Bets final once placed," he announced.

Gamblers placed their wagers—some on big, some on small. Wenwu, figuring it was pure luck, put half his coins on small.

"Bets final! Opening!" the dealer called, lifting the cup slowly.

"Four, four, four!"

The dealer declared the result. Wenwu kept slapping his forehead, regretting not betting big. But those who’d bet small showed no sorrow. Only the big bettors wore bitter, miserable expressions.

"Four, four, four—Big-Middle-Small. Small wins. Double payout."

Huh? Four-four-four counted as small? And double payout? This wasn’t how he’d understood it.

"Young man, first time here?" An old gambler beside Wenwu spoke up.

"Uh..."

"In dice games, four-four-four is the smallest big number—called Big-Middle-Small. Triple same digits mean double payout," the old man explained.

Huh. Gambling rules in this world were different. Still, winning felt great.

The dealer shook the cup again. Soon, betting time returned. Wenwu placed half his coins on small once more.

The cup opened: three, three, three.

Wenwu’s heart shattered. By earlier logic, this should be Small-Middle-Big—double payout. He’d lose his winnings and his entire stake.

"Three, three, three—small. Double payout."

Huh? Three-three-three was small?

"Old man, shouldn’t this be Small-Middle-Big?" Wenwu asked.

"Small-Middle-Big? No such rule. Only one-one-one is Small-Middle-Small—and counts as big," the gambler clarified.

So he’d won again. Two thrilling wins in a row fired up Wenwu’s excitement.

Whether blessed by luck or fate, Wenwu didn’t lose all afternoon. His coin pouch swelled. But the table emptied until only two remained: Wenwu, winning steadily, and another, losing constantly.

Wenwu hadn’t noticed her before. Now, he studied the other player. A female knight. Long black hair tied in a ponytail. A sword hung at her waist, her left hand never leaving the hilt—ready for battle. From the side, her curvaceous figure made Wenwu’s pulse quicken. But he could only see half her face; a mask hid the rest. Still, he sensed her beauty.

She felt his gaze and turned sharply.

To ease the awkwardness, Wenwu grinned. "Beauty, one more round?"

"You haven’t lost once," she replied, ignoring his question.

"Yeah. But you haven’t won. How about one bet to turn it all around?"

"No. I’m out of coin." She turned to leave.

"No coin? You’ve still got your body," Wenwu leered, grinning wickedly.

Her eyes flashed like blades. "You insult me."

Wenwu had meant it as a joke. He hadn’t expected such seriousness.

"Just kidding. No need to be so stiff."

She spun back, utterly grave. "For a knight, some things are no joke." Then she strode away.

Her sudden solemnity startled Wenwu. But he shrugged it off. Just a passing gambling buddy.

"Master Wenwu! Heard you made a killing today." The portly bookie sidled up as Wenwu watched the knight leave.

"Hmm. Quite a bit."

"Time to repay your debt, then?"

"Of course." Wenwu handed over a hundred gold coins.

"No, no. It’s more than that now."

Wenwu understood—interest. He added twenty more coins. A steep rate, but fair.

The bookie scowled after taking the 120 coins. "Master Wenwu, forgotten my rules? Fifty gold per hour interest. You borrowed five hours. Total: three hundred fifty."

Hah? Interest by hour and amount? Wenwu had never heard of it. But he’d won plenty. He pulled out another 230 coins without fuss.

The bookie’s jaw dropped. He’d planned to extort and humiliate Wenwu. Instead, Wenwu paid smoothly.

Wenwu ignored him. Outside, dusk fell. Time to eat. He remembered Silver, who’d stormed off earlier. He should find her. He headed for the door.

"Lord Wenwu!" A hand grabbed his arm as he stepped out. "You promised to visit tonight. Leaving without a word?"

It was Karida, the sexy rabbit-eared girl.

"Just grabbing food," Wenwu replied.

"Food? Keep me company first? I’m off duty now."

If Wenwu missed that hint, he’d wasted his life.

"Of course. My pleasure."

Karida clung to his arm, leading him to a nearby inn. Inside the room, door shut, Wenwu swept her up. He tossed her onto the bed, flopped down beside her, and fantasized about what came next.