Chapter 131: The Magic Game Card Match: Round One and Round Two

He only knew that the opponent did not have a 【King Card】 in hand, so the 【Commoner Card】, which had a special attack effect specifically against the 【King Card】, was of no particular use.

Among the ten cards in Jier's hand, four were Commoner Cards, so this type of card, which could be countered by many other card types, was actually easy to play; the high probability of losing was a good thing.

In that case, he could not put effort into the other cards in his hand. Additionally, he had a 【King Card】 in his hand; unless the opponent played a 【Commoner Card】, this trump card in his hand could firmly secure a victory, which was a point he could actually utilize.

A card that is a guaranteed win can sometimes also be a card that is a guaranteed loss.

He was hesitating whether to play the 【King Card】 in his hand in the first round to preemptively lose the first round?

After all, the opponent might test the waters in the first round by playing a 【Commoner Card】, and Jier would actually lose, and then win.

Just at this moment, Jier saw the casino Shop Assistant across the table looking toward his side, but the gaze did not land on Jier or the cards in his hand; instead, the gaze bypassed Jier's body and was looking at someone behind Jier.

He was startled, thought of something, and abruptly turned his head to look behind him, discovering that the casino Steward, who was covered in tattoos, was standing not far behind him; judging from the angle of the opponent's gaze, he should have been able to see the types of cards in Jier's hand.

Glaring fiercely at the man, Jier summoned his subordinates and friends; Weier and Mr. Zuojigela had also arrived, and with Xueya Site, Aoni, and two Warriors, Jier's subordinates occupied the space behind him completely. Now, the opponent's plan to use someone behind Jier to peek at his hand and then use secret gestures to notify the guy across the table was effectively thwarted.

"Hmph, behave yourselves."

Jier gave a warning. Although both he and the casino were secretly using various cheating methods and basically no one was playing the game normally, that was just how gambling was: those who participated honestly only had the outcome of having their wealth won away by others; only those who cheated boldly, and were not caught, could win the game.

Gambling was never a matter of luck or following the rules of the game. Because when you participate honestly, the casino dealer has already been secretly calculating and using all sorts of methods to ensure that running a casino is a business that makes a steady profit without risk of loss.

After all, people open casinos to make money. If they really relied on reasonable game rules and luck, why would they bother opening a casino? They might as well change professions early and go into the public service industry.

After being warned by Jier, the casino Shop Assistant's expression turned gloomy, because he saw Jier cover his cards with his hand and perform an internal shuffle. In this way, the information he had just obtained through his subordinate's scouting and notification was useless.

No, he still knew some of the situation, for example, Jier had four 【Commoner Cards】, one 【King Card】, two 【Knight Cards】, one 【Cleric Card】, and two 【Noble Cards】. There were no 【Mage Cards】 or 【Scholar Cards】.

In this way, the cards Jier could play in the first round were very limited.

The 【Commoner Card】 was countered by too many things. Without knowing what cards were in his own hand, there was a possibility of playing a 【Commoner Card】 in the first round. But if the first round was just for testing the waters, it was also possible that he himself would use a 【Commoner Card】 to test the waters.

In that case, it would be a draw, and both sides would lose one card.

No, that's not right, because both sides only had three Logistics Wagon Chess Pieces representing life, so the game would end after at most five rounds; it was best-of-five.

At most five rounds, and they each had ten cards in their hands, so the possibility of using 【Commoner Cards】 in all the matches also existed.

Therefore, it was highly probable that Knight Jier would not play a 【Commoner Card】, because he didn't know what cards I had—it could be a 【King Card】 or several 【Scholar Cards】—he wouldn't choose from the other card types.

And among these card sets, in order to lose, Knight Jier would most likely prioritize using the 【King Card】 to lose the first round, thereby exerting pressure on my side.

"Heh heh, Knight Jier, you've been seen through by me."

"In the first round, you will most likely play the 【King Card】, and I will use a 【Knight Card】 to take the defeat of the first round, but you winning and me losing actually means I win. This card is also very fitting for your status."

The casino Shop Assistant had no expression on his face, but his pupils contracted with excitement, just like a beast staring at its prey.

He drew a 【Knight Card】 from his cards and pushed it onto the table face down.

"Knight Jier, I have already chosen; please play your card."

The casino Shop Assistant's words seemed polite, but were actually confident and arrogant.

Jier keenly sensed this; he smiled, took a card from his own hand, and also pushed it out face down.

"I have also chosen. This is truly a card that suits everyone. This game is very interesting; after the game is over later, could you give me a set of these Magic Game Cards?"

The casino Shop Assistant revealed a stiff smile on his face: "Of course, you are a noble Knight, it is just a set of cards."

Jier looked at the other person suspiciously: "Is this something a little Shop Assistant like you can decide? Shouldn't it be something that your Steward decides?"

The tattoo-covered casino Steward stepped out at this moment and laughed it off: "It's all a small matter, all a small matter. Later, the set of cards you are using will be given to Lord Jier. However, just don't lose your temper after the game."

"Winning and losing is something no one can say for sure. Let's reveal the cards."

Jier raised his hand to signal, and the two people at the gambling table revealed their cards at the same moment. The moment the two cards were flipped over, everyone watching around them let out an exclamation.

Because on Jier's side was an ordinary 【Commoner Card】, while the casino Shop Assistant across from him had a 【Knight Card】.

Without a doubt, Jier lost this round, and the winner was the casino side.

Jier easily flicked one of the Logistics Wagon Chess Pieces representing supplies, knocking it over to tilt on the table.

Just as Jier had said earlier, he played a card that was very fitting for the status of the people around, and it was just taken by the opponent's 【Knight Card】.

"I am still relatively cautious, haha, after all, one has to start the game by testing the waters. My apologies, our game is not a normal situation; you and I each only have three Logistics Wagon Chess Pieces. Now, I have two left, and you won a round, so you still have three, oh."

Jier said he lost, but in reality, he was mocking the other person.

And the casino Shop Assistant across the table, even with the exquisite mask on his face, could no longer hide his twisted expression.

"Damn it, I've been played. This guy utilized the moment I sent someone to peek earlier. He knew that I knew the types of cards in his hand. So he guessed that I guessed he would use the 【King Card】, and naturally took advantage of the 【Knight Card】 I played while expecting the 【King Card】! He lost on purpose! To hell with 'fitting for everyone's status'—only the stupid gamblers around here wouldn't react to such mocking rhetoric, right?"

He took several deep breaths before suppressing his emotions, and then began to think about the decision for the second round.

"Damn it. This round, this round he should play the 【King Card】, right?" The casino Shop Assistant watched Jier hesitating over which card to play and guessed in his own heart.

But Jier suddenly looked over and said to him: "What are you looking at me for? Hurry up and choose your card! I have things to do this morning; I can't spend the whole morning playing cards with you, although this is also a quite interesting form of entertainment."

Almost, the casino Shop Assistant almost couldn't hold the expression on his entire face.

He sensed that the mask on his face was a bit unstable, and his nose seemed a bit crooked, so he pressed the mask with his hand to let the nose and mouth of the mask stay in the correct position.

After hesitating for a while, he still judged that Knight Jier did not know the types of cards on his side, so he likely wouldn't dare to play the 【King Card】, and the 【King Card】 had a high chance of winning but also many possibilities of being countered. Conversely, after using a 【Commoner Card】 in the first round, he likely wouldn't dare to play a 【Commoner Card】 again, so would Knight Jier use other cards in the second round?

Or would he still boldly use a 【Commoner Card】 just to lose?

I have a 【Scholar Card】 here! Although there is no 【King Card】, the 【Scholar Card】 can also beat you!

Without considering more possibilities, the casino Shop Assistant considered Jier's strong goal of winning or losing and felt that in order to win, Jier would also likely play the 【Commoner Card】 that would make him lose the second round. This was a risky decision; after all, very few people would play the same type of card consecutively in this game.

But the person opposite was Knight Jier. Although this person was young, he was clearly not a mediocre guy.

"Should I play the 【Scholar Card】?" he thought.

After much hesitation, he chose a 【Scholar Card】 and pushed it out face down.

Jier stared at the cards in his hand; in reality, his gaze was focused on the Shadow Bird he had released.

That Shadow Bird, which had been placed under the dice gambling table earlier, had now used the surrounding shadows to sneak to a high place on the other side of the gambling table, and by relying on the excellent vision of a bird, it was peeking at the opponent's cards from behind the casino Shop Assistant.

This trick was actually what the opponent had reminded him of just now!

The casino could arrange for people behind him to scout his cards, so he could naturally also secretly use special abilities to peek at the opponent's cards.

Although the casino Shop Assistant across from him was very cautious and only picked up his cards to look at them occasionally, when he played his card just now, Jier saw that the opponent had played a 【Scholar Card】.

"Ha, did you think I would play a 【Commoner Card】 in a row? This card indeed has a certain advantage when I am aiming to lose, but would I play the same type of card consecutively? You specifically targeted this to pin me down? Heh heh, 【Scholar Card】 it is."

Jier glanced at the rules written on the large wooden board to the side.

The 【Scholar Card】 can eat the 【Noble Card】 and 【Cleric Card】, but it will be eaten by the 【King Card】, 【Mage Card】, 【Commoner Card】, and 【Knight Card】; there is no parity.

Therefore, he only needed to play a 【Noble Card】 or 【Cleric Card】 from his hand.

And since he had two 【Noble Cards】, naturally, it would be this one.

"My card is ready too." Jier took out a 【Noble Card】 and pushed it out face down.

The two locked eyes across the gambling table, the sense of confrontation intense.

Jier lifted his chin slightly, and the two flipped over the cards on the gambling table together.

Jier had a 【Noble Card】, and the Shop Assistant had a 【Scholar Card】.

The 【Scholar Card】 can beat the 【Noble Card】, so Jier lost another round.

Although it looked like Jier had lost, in reality, he had won.

The surrounding gamblers discussed among themselves; Knight Jier seemed to have emerged from the outcome of the previous Monster Card game, and just like with the dice throwing earlier, he was firmly grasping the outcome of the gambling match.

Jier showed no reaction to the win or loss, but the Shop Assistant opposite him reacted strongly; he looked left and right at every onlooker behind him, seemingly feeling that there must be one of Knight Jier's spies mixed in!

He summoned the Steward, and in a way that looked absurd to watch, the Shop Assistant whispered orders into the Steward's ear.

The gamblers lacked the insight to see what the problem was here, but Jier watched this "Shop Assistant" he was gambling with with a probing gaze.

The other party was clearly not a real Shop Assistant, but a subordinate sent by the person behind the scenes, or perhaps even the mastermind behind this whole affair themselves.

Why would the other party make such a scene?

Money?

This casino made a fortune every day, with daily profits of at least one or two Gold Coins, and on good days, perhaps over a dozen Gold Coins and a large amount of other currency. It wasn't worth targeting the money Jier's subordinates had.

Or did they see that Jier's subordinates were so wealthy and assume he must have money too?

That made sense; he had just sold quite a few valuable soldiers to the Golden Sickle Merchant Guild yesterday, and he had let his subordinates carry money bags through the streets at the time, so he was likely targeted then.

But for some money, was it really worth offending a Knight? One had to know that those with true insight knew how terrifying Knights were.

Knights are just a group of Magic Beasts wearing human skin and growing in human form.

If he really started killing, no one in the entire Duoen Town could stop him. Not to mention that he had dozens of Human Warriors under his command, as well as dozens of Dwarf "mercenaries."

This force could pierce through the entire Duoen Town in one go.

He couldn't understand; Jier truly couldn't understand the purpose of the other party causing this. He didn't even know the other party's identity.

Putting those thoughts aside, Jier reached out again and pushed over a chess piece representing his logistics wagon; this way, only one piece representing his life remained standing, while the opponent still had three.

Generally speaking, Jier's situation was very unfavorable at this moment, but because the win-loss condition of this gambling match was reversed, Jier actually had a great advantage in the situation.

The third round of the match began.

If Jier lost again this round, then this gambling match would be over.

At this moment, all the pressure was on this so-called "Shop Assistant," and the Steward behind him was full of anxiety, not understanding how they could still lose when they knew what Jier's card type was.

This Steward even wanted to step in and play the match himself.

The Shop Assistant at the center of the pressure was, conversely, no longer restless; he took a few deep breaths and then raised his hand, saying, "I request to change positions."

The onlookers were in an uproar, but this was understandable; after all, having won two rounds, which conversely meant losing two rounds, from some occult perspective, perhaps this position was unlucky, so requesting to change positions was understandable.

Thus, the two moved to two other positions ninety degrees relative to the gambling table, and the gamblers also moved their positions accordingly.

After much thought, the Shop Assistant looked at the gamblers behind him with unease, placed the cards face down under his hand with an expressionless face, and felt around, not playing a card immediately.

Seeing that the other party was in no hurry to play a card, Jier smiled; clearly, although the other party hadn't found the Shadow Bird Jier was using to spy, they still felt that Jier had arranged people behind them.

And they weren't wrong.

So how should Jier play his card first to ensure he loses?

?? I even got a bit muddled while writing; at the beginning, I completely reversed the wins and losses, and later I spent time changing everything. It's so tiring; combat scenes are the best to write.