Book 1 Chapter 374

374.

Thump- thump-

Dressed in their best, the party members stood on the stairs, having finally gained entry to the underground casino, Shadow.

Woong-!

Watching the stairs move down automatically, powered by magic stones, Chelsea hummed and muttered,

"They must have a lot of money. Even the entrance stairs are made like this."

"I know, right? Look at the ceiling."

Kal looked up at the ceiling and clicked his tongue.

The ceiling, which glittered as if coated in gold, was studded with what looked like expensive jewels, like stars.

Among the jewels, magic lamps emitting bright light caught their eyes.

"It's so ostentatious about their wealth that it almost looks vulgar."

"I agree."

Juen nodded at Betty's words.

"Leo, what are you thinking about so deeply?"

Chloe, leading the group, asked Leo, who was lost in thought.

"I was thinking about this underground casino."

More precisely, it was the treasury of Rodia, located beneath this place.

According to Lariel, there was a labyrinth on the way to Rodia's treasury.

'He said this casino was built on top of that labyrinth.'

When Leo asked what was inside the treasury, Lariel shook her head.

'I don't know exactly what Rodia left there. However, I do know it's a reward from conquering a hero's world, like Seirun's Comet.'

Leo recalled the Comet, dormant in his subspace.

The most powerful magic staff in existence, possessing the magic of both Luna and Seirun.

As an item left by Rodia, who could be considered the leader of the ancient heroes, it might be comparable to that Comet.

'So, to get to the labyrinth, we need to pass through this casino first.'

Clank-!

Thump- thump- thump-

The stairs stopped.

Leo and his party moved along the corridor.

Unlike the opulent entrance, there were no magic lamps visible; only a door at the end of the corridor, from which light seeped out.

"Welcome to Shadow."

"Welcome."

The guards at the door greeted the party and opened it.

Hwaak-!

The bright light made everyone squint slightly.

And then, the scene unfolding inside made everyone gasp.

The interior beyond the door resembled the lobby of a social hall.

From the hall beyond the lobby, the beautiful melody played by an orchestra flowed out, and smartly dressed attendants moved with elegant strides.

"The atmosphere is different from what I imagined."

Chloe tilted her head.

Those who had been tense, expecting an illegal casino, showed signs of relief.

Leo approached the counter in the lobby.

"Greetings, honored customer."

A woman in a suit, standing at the counter, bowed with a kind smile.

"Customers, if you have any identification, could you please present it at the counter?"

At the attendant's words, the party members took out their Lumern student IDs from their pockets.

The attendant, who received the student IDs, examined them closely.

Then, reaching under the desk, she placed nine small boxes on the counter.

"These are for Luke, Austin, Betty, Juen, Iliana, Kal, Chelsea, Chloe, and Leo, in that order."

The attendant placed each student ID on top of a box and smiled broadly.

The party members, looking puzzled, picked up the boxes, put away their student IDs, and opened them.

Click-

"Cards?"

"Are these platinum?"

"Wow, are all these diamonds?"

"The leader's is a different color. The leader's is black."

"These are our membership cards. All nine of you have been confirmed as Lumern students. Luke, Austin, Betty, Juen, and Iliana are Platinum grade, while Kal, Chelsea, and Chloe are Diamond grade."

Everyone looked astonished at the words.

"What are the VIP tiers?"

When Austin asked, the attendant replied with a smile.

"We have Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond grades."

Hearing the explanation, Iliana's face showed a hint of disappointment.

"Question. Why isn't the leader on the tier list? And why am I Platinum while they are all Diamond?"

"Hero Academy students are automatically given Platinum grade. After that, higher grades are awarded based on reputation and academic performance."

"Then why is he Diamond?"

Iliana pointed at Kal.

"Kal Thomas has the accomplishment of conquering the world of the Divine Blacksmith, so he was awarded Diamond grade."

"Pfft… Iliana. Among the second-year students, you're the only one on the same level as the first-years."

"Hmph! How dare you, Kal!"

"Hey! How dare you! A Platinum dare to speak so disrespectfully to a Diamond!"

"You! Stop right there!"

Iliana, provoked by Kal teasing her, lunged at him.

Kal dodged Iliana and continued to tease her mockingly.

"Take this!"

In response, Iliana threw off her high heels.

The heels flew like boomerangs and precisely embedded themselves in Kal's temple.

"The reason Leo Flov is not on the VIP tier list is because we dare not assign a grade to someone of his caliber. We refer to such individuals as 'King'."

"What kind of people receive the King grade?"

Juen asked curiously, and after a moment's thought, the attendant smiled brightly.

"The King grade is bestowed upon individuals with a status and standing comparable to that of a monarch."

Everyone's mouths gaped open, but Chelsea and Chloe nodded in understanding.

"Well, he is the Lumern Student Council President."

"His public image is comparable to the head of a prestigious hero family or a king."

Leaving the two shrugging their shoulders, Leo asked,

"So, what's the benefit of getting a high grade?"

As Leo asked, waving his card, the attendant smiled.

"Each VIP tier has specific areas of the establishment they can access. For the King grade, there are essentially no restricted areas."

"Really? Can we go to the basement then?"

"Basement…? This is the basement."

"I mean deeper than here."

Leo tapped the floor with his toe.

The attendant's eyes widened at his words, and then she smiled.

"I cannot provide information regarding that inquiry. I recommend you schedule a meeting with our establishment's master."

"How can I schedule a meeting?"

"You can pay 100 million points in a lump sum using our establishment's points."

"Is it possible to convert shillings to points?"

"Yes. It is possible. 1 point is 1 shilling."

"Kuh-!"

"Hmph?!"

"Then… 10 million Grolings?!"

It was an astronomical sum.

A single bottle of fatigue-recovery potion sold by Kal was 5 shillings.

And 1 Groling is 10 shillings.

Everyone's face was a picture of shock.

"Are there other ways?"

"There is also the method of earning points by participating in events held at our establishment."

"Are you saying we should gamble?"

"That's one way, but our establishment offers countless other ways to earn points besides gambling. This place… is within the world's shadows."

Everyone swallowed dryly at the dangerous smile.

Kal crossed his arms.

"The support funds we received were 2000 Grolings per person… so we're nowhere near it."

Having said that, Kal glanced at Chelsea and Juen.

"What are you looking at?"

"Could we borrow the wealth of these rich ladies?"

"Do you think 10 million Grolings is just a name?"

Chelsea's words made Kal scratch his head.

"Indeed."

It was when everyone was lost in thought.

"For now, let's go inside and enjoy ourselves. Platinum grade customers receive 10,000 points, Diamond grade 20,000 points, and King grade 50,000 points."

At that, everyone's eyes widened.

"Can we exchange that money and leave?"

"Of course."

Looking at the cheerfully responding attendant, everyone clicked their tongues.

Just by entering this place, they had easily obtained money that ordinary people could not touch.

"Perhaps asking other students for help would be an option?"

"That's true… but it's questionable whether they would be recognized. Here, the master of this place is the law."

Betty shook her head at Luke's words.

"Let's go in and think about it. I didn't even have breakfast and I'm hungry."

Iliana said, looking at the buffet set up in the hall.

"Right, let's eat and think about it!"

***

The buffet set up in the hall was filled with all sorts of luxurious food.

Attendants bustled around, offering the students fine wines and champagne.

As Iliana reached out to accept it, Chloe narrowed her eyes.

"We're students. No alcohol."

"Aww! We're already here! Don't be so stingy!"

Iliana protested, but Chloe spoke more firmly.

"Absolutely not. We are here for a mission."

At those words, Iliana reluctantly put down the wine glass.

"Juen."

"Tch, such a goody-two-shoes."

Juen was caught trying to secretly drink a glass of champagne by his classmate, Betty.

Meanwhile, Leo and Kal returned from the casino.

"Wow, this place is truly a gambling den."

"What do you mean?"

"Look. There's no one in the hall."

Despite an atmosphere that any noble would enjoy, there was no one in the hall.

"They're all playing games in the casino."

Kal clicked his tongue.

"Looking at them, they seem to be of quite high status… but their eyes are glazed over. You guys, absolutely do not show your cards. They're asking to borrow money."

Kal scowled, recalling an old gentleman begging him for money.

It was a very unpleasant experience.

"So, did you find a way to earn points?"

"Yes."

Kal crossed his arms.

"What is it?"

"The arena."

"What?"

"This casino has an arena. Those who are strong earn money there."

"What? That's simple. We're Lumern students."

Iliana said as if it were a great find.

"No, not at all."

"What?"

"There's a 'rule' in this casino's arena. Basically, 'magic use is prohibited.' They put on mana-restraining devices."

Iliana paused at those words.

"You can't know your opponent. You might fight other customers, or you might fight monsters or beasts. And people die there quite often."

Everyone's face turned tense at those words.

"Anything else?"

"There's also a labyrinth escape relay and chess."

"For chess, we have Chloe."

Chelsea looked at Chloe.

She was the chess champion of Lumern.

"Since this is the underground world, there must be something dangerous."

Leo crossed his arms.

"Let's investigate this casino further for now. If it doesn't work out, giving up is also an option."

'I can always infiltrate it alone next time.'

As Lumern students, they came to explore a hero's dungeon.

And there was no hero's dungeon here.

In that case, it would be best to cleanly withdraw and head to the suspicious monster forest.

For Leo, Rodia's treasury was not an immediate concern.

Everyone nodded at Leo's words.

"Let's meet back in the hall in an hour."

Luke raised his hand at Leo's words.

"Senior, what about the points?"

"If it's necessary for information gathering, actively using them isn't a bad idea. Or…"

Leo glanced into the casino.

"You could try playing."

"Hey, Leo! You want us to gamble?"

The students looked flustered by the unexpected suggestion.

Leo chuckled at their reaction.

"Since we're here anyway, experiencing a variety of things won't be bad."

"Wow, that sounds like something a wicked old man would say."

Chelsea teased him slightly.

Leo chuckled and ruffled Chelsea's hair.

"I believe it's also a study to understand the world's darkness as a hero."

***

Leo, having parted ways with the party, walked around the casino's interior.

Various games were in progress under the dazzling lights.

Cheers erupted, and screams of despair were heard.

This was an abyss where one could glimpse human nature and essence.

Thump- thump-

Leo paused as he walked and raised his head.

'I feel like I'm being watched?'

He felt gazes from the magic stones embedded in the ceiling.

These were likely 'surveillance' magic stones.

He felt a gaze watching him through those magic stones.

Normally, it's almost impossible to sense a gaze through magic.

However, Leo's senses were incomparably sharp compared to others.

Leo stopped in front of a certain room.

The black door had a golden crown symbol.

Beastmen, who appeared to be guards, blocked Leo's path.

"This area is only accessible to 'Kings'."

At those words, Leo took out his card.

Upon confirmation, the guards bowed and opened the door.

As Leo entered the room, he squinted.

Dim lights revealed fleeting silhouettes.

There was little sense of presence.

"Welcome, guest."

At that moment, a clear voice was heard from beside him.

'This voice…'

There was a subtle hint of killing intent in the voice.

Turning his head, he saw a girl wearing a black rabbit ear headband, bowing her head.

"I am Rabbit, here to attend to our guests…"

The girl's attire was peculiar as she looked up.

She had blue eyes reminiscent of lakes.

And hair of pure white.

This made the black rabbit ear headband stand out even more.

However, what stood out even more were the 'cat ears' adorned with the headband.

The girl in the black rabbit costume froze, looking at Leo.

The girl, opening and closing her mouth like a broken cat, asked Leo,

"What are you doing here?"

At his question, the girl, Ar, hesitated and tried to run away.

Leo reached out and grabbed Ar's tail.

"You shouldn't grab a lady's tail so carelessly!"

Ar, her fur bristling, shouted at Leo as if hissing.

"So, what are you doing here?"

Ar, who had become a black rabbit, hugged her tail to her chest, her eyes darting around before straightening up and saying,

"I'm working!"

"Why?"

"To pay off my debt!"

"…"

Leo sighed deeply.

There was only one kind of debt in this place, but he asked with a glimmer of hope.

"Gambling debt?"

"Yes!"

Seeing Ar so confidently confess, Leo muttered.

'I hope the kids from our school aren't this foolish.'