Esper Harem in the Apocalypse

Chapter 1112: Speed Running Life events (12) | The Gambling Queen

The transition from the ruined city to the Neon District was jarring. One moment, they were driving through rubble-strewn streets patrolled by starving monsters, and the next, they crossed a shimmering energy barrier and entered a world of blinding light.

Holographic advertisements for "Mana Potions" and "Dream Den Services" floated in the air. The streets were paved not with asphalt, but with luminescent tiles. Awakened of all kinds—mutants, mages, cyborgs—walked the streets openly, drinking, fighting, and gambling.

In the center of it all stood the Diamond Spire. It was a massive, twisting tower of glass and gold that pierced the smog clouds.

Ruby Ross's Casino.

Rudy's car was reinforced, armored limousine that Lilim drove with aggressive precision—pulled up to the valet.

Rudy stepped out. He was wearing a suit he had "borrowed" from the Syndicate's vault—charcoal grey, perfectly tailored. Maria stepped out next, wearing a backless crimson dress that screamed 'Mafia Don', though her hand stayed firmly in the crook of Rudy's arm.

Lilim was back in her butler uniform, though her horns were now visible, that earned terrified stares from the valet. She tossed the keys to the trembling attendant.

"Scratch it, and I eat your soul," Lilim said cheerfully.

They walked into the lobby. Slot machines chimed with the sound of Mana Crystals dropping.

"Welcome to the Spire," a holographic greeter chirped. "Please present your creds."

Rudy didn't present creds. He presented a black card, which he had taken from the Iron Blood Clan leader he'd killed an hour ago.

The hologram flickered and turned gold. "VIP Access confirmed. Welcome, High Roller. The Jackpot Event is starting on the 50th floor."

"Let's go," Rudy said.

They took the glass elevator up. As the city shrank beneath them, Maria gripped Rudy's arm tighter.

"Rudy," she whispered. "Ruby isn't like me. She doesn't care about honor. She cheats. The House always wins here."

"I know," Rudy said, watching the floor numbers climb. "That's why I'm not here to gamble with money."

The elevator doors pinged open.

The 50th floor was a different world. It was quiet, elegant, and deadly. A massive roulette table dominated the center of the room. Around it sat the most dangerous people in the city—Warlords, S-Rank Hunters, and of course, the corrupt politicians.

And standing on a balcony overlooking them all was Ruby Ross.

She looked like Maria, but dangerous. Her hair was cut into a jagged bob, dyed a violent shade of electric blue. She wore a suit jacket with nothing underneath, exposing the tattoo of a pair of dice on her sternum. She held a long cigarette holder in one hand and a glass of champagne in the other.

Her eyes were utterly bored as she scanned the room until they landed on the elevator.

She froze.

"Well, well," Ruby's voice amplified through the room, dripping with sarcasm. "If it isn't my dear, soft-hearted sister. Did you finally lose your little empire? Come to beg for a loan?"

Maria stepped forward, her chin high. "I'm not here for money, Ruby."

"Then get out," Ruby snapped. "This is a closed event. Buy-in is ten thousand A-Rank Cores. I doubt you have that in your purse."

"I do," a voice said.

Rudy stepped out from behind Maria. He walked calmly into the center of the room. The Warlords at the table turned to look at the newcomer.

'Oh man… she looks so hot in her new look.' Rudy thought to himself.

Ruby narrowed her eyes. She leaned over the balcony railing, looking down at Rudy. "And who is the pretty boy? Your new boy-toy, Maria?"

"I'm the guy who's going to clear your table," Rudy said, looking up at her.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, glowing orb. It wasn't a core. It was the condensed soul of the Iron Blood Clan Leader. He tossed it onto the roulette table. It landed on Red 7.

"Ten thousand cores?" Rudy asked. "I bet the entire Iron Blood Syndicate."

The room went silent.

Ruby stared at the orb, sensing the immense energy inside it. A slow, predatory smile spread across her face.

"Interesting," she purred. She vaulted over the railing, landing gracefully on the casino floor in her high heels.

She walked toward Rudy, circling him like a shark.

"You have guts," Ruby said, stopping inches from his face. "But you don't know the rules, pretty boy.

In my house, you don't just bet assets. You bet stakes."

She pointed a manicured finger at his chest.

"If you win, you get the Pot. Including the Mythical Item."

She leaned in close, her lips brushing his ear.

"But if you lose... you belong to me. Mind, body, and soul. You become my personal pet. Forever."

Maria stepped forward, "Ruby, don't—"

Rudy raised a hand to stop Maria. He looked Ruby dead in the eye and smiled.

"Deal," Rudy said. "But if I win... I get the House. And the Queen."

Ruby laughed. "You're on. Spin the wheel."

The roulette wheel spun. It wasn't a normal wheel; it was a disk of polished obsidian, the numbers glowing with enchanted runes. The ball was a sphere of condensed Mana that rattled against the frets with a sound like grinding bone.

The entire floor had gone silent. Even the holographic advertisements froze.

Ruby stood on the opposite side of the table, her hands resting on the velvet rail. She wasn't looking at the wheel. She was staring at Rudy, her electric-blue eyes narrowing as she tried to dissect him.

"You're confident," Ruby murmured, her voice carrying over the rattle of the ball. "Most men sweat when they bet their souls. You look like you're deciding what to order for dinner."

"I'm deciding which bedroom we're taking," Rudy replied, leaning forward. His face was inches from hers across the table. "Yours or the penthouse?"

The crowd gasped. No one spoke to the Gambling Queen like that and lived.

However, Ruby didn't kill him. Instead, she flushed.

A faint, treacherous pink dusted her cheeks, betraying the cold warlord persona she'd spent years perfecting.

"You have a loose tongue, pretty boy," she hissed, though she didn't pull away. "My 'House Edge' nullifies all external luck manipulation. You can't cheat here. This spin is pure chaos. And chaos always favors the House."

"I don't need to cheat," Rudy said softly. "And I don't believe in chaos."