Starting from Ainz Ooal Gown, simultaneously traveling through time

"Gamblin, stop! You've taken every last penny of the money you brought with you!"

Inside a noisy little gambling den.

Gambling's friend Black was pulling hard on his arm, trying to drag the red-eyed veteran away from the gambling table.

"Leave me alone!" Gamblin abruptly shoved him away, staring intently at the dice cup the dealer was about to uncover, panting heavily.

"I almost...I almost won big! I have to win it all back!"

He was completely out of control.

Tonight, his luck was incredibly good; his chips piled up like a small mountain, as if a bright future was within reach.

But in the blink of an eye, his luck took a sharp turn for the worse. Not only did he lose all the money he had won, but he also lost his life savings.

The immense psychological gap gnawed at him like a venomous snake, leaving only a crazy thought roaring in his mind.

Keep gambling, and you'll win it all back!

He ignored his friend's advice.

Suddenly, he unsheathed the ancient-style longsword with wavy patterns from his waist and slammed it onto the gambling table with a "bang".

Gambling yelled at the dealer, "I'll use this as collateral! In exchange for chips!"

When Blake saw the sword, his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, and he cried out, "Gombrin! Are you insane?!"

"This sword was personally bestowed upon you by His Highness Leylin! It's an honor, not something you can gamble with!"

He reached out to snatch the sword back.

"Get out of my way!" Gamblin slapped Blake's hand away with surprising force.

He turned to the startled croupier and practically roared, "This is mine! His Highness bestowed it upon me, so it's mine! I decide!"

"Listen! This is a precious sword bestowed upon me by Prince Leylin, worth at least a hundred gold coins! I'll use it as collateral, quickly give me the chips!"

Gambling didn't actually know the exact value of the Valyrian Steel Sword, but he did know that in the army, the families of brothers who died in battle received a generous compensation of one hundred gold coins.

Surely a sword bestowed by Your Highness is not cheaper than the life of a brave soldier?

He had participated in the previous fierce orc siege and made great contributions, which is why he was fortunate enough to receive this generous reward from Prince Leylin.

To be fair, Gamblin cherished this sword very much, almost as if it were his life, and took great care of it.

But he has a fatal weakness—gambling addiction.

In military units where discipline isn't so strict as to be inhumane, many soldiers inevitably pick up some bad habits, such as alcoholism and gambling.

The military regulations of the Kingdom of Inberia mainly prohibit drunkenness during missions, and as for gambling, they often turn a blind eye as long as it doesn't cause trouble.

Gamblin was one of those who was so addicted to it that he couldn't extricate himself, and once he lost his temper, he lost all reason.

At this moment, in order to recoup his losses, he was willing to pawn this second life that symbolized honor.

Blake was both anxious and furious, his voice trembling: "Are you out of your mind?! You dare sell the sword His Highness bestowed upon you?! Are you out of your mind?!"

The croupier on the side had seen it all; it wasn't unusual for gamblers to bet on property deeds or family heirlooms.

But to pawn a royal gift? Or a weapon personally bestowed by the Crown Prince? He dared not take on such a hot potato.

The dealer composed himself and said in a professional, calm tone, "Sir, your collateral... is very special, and its value is difficult to assess fairly."

"We're afraid we can't accept this. Please choose another item as collateral, or... let's call it a day?"

"I said it's worth a hundred gold coins! Are you deaf?!" Gamblin's anger intensified when the other party tried to evade the question.

"Sir, the value isn't something you can decide on your own; it requires a fair assessment..." the dealer patiently explained.

Seeing this, Blake quickly chimed in, "Gombrin, did you hear that? They won't take it! Put your sword away and let's go!"

It would have been better not to say it; saying it only made things worse, like pouring oil into a fire.

Gamblin was already embarrassed and angry because of the rejection, and when he heard his friend urging him to "let's go," his anger completely erupted.

Amidst the horrified gazes of the dealer and the surrounding gamblers, he drew his sword with a clang!

A flash of cold light appeared, and Gamblin gripped his sword with both hands, forcefully slashing down at the solid hardwood gambling table!

"Snap—!"

With a soft click, the heavy gambling table was cleanly and neatly split in two!

The fracture surface is as smooth as a mirror.

Gamblin held up the undamaged sword, a near-manic smug look on his face: "See that?! This is the divine weapon bestowed by Prince Leylin!"

"This isn't one of those pretty but useless decorations! It's a real treasure that can cut through iron like butter! I said it's worth a hundred gold coins, and that's already giving you a bargain!"

The entire casino fell silent instantly.

The dealer was stunned.

The gamblers, who were originally enjoying the spectacle, gasped in shock and instinctively took several steps back, keeping their distance from this madman who dared to brandish such a sharp weapon in the casino.

Blake's heart sank to the bottom.

He knew that Gamblin had completely lost his mind, and there was no point in trying to persuade him anymore.

The only thing we can do right now is to forcibly subdue him and drag him away from this place of trouble.

Taking advantage of Gamblin's momentary lapse in concentration as he flaunted his sword, Blake suddenly lunged forward.

A heavy hook punch landed squarely on Gamblin's cheekbone!

"Thump!"

Caught off guard, Gamblin staggered backward, half of his face swelling up rapidly, and he almost dropped his sword.

He shook his head, and after recognizing the attacker as Blake, his eyes blazed with fury: "Blake! You fucking dare hit me?!"

"I'm going to beat you up, you bastard! I'm going to beat you awake and drag you away today!"

Blake roared and lunged again, using his fists and feet to try to subdue his frenzied old friend.

Gamblin was not about to obediently comply.

He also dropped his sword and roared as he grappled with Blake.

Both men were veterans who had been tempered by war, and their punches and kicks were heavy. In an instant, tables and chairs were overturned, and the scene was a mess.

The surrounding gamblers were taken aback at first, then became excited.

Whistling, cheering, and making a ruckus created complete chaos.

"Hit! Hit him hard!"

"Hey, they're fighting amongst themselves!"

"It's exciting! More thrilling than gambling with dice!"

The dealer turned pale, realizing the situation was completely out of control, and quickly turned and ran to the back to find the boss.

The casino owner quickly arrived with several burly thugs.

Watching the two wrestling, especially the gleaming longsword on the ground that had cleaved the table in two, the boss broke out in a sweat.

He quickly shouted to stop them, "Gentlemen! Distinguished guests, please stop! Our shop is a small business and can't afford this kind of disturbance! If you don't stop, I'll have to ask you to leave this place permanently!"

However, the two, blinded by rage, paid no heed to reason. They exchanged blows, neither giving an inch.

The thugs the boss brought looked at each other, not daring to step forward for a moment.

They're okay at dealing with ordinary troublemakers.

But these two were clearly veterans who had fought on the battlefield, and they were ruthless. Not to mention there was a sharp sword next to them that could easily split a table in two.

Intervening rashly would likely only lead to trouble.

The boss was in a panic, even considering whether to pay some money to avoid further trouble and get these two troublemakers to leave quickly.

In the midst of the chaos, Gamblin was punched hard in the chest by Blake, groaning as he staggered backward. He then slipped on the scattered chips and nearly fell.

The immense humiliation and rage overwhelmed his last shred of reason.

"Fuck you! Black!!" he roared hoarsely, his gaze sweeping over the Valyrian steel sword on the ground.

The next moment, as Blake lunged forward again to try and lock his arms.

Gambrin suddenly bent down, picked up the longsword, and without thinking, swung it with all his might in the direction of his friend!

"Pfft—!"

The dull thud of a sharp blade piercing flesh sounded particularly jarring in the suddenly quiet casino.

Time seemed to stand still.

Blake's forward momentum came to an abrupt halt.

He looked down, staring in disbelief at the crimson stain that was rapidly spreading across his chest.

He looked up again at Gamblin, who was holding a blood-stained longsword and had a similarly astonished expression. His lips moved slightly, as if he wanted to say something.

But in the end, it slowly and helplessly fell backward, crashing heavily to the ground, and remained motionless.

Gamblin shuddered violently, as if struck by lightning.

The Valyrian steel sword in his hand, stained with warm blood, became incredibly heavy and scalding hot.

With a clang, the sword slipped from his stiff fingers and fell to the cold ground with a crisp, chilling sound.

The casino was deathly silent; all the onlookers held their breath.

Gamblin stared blankly at Blake, who lay motionless on the ground.

Looking at his hands stained with his friend's blood, the frenzied redness on his face instantly faded, leaving only a deathly pale expression.

A chilling coldness shot from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, freezing his limbs and bones.

"...Blake?"

His voice was dry, like sandpaper being rubbed.

"I...killed Blake?"