Chapter 25: Let’s Play a Game (4)
When Dean shouted "ONE MILLION!!" in a fit of rage, the Ghosts hadn’t realised what was going on.
The young man had slammed his hand down on the table, pulled a banknote from the system bearing the figure 1,000,000, and placed it on the table.
"Deal the bloody cards."
With Dean’s words, everything was settled; the rules of the Nether-Realm had simply taken effect.
The ghosts were well aware that if this young man opposite them lost, there would be no way for him to get his money back.
This would be what set everything in motion.
"Tick—"
The croupier ghost had dealt his cards with great joy and excitement.
Two face-down cards.
Yet nothing was as they had expected.
The 4 of spades.
That was the face-up card.
Each of them had immediately looked at Dean with fear.
They were contemplating the reality of what was happening. It was clear they had suddenly started to tremble, and then to break out in a sweat.
The ghost croupier paused for a few seconds, then reached for the first card and pushed it towards Dean.
Then, albeit hesitantly, he handed him the other card as well.
With that, he had succeeded in sealing his own fate completely.
One card placed in front of Dean was an ace, the other a 10 of diamonds.
When the Ghosts saw this, they realised there was nothing left for them to do.
That was precisely why each of them had reached for their weapons.
If they were going to die here, killing Dean first was a far better idea.
"Damn mortal!" shouted one of the Ghosts.
At that moment, Dean opened his palm.
The Moon’s Rope within his soul shot out instantly, leapt straight forward and wrapped itself around the arms of all four Ghosts, binding them.
Dean might not have been very powerful, but the items in his possession were VERY powerful.
Under these circumstances, there was little cause for him to be afraid.
"Percival, kill them," Dean had said suddenly.
As soon as Dean gave this order, Percival materialised in the physical world and, picking up a weapon that one of the ghosts had dropped, lunged forward.
Within seconds, all four ghosts had been killed by having their heads severed.
Dean, meanwhile, had moved forward and picked up the pocket watch that had fallen to the ground.
[S-Grade item Pocket Watch of the Unknown has bound to the host.]
After that, he noticed four different items on the ground.
[Mid-Level Ghost Life/Death Energy (can be used for cultivation)]
When Dean read this system window, he smiled and, saying "Bingo," immediately managed to find a faster way to proceed.
As the surrounding area began to dissipate, Percival managed to return to Dean’s spirit just as he had arrived.
When it was all over, the young man had returned to his seat as if nothing had happened.
It would be fair to say that everyone, particularly the ghost sitting next to him, was afraid of him.
Although the young man sitting in his seat wasn’t looking at anyone, he could see the eyes fixed on him quite clearly.
To put it plainly, this sensation made him feel rather strange.
Whether in the Aether or the Nether, this feeling was always strange and very difficult to get used to.
Almost two hours had passed by the time it became possible to see the fear that had begun to take root in people’s hearts.
How could it not?
Everyone, including Dean, was quite anxious.
As they passed each stop, a change in the stop was displayed in the warning area above the cabin they were in.
As none of them knew what the stops were, where they were, or what order they were in, they were filled with great excitement and fear.
And of course, this only served to heighten everyone’s anxiety.
To be honest, Dean wanted something to happen so that he might seize an opportunity and be given a way to at least change the destination on his own ticket.
That was a bit cruel.
After all, Dean was effectively telling himself that other people’s deaths were of no concern to him.
Still, it couldn’t be said that he cared.
Every sheep hangs by its own leg, and it was much the same for him.
Of course, even Dean hadn’t thought his hopes would come true.
When they reached the next stop, the zeppelin came to a halt and, unlike at the other stops, a few different people had boarded.
These people, who went straight into the cabin where Dean was sitting, looked around.
In an instant, the zeppelin crew entered the cabin and, bowing their heads, said, ’Welcome, sir.’
Dean’s attention must have been instantly drawn, for the young man felt compelled to look directly at the person addressed as ’sir’.
"I hope my presence here isn’t causing any trouble for anyone," said the man addressed as ’sir’.
"Of course not, sir. It is an honour to have you on board our zeppelin. Please, go about your business whilst we try to sort everything out. It is an honour to keep you safe."
Dean waited for a response from another member of staff, and as the cabin crew left the cabin, the woman standing beside the man referred to as ’sir’ began to speak:
"We hope you are having a good evening, dear guests of the Sky Zeppelin company. I am Amber, and I shall be the one to announce the start of today’s auction."
It was as though every cell in Dean’s body had suddenly been jolted into action.
The moment the young man heard the word ’auction’, he realised his time had finally come; he sat up straight in his seat, ready to spring into action.
At that moment, the man known as ’the master’ began to speak:
"As you all know, I am the next leader of the Great Nether Auction House. If some of you do not know my name, I am Nie Li. I shall be the one presiding over today’s auction."
This man, who introduced himself as Nie Li, had scanned everyone in the room for a split second and seemed to have concluded, albeit rather rudely, that none of them was anyone worth paying attention to.
Of course, these thoughts were soon to change.
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