Mr. Baskerville

Aiden kept his confident expression as the dealer shuffled the cards for the next round. The chips around him formed a considerable pile, the result of strategic bets and moments of brilliant bluffing. He was not just a gambler; he was a maestro in controlling the pace of the table.

The other players were already on alert. The burly man stopped laughing whenever Aiden bet, and the blonde woman looked at him warily, trying to decipher his next move. The young man with glasses, who had already lost most of his chips, seemed to be sweating.

The dealer dealt the cards, and Aiden took his with his usual calm. He took a quick look: an ace of diamonds and a king of hearts. A strong hand.

"Let's go," he muttered to himself, while the other players looked at their own cards.

The burly man opened the betting with five thousand, followed by the blonde woman, who raised to eight thousand. The young man hesitated, but ended up placing the amount, even though he was visibly uncomfortable.

Aiden looked at the trio and, with a casual smile, pushed twelve thousand in chips into the center of the table. "I raise," he said, his eyes roaming the table, analyzing each reaction.

The dealer revealed the first three community cards: a ten of hearts, a king of spades, and a two of diamonds.

Aiden barely blinked. He had a high pair and a possible straight or flush in sight. But for him, what mattered was what others thought he had.

"Twenty thousand," the burly man declared, with a forced smile, trying to regain his confidence.

"I see," the blonde woman replied quickly, while absently fiddling with an earring.

The young man bit his lip, looked at the remaining chips, and, with a sigh, gave up.

Aiden leaned back in his chair, fiddling with a chip between his fingers before speaking. "I raise it to thirty-five thousand."

The tension at the table grew. The burly man frowned, clearly irritated, while the blonde woman bit her lower lip, trying to calculate her odds.

The dealer revealed the fourth card: a queen of diamonds.

Aiden knew this could be dangerous. The blonde woman had shown too much confidence; she could be building something strong. Still, he maintained his confident facade, smiling as if he already knew the outcome.

"Forty thousand," the woman declared, tossing her chips with a serious expression.

"I fold," the burly man said, huffing as he leaned back in his chair.

It was just Aiden and the blonde now. He looked at her, tilting his head slightly, as if trying to read her. With a sly smile, he pushed fifty thousand chips into the center. "I see your bluff."

The dealer turned over the last card: a five of hearts.

Aiden hadn't improved his hand. He still had pocket kings, but that didn't faze him.

"All in," the woman declared, pushing all her remaining chips into the center of the table.

The casino went silent, everyone's eyes focused on Aiden. He smiled, leaned forward slightly, and rested his chin on his hand, as if in deep thought.

"You're good," he said, breaking the silence. "But I'm better."

Without hesitation, he pushed all his chips into the center. "All in."

The dealer asked them both to reveal their cards. The woman had a full house, queens, and tens.

"Good game," she said confidently.

But Aiden just smiled. He revealed his hand: a straight flush, king through ten of hearts.

The table erupted in murmurs and exclamations. Aiden calmly collected the chips as the woman looked on in disbelief.

"Sometimes luck helps," he said, winking at her before standing up.

Aiden pocketed his newly won chips, his hands nimble and the smile still present on his face. With a casual wave to the dealer and the other players, he walked away from the poker table.

Walking past the brightly lit tables, he paused for a moment in front of a rapidly spinning roulette wheel, bets being placed on colors, numbers, and sequences. He studied his surroundings for a brief moment before deciding that this would be his next challenge.

"A straight bet," Aiden said to himself as he handed a handful of chips to the croupier. "Let's see how luck works today."

He bet half of his chips on random numbers, not for the hope of winning, but to keep the fun going. Ultimately, the game was just an excuse for him to stay in the spotlight and test the limits of the system.

In the middle of his bet, as the roulette wheel spun, the system kicked in again.

> 『New Side Quest Available』

『Quest: Win 500,000 credits in any casino game.

Reward: +5 Charisma points and a special item.』

『Time Limit: 3 Hours』

The message appeared in his vision like a hologram, invisible to everyone else around him. He read it with interest, and the smile on his face widened.

"Well, this should be interesting," he commented, crossing his arms as he watched the roulette wheel stop.

His initial bets had resulted in a modest win, but he barely paid attention to the winnings. The mission had changed everything. Winning 500,000 credits wasn't impossible, but it would require bolder strategies and, above all, confidence.

Aiden headed to another area of ​​the casino, where the stakes were even higher. He found a blackjack table, where players played silently, focused on their cards and the quick decisions the game required.

"A serious table," he muttered as he sat down. "Perfect."

With his sharp eye, he began to play. With each round, Aiden analyzed not only the cards, but also the patterns of the dealer and the other players. He knew when to take risks, when to back off, and most importantly, how to manipulate the tension at the table to get the best out of each situation.

The system remained silent, but he could feel its presence, as if it were watching every move. Aiden played with the confidence of someone who had destiny on his side.

In less than an hour, he had already accumulated 300,000 credits, drawing looks of admiration and envy from the other players.

"This is getting fun," he said as he placed all of his chips in one round.

It was a huge risk, but Aiden knew that to win big, you had to bet big. When the dealer revealed the cards, he smiled again. Twenty-one.

The win brought his winnings to over 600,000 credits. The system immediately notified him of his achievement.

> 『Mission Complete』

『Reward: +5 Charisma points and a special item has been added to your inventory.』

"Thanks, system," he muttered, standing up from the table and adjusting his suit.

Aiden was almost getting used to the fast pace of the casino when, as he passed a roulette table, his eyes fell on a woman.

A blonde woman with golden hair that fell softly over her shoulders sat with an elegant and confident posture. Her blue eyes were mesmerizing, watching the roulette wheel with an almost calculating attention. She seemed to be part of the scene, but not completely absorbed, as if she were playing a game that went beyond the simple act of betting.

Aiden smiled slightly and raised an eyebrow, recognizing that look, that of someone who knew what she was doing, but enjoyed playing with the odds and the people around her. The woman seemed to be placing high bets, challenging those around her, while the croupier skillfully spun the roulette wheel.

He decided he couldn't let this opportunity pass him by.

He walked with slow but determined steps towards her table. With each step, the smile on his face widened, not from simple attraction, but from a new challenge ahead. He was having fun with the casino's bets, but he knew that the real game was always between the lines. And this woman seemed to be just the kind of opponent he needed to keep things interesting.

When he reached the table, the woman noticed his approach, and her blue eyes fixed on him with an intensity that did not go unnoticed. Aiden stopped beside her, his gaze never leaving hers.

"May I join you at your table?" he asked, his voice low but full of confidence.

She tilted her head slightly, as if studying his presence before answering. "You seem like a good player," she said with an enigmatic smile. "Bet if you want, but know that things here can be riskier than you think."

Aiden watched her hands as they moved the chips around, and the way she seemed to have control of the entire table, defying the rules without ever breaking them. Her charm was evident, but there was something else there, a calculating intelligence that he sensed immediately.

"I like risks," Aiden replied, with a smile that reflected more than simple interest. "And I never back down from a good challenge."

She laughed softly, a soft sound that seemed more like a tease than a genuine reaction.

"Then sit down and prove it," she said, gesturing with her hand to the chair next to her. "Let's see who really has control tonight."

Aiden sat down without hesitation, the two of them now side by side, the tension between them visible but not uncomfortable. As he watched the roulette wheel spin in front of him, his mind was more focused on the psychological game that had begun to unfold between him and the blonde woman.

She looked at ease, but there was something in the way she kept her gaze fixed on every spin of the wheel, every movement of the chips, that suggested she wasn't just playing the numbers—she was playing the people.