Chapter 369
369:
Christina’s gaze narrowed. Something about his height, posture, and especially his eyes felt oddly familiar. But she couldn’t place him.
The masked man, whom Christina identified as the impostor, leaned casually against a gambling table, surveying the crowd with a cold, distant stare.
“The rules haven’t changed. Beat me, and you can not only unmask me but walk away with $300 million.” He raised three fingers, slow and deliberate. Though his face was hidden, the faint smirk in his voice was unmistakable.
The regulars had heard it all before. No one had ever beaten him. Not even close. Tempting as the prize was, they knew better. For now, they were content to watch from the sidelines.
But the newcomers were hungry. Eyes wide, hearts racing, they were already dreaming about their winnings.
“Three hundred million? I could never make that in ten lifetimes! I don’t care who he is—I’m getting that money!”
“You must be kidding. That’s Epic! You really think you can beat him? Dream on!”
“How do we even know he’s the real Epic? No one’s ever seen his face. He could be bluffing. Maybe his skills aren’t all that.”
“Exactly! What if he’s a fake? And even if he’s not, there’s still a chance. If I win, I get the money and the crown of the gambling world!”
“Hah! Keep dreaming. Plenty of people thought the same thing. They all walked away crushed, and some were too embarrassed to show their faces again.”
But the newcomers were stubborn, driven by pride and greed. One by one, they stepped forward to challenge the masked man. And one by one, they lost. And in this casino, losing wasn’t just about money. It always came at a steep price.
Ever since the masked man, rumored to be Epic, appeared at Miller’s Casino, the place had taken on a whole new level of excitement. Anyone who challenged the masked man and lost faced two options—either pay $300 million or get strapped up and tossed into a large glass tank filled with cold, intimidating water for a survival test.
Many challengers barely made it out of the survival test in one piece, and the terror they experienced haunted them long after. A few came so close to dying they could almost taste it, but in the end, no one had actually perished. Still, the memory of nearly drowning never left them. Even a fleeting thought of that ordeal made their skin crawl and their bodies tense.
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Wealthier challengers usually gritted their teeth and handed over the $300 million just to stay safe. Others, who couldn’t gather that much money, had no choice but to gamble with their lives in the survival test.
Until now, no one had lost their life during the survival test, but the possibility always loomed. The uncertainty was what truly filled everyone with dread.
Even before being sent to the water tank, those who lost the challenge were pale-faced and trembling. No matter how good they were at swimming, the thought of being completely bound and thrown into a huge, deep tank terrified them.
Among the spectators were both longtime watchers and newcomers.
None of them had the courage to step up and challenge the masked man. Whenever a defeated player was led away, some followed to watch the underwater challenge, while others lingered at the main area, curious to see if another brave soul would rise to challenge the masked man.
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