Chapter 109: The Poker Room

The base elixir was called the Ethereal Clarity, said to clear up the mind like washing away the dirt off painted walls. It was delightful to watch and feel. Dasha deemed it to be the best base ingredient in order to experience reality-clear dreams. Sprinkling in Dreamweaver’s Dust caused an intense hallucinogen reaction. That was where Dasha’s experience in chemistry and science kicked in. He needed to temper it. Control and simmer the synthetic reaction with heat.

Finally…

“Fire finger.”

One hand wrote down the magic circle for the transmutation. Every little detail he added caused a soft reaction. The change was happening. An intense heat was summoned and then flew into the concoction.

Hissss!

The transmutation was successful. It wasn’t a simple A to B because what Dasha was doing was creating something that wasn’t possible in reality. No amount of chemical experimentation could create what he did. That was the truly special thing about transmutation. Most did not understand this potential. They did not understand it.

By adjusting details, you could theoretically transmute any piece of matter. So why stick to the basics? Why stick to gold and other nonsense.

Be ambitious. Be imaginative.

Imagination encircles the world.

The process took thirty minutes and after doing it repeatedly twelve times Dasha decided to take a break. Xavier wasn’t here yet, so he sat down and entered a semi-meditative state. With the level of magic he experienced and the amount of transmutation in the cube, his body was soaking up Qi like a sponge.

’So dirty.’ He clicked his tongue. His transmutations were technically correct but there were always leaks when it came to magic. That was why he preferred Chinese cultivation. Everything was much more controlled.

In this state between collecting Qi and focus, he muttered in his head, ’Open contracts.’

[ Sapphire Order — Geas of Service ]

[ Whispers of the Carious — Eternal Contract ]

He clicked on the second contract. A large window appeared in its stead, a block text covering it from top to bottom.

[ Contract of Affiliation Between Dasha Pang and the Whispers of the Carious

This Eternal Contract entered into between Dasha Pang, hereafter referred to as the “Affiliate,” and the Whispers of the Carious Guild, an esteemed organization, hereafter referred to as the “Guild.”

Article I: Affiliation

1.1 The Affiliate shall be granted access to the resources, knowledge, and influence of the Guild, subject to adherence to the terms and conditions set forth in this Contract.

1.2 The Guild shall provide the Affiliate with power, resources, and support to further their pursuits, under the premise that all actions undertaken by the Affiliate shall be in the best interest of the Guild.

Article II: Utilization of Resources

2.1 The Affiliate is entitled to access the Guild’s wealth of knowledge, arcane artifacts, and influential connections, provided that such resources are utilized for purposes deemed beneficial to the Guild’s objectives. Conflict between the Affiliate’s objectives and the Guild’s objectives cannot occur.

2.2 The Affiliate shall harness the bestowed power and resources solely for activities sanctioned by the Guild and shall not engage in actions that may expose the Guild’s reputation to the wider world or lead to detrimental consequences.

Article III: Confidentiality and Discretion

3.1 The Affiliate shall maintain the utmost discretion regarding the Guild’s affairs, practices, and identities of its members, safeguarding such information from external exposure or misuse.

3.2 Any knowledge gained or privileged information acquired during the Affiliate’s affiliation with the Guild shall remain the sole property of the Guild and shall not be disclosed to unauthorized individuals or entities.

Article IV: Alignment of Interests

4.1 The Affiliate acknowledges the Guild’s concerns regarding their identity and history and agrees to cooperate fully in addressing any apprehensions or suspicions regarding their past actions.

4.2 The Affiliate shall conduct themselves in a manner that does not raise doubts or incite unrest within the Guild, ensuring that their activities align with the principles and objectives of the organization. See Daughter, Bookkeeper of the Guild, for the outlined objectives.

Article V: Termination and Consequences

5.1 The Guild reserves the right to terminate this Contract immediately and sever all ties with the Affiliate should the latter engage in actions contrary to the best interests of the Guild or should any irrefutable evidence surface linking the Affiliate to disagreeable activities.

5.2 In the event of termination, the Affiliate shall forfeit access to all resources, knowledge, and support previously provided by the Guild, and any ongoing projects or endeavors shall cease immediately.

5.3. Furthermore, the Guild is entitled to the execution of the Affiliate.

In Witness Whereof, the Affiliate, Dasha Pang, and the Bookkeeper of the Guild, Daughter, affix their signatures and seals to this Eternal Contract on the 16th day of February, 177 HE. ]

’They have the right to execute me. In other words, to an extent, I am under their mercy.’ Dasha crossed his arms. ’In ordinary circumstances, at least. Because the Whispers are losing power by the day, they need me badly. They need me as a deterrent against the big guilds that buy their information for ludicrously low prices.’

Selling their treasures wasn’t an option. Otherwise, the guilds would see them as larger than they were. It was better to keep it hush-hush.

However, that didn’t mean he couldn’t forge personal connections himself. Limiting himself to the Whispers was dangerous, especially considering the execution clause. One wrong move, one step onto a landmine of Daughter, and he was gone.

It was a game. A game requiring social power on top of physical power. A game he intended to win.

***

The Endless Bar was not a place for the weak. That was what he thought when the first time he came and it was the same thing upon his third, fourth, fifth, and sixth visit. The night sky set the stage and the skyscraper went on for an eternity. Outside were where the ordinary players went. Inside was the real deal. The true Endless Bar.

There were entrances at the eight cardinal directions. Long red carpets for the wealthy players to come in and out with style. All of them guarded by dainty women with whom he rightfully identified as the Maenads. All were the same in appearance: barefooted, wearing a crown of ivy on their long, unbrushed hair, and dressed in white fawnskin identical to a loose silk dress.

“Hello~!” The Maenads were drunk, to boot, and giggled at him. One was slightly less drunk and managed to speak without slurring her words. “No weapons, good sir?”

“No.” He had unequipped his gauntlets in advance.

“The entry fee, please!” She giggled and held out a hand. Her other hand was occupied by a staff tipped with ivy vines; the legendary Thyrsus of the Greece world. Due to his time with Hephaestus and Tvastr, he had unlocked a skill called Weapons Analysis and upgraded it to Weapons Analysis Lv. 5. The staff the Maedus held was ranked B.

[ Transfer details:

50,000 PP —> Endless Bar Ticket ]

Fifty thousand points for entry, then be scanned for weapons. Saint Hildegard mentioned her pity for the Maenads, citing scary men that refused to cooperate. How ironic that Dasha would eventually become one of those scary men. He noticed the Maenads giggle and show the ticket with a particular tightness. Visibly lax but in actuality the opposite. Dasha transferred the points and coolly snatched the ticket from the palm of the woman’s hand. Given their behaviour, they had planned to play a game on him. ’I think not.’

Drunk people working as guards? No wonder people lost patience with the Maenads. The saintess was too kind to give them her prayers.

Inside, the real Endless Bar was gold. Golden lights, golden hexagon-patterned floors, golden chandeliers, golden pool tables, and a golden bar that stretched past his peripheral. The walls, too, were golden. ’I assumed from the outside that this was a braced frame structural system, so I doubt it’s actual gold.’

The first floor did not interest him. He needed to go higher. The higher he was, the more elite the people would be.

There was a half-finished staircase to the left. A man in a tuxedo went up the stairs and seemingly went through a portal at the last step.

’Huh.’

He witnessed a group of people go up the stairs and again they disappeared at the last step. It seemed to be a makeshift elevator. Therefore, that was his destination. He walked up the golden fleet of stairs, reached the final step, and went through with full confidence.

He wondered how it would work. A buffer before he totally went in? A world between worlds? It was the latter, his body feeling like it had been submerged in water before appearing in a world of white. The group that had entered prior to him stood before a floating row of buttons. One by one, they pressed a button, a floor he presumed, and disappeared.

There were over a hundred floors, properly spaced by columns and rows. At the bottom left was a golden button, blinking as if craving his attention. While other buttons were given a number, this golden button simply had a P. The button was clicked. The world transformed from a blank space to a dark poker room. Walls lined with paintings, a ceiling with two dim lights, and two tables.

A few eyes looked at him. It was deathly quiet. The two tables were occupied with people. The longer he stood, the more eyes fell on him. ’It seems like I am not welcomed here.’

Somebody stood up from their chair. Electricity crackled with every loud, booming step and a behemoth of a man suddenly shadowed Dasha.

’If I didn’t know any better, I’d think a gorilla was in front of me,’ he thought to himself, staring up at the giant without a sliver of fear. To call the opposing male a giant was most accurate. He was absurdly tall, teetering on eight or nine feet, and his light brown beard encompassed his face and fell down to his chest.

His armour was a majestic ensemble that rivalled Dasha’s own. Fashioned from interlocking dragon scales, it formed a flexible, shimmering chainmail hauberk that was deep crimson in colour. Around his neck was a black torc, and his arms and fingers were fitted with symbolic Norse rings. The cape fluttering behind him was ordinary and black, a symbolic show of his guild: the Sapphire Order.

The number 3 was etched on the back of his neck.

Dasha knew instinctively who this was: this was a Viking. A Viking that was leagues above him in power. Now that Dasha had acquired a taste of true power, he understood that fact.

“You must be the King of Vikings, Frode.” Dasha stared up at him. He had seen sketches of his shaggy face in old journals. “You are taller than I expected.”

“Like I care!” Frode snarled. “Who do you think you are showing up here? Do you know who that mask belonged to?”

“I won the mask from an auction,” Dasha replied, unfazed. “Would you like it?”

“I oughta knock it from your—”

“Gentlemen, gentlemen…” The man that came between them could hardly be called man. His eyelashes were absurdly long and his pale cheeks were tinged pink. His baby blue eyes were in a tear-shape and it looked like he would burst into tears. Then he spoke and whatever tears Dasha thought would come out clearly wouldn’t. “How about we settle this with a game of poker? That is how we do things here, no?”

Frode scowled and blue electricity coursed through his legs. “Screw that! How did he even get here? Answer me, Dionysus!”

“Ahem, ahem.” The effeminate young man cleared his throat to get the masked man’s attention. “My name is Dionysus, God of Wine. A pleasure to make your acquaintance, my masked friend. But, erm, Frode is correct. Getting to the top isn’t something anyone can do. There is a system in place to filter those allowed at the top. Unless…we have met? I do not believe we have.”

’Ah, there must be some sort of check. Perhaps energy levels? A card? Whatever system the Endless Bar had in place, in all likelihood, it mistook me for Jack the Ripper.’ Blink. ’After all, Jack won the Heavenly Games. Whether it’s in the current games or previous, his influence must have lingered.’

“My name is—”

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