Ronnie Luck wanted to participate, so he yelled, "Yea, pay the money or we'll find your kids and have a party!"

Jewel Drop turned towards Ronnie, the newest thug to join the gang, and said, "Who said you could talk!" as she slapped Ronnie knocking him to the ground. She then turned back to the potion maker rubbing her fingers together indicating for the protection payment.

***

Tamako looked into the store next to where Jen had stopped walking, and after only a brief moment said, "It's the thugs in the store you are sensing. They're running a protection racket on the owner."

Jen imagined walking into the store and just killing the thugs, but asked Tamako, "Do you think we should do anything?"

Tamako shrugged, "The City Lord must know they're doing it and is turning a blind eye. We aren't in the best condition to take on the local crime syndicate and city lord."

Jen retorted, "I'm not saying we should do that, but you know, just disappear this group here in the store."

Tamako snorted, "You know that will result in the same outcome, but up to you boss."

Jen frowned as her fists tightened in frustration and she turned away continuing their walk towards the job board.

Tamako was relieved that Jen made the "right" decision, at least what Tamako thought was the right decision. Tamako caught up with Jen, laced her fingers through Jen's and said, "Don't worry love, once we get Sam and Kelly sorted, we can go crazy helping whoever you want."

Jen tightened her hand on Tamako's slightly, shrugged, and said, "I know. Just a matter of time."

Tamako decided to change the subject, and asked, "Is Sam still at the casino?"

Jen paused and "pinged" Sam's location with her psych skill, and replied, "Yea, he's still there. I know he said he wasn't planning on leaving the casino for a few days, but do you think we should check on him?"

Tamako shook her head, "No, the System Casino is probably the safest place you can be. As long as he's gambling or if he's paid for a room at the casino, no one can do anything to him if he doesn't break any of the rules."

Jen looked skeptical, and said "Those rooms are crazy expensive, I bet he's been gambling non-stop the whole time."

Tamako shrugged, "Maybe, but lots of people do that. He's probably just buying pick-me-up potions to keep going. When he gets home, he'll just crash for a few days, and ..."

A "Crack!" interrupted Tamako, and she and Jen turned noticing the door to the potion maker's shop had just slammed open, and three thugs were running out the door and down the street. Jen released Tamako's hand and ran into the store to check on the patron.

Jen immediately spotted an older lady starting to get up off the floor while holding one hand to her bleeding nose and mouth. As the woman stood up, she started to sway on her feet. Jen reached out, grabbed her arm and steadied her. She then helped the woman over to a comfortable looking chair, and asked, "What happened? Can I help you!"

The lady looked up at Jen with anger and confusion in her eyes, but before she could say or do anything, Jen said, "Forget my questions. I'm a healer, hold still for a few minutes."

Tamako grimaced at not being able to use a storage ring, but pulled a clean cloth out of the bag she was carrying and handed it to Jen.

Jen kneeled down and use the cloth to wipe away and soak up the blood flowing freely from the woman's mouth and nose. The woman's jaw and nose both looked broken, and she was missing a tooth. Jen looked up at Tamako and said, "Hold this rag and keep a light pressure on her nose and mouth while I cast a healing spell."

The old lady hearing Jen's words started pushing Tamako away and mumbled in clear pain, "don't hav money ta pay healer!"

Jen replied, "Be still. It's no charge," as she stood, focused her mind and mana on the targeted healing area and started chanting the healing spell while simultaneously moving her hands in the proper motions to cast the spell.

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Jen messaged Tamako as she cast the spell, "When I give you a nod, I want you to straighten the woman's nose, then hold her face and jaw steady as I complete the spell."

The woman's eyes were running wet with the pain of her injury's, but when Tamako dropped the cloth rag and suddenly straightened her nose, she screamed in pain, and almost went unconscious, but a few seconds later, the only pain remaining, was in her mind. She then slumped back in relief as her nose and jaw were completely healed.

As the old woman took a few minutes to catch her breath and recover from the trauma, she touched her nose, teeth, and jaw, and thought, 'She must be a master healer to have completely healed all my injuries so quickly. How did she regrow my tooth! I've never heard of a healer doing that before! What does this healer want from me? Maybe she's one of them D&D worshipers. (Divinity and Dice)'

The old woman complained to Jen, "I told you I can't afford to pay you. Those thugs took all the money I had before smacking me around and leaving. They're coming back tomorrow to collect what I have left."

Tamako raised an eyebrow at the woman's comments, thinking it was unusual, and asked, "Do they beat you up every time they collect their protection money?"

The old woman replied, "No, but I didn't have all the money today. They came a day earlier than they normally do. I tried to explain that I'd have all the money tomorrow, but then that thug Jewel Drop got a call on her soundwave, and she screamed to the others that Casino Boss couldn't wait any longer and needed the money now. She started hitting me, and took all the coin I had before running off in a hurry."

Tamako commented, "That's odd. Do you know who her boss is, and which casino she was screaming about?"

The old woman looked at Jen and back to Tamako, when replying, "Are you two with the Divinity Dice worshipers that just moved here? Everyone in the city knows the System Casino Boss stays safe and protected by the System in his casino while he sends his thugs out to do his dirty work."

Tamako and Jen gave each other a concerned look as they both wondered if Sam had anything to do with the Casino Boss's need for money.

*****

Most of the low-level gamblers, crafters, and workers had left for fear of retribution by the Casino Boss. Sam was now surrounded by nobles, guild leaders, and powerful merchants that had heard someone was winning so much that they might bring down the Casino Boss's control over The System Casino. They were all cheering Sam on. Sam didn't need Jen's psych skill to feel the anger and hatred they all had toward the Casino Boss.

****

A smirking noble commented to his merchant friend as he watched Sam win another two platinum, "The Boss's only hope is for this gambler's luck to change. If the Boss loses his token, and gets thrown out of the Casino. There's going to be an all out war between those wanting the privilege of killing him after all these years."

The merchant asked, "Will he be able to take down the casino? I mean they've quit serving him any food or drink."

The noble shrugged, "I've been watching his play. He loses quite a bit of the time. He's either experiencing an amazing streak of luck, or he's figured out how to get a favorable, but small edge over the casino. But even with a small edge, when you're gambling with platinums, that's a lot of coin!"

The merchant's eyes almost glazed over as he dreamily said, "Just imagine what he can do with all that coin!"

The noble shook his head, "Not what you think High Card. If he bankrupts the house and he accepts the token from The System, he'll have to put all the money back into the casino to get the games up and running again. Didn't you wonder why the Boss shut down all the other casino games. He can't afford to pay out on any of them if someone wins. He's consolidating all his money just to be able to pay out against this one gambler."

***

Sam wasn't able to pay attention to all the gossip going on around him. 'Focus, focus... Stay AWAKE, stay awake! God, I gotta pee!' he kept chanting to himself. He'd been playing blackjack almost three days without rest. If he left the table or sat out a hand, the Boss would immediately shut the table down and stop all future play. His hands were shaking he had to pee so bad, and he would've happily just pissed himself, but that would also give the Boss a valid reason for stopping the play and kicking him out.

His gut told him the House was almost bankrupt, he just needed to hold out a little longer. 'Damn! I wish I'd told Jen and Tamako to meet me here,' he thought as he placed another bet of four platinum.

Sam was too occupied fighting his own battles of focus, sleepiness, and his need to pee, and didn't notice when a man similar in appearance and dressed like the Boss switched places with the Boss.

****

The noble nudged his merchant friend to look in the Casino Boss's direction when he tried to inconspicuously switch places with a similar looking man and sneak out.

The merchant looked in the direction indicated, and noticed the Boss meet up with a trio of thugs, pocket some coin, and start heading towards a side entrance, and said to the noble, "He's trying to sneak out before the house busts!"

The noble laughed, and replied, "Look again! There are at least 20 sets of eyes watching him try to sneak out of here. He's a dead man! Now let's watch this! There are only vague stories from long ago when a gambler won a token for a System Casino. I want to see what happens!"

A few minutes later, the dealer announced "Blackjack!", and then informed the gambler, "I'm sorry sir, but the casino is unable to pay you for your winning hand at this time."

****

Sam's eyes rolled up in the back of his head as he quickly glanced at The System notice and accepted the token. 'I'll read all the fine print as soon as I'm aahhhhhh.' Sam thought to himself as he let out a groan of pure relief.

****

The noble, his merchant friend, and everyone else surrounding the blackjack table cheered when they heard the dealer announce the casino couldn't pay. A few moments later, they all cringed with disgust as they could easily hear and smell the gambler pissing himself.