Louie took out a pouch brimming with silver coins. As an 11th Circle mage with a steady stream of clients seeking his divination skills, he had no shortage of gold or silver. He handed a generous portion of silver coins to casino owner and received a neat stack of chips in exchange.

He began to play Sic-Bo, deciding to test the waters by betting on high or low outcomes. When his scrying attempts were blocked by the cups, he felt both impressed

and let down. "So, they've taken precautions," he though to himself. "The owner must be an enchanter or well-connected with one to afford enchantments for this small casino."

He was a man of many talents, but his best was undoubtedly his gift for scrying spells. Over the years, he had honed his abilities until he could see through almost anything, and he had used this skill to great effect in many situations. But now he found that his scrying spells was no use here. The spell of a eleventh circle mage like himself. He knew these enchantments were definitely not the work of an amateur and was impressed by their strength. He knew he had the proceed cautiously.

Andrew shook the dice beneath the cup, his face a picture of calm professionalism. He had spent countless hours practicing in his free time to ensure he wouldn't embarrass himself in front of his future patrons. He lifted the cup to reveal the dices. It was a roll of 3-2-2.

Sic-Bo, the game they were playing, was a captivating game of chance involving three dice.

Players placed bets on a variety of outcomes, from Small (4 to 10) or Big (11 to 17) total numbers, to specific triples or doubles. This outcome meant 'Big' and 'Double 2s'.

"Yes!" Louie yelled, arms shooting skyward. He had wagered a few chips on doubles, and the outcome had multiplied his payout. His excitement was impossible to contain.

He was truly having a great time. His earlier caution had given way to a thrill he hadn't felt in a long time. It's been a while since he gambled without relying on his magic to secure a win.

This 'Sic-Bo' gambling game was exhilarating, more so than any other he'd played recently. He couldn't help but wonder who had created it. He knew it couldn't have been the casino owner, as he'd detected a hint of unfamiliarity when Andrew handled the game.

Over the next few hours, Louie became engrossed in Sic-Bo offered by this casino. He delighted in the unique rules and the rush of taking risks. His bets grew bolder as he wagered on rare outcomes like dice totals.

However, Louie's luck took an abrupt nosedive when the dice revealed a triple, resulting in a significant loss. Getting a triple didn't count towards the high or low number wager or any of his double wagers. He looked down at his shrinking pile of casino chips. He felt the sting of the loss and decided it was time to employ his divination magic, despite the danger of the casino owner catching him.

As Louie discreetly cast his spell, he prepared himself for the vision of the dice's next roll. Instead, he was met with a horrifying revelation. The only thing he saw was total darkness. He began to hear whispered voices echo in his mind, repeating the same chilling word: DEATH. DEATH. DEATH.

Louie's face paled, and a cold sweat broke out as he tried grasped the meaning of his vision. Soon, he realized what that vision meant. He knew that if he dared to use his divination magic again, only death awaited him. His future would be a dead end.

"Why could I just find a new hobby?" Louie cried inside. "So many people warned me that gambling would be the end of me. Why didn't I believe them."

**

Andrew noticed the sudden shift in Louie's demeanor. The patron's face turned ghostly white. He assumed that losing his money on the triple roll in Sic-Bo had dampened the mage's spirits. Unaware that his patron received visions of his own demise, Andrew attempted to comfort him.

"Hey, don't worry about it," Andrew said, his voice warm and reassuring. "The fun of gambling is in the uncertainty of the outcome. We win some, and we lose some. That's what makes it exciting."

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"He knows," Louie thought, his heart pounding in his chest. "He knows I tried to cheat, and now he's threatening me." He began to misinterpret Andrew's consoling words as veiled threats and grew even more terrified. His mind raced with wild theories and conjectures as to how the casino owner would exact vengeance on him for attempting to cheat. What will be his cause of death?

Andrew noticed that his patron's mood wasn't improving and decided that the mage needed something to calm his nerves. "You know what?" he said, offering a friendly smile. "I think you might need a little pick-me-up. Let me get you a cocktail. On the house."

As Andrew turned to make the drink, Louie's thoughts raced. "Could the drink be poisoned?" he pondered, feeling his hands begin to tremble. "Is this the end for me?"

When Andrew returned with the cocktail and a straw, Louie eyed it suspiciously. He imagined the most elaborate and ridiculous assassination methods the casino owner could have employed. "Maybe there's a tiny, venomous snake hiding in the straw, waiting to strike," he thought, his paranoia spiraling out of control.

Andrew, oblivious to Louie's internal panic, raised his own glass. "Cheers," he said, clinking their glasses together. "Here's to the thrill of the game!"

Louie hesitated, his hand shaking as he held the glass. He decided to take a small sip of the cocktail, ready to spit it out at the first sign of poison.

To his amazement, not only was the drink not poisoned, but it was also incredibly delicious.

"Delicious!" Louie exclaimed, before taking another sip and marveling at the citrus deliciousness. He also felt a little dizzy, which was surprising for someone of his rank. "The ingredients in this drink must be precious to affect a high-level mage like myself," he thought. He wondered about the rarity of the ingredients used for this drink and how much the drink would cost if he paid for it. It definitely had to be expensive, to say the least.

He couldn't help but feel grateful to Andrew. It seemed that the casino owner had a big heart and had forgiven him for his earlier attempt at cheating.

**

While they were drinking, Andrew asked the system, "Hey, can the drinks provided by the casino affect an 11th circle mage like Louie here?"

The system replied, "Yes, the drinks are designed to lower inhibitions and impair judgment, encouraging patrons to gamble more freely. Even Gods would be affected by the cocktail you are holding in your hand."

Andrew was amazed at this information as he took another sip. The "Strongest Casino Owner" system never ceased to surprise him.

"May I have another one of these delightful concoctions?" Louie inquired, holding up his empty glass. "And how much does it cost, if I may ask?"

Andrew grinned and replied, "No need to worry about the price. All drinks in this casino are free for our patrons."

Louie was delighted, not only by the discovery of this new casino and but also by the fact that all the drinks were free. He gladly accepted another cocktail.

As the evening unfolded, Louie's earlier mistake seemed to matter less and less. He found himself laughing and joking with Andrew. Louie learned how Andrew's enchanter master had died and left him a store burdened with debt as an inheritance. Andrew decided to use the enchanting knowledge he had learned from his master to create a casino as a means to clear the debts. He also learned that today was the grand opening and he was it's very first patron.

Louie encouraged Andrew, saying, "With a place like this, you'll have no trouble making money." He gestured to his now-small pile of chips on the table, evidence of the silver he'd lost today. "I had a great time, even if it cost me a bit."

Suddenly, a female voice interrupted their conversation. "Andrew, what the hell did you do to the store?"

Both Louie and Andrew turned toward the entrance to see a dark elf, a tall male human, and a female halfling, all cloaked in black and brown like thieves. Andrew recognized Tasha as his fellow apprentice under Gonde. The last time he had seen her was when she stormed out, upset that he had inherited the store. However, he did not recognize the other suspicious characters behind her.

Louie sensed trouble and told his new friend Andrew, "Don't worry, I'll handle this for you." He knew these newcomers were up to no good, so he told his new friend Andrew that he would handle the situation for him. He wanted to stay on Andrew's good side.

Andrew, however, shook his head and insisted, "As a patron, you should stay and enjoy yourself. Keep drinking. As the owner of this establishment, I'll take care of this."

Louie nodded and watching as his new friend Andrew headed towards the entrance of the casino to deal with these newcomers.