At the entrance of his casino, Andrew saw Tasha waiting with her two suspicious companions. The human and halfling, both adorned in the black and brown, looked ready to pounce at any time.

He briefly glanced at the two behind Tasha, but chose to ignore them for the time being. He could tell that they were only fifth and tenth-star warriors, and posed no threat to him at all. Within a mile of the casino, he had the power of a twelve circle mage.

After deciding that they posed no immediate threat, he focused on Tasha.

Andrew approached them and greeted Tasha. "Hey Tasha, welcome to my casino."

Tasha's eyes scanned the room, landing on Louie, the sole patron seated at the table. A sneer formed on her face as she jumped to conclusions. She thought that Andrew had planned to turn the store into a casino all along. In her mind, Louie, this fat mage, must have been an old connection of Andrew's. She even began to suspect that Andrew's apprenticeship under Gonde had been a scheme to gain control of the property.

"You bastard," Tasha spat, her eyes glistening with tears. "You planned this from the beginning, didn't you? Becoming Gonde's apprentice, turning his store into a casino, and bringing in this wealthy mage to support your endeavors. You never cared about Gonde or his legacy!"

Andrew frowned, guilt twisting in his chest. The sting of her accusations struck his sore spot.

Gonde's dying request for him to continue the legacy echoed in his mind, yet here he was, operating a casino.

"Tasha, that's not true. I only wanted to protect the store and clear the debts."

Seated at the table, Louie saw the sincerity in Andrew's eyes and felt compelled to defend his newfound friend. "I can assure you," Louie interjected, "I had never met Andrew before today. I simply wandered into this casino by chance, and there's been no collusion between us."

He realized now that Tasha was Andrew's fellow apprentice and introduced himself as a mere patron, attempting to alleviate the tension in the room.

Tasha continued to glare at Andrew, refusing to believe their explanation. The tears in her eyes made it clear that she was devastated by what she perceived as the desecration of Gonde's legacy. "Then why, Andrew?" she demanded. "Why turn Gonde's precious store into this garbage? You could have found another way to clear the debts!"

Andrew sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly. "The casino was a last resort, and it's working."

Fendrel, the human warrior behind Tasha, assessed the situation. He saw that the powerful mage seated at the table was just a patron, unlikely to risk his life defending Andrew. Sensing Tasha's sentimentality and reluctance to proceed with the plan, he decided to act. Fendrel subtly signaled Aini, the halfling, to edge closer to Andrew while he was engaged in conversation with Tasha.

The moment Fendrel and Aini entered melee range, they launched their attack. They revealed their cultivation and charged towards Andrew with blinding speed, intent on catching him off guard.

Fendrel unsheathed his enchanted frost sword, white smoke swirling around the blade like a menacing serpent, a testament to his ice affinity. The air around him chilled, as if an icy wind had seeped into the casino. The glowing white blade slice through the air towards Andrew.

Aini's fists ignited with fire mana. She was a bare-fisted warrior with a fire affinity. Flames danced around her knuckles. The glow of the flame cast flickering shadows on the walls. She lunged forward, punching out with both fists at Andrew.

Their strikes targeted Andrew's limbs with ruthless precision, intending only to incapacitate and maim him.

"Stop!" Tasha shouted for them to stop, but they ignored her. Their eyes were filled with greed. They were seasoned thieves after all, and she had already promised them payment for their participation in her scheme.

Louie remained seated, observing Andrew's calm demeanor. He already suspected that the casino owner was more powerful than an eleventh-circle mage like himself. He took a slow, steadying breath, calming himself as he fought the urge to intervene.

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Tasha watched in horror as her companions closed in on Andrew, her face fill of regret and concern.

Suddenly, an overwhelming wave of suppression washed over everyone as Andrew unleashed the aura of a twelfth-circle mage. It was a palpable force that seemed to weigh down on everyone present, making it difficult to breathe.

Fendrel and Aini froze in place, suspended in the air.

The white smoke emanating from Fendrel's sword hung motionless, like a cloud suspended in the sky. The once-swirling tendrils of icy vapor were now eerily still, a haunting spectacle that held everyone's gaze.

Aini was frozen mid-dash, her flaming fists punching forward while the embers from her fists hung suspended in midair like a living painting. The flames, previously wild and untamed, were now as still as statues.

Andrew possessed an affinity for space, but his talent as a mage had been lacking. Before obtaining the system, he had been a mere third-circle mage, barely able to touch upon the laws of space.

With his current cultivation, however, he could feel the laws of space coursing around him like an invisible current. His newfound proficiency was more than enough to suspend the two hostile warriors in their tracks.

A hush fell over the room as the true extent of Andrew's abilities was revealed. The unassuming casino owner was a twelfth-circle mage, proficient in the laws of space.

Tasha's jaw hung open, her eyes wide with disbelief. The junior apprentice she had once known was actually a high-ranking mage. A mixture of astonishment and irritation washed over her as she recalled all the times Andrew had asked for her for help with cultivation and other mage-related matters. To think that she had been played for a fool this entire time.

As Aini and Fendrel remained frozen, they couldn't help but notice the way Andrew's gaze bore into them. It was as if they were nothing more than dead men, mere prey awaiting the predator's killing bite. His normally pale, scholarly appearance seemed to intensify the cold unnerving quality of his eyes.

With a wave of his hands, Andrew released Fendrel and Aini from their spatial binds. The two warriors, now aware of the extraordinary mage they were facing and that they had offended him, instantly fell to their knees. They began begging Andrew for mercy.

"Please, we didn't know you were a twelfth-circle mage," Fendrel stammered, his voice trembling with fear. Aini, her fiery fists extinguished, nodded vigorously in agreement.

"Really, we were just trying to help Tasha here," Aini added, her voice soft and pleading. "We weren't trying to kill you. We just wanted to scare you."

Fendrel turned to Tasha, asking her to put in a good word for them, their eyes filled with desperation. "Tasha, you know us. We're not bad people. We were just caught up in the moment."

The two didn't even hold Tasha responsible for leading them into a confrontation with a formidable twelfth-circle mage. It was apparent to them that she had been just as surprised by Andrew's hidden strength.

Tasha remained silent. She had a look of resignation. She knew that she had committed an unforgivable act, and if Andrew decided to end her life, there was little she could do but accept her fate. Her once-proud posture now seemed defeated, as if she was ready to present her neck for the final blow.

Andrew's expression was tinged with sadness as he regarded his former senior apprentice, so willingly prepared to face death.

The thought of harming her had never crossed his mind. Memories from their time together began to surface, painting a vivid picture of their shared past.

He remembered the early days when he had first become Gonde's apprentice. Tasha had been there for him, guiding him with patience and kindness. She had shown him the ropes, taught him the intricacies of their craft.

It was at this somber moment that the "Strongest Casino Owner" system sent him a message. It was sent because it was now midnight, the end of the day.

"Congratulations on your first day as a casino owner," the system announced, seemingly oblivious to the tense atmosphere in the room. "Unlocking quest log."

Andrew's eyes scanned the list of quests that had suddenly appeared before him:

Quest #1: Your casino still has a lot of unmanned tables. Please recruit 3 employees. 0/3.

Reward: You can add a drink of your choice to the bar selection.

Quest #2: A casino needs something for patrons to take home a souvenir. A reminder of the great time they had at your casino. Please design a souvenir.

Reward: A gift shop section of your casino will be unlocked.

Quest #3: Your casino is looking a little empty. Ensure that all three Sic-Bo table are fully occupied by patrons.

Reward: Receive an extra roulette roll for a new casino game addition.

After closing the quest log, a thought struck Andrew. A metaphorical light bulb flickered to life above his head as he looked at the trio before him. He saw an opportunity to turn the situation to his advantage.

"Have you ever heard of Sic-Bo?" he asked the three, a hint of a smile can seen at the corners of his mouth.