(Simulacrum intro)
[https://i.imgur.com/G59XuxT.png]
In the endless darkness
Roam endless monsters
Pain, cold, flame
Age, time, death
Torment
Light and shadow
Holy and hell
The inevitable fate of the Universe
Will never touch
The courage of the Inspired
And the power of the Transcendi
I start Simulacrum for the first time and sink into the virtual, feeling the outside reality being pushed out from my being. The sensation is quite relaxing, like falling into slumber.
As I wait for the program to load the poem appears in my sense, sentence by sentence. At first I am struck by a vision of the primordial universe. I feel a sense of danger of living in it, and a sense of hopelessness. I then feel its grandeur, and am filled with admiration. And then I feel the determination of challenging the inevitable as I read the proclamation.
[https://i.imgur.com/fG73SRS.png]
The introduction fades and the scene slowly manifests before me. Panning to the sky, highlighted in brilliant hues of light like a veil of gold covering it is a floating city. Against a backdrop of blue, it seemed like a distant object made of gold. I felt the sense of depth in my vision, so I could sense that the floating city was massive. Then I felt the warmth of the sun and the rustle of wind. I get the sense that I am high up and realize that I am literally floating in the air like a spirit. Though it is my first time experiencing this, I try moving my gravity defying body and have no trouble doing so. Observing the vast skies surrounding me, I look down. I notice the bustle and the humdrum of a modern metropolitan city. Skyscrapers dot the landscape and deep down below I can see cars and pedestrians walking the streets.
[https://i.imgur.com/kNky4zR.png]
The vision seems very crisp and vivid. After a few moments of pondering, I realize why that is the case. In the real world I have to wear glasses so everything is blurry past a certain distance, but here I am unrestricted in my resolution. Just by focusing I can see for thousands of meters as if I was standing a foot away. Picking a random spot on the street, I can make out the minor cracks on the pavement, and the grime and the wear from people walking over it for many years. Dressed in autumn clothing, the people as they go along their life feel lifelike and real. I see them talking, exclaiming, laughing, being tired, downcast and otherwise broadcasting their emotions.
"..."
[https://i.imgur.com/fqqwNx6.png]
I found the whole scene very impressive. It did not seem like something that humans could create.
As soon as I start wondering how to start the game, a menu comes up in a separate sense. The Load Game option is grayed out, but Start Game and Quit are there, so I select the former and enter the Scenario Selector. Simulacrum itself rather than being a single game is an intelligent program capable of simulating a large range of scenarios. Browsing over the available scenarios, all of them seem interesting and I am having trouble deciding so I go back to the top and look at the recommended one.
[https://i.imgur.com/QhPc7yz.png]
Heaven's Key.
'The souls of those passed on enter the afterlife to play the grand game of cards that God has prepared for them. The second chance is given, and can be lost. Can you survive the challenges of your second life and go on to challenge the highest power there is?'
Along with that brief description, there is some setting information. When I focused on the 2d map of the world, to my surprise it unfolded to a 3d model that I could mentally rotate and zoom. I realized that the world of Heaven's Key was covered with orbital islands, much like the floating one in the intro. The tech level is similar to the current time in 2025, which is good since it probably means I won't have to play against non-humans. It is like the game anticipated what I would choose. The game seems to be responding to my desire, and it took into consideration my personal goals when doing scenario suggestions as well as the background which obviously has the Heaven's Key theme.
I think about it for a bit, and decide to go with the scenario being presented to me. The core hasn't steered me wrong yet, so I want to trust it. Having made my decision, I start the game and feel drawn into it.
(Heaven's Key intro)
The method of recursive self improvement via iterated suicide can be used in reality. In fact, the technique represents the most viable path to getting superpowers in any kind of reality.
- Loading Blurb
[https://i.imgur.com/aCqRoiV.png]
Whereas during the menu segment I had been a disembodied presence hovering thousands of feet above the cityscape, once the game started I found myself standing upright in an actual body. I gawked like a tourist, taking in the sights. I was in a golden city. The buildings and the streets were all painted in various hues of yellow, mostly on the lighter side, and there was slight gloss on the material giving it a sense of agelessness. Usually, as time wore down the material, it would begin to lose its luster, but everything around me seemed to be brand new and sparkling. Right now I was located near the edge of one of the floating cities, and as my gaze traveled towards its center, the buildings became taller and larger, from regular suburban houses close to where I was to large apartment blocks in the distance. The very middle of the island had a grand square building on an elevated platform. It had a spherical dome that took up a lot of its volume, and as I peered at it, I noticed it seemed to be radiating golden light. Though since it was midday the effect was drowned out by the light of the sun.
In the skies I noticed there were floating golden blocks in the shape of tiles, that also seemed to be showering the city in light.
I was near the edge of the city, and it seemed to be some kind of amusement park. I could see circus tents pitched up, stands of various kinds and even a rollercoaster and various other kinds of thrill rides I did not recognize.
Taking in the sights, I breathe in the air and find it to be cool and refreshing. I checked myself over. Though I could not see my face, but based on the touch as well as the composition of the rest, it seems that my real world body has been replicated in this virtual one. Which suited me fine, but it is surprising that I haven't been offered a chance to make my avatar.
Behind me, was the railing, also made of gold. Like the blocks and the grand building, it actually had some luminance to it. Drawn to that, I try touching it and find it to be smooth and lukewarm. It is not very tall, only up to my abdomen. It is only there to prevent somebody from sliding off the edge by accident rather than stop somebody who intentionally wanted to jump off.
[https://i.imgur.com/NnoJjno.png]
Looking over the railing, I can see mountains and forests as well as the sea, and as I look below, I get a spell of dizziness that I quickly fight off. I am currently very high up, enough that I can see clouds below me. Directly below there is what appears to be a major metropolis. The high rise buildings and skyscrapers are like tiny, gray splotches at this distance.
An idea to try it ceases me, and I wonder whether I should take a dive over the railing?
[Gnosis check DC 1.9 Succeeded - Sample 2.03]
I grin mischievously. Yeah, let me try it. It is not like I can experience this in real life. As soon as I think that, nervousness and excitement flood my body, and I want to keep going. I grip the railing, and place one leg and then the other over it. Hands still clutching the rail behind me, I lean forward and take a good look down. A huge drop past the clouds welcomes me, into the metropolis below. I am putting a lot of strength into my arms to keep the certain doom at bay. I can feel my heart beating against my chest.
I wonder if I will hit the streets or the roof of one of the high rises?
A thought like that intensifies both my fear and excitement. Slowly I loosen my grip on the railing and start lifting my fingers, one by one. First I move the thumbs out of the way, then I let the pinky slide. Then the ring finger. I feel like a feather, perched in such a precarious position. The railing is so close to the edge that my feet are partly over it.
Time feels like it is slowing down for me. Very slowly, as if to prolong the moment, I release the index and middle.
"No, don't do it!" I hear a woman's voice yell out, but I couldn't care less.
I feel my body leaning forward and the gravity taking hold. I drop over the railing into the vastness below.
"AAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!" As I plunge, the fear overwhelms me and a scream rips itself from my throat. Strong winds buffet me from below in my fall.
After a minute or so, I manage to get a grip on myself so I can at least enjoy the scenery instead of falling around in panic. I keep reminding myself that this is not real despite what my senses are telling me. With the sun shining all around, it is quite beautiful. I take some time to appreciate the majesty of nature. I plunge through the clouds, feeling wetness on my face and hands. Soon, what used to be tiny splotches in the distance became larger and larger. The buildings below gain definition, and involuntarily, I imagine myself splattering on the street below. The fear that I had put a lid on, bursts out, more maddened and bloodcurdling than before.
"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!" I scream again, even though it is fake. Even though the world is fake, my brain cares little about those facts. It is so stupid and primitive, so all it can do is beg for dear life even if there is no need to.
Ahahahaha, it is so stupid, my brain is so stupid!
As I scream and piss myself in panic, at the back of my head, I can almost feel a voice mocking me for my stupidity.
I miss the height of one of the high rises, and reflected in the glass of the window nearby, I see my reflection for the first time. Exactly as in real life, but I see traces of tears around my eyes. I hadn't realized that I had started crying at some point.
"NOOOOO!!! LOG OUT!!! LOG OUT!!! LOG OUT!!!" Completely detached from rationality, the idea to exit the game before I smash the concrete takes hold. I grip it like a liferaft in the turbulent seas.
Ahahahaha! Seen from a different perspective, it is almost like a person scrambling for his life is an entirely different person from myself.
I am going to smash face first in the middle of a busy street. As soon as the ground floor is only a couple of feet away, I muster all my reserves of will and try to stop time. This has no effect and I hit the ground, feeling the darkness overtake me.
(Euclid's Room)
"Ah!" I jolted awake into reality and involuntarily, flop like fish on dry land once. Wiping my face, I feel myself drenched in sweat. I breathe heavily and feel that in my chest, my heart is overworking itself. As soon as I realize that I am in a safe place, I begin to calm down.
I lie back on the bed for 5 minutes, until my tremors have passed.
"Hah..." I exhale, savoring the experience.
That was...
[Gnosis gain: 0.3]
...Amazing! Since I died so quickly, I didn't experience any pain, leaving only the excitement. This will definitely be a memorable experience for me. Has a regular computer game ever let me feel something like this? I do not think so. The conflict between my rational part that understood the senses are not to be trusted, and my lizard brain which went into a blind panic is what really made this what it was. If I was purely cool or purely in a panic, it would not have been that interesting.
My brain is pretty stupid right now, but at least I can have some fun with that. I'll take it a bit easier next time and just explore the town. That seems like a good plan.
I want to see what the game is about.
(Heaven's Key, Perimeter of a floating city)
[https://i.imgur.com/WIIigxI.png]
I dive into the game again, and take in the sights of the city of gold. Taking only a passing glance at the railing, I turn around and go into the city proper. As fun as that experience was, I do not want to spend my entire day diving off the edge. Gawking like a tourist as I stroll around, I get a stock of the place. Near the frontier where I was, the density of buildings was low, so amongst the houses as if to spur business a lively entertainment sector was built. I could see circus tents, restaurants, stages as well as casinos. There seemed to be a lot of people enjoying themselves, though I wouldn't say it was packed. I found the city plan somewhat peculiar. There were roads for example, but no cars, and I could only see people using their own legs as far as I looked. The regular houses made sense, but other entertainment related facilities seemed to be built in the middle of roads and at intersections. Overall, it felt like the city itself was molded based on some template, and then patched up to fit a need by the people actually living here without modifying the underlying template itself.
[https://i.imgur.com/fU4qf93.png]
It is a lively and cheerful place. It wasn't jam packed with people, but I could see a decent amount of them going about their business and chattering. The way they were dressed did not seem to be that much different than in the real world. Looking around, I could see old and young people, both male and female, but no kids which I'd expect would be unusual for an amusement park such as this. I think that I'd be in the youngest age cohort relative to the population here.
"Waiters wanted - 3,450/month"
"Can you make great pizza? Apply here. 3,600/month"
"Have a flair for entertainment? Comedy, magic, singing, musical instruments. 3,800/month"
While walking around I saw a bunch of job ads posted outside the relevant venues for waiters, cooks and attendants. The typical salary for these kinds of service jobs seems to be around 3,500 chips, whatever those are.
Getting bored of walking around, I pick a restaurant at random and take one of the outside seats. With the sun shining down on me, the weather is warm and pleasant, simply ideal. Given how up we are you'd expect it would be freezing, but normal rules do not seem to apply here. I pick up the menu, and take a look.
"Beer - 20"
"Iced Tea - 20"
"Pizza Margherita - 40"
"Cheese Burger - 30"
...
I want to order some of these. I've never tried eating in VR yet, so I am curious about what it tastes like.
"Hello sir, what would you like?" A waiter came around to take my order. I cringe inwardly.
"Just water." I have no choice, I do not have the money to pay for anything here.
"Got it."
While I was waiting, a person came up to my table and initiated conversation.
"Hello, do you mind if I take a seat here?" She asked, smiling at me. I took a good look at the young woman in front of me. Wearing a headband with what looked to be 4 brown roses, she seemed to be of asiatic descent. Her face was cute and friendly. Short dark hair. She was wearing a finely made brown blouse with long sleeves, and a miniskirt plus thigh stockings.
"Sure." An event like this would never have happened to me in real life, so I was curious where this was heading.
"Nice to meet you, I am Lily."
"Euclid."
"An exotic name. Are you new to this city?"
I think about lying for a moment, but I have no reason to. I am certainly not going to try to show off here, I am penniless anyway.
"Yeah, I just got here." I admitted.
"I am sorry for your loss." She frowned, confusing me. "But look on the bright side." Her expression cheered up, spreading her arms. "Here in this afterlife, it is quite fun. You are going to like it."
At first I was confused, but as soon as she mentioned the afterlife, a thread of inspiration came to me. I remember the description and guess at what she meant. I've been thinking about this as just another place, but maybe the people here all died on Earth before being transported into the city. My character does not have a background so it slipped my mind.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
"Yeah, it does seem like a lively place." I agree. "Maybe I'll be here for a while."
This gets a smile out of her. At that point the waiter came to our table, placed the glass of water that I ordered on my side and turned to take any further orders.
"Coffee please."
"Yes. Anything else sir, lady?"
"No, that will be all." I take the glass and take a sip of water. It is nice and refreshing. He leaves. I raise an eyebrow to Lily. "I would have liked some iced tea, but pft." I pucker my lips and shrug for emphasis. "No money."
"Ahahaha!" She waves it away. "If you've just got here, then you should have a 100 chips. Try bringing them out."
"Huh? How?" I start checking my pockets stupidly.
[https://i.imgur.com/8ZrWqGg.png]
"Just focus." As I look at her, several stacks of translucent chips manifest in the air behind her. The thousands of chips in her pile look like they are intended for poker. Standing on nothing but air, I could see through them due to their translucency. "Then once they are staged, you can withdraw by wishing for it. For example, here I'll wish to get 20."
She raises her hand above the table, and like a magic trick, I see 20 chips moving into place. She lifts her hand and I see that the pile is no longer translucent. She lifts one, shows it to me and places it down with a clack.
"So it is like that? How do I do that?"
"Just try it."
Having an example of what I should do, I focus inwardly and I discover a sense that wasn't there before. Right in my mind I could see a stack of 100 chips. It feels different from just imagining it, like they are actually there.
"Yeah, good. I can see them behind you." She encouraged me.
Imitating her, I tried lifting my hand on the table and drawing them out from inside my sense. To my surprise it works and I can see the chips sliding into place. Lifting my hand, I count them. Feeling them out they are cold and slender to the touch.
"This is interesting. I guess I can order that iced tea. How do I bring them back?"
Lily did a little wave and the chips on her own side vanished. "As long as they are in your possession, even if they are away from you, you'll be able to recall them from anywhere. It is impossible to throw them away, you have to transfer ownership instead."
I wasn't sure how to do it, but I gave it a try and it worked, I could tell the chips were returning to their original pile. It seems that in VR, things just work.
"Bravo." Congratulating me, she opened a pack of sugar and added it to her coffee. With a spoon she started stirring it inside the liquid.
[Externus check DC 3.05 Failed - Sample 2.28]
I consider not ordering iced tea like I said I would, but that would be an asshole move. I can't see any reason to be stingy here. A part of me expected the chips to be important, but then I think about the job ads, the people going around me, Lily's own large stack and her placing her own order without issue. Nobody else as far as I can see has issue spending money. I guess 100 chips is not that much. I really meant to gamble with them rather than spend them like this, but I can always reload.
That would lose the connection with Lily though. Rather than working at a job, maybe I could get a loan and gamble with it? Since I can save and reload, I am in no danger of ever going bust unlike the NPCs.
I mean, I am not going to seriously do waitering for an entire month just to get the money to gambol. I want to get better at cards and learn some skills that would benefit me in real life.
So far, the NPCs here feel very lifelike, not at all like in a computer game made by humans. I take a look at Lily who is taking a sip of her coffee, with the pinky out. Cute, she is very cute. I can't believe that I, of all people, am getting charmed.
(Heaven’s Key, Date with Lily)
I spent some time with her in that restaurant just chatting.
"I am working as a guide. If you want I'll show you around the city and get you accomodated. It would not be good if night falls and you have nowhere to sleep."
"Yeah, it would be bad if I had to sleep on the street once night falls."
“Yes, it would. Could you show me a cheap place to rent somewhere, first? After that I’d like to see what this town has to offer.”
“Of course.” She replied enthusiastically.
With that, the date started.
...
I spent some time touring the city with Lily. Lily is pretty cute, so I was a bit smitten by her, but I got tired of that after an hour. After that boredom started to kick in for me. Seriously, who cares about NPC women? She is cute, but I should be able to generate people like her by the million with a push of a button. I am not going to get sucked into the pace of things and let her become a part of my motivation for logging into Heaven's Key. How pathetic would that be?
With that mindset in place, instead of chatting about whatever comes to mind, I steer the conversation towards the city in general. Who are the big shots? What is life like? What are the challenges?
Goals like that are the only things preventing me from getting bored out of my skull. Back in school, there were times I went on an excursion with the rest of the class. Somehow those experiences ended up even more boring than going to class itself, if that is possible.
'Wow, look at the golden buildings! So cool!' I picture some wojaks pointing at the stuff in the background.
I got tired of it after 15 minutes.
Right now, I am acting like I think a normal person should act, but it is really straining my nerves. It is somewhat disgusting.
...
[https://i.imgur.com/QEOUp0n.png]
"WAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!" Roller coaster rides rock! Seated in my coaster, being hurled through the air at high velocity! Based!
I was screaming, Lily was screaming next to me, the rest of the people in the wild ride were screaming!
This is more to my liking!
…
[https://i.imgur.com/Q6IorDY.png]
A whiff of barbecue drew me and I got a skewer for both me and Lily.
"Here you go!" A kindly old man smiled at me, handing me my meat on a stick. I grab a bite and feel the spicy, juicy taste of meat spread through my mouth. The taste is just like in real life. Delicious!
I think I am starting to get a hang of how dating should work. Things are boring when you just let the other person take the lead. It became fun once I started drilling Lily for info on the town and dragged her into the roller coaster rides. It has been a few hours, both in the game and real life. I want to start getting to the point.
Me and Lily both finish our food, drink some colas, and then I get to the point.
"Lily, I was wondering." I manifest a poker chip between my index and middle finger waving it in front of me for emphasis. "These chips all look like they are made for gambling. So I am guessing they should have something with that."
I was expecting to hear something on the subject of card gambling from Lily, but for some reason nothing came up. I didn't care enough to push it back then, but now it is time to get to the point. I already know the theme of the game has something to do with gambling, so it is strange that I haven't heard anything about it from Lily.
"Who knows. The god who brought us all to this city made it like that. Nobody knows what goes through his mind." She shrugged.
Evading again, are you? Just what is the point of that? Do you really not know?
"Instead of just walking around town, why don't we go to a casino? I'd like to try playing some cards. You too Lily. Isn't it boring just going around town? I want more action like those roller coasters."
"Well..." She fell in thought. "Okay, I know a place, let's go there" She beamed, showing her expertise at maintaining positive energy. At this point in time, I’ve started to build immunity to that. If I let her take the lead, she will just bore me to death, but I am sure that as a guide she is obligated to fulfill my wishes.
(Heaven’s Key, Raven's Eye Casino)
[https://i.imgur.com/baDgkwA.png]
She led us a few dozen blocks away, deeper into the city. There were a lot of people in the initial blocks, but I could only see a few people on the streets as we ventured deeper. They were much quieter than the area behind us. I thought this was weird. Usually, cities have dense crowds compared to the countryside. Do the people here spend all their time partying at amusement parks? Well, maybe it is not that strange, of course the amusement parks are going to be active. But still, the streets were pretty forlorn…
"We are here." She announced, cutting off my line of thought. Her positive energy from before seemed subdued, and I sensed she was somewhat on the edge.
"Great. Let us have some fun. I do not remember anything from my past life, but I must have been a card shark." I announce, striding into the place ahead of her in search of stimulus. I spot the receptionist, slam 20 chips on the counter and say to the startled receptionist. "I want to play Texas Holdem. Lead me to the table."
"Come this way, sir." She got up from her seat at the counter and led the way deeper inside.
[https://i.imgur.com/WEv9c15.png]
Passing by the rows of slot machines, I noticed the screens had dust on them. For some reason, slots, the staple of casinos, seemed to not be popular in this place. Much like outside, I couldn't see any people here. It was a quiet place. We went up a set of stairs into a game room.
It was a spacious room, with numerous tables, most of which were unoccupied. But there were a couple of groups playing cards, or rather just enjoying drinks there. I picked a table with 4 people, and walked up to it. Lily followed alongside me.
Now, my plan was to try to join a tournament that had a low buyin, or find a place where I could exchange for fake chips. Given how large the monthly salaries are here, I expected that with just 20 chips, I could at the minimum find a game with 1/2 blinds. This would leave me greatly short stacked. I thought about this for a bit on the way here, and I've concluded there is no real need to be fair. On one hand, I want to learn how to gamble, but either way, I am not going to spend a month of real time wage slaving in a video game. What I'll do is just save on every hand and reload if I lose it. That should allow me to escape my shoe string budget and get to the point where I can gamble seriously.
Looking around, I do not have much choice when it comes to game selection, I'll have to take whatever I can get. Since Lily led me here, the stakes should be fine. She knows my money situation, so she would not lead me to a place where the min stakes are 10/20 or something like that.
Since the next encounter will be sensitive, I try saving. Save. As soon as that thought leaves me, a window pops up. I name the save 'First game' and apply it.
Now I am set, if I lose I'll just go back to this point until I get it right. Whereas previously I had some nervousness about having to get a job if I lost, it completely deflated and I just felt the excitement of trying out gambling for the first time in a real casino.
[https://i.imgur.com/jtqzUMf.png]
"Hi, mind if we join?" I sit at the table and start the conversation like that. Apart from me and Lily, there are 4 guys at the table. One was a thin guy that seemed to be in his 20s, wearing a baseball cap backwards, while the others were in their 30s and 40s. The older guys were somewhat fat and had protruding guts. One of them was bald. They seemed to be dressed casually and felt right at home at the table.
"Sure." The bald guy in his 40s replied. It didn't seem like the rest of them were against it either.
I looked around, but I could not see a dealer. Before I arrived, these guys were just having beer and chilling at the table.
"So what are the stakes here? I only have 20 chips, if that is fine with you gentlemen." I made some small talk. I did a quick scan for the dealer again. Not only this table, none of the other tables had dealers either. I couldn't see a deck at the table.
"We typically play for a single chip per tourney."
"So it is a casual thing between friends? That is good. I was worried I would have to play 10bb deep in a cash game." I remarked. "We'll wait until you guys finish your drinks. I wonder why there aren't any dealers here?" I asked. The bald guy raised his eyebrows and looked at my partner.
"He is a new arrival. I haven't registered him as a citizen yet." She shook her head. Rough. Everyone is new at some point. The man shrugged his shoulders and leaned forward a bit, getting more serious.
"There is no need to wait, we'll start right away." He looked at the rest for confirmation and they nodded in return.
"Great! Should I go call a dealer?" At my suggestion, the thin guy with a baseball cap had to stifle his laughter.
"No, that is not how it works. First we put the chips on the table." He placed a hand just above the table, and after he raised it, I could see a small stack of 20 poker chips manifested there. The rest of them follow his lead and do the same. Next to me, I could see Lily also doing the same. Eager to raise the stakes? That suits me just perfectly.
Seeing that the table is set, he continued. "Then I propose a duel, and you accept. Duel?" He said to the table.
"Accept."
"Accept."
"Accept." The 3 guys next to him confirmed.
"Accept." Lily went in lockstep with the group. All the eyes at the table were on me.
"Accept." I manifest 20 of my own chips, on the table and confirm, curious as to what would happen.
The world around me changes.
(Heaven’s Key, Shadow realm)
[https://i.imgur.com/yhEq4Vw.png]
Seated at the table, I didn't feel any physical force on my body as the environment transformed. Whereas previously we were in a large game room on the second floor of the casino, once I accepted the duel, the space around us warped. It felt like we're floating in space, surrounded by blue nebulas. At first I thought I could see stars, but then I realized they were too big for that. They appeared more like shards with yellow rims. It was a mythical space, removed from common sense. I felt out with my feet, and realized that even though it seemed like a sheer drop, there was solid grounds beneath me. I looked below and I couldn't really see what I was stepping on, but pressing on it felt solid. Thinking about it for a few moments, I realized it made sense that there would be some mechanism to prevent me from accidentally falling to my death if I left the seat. The chairs can’t be literally floating in the air, maybe they are standing on something like pure translucent glass?
All in all, I think I am getting used to this rather quickly.
I felt something moving and when I looked in front I saw that two face down cards were dealt to me, along with a button. Next them was a stack of 100 chips.
I seem to be in last place with Lily behind me. The group was seated as we were originally. I wonder if I am on the button because I was the last to accept?
"The rules are Texas Holdem. You have 5 minutes to make your decision otherwise it will be an auto-fold. The blinds double every 3 revolutions of the button in a 6-man game, meaning 18 hands from now. Is that clear, kid?" The bald man explained, watching me intently.
"Yes." I reach for my cards, and take a peek at them by twisting them upwards a little. I saw that in videos of real life poker games. The cards are nice and smooth to the touch, with a golden tint rather than the usual browns used in vanilla packs.
3s 7h. Crap hand.
The guy in the cap to the next to me in the small blind raises to 6, the big blind folds. The guy next to him raises to 20. The bald guy thinks about it for a few moments and follows up by raising to 50. Right behind me, Lily bows out of the action, and it is my turn to decide. I really have no reason to get involved in this hand.
[Gnosis check DC 1.8 Succeeded - Sampled 2.69]
"All in." Huh? Eh, whatever. Surprised at my own decision, I pushed in the stack causing it to topple over. The chips make satisfying sounds as they clank against each other. It would be best if the other guys just folded. The first two guys do so, tossing their cards into the middle. They vanish before coming to a stop.
Now it is just the bald guy and me. I keep my poker face as I watch him make a decision. He drums his fingers for a quarter of a minute as he observes me, takes a breath and then calls. "Call." He pushes his stack.
As I watch, by some invisible force, both our hands are flipped. He sees my hand, does a double take, and I see him holding Kc Kh.
From somewhere the cards appear on the table.
5h Ks 6d is the Flop. I don't care much about this hand, but I see his fist clench. He has trip kings now, and my only chance of winning is if the 4 gets dealt to give me a straight. My odds of getting that are about 4 in 45, about 11%.
The whole table is invested in the game now and holding its breath as the turn gets dealt.
A 9d. A miss. I have one more chance. Observing other people's reactions I see them leaning in slightly.
With bated breath, the next card comes in.
4c. I won. The bald guy makes a sour expression. I'd expect him to be mad at me, but not sparing a thought for me, I see him stealing a glance at Lily before he vanishes from the table completely. Having lost all his chips, he no longer needs to be present so the system aborted him.
As that happens the chips flow into my stack towering above the rest at 228. Nice!
"That was crazy, kid. I can't believe you went in with 37." One of the older guys who was num up to now said.
"I got a feeling." I nod knowingly, playing with my chip pile all the while.
The guy purses his lips, thinking of replying, but then thinks better of it. While that was going on the next hand started.
I won't go into detail as to how the rest of the game proceeded. Riding a wave of beginner's luck, I've been getting good hands and playing them aggressively, trying to get as many chips off them as I could, busting the rest of the table in only a couple dozen rounds.
(Raven's Casino, poker table)
After winning the game, I checked my chip pile and found it has grown to 60, tripling my balance.
"I won. Hey Lily, how much is the rake here?" I asked her. She shook her head.
"No rake. The casino doesn't take anything for duels." My eyebrows rose.
"Really?" I looked at the rest.
"Yeah..." The old guy nodded. This brought up a few questions in me such as what the distribution of winnings is like and why isn't there any rake? If that was true, how did the casino function? But I left those aside for the time being.
I manifested my whole pile and pushed it in, causing the thin guy's jaw to drop. "That is good to know. Let us continue. Duel?" The group looked at each other and then at Lily. Lightly, she nodded and pushed 60 of her own chips in after manifesting them. Way to go Lily! The guys seem to be following her lead for some reason.
"Accept."
"Accept." "Accept." "Accept." The rest followed in lockstep.
Back in the shadow realm, the action began again. I had no trouble hitting the board, and bluffing when I missed so I won again with no trouble. Back at the poker table, I saw the thin guy wiping the sweat off his face. He only lost like 80 chips, this is less than what a waiter makes in a day, what a weakling of a gambler. He should just get a job instead of wasting his time on a poker table if that worries him so much.
I save the game at this point, manifest my pile and push 180 chips in. "Duel?" I announce.
"Hey Dale..." A lot more reluctant now, the thin guy looked towards the bald guy who seemed to be the most experienced of the group. The bald guy, Dale, pursed his lips and deliberated for a moment, before refusing.
"Sorry, we are just a casual group. How about we keep it 60?" He asked. Not seeing a reason to keep being pushy and wanting to play more, I acceded to his request. I reduced the pile to 60 chips and asked to duel once again. Having won two games riding a wave of luck, the group seemed to be afraid of me, perhaps wondering if they were being hustled.
[https://i.imgur.com/fKsWlwk.png]
Back in the shadow realm, they started to tighten up and tried to pick me off with stronger hands. My luck started to wane and I had a harder time winning. We played a couple of games like that for a few hours, and I ended the day at 240 chips. I could have won a lot more had I abused my ability to save and reload, but I was satisfied with not dropping below 180. It wasn't my goal to win every single time, that would be suspicious.
I had to win the first and the second time to get out of red, but after that it was gravy. Rather than these noobs, I should seek out richer people to play against.
[https://i.imgur.com/M8vpZxG.png]
I had some fun game time. Saying goodbye to the group, me and Lily left. By that time, I saw the sun had gone down. We made our way back to the inn where I rented a room for a week.
"Do you want to come in for dinner? I'll treat you." I asked Lily, my hand on the handle of the door to the inn.
"Sorry, I have an appointment at a different place." She politely declined, before getting down to business. "I will have to charge you for today's tour though. 300 chips."
"That is quite expensive!" My hair rose. "It would clean me out. Er, do you mind waiting for a bit before I can pay you back? What will I eat tomorrow if I give you everything I have today."
"The inn will provide you meals, but don't worry the people here don't need to eat physical food anyway." She explained. "I know that 300 seems like a lot, and indeed, those who have just arrived can't afford it. In return, the guides take what they have and in return get them employment. All the places here give sign-up bonuses for that reason. I actually don't take this money for myself, but am officially employed by the city to welcome newcomers. It is merely a matter of policy."
"What happens if I don't pay right now?" I asked.
"I'll put it on your tab, but if you can't pay me in 3 days and are still unemployed, by law you'll be sent to jail."
"Vicious!" I exclaimed, startled. Lily made a sour face.
"Yeah, it sucks. This is because the city gets newcomers out of thin air, and to prevent them from just loitering in the streets, this policy has been instituted." She shrugged, sympathizing with me. "Don't worry, I'll come back tomorrow and look for a job with you."
[Gnosis check DC 2.9 Failed - Sampled 2.18]
Hmmm...
[Gnosis check DC 1.7 Succeeded - Sampled 1.93]
What she is saying makes sense, but there is something off to this story. Not really understanding what the problem is, I do the most reasonable thing and save the game.
After that, with a shake of my head, I just decide to do it and see where this choice leads to. I call up my entire pile in its ghostly form and offer the floating chips.
"Here. You'll be here tomorrow to help me look for a job, right? Promise?" I query, offering her the chips.
"Of course, don't worry." With a sweet voice, she coaxes me, taking the offered chips. Without a sound they are transferred into her own ghostly pile. Not saying anything else, she turns around and leaves the scene. Behind her, I was no longer there. There was only the dark, empty street leading into the inn. The door that I had opened was slightly ajar where I left it, leaking a trail of light from the inside.
[https://i.imgur.com/Eu1XNRX.png]
As soon as the transaction was complete, I felt my consciousness being wrenched from the world and into the abyss where there was nothing. A single window popped up to inform me of what happened.
> You died.