Chapter 3: All in

Words : 985 Updated : Sep 11th, 2025

Under the bright spotlight, the mountain of poker chips on the table had grown at an astonishing pace, now nearing a staggering $30 million. The sheer weight of the bet made the air in the room thick with tension, holding every spectator in breathless anticipation. A brief silence fell over the scene. Everyone was mentally calculating possible hands, trying to predict the outcome. Then, the dealer revealed the turn card—9 of Spades. The atmosphere instantly ignited. This 9 opened up the possibility of a Full House, and even hinted at the terrifying potential of Four of a Kind. As the next round of betting commenced, the pot in the center of the table swelled into a towering stack, each chip gleaming under the lights, tempting greed like a siren's call. Griffin took a deep breath, his fingers lightly brushing over his chips, the faint friction sound barely audible. His gaze was razor-sharp, locked onto Ethan across the table, searching for the slightest flicker of emotion. A slow, mocking smirk curled at Griffin's lips. His voice carried a taunting edge. "Ethan, you haven't exactly been getting great hands tonight. You really planning to hold out until the river, just to get crushed by me in the end?" A few low chuckles rippled through the crowd, the tension teetering between amusement and suspense. Ethan's expression remained unreadable, his face calm and composed. Without hesitation, he pushed forward a neat stack of chips, his movements crisp and effortless. "Call if you want. If you're scared, just let the dealer flip the last card." The casual remark landed like a silent slap across Griffin's pride. Griffin let out a cold laugh, then suddenly stood up, dramatically sweeping his gaze across the room. "Alright, folks. How about we make this a little more interesting?" With that, he shoved his entire stack of high-value chips into the pot. The crisp clatter of chips colliding against the table rang sharp and clear. But he wasn't done. From the inner pocket of his suit, Griffin slowly pulled out an exquisite walnut box. The golden emblem of Glory Lords X gleamed under the dim lighting. He opened the box with deliberate care, as if unveiling a sacred artifact. Inside, nestled in a pure gold base, was a blood-red gemstone, its surface catching the light in a dazzling display. "The Stone of Glory," Griffin's voice was low, steady, and brimming with confidence. "The one and only limited-edition physical artifact, as seen on the news." The room fell into an eerie silence. Two men in black suits and dark sunglasses instinctively pushed forward through the crowd, their movements tense, as if afraid to miss a single detail. The spectators' expressions shifted from shock to disbelief, then erupted into a frenzy of murmurs and exclamations. "Holy shit... That's the Stone of Glory!" "No way. He's actually betting that?! Is he insane?!" "Wait... does that mean he's the mysterious billionaire? I mean, he's not exactly my type, but for a night with him, I might reconsider. Wonder if he's any good in bed..." Laughter, whispers, and gasps intertwined, filling the air with a chaotic energy. Then, just as quickly as the commotion had started, the room fell into a suffocating stillness. All eyes locked onto Ethan. A few seconds passed before Ethan finally spoke, his voice calm and unhurried. "Oh? Now you've got my attention." A faint smirk played at his lips, and in his gray-green eyes, a glint of amusement flickered. "But tell me, Griffin—are you sitting here tonight to hand me the Stone of Glory, or are you just here to show me how badly you're about to lose?" Griffin's smirk twisted into something darker. "Heh. You're cocky, Ethan." He leaned forward slightly, his tone dripping with provocation. "I've known for a while now—you're 'Specter,' the top-ranked player in Glory Lords X. A deliberate pause. Griffin let his words sink in, savoring the ripple of shock that spread through the crowd. Then, his voice rose, laced with an almost obsessive fervor. "But do you know what I think?" His eyes gleamed with something dangerously close to madness. "The strongest artifact belongs with the strongest account. If you lose, you hand over your account to me. The Stone of Glory and the Specter account—together, that's true power." Griffin tilted his chin up, his expression the epitome of a gambler's arrogance. His gaze bore into Ethan, daring him. "So? Show me if you've got the guts. If you call, I'll put the Stone of Glory on the line." The crowd exploded. "Holy shit! He's Specter?! The number one player in the entire game?!" "Not just a gaming legend—this guy's ice-cold at the poker table too!" "That account alone is worth hundreds of millions! Just the ID and title are priceless!" "I can't believe I'm seeing Specter in real life... and he's actually this good-looking? I'd spend a night with him in a heartbeat!" Gasps, murmurs, and frantic whispers filled the air. Some people sucked in sharp breaths, others exchanged stunned glances. At this moment, no one dared to underestimate the two men at the table. One was the undisputed top player of Glory Lords X. The other was a mysterious billionaire willing to throw down a hundred-million-dollar artifact just for the thrill of the gamble. Ethan listened to Griffin's challenge, his expression unreadable. Then, slowly, his lips curled into a smirk—one that carried a hint of something deeper, something unreadable. "Since you're so eager..." Ethan's voice was low, steady, and dangerously calm. "Fine. Let's make this interesting." Without hesitation, he pushed all his remaining chips into the center of the table. The sharp clatter of chips echoed through the silence. "I call. All in." ...

Chapter 3: All in

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