Ch 30

At least, that's what most spectators were thinking. Of course, many were hoping that Tartaglia would accept this challenge, as they enjoyed watching a spectacle. Witnessing the card pulls in this "high-stakes gamble" would undoubtedly be a hot topic.

"Since it's Miss Ningguang who proposed this wager, I believe I have no reason to refuse," Tartaglia stated. His words earned nods of approval from many. It was no surprise that an executive of the Foolish People like him displayed such courage.

"Alright, let's begin according to the rules we just discussed," Tartaglia said, and many players became witnesses to this impromptu bet. Tartaglia placed his phone on the counter in the hall for everyone to see.

However, he didn't immediately start recharging and pulling cards. Instead, he turned to Ningguang and said, "Regardless of the outcome, the person who benefits most from this wager is the owner of the mobile game parlor. Since I need to deposit such a large amount of Mora, I'd like to hand over the money to Mr. Takumi in person and have him serve as a witness for this bet. What do you think, Miss Ningguang?"

Tartaglia's true purpose for this visit was to investigate the reality of the mobile game parlor's owner. Upon arriving at the store, he realized Takumi wasn't at the front desk. Given this opportunity, why wouldn't he use it to force Takumi to show himself?

Ningguang nodded, "I have no objections, but I'm not sure about Mr. Takumi's whereabouts. It seems he's not in the store."

"Since Miss Ningguang has no objections, it's settled," Tartaglia turned to the people around him and said, "Everyone, please bear witness. I'll go upstairs to 'invite' Mr. Takumi down."

In fact, Tartaglia wasn't certain if Takumi was upstairs, but using this excuse, he could openly investigate the second floor. He had a gut feeling that someone who could design mobile games like Takumi would have some unique items in his room.

However, as he approached the stairs, ready to ascend, his expression suddenly changed. The section of steps in front of him seemed like an abyss that could devour everything. Taking even a single step might lead to unimaginable consequences!

Cold sweat broke out on Tartaglia's forehead. "Something is wrong with this shop!"

Just as he was filled with doubt and hesitation, rhythmic footsteps suddenly echoed from above. A young man, looking composed, entered Tartaglia's view. His eyes seemed to carry a faint trace of mockery as they landed on Tartaglia. He then spoke, "I naturally cannot miss out on this high-stakes gamble you two are having."

"Mr. Takumi has arrived!"

"I didn't expect even Mr. Takumi to be alerted. It seems we're in for a spectacle today."

Takumi was now a prominent figure in Liyue Harbor. His appearance signaled the complete establishment of this wager. Tartaglia reluctantly forced a smile, taking a step back to make way for Takumi.

"I'm aware of the terms of your wager, so we can begin now," Takumi said calmly. Tartaglia had regained his composure, transitioning from his earlier state of suspicion back to a calm demeanor. He nodded in agreement, pulling out a large bag of Mora. As he placed it on the table, a heavy metallic sound echoed through the room. "There are twenty million Mora in here, and Mr. Takumi can verify it if needed."

"No need to verify. You'll receive the corresponding amount of Primogems in your in-game mailbox," Takumi replied. Tartaglia opened his mailbox and indeed found an email with over 200,000 Primogems, likely including the bonus for the first recharge. These extras didn't matter much to Tartaglia.

With everything prepared, it was time to start pulling cards. The eager onlookers among the players couldn't wait any longer. Today was a day to satisfy their gacha cravings.

Zhong Li, who had been quietly playing his game, put down his phone to watch this card-pulling bet. However, he wasn't fixated on the phone screen like the others. Instead, he observed the individuals involved: Ningguang, Keqing, Tartaglia, and Takumi.

"Heh... quite interesting..."

"Swoosh..." The card pulls began. The first ten-pull, as expected, shone with a purple gleam. However, two four-star characters appeared: Xiangling and Xingqiu. Xiangling had already appeared in world quests and was known as the chef of Wanmin Restaurant, making her familiar to players. On the other hand, Xingqiu seemed to be a new four-star character accompanying the Liyue version.

"Xingqiu... if I remember correctly, he's the second young master of Feiyun Commerce."

"Second young master? I thought it was the second young lady."

"Looking at his youthful appearance, I wonder if he's strong in the game."

"What are you thinking? A four-star character can't be that strong."

"True!"

In the following four ten-pulls, four-star characters continued to appear. Some were from Mondstadt, while two were new faces from Liyue: Chongyun, a member of the exorcist family, and a cryo greatsword user, and Xinyan, an enthusiastic and rebellious rock singer, who wields a pyro greatsword.

These four-star characters didn't spark much discussion or attention. Their real-life identities weren't particularly famous in Liyue Harbor, so they didn't garner much interest.

During the sixth ten-pull, a golden light streaked across the sky. As it landed, Tartaglia's image appeared on the screen.

"I am the eleventh of the Foolish People's executive officers, Childe Tartaglia. And you, well, you're also someone who stirs up controversy. How delightful. I suppose we'll get along just fine?"

In the image, Tartaglia stood atop surging waves, a sharp water-element spear forming in his hand. The chaotic tide behind him seemed to be a phenomenon caused by his spear's movements. His red scarf fluttered freely in the wind.

The whole image appeared very suave and unrestrained. "Looks like I have good luck," Tartaglia said with a smile. He had obtained a golden pull after only sixty draws, and it was the current limited character. This luck drew the envy of many players. "Let's continue," Ningguang said calmly.

....

"Childe's luck is really something!"

"Yeah, he's already hit gold twice."

"I've figured it out; this pool has a pity system. It guarantees a gold pull within eighty draws."

"It seems that Ningguang is in trouble."

With the discussions of the crowd, Tartaglia appeared to be in a dominant position. He had already pulled the character four times with fewer than a hundred thousand Primogems spent. Now, he only needed two more pulls to reach his goal. Seeing Tartaglia's incredible luck, many onlookers couldn't resist the urge to try their luck as well.

Just as Tartaglia was brimming with confidence, Ningguang spoke, "It seems that Childe is destined to win." She continued, "So, why don't we raise the stakes a bit?"

Before she could finish her sentence, there were audible gasps from the crowd. The stakes were already in the tens of millions, and they watched Tartaglia pulling cards repeatedly, almost getting numb to it. They didn't expect that, in Ningguang's eyes, this wasn't considered a high-stakes wager. She truly lived up to her reputation as the Tianquan of the Seven.

"Oh? Miss Ningguang, what do you have in mind?" Tartaglia, who was on a hot streak, naturally couldn't back down and asked.

"On top of the current wager, I'll double my chips," Ningguang declared. "If you win, I'll not only compensate you for all the Primogems you spent but also match the same amount in Mora. If you lose, you must continue pulling until you reach your target."

With these words, everyone was shocked.

"Had Lady Ningguang gone mad? Doubling the stakes offered her no benefits at all. If Lady Ningguang won, she wouldn't gain anything. But if she lost, she would have to compensate twice the amount. She was truly extravagant. Could it be that Lady Ningguang did this just to pressure Childe, like playing cards where it's not just about the strength of your hand but also about whether your opponent has the nerve to continue?"

Clearly, Tartaglia wasn't someone who easily backed down, especially in the current favorable situation where he had ample information. Ningguang might be trying to use this card-pulling gamble to target him, but he also wanted to gain some advantages from Ningguang. These days, the Seven had subjected him to various suspicions and pressures, even though Tartaglia hadn't shown obvious anger, he was still somewhat unhappy. Now was the time to collect a bit of interest.

"Since Ningguang is so interested, I can't refuse to accompany her to the end, can I?" Tartaglia declared confidently. He continued by investing the remaining ten million Mora into recharging his account, which brought in another 100,000 Primogems. As a result, the total of 30 million Mora for the wager was now all reflected in his account. All he needed to do was reach his goal using these Primogems to win the bet.

Tartaglia began to pull cards again, and one after another, radiant lights fell from the sky. Soon, Tartaglia successfully unlocked the last two constellation nodes.

"The name of this constellation...," Tartaglia himself couldn't help but feel a strong sense of chuunibyou. The name of this constellation seemed to imply something hidden. Of course, it wasn't the time to analyze it now.

Although the activation of the last two constellation nodes was also a big pity, it had only cost him less than 200,000 Mora to achieve full constellations for Childe. He still had 100,000 Primogems left. Even if his luck turned bad, he should be able to get a Skyward Harp or something similar from the weapon banner.

As far as Tartaglia knew, the weapon banner's pity rate was even lower than the character banner, triggering at around 70 pulls. Just a five-star weapon, in Tartaglia's opinion, was a piece of cake.

Onlookers, seeing this, couldn't help but sigh and express their amazement. They had thought they might have a chance to see the Fool of the Fatui, Childe, suffer a loss, but it seemed that Lady Ningguang was no pushover either. Ultimately, it was still the Fool of the Fatui who took advantage of this situation.

Soon, Tartaglia began drawing from the weapon banner. On the seventh ten-pull, a golden light emerged, and he couldn't help but smile.

It seems like the outcome is set.

"Buzz!"

"A five-star one-handed sword, the Freedom-Sworn."

Even the weapon banner can be so biased? Tartaglia shook his head. It didn't matter; this was only the first pity pull. After spending another ten thousand Primogems, the pity system triggered.

A golden radiance fell. This time, it was indeed a weapon from the current banner, but it was the other one, the five-star weapon, the "Memory of Dust." As this weapon was drawn, it immediately aroused some surprise among the onlookers.

"Is this a weapon too? Why does it have such an unusual design?"

"Memory... of Dust. Just the name gives a mysterious and ancient feeling."

"A stone lock that carries distant memories, revealing its power through endless transformations..."

"This must be an extremely powerful damage-dealing weapon among weapons!"

"The description of this weapon is quite absurd!"

"Could it be the weapon of the Geo Archon?"

While everyone was discussing this weapon, Zhong Li in the crowd seemed slightly stunned. He didn't expect to see this thing in the mobile game. To this day, there were still people who knew about the relic of the Geo Archon.

Zhong Li's golden eyes closed slightly as some distant memories quietly resurfaced. On the vast plains where the Jade Chamber once stood, the last words she left behind before disappearing.

"It seems that I can't walk with you anymore. Forget about the lock."

"This is a token of our alliance and a challenge to you."

"All my wisdom is hidden within this stone lock."

"If you can unlock it—"

Many years had passed, and he had never been able to unlock the lock, nor did he know the continuation of that sentence. Moreover, wild Jade Lilies had almost disappeared, leaving only some artificially cultivated ones on Yujing Terrace. Wishing to buy osmanthus wine together... Unfortunately, when would he see that person again?

Fortunately, he was Zhong Li. This momentary melancholy was suppressed. It was just because he had suddenly seen the "Memory of Dust" in the game today, which had slightly affected his mood, but it was no big deal.

On the other hand, Tartaglia's expression began to change from calm to somewhat solemn. On top of what he had spent earlier, he had now spent another fifty thousand Primogems. He had continuously received five copies of the "Memory of Dust" but couldn't get a "Skyward Harp"!

Tartaglia knew that this "Memory of Dust" was likely a powerful five-star weapon, and it probably had some connection to the Geo Archon. Moreover, it was a limited weapon that wouldn't appear in the standard banner in the future. Pulling it would definitely not be a loss. However, what Tartaglia wanted right now was the "Skyward Harp"!

Are you also an up-rate weapon for this banner? Is it so hard to get one?

Seeing that the Primogems had now dwindled to four digits, Tartaglia began to have a bad feeling in his heart.

"Buzz!"

"A five-star catalyst, the Lost Prayer to the Sacred Winds!"

"Buzz!"

"A five-star catalyst, the Skyward Atlas!"

Tartaglia's hand trembled slightly. Why are you giving me so many catalysts? I'm not even a mage!

In the upper right corner, the number of Primogems was down to 2,000. It was the last ten-pull and also the last pity pull. When he still had tens of thousands of Primogems, he didn't feel it at all. Now, at this moment, he realized how quickly Primogems were consumed during wishes.

Amidst the eager gaze of all the players, Tartaglia touched the "Wish" option.

"Swoosh..."

Golden radiance fell. This time, he didn't even intentionally skip it. Because every time he skipped it before, the final result was never the "Skyward Harp" that he wanted.

"Dragon Bane," "Blackcliff Pole," "The Widsith..."

Finally, it was time for the golden radiance. Not only Tartaglia himself but also the players around him were tense. It was the last chance. Would this multi-million Mora gamble end with a dramatic twist?

Tartaglia's expression was solemn as he stared at the phone screen without blinking.

"It's the eighth pity pull now, 'Skyward Harp,' isn't it time for you to appear?"

"Buzz!"

"This silhouette..."

"It's still a five-star catalyst, 'The Lost Prayer to the Sacred Winds!'"

....

10,000 Primogems, and still can't get the desired weapon? Is this weapon banner cursed? Is this a game for people to play? Tartaglia felt a sense of absurdity rising in his heart.

At this moment, Ningguang's voice sounded next to him. "According to the terms of the bet, you've lost."

"Yeah, I've lost." It's no shame to admit defeat. In fact, Tartaglia didn't really lose anything. He originally planned to max out his character's constellations, and naturally, he would get the five-star bow as well. He just didn't expect this weapon banner to be so challenging.

If it weren't for the bet, he would have stopped after pulling five 'The Lost Prayer to the Sacred Winds' in a row. Sometimes luck just isn't on your side, and you can't force it. He could have tried again later. But now, he had the bet, and he had to keep spending until he pulled 'Skyward Harp.'

The surrounding players were discussing the situation. Most of them originally thought that Tartaglia had a secure victory, and Ningguang would suffer a huge loss. However, they didn't expect that even after spending 100,000 Primogems, Tartaglia still hadn't obtained the desired weapon.

This made some players who were eager to try their luck on the weapon banner hesitate. But they could stop, while Tartaglia couldn't. This time, he spent another 5 million Mora, which equated to over 300 pulls.

Tartaglia's luck was good, and in those 300+ pulls, he got six five-star weapons: four 'The Lost Prayer to the Sacred Winds,' one 'Wolf's Gravestone,' and two 'Skyward Blades.' Plus, countless four-star weapons. But there was not a single 'Skyward Harp' among them.

Tartaglia felt like he was being targeted. Every time the golden light descended, he thought it would be the 'Skyward Harp,' but at the moment of revelation, it turned out to be something else. If it weren't for Takumi being here as a witness, Tartaglia would have suspected that the weapon banner's drop rate had been secretly altered.

Next, he spent another 5 million. Tartaglia had already run out of money, and the only proof he had was the notes that could be cashed at the Northland Bank. Another 50,000 Primogems were credited to his account.

'The Lost Prayer to the Sacred Winds.'

'The Lost Prayer to the Sacred Winds.'

'The Lost Prayer to the Sacred Winds.'

'Amos' Bow.'

'Skyward Pride.'

The situation was gradually developing in an absurd direction. Tartaglia had already prepared himself for losses, but the situation was gradually breaking through his defenses.

70 million Mora was no longer a huge sum; it had become a unit of measurement. When Tartaglia had spent 70 million Mora, all the players were shocked. That 'Skyward Harp' seemed like a demon's fruit; to obtain it, no one knew how much it would cost. Up to this point, not even a shadow of it had appeared.

"There's something fishy in this weapon banner!"

When Tartaglia's spending reached 70 million Mora, some players began advising him to stop. This was a bottomless pit. Unlike character banners, the weapon banner had no safety net. If you didn't get it, you didn't get it. The amount Tartaglia had spent was already staggering. But the 'Skyward Harp' refused to show up, as if it insisted on making Tartaglia go all-in, risking everything.

"[Childe], give it up! You've spent 70 million Mora, and it seems like it won't come out today."

"Yeah, your recharge amount is terrifying; it's already exceeded Ningguang's bet."

"That's enough, seriously. The 'Skyward Harp' should have come by now!"

"Takumi, Boss, take a look at the mechanism of this weapon banner. Is it reasonable? This is unfair!"

Hearing the players' sighs, Takumi remained unmoved amidst the crowd. The current weapon banner indeed seemed quite treacherous. However, logically speaking, after so many pulls, the 'Skyward Harp' should have appeared by now. At this point, even Takumi was a bit surprised. Could it be that Tartaglia was the legendary 'Skyward Harp' insulator? This was definitely not Takumi's manipulation or the result of some secret mechanism. It seemed Tartaglia's luck was just extraordinarily bad.

At this moment, Tartaglia's gaze turned serious. He directly spent another 10 million Mora, and 100,000 Primogems were credited to his account. But Tartaglia didn't rush to click on the wish button. He looked at his inventory, filled with five-star golden weapons, making him seem like a grandmaster of weapons in the game. The most conspicuous were the neatly arranged 'The Lost Prayer to the Sacred Winds.' Tartaglia felt that he would have a phobia of the word 'lock' from now on.

He opened the wish screen, but this time, he didn't go to the limited weapon banner. He checked the standard banner. The description on the cover indicated that it was possible to obtain weapons from the 'Skyward' series, including the 'Skyward Harp.' In his inventory, he had 'Skyward Blade,' 'Skyward Pride,' 'Skyward Spine,' and 'Skyward Atlas' from the 'Skyward' series, some of them even had duplicates. But the one he lacked was the 'Skyward Harp.'

Now, Tartaglia, who had spent so much Mora, gradually calmed down from his earlier emotions. Since he couldn't pull it from the weapon banner, he would try the opposite approach. Pull 'Skyward Harp' from the standard banner!

The first golden item was a five-star Pyro Claymore, Diluc, making a guest appearance. Tartaglia didn't change his strategy and continued pulling from the standard banner. This reversal of strategy left the surrounding players stunned. Some even began to suspect that Tartaglia had been driven mad by the weapon banner's pulls and had completely gone off course. Then, the second golden item was 'Skyward Blade,' and the third golden item was 'Skyward Harp!'

"It really came out!"

When the 'Skyward Harp' pattern appeared, Tartaglia had a somewhat surreal feeling. He had been hoping for it in the rate-up banner, but it unexpectedly came out in the standard banner with just the third golden item. The 'Skyward Harp' in the image seemed particularly dazzling at this moment.

"Phew..." Tartaglia heaved a sigh, whether in relief or just a breath, it was hard to tell. After spending 90 million Mora, he finally pulled this 'Skyward Harp.' No one had anticipated this result in advance. It could be considered a historic moment.

Tartaglia knew he had pushed it a bit too far this time. Though he didn't have any particular concept of money, he was well aware that this amount was by no means small, even for the Northland Bank. What was worse, if the 'wealthy' individuals noticed such a significant gap in his Liyue funds, they might personally come after him for an explanation. It seemed like he had to quickly find traces of Morax, the Geo Archon. Only by obtaining Morax's divine core could he offset the expenditure of this reserve fund.

"Everyone, the bet is over now. I need to return to my private room and organize the assets in my backpack," Tartaglia said as he walked out of the crowd. He entered his private room and closed the door. Meanwhile, Ningguang, acting as the house, saw this scene and smiled slightly. She didn't say much and followed Keqing back to their private room. Only the players in the hall outside were left, discussing fervently. Today's events were undoubtedly going to be the biggest news of the year. For those who had witnessed the entire process, it became their most significant topic of conversation.

Inside the private room, Keqing looked at Ningguang and asked softly, "Ningguang, why were you so confident that you wouldn't lose?" Ningguang's lips curved into a slight smile. After this event, she appeared somewhat enigmatic, as if she had foreseen the result long ago. So, Keqing couldn't help but ask.