Mr. Black

Marcus's mind raced. He couldn't afford to show weakness. Clearing his throat, he maintained eye contact. "I didn't cheat. I simply observed and deduced, skills honed over many lifetimes."

The man's smirk deepened. "Your skills are... remarkable. Too remarkable. It's bullshit, you're just some twenty year old punk. Don't think changing your name will fool anyone Alex, you were in here just last week losing what little credits you had and now you're winning big. TELL US HOW YOU DID IT."

The man screamed the last part slamming his hand onto the table, a blaster revealed in his belt pocket.

Marcus's instincts were to flinch back but years in the street had hurt him, made him angry, instead of backing down his eye's narrowed to a knife's glint.

Immediately, the temperature in the room seemed to drop, and the air grew thick with tension. The man's smirk faltered for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure.

[Unlocked new Trait: Intimidating I]

[Your years on the street and years at war have left a stain on your soul, sentient beings are more likely to be intimidated by you.]

"W-Who the fuck do you think you are?" the man scoffed, but the slight tremor in his voice betrayed him.

Before any more could be said, the door opened.

A tall figure, imposing and confident, strode into the room. He was tall but bulky, he had pale skin and slick backed black hair which matched his black suit which rippled with muscle. The aura of authority was almost palpable. He was the boss of the casino.

Marcus glanced briefly at the newcomer's stats using his System's interface and almost choked.

[Casino Boss]

[Strength: 55]

[Agility: 25]

[Endurance: 45]

[Intelligence: ??]

[Skills: ???]

[Traits: ???]

[Afflictions: ???]

Current Mood: [???]

Not only were this man's stats some of the highest Marcus had seen but much information was hidden, he couldn't even determine the mans mood!

The boss took a seat, dismissing the man in the suit with a nod. "Leave us," he ordered.

The suit hesitated but then left, closing the door behind him.

The boss looked at Marcus, his expression more reasonable, his eye's flashed and I could tell he was observing me. It made Marcus's skin crawl, could he see the same thing he could? Marcus let out a deep breath, most likely not, the System was a boon from God, he doubted there was another.

Marcus had felt this before, when he met a strong individual back in Rome, some people could just look at you and know things.

This man was one of those people.

"Mr. Crassus, I know you didn't cheat. I admire skill when I see it," the boss began. "But we have a problem. Our clients are upset, claiming foul play. You leaving with $500K will cause more trouble than it's worth."

Marcus raised an eyebrow. "So, what do you propose?"

The boss sighed, leaning back in his chair. "How about this? You keep $10K. Consider it a gesture of goodwill. The rest stays here."

Marcus's heart sank, but his face remained impassive. $10K was nothing compared to his debt, but he knew he had little choice. He couldn't afford to die again, not now.

He nodded slowly. "Fine. I'll take the $10K."

The boss's expression softened slightly. "Good. Smart decision. This will prevent any unnecessary... complications."

Marcus stood up, feeling the weight of defeat. "I'll take my leave then," he said, his voice steady.

The boss nodded. "You can collect your $10K at the front desk. Don't bother coming back."

Marcus stopped dead in his tracks turning "I can't come back? Why?" he exclaimed.

The man got up and looked down "If you come in here winning all the time people will begin to avoid my establishment, I'm sorry but people come here to win and lose, not always lose. I suspect the other casinos will ban you as well once they get word of this."

Marcus gripped his cane so hard his knuckles went white, this place had been a boon of wealth but now it was locked off to him, now it was just... gone. Sensing his frustration the man pulled up Marcus's arm and tapped his own wrist device against it.

Marcus blinked because he had hardly seen the man move and his grip while not painful had felt like iron, a reminder of how feeble he was.

"I can see you are not well and I'm sure you have your needs for money. I have a job for you if you're interested." he said, Marcus raised an eyebrow and observed the man again.

This time a new skill was revealed [Skills: Brawler III, Leadership II, ???].

Marcus nodded, his head held high despite the disappointment gnawing at him. "I'll send you details sometime soon, and here is a gift." Marcus looked down and saw that the man was holding a small container, when he opened it there was an unassuming ivory pipe and a bundle of wakeleaf.

"I noticed you took a liking too it, you can have this pipe and some of my personal stash. I should warn you though this drug is quite addictive." he said and left Marcus alone in the room. Marcus closed the container slipping it into his pocket and looked down at his wrist and he saw a new contact name in the holo-display "Mr. Black"

As he hobbled his way to the front desk, he couldn't help but think of his debt. $1 million credits was still a long way off.

When he reached the desk, a clerk handed him a small chip. "Your winnings, Mr. Crassus."

Marcus took the chip, slipping it into his pocket. "Thanks," he muttered.

Leaving the casino, he felt a mix of relief and frustration. He had survived, which was paramount. But his main plan for money had just been scratched off.

Stepping into the bustling streets of Centari-IV, Marcus began strategizing his next move but was cut off by a serious coughing fit which left blood spittle on his hand. He gasped for breath as the fit passed.

He needed to find another way to make money, and fast. But first it seemed like another blood treatment was overdue.

Lighting a pipe full of wakeleaf, he cracked his neck and set his jaw. "Onward," he whispered to himself.

He might have lost this round, but the game was far from over.