Devil's Gambler [43]

Fanzer landed softly on the ground, his wind allowing him to softly land. He observed the surroundings quickly, looking back up through the hole he fell through.

"I can't get back through the top, and there's a ton of traps in this corridor. Adding onto that, there's no way of finding out where this corridor even ends. I've gotta get back with the other two, so…." Fanzer's body was covered in purple sparks, and he suddenly rushed through the corridor.

However, he didn't set off a single trap, using his expertise in being a Thief to assist him.

A few minutes later, he emerged in a beautiful, crystal biome. Beautiful minerals jutted from the ground, blocking Fanzer's field of vision.

A small squinting gaze later, the Thief realized the crystals were just earthen metals, but rather, they were mana crystals of differing elemental alignments.

Under his experienced gaze, he could tell the crystals were not only beautiful, but they were also incredibly valuable.

Due to their elemental alignments, they'd sell even better than normal mana crystals. When elemental mana crystals, also known as Lucentials, were absorbed, the elemental affinity of that Lucential would increase the affinity of the user in that element.

The Lucentials were only usable by those with unlocked Soul Attributes, and they were rare to naturally occur in Dungeons. However, this sight was several steps beyond incredible.

But Fanzer couldn't enjoy the scene.

He wished to be swept away, but the beauty was contradicted by something else.

Crimson electricity crackled out of the beast's nostrils as it slowly exhaled. The blue and white scales of the massive Construct shimmered like the nearby Lucentials.

The Dragon God slept.

Fanzer crept.

The Dragon God stirred.

Fanzer froze.

Longshen turned its head, its eyes slowly creaking open.

His instincts as a Thief kicked in, his mana retreating into him. He completely disappeared, and more importantly, his presence was entirely gone.

[Fanzer has activated the skill: Thief's Veil.]

Despite all the troubles he'd faced since meeting Jin-Woo and Ichigo, Fanzer still continued his goal to be the World's Greatest Thief. After facing Lycaon, he'd been constantly forced to think about how he'd grow as a Thief.

Lycaon, a Failed Construct barely touching the S-Rank, had sensed Fanzer's presence through his sense of smell. It taught Fanzer that what he was currently doing wouldn't be enough to progress as the Coin Thief.

He tried developing his skills, but now, under Longshen's gaze, Fanzer only had so much he could do.

Thief's Veil was his best attempt at developing his sneaking abilities.

Longshen's eyes fluttered, instantly locking onto the space where Fanzer was standing.

Sweat slowly ran down Fanzer's face, but he didn't flinch, his heart racing in his chest.

Longshen squinted at the spot before settling, closing its eyes again.

Thief's Veil worked! But…

[The skill, Thief's Veil, will fade in 30 seconds.]

Fanzer could feel deep within himself that he didn't have long to stay concealed. A clock ticked away in his head, a trait he was glad he added into the skill. As his mana was expended to cloak and hide his presence, he began fervently tiptoeing away.

His undetectability was not reassuring enough to make him run or move any faster than he needed to, even though he was encouraged to move fast by the inner timer his skill held.

'Fuck, shit, piss, stupid ass, dumb gambling luck, goddamn it! I could've been sleeping peacefully right now if I didn't have to be so unlucky! Isn't it about the be Christmas in a few hours? And here I am, trying to get away from an actual dragon! This must be because I ended up running out of luck! I pushed it too far, and this is the consequence!'

Fanzer tiptoed faster, silently screaming profanities at himself. However, he suddenly stopped when he heard shuffling. He slowly craned his head to see Longshen shuffling before it settled again, crimson electricity still shooting from its nostrils.

'God why is it so scary?! Why did my luck have to be slightly lower than Ichigo's or Jin-Woo's?! They could've—'

Fanzer suddenly halted, '—Died here. I don't think Ichigo or Jin-Woo could take this thing down. I have the best resistances to electricity easily, but even without that, I don't know if Ichigo could get through its scales fast enough to kill it. Jin-Woo is powerful too, but even his abilities must have a limit somewhere.'

'Psh, as if that suddenly means I'm the chosen one. Nope, there was a truly valuable plan for what to do if—or more realistically, when—we'd run into Longshen. We'd just hurry up and skedaddle, we'd just run away!'

'So why aren't I running…?!'

Despite what he knew what the smart option was, his body didn't move.

'Why can't I move…?! Why won't I move?!'

The timer of Thief's Veil ticked away, Fanzer's mana growing thin under the technique. He felt himself running in mental circles, and seconds later, Thief's Veil faded.

Fanzer went still, staring at the Dragon God with feverish intensity.

The Perfected Construct's eyes opened, revealing crimson lightning flickering at random intervals. Longshen's gaze landed directly on Fanzer, confirming its knowledge on his presence.

Purple electricity began sparking off Fanzer's body, but before she could even move, a blur came out from behind Longshen. Fanzer could barely see what was happening before he was smacked away, tumbling through several Lucential clusters.

He couldn't even react before the dragon's massive figure leapt into the sky, the nearby natural mana crackling with electricity.

Fanzer barely settled on the ground before he looked up to see Longshen's mouth outstretched, the dragon darting towards him.

Next to him were bits of a Ventus Lucential cluster. The cluster was shattered whenever he slammed into it, but he decided to ignore that since Longshen was literally coming down to kill him as the seconds passed.

Running was a better answer, and yet—

Fanzer crushed the Ventus Lucential, feeling power flow through his veins. It wasn't a world-shattering thing, but he was filled with a sense of connection with the air around him. This raw, undeniable connection was something he forgot was a common trait in Elementalists.

Regardless, he was linked with the ground underneath him, and he abused that connection.

He held his arms up, fear racing through him. Despite the positives of a connection with the air, he could also feel what that connection meant negatively. He could feel in his very soul that Longshen was a threat, coming down on him at a speed faster than he could respond to.

[Fanzer had activated the skill: Double Wind Cyclone.]

Energy gathered around his arms, racing out in a truly titanic tornado of power. The skill Fanzer used against Lycaon appeared in an instant, racing towards Longshen.

However, unlike Lycaon, Longshen's path was barely altered, the Dragon God cutting through the cyclone like it was a morning breeze. The biggest difference the attack could make was that it slowed Longshen down a smidge.

Gladly for the Hunter, that was barely enough.

Air gathered at Fanzer's feet, and he sloppily pushed himself back. He flew several feet back, hitting hisi back against the ground. He winced but was otherwise unperturbed.

At the same time, Longshen's mouth slammed into where he used to be, the rock and earth being crushed to a pulp.

Fanzer couldn't even quip before Longshen leapt at him, the dragon's movements fast and dangerous.

The Thief barely formed a bubble of mana around himself, the dragon's jaw being stopped only a few feet away from the young man. Cracks spread through the mana bubble. Sweat ran down the Thief's head.

"You will not win, human. You are pushing your limits," A titanic voice rung out from within Fanzer's head, causing him to seize up. Longshen took advantage of the weakness, pushing down further and cracking the mana bubble more.

Fanzer tried to keep himself up, but Longshen's tail swept him away in an instant. The attack slammed directly into him, where his body was only covered by a miniscule amount of mana.

Fanzer rolled until he hit a Lucential clump.

Fanzer coughed, his head throbbing and body. His heartbeat played like drums in his ears. Longshen's voice was like an attack all on its own. Fanzer's head felt like it would pop, like an incredible pressure was being applied to it at all angles.

'Telepathy…? Shit, I don't know. Ugh.'

As he tiredly stared up into the patchwork sky, Fanzer was overcome with a desire to sleep. It would certainly be easier than fighting a dragon.

"You humans are weak, that is why you will perish here. You choose to run instead of fighting, like a coward. You have no place here," Longshen's voice echoed within Fanzer's head, causing him to scream out in pain.

As Longshen's gargantuan form skulked towards him, Fanzer's head throbbed even more, then his body throbbed even more. He could barely manage to think, but somehow, he did it. He thought about his choices, as stunning as they were.

He could sit still and die.

Or he could run and die.

Or he could fight and die.

The options were incredibly appealing.

And yet, despite his exhaustion, Fanzer managed to rise from his spot, blood leaking from his wound. He couldn't tell exactly what had happened, but he was pretty sure he'd broken a few ribs. He was tired, so tired. But the grin rising to his face looked full of vitality.

"You know what, Longshen, you're right. We, humans, are weak. We bleed, and die so easily, and we can barely hold onto one another in our worst of times," Fanzer laughed, clapping to himself. "And yet, here you are, fighting against one of us measly humans."

"You dare…!" Longshen suddenly leapt at the Thief.

After awakening his Soul Attribute, Fanzer constantly had one question. He always wondered why he was a "Gambler," and not a "Thief."

He spent his entire life trying to steal from people. Originally it was to survive, but then it was to test his limits. And yet his very soul was more befitting of a Gambler than a Thief.

He couldn't understand why.

He considered himself quite unlucky. He'd never visited a casino in his life. He tried to avoid getting in over his head. He was more careful than he visioned Gamblers to be. And yet, he was unequivocally, a Gambler.

For someone like Fanzer Leblanc, giving up and running away was easier.

But he chose to fight.

That was his biggest gamble.

"I wonder why," he grinned.

Because that was the kind of person Fanzer Leblanc was.

Light shone from within Fanzer.

A familiar voice rung out from deep within him. It was soothing, familiar, and undeniably, himself.

<We are the Gambler, and we will never lose in a game of luck. However….>

Fanzer locked eyes with Longshen, gold flickering within his gaze. Even as the dragon came down atop of him, he didn't flinch.

<What we need is not a game of luck, but rather the strength to fight.>

[Fanzer Leblanc's Soul Attribute is evolving.]

<With a heart full of courage….>

[Gambler -> Devil's Gambler]

<Not even the Devil will gamble with us.>

Lucky Coins rained.

As Longshen's crimson mana gathered in its mouth, several Lucky Coins flipped around Fanzer.

"Damn, I really am the luckiest around," Fanzer laughed.

[Devil's Gambler Passive Skill: Absolute Luck.]

[Skill: Absolute Luck dramatically increases the chance of Luck-based skills activating positively.]

[Fanzer has activated the Soul Attribute skill: The Devil's 666 Lucky Coins.]

All the Lucky Coins landed positively, giving Fanzer several buffs. His defenses, his mana control, his mana output, and more were all increased by the Lucky Coins. With Absolute Luck to assist him, Fanzer gambled everything with a grin.

Longshen's crimson mana suddenly shot towards Fanzer, but the Devil's Gambler casually held his hand up.

[Fanzer is using the skill: Mana Shield.]

Mana Shield was a skill Fanzer had seen Yogumunt use before. It was a skill only accessible to those with incredible control over their mana. And yet, now he was the one using it.

As Longshen's mana crashed into the shield, the difference was night and day. Fanzer had been shoddily pulling his mana together before, but now it was truly something else, completely blocking Longshen's Crimson Beam.

'Okay, I shouldn't get cocky. This thing has survived several years of running into Hunters, so I need to find a spot of weakness,' Fanzer maintained the Mana Shield, noting the fact that Longshen's Crimson Beam was fading. 'If it's scales are too strong…!'

The Crimson Beam faded, leaving Longshen looking a bit tired. Of course, the attack was intense for Fanzer too, but he ignored it, thankful for his truly deep mana pool.

Fanzer's eyes shot around, landing on broken cluster of Aqua Lucentials. However, Longshen wouldn't just let Fanzer walk there.

The Thief had stolen skills from his enemies for years. His entire fighting style was made from what other people did, all because he didn't believe in what he could create.

With gambling on his side, he took a step away from that hesitation.

And at the same time, he took a single step towards the Aqua Lucential cluster, crossing the distance in an instant. He used the connection he still felt from the Ventus Lucential and moved.

[Fanzer has activated the skill: Wind Devil's Shunpo.]

Fanzer snatched up an Aqua Lucential as Longshen scrambled to catch up to him.

Fanzer was slightly different than most Hunters. Most Hunters would only use one Lucential at a time, and they'd normally focus on one type of Lucential, so their mana would be on a single track instead of several.

Fanzer obtained a lot of mana from people as he stole over the years. And with that mana, came a small bit of affinities in every type of magic.

So, the Gambler crushed the crystal and felt a new element flowing into him. Fanzer rarely used water-based spells, but the situation called for it.

Longshen's eyes locked onto him, and the dragon leapt forward with an eardrum-shattering roar. Fanzer took a step towards the gargantuan monster with a grin, holding his hand up and creating two Lightning Lances.

However, instead of just throwing them, Fanzer pushed water mana through the spears. And after a few seconds, spears of see-through—if slightly purple—water were held within his hands. Then, he threw them.

[Fanzer has activated the skill: Water Lances x2.]

The spears flew true, going exactly where Fanzer wanted them to, directly into Longshen's mouth. The attack exploded upon impact, water suddenly filling the dragon's mouth and throat.

The Construct, needing to breath, choked, but Fanzer didn't stop.

Taking another Wind Devil's Shunpo to the side, Fanzer threw several Water Lances towards the monster, all landing with stunning accuracy.

Fanzer appeared next to a Pyro Lucential cluster, picking it up before disappearing and reappearing next to a Terra Lucential cluster. He crushed each, clenching his jaw and feeling power rise through his body.

He couldn't handle crushing another, he could feel his body beginning to fray. There was a reason why mana crystals and Lucentials were unreliable sources of mana, and this was why. Even after four, he wasn't sure he'd be able to handle anymore.

Regardless, with the four basic elements covered, Fanzer grinned.

Pulsing mana through his foot, the ground underneath the choking Longshen caved, forming a bowl around the dragon. In its intense thrashing, it didn't even notice.

It was far from efficient, and it couldn't be considered a skill, but it managed to get the concept across.

With Wind Devil's Shunpo, Fanzer leapt into the air, managing to stand on the air and look down at Longshen's panicking form. From so high, the monster didn't look so threatening.

He held his hands up, fire racing out of him and forming into a massive orb of fire. Fire was the basis for lightning, and while Fanzer used the latter far more than the former, it wasn't a hard element to grasp.

Besides, in Fanzer's days as a Thief, transmuting fire into lightning was easy.

Fanzer let the air fall out from underneath him, the massive orb of fire being turned into electricity. Before he even hit the ground, the orb had completely shifted.

The Hunter hit the ground hard, grinning. The giant orb began flowing into Fanzer, crackling and electrifying his hair.

The Gambler extended his hand towards the massive dragon. His smile grew, a ball of electricity forming in his palm.

"Bye-bye, overgrown lizard," he mocked, and all the built-up energy suddenly raced out of his hand.

[Fanzer Leblanc has activated the skill: Lightning Devil's Wrath.]

Unlike any spell Fanzer had formed ever before, it was a huge beam of pure electricity. It instantly overtook Longshen's body, and it destroyed anything and everything in its path, including the mighty dragon. The only thing left were its bones, still cracked and damaged by Fanzer's attack.

A humongous cavern was left in the wake of Fanzer's attack, melted slag slowly flowing into the massive spot.

Fanzer softly hit the ground, standing there for a moment. He stared at the damage, a sudden exhaustion sweeping over him. The adrenaline was abruptly fading, He looked up to the sky, his body sorer than he ever thought it could be. His head was still pounding, but even that seemed like an afterthought.

"I just single-handedly killed a dragon, hahaha! Wooo! I just did that! Hell yeah!" Fanzer cheered, simultaneously proud and flabbergasted by his own achievement. "Oh crap, Ichigo and Jin-Woo, I need to get moving…!"

Fanzer groaned, walking and grabbing an Aqua Lucential.

"My Soul Attribute evolved, huh? Devil's Gambler? I like the sound of that," he smirked to himself. In the distance, a Pyro Lucential sat in the distance, near the edge of the molten crater.

Fanzer extended his hand towards it, and the crystal slowly rose. It was shaking profusely, but it traveled towards Fanzer, falling softly into his hand.

"Ugh, some high-leveled Psychokinesis would've been great for that fight. Well, now's as good as ever, while I try to get some mana back," Fanzer sighed, magically reaching out towards another Lucential. This time he threw it in his subspace. "You both better survive, Ichigo and Jin-Woo. I'll be there soon."