First Earnings

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"Boy, it's the middle one. I choose the middle one," the biggest loser said confidently.

Two chose the left one while the last guy chose the right one.

Arrluk sneered at the biggest loser in his heart but didn't show it on his face. He both his hand on the middle and the right one together. Arrluk retrieved the berry from the middle one and into his sleeves with a sleight of hand while he let another berry that he had hid in his palm enter the right one.

"Be quick, boy." The biggest loser was getting impatient.

Arrluk sighed and said, "Good sir, your luck is not good today."

Arrluk lifted the bowl and said again," I would suggest you try another day. If possible, you should bathe two times before coming here. Many people who had won big money in this game say it increases their luck.

"No... it can't be true. I was sure it was the middle one. My eyes never left the right one."

Arrluk did not give him any explanation for his loss. He gave the winner ten coins while he kept the rest of the twenty-five coins with him. He only asked if they wanted to play another round.

"Harold, I think you have lost enough. Let's go now."

"No... I will play another round. I bet thirty, no forty copper coins."

"Harold, are you mad. You should think it over again."

"No, I will play. Boy, start shuffling."

"Alright, sir."

Arrluk started shuffling again. Sometimes fast, sometimes slow. The three bowls moved on the table irregularly.

"Here, make your choice," Arrluk said calmly.

"It the right one. I'm fucking sure it's the right one." the biggest loser said.

Arrluk nodded his head but just as he was about to lift the right and the middle bowl, the biggest loser spoke again.

"Wait, I will lift the bowl."

Arrluk froze for a moment. He cursed the guy in his heart.

"Alright, sir, you can go ahead," Arrluk said with a poker face, but his hands were fidgeting. If he can't touch the bowl, then there is no way to change the berry if it's really in the right bowl. He would lose forty copper coins if he lost.

The biggest loser lifted the bowl after praying to his god. Arrluk also prayed.

"...Fuck you bastard! Are you cheating!"

Arrluk sighed in relief. Thankfully, the berry wasn't in the right bowl. But after listening to the accusation of the biggest loser, Arrluk said, "Sir, you were the one to lift the bowl. Your four friends are also there to see. So tell me, how could I have cheated? It's a game of pure luck. You are the only one that lost three rounds in a row today, while all my previous customers mostly won money. No one lost three rounds in a row like you. I repeat it. Try another day, also. Don't bet big money if you can't afford to lose that much. Do you want to play another round?"

"Harold, the boy is right. We all saw it; there's no way he cheats. Let's go; I will buy you ale today." Harold was then taken by his friends to the tavern even when he had an unwilling look on his face.

"Arrluk, how much did we win this time," Ignis asked quickly. Tom also waited for Arrluk to reveal their profit."

"First round we won fourteen copper coins. In second, we won twenty-five while in the last one, we won forty copper coins. In total, we won seventy-nine copper coins. If we deduct the previous twenty-seven coins that we lost today and the money we spent on the table, bowls, and berry, then we still have made a profit of thirty-eight copper coins." Arrluk explained. They had never earned so much money in a single day.

"There's still half a day remaining. Ignis, bring me and Tom two loaves of bread each and a glass of goat milk. After that, you take the other guys to eat something."

Arrluk was about to give him money to buy food, but then he thought about the altar.

Arrluk immediately thought about summoning the altar screen. He thought of sacrificing the money that he had earned today with his gambling skills.

Pockets of grey light shot towards the blue screen, but much to his disappointment, there appeared a line saying that the sacrifice is not enough to operate the altar. Fortunately, the grey light is stored inside the blue screen and not lost. The money that he had sacrificed did no go to waste.

He then handed twenty copper coins to Ignis.

"Alright, brother Arrluk, I will be back with your food."

Arrluk rested until Ignis brought his lunch. He ate two small loaves of bread and drank the goat milk, filling his stomach enough to go by. After finishing their lunch, Arrluk and Tom went back to start their gambling game.

By the time it started to get dark, Arrluk had won 190 copper coins. He told Tom and Ignis to quickly pack up and bring the table, bowl, and the remaining berries that were not squashed back to their hut.

While Arrluk took redneck and Orlon to buy some food for their dinner, they were rich today. Therefore, Arrluk bought some meat, a little bit of salt, spices, and some bread to go with it. He spent fifty copper coins on the food after sacrificing them to the altar.

Arrluk had again tried sacrificing other materials such as the table, bowl, but unfortunately, it did not work. He tried offering food that he had bought, but only the meat contributed a minimal amount of grey light to the altar.

"There so much to eat today. Brother Arrluk; you really are God's champion." Orlon said in amazement. He was drooling, seeing all the food in their hands.

"Haha, Orlon, Redneck, it's only going to get better, so keep on following me, and I will let you eat to heart's content every day." Arrluk laughed as he talked with them, but then his smile fell halfway. He saw a person blocking their way through the dark alley that they took to go home quickly.

It was Harold, the biggest loser. He was blocking their way while holding a sword in his hand. His intent was quite clear as to what he wanted to do.