CHAPTER 36: CHAPTER 36 "GAME BEGINS (1)"

Around the hall were multiple tables. Ray looked at the one with an empty seat and decided to join one close to him.

"Oh, young man, you want to join?" asked the man in his early 50s. He was wearing a white shirt with a black vest above it.

Around him were two more people. One wearing black glasses while the other had a pencil moustache.

Ray flinched for a second, feeling familiar with the tone of the man, but he couldn’t pin his finger on why it seemed familiar.

"He is too young to play with us," said the man with the pencil moustache.

"And too young and too poor," the third one with black glasses jumped into the conversation.

Ray, on the other hand, shook his head.

’Doesn’t matter where you’ll go, there will always be people to judge you and look down on you.’ He took the fourth seat and gestured to the NPC who was serving that particular table.

The NPC nodded and asked before beginning the game, "Let me repeat the rules."

"Win three out of five rounds to win the game."

"You’ll have to use your own balance to play every round. Winning a round will double the coins which are invested by the player, and losing means losing your bet amount."

"After five rounds, the losing player can rejoin the game till he has lost all of his coins."

They were already clear about these rules, and then the NPC added to the rules of the game.

The NPC cleared his throat, his gaze sweeping over the four players seated around the circular wooden table.

"Now, for the rules of ’Ascending Stack’," he announced, picking up a well-shuffled deck of cards. "It’s a straightforward game, gentlemen. Each of you will be dealt a hand of five cards."

He began dealing, the cards making soft thwack sounds as they landed face down in front of each player.

Ray watched, his fingers lightly tracing the edges of his dealt hand.

"The objective," the NPC continued, "is to create a sequence of cards, from Ace to King, in thirteen separate stacks. You will use the five cards in your hand to start these stacks, if possible, or to add to existing ones in subsequent rounds."

The man with the pencil moustache scoffed quietly. "Thirteen stacks? Sounds tedious."

The NPC ignored him. "In each turn, a player can either play a card from their hand onto an appropriate stack, or discard one card face up in front of them."

"These discarded cards can be picked up by any subsequent player on their turn, but picking up a discarded card means you cannot play a card from your hand in that same turn."

He paused, ensuring everyone was following. "The game proceeds in rounds."

"After each player has had their turn, if no one has managed to complete all thirteen stacks, another card is dealt to each player from the remaining deck."

"This continues until one player successfully creates their thirteen ascending stacks, from Ace to King, across the table in front of them."

"Simple enough for even the young one to grasp, I presume?" the man with black glasses said, a smirk playing on his lips as he flicked a dismissive glance at Ray.

Ray met his gaze steadily, offering a slight, almost imperceptible nod. He wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of a reaction.

"Now," the NPC said, placing the remaining deck in the center of the table, "shall we place our initial bets?"

Ray thought of his balance. He was about to announce a modest sum from his side when the man with black glasses abruptly tossed his hands onto the table and made the first bet.

"One thousand coins," he declared, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Let’s not play for peanuts in our little gathering, shall we?" He chuckled, a dry, rasping sound.

"Though, perhaps that’s a bit steep for our... new participant." He directed another condescending look at Ray.

"Maybe we should keep the stakes low for the first round, just so the boy doesn’t lose his hard earned money." He exchanged a knowing glance with the man with the pencil moustache, who offered a thin smile in return.

The man in the white shirt with the black vest finally spoke, his voice calm and even. "Indeed, perhaps a more modest wager for the first game would be appropriate."

He looked at Ray, "No need to scare away our little friend." He nodded towards the man with black glasses. "Do you want us to lower the bet, perhaps?"

He asked Ray who answered, "No need change, I’m okay with thousand coins."

The man with black glasses feigned a dramatic sigh. "Oh, very well."

He was first to confirm the bet, still totalling a thousand. The man with the pencil moustache followed suit.

Ray considered the offered bet.

A thousand coins was nothing to him, but he saw the dynamic at play. They were trying to intimidate him, to make him feel out of his depth.

He wouldn’t let them. "A thousand it is," he said, his voice carrying no emotions.

[1000 coins deducted]

The NPC nodded, satisfied. "Very well. The first round begins." He gestured to the man with the pencil moustache, who was seated to his left.

The man picked up his cards, a frown creasing his brow. He studied them intently for a moment, then grunted and discarded a seven of diamonds face up.

The man with black glasses was next. He picked up the seven, a triumphant glint in his eyes. "Well, look at that," he said, without looking at Ray.

He then discarded a queen of spades.

It was Ray’s turn. He examined his hand.

A three, a six, a ten, a King, and an Ace. Not a bad starting hand. He could start a stack with the Ace. He placed the Ace of hearts face up in front of him.

The man in the white shirt considered his options. He picked up the discarded queen, then placed a two of clubs beside it.