To the outside world, this conversation shouldn't have been heard. The privacy barrier Luke maintained around their table with his treasure ensured that no ordinary eavesdropper could detect a single word.

However, Leon had spied upon their conversation just like before, his spatial control piercing through the barrier as if it didn't exist, and along with his air affinity, it was easy. He realized exactly what was happening—the full scope of Luke's predatory scheme and the impossible position the wolf girl found herself in.

Even he felt anger rising in his chest as he relayed the information directly into the minds of Loriel and Seraphine, sharing every detail of the conversation.

He was not typically one to barge into someone else's situation uninvited. Live and let live, mind your own business—those were generally good principles to follow.

However, this time was different.

He was quite angry. There was a limit to how low one human being could sink, and this man had clearly found the bottom. That creepy smile plastered across Luke's face while he practically held hostage the life of the bunny girl—the same innocent girl who had served them nervously at the Adventurer's Guild—was pissing Leon off tremendously.

And from the looks Seraphine and Loriel were giving him, it was clear they weren't happy either. Even Loriel seemed ready for violence, which was unlike her usual peaceful demeanor. Her hazel eyes carried a dangerous edge he rarely saw.

But the question remained: how should they go about this?

The bunny girl was effectively a hostage. Her life was connected to this vile Luke through the devious contract she'd signed, complete with fail-safe enchantments that would kill her if he died unexpectedly.

How dumb does one have to be to get into such a bad situation?

Leon knew it wasn't entirely the bunny girl's fault—she'd been deliberately targeted and manipulated—but she was still pretty damn dumb for signing something without reading it thoroughly.

A plan was forming in his mind as the servers around him started the roulette wheel spinning. He continued playing casually while taking out a pouch full of gold coins from his spatial storage.

The betting began. While his main focus remained on the conversation happening at the adjacent table, that didn't mean he wasn't paying attention to his own game. He was quite curious to see exactly how they would cheat.

He placed his first bet—one of the simplest options. Red or black. The chance of winning was nearly fifty percent, so over multiple bets, he would easily detect any pattern of manipulation.

The wheel spun. The ball bounced and clattered.

Red.

"Congratulations, sir!" the server exclaimed with practiced enthusiasm. "A winner on your very first bet! How fortunate!"

Leon nodded without expression and pushed another stack of gold forward.

The second bet. Red again.

The wheel spun. The ball danced across the numbers.

Red again.

"Amazing! Two in a row!" The server's smile widened, trying to make him feel comfortable and lucky. "You have an incredible fortune today, sir!"

The third bet. Red once more.

The wheel spun with its familiar whirring sound.

Red. Again. The ball landed perfectly on a red number.

The server was practically glowing with false cheer. "I've never seen such a lucky person! Three consecutive wins! You must be blessed by the gods of fortune themselves!"

But Leon knew better. The real game hadn't started yet. This was still the luring phase—letting him win to build confidence, to make him feel invincible, to encourage larger and larger bets.

They'll start the cheating soon. Once they think I'm hooked.

At the same time, the conversation between Luke and the wolf girl continued going nowhere. They were stuck in a circular argument, going back and forth with no resolution in sight.

And Leon had come to a disturbing realization as he listened: Luke might have absolutely no intention of ever letting the bunny girl go.

This wasn't just about money anymore. This was about control, about leverage over a four-star adventurer.

Then something changed at their table.

Sylphia reached into her storage bag and pulled out a scroll—ancient-looking, sealed with complex magical sigils that glowed faintly even from a distance.

The moment Leon laid eyes on it, he knew instinctively it was something special. His system's analysis function activated automatically, feeding him information.

Sylphia's whispered words followed, barely audible even to those at her own table despite the privacy barrier around them.

"This is an Epic rank technique."

Leon's mind seized on those words immediately. An Epic rank technique. A technique at that level!

The highest-ranked technique he currently possessed was uncommon. This thing was orders of magnitude more valuable.

Luke paused mid-sentence, hearing her declaration. His expression shifted—the smug confidence wavering for just a moment.

But Sylphia continued, her voice carrying desperate intensity.

"One thousand platinum coins is nothing compared to this. This thing is invaluable. Tens of thousands of platinum coins wouldn't be enough to purchase it on the open market. Powerful families would go to war over something like this."

She didn't want to go this far—that much was evident in her strained voice. But she had no choice left.

The only other thing of value she possessed was the sword her father had given her, which was itself priceless and irreplaceable. This technique was the last card she could play.

She couldn't learn it herself anyway—her affinities didn't match the requirements. But she knew she was losing a tremendous opportunity. She'd already had a specific person in mind for this technique, someone whose favor through this technique would benefit her entire clan and even the Beast Kingdom as a whole.

But she had to give this up for her friend.

And the moment he takes the bait and sets Bunbun free, I'm going on a rampage. This entire establishment will crumble.

Luke was silent for a long while. The smirk had vanished completely from his face, replaced by intense calculation. His mind was clearly racing, weighing options and consequences.

Meanwhile, Leon's losing streak had started right on schedule. Fourth bet: loss. Fifth bet: loss. Sixth bet: loss.

The pattern was obvious now that he knew what to look for.

He was trying to detect exactly how they were cheating, using his spatial awareness with precision to examine the roulette mechanism itself. At the same time, he remained intensely curious about what would happen between Luke and the wolf girl.

However, something had shifted in Leon's mind. A decision had crystallized with absolute clarity.

It's on now. I want that technique.

Even if the exchange happened legitimately, even if Luke agreed to the deal, Leon would get that technique for himself. It wasn't even a question anymore. He wanted it, so he would take it. Simple as that.

His system had already shown him detailed information about the scroll: a light elemental technique of Epic rank, perfectly suited to his affinities, and even seraphine.

This was not an opportunity he was going to let go.

He would kill for something like that if necessary.

Hahaha, this is perfect timing.

Leon's spatial awareness had also detected exactly how they were cheating. A small mechanism hidden inside the roulette table itself—sophisticated magical arrays whose lines were leading somewhere inside the room, influencing the ball's final position. Someone in the back room was controlling it remotely.

Clever and hidden, but useless against spatial awareness.

But now he was far more interested in that technique than exposing their petty scam. He kept betting ten gold coins again and again without any care, losing consistently as they ramped up their manipulation.

Let them think they had another mark on the hook. His attention was elsewhere.

Luke's answer finally came, breaking the tense silence at the adjacent table. His voice carried calculated greed mixed with caution.

"I will take the exchange only if—"

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