Under the gleaming white moonlight, in the surging expanse of the sea, stood a girl with ink-black hair and crimson eyes.
Eighteen exquisite and luxurious classical firearms, symbols of ultimate elegance, intertwined the blazing flames and golden phoenix.
"Bullet One..."
Himizuki lifted the gun in her hand with a single hand, softly and calmly uttering these words.
Empowered by her enhanced attributes, amplified by the world's domain, this shot would represent the pinnacle of beauty.
A cry resounded, and the recoil caused Himizuki's arm to slightly tilt backward.
"Witness this..."
Synchronized with Himizuki's enchanting smile, a high-speed shot of crimson flames pierced through the distant night.
It seemed ordinary, just as before.
The moment the judgment was made.
The crimson flames bullet unfolded like petals of a blooming rose, its trajectory resembling a blossoming flower, both in quantity and pattern.
Like the separation of parent and child missiles, like a meteor shower, eighteen bullets followed the graceful path of flowers towards Alister!
A sight full of beautiful crimson radiance filled their eyes as it suddenly surged towards Alister.
In the past, Alister would have used his Shadow Step to evade.
However, he was now an ordinary E-tier player with A-tier strength.
"Shadow, Burst."
With just a slight raise of his hand, a force capable of shattering the sea area, causing waves to roar and crash, surged forth. A tempestuous wave of a hundred meters was formed!
An immensely massive shadowy black hole forcefully altered the gravitational rules, crushing the space, and engulfed all of the Bullet One shots!
But this was not the end.
Just like her identity as a noble heiress, Himizuki embraced herself with both arms, her classical firearms revolving around her.
The sea breeze gently brushed her ink-black hair as it suddenly surged with energy...
Lift, swing down, just like the first exchange of fire in modern warfare...
"One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven... Eight, go through them one by one."
Himizuki narrowed her eyes slightly, "Bullet Nine, I'll spare you for now, be grateful."
In an instant!
The tactical barrage of classical firearms, with eighteen by eighteen terrifying firepower, turned into a dense and intricate pattern of crimson trajectories!
The girl with black hair and black dress, red pupils, stood against the sea breeze, commanding the world.
...
...
Within Chenghai Miracle Cruise, a player in a mysterious white hood approached the entrance of the casino.
The golden mask-clad attendant gave a slight bow, calmly opening the grand door.
The opulent golden light spilled out, shining beneath the feet of the figure in the white hood.
"Prepare to crown the queen." A European feminine voice echoed.
The white hood was finally pulled down, revealing the princess-like visage of white hair and silver eyes—a face that was both stunning and dangerous.
—"E-Tier Rank 2"
Former E-Tier Rank 1, the girl who sought the conditions for becoming the top player, embarked on her revenge.
Beauty, danger, confidence.
As the holder of "Lucky King," she would never perish, luck always favored her side.
The world was her servant, everything would bend to her will, even if she acted capriciously.
Including her early arrival at Chenghai Miracle Cruise, it was all the will of her fortunate guardian, the most correct choice.
She was the supreme princess.
"Let the game begin."
With a casual wave of her hand, she bid farewell to the trailing maidservant and stepped into the fate-filled gambling arena of players!
...
...
"Ten million dollars, all in."
Victory.
"One billion dollars, all in."
Victory.
"Ten billion dollars, all in."
Victory.
In the first-tier casino, a confident and silvery voice, calm yet resonant, echoed in the minds of all the gamblers present.
In just a few minutes, her assets doubled repeatedly, effortlessly causing her opponents to go all in.
"Well... Miss, I currently lack the assets to bet."
"How could you put it that way?"
The girl with white hair and silver eyes propped up her chin, flashing a smile even warmer than the sun, and said:
"Rule Three: Anything of value can serve as chips."
"..."
"Sir, how about wagering your player abilities?"
"There's no need for provocation..."
"Ah~ I see..."
The girl seemed a bit vexed but then swiftly disappeared, suggesting with a warm smile:
"How about this? My bet will be my entire fortune combined with my special ability. How about that?"
"..."
"On your side, you only need to wager your abilities. Comparatively, I'll be at a bigger loss, won't I?"
With just one victory in this round, she could take away all of the girl's belongings.
All eyes were on the casino, and it had become the focal point of attention.
"... I refuse." The opponent was not impulsive.
The girl smiled, her smile as warm as ever, but tinged with a bit of vexation:
"I see... Then you may leave, being scared away by a mere E-Tier player like me. Truly lacking in backbone."
"Rare to find a C-Tier player with less courage than an E-Tier."
"This kind of grossly unequal wager, I wouldn't back down."
"Interesting."
Observers who hadn't yet realized the girl's terrifying prowess hesitated on the upper level, offering mixed assessments of the cautious C-Tier player's actions.
However, this was the last straw that broke the player's resolve.
Indeed, even faced with such an unbalanced wager, and he was retreating? What kind of C-Tier player was he then?!
How could his game end like this?!
"Let's do it then!" The C-Tier man's eyes flashed with a fierce light. "I'll wager my player ability!"
The emotionless gold-masked attendant standing beside the table seemed to indicate that once the game started, there was no turning back.
"Rule Four: The order cannot be violated in any form."
Breaking the terms of the bet also fell within the scope of violating the order.
"Fearless, huh~" The girl smiled warmly, "But not quite enough."
Then, with a confident oath, she proudly announced to the entire hall:
"My wager will be my entire wealth and a mysterious ability that cannot be revealed."
The entire hall was in an uproar. This would be the first game tonight where player abilities were used as chips!
The loser of this game would plummet in real-world status!
Let the game begin.
"Rule Five: Welcome to the world of gambling, spending money, and gacha."
...
...
Thalassophobia, Megalophobia...
When a patient imagines, sees, or comes into contact with things related to the ocean or large objects, they experience rapid breathing, trembling hands and feet, and a strong desire to escape.
They're aware that this reaction is unreasonable, but they can't control it...
So, what if these two conditions were combined?
In the vast sea beyond Chenghai Miracle Cruise, Himizuki couldn't imagine the terrifying experience that would forever haunt her.
The empty expanse of the sea seemed to bring forth indescribable entities, invoking a primordial fear that was hardwired into her very being.
Endless darkness, shadows, shrouded the sea in an ineffable haze.
Deep, oppressive—it felt like being confined in a suffocating space, every breath heavy...
Himizuki saw something that resembled sunken deities and monsters, standing silently beneath the surface, fragmented and decaying.
All of this was at the whim of "Shadow."
He wasn't just the ruler of shadows but also the dominator of fear.
"Good evening, my pet."