"No wonder you're willing to bet your life against me; turns out you have so much underworld currency."
Inside and outside the mirror, two Summer Skies were identical in appearance, yet their expressions were starkly different.
The exterior remained calm as usual, while inside, eyes filled with greed stared fixedly at the gold ingots.
Regarding the arcane, underworld currency was the condensed product of the netherworld's power, directly absorbable without refinement. However, different underworld currencies contained varying purities; gold contained the purest netherworld power, making it easier to enhance arcane abilities.
Compared to human lifespan and souls, arcana favored gold.
"How do you convert gold and lifespan?" Summer Sky asked.
"According to arcane rules, one ounce of gold equals one year of lifespan."
Arcana without underworld currency could only wager lifespan, while Summer Sky used gold. Hence, they needed to establish the conversion ratio in advance.
"Let's begin then!"
In the bathroom, the game of rock-paper-scissors commenced once more.
Counting to three, each made their move simultaneously.
Best of three, two victories: Summer Sky smoothly won the first round, gaining three years of lifespan.
"Haha, this is too easy!"
Feeling noticeably younger, Summer Sky was in high spirits. "Best of three is too cumbersome. How about we bet one game per win or loss, wagering ten years of lifespan each round. Dare to gamble?"
"Of course, any amount is fine."
Arcana chuckled, but inwardly rejoiced.
Humans were indeed both foolish and greedy; watch as I take away your underworld currency and your lifespan will be mine too.
Song Shiqiao, flustered, hurriedly dressed and prepared to leave the room. Passing by the bathroom door, she overheard the conversation between Summer Sky and Arcana.
She couldn't help but warn, "You can't keep gambling. Winning the first round means you can move again. Leave quickly!"
This was an act of kindness, but Summer Sky turned to look at her indifferently. "Don't forget to prepare the money—ten billion. I want it today."
"How do you know about money? Is life more important, or money?" Song Shiqiao had completely forgotten how easily she had succumbed to temptation before.
Originally planning to leave, she considered that if this man died here, she wouldn't owe him any money.
Yet, she was deeply curious.
This person had suddenly appeared in the room, inexplicably and silently.
Was he like the things in the mirror, known as arcane?
Or perhaps he was an extraordinary person?
Song Shiqiao's family power was vast, and she occasionally heard about such individuals.
A glimmer of hope suddenly rose in her heart.
If this young man could deal with the arcane in the mirror, then perhaps there was a way to restore her lifespan.
Summer Sky paid no attention to Song Shiqiao; the gambling continued.
He had triggered the rule of death; either win against the opponent or find a way to break the rule, otherwise, he would die.
After a dozen rounds, winning more and losing less, he gradually appeared to be eighteen years old.
"Haha, my luck is indeed good. Feeling young feels wonderful."
Now Summer Sky had won enough lifespan to seem capable of reversing his cellular state.
However, possibly due to protective rules, when he reverted to the appearance of seventeen or eighteen, his outward bodily appearance no longer changed, but his internal functions continued to strengthen.
He appeared vibrant and full of vitality.
The arcana gambling in the mirror revealed a barely detectable smirk, knowing it was nearly time to close the net.
Like Song Shiqiao before him, winning and then losing, this time was no different.
Suddenly, Summer Sky chuckled, "Too slow. How long do you plan to play? Tell me how much lifespan you have left; we'll gamble on a final game."
"A final game?" Arcana was a bit stunned. Was this person so eager to meet his end?
"How much lifespan do you have left? I'll put out as much gold as you have; let's gamble on the last round."
As soon as Summer Sky finished speaking, Arcana's eyes widened, a smile creeping onto his lips.
Song Shiqiao, who was peeking from outside the door, suddenly shouted, "Are you crazy? This will cost you your life!"
"Why would it? Didn't you see how exceptionally lucky I am?"
"But you don't win every round. What if you lose the next one?"
"It doesn't matter. I have plenty of money."
Summer Sky retorted to Song Shiqiao before turning to urge Arcana, "Tell me, how much lifespan do you have left to gamble?"
"Human, although you have some underworld currency, it's not enough for me to wager all my lifespan. If you want to gamble the final round, I agree; put all your underworld currency and lifespan on the line!"
Arcana smirked disdainfully.
Seeing the person who had just taken out a gold ingot, estimated to be only a few dozen ounces, even adding up all his lifespan would be far from enough to let himself wager all his lifespan.
Song Shiqiao sighed softly, "So that's it."
She had thought the other party was an extraordinary person.
As a result, after gambling for a while, it all depended on luck, with no special tricks. And just like before, she lost control the more she gambled.
"Well then, I'll put out all my gold. I hope you have enough lifespan."
Summer Sky smiled and pulled out a dozen or so large and small gold ingots from his pocket, placing them in front of the mirror.
Arcana glanced over, sneering, "These are just three or four dozen ounces. Even if you add up your current lifespan, it's only about one hundred and seventy-eight years. If you want me to wager all my lifespan, it's still far from enough!"
"Don't worry! There's more."
As he spoke, Summer Sky bent down and opened the cabinet below the sink.
Inside sat a chubby baby, holding two gold ingots.
Summer Sky first patted its head, as if to reassure it, then took the gold ingots and placed them in the sink.
There was too much gold, too heavy to carry all at once. Fortunately, he had the arcana baby.
Letting the arcana baby teleport directly from inside him back to the room, take the gold, and teleport back.
Arcana couldn't see this scene in the mirror, but Song Shiqiao at the door saw it clearly.
She almost exclaimed aloud—how could there be a baby inside?
The baby saw her, smiled sweetly at her, and then suddenly disappeared.
In less than two seconds, the baby reappeared, holding two gold ingots.
Song Shiqiao was dumbfounded, not knowing what to say. Today's encounter was too astonishing.
Summer Sky continued to take out ingot after ingot of gold, their size growing larger.
Arcana's face gradually stiffened, yet his eyes were filled with greed and excitement.
Its face pressed against the mirror, almost wishing to break through and snatch away all the gold.
Then, it suddenly realized a problem.
These gold ingots probably amounted to several hundred ounces. Did it not have enough lifespan for that?
"How much gold do you have...?" Arcana lost his earlier arrogance.
"Not much, just eight or nine hundred ounces." Summer Sky casually lied.
Arcana was stunned for a moment, then awkwardly revealed, "Right now, I can only wager 386 years of lifespan."
Arcana itself did not have the attribute of lifespan; it was an anomaly.
However, Arcana was unique in that while other arcana could only absorb human lifespan and convert it into netherworld power, it could reverse this process, converting its own netherworld power into lifespan.
This was why in the previous life, it had been revered by all humans.
Pointing at the gold almost filling the sink, Summer Sky complained, "I have nearly four hundred ounces of gold here. Now you tell me your lifespan isn't enough? Are you teasing me?"
"I didn't expect you to have so much underworld currency!"
Arcana's face bore a smile, but inside it thought, Foolish humans, this underworld currency will soon be mine.
It gambled against humans not by luck, but by its arcane skills.
These arcane skills could influence a person's consciousness, making them produce whatever outcome it desired, and all without any suspicion on their part—they believed it was their own idea.
Thus, the entire gambling process was actually under Arcana's control.
Even the luckiest person couldn't possibly defeat it.
"Alright then, let's gamble your 386 years of lifespan. Hurry up," urged Summer Sky.
Arcana mysteriously smiled, "Alright, I'll count to three, for the final round."
Outside the door, Song Shiqiao also tensed up, as if she herself were gambling inside.