The bright screens filled the dark room with light bouncing off piles of soda cans and noodle wrappers. Seo Joon leaned into his comfy chair tapping his keys like a skilled piano player. This wasn't a game left to luck, but one where he always knew the outcome.
A bunch of five digital cards laid out on the poker table included: Jack of Diamonds, Jack of Hearts, Ace of Spades, Ace of Clubs, and Queen of Spades. Joon's avatar looking sharp all in black with no face, made a tapping gesture on the table. A corner smile crept onto Joon's face.
"Let's bump it up a million," he whispered, his voice scratchy after not talking for so long.
His screen's chat box blew up with messages:
Player_73: What's this dude up to?
LadyLuck: I bet he's just bluffing. He can't hold the double Aces.
KingCrusher: Go ahead, make the call. I bet he can't handle actually going through with it.
Joon leaned back creating a bit of suspense. It always went down like this. He didn't rely on blind fortune. His brain worked like a supercomputer—calculating odds as if they were hints nudging him towards the next smart play. The challenge was accepted and not long after, the display lit up: WINNER. 5,000,000 POINTS.
Joon watched his account balance shoot up. 98,743,200 Points—that's almost 10 billion won. He just scored another win squashing an unknown rival. Letting out a big yawn, he stretched his arms and felt the dullness creep in.
"Man, this is a piece of cake," he whispered to himself.
But then, something on the edge of his sight snagged his focus— a fresh face in the game. Their tag was a weird one so weird it was tough to even say—a scrambled mess of letters and symbols: Θντογκ.
His eyebrows pinched together in a frown. "Must be another script kiddie. Time to show 'em how it's done."
Everything was ready, and the game kicked off. But something was weird about the cards this time. Seo Joon, for the first go-round, couldn't figure out what would happen next. His computer tricks weren't working. He leaned in, beads of sweat on his forehead. His smart bets got matched every time. No one fell for his tricks.
He muttered, "What's going on here?"
An hour passed and the screen flashed red. DEFEAT. YOU HAVE LOST 50,000,000 POINTS.
Seo Joon couldn't believe his eyes. His hands shook. He clicked on the other player's profile, but it was blank. No past games. No picture. No trace. It was like they were a ghost.
And then, he yelled out loud.
Anger hit him like a tempest, and before he could grasp what was happening, the place was a total wreck—screens busted, furniture flipped. He panted hard, skin as it hit him: he was beaten. Seo Joon tasted defeat for the first time ever.
But what or who had bested him?
Somewhere in the endless emptiness between worlds, the Unknown God peered at the man losing it. A ghost-like finger drummed on the cosmic poker table's edge surrounded by floating spectral cards.
"Pretty good," thought the god. "The guy's got a real sharp brain for a human. god-level. But man, that pride..."
Shadows twisted and morphed becoming a figure with a human-like form. A voice with no body sneered and wondered out loud, "Is he gonna bite?"
Grinning, the Unknown God replied, ". When folks get desperate enough, they're willing to risk it all even their own souls."
Swiveling their gaze to the broken world of humans, the god noted the elements were all set up. The true challenge was about to kick off.
Wrecking the place didn't make him feel any better. As he looked over what was left of what he'd built, his chest squeezed tight. Years of luck and smarts gone just like that in one go. What burned wasn't the cash – it was the hit to what he had. That failure bite hurt worse than anything, like a shiv right in his ego.
And just like that, something wild went down.
This shiny screen thing just popped up outta nowhere floating like some sort of space-age movie effect.
"Hey there, Seo Joon," this kinda robotic kinda deep voice said. "Looks like you're the dude."
"Huh… what's all this?" He couldn't quite keep his voice steady.
"Your loss kicked off a fresh start. Ready to snatch back what got swiped from ya? Wanna risk it all to make a comeback?"
Pop goes the menu:
Accept
Decline
Seo Joon's hands balled into fists. Crazy, this cheeky gambit boiled his blood, yet the glimmer of vengeance fired him up. A shot to track down the jerk who showed him up and flatten them.
"I'm in," he spat out.
As he said it, the place melted into a storm of bright light. He floated feeling no gravity, while the voice rolled on, "Welcome to Ultimate Earth. Here, bets mean strength, and that's what keeps you kicking. Get set, your trek starts right now."
At a New Angle
Kang Na-yeon wrapped her cloak tighter as she trod through the packed slums of Neo-Seoul. The city was alive, all buzzing and glowing with neon signs hawking high-risk betting spots. You know, the kind that build fortunes or shatter lives. Spotting newbies was her thing, and they always had that same bewildered, fish-out-of-water look.
"Got another one here," she mumbled catching sight of Seo Joon popping into existence like magic.
He staggered a bit reminding you more of a kid who lost his way rather than some tough betting pro. But the dude had a certain spark in his gaze, not the usual blank stare you see in fresh faces around here.
Na-yeon let out a chuckle. "Might just make it, this one... unless he offs himself first."
Finale: The Initial RiskAdjusting to the new place wasn't an option for Seo Joon. The system beeped, and a pop-up sprang up: Must-Do Initial Risk. No Points Needed.
An announcement came, "The outcome of your first fight sets your starting level. Wish you the best."
In the blink of an eye, he found himself in a shiny high-tech battleground. The spectators erupted in cheers as a dude in shiny gold armor stepped up with a grin.
"Look new meat," the golden armor guy mocked. "Gonna love smashing you."
Joon's thoughts were all over the place. Being in the physical arena felt weird to him, but the interface was throwing tips into his brain. The scene was new, yet the base ideas of betting—the mind games, the trickery—stayed put.
With the start of the game, a smile spread across Joon's face. His passion ignited once more.
"Time to have some fun."
Hang tight for Chapter 2: A New World.