Nathan awoke not to an alarm or the sunlight filtering through the curtains of his luxurious hotel, but to a sound. A thin, desperate, heart-piercing sound—the cry of a small child.
"Mom! Mommy! Help! Don't take my mom! Please, can someone help?!"
The sound tore through Nathan's still-hazy consciousness. For a moment, his old instincts—the instincts of an ordinary man—almost made him ignore it. It was someone else's problem.
But then his system reacted.
[Ding! Emotional threat detected. Source: Female human voice, estimated age 8-10 years, showing signs of extreme distress. Location: Corridor outside host's room.]
The system's cold report gave him purpose. He grumbled, getting out of the plush bed. His powerful body, still warm from sleep, moved swiftly. He didn't think of calling security. It was his problem now.
He opened the door of his suite and his gaze immediately fell upon a horrifying scene in the luxurious, thickly carpeted corridor.
A small girl, perhaps nine years old, with slightly messy pigtails, was trying to reach a woman who was being roughly dragged away by four large, grim-faced men. The woman, beautiful with a pale, frightened face that still showed remnants of elegance, struggled weakly.
"Help! Tina, run! Get help!" the woman cried to the little girl before her mouth was covered by one of the men.
"MOMMY!" the little girl, Tina, shrieked hysterically. She held onto the hem of her mother's jacket, trying to pull her, but another thug easily pushed her down.
"Get lost, kid!" the thug snarled.
Nathan stood in his doorway, watching the scene with a cold face. He didn't intervene immediately. He observed.
One of the thugs, who seemed to be the leader, spoke in a low, menacing voice to the woman. "It's arranged, Laura. Your husband sold you. He lost big. His debt is settled if you 'cooperate' at our casino. You just need to serve our boss. So don't make a fuss."
Laura shook her head, tears streaming down her face. "He couldn't have... Tony wouldn't..."
"Tony sold you, because Tony couldn't pay off such a huge debt. Two billion, Miss. Even his blood isn't enough to redeem it," the thug retorted.
Tina, still sitting on the floor, sobbed uncontrollably. "Mommy... please... bring my mommy back..."
[Ding!] The system's voice sounded again, cruelly cutting through the poignant scene. [New mission detected.]
Nathan listened, his eyes still fixed on the trapped Laura and the crying Tina.
[Option A: Dance with the kidnapping thugs (dance simulation will be downloaded to host's muscle memory). Reward: 500,000 Rupiah.]
Nathan almost choked. Dance? At a time like this? This system truly had a dark sense of humor. It was an insult.
[Option B: Help the woman (Laura) and her child (Tina) by going to the illegal casino, winning in gambling games to win Laura's freedom, and then using the Level 2 Bed Power System on Laura. Reward: 1,000,000,000 Rupiah transfer. Bonus: Level 1 Gambling God System.]
Nathan didn't need to think twice. One billion rupiah? That was even bigger than before. And "helping" them in a way that gave him full power over Laura? It was an offer he couldn't refuse. His revenge on Tony, the husband who sold his wife, also tasted sweet.
"I choose the second one," he thought firmly.
[Confirmation received. Level 1 Gambling God System downloaded. Muscle memory for Blackjack, Poker, and Roulette at master level has been installed. Abilities: Automatic card counting, real-time probability analysis, micro-expression control, bluff detection. Casino location has been mapped. Mission initiated.]
New knowledge flooded his brain. Rules, strategies, odds—everything became crystal clear. He felt he could beat anyone.
Now, it was time to act.
"Wait," Nathan said, his voice booming in the quiet corridor, full of authority that made the four thugs turn around.
The leader smirked. "Forget it, sir. This is private business. Don't interfere if you value your life!"
Nathan stepped closer, his muscular body and the dangerous aura emitted by his martial arts system made the thugs take a slight step back. "I hear there's a debt that needs to be paid. Two billion, right?"
Laura looked at him, her eyes filled with hope mixed with fear.
"Yes. And this is how it's paid," the leader said, pointing at Laura.
"No," Nathan calmly countered. "I will pay Tony's debt. But directly to your boss. I will pay it with my winnings at your gambling tables."
The thugs burst out laughing. "You? Going to pay a debt by gambling? You're crazy!"
"Take me to your casino," Nathan commanded, unfazed. "Or I'll call the police and tell them about Tony's hideout and your illegal casino. Choose."
The threat stopped their laughter. The leader looked at him suspiciously. "Who are you?"
"Someone with money and the courage to gamble it," Nathan replied. "Now, take me. And the woman and child come too. I want Tony to see how his debt is truly paid."
After a moment of hesitation, the leader finally nodded. "Alright. But remember, if you lose, we'll take the woman and your money."
"They won't lose," Tina whispered with innocent conviction, looking at Nathan like a hero.
They departed in two cars. Nathan, Laura, and Tina in the back car, watched by two thugs. The journey passed in silence. Laura hugged Tina tightly.
"Thank you," Laura whispered to Nathan, her voice trembling. "But... why? Why help us?"
Nathan looked at her. His system analyzed her. Woman, early 30s, traumatized, vulnerable, in need of a protector.
"Because no one deserves to be treated like property," he said, half-truthfully. His other reasons were darker, and he kept them to himself for later.
They arrived at a nightclub that looked deserted from the outside. After passing through several hidden doors, they entered a luxurious, smoke-filled basement room. The clinking of chips, the shuffling of cards, and the spinning of a roulette wheel filled the air.
In a chair in the corner, the man named Tony sat pale, watched by two guards. He looked devastated.
"Tony!" Laura cried out, but Nathan held her back.
"Wait," he commanded.
The casino boss, a corpulent man in an expensive suit with a cunning face, approached. "So, this is the man who wants to pay Tony's debt by gambling?" he said, sarcastically.
"Yes," Nathan replied. "I want to buy Laura's freedom. With my winnings. I'll start with this." He pulled out his platinum credit card, which he had just arranged before going to bed at the hotel. "Exchange it for five hundred million in chips."
The boss's eyes gleamed. "Be my guest then."
Nathan didn't just sit at the Blackjack table; he took his throne. The five hundred million in chips stacked before him wasn't a wager, but a statement. Laura, with Tina held tightly in her arms, and a pale Tony, watched from a few steps behind, closely guarded by the now more wary thugs.