Chapter 400 Old Friend, Reunion, and the [Fate Coin]

"Xia Nan!? Why are you here?" As a clear voice drifted over from across the card table, he caught sight of a familiar face peeking out from behind a mountain of stacked chips.

Memories tied to that face instantly surfaced in his mind.

Kalanfor, the halfling, and the [Fate Coin]...

"Alton?"

Xia Nan recognized the figure before him—someone he hadn't seen in a very long time.

—Alton.

A Lightfoot Halfling, and a devout believer in the [Goddess of Luck], "Tymora".

He remembered their first meeting. Back then, let alone being a Class Holder, he had only mastered a single combat technique: [Spinning Slash]. He hadn't even learned [Fang Hunt] from the barbarian Forgan until after he and Alton parted ways.

At the time, he was nothing but a bottom-tier adventurer who usually took on simple gathering and escort quests. He had met the halfling during a caravan escort commission from Rivervale Town to Kalanfor.

Although that mission had gone awry later on—they were inexplicably dragged into a conspiracy planned by the local sheriff and nearly ended up as sacrifices for a ritual—he had ultimately relied on his own strength... and a little bit of luck to defeat the enemy and make it out of the town alive.

Now, over a year had passed since they last saw each other. The old Kalanfor had been largely destroyed by the shockwaves of a battle between two Transcendent Tier powerhouses, and it was still under reconstruction when he left Cloudclimb Province.

And Xia Nan himself had grown from an unknown bottom-tier adventurer into someone who had forged the moniker of "Greysword" in Rivervale Town. After a series of events, he had successfully advanced to become a bona fide Class Holder, his Class Level even reaching Level 3.

Hundreds of days had passed, taking him from Kalanfor to Barracuda Bay.

To suddenly run into an old acquaintance he had parted ways with so long ago, in a foreign land far from home...

For a fleeting moment, it truly gave Xia Nan a disjointed feeling that things remained the same but people had changed.

Truth be told, if he really tallied up the time they spent together, his close interactions with Alton hadn't even lasted as long as the time he'd spent with Colin, the youth he had just escorted to Barracuda Bay.

But perhaps because they had endured a life-and-death crisis together back when he was weak, Xia Nan already viewed the halfling as a trusted friend.

Of course, the [Fate Coin] that Alton had personally gifted him upon their parting—which had helped him immensely throughout his subsequent adventures—was also a major factor that drew them closer.

Unlike Xia Nan, who had stayed in Rivervale Town to continue his adventurer career, he remembered that Alton had left Kalanfor immediately after they parted. It was in his nature as a Lightfoot Halfling; they disliked staying in one place and were passionate about travel.

To bump into each other in Barracuda Bay under these circumstances... he couldn't help but marvel at the wonders of fate.

Clearly, for Alton himself, running into Xia Nan in a place that had absolutely nothing to do with Rivervale Town was completely unexpected.

The sheer joy and surprise of unexpectedly meeting an old friend surfaced on his fair, rosy face without the slightest attempt at concealment.

His two short legs swung, and he hopped down from the high-backed chair.

But after running only two steps toward Xia Nan, he suddenly realized something. He paused, his gaze involuntarily darting back toward the mountain of chips stacked on the card table.

His voice was hurried and tinged with apology as he said, "Wait for me a moment, I'll be right done!"

With that, he scurried back to the card table on his two short legs, his feet going pat-pat-pat against the floor as he sat back down.

Xia Nan gave a wave from afar, signaling for him to take his time and that he would wait right here.

Suddenly, Xia Nan noticed two peculiar gazes aimed at him from his side.

"Mr. Xia Nan, do you... know him?" Hera asked in a quiet, probing tone, an indescribable expression on her face.

Beside her, the casino manager tensed up involuntarily, staring unblinkingly at Xia Nan.

"You could say he's an old friend of mine," Xia Nan answered directly, seeing no reason to hide it. "Also, if you're worried about those chips on the table, you can just wait a bit longer."

After all, based on his past experience with the little guy in a casino, winning money... was not his goal.

As a believer in the Goddess of Luck, completing his ritual was Alton's true pursuit.

Barring any accidents, the ownership of those chips on the table was about to change hands very soon.

"I don't really care about this amount of money. He can take it all," Hera said, a hint of hesitation creeping into her voice—a stark contrast to the crisp decisiveness she usually showed in front of her subordinates. "It's mainly..."

In their line of work, they generally didn't interfere with gamblers on a winning streak, no matter how much they won, as long as they didn't cheat. They might even proactively spread the news of a massive payout as free advertising.

The reason she was acting so vigilant, as if facing a formidable enemy, was entirely because Alton hadn't lost a single hand for several hours straight. He wasn't even trying to hide it. This absurd performance had triggered the lingering trauma that a certain Legendary rank figure had etched into the hearts of Barracuda Bay's casino operators.

Now that she saw Xia Nan seemed to know the guy, she naturally wanted to get to the bottom of it.

"I wonder if this friend of yours, Mr. Xia Nan, and the 'Arlene' we mentioned earlier..." Hera asked rather cautiously. "You know what I mean, right?"

Strictly speaking, the two of them really did have a bit of a connection.

After all, the first time Xia Nan had ever seen the name "Arlene" was on the Attribute Panel of the [Fate Coin] that Alton had given him.

Moreover, Arlene's title as "Tymora's Brow" already indicated that she was most likely a high-level believer of the Goddess, sharing the same faith as Alton.

But Xia Nan hadn't spent that much time with the halfling, so he didn't know him inside out. If he were forced to explain the relationship between Alton and Arlene to the two people beside him right now, he would inevitably have to rely on guesswork, which would only muddy the waters.

So, he pulled a coin from his pocket.

Right in front of Hera and the bald, burly man, he performed an unmistakably suggestive motion.

He tossed the coin high into the air. It flipped, rose, fell, and he caught it tight in his palm.

"Perhaps you can ask him yourselves in a moment?" Xia Nan said with pointed meaning.

Hearing this, a thoughtful expression surfaced on Hera's face. She opened her mouth, just about to say something.

A sudden commotion from the crowd around the card table drew their attention.

In stark contrast to his fair and youthful face, Alton—who was always aggressive at the card table—suddenly shoved his entire mountain of chips toward the dealer.

"All in!"

For a split second, the gamblers crowded around the table went dead silent. Then, an uproar exploded.

Voices filled with shock, jealousy, and indignation mixed together, unleashing a wave of sound that threatened to blow the roof off.

People were astounded by the little guy's sheer audacity, yet very few doubted he would actually lose everything on this hand.

From the afternoon until now, Alton's miraculous, completely undefeated streak had already conquered the gamblers in the room.

After several hours, their initial shock had faded into numbness. Now, most of them were just watching the spectacle, eager to see how chaotic things could get.

Even if they couldn't participate, they wanted to watch from the sidelines to see just how long this halfling could keep winning, and when the casino managers would finally step in to control the situation.

After all, with the way he was betting, if he kept winning, he really could bankrupt the Golden Cod.

In fact, the chips he had accumulated over the past few hours alone amounted to a staggering sum.

They could clearly see the dealer's right hand trembling violently as it reached for the dice cup. His face was taut, and sweat had already soaked through the back of his uniform.

In the background, many uniformed casino staff were rushing about in a frenzy, seemingly scrambling to gather more chips.

Around the table, countless pairs of bloodshot eyes were glued to the dice cup, their focus sharper than if they were playing the game themselves.

Yet Alton's expression was exceptionally relaxed. It was as if he hadn't just bet the fruits of his entire afternoon's labor, but a mere copper coin that couldn't even buy a snack from a street stall.

Whoosh—

The most veteran dealer at the Golden Cod Casino, who had worked at the tables for years, yanked the dice cup open with a movement that was both practiced and incredibly tense!

The air fell instantly dead silent.

And then...

"Boom!"

An explosive uproar erupted through the crowd like a bomb!

"He lost!? How is that possible!?"

"He won all afternoon! How did he finally capsize on the exact hand he went all in?"

"So much money... gone just like that?"

"Hey, little guy, want me to lend you some capital to win it back? Just give me an extra twenty percent in interest."

For a moment, the entire Golden Cod Casino boiled over. Some lamented that Alton's entire afternoon of hard work had gone down the drain, some seized the chance to offer him loans, and others wanted to pay him to teach them his gambling techniques...

And right in the center of all this chaos...

Alton, the halfling who had just personally lost enough wealth to let an ordinary Barracuda Bay resident live comfortably for a lifetime, didn't show a single trace of negative emotion on his face.

It was as if what he had just pushed over to the dealer was nothing but a pile of meaningless wooden chips.

A relaxed, natural smile beamed on his face, and he even hummed an unknown tune.

Pressing both hands against the card table, his petite body vaulted lightly to the floor.

He lowered his head, meticulously straightening the light green vest he wore over his brown shirt, and adjusted the white-feathered soft cap on his head.

Only then did he cast his gaze back toward Xia Nan.

His line of sight blocked by the crowd, he hopped in place and waved vigorously with a bright smile. "Alright, Xia Nan! I'm done!"

...

...

Three-Legged Sea Dog Tavern, in a high-end private room.

"So, you came to Barracuda Bay... and not for our casinos?" Hera asked, seeking confirmation once more. She sat on the sofa with a slightly tense posture, the lingering nervousness from the casino still etched on her face as she leaned forward.

Even though he had already answered this question many times, Alton didn't show the slightest hint of annoyance.

"Yup!" He stared at the Snake-Scale Arm Shield on Xia Nan's left arm for a moment, seemingly curious about what kind of material could possess such a smooth, jade-like texture. But after only a few seconds, his attention was drawn away by the pattern on the tablecloth, and he pivoted to studying its embroidery.

"I originally wanted to go to the northern tundra, but it's really cold up there! On the way, I heard from others that the Sugar Tangerines here are the sweetest, so I came over to try them."

"Oh right! I also want to ride a boat!"

"I've never been out to the deep sea before, so I figured I'd give it a try while I have the chance."

Although she wasn't quite used to the halfling's wildly erratic train of thought, his straightforward answers still made Hera instinctively breathe a sigh of relief.

After all, the shadow left by "Tymora's Brow" was far too oppressive. The casinos in Barracuda Bay had finally managed to recover their vitality, and she relied on the Golden Cod's income to maintain her network.

If they went through another sweep like that, half the casinos in Barracuda Bay would probably go out of business all over again.

As a tavern owner, she had extensive experience dealing with all sorts of people.

Seeing that the halfling was pure-hearted and easy to talk to, Hera had an idea and asked him about his relationship with the Legendary rank figure, "Arlene".

To her surprise, upon hearing that name, the halfling acted entirely out of character. His short frame suddenly snapped straight. He took off his soft cap and bowed solemnly toward the ceiling.

Only then did he cheerfully explain, "Sister Arlene should be keeping The Smiling Lady company right now. Don't worry, she definitely won't come to the Southern Archipelagos again."

Alton's tone was incredibly casual. The name he called out didn't sound like that of the legendary figure who had left such a notorious reputation in Barracuda Bay all those years ago, but simply a sister from next door.

The sheer naturalness with which he blurted it out formed a jarring contrast with the immense weight of the names "Arlene" and "The Smiling Lady."

It was so casual that, for a moment, Hera even suspected he might be bragging and putting on an act.

But then, remembering the halfling's performance in the casino, she tucked those doubts away.

Sitting on the sidelines listening to their conversation, Xia Nan remained expressionless, but thoughts flashed rapidly through his mind.

If he had previously been a little unsure about the halfling Alton's identity as a favored champion of the Goddess of Luck...

After hearing with his own ears that The Smiling Lady would sometimes slip into Alton's dreams, listening to the little guy recount his day's experiences like a family patriarch, and after receiving that pink Epic-grade [Fate Coin] upon their parting...

...he no longer had a single shred of doubt.

Back then, he had only recently transmigrated and didn't think much of it. But now, as his understanding of this world's deities deepened, he truly realized that someone who could make a goddess personally deliver oracles in their dreams and "chat" with their patron deity was far beyond the level of an ordinary believer.

Even among the favored champions, he had to belong to the very highest echelon.

At the very least, his soul ascending directly to the divine kingdom after death was a foregone conclusion.

Watching Alton, who had suddenly gone back to studying the patterns on his dinner plate, Xia Nan's heart couldn't help but stir.

The three usage opportunities for the [Fate Coin] had been exhausted. For fate to arrange his encounter with the halfling right at this moment...

Could it mean...

...that there was still a chance to replenish the usages of this "pink" Epic-grade consumable item?