The reunion with the crew members was shocking.
Rita couldn’t hide her confusion.
The peaceful villagers had instantaneously transformed into gamblers engaged in illegal gambling inside the house, so it was no wonder she felt bewildered.
[Cyber Gambling House;;]
[Gambling House Kitaaaaaaa]
[It’s already obvious whose creation this is, which is the comedic point]
[Seriously lol]
“Rita, you’ve arrived. Would you like to join in as well?”
“Riha.”
“Hiya.”
The crew members welcomed Rita with bright smiles.
She decided to first grasp the full circumstances of the incident.
Who initiated this game?
“It was Mollu.”
“Mollu insisted on doing it!”
“This is Mollu’s house.”
[She remodeled her own house into a gambling hall ㄷㄷ]
[When did she even build this, not having a house before]
[Mollu released poison into the Flare server]
[What kind of place has this in the basement]
[It feels like a secret space]
“House?”
Now that she thought about it, this was a place she had never seen before logging out.
It was a standard log cabin.
In front of the house was a field, perfectly complementing the cozy natural scenery with the modest size of the log cabin.
However, as she stepped inside, the reality was thoroughly uncovered.
Wasn’t there a place like this in the hidden basement she had just descended through a secret ladder?
Rita began pressing Mollu, the owner of the illegally remodeled house.
“Did you mine all those diamonds just for this?”
Operating such a cyber gambling house would surely require a base capital.
The diamonds Mollu mined while others were building houses and farming had played their role perfectly here.
“It’s a pretty good business idea, you know.”
“What do you mean?”
“Ah, just hear me out for a moment.”
[Mollu, the Emperor of the Underworld]
[Windy Mouths on]
[What are you doing to the innocent village girls ㅠㅠ]
[Having tasted this once, there’s no going back]
Mollu spoke fluently as if she had prepared her excuses in advance.
“You know KangXLand, right, KangXLand?”
“Huh?”
“They operate legally, there. It’s a gambling house run on a national level.”
Suddenly bringing up a real-world example, Rita nodded as if saying to continue.
“Our Flare gambling house could be officially operated in the village. I’m the manager of that.”
“Who gave you the right to say such things…”
“That’s why I’m asking for permission, Village Chief.”
[Pre-emptive action followed by reports]
[It’s just about doing it and seeing what happens ㅇㅇ]
[That’s what she said]
The term “village chief” refers to Rita, the leader of the Flare crew and founder of this village.
Leaving Rita, who had become a mute, Mollu continued her explanation.
“I’m not just doing it for my own profit. Since it’s a public project, it must contribute to our village.”
Mollu presented a box through interaction.
“What is this?”
“Open it.”
[How many are there]
[All of them belong to Mollu? Rich beyond belief]
[She must have profited massively]
Inside the wooden box Rita opened were dozens of diamonds.
Presumably owned by Mollu.
However, what came from Mollu’s mouth was a complete denial of the origin of the diamonds before her.
“This is the commission from running the gambling. These diamonds will be used as a fund for the community development.”
Her tone stated the obvious so calmly that Rita unconsciously asked.
“But then, Mollu, you gain nothing from this? You only keep operating the gambling house without any return.”
“Two main reasons.”
Mollu’s character jumped twice.
“First, it’s fun. Just watching people win and lose money is enjoyable.”
[It does sound fun ㅇㅇ]
[Seriously, what’s there to do in a rural village? At least this is good]
[It’s a cultural industry lol]
It was definitely enjoyable in terms of broadcasting or gaming.
Rita secretly agreed.
“Second, I’m not only the operator of this gambling house but also a bank.”
“A bank?”
No way.
One possibility flashed through Rita’s mind.
“During the game, it’s possible to lose all your assets. It’s commonly referred to as liquidation. For those who have lost everything but still want to continue playing, I lend them my diamonds for a small fee.”
“And that small fee would be?”
“Collateral. For instance, Hanyang’s diamond set equipment.”
“That’s just a loan shark.”
“Oh no, I’m a bank that lends money to those in need.”
[The picture is becoming clearer]
[I didn’t expect Mollu to be this terrifying]
[Her mindset is to squeeze every last bit out of them]
[Why is Jay sitting alone in the corner?]
[Just watching, I guess]
Rita’s eyes caught Jay’s character, curled up in the corner looking somewhat dejected.
“Is that related to why Jay is like that?”
“Oh, Jay. Unfortunately, Jay went bankrupt while gambling against Ria.”
“Oh dear…”
Rita looked at Jay with a glance of pity.
However, Mollu’s subsequent words shifted her gaze slightly elsewhere.
“In the process, he borrowed diamonds from me… but due to losing again, he couldn’t pay me back. So, I had to claim his collateral.”
“Rita, I… I was washed out…”
“Where did you learn such words?”
[Laundering lol]
[Seems like he’s watched some gambling movies]
[Did Jay get played?]
[He got scammed in the player’s field]
Rita gave Jay, who was sniffing, a disdainful look.
“Washing out? It was a fair game. It’s just that the winner was Ria.”
“Heh, how dare the noble blood in me face off. This is amusing.”
“Please return my Tower of the Sky…!”
“That’s collateral, so I can’t.”
The Tower of the Sky that Jay claimed to build in hopes of becoming a king of the heavens was now in Mollu’s possession.
What value could that scant building hold?
Perhaps it held significance in having secured a provision.
“I’ll borrow again! I have nothing to lose this time!”
“If that’s the case, how many diamonds shall I give you?”
“30, no, 50!”
With an assertive shout of desperation, Jay called out while Mollu withdrew the diamonds.
Rita interjected between the two.
“Wait a minute. Jay has nothing to use as collateral now. But you plan to lend him diamonds?”
“Nothing to offer? He still has one left.”
“Ugh…”
Jay’s character anxiously darted around the room, expressing hesitation.
“If you can’t repay me the diamonds here, you’ll provide me with that amount of labor.”
“Labor?”
“Um… For instance, building the structure I want or tilling my field on my behalf.”
“That’s just.”
[Isn’t that just like becoming a slave?]
[For real lol, losing turns you into a servant]
[Where’s the line for unjust exploitation? ㅇㅇ, that’s pretty generous]
[That’s true]
The viewers echoed exactly what Rita had in mind.
“So, that’s all I need to explain, so would you like to join in too, Rita?”
“Join in? This is fun…”
“Push it aside and speak, Jay.”
With the broadcast’s entertainment aspect and the community fund for the village, there was no basis to outlaw this gambling house.
Of course, it seemed Mollu was gaining considerably while someone like Jay was suffering huge losses, but as long as she regulated it to prevent such extremes, that was fine.
“I won’t participate. Everyone, enjoy yourselves but return to your day jobs reasonably.”
“Sure~.”
“I’ll see you in a bit.”
Reluctantly granting business permission, Rita turned her steps away from the underground gambling house.
*
“This goes here, and this goes there…”
Rita, who was managing the village as usual, witnessed a bizarre scene.
Wasn’t Jay climbing the tower he named the Tower of the Sky?
“What are you doing up there, Jay?”
“Ugh… Rita…”
She thought perhaps he had won a gamble and regained his collateral, but hearing Jay’s voice dispelled that notion.
If he had, he wouldn’t sound so disheartened.
“I’m laying down tracks… Mollu asked for a sky car.”
“So it ended up like this.”
A ride from Mikreft that cuts through the sky.
It seemed Mollu desired that.
– Jay~! You’re working, right? You can’t be slacking off~
[Spotted slacking off like a ghost lol]
[He’s just talking for a moment amidst working]
[Mollu knows how to command others]
[But for someone like Mollu, being a good master isn’t bad]
[For real, if she’s attractive and has a nice voice, it’s almost a reward]
[I agree, I agree, Jay’s lucky]
“Yikes…!”
“Oh dear, this is quite something.”
Jay flinched at Mollu’s voice that echoed from afar.
One might think Mollu was cursing and whipping him.
“I’ll take my leave now, Rita…!”
“Yes, um, good luck.”
Seeing the crew member who had fallen into slavery, Rita shook her head in disbelief.
