The elevator doors to Floor 3 didn't slide open; they exploded outward with a blast of confetti and trumpet music.
Aryan shielded his eyes. After the gloomy, violet darkness of the Forest of Whispers, Floor 3 was a blinding assault on the senses. It was a massive, infinite indoor city bathed in neon gold, flashing crimson, and electric blue.
The air smelled of ozone, expensive perfume, and desperation.
[SYSTEM ALERT: FLOOR 3 ENTERED]
[LOCATION: THE CASINO OF KARMA]
[RULE: GOLD IS USELESS HERE. WE ACCEPT ONLY 'SELF'.]
"Look at the lights!" Barnaby pressed his face against his jar. "It's magnificent! It's tacky! It's everything I've ever wanted!"
They stepped onto the plush red carpet. The "Slot Machines" weren't taking coins. A goblin was pulling the lever, and the screen flashed: [BET: 5 IQ POINTS].
Spin... Spin... Spin...
[RESULT: JACKPOT!]
The goblin screamed in joy as his head noticeably expanded, his eyes glowing with newfound calculus knowledge.
At another table, a warrior was weeping. He had bet [10 Years of Youth] on a game of Blackjack and busted. He walked away looking like an old man, dragging his sword.
"This place is sick," Sarah whispered, clutching her handbag. "They're gambling their souls."
"It's efficient," the Talking Stove noted. "Why trade currency when you can trade potential? I wonder what I could get for my 'Bake' setting."
"Don't you dare," Rhea warned.
The Fish who Bet the Giant
While the group was distracted by the horror of the economy, Barnaby had floated (via the First Son, who was carrying him) over to a massive Roulette Wheel.
The wheel was spinning so fast it hummed. The Croupier was a Luck Demon—a creature with dice for eyes and a tuxedo made of playing cards.
"Place your bets!" the Demon hissed.
"I feel lucky!" Barnaby bubbled. "I have a tingling in my dorsal fin! Put it all on Red 42!"
The Demon looked down at the fish. "The buy-in is high, little fish. What do you have?"
"I bet the carrier!" Barnaby shouted recklessly. "Specifically, his left leg! It's made of Ironwood! Very high quality!"
"Barnaby, no!" Aryan shouted, turning around.
Too late. The wheel stopped.
[RESULT: BLACK 13.]
[SYSTEM: BET LOST. COLLECTION IMMINENT.]
POOF.
There was no blood, only a digital glitch. The First Son's massive left leg simply vanished from the hip down.
The Siege-Engine tipped over like a felled tree. CRASH. The jar flew out of his hands, and Barnaby rolled across the carpet.
"Oh dear," Barnaby squeaked. "Math was never my strong suit."
The First Son lay on the carpet, confused, trying to stand on a phantom limb. A [DEBUFF: CRIPPLED] icon floated over his head.
"You bet my brother's leg?!" Aryan roared, picking up the fish bowl. "I should feed you to the cats on Floor 2!"
"Technically, I was trying to win him a jetpack!" Barnaby defended himself weakly.
"Well, well," a silky voice echoed. "It seems the Fish has written a check the Giant couldn't cash."
The crowd parted. The Pit Boss approached.
He was a tall, slender man with skin like polished obsidian and horns made of solid gold. He floated a few inches off the ground. Above his head was his Boss Title:
[BOSS: MAMMON THE DEALER (LVL 25)]
"The leg belongs to the House now," Mammon smiled, revealing teeth made of diamonds. "Unless... you want to win it back?"
The High Stakes Table
Aryan looked at the crippled First Son. He looked at Mammon. The amber fire in Aryan's eyes flared up—the "Sleepless" anger of a man who hates bullies.
"I challenge you," Aryan said coolly.
"Excellent," Mammon snapped his fingers. A table materialized. It was made of green felt that looked suspiciously like compressed dollar bills. "Poker. Texas Hold'em. Heads up."
Aryan sat down. Mammon sat opposite him.
"What are the stakes?" Mammon asked, shuffling a deck of cards that crackled with black magic.
"If I win," Aryan said, "I get the leg back. And the elevator pass to Floor 4."
"And if you lose?" Mammon leaned forward. "I want that arm. The Mahogany Arm. It smells of Creation. It would make a lovely back-scratcher."
Mira stepped forward, her hand on her dagger. "Aryan, don't. His Luck stat is probably maxed out. You can't beat a Luck Demon at cards."
"Trust me," Aryan whispered. "I'm not going to rely on Luck."
The game began.
[HAND 1]
Aryan was dealt: [2 of Clubs], [7 of Diamonds].
Mammon smiled. He clearly had a strong hand.
The Flop came: [King of Hearts], [Ace of Spades], [10 of Spades].
"I'm all in," Mammon said immediately, pushing a stack of chips made of souls into the center. "I have a Royal Flush, boy. I can see the future of the deck."
He flipped his cards. [Queen of Spades], [Jack of Spades].
Combined with the board, he had the unbeatable hand.
"Read 'em and weep," Mammon grinned, reaching for Aryan's arm. "The House always wins."
Aryan looked at his trash hand. A 2 and a 7. He looked at the board.
The audience gasped. Sarah covered her eyes. Barnaby hid in his castle.
"The House wins," Aryan said, his voice calm. "But I'm not playing by House Rules. I'm the Architect."
Aryan raised his mahogany finger.
[SKILL ACTIVATED: THE RED PEN]
[TARGET: THE CARDS]
Time seemed to slow down. A holographic interface appeared over the table. Aryan reached out to his [2 of Clubs].
He grabbed the curve of the "2". He dragged it, straightened it, and sharpened the top.
The "2" glitched and morphed into an "A".
[Ace of Clubs].
Then he reached for the [7 of Diamonds]. He tapped it.
[COPY/PASTE].
He pasted the "Ace" onto it.
[Ace of Diamonds].
Then, he reached across the table to Mammon's cards.
He tapped the [Queen of Spades].
He selected the "Q".
[DELETE].
He typed in "Joker".
"What are you doing?" Mammon's smile faltered. "Why is the air shimmering?"
"Checking your work," Aryan said. "Showdown."
Aryan flipped his cards.
[Ace of Clubs], [Ace of Diamonds].
Mammon laughed. "A pair of Aces? I told you, I have a Royal Flu—"
Mammon looked down at his cards.
His Queen was gone. In its place was a Rules Card from a Uno deck.
And the Jack had turned into a Business Card for a plumber.
[SYSTEM ERROR: MAMMON'S HAND INVALID.]
[ARYAN'S HAND: PAIR OF ACES.]
[WINNER: ARYAN KHANNA]
"WHAT?!" Mammon screamed, standing up. "You cheated! You turned my Queen into a plumber!"
"I didn't cheat," Aryan said, standing up and grabbing the Elevator Pass from the pot. "I just edited the assets. Next time, secure your server."
The Memory Exchange
While Aryan was busy breaking the gambling code, Mira had wandered to the back of the casino. She found a quiet booth labeled: [THE PAWN SHOP OF TRAUMA].
A hooded merchant sat there. "We buy pain," the merchant rasped. "We sell power."
Mira touched her chest. The [Heart of Flesh] was strong, but her mind was still cluttered. The prophecy from the Oracle Tree—"You are just the draft"—was eating at her. It was a fear that paralyzed her.
"I have a memory," Mira said softly. "A prophecy. It scares me."
"Fear is valuable," the merchant said greedily. "If you sell it, you will never feel fear of betrayal again. You will be cold. Efficient."
Mira hesitated. She looked across the casino floor. She saw Aryan laughing, helping the First Son re-attach his leg (which had popped back into existence). She saw him high-five the Stove.
If she sold the fear, she would lose the doubt. But the doubt was part of what made her human. A puppet doesn't worry about being betrayed. A human does.
"No," Mira said, stepping back. "I'll keep it."
"Keep the pain?" The merchant was confused. "Why?"
"Because," Mira smiled, her hand drifting to her dagger. "If I'm scared, it means I have something worth losing. I'm not selling my humanity for a buff."
She turned and walked away.
[SYSTEM ALERT: MIRA HAS REJECTED THE EASY PATH.]
[WILLPOWER +10.]
[HIDDEN CLASS UPGRADE: THE SOUL-ANCHOR -> THE UNBREAKABLE BOND (PENDING)]
The Elevator to Floor 4
The group reunited at the elevator. The First Son stomped his left foot, testing the newly returned leg.
"Good as new," the Giant rumbled. "Though it tingles."
"That's the pins and needles of resurrection," Barnaby noted wiseley. "I won't do it again. Probably."
Aryan swiped the keycard Mammon had lost.
[SYSTEM: FLOOR 3 CLEARED.]
[LOOT OBTAINED: 1,000,000 GOLD (FROM MAMMON'S POT), THE CHEATER'S DECK (ARTIFACT).]
[NEXT DESTINATION: FLOOR 4 - THE LIBRARY OF LIVING WEAPONS.]
"Weapons?" The Stove perked up. "I hope they have kitchen knives. I need an upgrade."
"It says 'Living Weapons'," Aryan read the description. "Swords that talk. Guns that have opinions."
"Great," Sarah groaned. "More things that talk. Just what we need."
The elevator doors closed. They were moving up. The lights of the casino faded, replaced by the smell of oil and steel.
Aryan looked at his stats.
[ARYAN: LVL 5 REALITY ARCHITECT]
He was getting stronger. But he knew that somewhere, on Floor 100, the empty throne of the Architect was waiting. And the "Reader" was watching.