Transmigrated as a Third-Rate Villain in a Doomed Novel-Chapter 32: A New Quest? [III]

Why do people gamble?

There are many reasons for this. But if it were said in a snippet, the main reason would be "unpredictability."

When a reward is guaranteed, you do the work, you get the prize, and you stop when you’re full.

But when the reward is intermittent and random, the brain stays in a state of constant "anticipation." This creates a powerful loop where the act of trying becomes just as stimulating as the reward itself.

And—

When you add drugs, alcohol, or sexual arousal to this, you are essentially throwing fuel on the already overgrowing fire.

***

As gambling gives the same stimulant that drugs and sex give, separating them was hard.

Many territories in the Radiant Empire allowed prostitution, drugs, and gambling with no rules. However, "The City of Wagers" was different in this regard.

Even though the main reason Velkyn Cross could reach this height was that gambling was the barony’s main source of income. He didn’t want his territories to become lawless like others, which were decaying due to this.

The man wanted to keep his head high, proudly, and he did!

As—

Prostitution and drug abuse were barred in the Brenst.

However, rules couldn’t be forced everywhere, at least not in a lawless place like slums, when forcing them in the city itself was hard enough.

Step step

’It’s much worse than I thought!’

Elias and Evelyn continued to walk, trudging through the stench-filled area.

The darkness of the night pressed around them as the coldness of the moonlight shone, highlighting the broken surroundings eerily.

Most of the people living here were already inside their "home," trying to dream, the only place they could find happiness.

However, this didn’t mean the night that was supposed to be silent was really silent.

No, it was "The City of Wagers!"

Some people roamed in the silence, filling the already narrow streets of the slums. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

And these people seemed to have lost their sanity. Only a few were those who looked sane enough to comprehend the reality. Like others, their bodies were not quaking. Vibrations had not filled their bodies, as they were not trying to search for something, something that could lessen the pain.

Yet, their bodies showed signs that they would be turning the same as emaciated ones roaming around.

’It makes sense that these people crave drugs so much,’ Elias thought as his eyes roamed over the filth-filled surroundings. Feces and trash—some of which was searched for something to eat—and broken objects were littered and piled around. ’Anybody would want to dream a good life in a place like this. And the drug really came in hand, selling a cheap dream with it.’

"Sigh..."

The entrance from where they had entered was heaven compared to these narrow, suffocating alleys.

At least there were no constant screams, echoing like a reminder that at every step, they were letting something happen. Something that they could stop.

"Hey," Evelyn asked, pulling his shirt from behind. "Please tell me, we are near reaching whatever place you wanted to."

’I also don’t like being here.’ Elias closed his eyes. The surroundings were just that bad and filthy. ’But I have to.’

Opening his eyes, he turned to glance at the woman behind him, whose face was scrunched up in disgust. The smell of metallic iron still leaked from her, but she didn’t seem to care.

"We are. Just wait a few more minutes."

"Agh! Damn it!"

Elias, disregarding her curses, started to move forward. She really was acting as if nothing had just happened a few minutes ago.

Yet Elias didn’t comment on anything, as he knew why Evelyn was dead set on killing the woman.

And the reason was in his hands.

Unfurling his fingers, he looked at the drug.

It was the cheapest anyone could find.

However, the drug was strong. Strong enough to make people living here crave it. However, it affected the body badly, leading to organ failure and brain death.

"You took that."

Evelyn questioned as she jumped over something nasty-looking.

"Yeah," Elias replied, putting it back in his pocket.

"Why are you keeping it? Throw it," she muttered, before adding as she looked at Elias’s face. "Don’t tell me you are going to use it."

"No, I am not. Stop asking dumb questions. I just kept it because it may come in handy."

"..."

"..."

"Just accept that you want to use it—"

Elias didn’t answer, as the woman kept on going with her rambling. He knew she just wanted to distract her mind from what things were taking place here.

If she wanted, she could go on a killing spree and kill whatever and whoever was responsible. But Evelyn was not that dumb.

Yeah, she was emotional. She couldn’t control them.

But after coming to terms with reality, which she fortunately did very quickly, she could ignore these emotions.

Evelyn, herself, knew she couldn’t go on a killing spree. Even if she did, she wasn’t solving the problem.

New people will come, taking their place, and all of this will happen once more.

Yet, her senses were at an all-time high. If she thought of a situation where killing may be beneficial, she was ready to do so.

And Elias also knew this.

But—

’Where was it?’

His mind was somewhere else. Where was the place?

Elias somewhat knew where the place was, but after roaming through the slums for around an hour, he still couldn’t find it.

"You don’t know where you have to go, do you?" Evelyn groaned dramatically. "Damn it, we are fucking lost now."

’It was somewhere near the middle.’

Elias thought before once more starting to walk. After about half an hour, he spotted the place.

A wooden door stood surrounded by broken structures of houses in a silent alleyway. An iron handle hung on its wooden frame, rusted, as it gleamed in silent, cold moonlight.

"There."

"There?"

Not bothering with Evelyn, Elias started to walk towards the door.

Crunch crunch

The silence of the surroundings pressed on them as they moved towards it. Even Evelyn had suddenly gone silent.

And that was enough to make the situation feel unsettling.

Crunch crunch

However, Elias didn’t stop. He knew he was safe as the redhead was still beside him.

Reaching the door, after a few seconds, Elias moved his hands. His fingers tightened around the iron handle as he pulled on it.

Skreee

The handle groaned, its rust flaking off as layers of it fell on the ground.

Elias knocked on the door, using the handle in a specific rhythm that he knew from the novel.

Clang clang

The sound echoed ominously in the alleyway, colliding with the surroundings.

Following this, silence once more curtained, before the peephole of the door moved as someone peered from it.

Eye. Looking strained.

The eye blinked, looking at them.

Then—

"Name?"

A voice echoed, tearing through the silence.

Elias, hearing the voice, glanced at the eye peering at them before a smile crept on his face.

"Kade Blunt."