Esper Harem in the Apocalypse

"How many cards would you like? Of course, you can get more from the deck later, but you will have to pay for them. Also, don't forget that the money you use to draw the card from the deck will never be returned even though you win. The more cards you have in the beginning, the better."

Rusher stated while tossing the deck from one hand to another while shuffling in between the air.

"How about we toss the coin, and the winner will get to decide how many cards to distribute?" Roid suggested. "From the next round onwards, the winner of the previous round will get to decide the card distribution."

"I am fine with that," Rudy responded.

"Very well." Rusher placed the deck on the table and tossed a coin in the air. "Who will do the honor?"

"Tails for me," Rudy uttered.

The coin flipped and landed on Rusher's hand. He glanced back and forth at Rudy and Roid before revealing the result of the coin.

"It's a tail."

'Welp. My luck struck even before the match started.'

Rusher picked up the deck and asked, "How many cards?"

Rudy started into Roid's eyes and uttered, "One to each."

Rusher's eyes widened after hearing that. He had already mentioned that the key to winning this game with maximum profit was to have as many cards as possible at the start of the match. Yet, Rudy did the exact opposite and asked for only one card.

Rusher threw one card at Rudy and one at Roid.

"How much are you betting?" Rusher asked.

Roid placed his underworld VIP casino card and said with a wide smirk on his face: "I bet one hundred thousand dollars."

"Right off that bat!" Angelica exclaimed.

They looked at Rudy and waited for his response.

"What will you do? Call or fold?"

Rudy placed his VIP casino card on the table and said, "Five hundred thousand dollars."

"....!" Everyone watching the game from the outside was baffled at Rudy's action.

Roid had seen his card as soon as Rusher gave it to him. However, Rudy hadn't even bothered to check it. Not because he already knew what his card was, or he had seen Rusher's card. He was leaving everything on his luck.

"Your turn, Roid."

"..." Roid glared at Rudy and drew two cards from the deck. But he pulled one more and then one more.

After that, he tapped on his casino card and said, "I will add three hundred thousand dollars more."

Rudy did the same and said, "I will add two hundred thousand more. Making it a total one million dollar bet."

"...."

"As expected of the finale of the tournament!" someone from outside said.

"Yeah. They have money to burn!"

Maria shook her head at them and muttered, "This is why you guys always lose. Your mentality is broken beyond repair."

Rusher turned to Roid and waited for his next move, but Roid was busy glaring at Rudy. While Rudy was casually sitting on the chair.

"Call or fold, Roid?" Rusher asked. "We don't have all day. You have to make a move within a minute after your opponent."

Roid tapped his card and said, "Call."

"Rudy, are you ready to reveal your card?"

"Of course."

"One the count of three. Two. One."

Both Rudy and Roid revealed their cards at the same time, and the results shocked everyone.

Roid's card was a stone. And Rudy's card was also a stone.

"..."

'What a great start. All the impact is ruined...'

"It's a draw. Either reveal another card or increase the bet," Rusher stated.

Rudy had no other choice but to draw a card from the deck, but he didn't look at the card this time either.

"I will increase the bet by five hundred thousand dollars," he then said.

Roid tapped on his casino card and said, "Call."

"Reveal your cards."

Rudy and Roid placed their cards on the table, but this time the results were completely different from the first time.

Rudy's card was paper, and Roid's card of stone.

"The winner of this round is Rudy!" Rusher announced.

"Eek! That guy is crazy!" a gambler said from the next room.

"Not crazy. He just got too much money to bet. These people are loaded with money, and even the millions are nothing but a change for them," someone remarked.

"Could it be that you don't know?"

"Know what?"

"That other guy is a newbie. My first match was with him today, and he started with only five dollars."

"Are you kidding me?!"

"Wait, what?" Are you for real?!"

"Yeah. He made millions from just five dollars. I don't know whether he is extremely lucky or he is hiding something."

"I bet he is somehow cheating."

"Now that you mention it. The mafia girl always accompanied him to his matches. Maybe all this is a setup?"

"Yeah, that has to be it. These casinos are always the number one cheaters."

"Hey!" Someone whispered violently.

"What is it? And why are you whispering?"

"Watch your mouth. The mafia girl is standing on the other side of the room. If she heard us, we would be killed!"

The watching chamber was soundproof, but the room Rudy was gambling in wasn't. They could hear everything happening inside; it was a safety measure so no one could accuse them of cheating.

However, no one from the gambling room could hear what the viewers were talking about except Rudy. Even though that room was supposed to be soundproof, Rudy could easily listen to them.

He felt angry at how easily they jumped to conclusions and accused one another. If Rudy had lost that bet, they would have made fun of him and called him stupid. Those types of people only needed a reason to shit on someone, and they felt good thinking they were better than the other. There was no salvation for them.

Rusher grabbed all the cards from the deck and asked, "What now? Are you going to continue?"

Rudy nonchalantly stretched his hands in the air and said, "Ask him. I have already won."

Rusher turned to Roid and waited for his response.

"..." Roid gritted his teeth and slammed his casino card on the table, saying, "Of course, I am going to continue. I will continue until I win this tournament!"

"Then you better be ready to empty your pockets!" Angelica taunted.