When Sarko saw Daniel accepting the Abyssal Core, a faint smile immediately crept across his face.
"Human," he said, "I must admit—I’m quite intrigued by your kind’s world. Tell me, in the human realm, is there such a thing as gambling?"
"Of course there is," Daniel responded calmly, his expression composed and tinged with a hint of a smile.
Sarko’s smile only grew wider upon hearing that response. A glint of excitement flashed in his deep-set eyes.
"Human, I understand your desire for the Abyssal Core," he continued. "You don’t have to trade anything for it—not in the traditional sense."
"According to our customs here, all that’s required is a wager."
This was, in fact, the first time Daniel had encountered an abyssal creature capable of intelligent conversation.
Every abyssal monster he had met before—whether low-level creatures or World Rank bosses—lacked any trace of sentience.
Sarko was the first abyssal being Daniel could truly talk to, and that made him far more cautious than usual.
After Daniel nodded in agreement, Sarko extended his hand and summoned 5,000 additional Abyssal Cores from deep within the mine.
"You see, Abyssal Cores are a unique resource of the Abyss," Sarko explained, his voice calm yet persuasive.
"Let’s settle this the abyssal way—with a bet. I’m wagering these 5,000 Abyssal Cores against the 5,000 I just gave you. What do you say?"
Faced with Sarko’s challenge, Daniel remained composed, his face still wearing a relaxed smile.
"Certainly," he replied. "But I suggest we modify the game into something more fair—for both of us."
"From what I understand about the Abyss, new abyssal creatures are periodically generated here."
"So let’s bet on what kind of abyssal creature will emerge next. If I guess correctly, I win. How about that?"
Daniel wasn’t suggesting this out of whimsy. His primary concern was that Sarko might manipulate the outcome.
After all, this was Sarko’s domain—the Abyss. Sarko likely knew far more about its inner workings and hidden mechanisms than he did.
Still, Daniel cautiously voiced his concern.
"Sarko, with your power... You can’t influence what kind of abyssal creature will appear next, can you?"
Sarko’s body became more solid as he answered, and Daniel noticed that this version of Sarko bore a striking resemblance to one he had seen before in a certain game.
Despite being an abyssal lifeform, Sarko radiated an unusual sense of refinement—an elegance uncharacteristic of abyssal beasts.
"Don’t worry, human," Sarko said reassuringly. "If I had the power to alter the Abyss’s rules, I wouldn’t be stuck in a place like this."
"Even the Abyssal Sovereigns cannot rewrite the rules of the Abyss."
He paused briefly, before flashing a half-smile.
"But you... You’re an interesting one. Far more entertaining than the others I’ve met."
Daniel activated [Eye of Insight] and quietly confirmed that Sarko wasn’t lying.
Still, a seed of unease grew in Daniel’s heart at the mention of an Abyssal Sovereign.
If his guess was right, such a being would surpass Sarko in power by an entire tier.
An existence like that... Even the Human Emperor Odin might not be able to match it.
Then again, Daniel had never actually witnessed Odin fight. All of this was, for now, just speculation.
"Well then," Daniel said, straightening his posture. "Let’s make this a wager."
A beam of light suddenly cut through the darkness.
[Wager Officially Established]
In that moment, a formless, supreme force acknowledged and sealed the bet between Daniel and Sarko.
Even within the Abyss, rules were enforced by this higher power—an omnipotent will that no one could fully understand or define.
As the bet took form, abyssal energy began to gather rapidly in the dark space ahead of Daniel.
Seizing the moment, Daniel spoke aloud:
"I guess it’s going to be an abyssal locust!"
Just seconds later, the gathered abyssal energy compressed and began to solidify, gradually forming a physical shape.
A status panel emerged before Daniel’s eyes.
[Abyssal Gigabone Fish]
[Description: A common abyssal species known for its sturdy bones. Resides in deep abyssal regions.]
Upon seeing the creature’s identity, Sarko’s face lit up with delight.
"Haha! You lost!" he declared gleefully. "According to our wager, all your chips now belong to me."
Daniel, however, remained unshaken. His expression was perfectly calm.
He didn’t waste a word—instead, he activated [Time Stream] without hesitation!
His form flickered, vanishing into the timeline, and reappeared at the moment the wager was first established.
A familiar beam of light once again flashed across the void.
[Wager Officially Established]
But this time, Daniel didn’t rush to declare a guess. Instead, he looked Sarko in the eye and asked,
"You’re not going to cheat... are you?"
Sarko nodded gently, his smile pleasant and sincere.
"Of course not. I’m an honest gambler. I never rig a game."
Daniel nodded back. [Eye of Insight] confirmed once more that Sarko wasn’t lying.
Without further delay, Daniel declared:
"I guess it’s the abyssal Gigabone Fish!"
And just as he finished speaking, an abyssal Gigabone Fish materialized before him and Sarko, just as it had the first time.
Sarko didn’t even blink. He showed no surprise.
In his mind, although the Abyss teemed with countless creature types, their spawning followed certain observable patterns.
Getting it right once or twice? It wasn’t outside the realm of possibility.
As promised, Sarko made no attempt to cheat. This was just the opening round of a larger game—the appetizer before the real feast.
He casually handed over the 5,000 Abyssal Cores to Daniel.
"According to the terms of our bet, these are yours," Sarko said smoothly. "You now have a total of 10,000 Abyssal Cores."
"But the real question is—do you wish to keep going?"
"If you’re willing to wager everything, I’ll throw in 15,000 Abyssal Cores."
Sarko knew the psychology of gamblers all too well.
By increasing the pot by 5,000 cores, he was baiting Daniel into pressing his luck.
Truthfully, Sarko had his own plans.
This so-called ’bet’ had never truly been fair.
Daniel’s resources were limited, and he was betting everything in each round.
Sarko, in contrast, owned multiple Abyssal Core mines. Even if he lost a few rounds, his reserves were practically inexhaustible.
All he needed was for Daniel to lose once—and everything would be his.
Sarko had stacked the odds subtly, skillfully.
Because to a seasoned gambler, there was nothing more intoxicating than stripping the other side of every last chip.
And once Daniel was fully invested, what he stood to lose... was far more than just Abyssal Cores.