After much thought, Luo En sighed.
"How shall we bet?"
There was no helping it, the temptation of life was indeed irresistible to him.
Moreover, on the domain of this Goddess, it seemed he had no right to refuse.
Alas, he had hardly enjoyed a month of aristocratic life before he had to fight a resurrection match; such luck was truly messed up.
At this moment, the Nameless Goddess who received his response slightly curved her lips, her smile seemingly richer by a few degrees, her tone laced with a thread of pleasure.
"Very simple, a game of high and low."
With that, the Goddess handed one of the dice to Luo En, while she, raising her fair wrist, was about to cast the fate-determining die.
"Wait!"
Luo En hastily spoke up to stop her, his eyes flickering deeply as he looked at the Goddess.
"This seems somewhat unfair to me. How could I possibly win if you used your transcendent powers in the game? If it's a game I'm bound to lose, then I refuse!"
"Very well, I promise not to use Divine Power during the gamble."
The Goddess paused to think, then nodded in concession, lifting her hand once more.
"Wait!"
Along with another urgent interruption, the Goddess's brows furrowed slightly, the smile on her face visibly fading.
"Do you have more conditions?"
"Deciding the outcome in a single round is too arbitrary."
"Then, best two out of three?"
"Ten rounds!"
Luo En brazenly made his demand, barely keeping his nerve.
"I should win as long as I equal or exceed your score in one of the ten rounds! Only then will I willingly gamble this one soul!"
A brief silence stretched for a few seconds before the Goddess seriously regarded the figure before her and spoke with a half-smile.
"You don't have any other conditions, right?"
Under the Goddess's probing gaze, Luo En felt an immense pressure, unconsciously swallowing, he nodded stiffly, not daring to be more demanding.
Third time's a charm; by now, he had negotiated enough favorable conditions for himself. If he pushed further, he feared the Goddess before him might flatten him into a QR code with a single slap.
Having reached an agreement, both parties simultaneously released their fingers, casting the Twelve-Sided Die in their hands.
The first round, Luo En 7 points, opposite 9 points.
Good, not too far apart, there's a chance.
Luo En consoled himself while taking a deep breath and continued to throw the dice onto the stone slab on the ground.
The second round, Luo En 8 points, opposite 10 points.
The third round, Luo En 4 points, opposite 6 points.
The fourth round, Luo En 1 point, opposite 3 points.
The fifth round... the sixth round... the seventh round...
The eighth round, Luo En 11 points, opposite 12 points...
The continuous defeats made Luo En's complexion increasingly ugly.
Gambling with the Deities was indeed not so simple.
Even if she were to refrain from using Divine Power, her control over her body and gambling skills were levels beyond the reach of ordinary people.
The Goddess paused, her eyebrows perked with interest, but then, abruptly, her smile faded, and her tone turned sharp.
"But why? I've already won, why should I bet with you again?"
"Because our wager is a soul, but I..."
Luo En stood steadfast, pointing at himself, a provocative smirk spreading across his face.
"...have two chips!"
Strictly speaking, he had two lives.
One came from the world he once knew, belonging to himself; the other originated in the divine era of Greece, belonging to the God of Wine.
As to whether this indeed qualified as two separate souls, Luo En was not sure; it was just a precaution he had taken in the haste of opening the bet earlier.
In the quiet atmosphere, the Goddess scrutinized the figure in front of her, her gaze more playful.
So that's how it is?
Interesting, truly interesting!
"Fine, I'll bet with you."
The Goddess, as if having discovered a new world, readily accepted the invitation.
Done!
At that moment, Luo En, who had been tense all over, finally let out a sigh of relief upon hearing the answer, a trace of relief gracing his rigid face with a smile.
As expected.
As long as there was a plausible reason, the other party would certainly persuade themselves to bite, and sit at the gambling table once more.
He might not understand souls, but he understood gamblers very well.
No sooner had the agreement been made than the purple-haired Goddess, somewhat impatient, started twirling the die in her hand, ready to throw it.
"So, when do we start?"
"Hold on a moment."
Luo En slightly raised his hand in a pausing gesture, speaking earnestly.
"Last time you set the gambling terms, so this time the method and rules should be chosen by me!"
"Hmm, fair enough."
The Goddess pondered, nodded slightly, and asked with interest.
"So, how would you like to bet?"
"I don't know complicated games, so let's keep it simple,"
After pondering for a moment, Luo En replied solemnly.
"A counting game, the rules are simple: we take turns choosing numbers, counting from 1 up to 30, each time we can say up to two consecutive integers, and whoever claims 30 wins. If I win, you must let me return to the real world unconditionally!"
"Agreed!"
The Goddess answered without a second thought, her absolute power endowing her with an overwhelming sense of superiority, unafraid of any challenge.
After the rules were stated, Luo En's face carried a slight smile, and he gracefully gestured with his hand.
"Then, to be fair, since I set the rules, I'll let you count first."
The Goddess tossed the die in her hand nonchalantly, nodding eagerly to start the game.
"1–"
As the Goddess began to speak, Luo En's taut expression softened, his eyes flickering with a deep light.
This game, won!