Obtaining 2000 Ker Gems in one go?!
All four members of the Shameless Sect were completely tongue-tied, and just like them, all of the rest in the queue could only continue to stare at this lucky guy, who was even just a Human-level Mage, by the looks of it, while he thanked the Heavens which had apparently favored him with luck.
The silence that had followed the loud exclamation was suddenly broken when everyone started to talk all at once, and in fact, the majority of the voices were shouts at those at the front of the group to move faster, so they could enter.
But as for the Shameless Sect, they were still clueless: what the hell was going on?
What were these 'rolls'? How could anyone earn that much? And as these many people were milling around trying to get in, then a lot of people must be succeeding, and if so, how did the King even have so many resources to give away, unless he was cheating?
That last part was definitely out of the question, though, because they knew that the leader of the sect had vowed that he would make sure that everything would be carried out in a fair manner, as this was something which was related to the pride of the sect, but as for the rest of the questions, they needed answers, ASAP.
Once again, they turned to those in front of them, who were eagerly looking at the front of the line which had finally started to move, but once again, before they could ask, there were interrupted.
This time, though, it was because they had gotten their answer: stepping forward had made it so that a formation whose range they had been out of before activated, showing them a large display comprised of elementary particles flashing above the Dragon-shaped stall.
And above it, a few words were written with a flourish, which seemed to flash and captivate the minds of everyone who was looking at them.
"Come one, come all! Test your skill, test your luck! And if both are in line… Then hit the jackpot, and go laughing to the bank! Enter the Lucky Dragon, and change your fate! Come one, come all!"
The word 'jackpot' was specially made to stand out, and even after the four of them glanced away from it to see what was underneath, it still remained in their minds.
The display below these words was split into two parts, with the first saying, "First phase: Pay a small entry fee, and test your skill. According to your current power level, a problem/question regarding either the Path you have chosen, or even the general Path of Magic/Fighting will be asked. Simply give the right answer, and move onto the next phase!"
The second part occupied a large space, but most of it was taken up by multiple blocks each of which had different things in them.
But above all of these, there was an explanation, and it was this that the four in the Shameless Sect first focused on.
"Second phase: Roll for your rewards! What you earn is purely based on luck. If the Heavens are smiling upon you, roll high, and earn the ultimate prize of 5000 Ker Gems! Even if the Heavens decide that you do not need to grow richer than your wildest dreams… roll well, and earn thousands of Ker Gems! And even if you're unlucky… don't worry, as there are techniques that you can take away and possess forever!
Note: In the interest of transparency, the mechanism which selects the rolls can be inspected by anyone who asks. If they find anything untoward in it, they can show this to the leader of the sect, and be rewarded.
Below are all of the rewards!"
Finally laying their eyes on all of the boxes, the Shameless Sect blinked, as even the lowest award was dazzling.
"Midtier Warrior-level Fighter Technique".
A damn midtier technique!
They couldn't believe their eyes!
And as for the entry fee… It was only 100 Ker Gems!
Anyway they looked at it, it was a bargain, as these techniques would go for much higher prices outside. And of course, this was with the conversion made that walking out with the amount would ensure that one would be able to exchange it for 10 times the same.
Slowly… The Shameless Sect started to understand why there was so much excitement.
The more they studied the contents of the boxes, the more they salivated, because each and every one was so captivating.
The side rewards, themselves, went up to High-tier Champion level techniques, and seeing this, they could not believe their eyes, as these were restricted all over the continent unless an individual had sworn to always follow the sect that they were a part of.
But here, simply by rolling high, they could get one!
True, it might not be one that would definitely align with them, but still, they could exchange it whenever they wished, so its value in the real world was easily many, many times that of what they would be spending here to get it!
And as for the number of Ker Gems on offer as a reward, it started at 50 and went up to 5000, with the highest roll even being that one would gain this amount, and also two High tier Champion paths!
Now… Even the one that they had seen before did not seem too lucky, as his reward was just a tad bit above the middle level.
Although there were thousands of people in the entire area, not many had decided to come to this central stall first, but as word started to spread, more and more started arriving, and this made the Shameless Sect feel happy that they had decided to come here right away.
They didn't even talk much: their eyes were fixed on the rewards, and after hearing the chatter from in front of them, they started to brush up on the concepts of Magic that they had learned long ago.
Of course, they also started to pray, but it was the fatty who did this the most, as he had always been the one who had the most belief.
There were 160 people between them and the entrance, but the line moved quickly: apparently, the problem would be simple, and it wouldn't take long to answer. Even the roll would begin right away, with no delay whatsoever.
Over the course of their waiting, there were more and more people who would come out ecstatic, having earned a few hundred Ker Gems and precious techniques, but there were also many more who walked out a bit dejected, but also convinced to try their luck again.
Even these people had definitely obtained techniques, so they had no reason to be too sad, but weirdly, the four did not see many return to the line after having gone into the stall once.
Right as the Shameless Sect were about to enter the door, they found out why this was the case, because a man ran up to the front of the queue right alongside them and began to shout,"Listen! It's not as perfect as it seems to be! After you pass the test, if you roll low, there is an option where you can pay more Ker Gems to roll again! I did that, and rolled 7 times with all of my Ker Gems! I gained some techniques, but I lost more Ker Gems than I gained! It's still a scam!"
Whispers began among those in the queue as they heard this, but the fatty suddenly interrupted these by shouting, "Oh, really? Is that the case…or is it that the number of people who can enter are limited, so you want to ensure a spot for yourself while you go get some more Ker Gems? Say, if you're really unhappy, why don't you give us those techniques you earned? They must be worthless to you, right?"
An expression of panic instantly came on the man's face, and instinctively, he grabbed the satchel at his waist.
Laughing uproariously, the fatty declared, "That's what I thought! Now get out of here!"
As he royally walked into the stall after saying this while flanked by the rest of the sect, Daneel couldn't help but burst out laughing from where he stood.
His sovereigns had arrived, so he was sitting with them, and he had just been explaining the ideology behind his scam to Kellor, who had asked.
Controlling his laughter, he decided to finish the answer, first.
"Ah, where was I? Oh, yes, the idea of basing the scam on greed: you see, the Sect is filled with greedy folk who, at the end of the day, only care about themselves. So…even if they find out, later, that this entire thing benefits me, in the end, they'll still keep coming, because I have an almost unlimited amount of techniques which the Emperor wanted to make public knowledge, anyway. Like you said, if I had set up a stall just to sell techniques, these bastards would have banded together and made me reduce the prices until it had no meaning! I would have lost, then! But with this medley of luck, skill, and greed…nothing can go wrong! Now, give me a second, I have an old friend to meet…"
Five minutes later.
BOOOOOMMMM!!!!!
A loud sound right from the centre of the event attracted everyone who had still not headed over, and as they all looked in that direction, a breathtaking series of fireworks greeted them.
There were all kinds of Godbeasts frolicking in the sky, and among them was an announcement that gave the answer regarding why it was all happening.
"Congratulations to the Shameless Fatty(given name) for winning 5000 Ker Gems and two High-tier Champion level Mage Paths!"
Thousands looked on with disbelief as they saw this, but soon, the fireworks were replaced by a gigantic display trinket that could be seen from any direction.
On it was the fatty, and with a wide, obnoxious grin, he said, "HAHAHA, the Heavens are with me! Look at all you unlucky idiots! Cry, cos I'M RICH, F*CKERS! Don't bother coming to the stall anymore as its closed for today, but I bet no one will be as lucky as me even tomorrow! HAHAHAHA!"
As his laughter echoed in the area, many, many people could be seen gritting their teeth, and in the air, the sovereigns were all listening as Daneel said, "Final step: artificial creation of shortage to induce 'Fear of Missing Out'. I'm telling you, it's potent. And seeing all that anger…I think that tomorrow will be quite interesting. Let's turn in, sovereigns!"
With that, the sovereigns left to do their duties so that they could return the next day, and the entire sect was ablaze with jealousy and anger, along with vows that they would one-up the fatty the next day.
Many tried to dissuade them and call them to their own scams, some of which were doing quite well, but most…still had the irritating image of the fatty's face stuck in their minds.
The next day saw a queue being formed from right the second the gates opened, and throughout the day, it looked like there was no slowing down.
Many won, many lost, but everyone knew that in the end…the King would be the winner, as even if he rewarded a few with a lot, he was taking a little from many, which would always be higher in amount, while also being nothing comparable(in total) to the former.
It was in the evening of the second and final day that Daneel finally received the message that he had been waiting for from the leader of the sect.
"King, I'm passing along a message. Some would like to challenge you to a fight, as they believe that this contest is rigged to support you. I don't support that, but basically, they've been defeated in their hedonistic side, and they want to use their power. Shall I stop them?"
Bending his neck from side to side and cracking his knuckles like a wrestler going out to fight, Daneel sent the answer in a tone that sent a shiver up the leader's spine.
"Nope. Gather them all together- I'll take 'em all on at once. Oh, this is going to be a great show!"