Endless Evolution: Last Star Chapter 1465 - Capítulo 1465: Wins and Losses

Returning from the harrowing depths of the Dead Lands, Adam never anticipated finding himself in the middle of a casino. Yet, such was the unpredictability of life—unforeseen circumstances often led one down paths they never imagined traveling.

Click. Click. Click.

For several tense minutes, Adam held his breath while the slot machine cycled through various symbols. A few times they secured a win, several times they were met with nothing, and on a couple of occasions, they simply broke even.

Silvana was clearly caught up in the thrill. Hovering behind Adam, she erupted with joy every time a winning set appeared, nearly leaping into the air. Conversely, when the reels failed them, she would bite her nails anxiously and let out a string of curses.

Her emotional displays were perhaps over the top, but the excitement was magnified by the contrast to her usual composed demeanor in both her professional and personal life.

As for Adam… he simply continued to tug the lever, hoping for a swift conclusion—either losing their entire stake or hitting a massive jackpot as quickly as possible.

The only part of the experience he truly appreciated was the rhythmic spinning of the reels and the flashing special effects of the machine.

“Come on, Adam, give it another go! We are right on the verge of a win!” Silvana urged, leaning in so close that her hair brushed against his ear.

Adam arched an eyebrow at her enthusiasm.

“Shouldn't we explore other options? This casino offers plenty of different ways to lose our money besides just these slots!”

Silvana’s expression soured.

“Tsk, why do you have so little faith in your luck? If you aren't going to try to win, I’ll do it myself!”

She reached for the lever, but Adam intercepted her, catching her wrist before she could make a move.

“Fine, here is the deal. We will play this machine exactly three more times. Regardless of whether we win or lose, we stop there. Then we head to the bar for a cocktail and find a new place to spend our credits, deal?”

Silvana puffed out her cheeks in a pout but eventually gave a nod of agreement.

“Alright, I just hope three tries are enough to hit it big, or I’m going to be very disappointed!”

With a shrug, Adam pulled the lever once more.

Click. Click. Click.

The first two spins yielded nothing. The third resulted in a minor win, though it wasn't nearly enough to offset the previous losses.

“Damn it!” Silvana barked, striking the back of the chair. “Adam, just one more! I can feel it, the next spin is definitely the winner!”

Adam shook his head and stood up from the seat.

“No, we had an agreement. Three spins, then the bar.”

“But—!” Silvana gasped, her eyes darting between the vacated seat and the chips hanging from Adam’s belt. She realized she could still try to gamble on her own.

However…

Hop!

Before her fingers could reach the chips, Adam hoisted her over his shoulder and began walking away with a calm stride.

“Hey! Put me down!” Silvana began drumming her fists against his back like a frustrated child. With her current strength, however, the best she could achieve was giving Adam an impromptu back massage.

‘Well… I knew people could act out of character in a casino, but I didn’t expect Silvana to be one of them,’ Adam mused as he made his way toward the bar. ‘Though I can’t deny that my own urge to keep going spiked every time those symbols lined up!’

Gambling had a way of exposing both the virtues and vices of a person. It was a fine way to enjoy oneself, provided one didn't lose sight of reality.

Whether Silvana was being overly hyperactive or Adam was being too stoic didn't truly matter, as neither had crossed a dangerous line. They both understood the nature of the environment, even if Silvana possessed a far greater conviction that a grand prize was within their reach.

Tap.

Two glasses were set before them as the bartender moved on to serve the next patron.

“You realize that mathematically, your odds of winning increase the more you play?” Silvana grumbled, using an olive to stir her drink.

“Is that your way of saying we should have stayed at that machine? Come on, you know the house always wins in the end. Everything else is just high-end service and a fancy way to part with your cash, right?”

Adam waved off her logic and took a sip of his cocktail. His eyes widened in surprise.

“Wow, this is actually one of the best drinks I’ve ever had. And it only cost 10 credits!”

Recognizing a bargain, Adam quickly pulled up the menu on his phone, his eyes scanning the list of offerings.

It was a well-known tactic that food and beverages in such establishments were priced significantly lower than in standard high-end restaurants. Like every other detail in a casino, this was designed to ensure guests remained on the premises for as long as possible.

Many such venues lacked windows or clocks, and the floor patterns were often so chaotic that they defied focus, eventually forcing patrons to look back up at the machines and the countless other ways to spend their wealth.

While this specific casino, located high in a skyscraper, couldn't utilize every psychological trick in the book, the designers had ensured that every element was crafted to generate profit for the owners.

Adam ordered a second round of drinks as Silvana looked over at him.

“Ugh, you’re right. Even if some lucky souls win big occasionally, the probability is minuscule. I’m sorry, I was acting like a total child.”

Adam offered her a small smile in return.

“We’re here to have fun, aren't we? Besides, we still have 9,500 chips left out of our original 10,000. We’ve only lost five percent. There is still plenty of work to be done!”

Silvana let out a giggle and reached out to touch his hand.

“In that case, let’s not waste another moment!”

…

As Adam and Silvana set off to find their next distraction, a girl with a fiery temperament sat at a nearby table, her eyes fixed on the rapidly spinning roulette wheel.

Unlike her companion, she was unable to secure a single victory—a fact that frustrated her far more than the thousands of monsters she had slaughtered during her journey.