Endless Evolution: Last Star Chapter 1467 - Capítulo 1467: Two rings and risks

“By the way, I’m guessing this isn’t your first time stepping into a casino, is it?” Adam questioned, his gaze fixed on Alexia as she deliberated over which color to place her next bet on.

Alexia gave a sluggish nod of agreement.

“Yep. Like I mentioned before, I have a thing for winning. While gambling doesn't provide the same rush of adrenaline as taking down a monster, it’s still a pretty decent thrill, you know?”

Realizing a direct answer from Alexia was unlikely, Adam shifted his focus toward Louis.

“How about you? Can you give me an idea of exactly how much money Alexia has burned through already?”

Alexia’s brow furrowed. “What kind of question is that? Why is your only concern how much I’ve lost? Is it so hard to imagine that I might actually be winning?”

Sitting nearby, Silvana awkwardly rubbed her cheek.

“Well… Alexia, you did admit yourself that you haven’t had a single win in two hours. So… it’s only logical to assume your losses outweigh your gains today.”

Louis let out a heavy sigh, slowly shaking his head in resignation.

“As of right now, Alexia’s losses total 1.5 million credits.”

The eyes of both Adam and Silvana stretched wide in pure shock. Had it been physically possible, their jaws would have hit the floor.

“What… What did you just say?” Adam stared at Louis, stunned. “We arrived here with 10,000 credits, and I was already worried because we’ve lost 500 of them.”

Louis offered a simple shrug.

“Well, despite Alexia losing such a massive sum, our net loss at the moment is only 150K.”

“Wait, what? How is that even possible?” Adam asked, completely baffled.

Louis shot a glance at the scowling Alexia and shrugged again.

“It just turns out that I’m exceptionally skilled at poker. Essentially, most of what Alexia bleeds away, I manage to win back through poker or blackjack. I’m less fond of the latter, though, since skill plays a smaller role than pure luck there.”

“Hah! So Alexia, you just lose money and force your Operator to win it back for you? Have you no shame?” Adam teased, crossing his arms over his chest with a smirk.

Alexia puffed out her cheeks in annoyance. She had no retort, primarily because he was absolutely right.

Even though she was a brilliant Phantom whose growth rivaled someone of Adam’s caliber, gambling was undoubtedly her Achilles' heel.

Unlike Louis or other seasoned gamblers, she lacked the understanding that the most crucial element of the game was knowing when to walk away while ahead.

In reality, even those playing games of pure chance, like slot machines, stood a fair chance of breaking even or coming out slightly on top.

All they needed to do was secure a small victory—usually around 5 to 10%—and then immediately take their profits and exit the casino or switch to a different game.

This strategy worked not because the casino’s mathematical formulas were flawed, but because it accounted for human greed and lack of restraint.

If a casino aimed to extract a 20% profit from a patron, there was no necessity to push them until they lost 90% or 100% of their funds—essentially ruining them.

The house wasn't entirely to blame for such outcomes. If players acted perfectly, most who entered with 10,000 credits would depart with 8,000, allowing the casino its planned 20% cut.

However, because the majority of people shared Alexia’s temperament rather than that of Louis, Adam, or Silvana, they typically left with nothing or a mere 10% rather than 80%.

Consequently, the fact that a few disciplined individuals could stop in time and walk away with a small profit was not a loss for the establishment; they still raked in plenty from those who gambled away everything.

Generally speaking, both the house and the disciplined players profited from those lacking patience—those convinced that the jackpot was just one more try away.

Occasionally, those people were right, and one in a million might walk away with hundreds of thousands. Yet, even with such luck, they were often destined for a future collapse.

They would grow overconfident in their luck and, driven by the hope of winning more, would eventually lose their winnings along with their original capital.

Only those who viewed the casino as mere entertainment and knew to lower their stakes or leave after a few wins successfully avoided devastating losses.

The sole exception to this rule was poker.

Despite being a game of chance, it was a competitive sport. Many players were skilled enough to consistently beat more opponents than they lost to on average.

Alexia was simply one of many who couldn't keep her gambling impulses in check, but she was fortunate to have Louis by her side—a man with a cold, analytical mind who would do anything for her.

“Tsk, you’re right about my losses, but you’re dead wrong about something else.” Alexia grinned, looking like a child holding onto a massive secret.

“Hmm? What do you mean by that?” Adam raised a puzzled eyebrow.

Alexia looked over at Louis.

“Show them. They might be on our level in some things, but in others, they’re lagging way behind!”

At that, Alexia and Louis both extended their hands, revealing wedding rings crafted from a silver-toned metal, detailed with intricate engravings.

Adam and Silvana’s eyes went wide.

They were well aware that Alexia and Louis weren't exactly a conventional couple, even if they were a perfect match.

However, the idea that they were already married hadn't even crossed their minds!

“WHAT?!” Silvana shrieked, lunging forward to get a closer look at Alexia’s ring. “How did I not notice this immediately?!”

Adam swallowed hard. He was equally stunned.

He and Silvana had only recently progressed their relationship. After the previous night, they had considered the idea of moving in together, but marriage?

That wasn't something Adam had planned to contemplate anytime soon. He hadn’t even given such a monumental step a second thought!

Alexia smirked, clearly relishing their bewildered expressions, especially since neither Adam nor Silvana wore such a ring.

“It happened about a month and a half ago, so you could say we’re on a very long honeymoon!”