The Tale of the Void Emperor

"Shit…you better win next time, shorty!" Lily said as she clicked her tongue, "you lost 3 out of 4 games already, while we at least won 2 out of 4 games."

"Sigh, my luck is bad. All weapons I got inside the game were something that I couldn't use properly," Dreevindo sighed.

Currently, everyone was inside one of the gamble game zones in the Gambling District.

They had sold all items they got from the people they killed in Dimensional Rifts and then went to Gambling District to win more money.

They were playing a game where they could only bet on themselves and play the game. If they win the game according to the milestones, they get more money according to their bets.

The game was simple; it was about killing and passing stages in a Virtual Mystic Zone. This was like Virtual reality, but it was supported by magic power and technology.

After entering the Virtual Mystic Zone by infusing their soul energy into a crystal and putting their hand on that crystal, they would virtually enter into another world.

However, they will have to bet money on themselves with the specification before starting.

Lily, Mimi, Huarin, were standing behind the open booth and inside that booth was Dreevindo.

There was a staff member besides the booth who spoke, "add your bet amount, odds, and milestones for the 4th round."

"I understand," Dreevindo nodded as he wiped the sweat on his forehead before speaking, "this time, I bet 20,000 rare-tier Etons on myself."

"What! Are you kidding me?" Huarin snapped, "that's all you have left after losing three times."

Dreevindo gritted his teeth with determination spoke, "if I lose, then I will sell one of my items that is worth twenty-two thousand rare-tier Etons."

"Go on," Lily nodded, "let's hope you get good luck this time."

Mimi and Huarin smiled wryly and nodded as well.

As such, Dreevindo betted 22,000 rare-tier Etons. The staff member received the amount through the card and asked, "odd and milestone?"

"One to hundred," Dreevindo said with a somber expression, "As for milestone…It's stage 6."

"Are you kidding me?" Lily, Huarin, and Mimi were dumbfounded.

"One to hundred…," the staff member didn't input the details on a mystical tablet in his hand right away but asked, "are you sure about one to hundred odds? In case you forgot, if you select higher return odds, then the stages will also become difficult."

"I'm aware," Dreevindo nodded, "do it."

Lily and others looked at Dreevindo and narrowed their eyes.

'Is he up to something?' Huarin asked.

'Something is fishy; he wouldn't take a risk like this considering how stingy he is,' Lily nodded.

…

Dreevindo indeed had a plan as he used a very rare that he possessed. He got this ability by comprehending a natural catalyst, and the conditions to use this ability and countdown were unique and high.

After all, it was a luck-increasing ability.

After using that ability, which he could only use once every hundred years, Dreevindo started the game after completing the betting details and went on for another game.

He put his hand on the crystal and infused his soul sense as his consciousness appeared in another world.

There was a display behind the booth and in front of the booth that displayed Dreevindo in that world.

Inside that world, which was simply grassy plains right now, Dreevindo stood there with a giant floating roulette wheel in front of him.

The roulette had 999 numbers, but all numbers were different sizes as they became smaller and smaller with increasing numbers. 1 number's box was the biggest while 999 number's box was the smallest.

There was also a small handle in front of Dreevindo, and he pulled it strongly as the roulette started to spin. The roulette spun at blinding speed as its needle was waiting for a number to stop in front of it.

After five seconds, Dreevindo pulled the handle again as the roulette came to a sudden stop from its blinding spinning speed.

It directly stopped at the 991 number box.

*TRIN TRIN TRIN!!!*

A buzzing trin resounded across this large betting game hall.

[Booth No.23rd got 900+ number! A jackpot game has been activated.]

[Current pool prizes have gathered to 13 million epic-tier Etons after 43 years of no one getting 900+ numbers in roulette.]

*uproar!!*

The giant screens on all corners of the hall displayed Dreevindo's game as they clearly saw the roulette's needle pointed at 991.

"Holy sht! He got 991! What kind of item is in that number?"

"All items after 900 are hidden. We can't see their details in the catalog."

"Hahaha, look at his odds! Even though he got an item at number 991, his odds are one to a hundred. Will he be able to reach his milestone with that high odd?"

"The box appeared!"

…

Dreevindo clenched his fist and thought, 'It worked!'

He then looked at the exquisite treasure box in front of him and stretched his arm forward before touching the lock on the box with his hand.

Colorful sparkles appeared before a loud announcement reverberated once again.

[Duality Twilight Koutei Hammers set has made its first appearance!]

A pair of hammers appeared in front of Dreevindo as the box disappeared. The hammers looked divine and powerful with golden, red, and blue ocean patterns on their dark grey material body.

Dreevindo's face turned red in excitement as he grabbed the hammers with his trembling hands. He was not going to take this item with him since it was not real.

However, THEY WERE HAMMERS!

And he was master of hammers! He had reached a peak in Hammer Esoteric Arts because of his bloodline and talent.

As he grabbed the hammer, He and all the other audience got the hammer's information.

[Duality Twilight Koutei Hammers]

-Phantom Mythical Weapons

-Unique Energy Basic Attacks: Divine Pyr, Twilight Lighting, Aurelion Shade.

-Ultimate gauge: 0/100

-Skills: Onslaught Mirages, Phantom Menace, Burst of Starpath, Hyper Aurelion Nova.

-Ultimate skills: Dome of Duality Twilight, Obliterating Hammer Clap.

-Trait 1: 50% less stamina consumed while fighting.

-Trait 2: 0.001% chance to summon Grand Twiling Duality Wave while attacking that will easily clear an entire stage, no matter the difficulty.

-Trait 3: Permanent increase of Movement and Attack Speed by 30%.

"That's powerful damn!"

"Indeed…But I wonder if he will be able to win the Prize pool, though."

"We'll find out soon enough."

…

The scenery entirely changed after Dreevindo grabbed the hammers and got its information.

The Virtual Mystic World turned into a hellscape with giant volcanos and an army of demonic beasts coming his way.

Dreevindo's expression was somber and excited both, 'I'll show you what is called the Dance of Unbound Hammers.'

Three giant hammer images appeared behind Dreevindo, with all three exuding different types of energy. One was Black and white, another was dark purple with light purple sparks, and the third was pitch black with golden designs.

Dreevindo dashed forward in a unique moving pattern while waving his hammers; the hammers created shockwaves of three types of powers as they spread in all directions.

…

After an hour and a half, the entire hall was silent for a moment before cheers erupted.

"What the heck was that hammer art? I am damn sure that he inherited it from somewhere."

"He didn't even use the ultimate skills and passed the 6th stage."

"Geez…"

Lily, Huarin, and Mimi looked at each other with unbelievable expressions.

"Did we just get 13 million Epic-tier Etons?" Huarin asked with a dumbfounded expression.

"We did," Lily nodded with a blank expression.

"Yey!!!" Mimi cheered as she looked at Dreevindo coming out of the portal with a proud expression, "Good job, uncle Dreevindo!"

After that, they left the Gambling District and directly used those 21 million Epic-tier Etons to book the best Blessed House and even bought more resources even though they still had the previous batch of refined resources left.

After increasing their timing to 12 years on each card, they directly went back to their Private island and started training.

…

They trained, broke through, practiced, and fully committed themselves to get strong.

Time passed as hours turned into days, days into months, and months into years as eight years passed.

Today, inside the Ark space…the Athan the cocoon finally displayed some changes.

The mystical black, white, and light grey cocoon with an upside-down water-drop symbol with whirlpool in it was exuding streams of black and white aura that circulated around the cocoon.

The cocoon slowly but surely started to turn faint as one could see Athan sitting in a meditating stance, stark naked.

His body was fully inscribed with eccentric black and white patterns with a hint of light grey in all of those patterns.

After the cocoon fully disappeared, or more precisely, absorbed inside Athan, he opened his mystical eyes that had a strange symbol that was the same as on the cocoon.

At this moment, Lily, who was inside the Blessed House, finally felt something inside the Ark space and opened her eyes.

"Athan!"

Lily disappeared and entered inside the Ark space as she saw Aren standing up.

"You finally woke up!" Lily said with a smile as she approached Aren.

Athan faintly smiled and asked, "how much time passed?"

"Nine years," Lily said with a wry smile.

"Your aura," Athan raised his eyebrows, "It's almost as powerful as Mimi's aura."

Lily shook her head and grinned, "Well, current Mimi's aura is even more powerful, she has broken through to Epic. Dreevindo is the same. Both of them have broken through to Epic and are progressing."

Afterward, Lily told Athan about everything that happened while he was in his cocoon form.

"Blessed House?" Athan muttered but then he shook his head, "It's useless to me."

After thinking for a bit, Athan said with a faint smile, "drop me at the Plaza, I will measure my newfound strength and absorb some more knowledge while you are all training."

"Good idea," Lily nodded with a chuckle, "there are a lot of things in this place."

Afterward, Lily came out of the Blessed House and returned to the plaza where Athan came out from the Ark space.

"You can go now and continue training," Athan said to Lily and nodded.

"Yep."