SWNOVELXO Chapter 109 - Squander (3)
Chapter 109: Squander (3)
Gulp.
Yuri swallowed dryly.
‘A luck-of-the-draw box….’
The name alone exuded a sticky sense of gambling.
He examined the box closely.
It was roughly 1 meter in width, height, and length.
A small hole just big enough to put a hand in.
And it was structured so that the interior was hidden, covered by a black cloth over the hole.
Just a quick glance was enough to guess what it was used for.
However, one thing stood out.
‘…What’s that number?’
On the black surface of the box.
The number 49 written on one corner somehow bothered him.
Coco, noticing where Yuri’s gaze was directed, smirked.
“You’ve got a keen eye. You’re curious about what this number means, aren’t you?”
Nod, nod.
Yuri nodded cautiously, and Coco leaned forward.
Then.
Clack.
Another black box emerged from under the bar table.
Yuri blinked in surprise at the sight.
‘There’s another one just like it…?’
Although it looked identical, this new black box had the number 50 on its corner.
Coco showed the box to Yuri and laughed.
“Would you like me to show you what these numbers mean?”
Coco approached the display case.
She grabbed the price tags that had been left on the empty display where Yuri had purchased items.
The small paper tags had the names and prices of items written on them.
Coco collected all the price tags from low-grade to high-grade elixirs, as well as those for various recovery potions, and folded them twice.
She then neatly placed the folded tags into the box with the number 50 on it and began to shake it.
Shuff, shuff, shuff.
There were already quite a few papers inside the box, and it made a loud rustling sound.
A few seconds later.
Thud.
Coco set the box down and asked with a curious gaze.
“So, what do you think these numbers mean?”
Her eyes seemed to be asking, ‘Can you figure out the answer?’
Yuri replied without hesitation.
“That box is filled with price tags of items bought by the 50th class? And the box with 49 on it… it’s filled with the price tags of items bought by the 49th class?”
Coco wagged her finger from side to side.
“Sadly, nope.”
“…You don’t look sad at all.”
“True, I’m not actually sad.”
“So, what do the numbers mean?”
With Yuri pressing her, Coco took a deep drag on her cigarette.
Huff.
As the thick smoke was exhaled, her voice mixed with it.
“The number 49 means this box was made the year the 49th class arrived, and the 50 means it was made the year the 50th class arrived.”
“Huh…?”
Yuri looked puzzled for a moment.
Then a flash of realization struck him.
“No way! Does that box contain all the price tags for every item sold in last year’s special sales?”
“Bingo, 98 points.”
“98 points?”
Yuri quickly realized what he’d missed in his answer.
He blinked in surprise.
“…Including the items from the special sale?”
Finally, Coco smiled brightly.
“Congratulations, that’s 100 points.”
“Wow.”
Seeing Yuri’s astonishment, Coco added an explanation.
“This 49th box contains every price tag from special and super-special items sold from January 1st to December 31st last year.”
“……”
“When this year ends, it’ll be discarded, but until then, you know what it’s used for, right?”
Yuri nodded slightly, understanding, and got straight to the point.
“How much does it cost for a draw?”
“For a first-year, it’s a million.”
“…?!”
Yuri’s eyes widened in shock.
Coco chuckled.
“What’s surprising? It’s just a million for first-years, and it costs even more for higher years.”
“A million, huh….”
The first thought that came to his mind when he heard a million was, ‘That’s expensive.’
But he quickly shook his head inwardly.
‘If the items inside the box were only those sold to the first or second years, then it’d surely be considered expensive.’
However, Coco had said it included all special and super-special items.
That meant that items purchased by third, fourth, and fifth-year students last year were also in there.
Moreover, those in the higher years, having more points, would have bought more valuable items.
‘If I spent a million points and pulled out a low-grade elixir or even a high-grade one….’
It would be worth many times what he’d paid.
Considering that, a million wasn’t all that expensive.
It even seemed quite reasonable.
‘A million just for first-years… having the price vary by year is probably to prevent upper years from gaming the system.’
If it were only a million points for the upper years, they’d likely pour their points into the luck-of-the-draw box with glee.
He’d do the same, after all.
Yuri asked with a thoughtful look.
“How many tags are in there?”
Huff.
Coco simply exhaled smoke without answering, and Yuri nodded as if he expected as much.
Instead of waiting for an answer, he turned his gaze to the display case.
‘There are about 40 items on sale today. If we take 40 as an average, that means all the special items sold to every class over a year total….’
Yuri quickly finished his calculation.
‘2,400.’
Of course, not all of those items would have sold, and there would also be super-special sale items.
Factoring in a margin of error and assuming roughly half of them sold….
‘That still means there are at least 1,200 slips of paper in that box.’
And even that wasn’t guaranteed.
Yuri chuckled.
“A luck-of-the-draw box, huh… it’s living up to its name.”
The items put on special and super-special sale last year.
How many of them had sold?
It was all a gamble.
And now, even the outcome of what he might draw was a gamble.
‘Still, the fact that super-special sale items are included is a relief. Wait… super-special sale?’
A glint flashed in Yuri’s eyes.
He promptly placed his hand firmly on the 50th luck-of-the-draw box.
“I’ve made my decision! I’ll draw from here!”
Coco exhaled smoke with a twisted smile.
Then.
Clack.
She sharply slapped Yuri’s hand away.
“Don’t act like you don’t know the rules.”
“Tch.”
Yuri’s lips jutted out in a pout.
Instead, he asked with a focused look.
“Are you sure?”
“What about?”
“That from January 1st to December 31st, all the items sold in the special and super-special sales are included.”
He repeated the same confident question again.
Coco, knowing why he was acting this way, smiled.
“Yeah, I wouldn’t lie about that. In this box….”
She tapped the 50th box with her finger.
“All the price tags from the super-special items sold this year are inside, including the first-year’s.”
“That’s enough for me.”
With Coco’s confirmation, Yuri’s eyes burned fiercely.
He stared intently at the 50th luck-of-the-draw box.
‘So, it’s in there?’
One of the items he bought from this year’s super-special sale, the Bone Clan’s Secret Technique.
Also known as an Elixir, its price tag was in that 50th box.
This meant he had another chance to get his hands on an Elixir.
Yuri, unable to take his eyes off the 50th luck-of-the-draw box, asked.
“When can I make a draw?”
“After letting it mature for a whole year?”
Seeing the intense desire in Yuri’s voice, Coco chuckled inwardly.
‘Looks like he’s figured out what the Bone Clan’s Secret Technique is.’
Otherwise, there’s no way he’d be so openly lustful.
The heat of his desire was so intense that if left unchecked, it seemed like the box might catch fire.
Coco stepped in to stop him.
“So, are you doing it or not? If not, I’ll put this away.”
Coco tapped the 49th luck-of-the-draw box, prompting Yuri to respond without hesitation.
“I’m doing it.”
Finally, Yuri shifted his gaze to the 49th box.
But the fiery determination in his eyes remained the same.
‘Alright, I’m going to pull them all!’
If he emptied his entire fortune, he could draw 17 times.
‘With that many tries, I’m bound to hit something!’
What Yuri considered ‘something’ was, of course, a highly valuable item.
Something worth more than 17 million points.
With a confident face, Yuri stepped up close to the luck-of-the-draw box.
At that moment, Coco blocked Yuri briefly and spoke.
“If you get caught fooling around with mana….”
Swish.
Coco’s expression turned emotionless, and the surrounding temperature plummeted in an instant.
A chilling voice flowed from her lips.
“You’ll get a good look at what your arm looks like sliced in half.”
Shiver.
The refined and intense killing intent made Yuri’s instincts scream in alarm.
‘As expected… she wasn’t an ordinary Black Sword Corps member.’
Yuri’s intuition had been telling him this all along.
The level of this woman, Coco.
Perhaps she was even above Greta Wigun.
In response to Coco’s warning, Yuri lightly waved his hand.
“Why would I fool around? I mean, why would I? I’m a man of luck!”
“Sure, self-proclaimed lucky guy? We don’t have all day, so hurry up and pick.”
Coco pushed the box toward Yuri.
Without hesitation, Yuri plunged his hand inside.
Rustle.
Yuri’s face stiffened at the sensation in his hand and arm.
‘There’s a lot.’
It felt like this big box was packed full of paper.
It was possible that there were far more items in there than he had anticipated.
Yuri carefully stirred his hand around.
Rustle, rustle.
‘Something good… please, something good!’
Watching Yuri dig through so diligently, Coco muttered in disbelief.
“For someone who calls himself a lucky guy, you’re pretty cautious, huh?”
Did her words provoke him?
“Here we go! Hah!”
Yuri quickly pulled out a slip of paper.
And without a moment’s hesitation, he unfolded it.
At the same time, a cheer burst from Yuri’s lips.
“Alright!”
He proudly showed the slip he’d picked to Coco.
– Low-Grade Mana Enhancement Elixir 2,500,000P
“Oh?”
Coco’s eyes flashed with a hint of admiration, and Yuri instantly puffed up with pride.
“See that?”
It made sense for him to feel so triumphant, having immediately profited and seemingly proving his claim of being a lucky guy.
And it was the Low-Grade Mana Enhancement Elixir, something he needed the most.
Having tasted success once, Yuri’s confidence soared.
Without even pausing to think, he immediately reached into the box again.
Up to that point, Yuri’s face was filled with confidence.
And once again, he swiftly pulled out a slip and unfolded it at once.
“…?!”
His expression hardened in just 0.1 seconds.
– Class Registration Form 10,000P
A low murmur escaped Yuri’s lips.
“My 990,000 points….”
990,000 points vanished into thin air.
Yuri had to calm his racing heart.
‘It’s fine! I’m still 510,000 points ahead.’
Simultaneously, he began to hesitate.
‘Should I stop here?’
Even a seven-year-old kid knows it’s best to stop when you’re ahead.
But Yuri wasn’t a seven-year-old kid.
He was a 16-year-old boy, highly susceptible to temptation.
Gulp.
Yuri swallowed dryly.
“Just one more….”
With trembling hands, he pulled another slip from the box.
And then.
– Class Registration Form 10,000P
“……”
He was at a loss for words.
A faint trace of red appeared in Yuri’s eyes.
‘It’s… it’s okay… If I get just one more low-grade elixir… I’ll break even.’
Do you know what makes a person who has lost money gambling act even more foolish?
The false hope that they can recoup their losses.
Yuri had fallen right into that false hope.
– Class Registration Form 10,000P
– Class Registration Form 10,000P
– Class Registration Form 10,000P
“……”
After drawing three consecutive class registration forms, the redness in Yuri’s eyes deepened.
He growled at Coco.
“Is this… real? It’s rigged… it’s definitely rigged!”
Pfft, Coco snickered.
“Rigged? No, you’re just unlucky. Mr. Unlucky Guy?”
“No, no way… my… my points!”
Having already blown close to four million points, Yuri clutched his head in frustration.
At that moment, a devil’s whisper slipped into his ear.
“Maybe it’s because you’re pulling one at a time? If you pull several at once, you might get something good.”
“…?!”
Yuri’s face lit up as if he had just received a great revelation.
‘Yes, that must be it!’
The odds were the same either way, but for some reason, Coco’s words sounded strangely convincing.
It was proof that his rationality was slowly crumbling.
Yuri, solidifying his resolve, reached his hand into the box once more.
A bundle of slips came out in Yuri’s hand.
Coco smiled as she counted them.
“Let’s see, one, two, three… exactly ten? Are you going to open them all?”
“Of course!”
Yuri replied without hesitation.
With this, Yuri had spent a total of 16 million points.
“Whew… please.”
Yuri exhaled deeply and opened the first slip.
– Bone Clan’s Top-Grade Extreme Recovery Potion 1,000,000P
“Nice!”
A clean start with exactly the amount he paid.
Yuri thought it wasn’t a bad start.
But as they say, the first thrill is often short-lived.
– Class Registration Form 10,000P
– Class Registration Form 10,000P
– Class Registration Form 10,000P
– Class Registration Form 10,000P
– Class Registration Form 10,000P
– Class Registration Form 10,000P
When six consecutive class registration forms came out, curses flew from Yuri’s mouth.
“Damn! Are they crazy? Why did they buy so many freaking class registration forms?!”
Coco snickered at the sight of Yuri losing it, but Yuri was too far gone to notice.
His shoulders trembled violently.
‘If it’s come to this…!’
Driven by sheer stubbornness, Yuri gritted his teeth and opened the remaining three slips at once.
Then, a beast-like roar erupted from Yuri’s mouth.
“Uoooooo!”
Yuri howled in a mix of emotions.
– Class Registration Form 10,000P
– Mid-Grade Mana Enhancement Elixir 5,000,000P
– Bone Clan’s High-Grade Antidote 1,000,000P
One of the three slips being a class registration form was a problem, but he managed to get a Mid-Grade Mana Elixir.
And even a 1 million point antidote!
“Huff, huff—.”
Yuri took deep breaths as he tallied his results.
‘Valuable items worth 9.5 million… and 12 class registration forms I want to rip to shreds.’
Just thinking about the class registration forms made his hands tremble, but he couldn’t bring himself to tear up something worth 10,000 points.
Coco, watching Yuri with an exasperated expression, laughed and asked.
“So, want to go for one last round?”
With her urging, Yuri’s pupils wavered in conflict.
‘Should I go for it? Or not?’
He had about 1.2 million points left in his account.
Just enough for one more try.
Yuri’s eyes flashed with a hint of madness as he thought of this.
‘Well, I’ve already dug myself in, spending another million points won’t make a difference!’
It was now impossible to calculate how many points he had lost.
Or rather, he refused to.
‘I’m going to go all in for one last shot! One shot to recover everything!’
Yuri reached out his hand.
“One last go!”
“Wow, pretty face, but you act like a true tough guy!”
Coco laughed as she handed over the box.
Yuri’s pale, trembling hand reached into the box and rummaged around.
Swish—.
The final slip came out in Yuri’s hand.
Clutching it tightly, Yuri was convinced.
‘This feels good.’
Yuri didn’t open the last slip immediately.
First, he unfolded the paper once, then started to slowly slide it at an angle while it was still half-folded.
Just enough to reveal the selling price on the price tag.
Yuri’s thumb carefully, very precisely, slid the paper.
Slide—.
Only the last digit of the price tag was revealed.
‘There’s a 0 for the first digit….’
Then he saw a 0 in the second place.
Slidesss—.
Sliding up a little more, the third digit, another 0, appeared.
So far, so good.
But now, the fourth digit.
As the paper slowly slid up, Yuri’s heart pounded wildly.
Gulp.
Yuri swallowed dryly, his tongue peeking out unconsciously.
And as the fourth 0 appeared, a gleam sparked in Yuri’s eyes.
‘This… it’s got to have at least five zeros! This is a big one!’
Slide—.
Sensing it was something big, Yuri quickly lowered his fingers, snapping the paper back to its half-folded state.
Meanwhile, Coco, who had been watching Yuri’s antics with amusement, tilted her head.
Her eyes seemed to question why he wasn’t checking the full result.
“I-I’m just too nervous right now….”
Yuri replied, clutching his chest.
“…I’ll reveal the rest in 60 seconds.”