Ocean Casino!

Which meant, this casino game in front of him was apparently located on a ship. Although the outside situation wasn’t entirely visible, it could be guessed that the weather was probably rough.

With all this rocking, if someone who gets seasick came here, they might not even be able to stand upright.

The whole room was decorated in an extremely upper-class style—or maybe just gaudy. Sixty percent of the area was gold, and the rest was dotted with glittering splashes of other colors.

A lot of the furnishings inside were completely unfamiliar to Lu Ce. This was a world his former social class had never touched. But he didn’t need to understand—it already gave off a vibe of indulgence and decadence.

He didn’t know what material the floor was made of. It looked polished like a mirror. The room was filled with people standing all around.

The moment Lu Ce heard that casino voice, his heart skipped a beat. This one might be too much. Maybe it would've been better if he'd drawn Greed.

But things were what they were. He could only accept it.

Then he looked down at the reflection on the floor—and was instantly hit with another critical blow.

—Lust (GACKPO)!

Huh?

Before he could be overwhelmed, even Lu Ce’s mouth twitched a little at the corner.

This thing......

【Sin Mask Form: Lust, Mode: Normal.】

【Personality Influence: Narcissistic, OCD, Lust Disorder.】

【Ability: Emotion Control. Can perfectly guide or even manipulate others’ emotions, especially in the direction of lust. Love is a stronger force than hatred.】

【Mental focus increased. Intelligence increased. Perverts are smart too, you know~.】

【Side Effects: Extremely high levels of narcissism and show-off tendencies. Mood swings. Disordered desire.】

Lu Ce glanced through the description and immediately understood one thing—this didn’t seem like a combat-type mask.

Compared to the ones he’d used before, Lust and Greed clearly leaned more functional, while Gluttony and Wrath boosted combat strength.

The rest of the traits were fine, but what the hell was “disordered desire”? Hormonal imbalance?

Let’s see how it goes.....

All things aside—this Lust mask? Looked damn good. Way better than the three ugly ones before.

Unconsciously, Lu Ce stared at his reflection on the floor... and dazed out for a moment.....

Snapped back to reality with a jolt.

Yeah, that narcissism effect really hit hard.

The next second, something over two meters tall and pudgy like a slime plopped into the center of the arena, twisting its body and shouting excitedly.

The room was lit like a stage set, and countless spotlights beamed down on it, drawing all eyes.

【Welcome to the Ocean Casino! Players, I know—you might’ve realized this is a Hell Mode game, but that’s just a joke! This is your ultimate paradise!】

【Here, you can win everything you ever wanted—stand out among all the handsome men and beautiful women.】

【Losing might be a bit troublesome—nobody likes losing, right? But as long as you’re still in the game, a temporary loss might not be all bad!~】

【This place welcomes true gamblers! Joy and thrill—that’s our main theme here!】

As it spoke, the massive slime kept wriggling and twisting. It looked like it was dancing—full-body and limbs.

Combined with that tone of voice, it was downright sleazy.

【Alright, take a look around. Notice anything? Everyone around you looks pretty damn hot.】

At its words, everyone instinctively glanced side to side. And yeah—it was weird.

Everyone was dressed to the nines, like some elite society ballroom gala. Formal wear all around. Whether male or female, everyone looked like they stepped out of a comic book.

And only you looked totally out of place—like you didn’t belong here at all.

—The creepy part? Everyone was thinking the exact same thing!

【I bet you’ve all noticed, huh? Why are all the people around you so good-looking, so well-dressed—and you look like such a mess?】

【Heh heh, don’t feel inferior. In their eyes, you’re just as hot!】

【Here, everyone’s outer appearance is a “mask”—a preset look assigned by the game. It’s not your real face.】

【Why, you ask? Because in such a high-end setting, we obviously want everyone to look good. Not like those busted potatoes from your phone camera.】

【Alright, so before the game officially starts—anyone confident in their looks and wanna “unmask”?】

The slime stood in the center, twisting around in exaggerated motions, like a complete lunatic.

【Oh right—players who unmask will get a ×2 multiplier!】

【That means, during the upcoming game, all rewards and punishments will be doubled. Tempting, right? Any brave souls?】

Silence.

The slime was basically performing a one-man show in the spotlight. Twisting, dancing—nobody responded. Nobody played along.

Everyone just stared coldly, unmoving.

Who’d unmask now?

So many people around—if you stand out now, you’re instantly everyone’s target. And that ×2 multiplier? Just the sound of it was terrifying.

Rewards... sure. But punishments times two? That’s some f*ing instant death st.

Nobody here was a noob anymore. No one dared mess around in a Hell Mode game.

And the slime didn’t wait long. After less than ten seconds of dead air, it immediately spoke again.

【So boring. I knew you people had no gaming spirit. Sigh... in that case, let’s just—】

“I’ll unmask!”

A voice suddenly rang out from the crowd, shocking the slime.

It whipped its head around, excited.

【What? Really?! Who—】

But before it could finish, a black shadow dashed forward at lightning speed.

Didn’t even have time to react—bam!—a kick landed straight on it!

The over-two-meter-wide slime was launched into the air, bouncing around the gold-covered hall, ricocheting like a damn rubber ball.

A figure took its place, standing dead center under a dozen spotlights—shining like the brightest star.

“This stage belongs to me. You think some piece of sh*t like you has the right to take my spot?”

The words landed—everyone was stunned, frozen, eyes locked on the center.

They didn’t expect to see this kind of player.

Standing in the spotlight: a tall, handsome man.

He slowly raised his head, and with a smile cracking open across his face, like a magician doing a dramatic reveal, showed his real appearance.

The high-collared cloak, the striking purple mask—none of it stood out more than the words he spoke next.

“Sorry, weak, stupid, ugly trash—pity I have to be in the same space as you.”

“But on the other hand, you should feel honored. This will be the greatest glory of your pitiful lives.”

“No one here doesn’t recognize me, right? The strongest player—Sin.”