Damon's Ascension

A slow, deliberate clap echoed from the other side of the casino's main table.

All eyes turned toward Nyros, who had finally captured the attention again from his elevated seating area. The shadows behind him slithered slightly, disturbed by his movement, but his smile was crisp and predatory.

His starry eyes gleamed with amusement, though the edges of his expression were just sharp enough to suggest something else… pressure.

"Ah, what a breathtaking display. Truly, humanity is… full of surprises." He remarked with venomous amusement.

The crowd of Pre-Chaos spectators had grown larger. Whispers flowed like currents as they talked engagingly about Post-Chaos powers and the special abilities they had seen so far.

Some turned away in derision and disdain while others leaned in, captivated in the conflict.

"I believe we've all thoroughly enjoyed the warm-up. But, as promised… the games must go on." Nyros gestured with two fingers, and a nearby platform rose from the ground with a smooth metallic hum.

Upon it stood a small hourglass and two cushions, looking plain, unassuming, and ceremonial in a way that contrasted the opulence of the casino around them.

"This next contest shall not be one of brawn, but one of insight." Nyros said, voice carrying heaviness.

Damon raised an eyebrow slightly, saying nothing for now while Felicia crossed her arms, already narrowing her eyes.

Nyros gestured theatrically. "The rules are simple, but the game itself is not. We call it: The Paradox Exchange. One side asks a question and the other must answer. However..."

He raised a finger.

"You may not ask a question to which you already know the answer. And the one who answers… need not tell the truth."

That earned a ripple of confused murmurs even from the crowd while Damon tilted his head faintly.

Nyros continued, tapping the table with his figner slowly and calmly. "Each party will ask three questions in alternating turns and at least one answer given must be true. After the exchange, both sides have one guess to determine which of the other side's three answers was the truth. If both sides guess correctly—"

"The game resets and continues into the next round until one side wins by revealing the other's truth without losing their own." Felicia finished coldly, already understanding.

Nyros smiled, nodding approvingly. "Exactly so. A battle of minds, where honesty is a dagger and deceit is armor. You win by digging out one truth while hiding your own behind two falsehoods. But remember… at least one must be true, or you forfeit automatically."

He clasped his hands behind his back and added. "And, of course, if you win, you may add to your count of successful bets as an entire team. But if we win…"

He looked Damon directly in the eyes.

"…we gain something equally valuable."

Damon's expression remained unreadable. "Information?"

That made Nyros pause, but only slightly as his cruel smile widened. "Perceptive."

Kyle grunted. "So… this guy wants to run a glorified lie detector battle to learn about us?"

"Correction, he's trying to bait us into giving up information under the illusion of sport." Damon said calmly, his tone cold.

Nyros didn't deny it. Instead, he leaned forward, brushing one finger along the raised table with feigned indifference. "Every game has its risks, but you are free to decline, of course."

"And have you reject every bet we make after this?" Marshal muttered with a shake of his head.

Levi narrowed his eyes. "He's forcing the board. Not through rules… but through loopholes."

Felicia's voice entered the team's link privately. "He's not just trying to bait us, he's also measuring response fidelity. Each round gives him data, even if we win. It's the equivalent of a thousand behavioral probes in one session."

"Doesn't matter. If he's trying to play a game of veils, Damon's the worst possible opponent. This man saved our race from slavery against giants of the universe in a battle of wits, what's a mere this?" Bane replied coolly.

Damon stepped forward without fanfare. "I accept."

Gasps flared in the crowd as Nyros clapped once more, then gestured toward the cushions.

"Shall we then?"

Damon didn't bother sitting. He remained standing beside the table, his arms loosely crossed. "Who asks first?"

"As the challengers, we'll allow you the first move." Nyros offered, almost gallantly.

"Very well." Damon replied with a nod.

He thought for exactly two seconds before speaking. "What is the nature of the core power you used to stabilize this floor?"

Nyros's smile barely shifted. "Ah. A dangerous question… but not one I expected to come first. Very well."

He tapped his chin. "I used a fragment of the First Architect's shell. It emits a constant field that anchors spatial integrity."

Felicia's pupils dilated as she realized that Nyros had just given something very valuable away. If it was true…

"'If' it's true," Damon replied mentally.

Nyros now grinned and asked, "My turn. Tell me…"

"What is the nature of your companion Felicia's most powerful ability?"

Damon didn't even blink. "Her ability allows her to rewrite probabilities directly, creating forced outcomes that defy statistical norms."

The answer was smooth, without hesitation, and entirely false… though close enough to a different team member's truth to muddy the waters.

The crowd stirred and Nyros' eyes glittered.

"Your second question?"

Damon answered without pause. "What is the true function of your casino?"

Nyros's expression finally changed slightly. "…To host wagers and test the merit of newly arrived species."

Too generic. Too clean.

"That definitely wasn't the truth. He's saving it for the third." Felicia murmured.

"Then so will we." Damon replied.

Nyros leaned forward. "What is your true rank within your home civilization?"

Damon smiled faintly. "Vice Chief Strategist."

A ripple passed through the crowd as they were impressed, though Nicholas had to swallow down a chuckle through the link.

"It's not necessarily a lie," Damon added mentally.

Felicia snorted with amusement and approval. "But it's definitely not true in the way he thinks."

Nyros gave a slight nod. "Clever. Last question, then."

Damon's voice dropped to a curious hum. "Which of the three answers you gave me is the truth?"

Nyros blinked. For the first time, the smile faltered. "…I see what you did."

Henry whispered, "Wait, what just happened?"

Felicia explained it in their mind link. "By asking that, Damon forces Nyros into a paradox. If he answers truthfully, he exposes his hand. If he lies, and none of the previous answers were true, he violates the rule of truth, which leads to instant loss."

Henry was still puzzled. "Why make us go first, then? Wasn't he planning to use this same trick? This can only work if you go first, right?"

Nicholas chuckled. "The guessing game is one as old as time and has taken many derivative forms like 21 Questions. Countless geniuses throughout time have thought of loopholes and counters to win easily, whether first or second. Damon is just using one that even first-grade kids can think of."

"What does that mean?" Xela tilted her head in confusion.

Felicia gently patted her back. "It means that whether we went second or first, we have a bevy of tricks to win the game. The question is to see how Nyros planned to win by suggesting this."

As for Nyros, the fellow closed his eyes in frustration, visibly weighing his next words.

"…The second answer was true."

A bold claim, but now he was locked in.

"Final question, what are the full scope of powers and weaknesses of each of your abilities?" Nyros said suddenly, raising his head with a grin so malicious that even caricatures of the devil would tremble with fear.

Damon's smile disappeared and was replaced with an expression so cold that it could freeze hell. Felicia was immediately furious and slammed a hand down on the table, her expression warped beyond measure.

The crowd roared with excitement at the sudden switch-up while the rest of the Vanguard Team showed different negative reactions, from fury to coldness, and to fear.

Just as they had played a trick to win, Nyros had also played his own trick, but what made Damon and Felicia react the way they did, as well as everyone else, was the fact that Nyros had revealed his cruel nature.

He never planned to win from the beginning!

From the very beginning, when Damon helped both Xela and Felicia clear their requirements so they could leave, Nyros - and the Chaos Casino - realized that this bunch were likely all abilities users with strangely powerful and diverse abilities.

The Chaos Casino thrived on eating up explorers since they were banned from using skills and could only rely on natural luck. Obviously, relying on natural luck in this casino that could manipulate odds was a pipe dream, which was why the Chaos Casino was unreported in the IUAS database.

Everyone who had entered this Hidden Area had never come out to share the details.

And now, it was clear that the Chaos Casino felt that their crew had a significant chance to escape and was preparing a plan to keep them here forever