Chapter 60: The Final Gamble for Fate

The air felt frozen in time.

The golden cards hovered above the table, rotating slowly, their faint glow whispering secrets only the brave dared to uncover.

Lin Han's fingers trembled slightly—this was a gamble he couldn't afford to lose.

He had to win.

He had to bring Ah Rong back.

But if he lost…

He would take Ah Rong's place as the next forgotten one.

Across the table, P01 watched him with mild amusement, like a spectator enjoying a well-crafted performance rather than a participant in a high-stakes duel.

"Well then, Lin Han—are you ready to place your bet?"

Lin Han took a deep breath, his gaze fixed on the three cards before him.

The First Card: The Memory Card – The winner may steal a memory from the loser. The loser permanently forgets something important.

The Second Card: The Time Card – The winner may take a year from the loser's lifespan. The loser instantly ages.

The Third Card: The Reality Card – The winner may retrieve someone from 'erasure.' The loser takes their place as the forgotten one.

Lin Han's fingers hovered over the cards before finally—he chose "The Reality Card."

P01's smirk widened. "Interesting choice."

"This card governs the fundamental laws of the world. If you win, you'll rewrite fate itself. But if you lose…"

P01 snapped his fingers, and the walls of the casino shuddered, dark cracks spreading like veins across the surface, as if the world itself was on the verge of collapse.

"The loser will be erased completely."

Lin Han's breath grew heavier, but he didn't waver. "Let's begin."

P01 flicked his wrist, and the cards began to shuffle themselves, the whispering sound like echoes of lost souls.

There was no turning back.

First Round: The Stakes of Memory

Lin Han vs. P01

The rules were simple: Draw a card. The higher number wins.

P01 casually reached forward, drawing his card.

Lin Han did the same, feeling an unexplainable warmth from the deck as he made his choice.

Both flipped their cards.

P01: 9

Lin Han: 8

The air tightened, suffocatingly still.

P01's smirk didn't change. "Looks like you've lost this round."

A sudden pull ripped through Lin Han's mind.

His vision blurred, his head pounded, and then—

A piece of his memory vanished.

What was it? What did he forget?!

Noya gasped, reaching for Lin Han, but—

His shadow had started to fade.

He was already partially slipping from reality.

Second Round: Time is Slipping Away

Lin Han clenched his fists, forcing himself to stay upright.

He couldn't stop now.

He grabbed another card, flipping it over without hesitation.

P01 did the same.

P01: 7

Lin Han: 10

P01's expression remained indifferent, but something flickered in his gaze.

Lin Han had won this round.

And instantly—

His presence stabilized.

He could feel it—time, reality itself, was returning to him.

P01 leaned back slightly. "Do you really think winning is enough?"

His tone carried a hidden warning, something darker lurking beneath his usual amusement.

Lin Han ignored him. He only had one round left.

Final Round: The Last Draw

The cards reshuffled themselves, floating midair, their golden glow flickering erratically as if the world itself awaited judgment.

Lin Han reached out.

His fingers brushed against a card, and he pulled it free.

At the same time—

P01 drew his final card.

Both flipped them over.

Lin Han: Joker

P01: 8

Time stopped.

Noya inhaled sharply. "The Joker… That card…"

P01's expression finally shifted—just a fraction. "Hah… You're lucky."

The Joker is the wildcard—it allows the player to dictate the rules of the game.

Which meant—

Lin Han could choose the outcome.

His fingers tightened around the card, his breathing heavy.

Then—he slammed the Joker onto the table.

"I choose to bring Ah Rong back."

BOOM—!

The entire casino shook violently, the walls fracturing, golden symbols shattering like glass, as if the very fabric of reality was breaking apart.

P01's form began to dissolve into the darkness, yet his smirk remained. "Fascinating… But are you sure this is the right choice?"

CRACK—!

A beam of blinding light shot up from the center of the casino, piercing through the abyss.

Lin Han felt something pulling at him, like his soul was being split in half.

Then, in the center of the light—

A figure took form.

His features sharpened. His body solidified.

Ah Rong opened his eyes.

His expression was dazed, confused. "Tiu… Where the hell am I?"

Lin Han exhaled a shaky breath, a small smile creeping onto his face. "Welcome back, Ah Rong."

Noya's face brightened with recognition.

She remembered him.

She remembered everything.

Reality was resetting.

Light tore through the void, ripping the casino apart. The very foundation of this world shook violently, as if reality itself was resisting the outcome.

Ah Rong was back.

Lin Han stood in the storm of collapsing space, his heart hammering in his chest.

He had won.

But then—P01's voice lingered in the air, even as his form dissolved into the abyss.

"Interesting… but are you sure you actually won?"

Lin Han's stomach dropped.

What the hell did he mean by that?

The walls of the casino began to crack apart, chandeliers crashing onto the floor.

Noya grabbed Lin Han's arm, her voice tight with panic. "Lin Han—this place is collapsing!"

Ah Rong glanced around, eyes widening. "Walau eh, I just got back, and the damn world's already breaking?!"

Lin Han turned toward the entrance—and felt the blood drain from his face.

Beyond the casino doors, the world was falling apart.

The golden threads of reality were unraveling, twisting into chaotic spirals. Everything was being swallowed into the void.

His right eye burned with pain, and in the blinding light, he saw something he shouldn't have—

A broken karmic thread.

And then it hit him.

Bringing Ah Rong back was a mistake.

Lin Han locked eyes with Ah Rong. "Are you… really back?"

Ah Rong hesitated. For the first time, uncertainty flickered in his expression.

And then—he frowned.

"…There's a voice calling me," he muttered.

Noya's face went pale. She heard it too.

A deep, ancient whisper echoed through the collapsing world, its rhythm unnatural, its tone eerily hollow.

"Error… correction… missing variable… return to origin…"

Ah Rong's body flickered, his form glitching like a broken signal.

His existence was unstable. Reality was rejecting him.

Noya's breath hitched. "Lin Han, this isn't just about bringing him back… you broke the balance."

Lin Han's fingers curled into fists.

He had won the bet, but the world was punishing them for it.

"RUN!" Lin Han grabbed Ah Rong's wrist and bolted for the exit.

Ah Rong looked back—and froze in horror.

"Tiu leh! What the hell are those?!"

The ground behind them had turned into a swirling black vortex, pulling everything into its endless depths.

From the darkness, faceless figures began emerging—

Their faces were completely blank.

Their mouths were missing. Their eyes were nothing but smooth, featureless skin.

They reached toward Lin Han, their elongated fingers stretching unnaturally.

Noya's gun was already drawn—BANG!

The bullet went straight through them.

They didn't even flinch.

Lin Han's mind raced, heart pounding. "They're the Forgotten."

"People who were erased from existence… and now, we're about to become one of them."

Lin Han scanned the collapsing space, forcing himself to think fast.

The main doors were destroyed—there was no escape route.

But—

The mirrored wall at the far end of the casino.

It was still intact.

It was their only way out.

"There!" Lin Han yanked Ah Rong and Noya forward.

Ah Rong panted, still half in shock. "Walau eh, you think a damn mirror's gonna save us?!"

"Only one way to find out."

The three of them raced toward the mirror, the faceless figures closing in behind them.

And as they reached it—

The glass rippled.

Like water.

Lin Han didn't hesitate.

He threw himself forward.

Lin Han's eyes snapped open.

Silence.

No collapsing casino. No faceless figures.

Only—the streets of Kuala Lumpur.

They were standing on a sidewalk. The city was alive, neon lights flickering, cars passing by. Everything was… normal.

Ah Rong was sprawled on the ground, looking completely bewildered. "We… made it?"

Noya slowly stood up, her hands still trembling. But her gaze—

Her gaze was sharp, suspicious.

She turned her head and stared at the Petronas Towers.

The city looked the same.

But the way the lights reflected…

It was backwards.

Lin Han's chest tightened.

Was this really Kuala Lumpur?

Or had they just stepped into another controlled reality?