The Primal Hunter Chapter 1230 - A Lucky Man

It wasn’t as if she required them anyway. When had her Dragonflight ever actually provided anything for her? Their presence in her life had been limited to attempts at controlling her behavior and stifling her independence. Her family had been the primary offenders, relentlessly demanding her obedience throughout her youth. Then, the moment she reached maturity, her parents had committed suicide under the hollow pretense that it was for her own benefit.

Yrelstromoz found such a sentiment revolting. She had never requested any sacrifices from them. They were simply obsessed with seeing their daughter carry on the pointless Legacy they had squandered their own lives pursuing.

From the start, she had merely been a vessel for her parents' ambitions. Whenever she suggested that reaching S-grade held no interest for her, they ignored her completely. They were lost in their own delusions, and besides, they didn't truly know her. Seeing them once a decade was a generous estimate of their contact.

They were preoccupied with their Paths and a futile chase for power—a Path Yrelstromoz felt no desire to replicate. She was already powerful. As a True Dragon, she was a pinnacle existence within the multiverse. That status was more than sufficient to experience the world on her own terms and live as she pleased.

She refused to be tethered by meaningless traditions or historical expectations. Instead, Yrelstromoz lived in the now, savoring the liberty she had claimed through her own inherent strength and decisions. Before her lay a vast, unexplored world—a canvas for her whims and desires, populated by lesser beings meant for her amusement.

Slaying a member of the United Tribes recently had been a calculated move designed to finally force the Dragonflight to sever ties with her. The plan worked perfectly; she was officially exiled and had enjoyed peace for quite some time.

Yrelstromoz was aware she had provoked certain individuals, so keeping a low profile was logical. She also took ironic pleasure in proving that, if left to her own devices, she could choose to be a peaceful dragon even when surrounded by prey. The thought of her aunt and those other elderly fools—who risked their lives for nothing—fuming because she had seemingly turned over a new leaf after leaving was delightful.

Regarding the United Tribes, she didn't expect much trouble. They possessed some formidable members, but would they truly dare to challenge a True Dragon? She doubted it. If they sought retribution, they would need someone of a significantly higher level, at which point she assumed the Lumenflight would step in. Despite her exile, she remained a daughter of the faction, and those old fossils were fanatical about protecting their own kind.

All things considered, leaving the Lumenflight had been a masterstroke, and the sense of freedom she felt while traveling was unlike anything she had known. Most recently, she had arrived on a minor planet famous for its tourism, and her time there had been quite pleasant.

The resort featured an expansive complex filled with various forms of entertainment. She spent most of her time in the local bars and casinos, though the spirits were far too diluted for a B-grade to gain any satisfaction. Then again, if she found high-quality alcohol, it would mean the venue catered to B-grades, which would make it a poor choice for hiding.

Her scans indicated that the strongest individuals present were around peak C-grade. They were decent enough, but to her, the difference between the start and the peak of C-grade was irrelevant. Killing them with a single strike remained trivial; so far, no one had survived even her most subtle attacks.

She was supposed to be lying low, yet some idiots still insisted on bothering her while she tried to relax. Men, in particular, were prone to approaching her. While she understood why they were drawn to her noble presence, she could only view such inferior beings with contempt. Punishing them for their boldness felt only right.

Annoyingly, today seemed to be no different. Yrelstromoz was playing alone at a card table, enjoying a successful streak, which meant the dealer wouldn't be suffering a "mysterious accident" like the one who had taken her money the previous day.

A man approached and took the seat directly beside her, initially ignoring her presence. He placed a significant pile of chips on the table and looked toward the dealer. “Let’s hope the heart of the cards is in my favor today. I’m feeling fairly lucky.”

“I can only wish the gentleman luck,” the dealer replied with a professional smile while distributing the cards. Judging by that short exchange and the way he handled the deck, Yrelstromoz suspected this human was an amateur in these environments.

Maybe he was one of those people who thought they could outsmart the house without breaking the rules. Unfortunately for him, the system skills used by the staff made cheating impossible, even for a god. Only the players could see their own cards, and the faces were only "revealed" upon being dealt. While card counting was a possibility, the use of infinitely generating decks and true random dealing made it practically useless.

Yrelstromoz skipped a few rounds, prepared to watch the newcomer lose everything... but that didn't happen. He sat there with a simple grin, winning hand after hand. Even when the dealer won, his losses were minimal.

“I guess I am really lucky today!” the human laughed, requesting another card only to land another twenty-one.

Yrelstromoz squinted, her curiosity piqued. There was an unnatural ease to his winning streak, yet her sharp senses found no sign of cheating or hidden skill activation. She leaned back, maintaining a relaxed posture while her mind became fully alert, studying the human with increasing interest.

Perhaps it was genuine luck, or perhaps there was more to him than he showed. Regardless, Yrelstromoz decided to remain at the table a while longer to see exactly how far his fortune—or whatever it was—would take him.

After several more victories, he finally addressed her. “Is the lady not playing?”

Yrelstromoz turned to the human, only then noticing that his eyes were unusual for his species. They possessed a predatory, bestial quality, likely the result of a specific skill. Beyond that, he seemed unremarkable, save for his power level, which sat at mid-tier C-grade. It was respectable for a lesser race, but still pathetic in her eyes.

She met his look with a subtle smirk. “Sometimes watching is more fun than playing. However, if you plan to keep winning like this, perhaps I should join in and see if your luck is contagious.”

Her voice was casual, but her focus was intense, searching for any tell that would reveal his secret. It was rare to find a human who brought a sense of mystery to the table, and that alone made the night more interesting.

“The more the merrier,” the human remarked with a chuckle as she joined the game... only to find herself losing immediately. Meanwhile, he continued his winning streak. Her frustration grew as she searched for any hint of his method.

The dealer looked astonished, though not yet suspicious. They relied on their skills and believed cheating was impossible. It shouldn't have been possible, yet this man continued to defy the odds.

“Fortune really is in your favor, huh?” she asked, tilting her head toward him.

“I’ve been known to have lucky streaks,” the human replied casually. “What about you? Are you a regular at places like this?”

“Yes,” Yrelstromoz answered, her irritation with the man rising. Although she was masking her B-grade status, she felt an inferior species like a human should instinctively know he was speaking to a superior being.

“Well, I hope things usually go better for you. Oh, hit,” the human said. He barely looked at his cards before stopping at fourteen, which somehow led to the dealer going bust.

“Winning consistently isn't really a viable strategy,” he remarked while gathering his winnings. “The casino has the math on their side to ensure they always win. It’s a scam that preys on the psychology of the players. That’s why I don't feel bad when I’m the one taking their money.”

Yrelstromoz narrowed her eyes. “You call it a scam, yet here you are, acting as the scammer.”

“Maybe I am,” the human laughed, shaking his head. “But even so, there's no reason to feel guilty. It’s quite despicable when those with more power—like the casino—exploit others. Oh, I'm not blaming you; you just work here and are at least getting some money back from this place.”

He directed the last part to the dealer, seemingly trying to be polite. His behavior only served to annoy Yrelstromoz further, especially as he kept winning while she continued to lose Credits.

“Isn’t it only natural for superiors to take advantage of those beneath them?” Yrelstromoz countered, still trying to understand how the human refused to lose.

“I suppose some advantage is inevitable, but that doesn't mean it should be done wantonly,” the human shrugged. “Causing suffering or ruining lives just for personal amusement is simply pathetic.”

Yrelstromoz couldn't help but scoff. “Those sound like the words of someone who knows they are inferior.”

“Actually, it’s the opposite,” the human chuckled. “Those are the words of someone powerful and confident enough to never need conflict with the weak. Someone who only looks to punch up and seek a real challenge.”

She didn't bother replying, seething because she had just lost a hand despite having a twenty. To make it worse, the human didn't stop talking.

“What about you? I can tell you’re quite powerful, which likely means you’ve faced your own share of challenges to surpass your limits,” the human asked, his casual tone making her clench her fists.

A lowly human had no concept of what it meant for a True Dragon to push their boundaries. The risks she would have to take to continue her Path after reaching maturity were immense—risks she refused to take. Only a fool would be that reckless.

Looking at the human, whose fate she had already decided, Yrelstromoz glared. “Why are you even speaking? Who are you to take such a familiar tone with me?”

“I was just trying to have a pleasant chat and see what kind of person you are,” the human replied, looking her in the eye.

“Why?” Yrelstromoz spat. “Do you think you have something to gain? Are you so bored you talk to everyone? Or wait, I know... you want to sleep with me, don't you?”

“Can’t say the thought ever crossed my mind,” the human shrugged, completely unbothered. “As for your other questions, I’ve already gotten what I wanted from this talk. I’d hoped for one more specific thing, but we can't have everything.”

The human looked away, standing up to stretch. “Since the mood has turned hostile, I think it’s time I cashed out.”

He looked down at her as the dealer activated a magic circle on the table, converting his chips into Credits.

“I wish you luck today, and I hope you find it as enjoyable as I do... and will,” the human said with a grin. Once his chips were processed, he began to walk away, with Yrelstromoz staring at his back.

Watching him leave, she sneered. This inferior creature had bothered her, spoken to her as an equal, and now thought he could simply walk away after having the last word?

It was the typical arrogance of a weakling from a lesser race. Just because he had reached C-grade, he thought himself safe. He had no idea how thin the thread of his life truly was. She had done this many times before to those even stronger than him, and it never failed. She only needed to use her favorite skill—one of the few she had actually bothered to develop and refine herself. It was a perfect tool for moments like this.

Pointing a finger toward him, she smiled and gave a silent farewell. A beam of light shot from her fingertip, moving far too fast for the surrounding weaklings to see. It held enough power to vaporize the brain and soul of a peak C-grade while leaving no trace of the attacker.

She waited with glee for it to pierce the back of his skull... but her smile died as her eyes widened. Just as the beam was about to strike, he leaned slightly to the side, dodging it completely. It was as if he had anticipated the attack before she even moved.

While she was still reeling from the failure, the human slowly turned his head back toward her. Their eyes met one last time, and his voice resonated in her mind through a telepathic link.

As his words echoed in her consciousness, a chill ran down her spine. For a second, she considered a full-scale attack, but before she could commit to the decision, the human had vanished, completely slipping past her detection.