Secret World: I Became a God Through Lies

Chapter 71 Youmeng's Invitation, the Gambler's End
"The Whale Grave is no ordinary gambling ship. It is the throne of the Deep Lord and the final destination of all pirates."

"Every year, it takes away a group of gamblers. Are they losing their wealth or their own destiny?"

"Do you dare to board it and explore the truth of the Dream Sea?"

The gambling game at the Sin Table ended, but the smell of gambling still lingered in the air, and the sweet smell of alcohol and perfume filled the room.

Mrs. Mei sat upright in the main seat, tapping her palms lightly with the folding fan in her hand, her slightly narrowed eyes revealing a meaningful smile.

She didn't rush to speak, but slowly glanced at the people present, as if she was weighing whether the upcoming deal was worth it.

Siming sat on the sofa opposite her, casually resting his arms on the back of the chair.
His slender fingers were casually turning a dice, and a faint smile appeared on the corner of his mouth. It was obvious that he was quite satisfied with the spoils he had just won in the gambling game.

Calvino remained calm and cautious as usual. He picked up the rum on the table and took a sip. His eyes were as steady as the deep sea, and he seemed in no hurry to respond.

"Everyone..." Madam Mei smiled softly and finally broke the silence. Her voice was soft but had a certain charm that was hard to ignore.
"I have a business opportunity, or rather, a cooperation opportunity."

Calvino raised his eyes and asked calmly, "What business?"

Madam Mei raised the folding fan in her hand slightly, and two black and gold invitations appeared between her fingers.
Strange patterns appeared on the paper, like ancient marks left by some underwater creature.

"Whale Grave," she whispered.

Calvino's pupils shrank slightly, but then returned to normal. He put down his glass and said in a steady voice, "I don't understand what you are talking about."

Madam Mei chuckled, with a hunter-like glint in her eyes.
"A captain who possesses the Whisper of Dreams has no interest in the dormant sea chart? I don't believe it, Mr. Lost Calvino."

She deliberately emphasized the word "lost", like a gambler who had seen through the secret and was waiting for the other party to reveal a flaw.

The air froze for a moment.

Calvino did not respond immediately. His fingertips slowly slid across the wood grain of the tabletop. After a moment's silence, he raised his eyes and said calmly, "So, what is your purpose?"

Mrs. Mei curled her lips, her smile not diminishing.

"I want a helper, an alliance." She said lightly.
"I have two invitations to the Whale Tomb, and I need a reliable partner to help me complete a special gambling game."

Sima Ming raised his eyebrows, obviously not very interested in the content of these words, but he keenly captured the hidden danger in them.

He leaned closer to Alison and asked in a low voice, "What is Whale Grave?"

Alison didn't answer immediately. Instead, she glanced at Mrs. May. After confirming that she wasn't paying attention to them, she spoke in a voice almost whispering:
"The Whale Grave, the ghostly gambling ship of the Sea of ​​Dreams, a casino more mysterious than any pirate fortress."

"It sails deep into the Sea of ​​Dreams, wandering along the 'Whale Falls Channel'. Every year, it sends out a small number of invitations to gather the top gamblers and pirate kings."

"It is a floating city, a golden palace on the sea, and the throne of Korkosen, the king of the deep."

Alison's voice was low and solemn: "The Whale Grave—that's not an ordinary gambling ship, it's a floating casino comparable to a pirate kingdom, a ghost casino that never docks.

Every year, it invites a group of pirates and gamblers to board the ship for a high-stakes gamble, and the winner...will be able to obtain clues about the Dream Sea."

"The sleeping sea chart." Siming said thoughtfully.

Alison nodded. "Yes, it's rumored that it's one of the most crucial guide cards for entering the Phantom Sea, and the owner of the Whale Grave—Kirkoson, the King of the Deep—is the only one who knows the complete clues."

Siming narrowed his eyes and tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest of the sofa: "Then why is it that almost all those who boarded the ship never came back?"

Alison's eyes flashed with uneasiness: "Because... no one knows what happens to the losers."

"Every year, a large number of pirates, gamblers, and even pirate kings disappear. Their ships, crews, and even their names are gradually forgotten. It's as if they never existed."

"Some say they were devoured by the Whale Grave and became slaves of that ghostly gambling ship, serving it until their bodies completely rotted away..."

After listening to this, Siming slowly exhaled and cursed in his heart: "...It sounds like a trap that can eat people."

He looked at Madam Mei again, with a hint of inquiry in his eyes: "So, why do you want to go?"

Mrs. May's fingers slowly slid across her folding fan, her voice deepening, as if the smile had finally faded, revealing a long-hidden, cold reality. "Because... my husband, he also once sailed aboard the Whale Grave."

She paused, as if suppressing some emotion, and after a moment continued, "Xu Long, one of the pirate kings of the Sea of ​​Dreams. He and his ghost ship, the Red Dragon, disappeared completely after boarding."

As soon as the words fell, the air seemed to freeze in an instant.

Calvino and Alison looked at each other, and both saw shock in each other's eyes.

Xu Long, a pirate king who once dominated the Sea of ​​Dreams, actually disappeared on the Whale Tomb?
His ghost ship, the Red Dragon, was famous for its thunderous offensive and mysterious tactics. His name once made the ports of the entire Black Tide Islands tremble in fear.

But now, even he couldn't come back from the Whale Grave?

Mrs. Mei's eyes were calm. She tapped her fingertips lightly on the table and slowly closed her folding fan, as if she was sorting out the chaotic memories in her heart.

"Almost all of his crew members came on board with him, and from then on, they disappeared."

Her voice was very soft, but it carried a lingering chill.

“No one knows what they have been through, no one knows whether they have lost everything or been swallowed by the Whale Grave.

Now, I get the same invitation, and I wonder what happened to my husband.”

She raised her head, her eyes no longer holding the effortless charm of the past, but instead held the sharpness of a hunter, sharp and determined.

She stretched out her hand, and two black and gold invitations slowly fell onto the table. The papers seemed to have a cold luster, as if creatures sleeping on the seabed were spying on this fateful gamble.

"I have two invitations to Whale Grave. One belongs to me, and the other..."

She smiled slightly, her fingertips running across the unsigned invitation, with a hint of temptation, "It can belong to you."

Her voice was neither hurried nor slow, yet it was full of deep allure.

"I know your target is the Phantom Sea, and the dormant sea chart is one of the rewards from the Whale Grave. What you want is right there."

She gently closed her folding fan, her smile disappearing into her deep eyes. Her voice was soft, yet it was like a whisper of fate:

"So, Captain Calvino, master of the Lost, are you willing to accept this invitation?"

The room fell into deathly silence.

The name of the Whale Grave is feared by all pirates in the Sea of ​​Dreams. It has devoured too many gamblers, but countless people still flock to it every year because it holds the most important clues to the Dream Sea.

It is a bait lingering on the edge of the abyss, attracting all gamblers who are eager to change their destiny. In the end, only a very few people can take away their spoils alive.

This is a journey from which there is no turning back.

If they win, they will get clues to the Dream Sea.

If they lose, they will step into the abyss where no one will survive.

Calvino stared silently at the black and gold invitation.

It seemed as if it was not only a ticket to the gambling game, but also a contract that determined where their fate would go.

The people around him were silent, everyone waiting for his decision, waiting for the promise that would push them into the unknown.

Finally, he slowly stretched out his hand, his fingertips slid across the table, and he firmly grasped the invitation.

"The deal is established."

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(End of this chapter)