SHUFFLE OF FATE: A Deckbuilding LitRPG
CHAPTER 14: URBAN PEST CONTROL
The warehouse in Sector 7 was a rotting wooden structure that leaned dangerously to the left. It smelled of wet cardboard and something far more acidic.
"Don't break the crates," the warehouse foreman grunted, handing Kai a burlap sack. "And don't let them dissolve the support beams. If the roof falls on you, I'm not paying for your funeral."
"Understood," Kai said, stepping into the gloom.
The interior was dimly lit by flickering mana-lamps. Puddles of neon-green goo dotted the floor.
**[Green Acid Slime]**
**[Level: 2]**
**[Status: Mindless Hunger]**
There were about a dozen of them, wobbling slowly between the stacks of crates. They were slow, but if one touched Kai's skin, it would burn like fire.
Kai took a deep breath. "Time to test the build."
He raised his hand. "Summon: **[Scavenger Rat]**."
The giant rodent materialized with a squeak. It looked at the acid puddles and hissed in disgust, looking back at Kai with betrayal in its beady eyes.
"I know, I know," Kai whispered. "Just get their attention. Don't let them touch you."
He mentally commanded the rat to scurry toward the center of the room. The rat obeyed, chittering loudly.
The Slimes reacted instantly. Sensing organic life, they pulsed and began to slide toward the noise, ignoring Kai in the shadows.
"Group them up," Kai murmured.
As five Slimes clustered together, trying to corner the rat, Kai stepped out.
He activated **[Bone Shiv]**.
The jagged shard of bone appeared in his grip. It felt light—too light compared to a sword—but sharp.
Kai lunged at the nearest Slime. He stabbed downward, aiming for the core in the center of the jelly.
As the blade connected, a spectral sound rang out in the air.
*DING!*
Above Kai's head, a large, golden holographic coin appeared. It spun rapidly for a millisecond before stopping.
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[Passive: Gambler's Coin]
[Result: HEADS]
[Damage: +50%]
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The bone shiv glowed with a sudden surge of power.
*SPLAT.*
The blade didn't just pierce the slime; it tore through the membrane with explosive force. The Slime burst instantly, dissolving into a puddle of harmless water and a solid mana core.
**[Critical Hit!]**
**[Enemy Defeated: Green Acid Slime]**
A faint green wisp of energy traveled from the dying slime up the bone blade and into Kai's arm.
**[Life Steal: +1 HP]**
"It works," Kai grinned.
The other Slimes turned, realizing the rat was just bait. They lunged at Kai.
Kai didn't retreat. He sidestepped a glob of acid and slashed at the second Slime.
*DING!*
**[Result: HEADS]**
*Slash.* The second Slime popped.
Kai spun around, thrusting the shiv into a third Slime that was trying to dissolve his boot.
*DING!*
**[Result: HEADS]**
*Pop.*
Three heads in a row.
"I love this coin!" Kai laughed.
The thrill of the gamble was intoxicating. Every swing was a mini-game. He wasn't just fighting; he was playing a slot machine with his life, and right now, he was hitting the jackpot.
The remaining slimes were easy pickings. With the Scavenger Rat distracting them and Kai flanking them with boosted damage, the "pest control" turned into a massacre.
Within ten minutes, the warehouse was silent.
Kai stood in the center of the room, collecting the glowing green cores from the floor. He dropped them into the burlap sack. *Clink. Clink.*
He checked his status.
**[HP: 100/100]**
Thanks to the *Bone Shiv's* Life Steal, the minor acid burns he received during the fight had already healed. He had cleared the dungeon with zero resource cost (besides mana regen).
"Efficient," Kai nodded, tying the sack.
He had 12 Slime Cores. At 10 coins each, that was 120 coins. Plus the base reward.
It wasn't a fortune, but it was enough to buy food, rent a cheap room, and maybe save up for a better spell.
"Not bad for an F-Rank," Kai said to his rat, scratching it behind the ears before unsummoning it.
He walked out of the warehouse, feeling the weight of the coins in his mind. He felt confident. He felt ready for anything.
But as he stepped into the alleyway, the sun blocked by three large shadows, Kai realized that monsters weren't the only things hunting in Sector 7.
"Hey, rookie," a rough voice called out. "That's a heavy bag you got there. Need help carrying it?"
Kai stopped. He looked up.
Three men stood blocking the exit. They wore Mercenary badges, but their smiles were predatory.
Kai sighed, his hand drifting to his pocket where his deck lay.
"Human nature," Kai whispered. "Always predictable."