After passing the coin test, an assistant led them through the luxurious halls of the Academy of Games. Dolo walked in silence, scanning his surroundings. The place resembled a high-class ancient casino: polished dark wood, thick red carpets, crystal chandeliers, with ambition and money filling the air.
They finally arrived at the "Final Waiting Room." Inside, only three children were sitting around a large table, playing board games.
A blond elf, three months old, dressed in expensive clothes with an arrogant expression. A goblin girl with dark green skin stared at the floor, clearly intimidated. And a little further away, a small black dragon with shiny scales watched everything in silence.
When Dolo entered, the elf looked him up and down and let out a mocking laugh.
—A tanuki? What's a fat raccoon doing here? Hahaha! Did you come to steal leftovers or to clean the floor?
The elf is now focused on Dolo.
—Look at him… a clumsy, chubby baby tanuki. Did they really let you in? This must be a joke from Destiny.
Dolo stood still for a second. Internally, he chose to activate his skills, focusing his mind before taking any action.
First, Swindler's Eye (Level 2).
He read the elf's micro-movements: accelerated breathing, twitching ears, and arrogant fingers.
Then he activated Natural Deception (Level 1).
His smile turned innocent and clumsy, but carried hidden danger.
And finally, Quick Hands (Level 1).
His tiny paws became faster and more precise.
A blue window appeared only in front of his eyes:
[Skills Successfully Activated]
Swindler's Eye (Level 2) → Detection Chance: 8% Natural Deception (Level 1) → Manipulation Effectiveness Increased Quick Hands (Level 1) → Hand Precision and Speed Improved
Dolo let out a low, dangerous chuckle.
Pathetic. His arrogance blinds him—every twitch, every nervous breath, perfectly predictable. He wields his noble birth like armor, but inside, he's nothing. He'll tumble hard. Long ears, empty head.
He looked straight at the elf and spoke with a childish voice full of venom:
—If you're so superior… why don't we play something? A simple game of 21. If I win, you stay quiet and never bother me again. If you win… I'll let you bother me all day.
The elf raised an eyebrow, clearly excited at the idea of humiliating the tanuki.
—I accept. Let's see how brave you are, little mouse.
Dolo sat down across from him. With Quick Hands, he shuffled the cards quickly yet made each move seem like harmless fumbling. Then, using Leaf Illusion, he discreetly altered the values of several cards in the deck—turning some 10s into Aces and some Aces into 4s—while keeping up the façade of innocent incompetence.
The game began.
At first, the elf was winning by a small margin and laughing arrogantly.
—Ha! See? I'm much better than you, raccoon!
As rounds progressed, the elf's face changed. Dolo asked for cards with cold, calculated calm. Using Swindler's Eye, he read the elf's confidence and nerves.
In the decisive hand, Dolo already had six cards on the table.
The elf was visibly sweating, his eyes wide.
—Six cards…? That's ridiculous! Nobody asks for six cards in 21! You're cheating!
Dolo looked him straight in the eyes and smiled like a wolf.
—Six cards… and I'm still alive. Isn't it beautiful?
He flipped his last card.
—Exactly 21.
The elf looked at his own cards: 23. He had busted completely.
A deathly silence fell over the room.
The elf turned pale, trembling with rage and humiliation. His eyes filled with tears.
"Cheat! You cheated!" he screamed, voice breaking. "I'll tell my father! He's an important noble! You'll be expelled, filthy tanuki!"
Dolo leaned forward slightly and spoke in a low, cold, mafia-like voice:
"You lost, long-ears. A deal is a deal. Shut up, or I'll make you cry harder in front of everyone."
The elf sobbed, crying like a child.
From his chair, the small black dragon let out a deep, rumbling laugh.
The goblin girl, who had been silent the whole time, stood up shyly and approached Dolo. She held out a cookie wrapped in a handkerchief, trembling.
—Th-thank you… —She said softly. —For defending me… and for beating him. My parents gave me this cookie to share… you can have it if you want.
Dolo accepted the cookie, giving her a small smile.
—You're welcome, little one.
At that moment, the door to the room opened, and three more students entered: a silver-furred werebeast wolf boy, a siren girl with bright blue hair, and a small Flügel with folded white wings.
The teacher accompanying them announced clearly:
—The seven selected students are now complete. Please come with me. The main class is about to begin.
Dolo stood, tucked the cookie into his cloak, and glanced at the broken, crying elf.
He tumbled just as expected. Predictable. Too easy.
Confidence shatters quickly—so loud, so easy to break. Pathetic.
Hahaha… this is just the beginning."
As he walked alongside the other six children toward the main test, Dolo felt a cold, familiar excitement.