The Warden of The Witches

Chapter 139:

Strip Poker

"Have you finally made up your mind?" These were mephilia's first words upon seeing Aiden again.

"I just want to protect myself," Aiden replied expressionlessly. "I've encountered some things. Apart from 'that person' targeting my life, there may be other controllers of divine power..."

"I know about that," Mephilia interjected, "which is why I suggest you find a way to grasp the authority of the dominator."

"For a mortal to ascend to godhood, that's probably not something achievable simply by determination, right?"

Dailey, Priscilla, Vera, and Hasbinis, these four grand witches each possessing unique talents, all aspire to become controllers of divine power, yet they can't even obtain a trace of divinity, illustrating how hard it is to acquire such a thing.

In the end, the divinity on Aiden was also a gift from Mephilia, something he had from the newbie starter pack upon crossing into this world.

"It may be difficult for others, but for you, it's just within reach," Mephilia said softly. "Because you have me. As long as you pull out the holy nails from me, I can not only teach you the incantation but also share divinity with you... Oh, if you can please me, maybe I could even grant you the sole authority?"

Aiden gazed at her in silence.

After a long pause, Mephilia sighed, "Just kidding. Your sense of humor has diminished."

"From what you're saying, you hold more than one authority?" Aiden extracted this information from her words.

"Yes, indeed. Although I am the goddess of wisdom, it doesn't mean that wisdom is the only authority I possess," Mephilia smiled.

"What are the other authorities?"

"This kind of information isn't particularly valuable to you right now. Don't you want to ask for more useful details?" Mephilia replied. "Such as the specific steps to become a dominator?"

Realizing that Mephilia doesn't want to disclose this information, Aiden was about to ask something else when Mephilia, as if struck by sudden inspiration, spoke up again, "It's getting boring just giving you free advice all the time. Why not add a game element?"

"What game do you want to play?" Aiden understood her intention and shifted his gaze towards mephilia's "toy box."

"The one with Royal Flush."

"Texas Hold'em?"

"Yes, but let's tweak the rules slightly. No betting or folding, no community cards. Each person draws five cards, and before one side calls to stop or the deck runs out, they can swap cards at will. After the call, the other side can swap once more before comparing hand ranks." Mephilia said eagerly, "If you win, I will truthfully answer one of your questions. But if I win..."

"What are the conditions?" Aiden, seeing her visibly excited demeanor, couldn't help but become a bit wary.

"If I win a round, you remove an item of clothing," Mephilia revealed a meaningful smile.

Aiden was stunned at her words: "What?"

"I've made myself quite clear, haven't I?" Mephilia chuckled. "Strip poker, haven't you played it before?"

"...I'll take my leave," Aiden immediately turned to leave.

Was this goddess just toying with him?

"Hey, hey, don't be so boring!" Mephilia tried to stop him. "It's just a fun little game to spice things up. You shouldn't be so timid about it, right?"

"You, a god, are interested in humiliating mere mortals like this?" Aidan frowned at her.

"I'm not interested in that part, but I am very interested in seeing how you react in shame once you lose everything," Mephilia bluntly stated.

"Your sense of fun is truly terrible," Aiden remarked dryly. "I'm sorry, but I refuse. This wager is simply not balanced."

"Do you find my stakes insufficient?" Mephilia raised an eyebrow. "Just a few items of clothing stand between you and the information to ascend to godhood. Anyone seeking this opportunity could line up from the easternmost to the westernmost part of this continent."

"It sounds like the closest thing to dominator authority in this world is... But based on these terms, if I lose, I really strip, yet if I win, I have no guarantee the information you provide is genuine," Aiden shrugged. "How can this be considered fair?"

"Are you implying I lack credibility in your eyes?" Mephilia seemed somewhat surprised.

"I'm not your follower, but your guardian. How could I easily trust the prisoner I guard?" Aiden spread his hands.

"You sure know how to negotiate. Fine, I'll make a concession," Mephilia sighed. "Win a round, and I'll tell you the specific method to become a dominator. Each time you lose, just take off an item of clothing. How about that? It should work, right? We need to have enough stakes to make this game interesting, don't we?"

"Alright," after a brief consideration, Aiden finally agreed.

With face-down cards replacing face-up ones, these rules were closer to Closed Poker than Texas Hold'em, eliminating the psychological warfare of betting and folding. Whoever first assembled a strong enough hand would determine the outcome. Luck played a larger role, diminishing the impact of mephilia's calculating abilities, aligning with her typical gaming style.

He only needed to win once, while Mephilia had to win several times in a row. Probability-wise, his overall chances of winning were much higher...

These naive thoughts were shattered when he lost his shirt.

"Hmm, the muscular lines of your body are quite nice, just my type," Mephilia began teasing him mercilessly. "Once you're completely undressed, I'll take a picture to commemorate this moment."

"Are you cheating?" The bare-chested Aiden, suspiciously stared at Mephilia.

He had lost his shirt only after losing five rounds, which statistically seemed highly improbable.

"You doubting me? I take offense to that. Why would I ruin the gaming experience like that?" Mephilia's face bore a smug expression. "Besides, even though we take turns dealing the cards, you're the one shuffling and cutting the deck."

Aiden realized he had underestimated Mephilia abilities; this goddess was certainly more than just a card counter.

After a moment of contemplation, he changed his strategy, "Forget it, let's continue."

"Oh? It seems you've got a plan," Mephilia squinted.

Without a word, Aiden shuffled and dealt the cards again. Instead of flipping over the concealed cards to check them, he declared, "Showdown."

"What?" Mephilia was taken aback.

"I said, showdown," Aiden insisted.