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  *DING!*

  “THAT IS CHEATING.”

  “W-wha? I swear I did not! Please believe me!”

  Joe trembled in fear under her cold gaze. It’s been five hundred seventy sixth turn and against all logic, he has won. After five hundred seventy-five consecutive losses, Joe has bet ten years of him prancing around in that, ungodly miscreation of his making and, he has won.

  Just when she was about to finish him, the batteries in her controller died, allowing him to execute a perfect combo and score a fatality.

  What were the odds of that? Something like one in a million… oh.

  Perhaps she shouldn’t have taken that bet.

  “HOW ABOUT A REMATCH FOR THE PRICE OF ONE EXTRA YEAR OF YOUR LIFE? SUCH OFFER MAY NOT REPEAT ITSELF.”

  “Emmm, that’s tempting but I think this is as far as I go.”

  Joe hastily went through his skill menu and set the item in question to crafting. He wasn’t sure how that worked but the space over his palm shivered, and a black box tied with a pink ribbon appeared in his grasp.

  “DING!”

  “Here you go. The item is inside. Open the box and you’ll get a size that fits you.”

  For a moment Death stood frozen with the box resting on her palm. Considering all her options, she summoned her scythe.

  “W-wait a minute! We’ve made a bet! I won fair and square!”

  “INDEED, WE HAD AND I SHALL OBEY THE RULES HOWEVER,”

  She cut him with her scythe.

  “THERE IS NO NEED FOR YOU TO WITNESS IT.”

  And that was the last Joe saw of her. Bright light covered his view as Death reached for the ribbon.

  Many years later, Garugo, a scribe of his excellency Theodoric the third, noted that during this day, not a single living being died. It was the day Death vanished for entire twenty-four hours. A fact some lesser minds tried to abuse for their advantage. Next day brought predictable results and countless funeral pyres.

  ***

  *DING!*

  Joe moaned, conveying the pain in his neck he earned after siting still for seventy-two hours. While nobody bothered to move his body, someone did erect a tent around him. A small blessing given the sorry state of his attire.

  He allowed himself to collapse onto his side then, after catching his breath, he rolled onto his back.

  “If you came to gloat, be my guest but don’t you think I’ll be doing any quests. Nope. Zip. Nada. Thanks, but no thanks. My skills may keep me from freaking out in her presence, but Death is still, Death. I Really, really don’t want to get on her bad side.”

  Though, that might be difficult given their last interaction.

  “Fool.”

  The elder god shook his head watching Joe. Yes, a fool but one with potential.

  “Why have you not accepted your rewards yet? You cannot stay here any longer. Delay any more and she shall find you. You are not ready for that yet.”

  “Yes, yes. I remember.”

  Something about that bitch erasing his existence in most painful manner for messing with her influence. Joe’s mind felt too foggy at the moment to even consider such far reaching consequences. Blindly, he went through the open screens, found the one related to the quest and pushed accept.

  “Done, I pushed the button. Happy? May I go now? I really need a bath...”

  Another bout of cackling laughter that came from the elder god, made Joe’s skin crawl.

  “Oh, you shall go now. You shall go but mind my words. Anything happens to her, and you shall suffer for eternity.”

  “Huh? What are you...”

  *DING!*

  With a Flick of his fingers, the god sent Joe and his party away.

  ***

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