Confident smile. Dolo looked at it: a 6. He now had exactly 21.
With speed and precision, his professional swindler's mind had already counted the entire deck. He knew exactly which cards remained and in what order.
His father looked at his own cards: a visible 10 and an ace face down.
—Wow… You've got 21, little raccoon. You standing?
Dolo nodded firmly.
His father flipped his hidden card. It was a 10. Total: 20.
—Well played. But this is just getting started. Want to keep playing?
Dolo nodded again. His tiny paws tapped the floor twice, asking for another hand.
His father let out a low laugh, gathered the cards, and as the playful tension settled, began reshuffling the deck for the next round.
—Alright. But this time, let's make it more interesting—a real bet.
Dolo tilted his head.
—If I win this game —his father continued—, I'll give you one of my skills as a gift. But if you lose… you'll have to take responsibility for ten years of housework. Starting next week, of course. Tanuki grow fast, so in a few days you'll be big enough to help with everything.
His mother laughed from the kitchen.
—Don't be so hard on the baby, honey!
But Dolo didn't hesitate. He nodded decisively, heart thumping at the risk—and thrill—of the bet.
"Ten years of chores… no way in hell. I'm winning this."
His father smiled, a quiet confidence radiating from him, eyes glinting with anticipation.
—That's my boy. Brave like his old man.
The game continued. Round after round, his father played calmly, certain of his advantage. While he hit 19 and 20 several times, Dolo stayed close—always one step behind. Growing more sure of victory, his father began to relax.
—Looks like the housework is getting a new helper. Don't worry, little raccoon, I'll teach you how to sweep with style.
Dolo didn't reply. He just stared coldly at his cards.
In the final hand, Dolo received an ace and a 10. Natural Blackjack.
His father had a visible 6. Possible total: 15 or 25.
—Hit or stand?
Dolo asked for a card.
His father dealt. Dolo received a 4. Total: 21 again.
His father flipped his hidden card. He had 25. Bust.
A thick silence pressed down, heavy and breathless.
His father stared at the cards, mouth open, for a few seconds… then burst into loud laughter.
—Hahaha! I lost! I actually lost to my own three-day-old son!
He rubbed his face with his paw, laughter bubbling out, the shock on his features mingling with pride.
—You're incredible, little raccoon…
When the final round finished and the laughter faded, his father kept his promise. Walking to a small chest, he took out a glowing blue orb and placed it over Dolo's head.
—As promised, I'm giving you a skill. It's called "Quick Hands."
A soft light enveloped the baby. Two blue windows appeared in front of Dolo's eyes:
[Skill Acquired: Quick Hands (Level 1)] Description: Significantly increases the speed and precision of hand movements. Ideal for shuffling, palming cards, performing tricks, and executing fast actions in games.
[Level Up: Dolo is now Level 2] [You have received 3 attribute points to distribute freely]
[Skill: Swindler's Eye has leveled up to Level 2 due to in-game experience.] Description updated: Allows the user to detect subtle patterns, read basic body language, and calculate simple probabilities in basic games. Effect: Increases the chance of detecting traps or opponent patterns by 4% for every 5 points of Luck the user has. Current Level: 2 Current Luck: 10 → Base detection chance in basic games: 8%
A sharper tingle ran through Dolo's head and paws. He noticed his senses growing just a little more acute.
His father sat down again and explained seriously:
—Skills can be fused if you get another one of the same type. When they fuse, they change and become rarer. There are five rarity levels: Normal, Rare, Epic, Legendary, and Divine. "Quick Hands" is Normal for now, but if you get another similar skill, you could turn it into Rare or even higher. Divine skills are the ones that can change a player's destiny forever.
After the magical moment, his father picked up two wooden spoons from the table.
—Let's practice while your mother finishes dinner. Watch this.
His father spun the spoons between his fingers at high speed and then handed them to Dolo.
—Your turn.
Dolo grabbed the spoons. Thanks to "Quick Hands," he made them spin much more smoothly than before. The spoons flew from one paw to the other without dropping.
His father's eyes widened, astonishment and almost childlike joy dancing across his face.
—Look at that! You're already using the skill better than many adults.
His mother poked her head out from the kitchen, spoon in hand.
—Dinner's almost ready. Have you finished turning my baby into a professional swindler?
His father laughed loudly.
—We're just getting started, love. This little raccoon is going to be legendary.
Dolo looked at the spinning spoons between his paws, a dangerous inner smile stretching wider, hungry with ambition and fierce joy:
"Quick Hands Level 1… Swindler's Eye Level 2… and 3 free attribute points. This is starting to get interesting."
For the first time since arriving in Falsía, he felt like he was truly beginning to play for real.