Commander Jack quickly briefed the team on what External Ops had uncovered.
A few hours earlier, something bizarre had happened at this casino.
The anomaly originated from a dice-rolling table.
A lucky gambler had been on a hot streak—rolling six after six.
In his excitement, he threw the dice one last time, shouting, "Six six six!"
And he rolled another six.
That was the moment everything went wrong.
At nearby tables, anyone closest to dice uncontrollably grabbed them and began rolling nonstop.
Within 60 seconds, nearly everyone involved in the frenzy exploded into gory chunks.
Casualties: around 30 (exact count impossible—the remains were blended).
Only one survivor.
Jack pointed to a man slumped at a table, guarded by an MTF operative.
"This appears to be a brand-new anomaly," Jack concluded. "Containment Unit—figure it out. Fast."
The containment specialists exchanged uneasy glances.
Finally, the lead specialist spoke up.
"Someone needs to enter the zone and observe."
Another round of glances—ending with everyone staring at Loshu.
(Ah. So D-Class are still expendable, huh?)
(New anomaly? Send the convict in first!)
Loshu looked to Jack, hoping for fairness.
No such luck.
"If the team agrees it's you," Jack said, "then it's you."
(So much for 'valuing my skills.')
(You brought me here just to throw me into the meat grinder?)
But arguing was pointless. Jack's decisions were final—unless Loshu used Persuasion.
And was it worth wasting a charge on this?
Loshu studied the blood-soaked zone, then the survivor.
If one man lived, there were rules to this anomaly.
"Let me question him first," Loshu said, pointing to the survivor.
Jack shrugged. "He's shell-shocked. Doubt he'll be coherent."
(Then who the hell else am I supposed to ask? The slot machines?)
Loshu approached the survivor.
"What was the last thing you did before it stopped?"
The man swallowed. "I… kept rolling. Until I got six sixes in a row. Then it… stopped."
Bingo.
The survivor had rolled six consecutive sixes—and didn't explode.
"Where were you? Which die did you use?"
The man pointed to a table deep in the zone. "That one."
Loshu stepped carefully into the gore.
Nothing happened.
A collective exhale from the MTF.
(They don't want me dead—just first in line.)
At the table, Loshu picked up the survivor's die.
Normal. Six sides, casino logo on the one face.
Then he checked the others.
Every single die was altered.
All sixes. No logos.
Five tables. Thirty dice. Only one normal.
"The anomaly is the dice," Loshu reported.
Jack nodded. "Then we collect the altered ones—"
"Wait." The lead specialist cut in. "The dice-rolling only affected this area. The epicenter was the original gambler's table. If we carelessly move these, could the anomaly spread?"
(...Okay, that's a legit concern.)
Jack frowned. "Your suggestion?"
The specialist's eyes slid to Loshu. "He should pick one up and see what happens."
(You motherfu—)
(Every damn time!)
('Oh, something dangerous? Let's feed the D-Class to it!')
Loshu's hand twitched toward the Encyclopedia—ready to refuse—
Then he froze.
The title page had updated.
[Milestone: Discoverer of Anomalies]
[Tier: 1]
[Effects: You have a keen eye for the anomalous. You've discovered a new anomaly! 1. You can now sense anomalies within a 5-meter radius. 2. You rapidly intuit basic descriptions of encountered anomalies.]
Loshu's lips curled.
(Well then. Let's test this out.)
He reached for the closest altered die—
And knew instantly.
[SCP-XXXX - "The Devil's Dice"]
[Object Class: Euclid]
[Description: A set of casino dice that, when rolled consecutively with increasing success, alter reality within a localized area. Rolling six sixes in a row grants temporary immunity to the anomaly's effects. Removing the dice from their point of origin risks spreading the anomaly.]
Loshu grinned.
"Commander, I've got good news and bad news..."