Chương 144: Chapter 134-Chosen Luck Devoured

It's one of those days. You know the days when a tiny little gingerbread-looking thing steals your [Skills], your personality, and your tactics. Oh, what? That doesn't happen to everybody? Say it isn't so. Then why in the fuck is it happening to me? The Luck Devourer [Throws] another pebble that misses by an inch, but then bounces off the wall and hits me square in the head. Plopping to the ground, I think about how I- Nope! Rolling out of the way, I watch as a dagger falls right where my crotch was.

No time to get caught up in a flashback. Right now, I have to put my all into surviving this dough-looking assh- My foot slips on seemingly nothing. As I dramatically fall to the ground, the Luck Devourer [Throws] a dagger that lands straight into my thigh.

"OW! You asshole! I don't use knives!" I lie as I take the dagger out of my thigh.

"Yes, you do! Forget about the Leech Dagger already?" he says as he [Throws] another dagger at me. I may not have a [Skill], but I still have skill. Grabbing the rocks from the ground, I fling them at each of the incoming daggers. One by one, the daggers clatter to the ground until the Luck Devourer gives a frustrated growl.

"Returning to basics? What are you going to do next, fling your shit at me?" he [Taunts] as I watch him pull another dagger out from behind him. Not this time. Before he can fully pull it out, I throw one of the daggers from the ground. The dagger flies through the air, but then suddenly tilts off course as a rogue wind sweeps in.

"HAHAHAHA. That was your big plan? [Throw] a dagger at me and hope? How'd you even get the right to take this challenge?" he [Taunts]. Distracted by my anger, I don't notice the dagger until it sinks into my shoulder. Damn it! How in the hells? Before I can think, another dagger flies right past my head. At the same time, a pebble ricochets off the dagger and into one of my eyes. Sudden slips, my attacks missing miraculously, and his somehow always managing to hit me. There's only one explanation.

This Luck Devourer didn't just take my [Skills], personality, and tactics. He also took my luck! Yes, in hindsight it's obvious that the Luck Devourer took my luck, but I don't have hindsight.

"Finally catching on? Man, you are slow. Next, you're going to tell how the sky is blue and that pigs don't fly," the Luck Devourer [Taunts] as he spins a pebble on his doughy hand.

"Okay. So you took my luck. Interesting, but you don't know it's greatest weakness," I bait him as I give him a devilish smile.

"I think the multiple stab wounds say otherwise," he [Taunts] as he goes to [Throw] another dagger at me. Before he can [Throw] I take the dagger out of my shoulder and stab it into my stomach. My HP drops drastically as I struggle to push past the pain. Fuck that hurts, but it's not like it's the first time I've gotten stabbed.

"Have you finally lost it?" he asks in confusion as he [Throws] his dagger Twisting the dagger in my stomach, I watch as the dagger he [Threw] misses completely.

"I know how my luck works. Specifically, what its greatest weakness is." Taking a step forward, I watch a hint of fear enter those black, beady eyes of his. This is a gamble, but it's a gamble I'm going to win.

"You're [Lying]. There is no weakness. You're just doing everything by the seat of your pants. Well, guess what? That's not going to work anymore. Maybe try thinking for once? See where that gets you," he says as he [Throws] two more daggers my way. Pushing through the pain I parry the daggers with the one that I tear out of my stomach.

"Oh, tiny little gingerbread man. You really don't know anything, do you? That's exactly how it's going to work," I say as I charge at him. Before I can grab him, he suddenly becomes a larger version of himself. [Disguise]! He's not going to fool me with that. With a wild kick, I send the Luck Devourer clear across the room.

"How?!" he yells as bits of dough fall off him.

"It was all luck, or rather your lack of it," I explain as I stumble towards him, dagger in hand. The dagger meets his as he's pushed back.

"What in the fuck does that even mean?"

"My luck, it works best when I'm outmatched. Catching on now?" I ask as I slash through the Luck Devourer's arm.

"The [Skills]!"

"Congratulations! We have a winner! Right now, you have the advantage. You're the one with power, and I'm the weak one, especially after I stabbed myself. Which means my luck doesn't give a shit. You know what's fun?" I ask as I place the dagger against the neck of the Luck Devourer.

"..."

"You would have me beat if you had let me keep my [Skills]." With a simple slash I cut the Luck Devourer's head straight off. You have defeated the Luck Devourer. Calculating a suitable [Attribute-Skill] based on the method of defeat. Falling to the ground, I let out a groan. Getting stabbed hurts! How many times did that little fucker stab me? Feeling around, I find multiple stab wounds, including the one I made, and bruises across my body. Is that what it's like to fight me? That's fucking annoying.

Thank the Gods my gamble paid off, though. I wasn't entirely certain that was how my luck worked, but he didn't have to know that. Although he did give me a couple of ideas on how to improve my [Throw]. Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Congratulations! You have gained <Gamble>! [Gamble]? What am I supposed to do with that? Rather, what does it even do? <Gamble> Gamble on a possible outcome for 100 MP. As informative as ever.

Should I go play some craps? No, I get the feeling that this is something different. Hmm. I grab a coin from one of my hidden pockets. As it flips in the air, I [Gamble] on it landing on heads. The moment I think that, I feel a sudden surge of mana burn through me. That certainly used up a lot of MP. The coin hits the floor with a spin that teeters between heads and tails. With a stroke of luck, the coin settles on heads. A sudden surge of energy pulses through me, refilling the MP I just used and even healing me.

The stab wounds close ever so slightly. Cool. I wonder what happens if I try again. Flipping the coin, I [Gamble] on it landing on heads again. The same surge of burning mana almost catches me off guard. That's going to take a bit to get used to. The coin then lands perfectly on tails. Hmm. I wonder what happens- Pain rips through me as the wounds that just healed open up wider than they were before. OW! What the fuck was that!

"The downside," Yellow says.

"Downside?" I ask as I look around at the seemingly empty training field.

"Most luck-based [Skills] come with one. High highs and low lows," he explains.

"So, what, I basically flip a coin every fight to see whether I'm going to die or not? That's insane," I say as I carefully pull myself up off the ground.

"It's a [Skill], Vashrin. The higher the [Level], the more control you will have," he says with a hint of annoyance.

"Yeah, the problem is getting it to a higher [Level]. If there's a 50/50 chance that I… Wait a minute. What if I skew the odds a little bit? I need to regain some MP. What did Penelope do that one time?" I ask as I sit cross-legged on the field.

"Are you trying to gather mana?" Yellow asks.

"Shh. I've been told that focus is required for this," I say as I try to will the MP into my body.

"The only thing you're accomplishing is making a fool of yourself. It takes months of training to learn how to dredge together mana from the environment. It also takes patience, which you do not have," he reminds me.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll do it the long way around then. So, how's Blue?" I ask as I wait for my MP to top off.

"He has been better, but thanks to Brown, he won't be dissipating into the ether anytime soon."

"Is he in trouble? You know, with the Gods?" I ask as a spring breeze flows through the training field.

"No, the Gods said it was fine," he says with a slight dip in his tone.

"What was that?"

"What was what?"

"Did you just [Lie]?" I ask with a hint of glee.

"I did no such thing. To have you accuse me of [Lying]. How dare you!"

"Oh My GODS! You are [Lying]! What exactly did you [Lie] about? I didn't sense a [Lie] earlier when you said he was fine, but the moment I asked if he was in trouble… Is he in trouble, Yellow?" I ask with a devilish smile.

"He's fine. Hasn't your mana recovered yet?" he asks, making an obvious deflection.

"Hmm. So, he is fine, but… Did you [Lie] about the Gods? Yellow, I'm so proud," I say as I pull The Chosen Blade close. The yellow gem dulls as Yellow runs away. Coward. The Gods though… I wonder what he [Lied] about. I'll drag it out of him later. My MP just reached 100, so I should be able to use [Gamble] again. Flicking the Leech Dagger in hand, I look at a distant target. Let's try this. I [Gamble] on this Dagger hitting that target in three seconds.

Feeling the familiar burn of mana, I [Throw] the dagger and watch it hit the target head-on. The moment it does, a surge of MP rushes through me. It's about a quarter of the amount that the coin gave me, and it only healed me a little bit. Does it have to do with the odds? I'll have to continue experimenting. I wonder how far I can push it? This won't kill me, right? Opening my eyes, I see the familiar ceiling of the infirmary. How did I get here? Pulling myself off the bed, I look around to see a peeved Penelope.

Apple in hand, she slowly and expertly peels it.

"Have a good nap?" she asks with a sweet smile.

"Honestly, yeah, kind of. Is that for me?"

"Yes, it is. Now, would you care to explain why I found you passed out in the training fields?" she asks.

"I was testing a new [Skill]. Must have used up more MP than I thought," I explain as I look around. Something's off. What's off? I don't feel like I'm in mortal danger, but at the same time I feel like I should be. Is it the effects from overusing [Gamble]?

"You should be more careful. Who knows who could've found you out there," Penelope says as she hands me the apple.

"I guess so. Hey, Penelope, where's The Chosen Blade?" I ask as I look around.

"What?"

"The Chosen Blade. I had it with me. Where is it?" I ask as I look at the apple. Small indentations dot the flesh where Penelope was holding it. It almost looks like claw marks.

"I took your belt off when we got here. It's over by that chair," she points behind me. …

"Hello, Prideborn." A wide, toothy smile erupts from Penelope's face.

"How did you know? ~""You're too nice, and the lack of danger radiating off of you left me with only one person in mind. Where's Penelope?" I ask with a hint of anger.

"Oh, you really are so much fun! Don't worry, she's somewhere at a tea party, I think. ~" Prideborn says playfully as she dices an apple with her claws.

"What do you want?" I ask, fully aware that this could end terribly.

"Want. Desire. Wish for. Not much. I just want to play a game. A game between you and me~," she says as she eats a chunk of apple.

"What kind of game?" With a wide toothy smile, she answers, "Have you ever played Tag? ~"