4 - Goddess of Luck is a Sadist [1]

"T- There's no wound on his body." A voice? But whose?

"Why is the kid not awake?" Another one shouted with fury. Now that I listened to my surroundings more carefully, I could hear faint beeping noises.

"W- We have no idea!"

It sounded like a heart monitor, and the room smelled like-

"More importantly, why did his Leaf label him as dead?" A third voice appeared, different from the other two: this one sounded higher pitched.

Where was I? Right. The room smelled like medicine. Medicine- Am I at the hospital?

"I'm not paying for the medical fees!" E/N: both Korea and the US have un-free healthcare. This is why only rich people get sick

I shot up into a sitting position and opened my eyes to a scene that I will probably never forget: a two-meter-tall muscular man holding the collars of a skinnier man in a lab coat, while a young girl with two buns on her head was sitting on a chair, munching on potato chips. Hearing my voice, they all turned their heads toward me.

The heart monitor's beeping was the only sound in the entire room.

[Ding! The principal from TREE has already paid the Host's medical fees.]

Thanks, system, but you're not helping to break the silence: no one else can hear you!

"Uh- hi?"

I lifted my arm to scratch the back of my head, but then I remembered the fall.

[Ding! There are no wounds on the Host's body.]

What do you mean no wounds? I've fallen like a mile down from that cliff!

[Ding! The Host fell a total distance of 247.28 meters.]

I should be dead…

[Ding! The Host did die.]

Did I get revived by a person with a "Revitalization" Skill?

[Ding! The Host did not.]

No?

"Student A Chul!"

The high-pitched voice reminded me I was not alone in this room. I turn to see the little girl, now standing, glaring at me.

"As I thought, he hit his head. 'Appraisal' is one of the best Scouting Skills! He had so much potential!" The girl groaned, "Curse those Demon Worshippers!"

There is potential in "Appraisal"?

A see-through screen appeared between the girl and me.

[Appraisal: Hu Jung-Lee]

"I was wondering why the Demon Worshippers were so quiet recently, but it seems like they are targeting the students!"

The big muscular man was still holding the doctor by the collar of his shirt, refusing to let go.

The poor guy in the white lab coat opened and closed his mouth like a fish gasping for air.

But who's Hu Jung-Lee?

[Ding! Hu Jung-Lee, 48 years old, is the current principal of TREE. She has an S-rank Skill called "Temper Change," which subjugated numerous A-rank magic beasts. Her nickname is the "Weather Queen".]

48? She's 48?

[Ding! The life expectancy for human beings in Numen is 150 years.]

"P- principal!" I blurted out. She was the one who paid for the medical fees, and I'm sincerely grateful.

The girl seemed surprised, but that was soon replaced with a haughty smirk. "It seems my reputation precedes me. Yes, I am Hu Jung-Lee! The principal of TREE!" She declared in a tone one could only describe as "chuunibyou".

"See! Tae! My name is spreading!" She whispered loudly across the room to the muscular man.

The room suddenly got brighter. Am I going blind? Is this the holy light?

[Ding! The Host is not going blind. The hospital ward is more luminous due to the sunlight from the Skill, "Temper Change." "Temper Change" allows the user to control the weather in a two hundred-meter radius. However, the change depends on the holder's state of mind.]

That's a side effect I don't want. At least the principal seemed happy.

The tall man finally let go of the poor doctor. "Ahem!" He cleared his throat.

"Do you know who I am?" He asked, crossing his arms.

No, I don't. I don't even know your name. I haven't used Appraisal yet.

[Appraisal: Son Tae]

System! Tell me who Son Tae is now! This man is staring daggers at me!

[Ding! Son Tae, 48 years old, is a teacher at TREE and teaches hand-to-hand combat and martial arts. He despises people who overly rely on their Skills. He is a double Skill holder with A-rank Skill "Iron Manipulation" and A-rank Skill "Body Hardening." His nickname is the "Iron Giant."]

"Mr. Iron Giant?" I mumbled, hoping he would move his eyes away from my face. Instead, his face got darker.

"Pff- haha!" Hu Jung-Lee's body curled up as she laughed, "Iron Giant! You're never going to lose that nickname!"

Son Tae's face was pitch black. "You're losing your image as a principal."

"Tsk!" Hu Jung-Lee clicked her tongue as the clouds covered the sky, darkening the entire room. "Right! Student A Chul, last night, we received a call from the police that a person who looked like you were going to kidnap somebody. After doing some private investigation, we found you in the forbidden sectors of the Elgin Forest. We're wondering if you could explain yourself."

Kidnapping? Wait- that girl at the hardware store. She thought I was going to kidnap someone? Do I look like I know how to kidnap someone?

[Ding! There are no attempts at kidnapping on the Host's record.]

"Looking at your expression, it seems like you don't know any of this." Hu Jung-Lee nodded, "As we thought, it was the Demon Worshippers! Tae said you were planning to commit suicide with the items we found in your bag, but who would commit suicide after getting enlisted in the TREE academy?"

So they took my bag. I spent 63k on that!

I sat still, neither denying nor agreeing. I don't want anyone to think I went to the Elgin Forest to seek death. Any person with morals would send me to a psychiatric hospital or recommend a therapist, and I'm too poor to pay for either!

"The doctors wanted to discharge you as soon as you were awake, but I think you should lie down and take it easy." Hu Jung-Lee said in a strangely reassuring tone. "See you at the entrance ceremony in a week!" Without waiting for a reply, she strode out the door with Son Tae and the doctor, leaving me alone in the ward with nothing but the system inside my head.

I sat on the bed by myself. Other than the wind outside my window and the continuous beeping from the heart monitor, there was no other sound in the room.

How did we get here?

[Ding! After the Host died, the Host's Leaf sent a notification of the Host dying and the location to TREE. Agents from TREE found the Host lying on the ground and took him to a medical center.]

Most importantly, how am I alive?

[Ding! Morte, the Goddess of Death, pitied the Host, so the Host came back alive!]

Didn't you say I would get eaten alive? The 95% chance?

[Ding! The Host's luck increased. The chance of the Host being eaten alive by Gray Wolves decreased to 80% after the Host lost consciousness.]

Luck increased? Luck can increase?

Show me my status!

[Ding!]

| - Status -

| Name: A Chul (Alex Stanley)

| Age: 16 (23)

| Species: Human Male

| Title: Transmigrator

| Strength: 1.21 (up 0.01)

| Stamina: 1.23 (up 0.01)

| Mana: 0.01 (up 0.01)

| Dexterity: 2.11

| Agility: 2.05 (up 0.01)

| Luck: 1.22 (up 0.10)

| Skills: Appraisal I, Rosetta's Gift

Why did everything go up except for dexterity?

[Ding! Mana increased because the Host's soul was slowly adapting to the new body. Strength, agility, and stamina increased because the Host pushed his body to the limit in the Elgin Forest.]

Yeah, I ran from the wolves who howled at me for being weak and slow, so I guess that makes sense. What about luck, though?

[Ding! Goddess of Luck and Fortune increased the Host's luck because she found the Host entertaining.]