Luck (34)

As I followed the little black-robed guide, the familiar sound of my boots tapping against the floor made me feel at home. It was a strange feeling, considering I was walking towards a place that was anything but home. But, I decided to savor this brief respite, taking in the sights and sounds around me.

The robotic voice of the system interrupted my thoughts, causing me to freeze for a moment mid-step.

[Participant 137, your brain has been overly active lately. At this rate, you will be stressed.]

The guide noticed my hesitation and turned around to me.

Remembering the its terrible face, I awkwardly averted my eyes and stepped forward, following the guide once more.

I could not help but let out a sarcastic remark.

[So, my brain was in a complete blackout?] I knew all too well that my mind had been anything but quiet.

The system's response was unexpected:

[Before that, your brain was in an active state, but with one difference. It was in training mode. However, lately, your brain's activity has exceeded its capabilities. You've been consuming more energy than necessary, which can trigger potentially dangerous situations, leading to exhaustion of the entire body.]

I found the system's concern unusual, and I narrowed my eyes, but I stepped onto the circular platform with a smile.

[My stress is the source of my inspiration. Without my dark thoughts, I don't think I'll survive.]

As I felt the cool water filling the glass capsule, I let out a sigh of relief, feeling the tension in my body slowly dissipating. The guide had inserted the Spiritual Stones into the holes. The weightless liquid felt like heavy air, and I couldn't help but take a deep breath, feeling the energy of the stones flow through me.

Glancing at the system window, I saw that I still needed 196 more stones for each skill to improve. I couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment at the lack of resources. My gaze fell on the list of skills:

[4/200 - To the next level. Choose a skill that you would like to improve in the future:

Melee (initial -red).

Exoskeleton Cultivation (initial-red).

Iron stomach (initial-red).

Bone arrows (initial-red).

Dark threads of the Abyss (initial-red).]

I wondered which one I should focus on next.

But my thoughts were interrupted by the system's voice, "For the three fights you won, you earned 230 experience points."

Curious, I asked:

[How do I earn more experience points?]

[Places like the Arena are designed for Participants or Players to showcase their survival and adaptation skills. The higher the audience's sympathy for you, the more points you get. Remember how you behaved in the first fight, how you showed your charisma and unique fighting style. That brought you 120 points.]

[So, the more I entertain the crowd, the more points I get?] I asked.

[Essentially, yes. But keep in mind that the audience quickly becomes bored with the same thing. You must make a name for yourself before attempting extraordinary actions on the battlefield. Additionally, the higher the level, the more dangerous opponents you will face.] The system warned.

[I understand. Thank you for the information.]

I began distributing my experience points, but noticed that the "luck" stat couldn't be increased no matter how many points I allocated to it.

Just as I was about to ask the system about this, it spoke up.

[Luck cannot be increased through experience points. Each Participant is given a unique set of character data based on the circumstances of their birth in the Empire. If someone is born into an aristocratic family, their luck will likely be three digits, while those born in more precarious circumstances, such as in the midst of predators or in extreme environments, will have less than 10 luck.]

I couldn't help but laugh at the memory of my own birth. "I guess I didn't win the genetic lottery," I chuckled to myself, recalling how I challenged my kinsman and nearly died.

Ah, memories.

[But is luck really necessary?] I asked the system, curious.

[Undoubtedly, luck plays a significant role in providing opportunities for participants to become stronger within a short time frame. However, if one fails to meet the challenges and conditions set forth, luck alone cannot save them from death. Many participants forget this fact and rely solely on luck, eventually succumbing to their greed and shortsightedness. It is essential to remember that luck is a bonus, and even it can fail. Nonetheless, you should take pride in acquiring the Black Crystal during your first week. It's best not to rely solely on luck and instead focus on developing your skills and improving your stats.]

[Indeed, it's better not to count on luck.] I replied, before taking a look at my stats.

[Name: Participant 137.

Race: Humanoid.

Grade: 4.

Strength: 140 (+30).

Dexterity: 250 (+10).

Endurance: 120 (+20).

Magic Resistance: 70.

Luck: 2.

Mana Perception: 23.

Intelligence: 27 (+50).

Mental Strength: 32 (+50).

Regeneration: 105 (+50).

Regeneration: 105.

Skills:

Melee (initial -red), Exoskeleton Cultivation (initial-red), Iron stomach (initial-red), Bone arrows (initial-red), Dark threads of the Abyss (initial-red).

4/200 - To the next level.]

As I snapped out of my daze, I quickly checked my inventory and noticed that, apart from the Spiritual Stones won in the Arena, there were only 19 pieces left.

After selecting them to take with me, I gazed out at the Forbidden Land and noticed that a copy of the waterfall was obscured by black clouds.

The cub had been asleep for quite some time after devouring the filth from the skin that I obtained at the Survival Crossroads. It seemed like it was time to find a new food source for the little guy.

But before I could do that, I needed to focus on the upcoming Boss fight. IHowever, after consuming all of them, I experienced a backlash from the excess energy, causing me to lose consciousness for at least 4 hours.

[Participant 137, you need to wake up. Participant 137, you have less than half an hour left before the Boss fight.] Warned the system.

Opening my heavy eyelids, I was greeted by a blurry green haze. As I slowly regained my senses, I remembered my location and stretched my stiff muscles.

[Good morning, System 605.]

[Good morning, Participant 137. You will be teleported to the battlefield in 15 minutes to face the Boss of the Third Floor. Would you like to try absorbing the filth?]

[No.] I replied.

Filth was the residue of the negative emotions of dead creatures, such as resentment, bitterness, and regret. It accumulated in the roots of carnivorous plants, and caretakers used special depressions in the rotten earth to extract it. They mixed scraps of emotions with water and served them for morning washing.

In this world, the strong devoured the weak.

Closing the system window, I prepared to teleport to the field, where I faced a colossal cyclops wielding a massive club, standing at the edge of the field with a bestial grin on its face.

"Die." The menacing voice of the Boss echoed through the square, causing even the audience to tremble from its aura.

I sprang into action, dodging the cyclops's club as I ran along the uneven edges of the wooden weapon. I unleashed my claws and met the creature's bright yellow gaze. For a moment, I thought victory was within reach.

But as I reached its single eye, the monster knocked me down with the inside of its palm.

[Participant 137 is attacked by an enemy, the damage is 12 points out of 250.]

Despite the blow, I was relieved that my body could withstand it. If this had happened to me when I first appeared in the Arena, I would have become food for the carnivorous plants.

I spat out blood as I rolled down from the tall silhouette. Flapping my wings, I managed to land on my feet. I turned around just in time to avoid the creature's kick and flew behind the cyclops.

I only had a minute in the air, but it was enough time to pull out a snow-white straight horn from my inventory and strike the Boss on the back of its head.

Unfortunately, the horn only grazed the surface of the skin, leaving no more than a scratch.

I quickly stowed away my self-proclaimed weapon in my inventory, almost losing my balance from the swing of the club, which missed me by mere centimeters and broke the air with a loud "pam" sound.

Swallowing hard, I realized I needed to be more careful with this weapon.

"Stop, you bastard, and taste the power of my weapon!" The Boss's thundering words pressed down on my membrane, leaving me defenseless as I fell onto the field.

[Participant 137 has been attacked by the enemy. The damage is 20.]

I coughed up my lungs, spitting out clots of purple blood. I surveyed the cyclops. Its body was strong and well-protected, but it had a weak spot: the eye.