Chapter 16

<Lucky Chance>

“You’ve worked hard.”

The priestess clasped my hands and thanked me.

“Thanks to you, the curse over Moina Forest has been lifted, and the Magi will no longer spread to the village.”

“It was only my duty.”

I answered with an expression full of duty.

The mission of a Hero.

A heavy burden.

Still, if the reward for carrying that burden was this sweet, I was confident I could shoulder it as many times as needed.

“This is your reward, Hero.”

[Acquired 3 Stat Points.]

[Acquired Lucky Slot (1).]

I barely even noticed the 1 Gold.

If there was one thing I had realized from hunting this Field Boss, it was that a Unique-grade Class was godly.

The more I grew, the more money I could make.

There was no need to rush ahead and kill bosses first.

All I had to do was keep pace with the users at the front who didn’t hesitate to spend money.

My current Gold balance was already proving that if I matched their level, I could sell them exactly what they needed.

So the Stat Points that would help me grow were even more welcome than Gold.

And the Lucky Slot, with “Luck” right there in the name, made my heart pound.

“Thank you. Hehehe.”

The Lucky Slot was a card glowing with Golden Light.

[Lucky Slot]

[Obtain a reward from Common to Unique grade!]

[● You can set it to the slot type you want.]

The large card marked with a question mark looked ridiculously luxurious.

“The Lucky Slot you received, Hero, is one that lets you choose the type yourself. Skill, Equipment, Title. Would you like to set it to what you want and spin it?”

The priestess kindly explained how to use it.

“……”

Just looking at the card was enough, but hearing her talk about setting it and spinning it gave me a strange feeling.

It felt like someone kindly explaining the rules to a first-time casino guest.

“A Skill is probably the best choice, right?”

Naturally, if it was a reward like this, I had to pick the most efficient and best-performing option.

Equipment would be nice if I wanted to exchange it for Gold, and I already had several good Titles, so a Skill that would help me further down the line seemed like the best pick.

[Spinning the Skill Slot!]

The moment I set it to Skill and flipped the card, it floated into the air by itself and began to spin.

White, green, blue, purple, yellow, red, gold.

The colors of every grade blurred together across the card.

Then the speed gradually began to slow.

“Please!”

I prayed desperately.

I had given up on choosing Equipment to sell and picked Skill instead.

I wasn’t even hoping for an authority like Prayer of Inevitability.

Just give me something like Lucky Strike or Lucky Attack!

“Wow!”

My prayer was answered.

The slowing slot finally stopped on a brilliant Golden Light, almost as if it were showing off.

[Acquired Skill ‘Lucky Chance (Unique)’.]

“So Unique grade comes out pretty easily.”

With no one around to hear me, I blurted out the kind of words that would make anyone jealous.

[Lucky Chance (Unique)]

[A passive Skill of the Lucky Hero.]

[● When Luck activates, one of three effects—Healing, Buff, or Protection—is triggered for the user and nearby allies.]

“What does this mean?”

I was a little puzzled after reading the description.

“It means your luck, Hero, can also affect those around you. When you use the Goddess’s authority, the other Heroes nearby may also receive the grace of the Goddess of Fortune.”

“Ah!”

So it meant that whenever Luck triggered, like with Lucky Strike or Lucky Attack bursting out in a Golden Light, it could also affect the people around me.

“I’ll have to try it to know for sure.”

Knowing and seeing it for myself were two different things.

If my guess was right, it meant I could also fill the role of a Party’s healer.

But there were still some vague parts.

“Hero. Did you know that Skills can also be enhanced?”

“Huh? Really?”

I had been wondering whether it would really be useful, considering it was Unique grade but still only activated according to my Luck, when the priestess dropped another piece of information.

“Yes. The Skills you possess are only using part of their sealed power. Just like the Hammer of Fortune you carry, Hero.”

“Ah…”

“The hammer can be enhanced at an Enhancement facility, but Skills can be enhanced by raising your Temple Contribution Level and completing requests at the temple. It may be troublesome, but I hope you will continue to carry out the temple’s requests diligently.”

“Of course.”

As soon as she said that, the priestess smiled sweetly and made a request.

“Then, Hero. Before I give you your next mission, may I ask you to purify the remaining Magi in Moina Forest?”

[Main Quest]

[Contaminated Moina Forest Purification]

[● Grade: Rare]

[● By defeating the Cursed Ferocious Bear, the Magi is no longer expanding, but the task of cleaning up the remaining Magi still remains. Obtain the Holy Water and Magi Purification Water needed for the purification.]

[● Required Items: Common Holy Water x200, Magi Purification Water (High) x20]

[● Reward: 1 Gold, Temple Contribution Level +100, Unique Skill Enhancement (1)]

“Of course, I— Huh? Two hundred Holy Waters?”

I was about to accept the Quest without thinking, but the number of Common Holy Waters made me question whether I had seen it right.

Common Holy Water could be bought for 5 Silver, or if you had enough Temple Contribution Level, you could draw water once a day and pray in front of the Goddess statue for ten minutes to turn it into Holy Water.

Since my Temple Contribution Level was only 2, I could only obtain the lowest-grade Holy Water, which meant there was no way I could prepare 200 Common Holy Waters myself.

“…I-I have to do it. Haha.”

‘Even if she kept dangling perfect carrots in front of me, I couldn’t forget the moment I got fleeced out of 3 Gold. Don’t be swayed just because a pretty priestess held your hand. Never forget. The temple is always ready to fleece a Hero.’

Of course, I couldn’t refuse the Quest.

Refusing a request made directly by the priestess would lower my Temple Contribution Level.

And on top of that, it was a Main Quest.

More than anything, how could I refuse when Skill Enhancement was being held hostage as the reward?

“Buying the Holy Water would be the fastest way, right?”

The priestess only smiled sweetly instead of answering.

Still, since the temple had plenty of Magi Purification Water in stock, it wasn’t a Quest that would take very long.

The only painful part was getting ripped off for 10 Gold on 200 Holy Waters and the Magi Purification Water, which would have sold for a high price on the Exchange.

[Quest Complete!]

[Your Temple Contribution Level has increased.]

[Current Level: 3]

[You will receive more valuable support items daily.]

[You can accept more temple requests.]

[You can accept more important temple requests.]

Still, with my wallet full, I pushed through the Quest without hesitation.

Now that I had seen how proper investment paid off, spending this much for a Skill Enhancement wasn’t a waste.

“Thank you for your passion, Hero.”

With my Temple Contribution Level raised, I was now allowed to move freely through the temple without needing the priestess to escort me.

I followed her farther inside.

“You can enhance your Skill at the Goddess statue in this grand hall.”

The huge Goddess statue was glowing with Golden Light.

[You can enhance a Skill exclusive to the Lucky Hero.]

‘Lucky Attack and Lucky Chance. Which one should I enhance?’

“Hah, in times like this, the obvious one is usually better.”

Lucky Attack had its numbers written out clearly, so it looked tempting, but my hand moved downward instead.

There was no deep reason.

“Since I’m a luck-based character, let’s leave it to luck.”

It was all or nothing.

Luck triggered often enough anyway, so instead of enhancing Lucky Attack, which I had already used plenty of times, I wanted to try enhancing the new Skill I hadn’t even tested yet.

Whoosh!

Golden Light seeped out and spread in all directions.

[Skill ‘Lucky Chance (Unique)’ Enhanced]

[● Activates upon being hit with a 1% chance]

And a new effect had been added to Lucky Chance.

===

“Hero, you said you picked up an old ring?”

“Yes.”

Looking at the shabby old ring resting on my palm, the priestess spoke with a serious expression.

“I believe that ring may belong to the demon who cursed the Cursed Ferocious Bear.”

“…Excuse me?”

[Old Ring (??)]

[A ring too scratched and broken to display its full power. A faint trace of Magi seems to be embedded within it.]

When I first picked up the ring, I’d had high hopes.

After all, it was one of only two items that dropped after defeating a Main Quest Field Boss.

I thought it would have amazing Options despite how it looked.

It looked like worthless junk, and I had almost thrown it away, but the line saying Magi was embedded in it made me bring it to the temple first.

This was Fantasia.

I had a feeling a Field Boss wouldn’t drop some completely useless piece of trash, and I had been right.

“Would you take it to the temple in Hanimo Village? There should be a priest there who can examine the ring.”

[Main Quest]

[The Old Ring Containing Magi]

[● Grade: Rare]

[● An old ring dropped by the Cursed Ferocious Bear. It may be a clue that can help track down the demon who placed the curse on the bear.]

[● Go to the temple in the frontline city ‘Hanimo,’ which borders the ‘Land of Death.’]

[※ Minimum Recommended Level: 20]

[● Reward: 1 Gold, Temple Contribution Level +30, Stat Point (1)]

The next Main Quest had appeared.

A level 20 area.

“That’s still a long way off.”

I had gained a lot of levels while progressing through Act 1 of this Main Quest.

I was just about to hit Level 12.

But the higher the level, the more experience it took.

And I had never once played a game by carefully matching the recommended level.

“The Land of Death is a region where undead appear. Divine Power is highly effective against them, and if not that, fire is also an element they are weak to.”

“Thank you.”

The priestess was kind right to the very end.

It wasn’t especially meaningful advice for me since I had the Hammer of Fortune, but for other users it would be incredibly valuable.

They could monopolize the items needed for hunting there.

Should I really leave this priestess, whom I’d grown attached to after spending so much time with her, and head to another village?

Should I just settle down here?

Maybe she noticed the conflict on my face, because the priestess took my hand and lifted up the Hammer of Fortune I was holding.

“And Hero. Did you know the Hammer of Fortune is also a relic of the previous Lucky Hero?”

“No. This is the first I’m hearing that it’s secondhand.”

For a second, I thought she was about to confess her feelings.

Instead, she suddenly started talking about the previous Hero.

And it was fairly shocking information too.

When I first received the Hammer of Fortune, I had liked how it felt like a fresh, brand-new Boing Hammer.

To think this weapon had also been used by a previous Lucky Hero.

“Just like Hero-exclusive Equipment, the Hammer of Fortune can also have its sealed power unlocked through Enhancement.”

“…Yes.”

I had heard that already.

The priestess repeated it again for emphasis.

“You have grown through defeating the Cursed Ferocious Bear, Hero. It is time to unlock the power of your weapon to match that growth. Before you leave for a dangerous region, how about enhancing the hammer to +3?”

[Class Change Quest]

[The Legend of the Lucky Hero (2)]

[● Grade: Unique (Hidden)]

[● According to legend, the Hammer of Fortune wielded by the Lucky Hero was a powerful weapon that punished demons and split the demon world apart. Enhance it to +3 to match your growth and unlock its power.]

[● Reward: 5 Gold, ‘Hammer of Fortune’ Unique Option Unlocked]

It was a good suggestion.

And a welcome Quest.

But why did it sound like she was telling me to spend money?

All of a sudden, the bad memory of getting carried away while enhancing my shirt and blowing through my entire fortune came back to me.

“…I’ll give it a try.”

I had to keep my wits about me.

Still, I was also curious, since it was a sealed Option.

If it showed something on the level of Lucky Strike, then it would be worth the investment.

“Then I wish you luck, Hero.”

As if that had all been buildup just to hand me the Quest, the priestess clasped my hands and prayed for me as though she had nothing else to say.

A prayer perfectly suited to the temple of luck.

Wishing someone luck.

The priestess knew better than anyone that words alone couldn’t make things happen.

Peck.

Soft lips touched my forehead, and just like that, Main Quest Act 1 came to a close.

“…When I return from my journey, I’m definitely going to propose.”

“I’ll be waiting.”

‘What man could refuse a request like that?’

With a foolish grin plastered across my face from the softness that had touched my forehead and made me completely forget all my past squandering, I left the temple.