--
Tanuj stood at the edge of the Chief's residence, his eyes widening as he took in the scene before him. The mansion was massive, its high stone walls flanked by an imposing number of guards, each one standing tall and vigilant.
"Wow, the adopted daughter has so many guards," Tanuj muttered to himself, a wry smile forming on his lips. "They must be here to keep an eye on her. I've read enough stories like this to know what's going on. But I'm not falling for it. I'll just write a letter to ask if she's the one who helped me. No heroics."
He made his way to a nearby shop, where he purchased a sheet of parchment and a pen. The shopkeeper gave him an odd look, but Tanuj ignored it, his mind focused on the task at hand. Once outside, he quickly scribbled a thank you letter, making sure to keep it simple and to the point.
Letter in hand, Tanuj approached one of the guards stationed at the gate. "Hey, can you give this letter to the Chief's daughter?"
The guard, a burly man with a stern expression, took the letter without a word. "Sure."
Tanuj blinked. "What, you're not going to ask me about the letter or read it first?"
The guard gave him an incredulous look. "Are you crazy? Why would we read Miss Mayra's letters? She gets letters every day."
Another guard, standing a few feet away, chuckled. "Isn't that the weirdo with the small ass?"
Tanuj's face flushed with irritation. "I can hear you! Forget it, just deliver the letter."
As the guards turned away, Tanuj couldn't shake a sense of unease. "Why does this story feel so off?"
---
**15 Minutes Later**
Tanuj stood outside the gate, his arms crossed, growing more impatient by the minute. The sun was high in the sky, and he was starting to sweat. Finally, one of the guards noticed him.
"Hey, why are you still standing here?" the guard called out.
Tanuj frowned. "What do you mean, why? I'm waiting for a response."
The guard raised an eyebrow. "If you're waiting for a response, you should join the line on the other side of the mansion."
"What the…?" Tanuj muttered under his breath. "If it wasn't for this system quest…"
He stomped around to the other side of the mansion, only to be greeted by a sight that made his heart sink. At least a hundred men were lined up, all waiting their turn.
"What the hell? Why wasn't there a line earlier? And why am I the last one?" he grumbled, joining the back of the line with a huff.
---
**2 Hours Later**
Two agonizing hours later, Tanuj finally reached the front of the line. The guard on duty glanced at him lazily.
"Name?" the guard asked, not even looking up from his list.
"Tanuj," he replied, trying to keep the irritation out of his voice.
The guard flipped through a stack of letters, found the one addressed to Tanuj, and handed it to him. "Here's your letter. Now move along, more people are waiting."
Tanuj snatched the letter and walked away, barely containing his frustration. "Finally. Now let's see what she wrote. Maybe she's asking for help, but I'm not a hero. I'm not going to help her… at least not for free. Hehe…"
He tore open the letter and unfolded the parchment, his eyes scanning the neat handwriting. His anticipation quickly turned to disbelief as he read the single word scrawled on the page.
*"Ok."*
Tanuj's eye twitched. "Ok? Did I read that right? I waited in line for hours, and all she wrote was 'Ok'?"
As if on cue, a familiar sound rang in his ears.
*DING*
**[Congratulations! Quest Completed]**
**[Reward: 500 Power Crystals, 1000 EXP, Luck +1]**
Tanuj's frustration evaporated, replaced by a surge of excitement. "Finally, something good! Now, let's see… 'Luck +1'? What does that even mean?"
Curious, he called out to the system. "Hey, System, what's this Luck thing, and how does it work?"
**[Luck is the most important stat. You can't increase it with Status Points. It can only be increased by completing quests or obtaining special items.]**
**[Luck increases or decreases the probability of certain events happening in your favor. For example, it can increase your chances of getting something good in the Lucky Draw.]**
Tanuj's eyes lit up as he realized the potential. "Oh, so it's like… the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer. Well then, let's test out my luck. System, start the Lucky Draw!"
His heart raced as the system's interface shifted, revealing a spinning wheel with various icons and symbols, each one promising something different. With a deep breath, Tanuj willed the wheel to spin, hoping that his newfound luck would bring him something worthwhile.
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