Chapter 22. Luck manipulation.

Hearing Alex's words, a slight smile danced at the corners of his lips, yet he refrained from teasing Longwei further. "Alright, alright, dragon spirit, I understand your point," he said, a genial smile beginning to play on his visage.

In response to Alex's change in title, the fury that was previously evident in Longwei's voice and expression dissipated.

Observing this, Alex's demeanor promptly shifted to a more serious note.

Without any preamble, he got straight to the point, querying Longwei with a grave tone, "What was the reason behind my unlocking of a skill when I defeated the Shadowclaw? Was it a manipulation of luck, or just the system's regular function?" he inquired.

Upon hearing this, Longwei didn't hastily respond. He took a moment to digest and analyze Alex's question. After a brief pause, he replied, "Obtaining a skill from slaying the Shadowclaw isn't exactly a common occurrence. It seems like a form of luck manipulation, yet it doesn't entirely fit the norm," he expressed.

Hearing this, Alex's puzzlement intensified. He asked Longwei, "What exactly do you mean?"

Longwei remained silent for a moment before he explained, "It suggests that what you're experiencing is due to some form of luck manipulation, but it's no ordinary manipulation. It's as if some higher power is influencing your fortune, making it appear normal. The luck manipulation is being executed in a patterned manner, with one situation leading to another. Before you realize it, you find yourself ensnared in an unfortunate predicament," he elaborated.

At Longwei's explanation, Alex's face twisted into a confused frown as he tried to comprehend the information. After a while, he said in a curious tone, "So, you're saying that this is some sort of chain reaction, with one event triggering another and eventually leading to a pile-up of unlucky situations?"

"Yes," Longwei confirmed.

Alex fell into deep thought, trying to understand the whole situation.

After a while, he noticed something peculiar about the whole scenario. His brows furrowed as he questioned, "But what about the strange warm, and comforting feeling I experienced when I killed the Shadowclaw? It seemed as though my plummeting luck had suddenly improved at that moment, allowing me to unlock a skill instead of gaining Exp points. How do you explain that?"

As Longwei was about to respond, another question sprouted in Alex's mind.

Could the force or energy manipulating his luck also control the system? If that were the case, he would be in deep trouble.

The thought of his luck spiraling down and then being given a mission like defeating an intermediate Qi beast in twenty seconds, punishment "You dead"

Such a thought filled him with dread.

As these thoughts engulfed him, Longwei's voice thundered with anger, "You are such a fool! What makes you think that anything could have control over the system?" he rebuked fiercely.

Taken aback by his response, Alex retorted, "Then, how do you explain the fact that I unlocked a new skill instead of gaining Exp points? What am I supposed to believe?" he retorted.

Longwei, upon hearing this, waved his petite head dismissively. "You are indeed trash, needing everything spoon-fed to you," he muttered disdainfully.

Alex, upon hearing this, was not enraged. He had already grown accustomed to the taunts of Longwei, and so remained silent, his patience wearing thin.

Seeing Alex's silence, Longwei took it as a cue to continue. "Even though your luck improved when you struck down the Shadowclaw, it wasn't the beast's demise that unlocked your new skill in the system," he stated, his eyes glinting cryptically.

"The energy that influences your luck has its limitations. It only designs various patterns of misfortune for you. You fall into these patterns, and that is when you begin the cycle of manipulated luck," he further elaborated, his voice steady and calm.

Alex, upon hearing this explanation, immediately grasped the essence of Longwei's words. He then turned to the dragon and asked, "So you're saying that if I had chosen not to accompany Wu Lina's group, I could have escaped its designed pattern?"

"Yes," Longwei replied with a nod, his eyes never leaving Alex. "But since you possess that dagger, it'll still continuously craft new patterns of misfortune for you to stumble upon."

Alex nodded his head in comprehension, his eyebrows furrowed. "So this means as long as I have this dagger, my luck will always be in decline," he asked, seeking confirmation.

"Yes," Longwei affirmed, his gaze unwavering.

Alex pondered for a moment, a smile slowly spreading across his face. "Well, it's not that bad. My luck may plummet when I have the dagger, but using it to slay a Qi beast could also augment my luck. There's nothing to worry about, right?"

Longwei fell silent for a while before responding. "I'd advise you to refrain from using that dagger until you unravel the secret behind the luck manipulation power within it. Yes, slaying a Qi beast might temporarily enhance your luck, but there's a catch," he warned.

Alex's expression twisted in confusion at this revelation. "Catch? What kind of catch?" he demanded, his voice heavy with concern.

"The time you killed the Shadowclaw and felt that warm, comforting energy seep into your body, that warmth carried a taint with it. Corrupting energy infiltrated your body alongside it," Longwei explained cryptically.

Alex was taken aback, his face contorting in shock and disbelief. "Corrupting energy? What exactly is that?" he stammered, his voice barely a whisper.

"I can't tell exactly what it is, but though it wasn't much, I managed to purge it just in time," Longwei replied, his tone ominous.

Upon hearing this, Alex forced a smile onto his face. "Well, since you can purge it, you'll just have to keep doing so until I figure out a way to handle it. It's your job after all - assisting me in every possible way - so just keep doing your job," he retorted.

Longwei responded almost instantaneously, "I must warn you, if you accumulate too much of this corrupt energy, the consequences could be unthinkable."

Alex felt a chill run down his spine at this. "What consequences?" he whispered, his voice trembling.

"You don't want to know"