Black Luck

Having settled everything he needed, Gu Tian bid farewell and left some snacks for Lin Yuntian to bring to his younger brother and sister. Lin Yuntian accepted them gratefully before departing.

Gu Tian leaped onto Xiao Bai's back as it expanded in size, then set off toward Rain City. Along the way, he pulled out his phone to check the latest news. The buzz surrounding the university entrance exams had mostly faded, leaving only scattered rumors about a few missing geniuses. The death of a professor from the Thunder War University was mentioned briefly, but it did not gain much attention. Likewise, the false report about Shen Ya being kidnapped by the Radiant Sun Organization an article Gu Tian himself had ordered to be written was barely discussed and failed to garner much interest.

Right now, public attention was focused on a far graver matter: the collapse of a Level 5 city. Outrage against the Central Government surged, with people condemning its failure in management and governance. Protests erupted in several cities, some escalating into terrorist incidents. Accusations flew, with many suspecting that the Central Government itself might have orchestrated the city's downfall.

Despite the unrest, the university's admission schedule remained unchanged. Gu Tian skimmed through the reports before putting his phone away and reclining on Xiao Bai's back.

Upon arriving in Rain City, he headed straight home. He greeted his parents and had dinner with them before excusing himself to his secret laboratory.

...

...

Three days later

In Golden Dragon City a Level 6 city on the Black Cloud Continent renowned for its formidable military and cutting-edge technology, a massive glowing ring of light flickered in the city's central plaza. The portal activated, and from within, Gu Tian and Wu Shuang stepped out together.

Wu Shuang stretched and exhaled. "Phew... These inter-city portals are ridiculously convenient. No more long, tedious travel."

Gu Tian chuckled. "Agreed."

"So, are you hungry?" Wu Shuang asked.

"Starting to get there," Gu Tian replied with a faint smile. "Let's grab something to eat."

Wu Shuang clapped Gu Tian on the shoulder. "Good. You're treating."

Gu Tian laughed, his voice carrying a playful edge. "Keep dreaming."

Without hesitation, they hailed a luxury transport and headed toward one of Golden Dragon City's renowned restaurants. As he sat in the car, Gu Tian gazed out the window, lost in thought about the past few days.

The experiment to create the Water of Divinity had failed once again. The immense losses nearly forced him to abandon the project entirely. However, even within the overwhelming darkness, a glimmer of light remained. Gu Tian had begun to piece things together, though his progress was still far from satisfactory. The imitation he had crafted barely reached ten percent of what the real Water of Divinity should be.

As Gu Tian continued mulling over his failures, Wu Shuang, seated beside him, took a sip of wine. Then, suddenly, a system window popped up before his eyes. He frowned and immediately questioned the system.

"Why the hell does Gu Tian have such an absurdly negative luck value? When I first met him, it was already in the negative nine hundred thousand range."

[Name: Gu Tian]

[Age: 18]

[Talent: ???]

[Beast Control Level: ???]

[Contracted Beasts: ???]

[Luck Value: Black (-451,135,000)]

The system responded immediately. [I don't know either. I've never seen anyone with luck this deep in the negative before. Normally, if someone's luck drops below ten million, they should be dead or at the very least, eliminated by some Child of Destiny. Yet, not only has he survived, but he keeps getting stronger.]

Wu Shuang raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

[If I had to guess, he might be a major villain designed to be taken down by a Child of Destiny at the end of their journey.]

Wu Shuang fell silent for a moment before muttering, "But Gu Tian's luck is in the negative hundreds of billions..."

[Don't ask me, host. I've never seen a case like this before either.]

Wu Shuang set his wine glass down and let out a long sigh. "Ten-time award-winning system, my ass. You drained a ridiculous amount of my villain points, and yet, all I get to see is Gu Tian's luck value?!"

As Wu Shuang continued his argument with his system, they arrived at the restaurant. This establishment was one of the finest in the world, known as Moonlight. With top-tier cuisine, impeccable service, and an array of skilled chefs including a single six-star chef. it was a destination for only the most distinguished guests. Gu Tian and Wu Shuang stepped out of their vehicle and entered the restaurant. The moment they crossed the threshold, the receptionist bowed in greeting. Gu Tian handed over a reservation card for a private room. The staff member accepted it politely and guided them to their specially prepared lounge.

As they walked toward the reserved room, the luxurious interior exuded elegance. However, the constant chatter and laughter from numerous guests filled the air. Then, a particularly sharp voice cut through the noise.

"Lin Tai… Lin Tai… You're the son of the Lin Family's leader, and yet you can't even afford a meal like this? Or could it be that the rumors are true that you're actually just the child of a servant?"

Mocking laughter followed, and another young man with a strikingly handsome face added, "Brother Mu, don't say that. You might make our dear Young Master Lin cry."

Gu Tian heard the exchange but paid it no mind. He simply followed the staff leading the way, showing no reaction whatsoever. Wu Shuang, however, let a faint smile creep onto his face because his system had just notified him.

[A new Child of Destiny has been detected.]

Wu Shuang pondered for a moment before speaking up. "Order for me, I'll join you soon."

Gu Tian nodded slightly, not questioning him, and proceeded to the private lounge. Upon entering, he gazed out the window, his thoughts drifting to the unresolved matters weighing on his mind.

Back when he had examined Shen Ya's memories, he had noticed something strange. Analyzing the past events, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. The entity that had possessed Shen Ya's body wasn't purely a beast-derived power. It felt different something far more complex. And then there was what Sa Ying had mentioned… about it drawing closer. Just what was it?

Gu Tian assessed the possibilities based on his limited information. There was a 50% chance it was true and a 50% chance it was a lie. His surveillance devices implanted in Shen Ya had not all been destroyed, after all.

Using a special method, he had embedded listening devices inside Shen Ya's heart while she was unconscious. Additionally, he had planted others throughout her body transforming some into white blood cells, attaching them to her brainstem, embedding them in her spine, and dispersing others through her circulatory system. The blood acted as a conduit, carrying the micro-devices throughout her body, making them nearly impossible to detect.

These devices had a signal range of one million light-years, ensuring that no matter where Shen Ya fled, she could always be tracked.

And yet…

All signals had vanished.

But the devices themselves had not been destroyed.

What did that mean?

Gu Tian let out a faint smile, leaning back in his chair within the private lounge. He lifted his glass and took a slow sip, completely at ease. He didn't have an immediate answer but one thing was certain. The flag of death was now planted firmly above his head.

If he had chosen to kill Shen Ya that day… or let Sa Ying kill … how would things have unfolded?

Yet, back then, Gu Tian's instincts had screamed that if he pulled the trigger, he would be the one to die. And he had no desire to waste a Bloodstone of Eternity.

Gu Tian chuckled to himself, shaking his head slightly before proceeding to order his meal.