Chapter 7: The Luck Mage

"Actually, you don't need to be so cautious. Within the Lushan Station, no one would harm each other, but once outside of it, whether we can meet again in the future is uncertain."

Gusman admired Zhao Guo's prudent nature but also kept his own rationality.

"Cautiousness prevents mistakes," Zhao Guo explained softly.

He always felt that the Lushan Station was not merely a simple resting and consumption spot for everyone, or just a place to distribute welfare. With the 100 people present – except for Lu Tianming – there might be other influential figures hidden among them.

Following that, five items were auctioned off. One of them, a blueprint named [Primary InvisibleTrap], was purchased by Lu Tianming for 450 metro coins. It could be made repeatedly and only required the most basic materials.

Zhao Guo, on the other hand, bought the last auction item, which was a footwear equipment called [Three-Minute Passion].

[Three-Minute Passion]

[After activating, it significantly increases the wearer's movement speed for three minutes. After that, the wearer enters a weakened state for half an hour.]

[Weakness State: All attributes reduced by 60%]

The moment Zhao Guo thought about his (mutant meat knife), he wondered if it could be combined with this item. If so, perhaps he could experience what it felt like to move as the wind.

In total, there were fifteen items at the auction. Zhao Guo acquired three of them, spending around a thousand metro coins. He had over four thousand left, which was quite sufficient.

At that moment, Lu Anping sent him a message:

"Brother Zhao, I've also arrived at my station, but it's not Lushan Station. It's called Jinshuikhe Station. I suspect there are many such stations."

Not the same station? Zhao Guo looked at Gusman, who was also looking back at him. It seemed Lu Anping had sent similar messages to Gusman as well.

"How do you feel about it?" Gusman asked.

Zhao Guo nodded: "It makes sense. With so many people in the world, it's impossible for everyone to be in one station. Also, considering how far each person was from their respective stations initially, we should have guessed that there are multiple platforms."

Gusman sighed: "I originally hoped to meet Anping. He's a good man."

"Yes," Zhao Guo agreed with a nod.

Then, he sent a message to Lu Anping:

"Are you among the first 100 to arrive at Jinshuikhe Station?"

Lu Anping replied quickly: "Yes, I'm exactly number one hundred. What's up?"

It seemed Lu Anping was unaware of the banquet and auction events.

Perhaps it was because the top 100 in Lushan Station were the best, while other stations' banquets had not yet begun? Or maybe there was another reason.

So Zhao Guo explained the banquet and auction to Lu Anping.

Lu Anping responded: "In that case… I'm fortunate. I still have over eight hundred metro coins. Currently, the price of metro coins is extremely high, with about sixty or seventy basic materials needed to exchange for one metro coin. And they're in short supply."

Sixty or seventy basic materials for one metro coin? Zhao Guo recalled that on the second floor, one metro coin could buy fifty basic materials.

He knew metro coins were becoming increasingly valuable, but he never expected it to be this extreme.

With over eight hundred metro coins, Lu Anping had made a decent profit. But if he came across something worthwhile, it might still not be enough.

Just then, Lu Anping sent another message:

"Brother Zhao, could you lend me some metro coins? I assure you, we can sign a contract."

This must be Yole's doing. Zhao Kuo reacted instantly. Who else could bypass system rules? Even as Lushan's proxy, Yole wielded authority rivaling the system itself.

After a moment's thought, Zhao Kuo replied to Yole's message: "Honored Lord Yole, may I delay selecting the treasure?"

The reply came swiftly: "Hmph! It's random anyway. Fine. Visit the inner sanctum before leaving Lushan. Puppet 03518 knows the way."

Before departure… Time was unclear. The auction prize—a random treasure from Yole's vault—depended entirely on luck. Zhao Kuo needed to wait until his Luck stat peaked. His current 15 Luck points, drained from earlier loot sessions, were insufficient.

He thanked Yole formally, but the proxy added cryptically: "Enjoy your lovely night~"

What does that mean? Zhao Kuo frowned. Yole's "blessing" felt ominous.

"What's wrong?" Gu Shan noticed his tension.

"Nothing. A room key appeared in my inventory. You?"

"Same. Tang Yingying too. Activating it teleports us to private quarters. We can invite others." Gu Shan glanced around. Players were vanishing, likely retreating to their rooms.

"Rest up. Tonight… might be eventful." Zhao Kuo's tone darkened.

Gu Shan nodded solemnly. After messaging Tang Yingying, Zhao Kuo activated his key.

As Lushan's first arrival, his reward was extravagant: an 800㎡ presidential suite with eight bedrooms, two lounges, gym, study, and faux cityscape views through floor-to-ceiling windows. The illusion shattered when he opened them—only darkness outside.

Tang Yingying messaged: "Invite me! Let me see your fancy digs!"

Zhao Kuo summoned both teammates. Light pillars deposited them in his living room.

"Wow! So pretty!" Tang Yingying gaped at the fake skyline before pouting. "Mine just faces a wall! Unfair!"

Gu Shan cut to business: "Why gather us?"

Zhao Kuo shared his suspicions while ordering fruit and milk tea (for Tang Yingying). "Yole hinted at 'a lovely night.' Best to stay alert."

Tang Yingying flopped onto a sofa, TV remote in hand. "Maybe you're overthinking?"

Gu Shan sided with Zhao Kuo. "Better safe. Also—have you used your green class cards?"

Every room came with one. For non-top 100 players, remaining classless was a death sentence.

Zhao Kuo shook his head. "Haven't risked it. Random classes…"

Gu Shan grinned, revealing his stats:

[Gu Shan (Healthy)]

[Class: Paladin of Justice (Tier 2)]

[Strength: 15/30]

[Constitution: 21/30]

[Speed: 11/30]

[Mind: 18/30]

[Sanity: 98/100]

[Luck: ?]

[Skills: Sanctuary Link, Immovable Mountain]

Sanctuary Link: Bonds with an ally, absorbing 30% damage they take. Costs 30% max Constitution.

Immovable Mountain: Boosts defense, summons a stone barrier. Immobilizes user. Costs 20% max Constitution.

A tank class. Gu Shan's stats dwarfed normal human limits—proof of the subway world's forced evolution.

"I'm built to protect. Hope you two roll damage roles," Gu Shan said.

Tang Yingying yawned. "I got a lame support class. Look—"

[Tang Yingying (Healthy)]

[Class: Artisan of Provisions (Tier 1)]

[Skills: Material Synthesis, Ration Crafting]

Material Synthesis: Transforms basic resources into advanced ones.

Ration Crafting: Converts raw food into preserved meals.

"Not flashy, but useful," she shrugged. "Now, who wants popcorn?"

As she fiddled with the TV, static suddenly flared. The screen flickered—a distorted face pressed against glass, then vanished.

Zhao Kuo's grip tightened on his revolver. Yole's "lovely night" has begun.

[Tang Yingying (Healthy)]

[Class: Puppeteer (Tier 2, Rare)]

[Strength: 6/30]

[Constitution: 10/30]

[Speed: 18/30]

[Mind: 25/30]

[Sanity: 79/100]

[Luck: ?]

[Skills: Puppet Stitching, Puppet Blessing]

[Puppet Stitching: Craft unique puppets using random materials. Attributes vary based on crafter's tier and material quality. No cost.]

[Puppet Blessing: Animate a puppet and grant it a permanent special ability. Warning: Discarded puppets may return for vengeance! No cost.]

Rare class?! Holy shit, this girl's got cheats! She must!

Zhao Kuo and Gu Shan stared silently at Tang Yingying's stats.

Finally, Gu Shan sighed. "Not bad. Summoner classes scale well."

Zhao Kuo added, "Both your classes are solid. Yingying, how many puppets can you make now?"

"Two. Each uses up to three materials. Once made, they can't be discarded. So… it's all luck." She sighed for solidarity, though unsure why the men were sighing.

Zhao Kuo retrieved the Blade Limb from a mutated mantis kill. "Gu Shan's defense is maxed. We need offense. These blade limbs aren't top-tier but should craft attack puppets."

Tang Yingying took the limb, testing its hardness.

Gu Shan added a Phantom Cat Pelt—glowing purple, looted from an invisible feline. "Nearly died getting this. Luo Ping'an's ointment saved me."

Tang Yingying's eyes lit up. "Invisibility puppet! Plus this Warding Gem I have… Be right back!" She dashed off, calling over her shoulder: "Good luck, Little Zhao!"

Little Zhao… He grimaced.

Gu Shan nodded. "Your turn. Classes are random. Don't stress."

Zhao Kuo summoned his white and green class cards.

White Class Card Activated.

A weightless sensation engulfed him. Stars swirled—an endless cosmos whispering in ancient tongues. Panic surged until a single star blazed, painting the void in prismatic light.

[Class: Luck Mage (Unique)]

[Strength: 9/20 → 12/25]

[Constitution: 12/20 → 15/25]

[Speed: 12/20 → 16/25]

[Mind: 17/20 → 22/25]

[Sanity: 92/120]

[Luck: ?]

[Fortune Value: 18%]

[Skills: Potential Focus, Arcane Fortune Missile, Luck Aura]

Potential Focus: Enter hyper-focused state, consuming 10% stamina/sec. Max duration: 10 sec.

Arcane Fortune Missile: Fires a chaos-infused projectile. Damage scales with Luck. Effective vs undead/specters. Cost: 15% max Mind.

Luck Aura: Boosts Luck by 30% for 10 sec. No cost.

A unique class—synced with my Luck system!

The green class card glowed. Stars erupted again.

[Upgrade current class?]

"Upgrade."

[Class: Celestial Luck Mage (Tier 2)]

[Fortune Value: 18% → 25%]

[New Skill: Starfall Guidance]

[Starfall Guidance: Mark a target. Next attack gains 50% crit chance. Cost: 20% max Mind.]

Zhao Kuo exhaled. This changes everything.

Gu Shan raised an eyebrow. "Well?"

"Let's just say…" Zhao Kuo smirked. "Tonight's problems just got unlucky."