Chapter 8: Bloodstone

**[Class Transition: Luck Mage (Unique)]** 

**[Attribute Adjustment]** 

**[Zhao Kuo (Healthy)]** 

[Strength: 16/30] 

[Constitution: 17/30] 

[Speed: 20/30] 

[Intellect: 27/30] 

[Sanity: 92/120] 

[Luck Value: ?] 

[Fortune Aura: 18%] 

[Skills: Potential Focus, Arcane Missile of Fortune, Fortune Halo] 

**[Potential Focus]** 

Activate latent potential to enter a focused state. Consumes 10% stamina and mental energy per second. Maximum duration: 10 seconds. 

**[Arcane Missile of Fortune]** 

Channel arcane starlight to fire two magic missiles of unknown power. Effective against undead and spectral entities. Can target two enemies simultaneously. Damage fluctuates based on Luck Value. Consumes 20% max mental energy per use. 

**[Fortune Halo]** 

Summon a halo to temporarily boost the Luck Mage's Luck Value. Duration: 15 seconds. No cost. 

No new skills appeared, but his existing skills had been enhanced. This was an excellent outcome overall, and Zhao Kuo felt deeply satisfied with his unique class transition. A one-of-a-kind profession—he wondered what brilliance it might unleash in the future. 

After lingering for a few seconds, Zhao Kuo returned to the presidential suite. The sound of a sewing machine hummed from the neighboring room—Tang Yingying must be crafting dolls. 

"How was it?" Gu Shan asked expectantly. 

Zhao Kuo smiled and displayed his stats. Gu Shan frowned slightly after reviewing them. 

"A class tied to Luck Value? But none of us can see our own luck stats. So it's entirely luck-dependent?" Gu Shan's concern was natural, unaware that Zhao Kuo possessed the Fortune Aura system. 

"Still, your second skill adds some stability to your damage output. Honestly, I feel this class system is designed to pit players against each other. What do you think?" Gu Shan shared his thoughts. 

Zhao Kuo froze. He'd never considered this angle—could the metro world truly encourage players to fight and plunder one another? If so, it felt ruthlessly dark. 

But preparation was key. 

Just then, Luo Ping'an messaged him: 

"Brother Zhao, the event has started. It's not an auction—it's a *gemstone gambling event*. Like real-world jadeite bidding. Players buy uncut stones and split them for loot. Should I refund your 2,000 metro coins?" 

Zhao Kuo was surprised. Did each station's event vary based on the stationmaster's preferences? Gemstone gambling relied purely on luck. With max Fortune Aura, he'd dominate, but now it all hinged on Luo Ping'an's mediocre luck. 

"No need. Just pick two random stones for me. Let's play along," Zhao Kuo replied. 

On the third floor of Goldwater Station, Luo Ping'an sighed. His lifelong bad luck made this a terrible gamble, but he'd comply. He'd buy two stones himself and give Zhao Kuo the best loot. 

Browsing endless stalls, Luo Ping'an settled on a smooth, egg-yellow boulder the size of a PC tower, priced at 69 metro coins. 

"Any discount?" Luo Ping'an haggled with the frog vendor. 

"Ribbit. No. Priced fairly. Good loot inside—rare tier-three blueprint guaranteed," croaked the frog. 

"Ah, I only have 34 coins…" Luo Ping'an feigned regret, turning to leave. 

After dramatic negotiations, he secured the stone for 41 coins. The frog vendor slumped in exhaustion as Luo Ping'an moved to the next stall. 

Meanwhile, a robed youth with gentle features—Zhuge Xiaotian—approached the frog's stall. His smile radiated the same shrewd charm as Luo Ping'an. 

"Shopkeeper, how much for these two stones?" Zhuge Xiaotian asked, exuding the aura of a seasoned swindler. 

The frog shuddered. *Not another one…* 

Luo Ping'an spent over an hour browsing, eventually selecting four stones—two for himself and two for Zhao Kuo. What lay inside? Pure luck.

Truthfully, Luo despised such gamble-driven games. As a seasoned merchant, he preferred investments with visible returns. Watching the young man ahead of him waste 30 Subway Coins on a stone that yielded only a roll of toilet paper nearly made Luo demand a refund. His own four stones had cost over 600 Coins—enough to live comfortably on the station's second floor for weeks. But well, since I'm here…

"Next!" The eel-like stonecutter behind the counter twirled his whiskers and barked.

Luo stepped forward calmly, placing his four stones on the cutting platform along with two extra Coins. "Your expertise, sir."

The eel paused, fins clasping the bribe. He leaned in, voice low: "Kid, you're slick. Four's too few. Buy one more."

Luo's eyes sharpened. Money never takes a wrong path—even here. Without question, he retrieved his stones and exited the line.

"Next!"

Luo circled back to the frog merchant's stall—the easiest mark. The frog croaked furiously upon spotting him: "Shoo! No sales! Done for the day!" It began packing up, muttering about "thieves" ruining its profits.

"Wait." Luo pointed to a car-engine-sized stone, blood-red and priced at 856 Coins—the stall's crown jewel.

The frog blinked. "That one? It's… uh, a consignment! No haggling!"

Luo studied the stone. Its price dwarfed even the third floor's priciest options. 856 Coins now? Suspicious. Yet the eel's hint about a "fifth stone" gnawed at him. He messaged Zhao Kuo, explaining the gamble.

In their suite, Zhao—lounging with Gu Shan—replied: "Go for it. If it pays off, we owe you."

Luo: "Just luck. Blame me if it's trash."

As Luo prepared to pay, a voice cut in: "860 Coins."

A scholar-robed youth smiled coyly—Zhuge Xiaotian. The scent of rivalry hung thick.

"First come, first served," Luo countered.

"Ah, but markets favor deep pockets," Zhuge purred.

Luo turned to the frog: "856. Deal."

The frog crossed its arms. "Auction now! Highest bidder wins!"

Luo sighed. "1,000 Coins. Beat that, and it's yours."

Zhuge's smile faltered. "Only 980 here. A shame." He sent Luo a friend request. "Zhuge Xiaotian. Merchants thrive on connections, no?"

Luo accepted warily. Allies or enemies—better the former.

As Zhuge left, the frog demanded payment. Luo handed over 856 Coins.

"Hey! Where's the 1,000?!" the frog spluttered.

"The tag said 856. System approved it." Luo stored the bloodstone and walked off, leaving the frog gaping.

"Couldn't buy it. We didn't have enough funds. But… I made a new friend. Or at least, I think we're friends now." 

Meanwhile, Zhuge Xiaotian was on a system call. 

"I see. Keep scouting for other options. If you unearth anything valuable, you'll get your cut," replied a playful voice on the other end. 

"Understood. Any progress on befriending the top-ranked player?" Zhuge Xiaotian asked. 

"Tricky. He's overly cautious. Anyway, gotta go—busy here." The call ended with a flirtatious giggle from a woman. 

Zhuge Xiaotian hung up expressionlessly. Glancing back, he wondered what the bloodstone might contain. 

The diligent eel craftsman continued slicing stones. So far, no major treasures had emerged—an ominous sign. 

*Let's hope that clever kid finds something worthwhile.* 

The eel split a black rock, revealing a useless flower-patterned blueprint. 

"Next!" he barked as the current customer left. 

Luo Ping'an stepped forward, retrieving five stones from his inventory. 

"Thank you, master," he said politely. 

The eel waved a fin. "Don't blame me if luck's not on your side." 

"Of course not," Luo Ping'an replied, trusting his instincts. 

The first stone—the yellow boulder—was placed on the cutter. The machine screeched to life. 

Luo Ping'an's nerves spiked, though his focus lingered on the fifth bloodstone. The first four were mere warm-ups. 

To everyone's shock, the yellow stone split to reveal a card: 

**[Class Transition Card (White)]** 

A white-tier card! While the top 100 players received green-tier cards, this offered an extra shot at a compatible class. 

"Brother, I'll buy it for 50 metro coins!" someone shouted. 

"70!" 

"73!" 

"75!" 

Luo Ping'an shook his head. "Apologies. I'm keeping this." A good class outweighed any coin—like Zhao Kuo's Luck Mage or Tang Yingying's Puppeteer. 

The crowd grumbled as he stored the card. 

"Decent luck. Next?" the eel asked. 

The second stone, smaller with intricate patterns, yielded only scrap parts—a total loss. Luo Ping'an remained unfazed, earning a nod of respect. 

The third stone produced basic materials and a blueprint: 

**[Powerful Slingshot Blueprint x1]** 

**[Craft a slingshot whose power scales with material quality. Requires: Wood Planks x3, Elastic Material x1.]** 

A childhood toy, yet lethal when upgraded. Luo Ping'an planned to sell it later. 

The fourth stone, mica-like, cracked open to reveal glasses: 

**[Yin-Yang Glasses]** 

[Detects spirits, demons, and eldritch entities. Fixes Sanity at 60 while worn.] 

[**Active Skill: Spirit Sight** – Reveals traces of supernatural beings for 10 seconds. Costs 5 Sanity/sec. Cooldown: 2 hours.] 

Powerful but risky. Sanity below 60 left players vulnerable to possession. 

"What's the stats?" someone asked, using the honorific for elites. 

"Just adjustable lenses that don't slip," Luo Ping'an lied smoothly. 

Finally, the bloodstone—worth 856 metro coins—took the stage. Luo Ping'an's palms sweated. Even with Zhao Kuo's funds, failure here would sting. 

Nearby, Zhuge Xiaotian watched with quiet interest, his fifth stone in hand.