The remaining three prisoners were horrified.
"H-How...?"
"That bald guy was so fast... I didn't even see him move!"
The "Chain Bomber" Sedokan had just ended his 149-year sentence with a sudden execution.
"Ugh... I don't want to play anymore. I'd rather rot in a cell than die here!"
"These guys are the real monsters! It's too cruel!"
"Wait! Majtani! You go! Use your spider tattoo to bluff them! You're the Fake Spider, right? And you're good at playing dead!"
"Playing dead? Are you crazy? These demons will chop my head off even if I'm dead! Why don't I give you the tattoo and you go?!"
The prisoners argued amongst themselves. The Giant Serial Killer, the Blue-Skinned Scammer (Majtani), and the Gambler Girl (Leroute).
"Majtani! Go! Or I'll kill you myself!" the Killer roared, eyes bloodshot.
Majtani flinched. Despite his muscular build and fierce face, he was a coward. He was in for fraud and blackmail, not violence. Seeing two of his comrades executed instantly had turned his bowels to water.
"Fine! I'll go!" Majtani stepped forward, trembling. "But I set the rules first! This match is a contest of... HEART RATE! Whoever has the slower heart rate within the time limit wins!"
He was clever. He set the rules before stepping onto the platform to avoid being speed-blitzed like Sedokan.
Illumi's neck clicked mechanically, preparing to step forward.
But Ryker moved first.
Hisoka glanced at Illumi, signaling him to wait. Illumi paused. Hanzo and Ponzu watched Ryker's back nervously.
"Please be careful..." Ponzu whispered, clutching her chest.
On the platform:
"Hahaha! I drew the lucky straw!" Majtani thought, his confidence returning. This kid looks soft. Once I show him my Phantom Troupe tattoo and make a scary face, he'll be so terrified his heart rate will skyrocket!
"Calm down... calm down... lower the heart rate..." Majtani muttered to himself, preparing his act.
I'm so lucky today! Easy win!
"Yes," Ryker smiled, walking onto the bridge. "You really are lucky. I like your luck. And now, it's mine."
Name: Majtani
Traits: [Dogshit Luck] (Blue) (Trigger: Luck spikes after stepping in misfortune), [Bluff] (Blue), [Cowardice] (Green)...
Luck traits are incredibly rare.
Ryker had only seen two so far: Tonpa and Majtani.
Luck was invisible, unquantifiable, and absolutely essential.
So, Ryker drew his fillet knife.
Schwing.
A net of silver light flashed through the air.
Majtani stood frozen, his confident grin still plastered on his face.
"Hey! What are you doing? Scare him!" the other prisoners yelled.
Ryker turned around and walked away.
"What... what happened?" Ponzu blinked, confused.
Hanzo's eyes widened. Hisoka's smile sharpened. Illumi tilted his head.
Crack.
A wet, tearing sound echoed from the platform.
Majtani fell apart.
Like a tower of blocks, his body slid into perfectly diced cubes of meat.
Blood and organs spilled onto the stone floor in a gruesome heap.
"BLERGH!"
Ponzu vomited again, emptying her stomach completely. The Gambler Girl gagged, and the Giant Killer shook uncontrollably.
[You have killed Majtani.]
[Acquired: [Dogshit Luck] (Blue).]
[System Note: Fusing with [Lucky] (Blue)...]
[Fusion Complete: [Good Luck] (Dark Blue).]
[CRITICAL SUCCESS! Luck Trait Triggered!]
[Upgrade: [Strong Luck] (Purple)!]
Purple!
Ryker stopped walking, genuinely surprised.
Trait: [Strong Luck] (Purple)
Effect: Even in the direst situations, this trait can forcefully invert probability to favor the user. Passively increases loot drop rates and critical hit chances.
Jackpot.
Killing a scammer was satisfying enough, but getting a Purple Luck trait? That was worth more than the entire exam.
Luck was the god stat. With enough luck, he could become a true "Child of Destiny," where the universe conspired to help him and crush his enemies with "accidents."
"WARNING! Candidate 406 violated the rules of the match! This match is a loss for the candidate!"
The loudspeaker crackled. Lippo, the Examiner/Warden, sounded annoyed as he munched on chips in the surveillance room.
Since the rule was "lowest heart rate," and Ryker killed him (stopping his heart, but technically violating the non-combat terms Majtani tried to set or simply disqualifying via rulebreaking), it was a loss.
But who cared?
Ryker got the loot.
"Alright. My turn is done," Ryker shrugged, wiping his blade. "The rest is up to you guys."
He looked at Illumi and Ponzu.
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