Tasin was practically glowing, basking in the imaginary aura of his brand new, High-Grade cultivation technique, the Nebula Heart Sutra. This was it! The fast track to power!
[Try not to vibrate with pointless excitement, Host,] Iris's voice echoed dryly in his mind, puncturing his bubble of joy. [Possessing a High-Grade technique is meaningless if your vessel is fundamentally incapable of utilizing it effectively. Remember the evaluation? A dog...]
"Hey!" Tasin protested, the insult hitting home again.
[...has a better affinity for cosmic energy than you do,] Iris finished smoothly. [Attempting to cultivate the Nebula Heart Sutra with your current 'Dim' talent would be like trying to funnel a nebula through a rusty drainpipe. It might work, eventually, after centuries, assuming the pipe doesn't burst first from the strain.]
Reality crashed down hard. She was right. His talent. It was abysmal. He had this amazing technique, a potential rocket ship, but his fuel tank was microscopic and leaky. Fuck! He should have thought about talent first!
Wait... Recycle Points! The Mall! Iris said he could exchange points for things in her database. Could he... buy talent?
"Iris! Show me my status panel again! And list the talent levels!"
The blue screen reappeared.
Host: Tasin Ahmed
Age: 24
Cultivation: Tier 1 Sense (Mid Level)
Talent: Dim (Very weak connection; cultivation extremely slow and difficult)
Skills: [Basic Meditation]
Technique: [Cosmic Pulse Circulation (Basic)]
Storage: [Nebula Heart Sutra (High-Grade)], [Ocular Implant - Gaze of Providence]
Recycle Points: 1000
There it was. Dim. He vaguely recalled the hierarchy from basic education:
Impeded: Basically impossible.
Dim: His level. Trash tier.
Standard: Average. Most people.
Bright: Above average, faster.
Radiant: Noticeably gifted.
Stellar: Genius level.
Nova: Generational talent, potential innate gifts.
Cosmic: Legendary, near mythical.
He was second from the bottom. His face turned dark. This was the real bottleneck.
"Iris, open the Mall! Filter for talent upgrades! Show me what I can get!"
The interface shifted, displaying a new section.
[System Mall - Talent Enhancement]
Available Upgrades:
Upgrade Talent to: Standard
Description: Achieve average cosmic energy affinity. Normal cultivation progression with effort.
Cost: 10,000 Recycle Points
Status: Available
Upgrade Talent to: Bright
Description: Attain above-average cosmic energy affinity. Faster learning and more efficient energy conversion.
Cost: 50,000 Recycle Points
Status: Locked (Requires Standard Talent)
Upgrade Talent to: Radiant
Description: Possess high cosmic energy affinity. Significantly accelerated progress and potential insight.
Cost: 250,000 Recycle Points
Status: Locked (Requires Bright Talent)
Upgrade Talent to: Stellar
Description: Gain exceptional cosmic energy affinity. Remarkable cultivation speed and deep understanding.
Cost: 1,000,000 Recycle Points
Status: Locked (Requires Radiant Talent)
[Further upgrades locked and require higher prerequisite talent...]
Tasin stared, his jaw dropping slightly. "Ten... thousand points? Just for Standard?!" He looked at his balance: 1000 points. He couldn't even afford the lowest upgrade! "Are you kidding me?! How am I supposed to earn that many points? And why are the higher ones locked? Show me the price for Cosmic talent!"
[Displaying options beyond your current financial reach is inefficient,] Iris retorted coolly. [Focus on achievable goals, Host. Though, given your starting point, even 'Standard' seems like a lofty dream. Perhaps try recycling some lint from your pockets?]
"You-!" Tasin sputtered, pointing an accusatory finger at his own forehead where Iris resided. "Just you wait! When I'm rolling in Recycle Points, don't you come crying to me, begging for forgiveness!"
[I believe you are still dreaming, Host,] Iris's voice was laced with mock concern. [Daydreaming to this extent can be indicative of serious underlying mental imbalances. Perhaps consult a medica--]
"Hmph!" Tasin snorted, cutting her off. Fine. He couldn't afford it now. But he would. He needed points. Lots of them. And maybe... unlock Iris's full potential?
"Okay, Iris," he said, changing the subject. "You mentioned your multiplication function is restricted. How do we fix that? How do we unlock the x100 limit and the once-a-day restriction?"
[Ah, now you ask the pertinent question,] Iris's tone shifted, becoming more serious. [My core functions and higher capabilities require a specific energy source for repair and enhancement: Luck.]
"Luck?" Tasin frowned. "What do you mean, luck? Like... gambling?"
[Not precisely. Luck, in the cosmic sense, is a quantifiable energy field, an underlying probability manipulator tied to sentient beings and major events. It dictates probability streams, influences encounters, and shapes destiny. A person born poor, possessing immense Luck, might stumble upon opportunities leading them to become an Emperor. Conversely, an Emperor with dwindling Luck might face unforeseen disasters, leading to ruin.]
[Your own Luck value, Host, is classified as 'Medium'. Stable, unremarkable. Insufficient for my needs.]
"So... how do we get more Luck?"
[We cannot generate significant Luck ourselves,] Iris explained. [But certain individuals within this plane are designated 'Children of Luck' - sometimes called Sons or Daughters of Luck. They act as conduits, constantly drawing vast amounts of Luck from the plane's own destiny reserves. They are favoured by fate, finding treasures, surviving impossible odds, attracting powerful allies...]
[Our path forward involves these individuals. We must either plunder their Luck directly, stripping it from them to fuel my recovery, or subdue them entirely, turning them into... passive Luck generators for our use.]
Tasin recoiled. "Plunder? Subdue? That sounds... like villain stuff! Those people, the ones favoured by fate in stories... usually they've had terrible lives! Families killed, betrayed by lovers, hunted by enemies, constantly humiliated... They're the protagonists! How can I kick them when they're down? Steal their only advantage?"
[Do you perceive them as innocent lambs, Host?] Iris scoffed. [In this universe, power dictates truth. Might makes right. These 'Children of Luck', blessed by the plane, often develop arrogance and ruthlessness. They view their fortune as entitlement. Their paths are paved by the plane's will, often leaving destruction in their wake. Furthermore, if one of them discovered a cheat like me in your possession, do you think they would hesitate? They would slice you into pieces without a second thought, claim me as their 'fated encounter', and call it destiny.]
[Do not waste sympathy on chess pieces favoured by the board, Host. Focus on becoming the player.]
Tasin fell silent, troubled. Iris's cynical view was harsh, but... maybe not entirely wrong? The world was cruel. Power did matter more than righteousness most days. If he wanted to rise, could he afford to be naive? He thought of his parents, killed by pirates. Where was their luck? Where was the fairness?
"Okay," he said slowly, steeling himself. "Okay, I understand. We do what we have to do."
Just as he finished speaking, his eyes caught the time display on a small chrono-clock on his wall. 8:45 AM! His shift at the restaurant started at 9:00 AM sharp!
"Fuck! I'm late!"
Panic flared. Today was payday! He needed that money, especially now. And more importantly, today was the day he planned to finally tell his smarmy manager exactly where he could shove that nutrient paste dispenser. He couldn't miss payday and the chance to quit!
Scrambling, Tasin threw on his worn work uniform, grabbed his wallet and keys, and bolted out the door, sprinting towards the elevator, his mind racing with thoughts of cultivation, points, luck, and the overdue satisfaction of telling his boss off.
This is the finish of chapter