[Luck. Upgraded 30/30]
Rook was a hypocrite.
He had spent the last few minutes convincing himself that Luck was too unreliable to waste points on. Unlike Strength or Agility, he couldn’t see exactly what Luck improved, and there was no way to measure whether increasing it would actually help him. For all he knew, thirty points could do absolutely nothing useful.
Yet, in the end, curiosity won.
If he truly had infinite Upgrade Points, there was no reason to leave one attribute untouched forever. Besides, they were about to spend the next two days searching through a forest filled with demons. If Luck actually influenced things like finding golden stones, avoiding danger, or landing favorable outcomes, he would be an idiot not to test it.
So now, thirty points later, he was officially an even bigger idiot with slightly better luck.
Rook closed the status window and continued down the sloppy path beside Milo. The trail was narrow and uneven, forcing them to carefully place each step as they descended between the trees.
Neither of them spoke much.
Their eyes constantly moved across the forest, searching between the branches, bushes, and ruined structures scattered throughout the area. After their encounter with the previous demon, they had no intention of casually approaching another golden stone without checking the surroundings first.
Milo suddenly slowed.
Rook immediately stopped as well.
"What?"
Milo raised a hand and pointed ahead.
Something had moved between the trees.
Rook narrowed his eyes.
Whatever it was, they couldn’t afford to assume it was harmless.
They continued down the slope at a cautious pace until the trees gradually opened into a small clearing. Rook slowed to a stop when he noticed something shining beneath the sunlight.
Numerous golden stones had been stacked together at the center of the clearing, forming a small pile that was almost impossible to miss.
Rook frowned.
That was far too convenient.
After everything they had encountered so far, finding this many stones sitting together in an open clearing immediately made him suspicious. He raised his hand, stopping Milo before he could take another step.
"Don’t get close."
Milo glanced at him.
Rook kept his eyes fixed on the pile.
"Looks like a trap."
His suspicion was confirmed a second later when several crude arrows suddenly shot out from the surrounding forest, flying directly toward him and Milo.
’Crap.’
Rook immediately stepped back and raised his hand. Wind gathered around his body as he prepared to deflect the incoming arrows, while Milo reacted at the same time, activating his enhancement trait.
Rook reacted instantly. He swept his hand across the air, and a sharp gust erupted in front of them. The first wave of arrows was knocked off course, several burying themselves into the ground while others clattered against the nearby trees.
Milo moved closer to him instead of running.
"More!"
Rook looked around. He could hear the faint whistle of arrows cutting through the trees from multiple directions. Whoever had set the trap had prepared for anyone who tried to approach the stones.
"This isn’t just one attacker."
Another volley came from their left.
Milo stepped forward, his body suddenly moving with greater speed as his enhancement took effect. He grabbed Rook by the shoulder and pulled him backward just as several arrows passed through the space where his head had been.
"Run!"
They immediately turned and sprinted down the slope.
Rook glanced over his shoulder and noticed several figures moving between the trees. Their bodies were mostly hidden by the vegetation, but their movements were too coordinated to be random demons.
"Are those people?"
"I don’t know!"
An arrow struck the ground directly in front of Rook, forcing him to change direction. He increased his pace, using his enhanced Agility to navigate the uneven terrain without losing his balance.
Behind them, more arrows followed.
Rook gritted his teeth and increased his speed.
They hadn’t managed to run very far when a figure suddenly stepped onto the path several meters ahead of them. Rook immediately slowed, and Milo stopped beside him. The sounds of movement behind them continued through the trees, leaving the two of them caught between whoever was approaching and whoever had been chasing them.
Rook narrowed his eyes. The figure had long red hair, wore the same academy clothing, and had a sword in his hand.
"Kael Draven."
The person standing in front of them was Kael Draven.
He recognized him immediately from the forest’s entrance. Kael stood calmly in the middle of the path, his expression almost bored as he looked between Rook and Milo.
His posture was relaxed, but there was something about the way he carried himself that made Rook instinctively cautious.
Kael’s eyes remained fixed on them, but before either Rook or Milo could react, several figures emerged from the forest behind them. Rook’s expression immediately hardened when he realized they were identical to the person standing ahead.
There were six Kaels in total, all wearing the same uniform, carrying the same sword, and even maintaining the same calm expression. For a moment, Rook wondered whether his eyes were playing tricks on him, but the identical figures quickly spread across the path, cutting off every possible escape route.
Milo stared at them with disbelief. "There are six of him?"
"Six," Rook confirmed, his eyes moving between the figures. "And I doubt they’re all real."
Soon, the first Kael spoke. "Drop your golden stones and I’ll spare your life."
Rook gritted his teeth. So that’s what all this was about?
Kael had deliberately planted those golden balls so he could steal from other trainers.
Rook hid his fear and grinned. "Like hell I’ll."
Not a single expression appeared on Kael’s face. He was calm as usual.
"Oh," he finally spoke. "So you want to do this the hard method."
Milo groaned. "Give him the golden stone. We will look for another one."
Rook glanced at Milo, then back at the six Kaels surrounding them. His grip tightened slightly, but his expression remained relaxed.
"Absolutely not."
Milo looked at him. "Why?"
"Because we don’t even know if this is the real Kael. If we give him the stone, what’s stopping the others from attacking us anyway?"
Milo’s expression tightened as he realized the problem. Rook wasn’t wrong. They were surrounded, and the clones had already demonstrated that they could coordinate perfectly.
The Kael in front of them slowly raised his sword.
"You’re making this unnecessarily difficult."
Rook smiled.
"That’s kind of my thing."
Kael’s eyes narrowed slightly. Rook noticed something different in his expression. It was barely noticeable, but there was irritation beneath that calm exterior.
He quietly gathered mana around his fingers, while Milo stepped closer to him, activating his enhancement trait again. His muscles tightened as a faint glow spread across his body.
"We’re fighting, then?"
Rook glanced at him.
"Looks like it."
The six Kaels simultaneously lowered their stances.
Rook’s eyes moved between them, carefully studying their movements.
’Six opponents, one real body, and probably some kind of cloning ability.’
He had no idea what the clones were capable of, but there was one thing he knew for certain.
If they wanted their golden stone, they were going to have to take it themselves.
The Kaels suddenly charged.
Rook.... smiled.
"Here we go."