Rain slicked streets shimmered under the weak glow of the streetlamps, puddles glinting like fragments of shattered glass. Luke Walker hunched his shoulders against the cold drizzle as he stepped out of LaZeez Indian Restaurant, the lingering aroma of curry and roasted naan clinging to his clothes. The dish pit had been brutal tonight—overflowing trays, endless stacks of greasy pans, the owner barking about customers while his fingers pruned in dirty water.
He pulled his faded hoodie tighter, hands shoved deep into pockets. His phone buzzed again, the same number that had haunted him all week. Debt collection. He ignored it, jaw tightening. One paycheck barely covered groceries, the rent for this little house the restaurant owner graciously let him stay in, and gas money. There was never anything left for him.
At twenty-five, Luke had imagined more. He was six-foot-one, lean muscle stretched over a wiry frame, his blue eyes sharp but tired, blondish-brown hair plastered by rain. In the mirror, he sometimes thought he looked like a ghost of himself—someone waiting for his life to start but stuck in limbo.
A part of him still wanted to believe he could change things. He trained when he could, trying to put on muscle. He dreamed about maybe going back to school, maybe starting something of his own. But dreams didn't pay the bills. And each day, reality pushed him down harder.
The one light in his life came from David and Maryland Burgie, the older couple across the street. David, nearing sixty, had become the father Luke never really had. He'd taught him how to fix his old car, how to grill a steak just right, and more importantly, how to laugh even when life kicked you in the teeth. Maryland fussed over him like a mother, sending him off with leftover casseroles or hot tea after late shifts.
But tonight, even that warmth couldn't reach him. The rain seemed heavier, the silence sharper.
Then came the scream.
Luke's head snapped toward the street ahead. A ball bounced off the curb, rolling into the road. A boy—maybe seven or eight—darted after it, oblivious to the headlights bearing down on him.
Luke didn't think. He dropped his bag, sprinted, lungs burning. The world narrowed to the boy and those lights. He shoved the kid hard, sending him sprawling onto the wet sidewalk. Relief barely had time to flicker in his chest—before the impact.
The car slammed into him, and the world shattered.
Pain tore through his ribs, his body flung across asphalt, tumbling until he landed in a pool of rain and blood. His ears rang with the screech of brakes and the pounding of his own pulse.
He tried to move, but his limbs wouldn't obey. Cold spread through him, darker than the rain. The headlights blurred, his breath shallow. He knew—this was it.
And then it appeared.
A glow flickered in the air before his eyes, faint but impossible to ignore. A translucent blue screen, floating against the storm. His heart stuttered as words etched themselves across it.
[System Detected: Probability Enhancement Protocol]
> Host at the brink of fate.
> Parameters met: self-sacrifice, high-risk convergence.
> Offer: Accept bond with the SSS Luck System?
> Warning: Rejection = Death.
Luke coughed, blood mixing with rain on his lips. "What the hell…?" His voice cracked, half-choked.
Another message flashed:
> Do you accept?
[Y/N]
He almost laughed. "Figures… even dying comes down to odds."
But was this real? Hallucination, maybe. He was bleeding out on a Midland street. And yet—every instinct told him this wasn't just a trick of the brain. Something wanted him alive.
Images flashed through his mind: the tiny rented house, the Burgies' kindness, the weight of debt and wasted years. He didn't want it to end here, not like this. Not before he had the chance to change something, anything.
His trembling hand rose, fingers clawing weakly at the air as if he could press the glowing "Yes."
"I… accept," he rasped.
The screen pulsed, brighter now, words shifting.
[Bond Established]
> Welcome, Luke Walker.
> Luck is no longer random.
> Current Luck Points: 0
> First Task: Survive the next 24 hours.
A warmth spread through him, seeping into shattered bones and torn flesh. His breath steadied. The bleeding slowed. He felt the odds tilt, as if invisible dice had been rolled and, impossibly, he had landed on the winning side.
The driver—panicked—sped off, tires squealing into the night. Luke was left alone, rain pouring, heart pounding. Alive. Against all reason, alive.
But the screen didn't fade. It hovered there, glowing faintly. And those last words chilled him more than the rain.
Survive the next 24 hours.
The rain plastered Luke's hair to his forehead as he lay there, lungs heaving like bellows. His chest screamed with every breath, but it wasn't the sharp finality of death anymore—it was pain that meant he was still alive. He clutched at that fact with trembling hands.
A weak groan caught his ear. The boy he'd shoved out of the way was sitting on the curb, wide-eyed and shaking, but unhurt. Relief flickered across Luke's face. Whatever happened to him, at least the kid was safe.
Then his gaze returned to the glowing panel hovering before him. It refused to vanish, as if stitched into his very sight.
[SSS Luck System Initialized]
> Host synchronization: 63% … 78% … 100%
> Primary Functions Unlocked.
Lines of text scrolled rapidly, too fast for him to process. His pulse hammered, his mind spinning.
"What… what the hell are you?" His voice came out hoarse, barely audible under the patter of rain.
The system's response was cold, efficient.
> Probability Enhancement Protocol.
> You hold authority over chance itself.
> Current Status: Level 1.
> Luck Points (LP): 0.
> Survival Task Active.
Luke forced a bitter laugh that sent pain stabbing through his ribs. "Authority over chance? That's… ridiculous."
But then again, hadn't he already cheated the odds? By all logic, his ribs should've punctured his lungs, his skull cracked against the asphalt. Instead, he was clinging to life. Something had tilted those odds in his favor.
A pair of headlights swept the road. Tires squealed. A second car braked hard just a few feet away from where he lay sprawled. The driver, a middle-aged man, rushed out. "Jesus! Kid, are you okay? Don't move—I'll call an ambulance!"
Luke wanted to argue, but his voice failed. He lay back, rain dripping from his lashes, while the system pulsed softly in his vision like a second heartbeat.
---
The next blur of hours came in fragments.
The paramedics hauling him onto a stretcher, their muttered disbelief that he was even breathing after such an impact.
The ER's harsh lights stabbing his eyes.
The taste of metal and antiseptic.
Everywhere he turned, the system hovered in his vision. Not intrusive, but constant—like the quiet hum of a machine at the back of his mind.
[Daily Task Generated]
> Endure Medical Treatment.
Reward: +10 Luck Points.
Luke almost laughed again, though the motion cracked pain through his chest. Endure medical treatment? That's it? He clenched his fists. "If this is real, then… fine. Let's see what happens."
---
By morning, the doctor stood at the foot of his hospital bed, shaking his head.
"Son, you're the luckiest man I've seen in years. Broken ribs, sure, but no internal bleeding, no spinal damage. By all rights, that car should've killed you."
Luke's lips twitched. Luckiest man, huh? If only you knew.
Maryland was the first to arrive, worry etched across her motherly face. She clutched his hand like she could anchor him to the world. "Luke, you scared us half to death. What were you thinking, running into the road like that?"
David followed, arms crossed but eyes glinting with pride. "He was thinking like a man, that's what. Kid saved a boy's life. Damn fool, but a hero all the same."
Luke managed a tired smile. "Guess I just… couldn't stand by."
Maryland dabbed at her eyes. "You could've died, Luke. You can't keep throwing yourself away."
His gaze drifted past them, toward the corner of the room where the faint outline of the system screen lingered. They couldn't see it. Only he could. And it didn't let him forget its presence, pulsing softly.
[Daily Task Complete]
> Reward Granted: +5 Luck Points.
> Current LP: 5
The sudden rush was subtle but unmistakable. A lightness in his body, like the universe had tilted just a little in his favor. The ache in his ribs dulled. His mind sharpened.
A new line appeared:
> Store Unlocked.
Luke blinked, heartbeat quickening. "Store…?" he whispered under his breath.
The menu expanded in neat blue boxes, invisible to everyone but him.
---
[Luck Store – Level 1]
Passive Perks
Lucky Dodge (Cost: 10 LP) – 5% chance to avoid unexpected harm.
Golden Touch (Cost: 15 LP) – Slightly increases odds of finding money or valuables.
Active Skills
Favorable Flip (Cost: 5 LP) – Tilt one minor outcome in your favor.
Second Wind (Cost: 10 LP) – Restore stamina in moments of exhaustion.
Lifestyle Perks
First Impressions (Cost: 5 LP) – Slightly increases odds of favorable reactions from others.
---
His throat went dry. This wasn't just survival—it was a system, with rules and purchases. A whole new reality opening in front of him.
The Burgies' voices faded into the background as he scrolled through the options. The urge to test one clawed at him, to prove this wasn't some fever dream. But the LP were precious. He couldn't just waste them.
Maryland touched his cheek gently. "Luke… you're going to be okay now. That's what matters."
Her words grounded him. Yes, he was okay. But not because of doctors, not because of luck in the ordinary sense. Because something impossible had chosen him.
And then, as if reading his thoughts, the system chimed again.
[Survival Task Progress: 12 Hours Remaining]
Luke's breath caught. Survive the next 24 hours.
Whatever this system was, it wasn't done with him yet.
The rain had cleared by the time Luke was discharged, though his body still ached with every movement. The doctors insisted on keeping him longer, but David's stubborn insistence and Luke's own restless glare had won out. He shuffled along the quiet streets of Midland, leaning on David for support. Maryland fussed behind them, scolding but protective.
"You should be in bed for a week," she fretted. "Not traipsing around like some mule."
"I'll be fine," Luke muttered. Fine. The word felt foreign in his mouth. He wasn't fine—he was changed. Every step, every heartbeat, carried that subtle awareness of the glowing panel at the edge of his vision. The SSS Luck System didn't vanish, not even when he blinked.
---
Back at the little house beside LaZeez, Luke lowered himself into the sagging couch. The Burgies lingered a while, leaving him with soup and admonitions, before retreating to their own home across the street. Silence settled.
Finally, he let the mask drop. His hand trembled slightly as he whispered, "System… open store."
The blue grid appeared instantly.
---
[Luck Store – Level 1]
Lucky Dodge (10 LP)
Golden Touch (15 LP)
Favorable Flip (5 LP)
Second Wind (10 LP)
First Impressions (5 LP)
---
His gaze lingered on Favorable Flip. Cost: 5 LP. It was the cheapest option, and right now he had exactly 5 LP.
"What does it do?" he asked aloud, though no one was there.
The system's answer appeared with chilling precision:
> Favorable Flip: Tilt one minor outcome in your favor.
Examples: coin toss, card draw, lottery scratch.
Range: trivial to low-stakes scenarios.
Luke's lips parted. A coin flip? A card draw? Simple, maybe, but if this was real, it could be… everything.
His eyes scanned the clutter of the room until they landed on his wallet. A single crumpled twenty-dollar bill rested inside—his emergency money. He hadn't touched it in months.
Heart hammering, he snatched his hoodie and limped toward the convenience store a block away.
---
The harsh fluorescent lights buzzed overhead as Luke entered. The bored clerk barely looked up. Luke's eyes fell on the row of scratch-off lottery tickets, their bright colors promising riches to fools and dreamers.
He swallowed. Perfect test.
He bought one with his last twenty, the paper thin and slick in his trembling fingers. He stepped aside, leaned against a counter, and pulled a quarter from his pocket.
"System," he whispered, "activate Favorable Flip."
> Confirm purchase: 5 LP?
[Y/N]
His breath hitched. Half his points, gone in one use. But the chance to prove it was real burned hotter than doubt.
"Yes."
The text flashed:
[Skill Activated: Favorable Flip]
> Probability adjusted in host's favor.
> Remaining LP: 5
Luke's fingers dug into the scratch card. He dragged the coin across the first square—
WIN.
His chest tightened. He scraped again.
WIN.
Again.
WIN. $500.
His knees nearly buckled. The final box revealed another WIN. In his hand, where there should've been just disappointment and wasted money, was a ticket worth five hundred dollars.
---
Luke's breath came fast, his heart pounding like a drum. Around him, no one cared. The clerk scrolled on his phone. A woman bought cigarettes. Life went on, blind to the miracle that had just unfolded.
He staggered outside into the cool night air, gripping the ticket like a lifeline.
"It's real," he whispered, staring at the glowing text that lingered in his vision. "God… it's real."
But the system wasn't done. Another notification blinked across his vision, sharp as a dagger:
[Hidden Task Completed]
> Test the odds with courage.
Reward: +5 LP.
> Current LP: 5.
Luke froze. Fifty points, just like that? He swallowed, the weight of it settling in.
This wasn't luck. This wasn't coincidence. This was power.
And then the next line appeared, colder than the rest:
[Survival Task Progress: 6 Hours Remaining]
Luke's stomach dropped. The scratch card trembled in his hand.
Fate hadn't finished with him yet.