"The Supreme Faction Leader System has been active for one full month. The lottery system is now officially unlocked!"
Hearing the system's voice, Alaric jolted in surprise, then felt a rush of urgency—he had completely forgotten about the lottery chance included in the beginner's gift pack. He glanced back toward the Gloomy Withered Willow at the entrance of Oakwood. Villagers were trickling back, and Thor's figure stood out clearly among them. Hold on, my destined disciple, Alaric pleaded silently. With a talent like yours, you have to stay alive until I get back.
After putting some distance between himself and the willow, Alaric eagerly opened the lottery interface. Three images materialized in his mind: a die, a roulette wheel, and a swirling gray mist that was grayed out—likely locked for now.
The roulette wheel looked like something from an Earth casino, split into eighteen segments. Sixteen contained prizes; two were blank. The rewards included three lightning codices, three thunder potions, three magical instruments, three thunder talismans, three thunder techniques, and one mysterious chest marked with a question mark. But everything was common-tier—the codices were inferior to his Nine Heavens Thunder Canon, the potions wouldn't help him break through to the Spirit-Forging Stage, and the instruments were all Qi Guidance grade, useless against what was likely a Spirit-Forging-level tree. He quickly backed out.
Next, he focused on the dice system. Three dice rested on a glowing disc surrounded by numbers from 1 to 18. Sixteen numbers were linked to items—the same categories as the roulette, including the mysterious chest—while numbers 12 and 14 were blank. When Alaric noticed what was tied to number 13—the Lightning Armor-Piercer Awl—his eyes lit up. A Spirit-Forging-grade instrument!
The rules of Oran Continent were clear: true treasures could only be refined by those at the Spirit Domain stage or above. Anything below that were mere instruments, categorized into Core Formation, Spirit-Forging, and Qi Guidance grades. The items on the roulette were all Qi Guidance level—usable for someone like him at the Late Qi Guidance Stage, but worthless against the willow. The Lightning Armor-Piercer Awl, however, was a Spirit-Forging instrument. In his hands, it would be like a divine weapon, maybe enough to give him a real chance.
The mysterious chest might hold something even better, but it was a gamble. Alaric took a deep breath. *Lightning Armor-Piercer Awl, number 13,* he chanted inwardly, and initiated the draw.
The three dice spun wildly. The first landed on 6. The second settled on 5. Eleven. Alaric held his breath, eyes locked on the last die. Just a two. Give me a two. It wobbled, first showing a 6—17 total, which meant a common Qi-Gathering Pill, useless—then tipped to a 2. Thirteen! But before relief could set in, the die rolled once more, landing on 1. Twelve. A blank.
Damn it.
His heart sank. But then the die tilted one last time, finally settling on 4.
Six. Five. Four.
Fifteen total.
The mysterious chest.
Hesitant, he opened it. Inside was a pale gold longsword in its sheath. Even sheathed, it radiated a terrifying aura of thunder and magnetic force. A system prompt appeared:
Northrend Meteor-Iron Thunderblade. Spirit-Forging-grade instrument. Pairs with the 'Southwild Scorching Magnetic Holy Sword.' When combined, upgrades into a Core Formation-grade 'Dual-Realm Extreme Magnetic Warblade.'
Alaric stared at the sword for a long moment before finally letting out a slow breath. This was even better than the Lightning Armor-Piercer Awl. Leaving the system, he found the Northrend Meteor-Iron Thunderblade already in his hand. He drew it slightly and pointed casually; a brilliant arc of lightning shot out and blasted a nearby cliff into rubble.
His initial excitement soon gave way to cold practicality.
"I'm still only at the Late Qi Guidance Stage. I can't fully wield the power of a Spirit-Forging instrument." He took stock: "The 'Thunder Invocation' is powerful, but it requires crystals, talismans, and points. The Thunderblade is strong, but my cultivation limits it. Even if that willow is only at the Spirit-Forging level, it would still be a tough fight. Victory isn't guaranteed."
The bigger issue was the willow's position—right at the entrance to Oakwood, a constant threat to Thor and the others. And the villagers saw it as their guardian spirit. Trying to warn them would only turn them against him.
If the Black Raven Gang sent people for Thor, they must have Spirit-Forging experts, he reasoned. It would be perfect to lure them here and let them clash with the willow… but who knows how long that would take?
As he weighed his options, a powerful energy fluctuation approached, accompanied by voices.
"Junior Sister, you should have broken off the engagement with the Silvermoon family long ago."
"It's not too late to do it now."
Before the words faded, three figures in silver robes, longswords at their hips, appeared before him. The leader was an elderly man in moon-white robes. He wore a warm smile, but his eyes were sharp. The energy radiating from him was deep and vast, like an ocean—unmistakably, a Spirit-Forging Stage Caster!
Alaric didn't have time to process meeting his first Spirit-Forging expert in this world. All his attention snapped to the young woman beside the elder. A slow, calculating grin spread across his face.
A broken engagement? Did I hear that right? Is this the classic 'engagement annulment' scenario?
✅ SYSTEM:
Lottery draw complete. Obtained: [Northrend Meteor-Iron Thunderblade].
Faction Points: 0.
New Objective: Assess new variables. Potential opportunity detected.