Ch. 4: Just A Bit Of Luck!
"Don't want your wishes? Twenty seconds left."
That broke the silence.
Voices erupted, wishes tumbling over each other in a chaotic mess.
It was impossible to tell who said what, the words blending into a cacophony of desperation and ambition.
- "Let ** ke*p *y heave*ly phys*que a** b*und tr*asur* fr*m last l*f*..."
- "Gi*e ** mart**l sp*r*t G*l**n dr**on K**g."
- "Gi*e ** 3 mart**l Spir**s!"
- "Tu*n T*ng San fem*l*, an* wi*h m* having a Sp*** fusi*n w*th *er!"
-"G*ve m* c*mp*e*e m*m*r*es, t*l*nt, mart*l soul, **d e*e* a*iliti*s of Yun Ming fr*m SL 3, *l*ng wi*h an ex*ra *ar**l so**."
-"M*k* ** th* *nly s*n of * limit d*uluo c**ple, *** it's a c*mpl*t* f*m*ly, n*t a d*vi**d *ne."
- "G*v* m* Ha0 Yuh*o templ*te!"
- "Mak* m* ta*g sa*'s adopted br*th*r wi*h blue si*ver emp*ror mart**l sp*r*t."
- "Ma*e *e Q*an Renx**'s twin s*st*r w*th g*d l*v*l fal*en ange* ma*tial s*irit!"
- "Mak* m* as tal*nted ** Yori*chi Tsug*kun*, b*rn *n a swo*dsman* fam*ly backgr*u*d, a*d w*th t*e gr*at*st sword typ* mart*al sp*rit!"
- "M**e s*re *hat d*i mu*ai a*d *ang San d*es a* children!"
- "* wan* Madara's Po*w*s as my t**n ma***a* s**r**s!"
One by one, everyone started to speak their wishes.
Some even confused some words and forgot to word it more efficiently, saying some words that would be like reality-bending, even changing the plot entirely, were spoken without care, even forgetting the cost it would incur in the future.
There were some especially illogical ones, like:
-"L*t me be b**n *n a f**ily w*t* t*e l**acy *f * le**l 10 s*ul *ng*ne*r *n* l**el 9 D*vine Cra**sm*n(Blacksmith)."
- "R*place Sp*r** ha*l w*t* a organ*zat*on ca**ed sw*r* g*d m**nta*n an* m*k* me *t's y**ng ma*ter!"
-"M*k* m* i**ate s*ul p*w**r l*v*l 90 wi*h twin spirits."
- "*ake * n*w kingd*m wit* m* be*ng *t's princ*!"
And then there were some really, really strange wishes:
-"Jad* skin, m*st b*a*tif*l lo*k*ng man, b*tt*r t*a* wom*n in t*e w*ole wo*l*'s *as* a*d future."
-"A 35-*nch-l**g dr*g*n *s lil br*."
-"S*ccu*us bl*odl*n* as m*rt*al so*l a*d s*pe*po*er of hypnosis."
-"God**ss coll*cti*n system. Luo sanpa* mar**al S*ir*t. Ad*pt*d b* Liu Erl*ng."
But it was understandable.
They really did not have time; only 20 seconds remained.
After all, one will say whatever comes to mind, not even bothering to think too much.
Even if that whatever is the trash novel they had last read and dropped for being too OP.
Such is human nature, after all; something good needs to be thought by oneself.
Thinking aside, wording those thoughts out also took quite some time.
And there was no time to waste...
Ethan's mind was still foggy, his memories a jumbled puzzle, but he forced himself to focus.
He didn't want power or invincibility; those felt like traps, too obvious for a world that balanced everything with a catch.
No, he needed something safer, something that could keep him alive in this mess of reincarnates and gods-know-what-else.
"I wish to be as lucky as possible," he said, his voice steady despite the chaos in his head. "Make any probability that aligns with my interests the best it can be. And if possible, let me keep my memories."
He chose his words carefully.
Luck wasn't overpowered; it wouldn't paint a target on his back like wishing for godlike strength.
It'd nudge things in his favor, maybe keep him out of another death-by-friendly-fire disaster.
And his memories?
They were all he had left of himself.
But just as the timer was about to hit zero.
He heard something very similar, something that made him think, "Is it an improved version of my wish? I could have said it as well."
-"First: Minimum luck required to not suffer from the infights of other people and survive till the end. Second, give me a vague instinct of good or bad. Lastly, allocate the remaining quota for providing me with twin spirits, which will be most suitable and useful for me, synergy applied."
The screens vanished.
"Time's up," the masked figure said, its voice heavy with amusement.
"Now let me see what you guys have chosen..." he said, opening a scroll which suddenly came into his hand from somewhere.
After reading for a few moments, he turned to face the group again.
Through the featureless facemask he wore, one could see the bright smile he had.
"Those wishes? Fascinating." He said with emotion in his voice.
"Some contradict each other, others break the world's plot and rules entirely. Even non-existent things have been thoroughly integrated."
He said with a troubled tone. But the next second, his expression changed again, once more becoming playful and menacing.
"No matter what I promised, I will grant it. I'll have to tweak the world just as much to fit in all these things quite seamlessly. It is just that there will be some side effects."
He once again looked at everyone around.
"Some people really sacrificed themself to make this more interesting. No matter, just remember to thank those people to give you such a great grant experience, kids."
"And also, be careful. The people in Soul Land might be stronger than you expect."
"There might be organizations you didn't know, even events and phenomena which might seem foreign. You might even find elements from ten or twenty thousand years in the future mixed in. Good luck."
Ethan's stomach twisted.
Stronger characters?
Future elements?
Plot changed?
'Don't tell me holy spirit cult will be there!'
Another set of unexpected factors.
Though he had heard those wishes, he thought those might get canceled.
But hearing the original words out of the ROB's mouth, he couldn't help being troubled.
This was sounding less like a game and more like a nightmare.
'Hope my luck can persist,' he thought wryly.
"Lastly," the figure said, raising a hand, "you'll all get a status screen to track your powers, abilities, or whatever cheats you wished for."
With a swipe of its hand, a portal yawned open beneath them, swirling with light. "Now, off you go!"
The void dissolved, and Ethan felt himself falling again.
This time, toward a new world.
Not dying, but to be reborn….