[Copy Successful.]
[Acquired: [Lucky] (Blue).]
[Trait Description: Occasionally, you will stumble into dogshit luck. It is unpredictable.]
A "Lucky" trait.
Ryker nearly whistled. This was rare.
In ten years of butchering fish, not a single sea creature had dropped a Luck stat. Nobody on Whale Island had one either.
But for Tonpa, it made perfect sense.
This was a man who had survived 35 consecutive Hunter Exams while actively sabotaging people stronger than him. He had no powerful background, no Nen (yet), and weak combat stats. The only reason he hadn't been murdered in a ditch years ago was sheer, unadulterated luck.
And now, that luck belonged to Ryker.
In any RPG, Luck is the god stat. You don't need to max it, but you must have at least one point. That 0.5% critical hit chance? That's the difference between slaying the dragon and being its lunch.
"Damn, that kid is arrogant! Attacking a veteran right here?"
"The examiners aren't here yet. Maybe we should jump him? Less competition."
"Let's do it. He looks like a soft pretty boy."
A group of thugs nearby were whispering, eyeing Ryker and his "childish" team with predatory intent.
They knew the stats. The pass rate for the Hunter Exam was abysmal. Eliminating the weaklings early increased their own chances. And Ryker's group—four teenagers—looked like free kills.
Ryker glanced at them.
They looked at me.
They are plotting.
Pre-emptive strike is the only logical solution.
For a transmigrator who viewed the world through game mechanics, the answer was simple.
Wait for them to attack? No.
Farm them for XP? Yes.
Killing Tonpa would be too obvious and might get him disqualified. But a brawl?
"Hey!"
Ryker moved.
[Godspeed] (Gold).
[Monstrous Strength] (Gold).
Before the thugs could even agree on a signal, Ryker was already inside their formation.
"Shit! Get him!"
The leader, a punk with a yellow mohawk, raised his shield.
BANG!
Ryker's fist didn't just hit the shield; it went through it. The metal buckled like tin foil. The impact sent Mohawk Man flying backward like a bowling ball, knocking down three of his lackies.
Strike!
Before they could scramble up, Ryker was everywhere at once.
Fists, elbows, knees. It was a symphony of violence. Bones snapped. Thugs screamed.
[You have defeated Candidate #281. Acquired: [Robust] (Green).]
[You have defeated Candidate #112. Copy Failed.]
[You have defeated Candidate #321. Acquired: [Sense Presence] (Green).]
...
Thirty seconds. Eleven thugs down.
Four traits harvested.
[Robust] (Green).
[Sense Presence] (Green).
[Sneak Attack] (Green).
[Taunt] (Blue).
Decent farm, Ryker thought. Elite mobs confirmed.
But as he finished the last thug, Ryker noticed a flash of gold in his peripheral vision.
A silver-haired boy holding a skateboard, leaning against the wall nearby.
Name: Killua Zoldyck
Traits: [Natural Assassin] (Gold), [Zoldyck Assassination Arts] (Gold), [Lightning Resistance] (Purple), [Poison Resistance] (Purple)...
Hidden Trait: [Transmuter: Electricity] (Red - Locked)
Killua.
Ryker grinned.
The fight had naturally brought him close to the young assassin. Ryker let his momentum carry him, "accidentally" swinging a punch towards the silver-haired boy.
Killua, who had been watching the brawl with amusement, sneered.
He wants to sneak attack me? Cute.
As a Zoldyck prodigy, Killua had sensed Ryker's approach ten steps ago.
He thinks I'm just another kid. He doesn't know I'm the real monster here.
Killua turned slowly, one hand in his pocket. His other hand sharpened, fingernails transforming into razor-sharp claws.
I'll block his sloppy punch, then slash his throat just enough to scare him.
Killua was confident. He could see the flaws in Ryker's attack. It was too direct. Too predictable.
But just as Ryker got within striking distance...
Ryker's face changed.
[Shapeshifting] (Purple).
For a split second—less than a blink of an eye—Ryker's handsome features morphed into a pale, emotionless mask with long black hair and dead, fish-like eyes.
Illumi Zoldyck.
Killua's pupils dilated to pinpoints. His blood ran cold.
Terror—primal, conditioned, absolute terror—seized his heart.
"B-Brother...?"
His body froze. His killing intent vanished, replaced by the instinct of a frightened child.
In that millisecond of hesitation, Ryker's face snapped back to normal.
But the opening was there.
Ryker's hand bypassed Killua's defense effortlessly.
Before Killua could snap out of his trauma-induced paralysis, Ryker's hand was already hovering over his neck.
[DING! You have entered Combat Mode with Killua Zoldyck.]
[Target incapacitated by fear. You have defeated Killua Zoldyck.]
[Rolling for Copy (10%)... Success!]
[CRITICAL SUCCESS!]
[Acquired: [Natural Assassin] (Gold)!]
[Acquired: [Zoldyck Assassination Arts] (Gold)!]
"WHAT?!"
Ryker froze, staring at the notification.
Double Gold Drop?!
Did he just hit the jackpot on a minor mob grind? Two Gold traits from one interaction?
The [Lucky] trait is working already!