### **Chapter 4: The Trickster God's Gamble**
The first rays of dawn painted the sky in hues of orange and purple, but I had been awake for hours. Sleep was a luxury I couldn't afford. Instead, I had spent the night in a state of deep focus, familiarizing myself with the new energies coiling within me. The chakra pool felt like a placid lake, while the Observation Haki was a constant, low hum at the edge of my senses, a faint map of the life forces within the inn.
The most prominent "aura" was the one from the floor above—the weak, divine presence. It was a potential lead, a desperate god who might accept a complete unknown. But desperation often came with its own set of problems. Before committing to that path, I needed to gather information.
I created a single Shadow Clone, a perfect replica of myself, and gave it a simple task: "Go out into the city. Listen for any news about Familias that are recruiting. Be discreet." The clone nodded and slipped out the door, melting into the early morning foot traffic.
Meanwhile, I focused on my own training. I sat cross-legged on the floor, practicing the sensation of drawing in natural energy. The system's [Imperfect Sage Mode] was a powerful trump card, but its ten-minute recharge time was a crippling weakness. I had to shorten it. Every second I could shave off that time could be the difference between life and death in the dungeon.
An hour later, just as I was beginning to feel a slight connection to the ambient energy of the world, the clone dispersed. Its memories and experiences flooded my mind in a dizzying rush. The clone had wandered the main thoroughfares, listening to the chatter of adventurers and merchants. It had heard whispers of the Freya Familia's impossible standards, the Hephaestus Familia's focus on smiths, and then, the jackpot.
A group of adventurers had been talking loudly near the Babel Tower. The Loki Familia, one of the strongest and most respected Familias in Orario, was holding a rare open recruitment drive. They were looking to bolster their numbers with promising new talent.
This was a far better opportunity than begging a struggling deity. The Loki Familia had resources, experience, and power. Getting in would be difficult, but the rewards would be immense. It was a high-risk, high-reward play, and it was the only one that made sense.
I made my way to the Loki Familia's sprawling headquarters, a mansion known as "The Twilight Manor." A line of hopefuls already snaked out from the main gate, a mix of nervous first-timers and seasoned adventurers looking to trade up. At the front of the line, a stern-looking werewolf was turning away applicants with curt dismissals.
My turn came. The werewolf, whose name tag read 'Bete,' looked me up and down with a sneer. "Name and level?"
"Ren. I just registered yesterday. Level 1," I said, keeping my voice steady.
Bete scoffed. "A fresh-off-the-boat Level 1? You're wasting our time. Get lost."
This was the first hurdle. I had expected it. "I may be Level 1," I said, activating my Observation Haki and focusing it on him, "but I have potential. I can sense things others can't. For instance, I can sense that despite your attitude, your 'aura' is more disciplined than anyone else's here. You're strong, but you're also controlled."
Bete's eyes widened slightly, his sneer faltering for a fraction of a second. He couldn't see the Haki, but he felt the truth in my words. It was a lucky guess empowered by a supernatural sense. Before he could respond, a new voice cut in, light and amused.
"Oh? Now this is interesting."
A slender figure with fiery red hair and mischievous, narrow eyes stepped out from behind the gate. She wore a playful smirk, and her aura, which I now focused on, was blindingly divine. This was Loki.
"You can sense that, can you, little one?" she asked, circling me like a predator. "What else can you sense?"
I met her gaze. "I can sense that you're the one in charge. And that you're looking for something more than just another strong arm. You're looking for a wild card."
Loki's smirk widened into a grin. She let out a sharp laugh. "A wild card! I like that! You've got guts, kid. I'll give you that." She turned to Bete. "He's in. Let him through."
Bete looked shocked but grunted in assent. "Tch. Your call, Loki."
I was led into a large, ornate room inside the manor. Loki gestured for me to take off my shirt and lie down on a velvet couch. Her playful demeanor sharpened, replaced by a focused intensity.
"Alright, Ren. Let's see what you're made of," she said, pulling out a small, wicked-looking pin. "This will hurt a bit. Try not to squirm."
She pricked my back with the pin, and a single drop of her divine blood, her *ichor*, fell onto my skin. The pain was sharp and electric, a searing heat that spread from the point of contact. I grit my teeth as glowing blue characters began to etch themselves onto my back, forming a complex crest—the Loki Familia emblem. The system flared with a notification.
**[Divine Grace Detected! The Falna is being applied to the user.]**
**[System is adapting the Falna to integrate with existing abilities.]**
**[Status has been updated!]**
Loki whistled, her eyes wide as she stared at my back. "Well, I'll be damned," she whispered, a look of genuine shock on her face. "What in the hell are you?"
She grabbed a nearby mirror and held it so I could see my own back. The Falna was there, glowing faintly. But the status written in the divine script was anything but normal.
> **Ren**
> **Level 1**
>
> **Strength: I-0**
> **Endurance: I-0**
> **Dexterity: I-0**
> **Agility: I-0**
> **Magic: I-0**
>
> **Skills:**
> **[Liar's Luck]:** Greatly increases luck in games of chance and deception. A skill born from the user's nature and the patron's blessing.
> **[Sage's Mind and Body]:** Accelerates the growth of abilities related to perception and the gathering of external energies. Prevents madness from foreign influences In addition to having a transformation state called sage mode:In this transformation the user's Strength, speed, durability, and sensory abilities are multiplied by 10 times.
>**[Observation Haki]:** The user has incredible sensory abilities, Capable of sensing any entity within a 30-meter radius, this skill grows stronger as the user levels up.
> **Magic:**
> **[Shadow Clone Jutsu]:** The User is capable of create up to 10 copies of Himself, those copies have 30% of the users Power and All experience gained from killing monsters will be reduce to 70%.
Loki pointed a trembling finger at the status. "Magic without a grimoire? And three development skills right from the start? One's that I've never even seen before... 'Sage's Mind'?" She looked from my back to my eyes, her trickster grin returning, wider and more manic than before. "I knew you were a wild card! Oh, this is going to be fun."
I had done it. I was in. I was a member of the Loki Familia, five years before the arrival of Bell Cranel. I had my Falna, and it had synergized with my system abilities in ways I couldn't have predicted. My journey in Orario had truly begun.