"That was… easier than expected," Luck muttered, his tone low, tinged with irritation. "Almost disappointing. But I guess that's what he gets. The way he looked through me—waved me off like I was a dog."
Rook crouched beside him, voice steady. "Better to be invisible than memorable. People forget the beggar who knocked over a crate. They remember the thief who ran."
Luck gave a short nod, but the weight in his chest didn't ease. "…So, what's in it?"
Rook flipped the rusted latch. The metal groaned like it hadn't been opened in years. Slowly, he lifted the lid.
Luck couldn't see the contents, but he heard the change in Rook's breath—sharp, tight.
"What?" Luck asked, instantly alert.
Rook started pulling out items, laying them out. "Two vials—Blackstrain."
He probably didn't need to explain. The name alone sounded ominous.
"One of the nastier street enhancers out there." Rook went on. "One minute of raw power—strength, speed, pain resistance. It is insanely potent, maybe a 1 rank upgrade? Maybe even more. But the most important thing that it does is it supresses your curses to a decent degree. Then when the minute is up, your body crashes. Nerve damage, blood pressure spikes, seizures. Most of the time even death."
Luck's brow twitched. "So… a cheat code with consequences."
"Exactly. Pit fighters use it. Thugs who don't expect to live long. It's suicide in a bottle."
Luck hesitated. "Could we sell it?"
Rook didn't answer right away. Then: "We could. It'd go for a lot. But I don't want to be connected to that kind of trade. Not unless we're desperate. Besides—" he lifted something else from the box with a grin—"we've got something better."
...
There was a moment of silence
"...Alright so what is it?"
"Huh, what do you mean-" Rook then flinched as if finally realizing his mistake, "O-oh right, it's a gold ring. Heavy enchantment, this thing hums with mana."
Rook set the ring aside with care, but the excitement hadn't fully left his voice.
"Just the ring alone could buy us food and shelter for months—maybe longer if we don't flash it around. But that's not even the best part."
Luck tilted his head. "There's more?"
Rook's tone shifted—lower, cautious. "Yeah. There's a scroll in here.
Luck frowned. "What kind?"
"The rare kind. Blessing and Curse reader."
A beat of silence.
"I thought I would have to go to Trestor to even see one." Luck said flatly.
"You would. Normally. These don't just show up in some random thug's stash." Rook's fingers traced the edge of the seal. "I bet the merchant was planing on trading this for something, probably illegally."
Luck was silent for a moment then held out his hand. "Give it to me."
"You sure?" Rook hesitated. "Once you use this, you'll know. All of it. Whatever curses or blessings you're carrying? They'll show."
"Yeah I know, I just want to confirm what my curses are" Luck Responded.
The scroll was placed in his palm—cold, oddly heavy.
"Alright just hold your finger out real quick." Rook said.
Luck did as his was told and held out his index finger slightly confused.
"This might hurt a bit..." Rook stated as he pulled something from his pocket and lightly pierced Luck's finger.
"Ack!" Luck winced and felt warm blood on the tip of his finger to which Rook then guided to the scroll.
As soon as his blood touched it, the seal hissed and broke, like steam escaping a pipe. The parchment unfurled with a sudden whoosh, the glowing letters scrawling across it like veins of lightning.
Rook leaned closer, eyes wide.
"...Oh."
Luck tensed. "What is it?"
Rook didn't answer right away. Then, voice strained: "You're... stacked. You've got four blessings—good ones. Combat ready. But your curses? They're… brutal. Two of them are maxed. SSS rank."
Luck's brow twitched. "Read it."
Rook swallowed, then began.
=================
Name: Luck
Age: 7
Race: Human
Blessings:
• Strong Memory – B
• Enhanced Senses – D
• Last Moments – C
{A/N: This is a C rank because all it does is prolong adrenaline and force him to live for just 20 more seconds. If I decide he should die it will just make sure that the fight in which he is dying will last just 20 more seconds. Oh and it also activates in cases where adrenaline shouldn't activate like if his heart gets pierced he will still be moving. So I guess its not really adrenaline? I mean can adrenaline even keep you alive if your heart gets pierced? Idk just keeping it like that for plot.}
• Overflowing Dam – B
• High Risk, High Reward – ???
Curses:
• Crippled (No Magic Affinity) – SSS: Time Until Removed: 4 Years
• Cursed (Draws Misfortune) – SSS: Time Until Activation: 4 Years
• Sealed Rebirth (Blinded) – SS: Time Until Removed: 4 years
Note: Subject disconnected from origin fate-line.
==================
Luck exhaled slowly. "Disconnected from fate?"
Rook sat back, stunned. "That's... that means you're not just cursed. You've been cut loose. Like someone severed your destiny string. No divine alignment. No tracking. No protection. It means you are somehow the only person on earth without any sponsor deity."
"So I'm alone," Luck murmured.
Rook looked at him, more serious than Luck had ever heard. "No, you're not. You're with me. And maybe that's not much—but I've survived Lowspire this long. I'll teach you how to do the same. How to be more than just a thief. "
Luck gave a dry smile. "Guess I'm not just a blind bandit anymore."
"Nope." Rook stood. "You're a blind bandit with 3 deadly curses. You're practically royalty."
Luck chuckled, then went quiet, the scroll still warm in his hands. "Rook."
"Yeah?"
"Thanks… for not walking away. If I saw someone with these amount of curses I would have been discouraged in guiding them still."
Rook tapped the lootbox with his boot. "You kidding? With a stat sheet like that, I'd be a fool to leave you."
They sat in silence, the scroll between them, the city below alive with chaos and smoke.
But up here—at least for now—it was quiet.