In a corner, something rusty but familiar caught his attention. He bent down.A dagger. Small, ordinary weapon. But it had a monster's design. The rest was broken, the tip cracked.
Ryuga grasped it.
"Better than being unarmed."
As his fingers closed around the dusty dagger, they slipped on the cold metal. But at that moment… the system appeared again.
[Rusted Dagger acquired. Condition: Broken. Durability: 5/20][Unluck effect active: Dagger's balance decreased.]
"Hah… of course."
Ryuga squinted. He lifted the dagger, twisting his wrist lightly. The balance was bad. The handle wobbled. He hadn't expected this much.
He looked up at the sky. The clouds… weren't moving. It was as if time had frozen.
Then…
A clicking sound.
Bare footsteps?
Ryuga turned immediately. Someone—or something—emerged from the dark entrance of an abandoned building. No… it wasn't human.
Its torso looked human. But it had no head. Instead, there was a circular void. In the middle of that void, where eyes should be… were mouths. Four of them. Inverted, constantly murmuring lips.
"WE-SEE-YOU."
The voice… was heard not with ears, but with the mind.
Ryuga's body trembled involuntarily. He stepped back but stepped into a pile of dust and lost his balance.
[Unluck effect active: Your balance is broken. Incoming attack will be critical.]
"What?!"
The creature suddenly accelerated. The mouths in its void started shouting.
"BLOOD, BLOOD, BLOOD—"
Its claw slashed across Ryuga's chest. Flesh tore, blood spurted. Ryuga's scream choked in his throat.
[Severely wounded. System reduced your power to 35%.]
He collapsed to the ground. But his hands still gripped the dagger.
"Get up, Ryuga… Get up!"
The wound on his chest burned, every breath stabbed his lungs like a thorn. The metallic taste in his throat was like a mix of pain and blood. His vision blurred. But those voices… still clawed at his mind.
"BLOOD, BLOOD, BLOOD—"
The mouths in the void screamed again. The creature spread its arms wide. Its strange body tensed. The air around it seemed to ripple. Another attack was coming. Maybe the last one.
Ryuga clenched the rusty dagger. His fingers were numb but he didn't let go.
"No… not this time."
He couldn't stand but crawled on his knees. He gritted his teeth. The system's voice echoed in his mind like a fading heartbeat ringing in his ears.
[Unluck effect increasing…][Status: Severe blood loss | Loss of balance | Weapon damaged][Unluck Points +1][Unluck Points +1][Unluck Points +1]
"This feeling… it's like… I'm going to die."
In a moment of weakness, the creature lunged.
Ryuga raised the dagger but his fingers slipped. The weapon flew from his hand.
[Unluck effect active: You dropped the dagger.][Critical damage incoming.][Unluck Points +1]
"Damn—"
The creature's claw tore his cheek. Blood splattered. Ryuga was thrown back, hitting his spine against a concrete wall. It cracked.
[Broken rib][Muscle tear][Unluck Points +1][Unluck Points +1][Unluck Points: 5]
At that moment…
[New Skill Acquired: Reverse Fortune Lv.1][Effect: Consecutive deadly unluck can reflect 10% unluck back to the enemy.]
"So… my bad luck could be someone else's end."
The creature jumped. It aimed its claw at Ryuga's throat.
But…
CRACK!
The concrete beam above broke.
It fell directly on the creature's head. Bones crushed, the mouths suddenly silenced.
[Reverse Fortune activated.][Unluck reflection successful.]
Ryuga, breathless… collapsed to the ground. He raised his hands, empty. He had lost his weapon.
But…
There was a skeleton beside him. The dagger it held had fallen to the ground. Rusty but intact.
[New Weapon Acquired: Dark Dagger (Not Broken)]
"Heh…""This time, it's my turn."
He grabbed the dagger and approached the creature. The monster was still alive. The mouths on its eyeless face murmured:
"LUCK… BLOOD… LUCK…"
Ryuga bent his knees and stabbed the dagger with all his might. Bone cracked inside the flesh. The creature trembled, then went silent.
[Creature killed.][Unluck Points: +37][Current Status: Severe blood loss | Broken rib | Limited movement]
"I'm alive…"
He looked up at the sky. The clouds were still motionless.
But the darkness inside him… was growing.
"This world…""Is trying to kill me.""But I…""I'm getting used to it."
He laughed. A mix of pain and madness.
"Reverse Fortune, huh?""Then… I'll make my bad luck a weapon."