Chapter 46: The Lucky Brooch of Arcadia

"Ah, you're that big brother from last time?"

Ashley peeked her little head out with a hint of curiosity. No wonder she had found his silhouette somewhat familiar; she had secretly stolen a glance through the window seam the last time!

"Yes, I am. My name is Lis. What's your name?"

"My name is Ashley..."

Before Ashley could finish introducing herself, she was rudely interrupted by Old Jack's gruff voice.

"Are you done buying? If you're done, get moving. Don't waste my time with your loitering!"

Lis glanced around the grocery store, which had not a single customer besides himself, and shrugged. It seemed Old Jack was not keen on letting him interact much with Ashley right now.

Oh well, there was no rush; opportunities would be plentiful.

Lis smiled at Ashley as a gesture of greeting, then picked up his newly acquired items and walked out of the dim, narrow cabin.

As soon as Lis and Velf had stepped out, Old Jack slammed the door shut with a heavy thud, turned around, and gave Ashley a stern, earnest warning.

"Don't go answering every question a stranger asks you from now on, understand?"

"Oh—"

Ashley nodded obediently. That young big brother didn't look like a bad person at all; he looked much better than the fierce, menacing ruffians who frequently visited Uncle Jack's shop.

Old Jack cast a glance at Ashley, lowered his head in thought for a moment, and finally made up his mind.

From the very first time he saw Ashley living across the hall and sensed her exceptionally high affinity for the Shadow Plane, Old Jack had known that this little girl was a born assassin.

Lately, Old Jack had been hesitating over whether to officially take Ashley as his apprentice.

After all, becoming a true assassin meant enduring grueling and cruel training, fighting life-or-death battles on the edge of a blade, and getting one's hands stained with blood—things that were simply unavoidable.

Old Jack couldn't bear the thought of subjecting such an innocent and lovely little girl to all of that.

Having no children of his own, Old Jack had long since come to treat Ashley like an adopted daughter.

Yet, Ashley's interaction with Lis made Old Jack realize that he could not possibly protect her for her entire life; sooner or later, she would have to interact with others and face the storms of the outside world on her own.

Forget it, he would let her make her own decision.

With a serious and solemn expression, Old Jack looked at Ashley and asked, "Ashley, do you want to become an assassin?"

"Uncle Jack, what is an assassin?"

"It's a profession just like a warrior or a mage. Your Uncle Jack here is an assassin."

Hearing this, Ashley's eyes lit up. "Are they like the big figures in stories who defeat evil dragons and protect people?"

"That's right."

Old Jack hesitated for a moment before saying, "Power has no inherent good or evil; whether it is used to do evil or good depends entirely on the intent of the person who wields it."

Ashley thought about it for a moment, then spoke in a soft yet resolute voice, "I want to learn! That way, I'll be able to protect Aunt Anna and Uncle Jack!"

Old Jack hadn't expected such an answer from Ashley. His somewhat fierce face suddenly bloomed into a smile that looked like a blooming chrysanthemum.

"Alright, I'll talk to your Aunt Anna. From now on, come to my place every morning, and I'll teach you how to become an assassin!"

"Mm-mm!"

Ashley nodded her cute little head repeatedly, as if afraid Old Jack might go back on his word.

Lis had no idea that his brief encounter with Ashley had prompted Old Jack to make up his mind and take her on as a disciple ahead of time.

At that moment, not wanting to waste a single second, he returned straight to his mansion and locked himself in the basement.

He took out the four-leaf clover brooch he had acquired from Old Jack and examined it closely in his hand.

Although the brooch currently looked caked in dust and entirely unremarkable, it would later become quite a famous treasure among players.

Secret Treasure: Arcadia's Lucky Brooch

This was an extremely rare item capable of increasing a character's luck attribute.

A player character's initial luck attribute fluctuated between three and seven points. Luck could not be increased through leveling up, and very few perks or item effects could boost a player's luck attribute.

The luck attribute was tied to a player's fortune in the game—such as the drop rates of equipment when defeating monsters. More importantly, certain special environments or skill checks had strict requirements for luck.

For instance, opening treasure chests, calculating critical strike rates for special skills, and so on.

However, Lis had discovered that his own luck attribute was a pitifully low 3 points, which was why he had immediately thought of this secret treasure.

This brooch contained the power of the legendary, fallen Fate God Alanbell, though it had not reached the level of a divine artifact—it was merely a special secret treasure.

The reason it looked dusty and utterly ordinary right now was because the power within it was still dormant and had not yet revealed its unique properties.

Lis naturally knew how to awaken this secret treasure; all it took was stimulation and guidance from power of the same tier.

Taking out a small vial of clear liquid radiating a soft white glow, Lis twitched his mouth, feeling a slight pang of heartache.

This was a high-grade holy water he had purchased on the way from the Church of Dawn, costing a hundred gold coins for just a tiny vial—simply an exorbitant price.

Yet he had to buy it; this was the cheapest item containing divine power that Lis could manage to get his hands on. Although it only contained a tiny trace, any lower-grade holy water would retain nothing more than a faint aura of divine power.

Lis placed the four-leaf clover brooch on the table and carefully poured a few drops of the holy water onto it.

At first, there was no reaction at all. Then, suddenly, the holy water on the brooch began to boil, and an imperceptible ripple diffused outward into the surroundings.

Butler Joyce, who was resting on the second floor of the mansion, frowned. With a slight clench of his right hand, the invisible ripple spreading from the brooch was instantly contained within the boundaries of the estate.

"What is the Young Master up to this time? First it was the blessing of the Elven deities, and now whose divine power is it?"

Joyce felt rather perplexed. Ever since he had become an Arcanist, the Young Master had been changing more and more.

Yet he had secretly checked and found no issues whatsoever with Lis's soul or body.

Oh well, being energetic and full of surprises was a good thing; what powerhouse ever grew strong overnight without making a few waves?

Joyce shook his head and ceased to worry about it.

Down in the basement, completely unaware that his butler had shielded the fluctuation of divine power for him, Lis was intently observing the changes happening to the brooch.

As if shedding a seal, the gray patina on the brooch was peeling off bit by bit, revealing its silvery-white foundation underneath.

Within a few minutes, the transformation finally came to a halt, and a brand-new silvery-white four-leaf clover brooch appeared before Lis's eyes.

Lis picked up the brooch and opened his system panel to check the attributes and effects of this secret treasure.

---------------

[Secret Treasure: Arcadia's Lucky Brooch]

[Description: A treasure bestowed by the God of Fate Alanbell to his chosen mortal Arcadia. Legend has it that it brings good fortune to its owner, but fate is fickle, and misfortune always seems to follow close behind.]

[Effect: Luck +3. Once a month, you can enter the "Lucky Star" state, causing all checks involving the luck attribute to automatically succeed for a duration of 5 seconds. Afterward, you will enter the "Jinx" state for three consecutive days.]

......

[You have come into contact with the mighty power of a deity.]

[Your comprehension progress of divine power: 3%]

---------------