Wen Chen awoke before dawn, the faint mist from the mountains curling against the courtyard walls. His chest rose and fell steadily as he listened to the quiet of the Wen Clan estate. The world seemed calm, almost deceptively so. Yet at the edge of his awareness, he felt that familiar disturbance — subtle, almost imperceptible, but insistent, like the hum of a hidden current under a still river.
He swung his legs off the bed and rose. The morning air was sharp against his skin as he stepped outside, his robes flowing lightly in the wind. The courtyard lay empty, the stone tiles glinting with dew. He paused and narrowed his eyes. Something was different today.
A faint shimmer flickered in his vision, just above a training dummy that had been abandoned from the previous day's exercises. His pulse quickened, and a small panel appeared in his mind:
[Luck Points +1]
No one else could see it. No one else could know. This was his alone.
"Again…" Wen Chen muttered, lifting a hand to the glowing point in the air. The shimmer pulsed gently, beckoning him. His fingers twitched almost instinctively. He had trained countless times, pushed himself relentlessly, yet never had he felt anything like this before.
He moved toward it, careful, measured. The air around him hummed faintly, brushing against his spiritual sense like soft silk. A second point appeared:
[Luck Points +1]
Wen Chen crouched slightly, his eyes scanning the surroundings. Not a single servant or disciple had noticed. Not a trace on the stone floor, not a whisper in the wind. Only he could perceive this hidden phenomenon, and only he could take advantage of it.
He stepped further into the courtyard garden, toward the bamboo grove at the far edge. Morning light spilled through the leaves, casting long, jagged shadows on the stone path. Wen Chen's heart beat evenly, his mind sharp.
"Focus. One step at a time," he murmured to himself.
His two attendants, Meili and Hao Lin, appeared behind him, though they kept a careful distance.
"Wen Chen, breakfast is ready," Meili said softly, bowing. "Lady Shen Rong asked that you join her later."
"I'm busy," Wen Chen replied calmly, without turning.
Meili froze, then nodded quickly. Hao Lin merely stepped back silently. Both understood that when Wen Chen's mind was set, it was not to be disturbed.
The bamboo forest whispered as he approached. Each step was deliberate. The faint pulse in the air grew stronger. Something was here. Something that had remained hidden until now.
Then he saw it — a tiny, glowing orb hovering just above the mossy ground. Its light was faint, white-gold, pulsing softly like a heartbeat.
Wen Chen's eyes narrowed.
[Luck Points +2]
The orb had not been there yesterday. It seemed to sense him, floating toward him as if drawn by some invisible string.
He knelt, careful not to touch it too abruptly. The orb shimmered brighter, then streaked directly into his chest as if it had a will of its own. A sudden warmth exploded through his body, twisting and surging down his arms and legs. His vision blurred, then sharpened. His entire being hummed with energy he could barely comprehend.
The golden panel flashed inside his mind.
[Luck Points +5]
Wen Chen's pulse quickened. He had never felt such a surge before. His body, once limited by his Mortal Root, now seemed subtly different — lighter, sharper, more attuned. He stood slowly, letting the warmth settle in his chest.
The forest around him swayed gently, leaves rustling in a wind that hadn't existed moments before. He exhaled, a calm smile forming on his lips.
This… this is only the beginning.
A soft rustle came from behind the bamboo. Wen Chen's gaze snapped toward the movement. His stance shifted subtly, fingers curling as he prepared to respond.
"Show yourself," he said evenly.
Silence answered.
The rustle shifted again, slightly closer. Wen Chen stepped forward, his body coiled with readiness. But when he reached the bamboo, nothing was there. Only the faint imprint of the orb's energy remained, dissolving into the morning light.
[Luck Points +1]
He breathed slowly. Whoever had been watching was gone — but he knew instinctively that this was no ordinary cultivator. There was something unusual about the energy that had lingered. Someone powerful, cautious, and intelligent. Someone curious.
Wen Chen's lips curved into a thin smile. "So the game begins," he whispered to himself.
He returned to the estate, stepping lightly across the dew-soaked stone path. His senses were sharper now, every sound, every movement, every whisper of air alerting him. He passed Meili and Hao Lin again, but they noticed nothing unusual. Only he could feel the subtle shift in the world around him.
By the time he reached his study, his mind had already begun calculating, planning. Every point of Luck he absorbed was a step closer to control — control over his body, his skill, his future. Each point a hidden advantage that none but he could wield.
He knelt beside his desk and wrote carefully, ink flowing like the golden threads of energy still buzzing faintly beneath his skin. Each stroke of his brush was precise, elegant — a mirror of his own inner balance.
The morning sun climbed higher, and the rest of the estate stirred to life. Yet Wen Chen remained focused, aware that this sudden taste of power came with responsibility. Every point of Luck absorbed brought potential. Every step into cultivation drew the eyes of unseen observers.
He paused, placing his hand over his chest. The warmth pulsed gently, as if reminding him that this was only the first of many. He could feel the invisible current of potential stirring around him, a hidden current that might one day lift him beyond the limitations of his Mortal Root.
And somewhere, far beyond the estate, someone powerful had already sensed it.
Wen Chen's eyes gleamed with determination. "I will not waste this," he said softly. "I will grow stronger… step by step, point by point."
He glanced at the shadows of the courtyard, at the bamboo swaying gently behind him, and felt a thrill coursing through his veins.
They may watch, they may doubt, but only I can see the true path.
The day had just begun, and with it, the first taste of power had awakened within him.