Chapter 608 [Tymora's Glimmer of Fate]

The sea waves surged, shattering into fine white foam as they collided. The sea breeze, carrying the mist of the morning light, was smashed apart by the roaring, distinctly colored Winter Wolf figurehead, turning into a faint whistling that echoed through the air. Xia Nan stood alone on the aft deck.

Even as the ship gradually pulled away from the harbor, the exceptional vision granted by his professional physique allowed him to peer through the mist. He could still see his companions and comrades standing on the distant pier to see him off.

As he felt the smooth, cool touch of the object grasped in his right hand, a wave of inexplicable emotion washed over him.

'My journey through the Southern Archipelagos is over.'

Over the past few months, if viewed purely through the lens of Class Level, he had only progressed from Level 3 to Level 4. It might not look like much of a change—at least, not to Xia Nan himself. For ordinary adventurers in this world, raising a level often required years of effort.

But in truth, whether measured by actual combat power, equipment gains, personal connections, or his understanding of and integration into this world, everything had undergone an earth-shattering transformation since he first arrived at Barracuda Bay.

Following his time as "Greysword" in Rivervale Town, Xia Nan had earned the moniker "Sea Fang" in Barracuda Bay. His involvement in recent events had spread his name far and wide, garnering him considerable fame across the Southern Archipelagos.

Along the way, he had also met the members of the Blade of Vengeance, becoming trusted teammates who could watch each other's backs. [Heavy Tide] had been raised to its max level, Level 5. [Ember Echoes] was at Level 3. [Gravity Control] had, with extreme difficulty but momentous breakthrough, reached Level 2. Through this, he had mastered a brand-new combat Feat, [Layered Waves], as well as a Battle Posture with plenty of room to grow—[Hunting Arc].

His attributes had naturally seen a significant boost, and his equipment had been comprehensively upgraded.

By the time he left, his upper-body armor had been replaced with the top-tier blue gear [Abyssal Current - Crimson Thorn], and his leg armor had been updated as well; he was currently wearing the [Tidebreaker Anchor Greaves].

Beyond that, he had the [Proof of Diligence] to enhance his combat technique training efficiency, the precious and rare spatial storage pocket watch [White Flask], and even a figurehead named after his own moniker—the [Wave-Chasing Sea Fang].

Any single one of these items was worth years of meticulous planning and effort from the vast majority of adventurers. They were top-tier, highly practical pieces of equipment that could never be bought on the open market.

Of course, the most important of them all was Xia Nan's ultimate goal in coming to the Southern Archipelagos: the [Dream Weaving Corridor] terminal key. After a fierce battle that had nearly pushed him to a dead end, he had successfully claimed it, securing the key to unlocking explosive growth.

With this, his journey to the Southern Archipelagos came to a perfect conclusion.

Naturally, his gains didn't stop there.

His mind drifted back to the scene at the pier, recalling that cheerful halfling standing with his hands on his hips, wearing a radiant smile.

Xia Nan looked down at his palm.

Resting there was a delicate, compact twenty-sided die.

It was only about half the size of a pinky fingertip. Rolling it gently between his thumb and index finger, the weight felt just right. It gave off a dark golden hue, like brass that had weathered the passage of time.

The die had been polished incredibly smooth. The edges of its twenty faces bore subtle, rounded curves. Holding it felt like grasping a small bead, yet it wasn't slippery in the slightest.

Its texture was warm and nearly matte, only occasionally catching the sunlight along certain edges to reflect a faint glimmer.

Devoid of any complex embellishments or decorations, each face simply bore a slightly indented number. The font was archaic with even strokes, its color deeper than the die itself, while the edges were outlined in a clear yet unobtrusive gold.

He focused his attention, his gaze narrowing slightly.

Immediately, the translucent Attribute Panel was summoned.

[Tymora's Glimmer of Fate]

Type: Die

Grade: Unique (Purple)

Effects:

1. Luck attribute +3.33;

2. Target a subject within your line of sight to apply a bonus/penalty to their next action or Saving Throw (exact value depends on the die roll) (1 use/day);

3. Specify an impending minor event related to you that is determined purely by chance, and forcibly skew the outcome in your favor (1 use/month).

Description:

A twenty-sided die from the Realm of Brightwater. It is highly favored by the Smiling Lady because it frequently rolls "Critical Success."

Note:

"When the moment of destiny arrives, place your chips on the other side of the scale, and then try to hold on tight."

— Message beneath the signboard of the "Dawn of Luck" Tavern

"You should find a casino, and then..."

As an accessory, the die was set inside a custom-made, miniature hollowed-out brass cage. The top featured a simple clasp that could be opened and adjusted.

Without a doubt, it had already become one of Xia Nan's most important pieces of equipment. He used it directly as a pendant, hanging it from a necklace against his skin, right next to the [Tears of Spring Breath], hidden securely beneath his armor.

If judged solely by its quality grade, the purple Unique rank of [Tymora's Glimmer of Fate] seemed to be one tier lower than the pink Epic [Fate Coin], which he had already exhausted.

But there was a clear distinction to be made.

The latter was a consumable item with a strict limit on its uses. Once depleted, it was only good as a collectible.

The former, however, was an enchanted accessory. As long as it was worn, its effects were active at all times. If kept safe, it could even serve as a family heirloom, passed down for centuries or even millennia.

The sheer difference in item type was immense.

As for the specific effects.

The first was "Luck attribute +3.33."

Xia Nan had almost never encountered gear that directly granted flat attribute points to its bearer. The equipment he currently wore mostly provided percentage-based buffs.

Which approach was superior still required case-by-case analysis.

But it had to be said—the die was providing genuine Luck points.

This wasn't even a stat listed on Xia Nan's Attribute Panel.

If he factored in the panel's fixed numerical standards and remembered that an ordinary person's six core attributes averaged around 5 when he first transmigrated...

Assuming his original Luck was 5, adding the 3.33 from the die accessory...

A jump from 5 to 8.33. The actual boost that represented...

Based on his past tests regarding the tangible impact of every single attribute point...

To put it simply, according to his understanding, his current level of luck was so high that as long as he knew the basic rules of the card table, he could retire right now. He could quit adventuring entirely and just travel the continent, effortlessly sustaining a lavish lifestyle off the continent's various casinos.

This also raised another implication.

Why was there no Luck stat on his Attribute Panel?

Did that mean that under normal circumstances, ordinary adventurers—even those who had walked far enough down the professional path to reach the Transcendent Tier or Legendary rank—struggled to raise their luck?

It implied that Luck was a universally acknowledged, immutable hidden attribute.

Since transmigrating, Xia Nan had perused the [Combat Technique Catalog] at both the Rivervale Town and Barracuda Bay Association branches. Despite the massive collection of combat techniques the Association updated annually, he had never seen a single technique even suspected of raising such an attribute. This only proved his theory.

And yet, here he was.

Without paying any extra price, simply by keeping this dark gold die on his person, Xia Nan could permanently enjoy a luck bonus of over three points.

The effects might not be obvious at first.

But it would snowball. Being just a bit luckier than everyone else every single day... over a long enough timeline, it would accumulate. His overall trajectory of fate would constantly angle upwards.

Xia Nan couldn't wait to actually test his current luck.

As for the testing method... Well, his options were currently limited. Once they were completely clear of Barracuda Bay, he would try catching a few fish from the deck.

He expected a pretty good haul.

At the thought, anticipation bubbled up inside him.

Next was the second effect of [Tymora's Glimmer of Fate].

Similar to the [Lesser Healing] of [Tears of Spring Breath], this was a spell-like effect with a fixed twenty-four-hour cooldown. From what Xia Nan understood, it basically allowed him to target anyone—an enemy, an ally, or even himself—and exert a certain influence whenever probability-based effects were triggered.

It sounded a bit complex, but its practical application was incredibly straightforward.

Though he had only just obtained the die, Xia Nan had already devised numerous ways to use it.

For example, when unleashing [Fang Hunt], if an enemy was caught by the [Night Mother's Gaze] Feat, he could use this ability to drastically increase the odds of them falling into a feared and stunned state.

Alternatively, in a team fight, he could apply the die's effect to an ally, giving their attacks a much higher chance of hitting an enemy's vitals for a critical strike. If it actually worked, he might even be able to cast it on himself, boosting the physical damage immunity chance of his [Bronze Sinews and Iron Bones] Feat far beyond its normal rate.

Of course, just how much of a "bonus/penalty" it provided was something Xia Nan would have to test himself.

However, according to the Attribute Panel, the exact strength of this spell-like ability depended on the number rolled when it was cast. For a twenty-sided die, the minimum was 1 and the maximum was 20.

It seemed completely reliant on luck.

That was what Xia Nan had initially thought as well.

Until he suddenly recalled what the halfling Alton had told him on the pier: "I begged the Goddess for a long time before she agreed." Think about it—Alton hadn't said much when handing over the pink Epic-grade [Fate Coin]. Given the halfling's status as the Goddess of Luck's favored...

If this was just a run-of-the-mill purple item, why would Alton have spent days holding Sacrificial Rituals in casinos, begging the Goddess for so long just to barely make it before Xia Nan's departure?

Clearly, apart from its stated effects, this [Glimmer of Fate] die harbored a hidden, special trait.

And it was at times like this that the advantage of Xia Nan's Attribute Panel cheat truly shined.

If one looked a little closer, they would spot the hidden detail tucked inside the panel's [Description] section:

"...from the Realm of Brightwater... favored by the Smiling Lady because it frequently rolls 'Critical Success'."

The Realm of Brightwater was one of the divine realms of Tymora, the Goddess of Luck.

That was where the [Glimmer of Fate] came from.

But the most crucial part was the latter half of the sentence.

"Favored by the Smiling Lady because it frequently rolls 'Critical Success'."

Realizing this, an odd expression surfaced on Xia Nan's face.

Had Alton... directly asked for something the Goddess used herself?

No wonder he said he had begged for a long time.

Based on his understanding of twenty-sided dice in this world, rolling a 1 meant a "Critical Failure," and rolling a 20 meant a "Critical Success." If the panel described it like this, did it mean...

The [Glimmer of Fate] was, essentially, a loaded die.

Because it had been personally blessed by the Goddess of Luck, its chances of rolling a "Critical Success" far exceeded any normal die's?

And if Xia Nan's guess was right...

Then he would have to completely re-evaluate this daily ability.

Because if it truly could roll a 20—a "Critical Success"—the resulting effect would be magnified to an absurd degree.

It might just be capable of instantly reversing the tide of a battle.

Finally, there was the third effect of the [Glimmer of Fate].

Truthfully, Xia Nan didn't quite grasp it.

He understood the words on the Attribute Panel, of course. But when considering its practical use, it inevitably seemed to overlap with the second effect. Yet, while the second effect could be used daily, this one required a full month to recharge.

Clearly, the third effect was far more crucial.

It even came with very strict conditions on its scope: it had to be an "impending minor event," it had to be "related to the wearer," and it had to be "determined purely by chance."

Xia Nan knew very well.

For this type of equipment, the heavier the restrictions, the more overwhelmingly powerful the ability was.

"Forcibly skew the outcome in your favor..." Could this be understood as taking an event with a 0.1%—or even lower—chance of happening, and forcing it to 100%?

If that was truly the case.

Then in practice, this effect was essentially a watered-down version of the [Fate Coin] that could be used once a month.

He would need to experience it in practice before he could fully understand it.

Additionally, he would have to carefully define what counted as a "minor event" and "purely determined by chance" under its conditions. Xia Nan wasn't overly worried about this, though.

After all, even if he couldn't figure out its precise boundaries in the short term, he could simply treat it as a guaranteed, 100% trigger for [Bronze Sinews and Iron Bones] once a month. That alone would make it another vital trump card, joining the ranks of [Spring Pulse Cleansing Heal] and [Ember Echoes].