Chapter 232: Lucky Wood Carving

Chapter 232: Chapter 232: Lucky Wood Carving

"This is quite the find," the waiter said, holding the wood carving out to Seraphina Sinclair.

Even with its recommendation, Seraphina Sinclair didn’t rashly reach for it.

This godforsaken place had beings like Lucky, who wanted to kill the first person they saw. It wouldn’t be surprising if there were also items that cursed you on contact.

The waiter had already handled it, but since the waiter wasn’t human, the same rules didn’t necessarily apply.

To be safe, Seraphina Sinclair first used Insight.

[Lucky Wood Carving (Legendary D-level)]

’Huh?’

’Legendary D-level?!’

Seraphina Sinclair truly hadn’t expected such a windfall. She read on to the description.

[Description: It is called the Lucky Wood Carving, but it only brings luck to those around its owner. The owner, however... will suffer a corresponding amount of misfortune. The longer it is held, the more pronounced the effect becomes. It will even subtly influence you to make poor decisions, pushing you down a path to ruin. If your conviction is firm enough and your will is strong enough, you could also just treat it as a useless trinket.

Note: "May my misfortune bring you prosperity."

Owner: Seraphina Sinclair.]

Seraphina Sinclair: "..."

’Just as I thought. This thing is no good.’

’And... it seems I’ve found the reason why Zeke the Passerby did what he did. But regardless of the reason, he still deserved to die.’

So...

Seraphina Sinclair stared at the wood carving on the stone table.

Now it was her turn to deal with this troublesome thing.

Before dealing with it, Seraphina Sinclair needed to see what its Legendary Trait was.

She pulled out her index, flipping it open under the waiter’s quizzical gaze to the page that had just lit up.

The Legendary Trait of the Lucky Wood Carving was—True Knowledge.

[Current Legendary Equipment trait: True Knowledge (When the wearer enters an instance, the [True Knowledge] state is automatically triggered. Details: The wearer will gain a special connection to the True Knowledge Stone Plate, allowing them to sense the general direction in which it lies. The closer they are to the Stone Tablet, the stronger the sensation becomes, and a resonance will occur when they are within ten meters of it.)]

The moment Seraphina Sinclair finished reading, she shot up from her stool!

’This description... this effect... doesn’t this mean I can find the True Knowledge Stone Plate’s location as soon as I enter an instance?’

’It’s almost identical to Selene Lawson’s single-use item, but this one isn’t limited by number of uses!’

’To think Zeke the Passerby had something like this!’

A moment ago, Seraphina Sinclair had considered the wood carving a hot potato, but now it felt like an unexpected treasure.

She suppressed the excitement in her heart and began to weigh things carefully.

The wood carving’s negative effects were truly terrifying.

It continuously stripped the owner of their luck and even subtly influenced their mind, causing them to make poor decisions.

Zeke the Passerby was the perfect cautionary tale.

’But the description did say that with a firm will, the effect could be nullified. And with a Legendary Trait like [True Knowledge] on top of that...’

"The risks and rewards are both astonishing..." Seraphina Sinclair muttered to herself.

The waiter, who had been observing the changes in her expression, suddenly interjected, "The power of this wood carving’s curse should not be underestimated. Even a person with a resolute will would inevitably be affected by carrying it long-term. But that only applies if you’re always in the same space with it. Don’t you have access to a separate space?"

The waiter’s words made Seraphina Sinclair’s eyes light up.

’So that’s how it works.’

’If its effects are nullified when stored in the Silver Moon Earrings, then this is practically a freebie!’

Without any hesitation, Seraphina Sinclair directly stuffed the item into the Silver Moon Earrings.

She was nearly done with her meal anyway, and this unexpected windfall had killed what little appetite she had left. She decided to get up and properly go through Zeke the Passerby’s inventory to see what other treasures might be hidden within.

A message from Frostleaf arrived at this moment.

[Frostleaf]: Expert, did you use an Arena Challenge on Zeke the Passerby?

Seraphina Sinclair found it a bit strange; Frostleaf wasn’t the type to pry into gossip.

’To suddenly ask now...’

Seraphina Sinclair suddenly remembered what Frostleaf had said in the group chat.

"It was because I got lucky this time. I had a smart teammate who found the Stone Tablet right after we entered the instance."

’Found the Stone Tablet upon entering the instance.’

’Her teammate...’

’It felt too coincidental, but it also made perfect sense.’

[Blacktiger Ford]: Was your teammate in the last instance Zeke the Passerby?

[Frostleaf]: Yes. I was matched with him in the last instance. He found the True Knowledge Stone Plate not long after we entered, which is why we had such a smooth run.

’I knew it.’

It was precisely because of the [True Knowledge] trait of the Lucky Wood Carving that Zeke the Passerby was able to locate the True Knowledge Stone Plate in the early stages of the instance, thus leading his team to easily obtain a high Evaluation.

But ironically, the same piece of equipment that made him perform so brilliantly was also constantly accumulating misfortune on him, twisting his mind, and ultimately pushing him into the abyss of self-destruction.

[Frostleaf]: He messaged me privately before, saying you weren’t replying to his messages and hoped I could connect him with you. He said he wanted to trade a "method for quickly finding the Stone Tablet" with you for some high-level materials or equipment, but when I asked what it was specifically, he wouldn’t say. We’re not that close, and I was worried about bothering you, so I turned him down.

Now everything was clear.

’So Zeke the Passerby really was after me.’

He claimed he wanted to trade the "method for quickly finding the Stone Tablet," but in reality, he probably wanted to get rid of the wood carving’s curse while also swindling some benefits out of her.

’He’d certainly run the numbers, but unfortunately, he underestimated the side effects of the wood carving and overestimated his own willpower.’

Those clumsy provocations and instigations in the regional channel were probably foolish moves made under this twisted mentality.

[Blacktiger Ford]: I understand. Thanks for the heads-up.

[Frostleaf]: You’re welcome. I’m just glad you’re okay.

Closing the chat window, Seraphina Sinclair let out a soft breath.

The matter of Zeke the Passerby was, for all intents and purposes, settled.

Seraphina Sinclair didn’t have strong feelings about it. If she had to say anything, it would be to thank him for the Lucky Wood Carving.

After all, for her, it truly was a "Lucky" Wood Carving.

The waiter collected the plates, stood up and said goodbye to Seraphina Sinclair: "See you tomorrow morning."

It always said this, but Seraphina Sinclair still had business with it, so naturally she wouldn’t let it leave so easily.

"Wait," Seraphina Sinclair called out to it, "take a look at this."

She took out the exceptionally delicious piece of bread.

The waiter took it, looked at it carefully, then raised its head with a serious expression and asked under Seraphina Sinclair’s expectant gaze: "May I break it open to take a look? And have a taste."

Seraphina Sinclair immediately grew wary. She had to determine whether the waiter truly needed a taste, or if it was just trying to find an excuse to eat her delicious bread!

"Just a little taste," she emphasized, her eyes glued to the waiter’s movements.

The waiter was amused by how fiercely she guarded her food.

But it also seemed to understand the value of this thing to Seraphina Sinclair, so it only carefully broke off a piece the size of a fingernail and put it in its mouth.