As Alex heads toward the Lucky Wheel game he’d spotted earlier, he lets out a sigh of relief.

    He reaches the Lucky Wheel and, to his surprise, sees Tsezguerra himself standing behind the counter of the modest-sized booth, flanked by a few attendants. As Alex suspected, no one is lined up to play; the odds are so low, and the average golden coin payout per silver coin spent is just two or three—not nearly enough to reach the ten coins needed to pass the exam. This wheel seems to be a last resort for desperate candidates lacking discernible skills and unwilling to compete directly with their fellow examinees. In other words, it’s a game for those with no better options.

    Alex wonders as he approaches the booth.

    Tsezguerra’s gaze settles on Alex with a mixture of arrogance and disappointment. “Examinee… let’s see, No. 777. I’d advise against resorting to such desperate measures so soon,” he says. “You appear to be a capable candidate. I see you’re armed with both a gun and a sword. There are games specifically tailored for those skills—don’t squander your chance at becoming a Hunter.”

    Caught off guard, Alex’s surprise shows on his face, prompting Tsezguerra to look at him with newfound interest. “Thank you, Mr. Tsezguerra. I didn’t expect to get such helpful advice from the examiner himself. To be honest, I agree with everything you’ve said. The only reason I’m here is that this wheel has one of the highest possible prizes: 100 golden coins. I’ve already earned 200 golden coins and still have four silver coins left. Now, I just want to enjoy myself and spend these remaining coins. The only real way to hit your target of 500 golden coins is by taking chances with games like this.”

    Tsezguerra’s frown shifts into a smile. “I see, so I didn’t misjudge you. It turns out you’ve completed the task and are aiming for 500 golden coins? I wouldn’t count on it—I only mentioned that prize to mock that arrogant woman.”

    Alex grins back. “Well, maybe, but there’s no harm in trying, is there? A one-in-a-hundred chance to win 100 golden coins… I just need to hit it three times. Ha! Anyway, I’ll give it a quick try before I kick back and enjoy the carnival.”

    “Very well, then, Candidate No. 777,” Tsezguerra says, glancing at his phone for a moment. “Alex Kerber. I wish you luck!”

    Alex smiles, handing Tsezguerra three of his remaining four silver coins. “Luck is one thing I’ve got in spades—let’s see how it turns out!”

    Alex gives the giant wheel a spin, and it lands on a big golden 50—the second-largest prize. Tsezguerra laughs, clearly amused. “I see, you were right. You are indeed lucky. Luck is a quality every Hunter needs. You can be highly skilled, even a genius, put in enormous effort—and still come away with nothing if luck isn’t on your side.”

    Alex smiles politely, but inwardly he doubts his luck, thinking about all the misfortunes he’s faced. Suddenly, a thought strikes him.

    He says aloud, “Man, gambling freaks me out. Let me grab a quick drink.” Kneeling down, he opens his backpack, subtly accessing his inventory, and pulls out his [Lucky Miracle Clover].

    [Lucky Miracle Clover]

    Alex quickly eats the clover and takes a gulp from his water bottle, feeling a small jolt of confidence. He hurries back to the Lucky Wheel, but as he watches the wheel spin, he feels a surge of anxiety. he thinks, nervously.

    Finally, the wheel slows down and lands on 50 again!

    “Incredible! I haven’t seen luck like this in a long time!” Tsezguerra exclaims, clearly a bit taken aback.

    Alex’s success begins to draw a small crowd, with people shouting, “Did you see that guy? He already has over 200 golden coins, and now he’s won another 100! Why am I so unlucky?”

    Alex curses inwardly, feeling a mixture of regret and frustration. With only a few seconds left before the clover’s effect wears off, he quickly gives the wheel another spin.

    This time, he notices the lights flashing wildly, accompanied by a cheerful, playful tune as the wheel lands squarely on a bright golden 100!

    “Impossible!” Tsezguerra exclaims, glancing at Alex with a mix of awe and suspicion. he wonders, reviewing the data on Alex’s earlier games.

    As the crowd erupts in excitement, the attendant hands Alex his reward—another 200 golden coins—bringing his total to a staggering 400.

    “400 coins—very impressive. But according to my data, you only have one silver coin left!” Tsezguerra remarks, his interest piqued. “You’ve already tried two luck-based games, and there’s only one left where you can turn a single silver coin into 100 golden coins. Do you want to give it a shot? I’ll take you there. I’m curious to see if your luck holds out and you actually reach my hypothetical goal of 500. If you pull it off, as promised, I’ll give you a small prize.”

    “I might as well give it a try since I’ve come this far,” Alex replies, though he can’t help feeling a bit uneasy with how much attention he’s attracted.

    Alex thinks, mentally kicking himself.

    He reflects on his actions with growing frustration.

    As Alex and Tsezguerra walk to the last available spot to win 100 golden coins with a single silver coin, a small crowd of curious examinees trails behind, apparently too fascinated by Alex’s luck to leave him alone. Tsezguerra, growing annoyed, turns around and yells, “YOU! Don’t you all have coins to win for yourselves? Buzz off before I disqualify every last one of you!” The examinees scatter, embarrassed and frightened, and disappear into the carnival.

    Now alone, Alex notices the stand that Tsezguerra had led him to. he thinks, discouraged.

    “Go on, buy your ticket,” Tsezguerra prompts him, a curious smile playing on his face.

    Alex walks up to the attendant—a young woman who looks slightly confused by his intense focus. Handing over his last silver coin, he’s presented with a large box filled with hundreds of raffle tickets. Without thinking, he reaches in and grabs one at random, barely glancing at it. he notices a hint of gold on his ticket. He peers into the box and sees the other tickets are all different colors. he tells himself, beginning to unwrap the ticket.

    “You won’t win. I’ve seen it. That’s a bad draw!” a voice says with a creepy cackle.

    Startled, Alex glances up to see a strange-looking woman with long, messy black hair. She’s watching him intently, giggling in a way that sends a shiver down his spine. Then, she abruptly turns and walks away.

    Alex stares after her in shock. He shakes his head, dismissing her words.

    With a deep breath, Alex returns to his ticket, unwrapping it slowly. He spots a 1… then a 0… he thinks, his heart pounding, and finally another 0.

    Alex stands speechless, barely believing his own eyes. Quietly, he hands the raffle ticket to the booth attendant, who looks at him with a mix of awe and disbelief. She seems at a loss for words, especially under Tsezguerra’s watchful gaze, but eventually manages a soft, “Congratulations, you win 100 golden coins,” and hands him his prize.

    “…You have the devil’s luck,” Tsezguerra says, looking slightly disturbed by Alex’s inexplicable fortune. “Follow me.” Sear?h the ηovelFire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    They walk toward a small section tucked into a corner of the giant underground bunker, reserved for examiners and staff who monitor the cameras and ensure the exam runs smoothly.

    Tsezguerra stops and says, “I’ll keep this brief. I need to get back and keep an eye on the other candidates—the exam has just begun after all. I’ll give you two choices:

    First choice: I’ll give you the privilege of immediately qualifying for the next exam, no questions asked, no need for a navigator. You’ll be informed of the exam’s location and qualify immediately.

    Second choice: I’ll give you a memento from a former comrade. It’s an item I only wear off the field—it’s known to bring me terrible luck. Perhaps it’s fitting to give it away today, considering your luck might be strong enough to counter it. It’s rare and worth a decent amount, though not enough to make you rich. It’s just a nice item—you may find a use for it.”

    “Well, I don’t mean to sound arrogant, but I need to pass this year—I have a reason. So I’ll take the second option,” Alex replies, curious about the item Tsezguerra is offering.

    “Here you go, then.” Tsezguerra hands him a small, round object: a golden pocket watch, then heads back to the carnival.

    Alex inspects it carefully. It appears to be a normal golden pocket watch, but as he looks closer, he notices it has six smaller dials within the main face, displaying various information. Besides the time, Alex realizes the watch also shows the current date, weekday, month, year, temperature, and humidity. Besides these smaller circles, he spots a golden needle, similar to a compass needle. To Alex’s delight, the system recognizes the item as [Destiny Watch] and displays its details:

    [Destiny Watch]

    Alex thinks with joy. Knowing he’ll always have access to the date and other valuable information, Alex marvels at the possibilities.

    He quickly slots the pocket watch into his inventory, noting with relief that it doesn’t need to be worn openly. As long as he places it in one of his two available trinket slots, its effects remain active, allowing him to store it discreetly in his inventory. When he wants to check it, he can simply retrieve it.

    Feeling content, Alex exits the examiner’s corner and returns to the carnival, finally ready to do what he’d intended from the start: enjoy the festival.

    No sooner does he re-enter the main area than he hears the sounds of a massive quarrel. Curious, he decides to check out who’s causing such a ruckus, especially given Tsezguerra’s strict supervision.