Maluck pulled up to the Chinese fortune shop, grinning like a man on a mission.. His tires gave a little squeak as he parked—probably a sign, but of what, he had no idea.
The neon sign that usually buzzed with a bright, welcoming glow read “OPEN”—but tonight, it was dark. His timing was perfect. The lack of light was a sign that the shop had closed for the night.
The dimly lit street gave off a soft, almost eerie vibe as the streetlights flickered slightly, casting long shadows on the sidewalk. Maluck approached the pawn shop's front door with quiet steps, his thoughts racing.
He pressed his hand on the door, feeling the cool metal handle beneath his fingers, and the faint hum of electricity that hinted at the lights flickering inside. He smiled. Timing was everything.
Tonight had been wild—a rollercoaster of BBQ, board games, and attempted muggings—but now, he was about to power up his Bad Luck bracelet like some anime protagonist unlocking his next transformation. Any second now, some unseen narrator should be yelling, “This isn’t even his final form!”
He flexed his fingers, staring down at the bracelet like it was about to start glowing and whispering ancient secrets. This thing had already made him feel like a high-roller at the casino, but if he could actually juice it up? He was about to become the protagonist of gambling—slot machines trembling at his approach, dice rolling only sixes, dealers sweating as he walked in.
With a deep breath, he stepped forward and pushed open the door. The little shop bell jingled softly, the air inside thick with incense and the scent of old books. Somewhere in the dimly lit room, fate—or at least a grandmaster of mysticism —was waiting.
Or so he thought.
As he stepped out of the car, something in his System flickered.
[System Task Issued] THIS LYING PIECE OF GARBAGE IS SCAMMING YOU. CALL HIM OUT. TEAR HIS SCHEME APART. MAKE HIM WISH HE’D NEVER TRIED TO RIP YOU OFF.
THE HARDER YOU RUIN HIS DAY, THE BIGGER YOUR REWARD. NOW GO BREAK HIM.
Maluck froze mid-step.
“…Wait. WHAT?”
He blinked at the glowing System prompt, re-reading it twice.
Scammed?
The bracelet guy? The mystical old man who had sold him this artifact of destiny?
Maluck paused, rubbing his temples.
“…So when exactly were you gonna TELL ME THIS?”
Silence.
Then, after a beat—
[System Response] OH, SO YOU JUST LET YOURSELF GET PLAYED? SHOULD’VE SEEN IT COMING. MAYBE NEXT TIME YOU WON’T BE SO NAIVE.
Maluck stared at the response.
“Oh, so y’all just let me walk into this nonsense?”
[System Response] CONSIDER IT A VALUABLE LESSON. PAINFUL? YEAH. NECESSARY? ALSO YEAH. BUT NOW YOU KNOW. TIME TO PAY THIS SCAMMER BACK—WITH INTEREST.
Maluck scowled. “Oh yeah? You know what else is valuable? MY DAMN MONEY.”
[System Response] DAMN RIGHT IT IS! Now go get your revenge.
Maluck cracked his knuckles.
Fine.
If the System wanted him to ruin this guy’s night, then Maluck was about to put on a show.
He pushed open the door, ringing the little bell as he stepped inside.
***
What he didn’t know was that between the System activation and the fact that the Sins and Virtues needed some sort of talisman to imprint their blessings on the Bad Luck bracelet (which, let’s face it, had originally just been garbage), had been chosen. The Sins were all pissed off that someone was taking credit for all their awesomeness. Wrath, especially, couldn’t handle it anymore. He was practically shaking with rage. How dare some scammer think he could take credit for his powers?
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The Virtues, on the other hand, hadn’t bothered to remind Maluck about the details. What did it hurt if someone else got the credit? They were the Virtues, after all, and they didn’t need the spotlight. But now that Wrath couldn’t take it anymore, he had issued the System task.
Wrath wasn’t known for his patience, and he was damn sure not going to let this slide any longer. Especially when that goody goody Virtue had issued that Bullshit “Thank Your Benefactors” task!
The Virtues might have been more patient, but Wrath? Well, Wrath got results.
***
The old Chinese man looked up from behind the counter, smiling warmly—too warmly.
“Ahh, benefactor! You have returned!”
Maluck grinned back, all teeth. “Oh, you know it. Ready to get my bracelet recharged.”
The old man nodded sagely, his eyes twinkling with a mysterious knowing. “Yes, yes, of course. But as I mentioned before, the process requires… special ingredients. Ingredients so rare, they are whispered about only in the hidden corners of forgotten temples, where the air tastes of ancient secrets and the earth hums with lost knowledge. Very rare. Very expensive.” He paused, stroking his long, silvery beard, his voice dropping to a near-whisper, as if the words themselves were sacred. “The stars align for only a few who dare to seek them, and even then, the cost is not always paid in gold, but in… other ways.”
Maluck folded his arms. “Oh yeah? How expensive?”
The old man sighed dramatically, as if the weight of the cosmos was on his shoulders. “Ah… we are so close,” he muttered, his voice low and reverent, like he was speaking to the very fabric of the universe itself. “Perhaps another thousand dollars. Yes, that should be enough to channel the energies correctly, to align the forces of fate just as the stars themselves are poised to shift. The balance of fortune will be restored, and your luck… it will flourish.” He raised his hands, palms open as if inviting the unseen powers to descend, his eyes gleaming with the promise of untold wonders.
[System Task Updated] Absolutely COOK this man!
Bonus rewards for style points.
Maluck’s smile widened.
“Huh. That’s funny.”
The old man blinked. “What is funny, benefactor?”
“Oh, just that my System literally just called you a scammer.”
Silence.
Then—
”…I do not understand what you mean.”
Maluck leaned forward, resting his arms on the counter.
“Oh, I don’t care if you do. So, tell me. Are these ‘rare’ ingredients as rare as the ones in my fridge? You know, air and disappointment?”
The old man visibly tensed.
Maluck kept going.
“Or is this another case of the ‘ancient energies’ being stored in an envelope marked ‘Rent Money’?”
The old man laughed nervously. “Ah, benefactor, you joke too much—”
“Oh, I’m dead serious, my guy. And guess what?” Maluck grinned wider. “I’ve been an idiot for a full twenty-four hours thinking this bracelet actually had some mystical power.”
He tapped the bracelet.
“But it doesn’t, does it?”
The old man said nothing.
Maluck crossed his arms. “Oh, don’t go quiet on me now. Let’s hear it. You gonna tell me it was forged in the mountains of Ancient Feng Shui? Blessed by the Luck Dragon of the East? Powered by the last tears of Confucius?”
The old man swallowed.
“…It is a very special bracelet.”
“Yeah. Special in the sense that I paid you two grand for something that probably came from the clearance bin at a souvenir shop.”
The old man hesitated.
Then, he did what all scammers do when they’re caught—he doubled down.
“You do not understand, benefactor! The magic is not in the bracelet itself—it is in the energy you have infused into it! Yes, yes, that is why it must be recharged. With… uh, with moonstone powder and the breath of a—”
Maluck held up a hand.
“Okay. Stop. Just stop.”
Maluck reached into his inventory, fingers twitching with anticipation.
He hadn’t bought anything from the System Store that morning—because he had been broke as hell.
But after everything that went down today?
He checked his Luck Points.
109 LP.
Perfect.
[System Store Purchase Confirmed]
(50 LP) The Luck Siphon Stone – When touched to someone, it sucks off their luck and adds it to your own.
Maluck grinned wickedly as he pulled the small, smooth stone from his inventory. It was jet black, pulsing faintly with an eerie energy.
The moment his fingers curled around it, he felt it hum with power.
This wasn’t just a tool.
This?
Was payback.
He turned back to the old scammer, who was still trying to keep up his act, still weaving his ridiculous mystical nonsense.
Maluck smirked, rolling the stone between his fingers.
“Hey, old man. Wanna see some real magic?”
The old man’s eyes widened. “What is that?”
Maluck grinned darkly. “Karma.”
Before the scammer could react, Maluck reached forward and SLAPPED the stone right onto his arm.
[System Alert – Luck Siphon Activated]
-35 Luck Points siphoned from Target
+35 Luck Points added to Host
The old man stumbled back, looking woozy.
Maluck stepped back, watching as the scammer blinked in confusion.
“Whoa… I feel… weird.”
Maluck grinned. “Yeah? That’s called losing all your luck, buddy. Enjoy the next twenty-four hours.”
The old man opened his mouth—just as the shelf behind him collapsed, sending a stack of cheap trinkets crashing down on his head.
Maluck whistled. “Damn. That was fast.”
The old man groaned, pulling himself up, only to slip on a fallen Buddha statue and crash into the counter.
Maluck tapped his bracelet. “Welp. I think I got my money’s worth after all.”
And with that, he walked out, grinning ear to ear.
[System Task Accomplished!]
+35 Luck Points
+0.02 Perception
+ Improvisation Skill (Scammer Slayer Unlocked)
Maluck climbed into his car, stretching his arms.
Finally.
Something that felt better than winning at the casino.
Winning against a scammer.
And now?
He had plenty of Luck Points, a cursed scammer left in his wake, and an entire day ahead of him.
Time to figure out what was next.
And what was this Scammer Slayer Skill?
***
