Chapter 87: The Dice of Fortune

Chapter 87 The Dice of Fortune

After delivering the divine decree, Yi Fengchu could sense that followers from all directions had already begun to act and explore.

The river of Fate was meandering in the right direction, waiting only to reach a certain juncture before coming to its destined conclusion.

There was no need to rush things. Over the next half-month, Yi Fengchu returned to his normal routine—spending his days grinding through finals in school classrooms and libraries, while at night, he listened to prayers and observed his followers' progress.

Tens of thousands of worlds, billions of believers—the voices of these prayers converged into an overwhelmingly vast tsunami of data, enough to overwhelm an ordinary person’s mind in an instant.

Fortunately, Yi Fengchu’s true form was not limited to a single serpent’s head—countless smaller serpents shared the burden of processing this immense volume of data, giving him superhuman processing speed. At most, he occasionally found the noise a bit bothersome.

After just a few days of adaptation, he had already mastered the skill of categorizing prayers into "junk mail," "priority inbox," and "action required."

The third category was relatively troublesome, but based on Yi Fengchu’s observations, the content of these prayers was largely similar—mostly followers praying for luck for themselves or their loved ones, or wishing misfortune upon their enemies.

Generally, as long as the request was reasonable, Yi Fengchu would respond or offer assistance, but he would also exact a toll to maintain the balance of fate.

For example, those who experienced extreme luck in a short period might later endure a karmic backlash once the blessing faded.

Likewise, those who prayed for their enemies’ misfortune might find their own luck shifting in unpredictable ways…

Thus, everyone understood that the Lord of Fate was the fairest of deities—

He answered all prayers equally, yet every blessing came with its own cost.

Time slipped through his fingers, and soon, winter break arrived.

With free time at his disposal, Yi Fengchu’s first plan was to personally visit the snow-capped mountain where he had first met his mother in his dreams.

Perhaps there, he might unearth fragments of his origins?

……

The knife-edged wind carried snowflakes, as if plunging directly from the snow-covered peaks, bringing with it the icy, crystalline air unique to the snowy region.

Amid the howling gale, the thick, wool-thick clouds suddenly dispersed, revealing the deep blue sky behind the mountains.

The vast heavens, the pristine snow, the towering peaks, and the scattered houses at the foot of the mountain… the entire world seemed like an exquisitely crafted snow globe, suspended in this frozen moment of winter's beauty.

However, none of the players standing at the mountain’s base were in the mood to admire this beautiful scenery.

The worst thing about entering a dungeon was ending up in such a harsh, uninhabitable wilderness.

Even though they had all purchased arctic survival gear and climbing equipment from the system shop, fully armored from head to toe, the frigid wind still lashed their exposed skin mercilessly, their exhaled breath instantly freezing into mist and blurring their vision.

One player couldn’t help but curse under his breath, muttering, "This goddamn death game—dragging us through hell and high water every day. Even an Ability user’s physique can’t handle this!"

"Could you keep it down, please?"

A woman beside him tapped his shoulder, her tone light but laced with irritation. "Listen to the system’s introduction properly."

"Welcome to the A-rank special dungeon 'The Hallowed Peaks.' Good luck."

"Party Size: Four."

"Scenario Briefing: In this dungeon, you will play the roles of detectives hired by Zhang Ming to investigate the mysterious disappearance of his father in the snowy mountains. At the same time, the secrets hidden within this forbidden peaks seem to gradually unfold before you..."

"But are these truths meant for mortal minds?"

"Mission 1: Uncover the reason behind Zhang Ming’s father’s disappearance."

"Mission 2 (Side): Explore the legends and secrets behind the snowy mountain."

Just as the players thought the system announcement was about to end, the cold mechanical voice paused before continuing:

"Please note: Due to special circumstances, this dungeon employs a unique mechanic—'The Dice of Fortune.'"

"Within the bounds of the snowy mountain, each individual’s luck will wax and wane erratically at any given moment."

"When players encounter certain cruxes of destiny (including but not limited to weather changes, route conditions, Ability usage, etc.), the outcome likelihood will be determined by casting a die."

As soon as the system finished speaking, a mercurial d6 appeared in the lower right corner of the players’ vision.

The dice had no physical form, as if purely condensed from quicksilver radiance—blending perfectly into the snowy landscape.

When the players shifted their gaze, the dice followed their line of sight, always lingering like a specter in the lower right corner.

"Rolling a 6 grants maximum luck, with a 100% success rate; rolling a 1 results in minimum luck, with a near 0% success rate."

"When the system prompts a player to roll the dice, in-dungeon timefreeze engaged. Players must complete the roll within a one-minute countdown, or it will default to a 1."

"Aside from mandatory rolls, players may also choose to roll voluntarily, entrusting their destiny to chance."

"Lady Luck be with you all."

"Tch," the hotheaded player, who seemed particularly irritable, couldn’t help but complain again. "This damn mechanic clearly favors Ability users from the Fate Domain!"

"If the dice can even decide weather changes, and someone rolls a '1'..."

He didn’t finish the thought, but everyone understood the implication.

No one wanted to experience what the worst possible luck in a snowy mountain would entail—might it summon a white death?

Among the four players, the loose cannon was the most vocal. While the others were still cautiously observing their surroundings, he spoke up first:

"Since this round is cooperative, let’s not hide anything. For convenience’s sake, why don’t we share our Skills and names?"

"I’m Chen Hui, Geomancer Domain, Tier 5," he added with an unsubtle boast, "Not to brag, but I should have some advantage when it comes to mountain climbing."

To his disappointment, none of the players bit his bait. Chen Hui glanced around, pursed his lips, and said nothing more.

Beside him stood a tall woman who seemed to find her face mask stifling. She casually loosened the protective covering beneath her goggles, revealing lips that were seemingly perpetually amused.

"You can call me Eurus," she said, offering an obviously fake name—the East Wind from ancient Greek mythology, making Chen Hui’s blunt introduction seem crude in comparison. "Wind Domain, Tier 6. Ability: 'Storm's Grasp.'"

Chen Hui’s face turned beet red as he glared at Eurus, only to receive a derisive snort in return.

After introducing her Ability, Eurus waved her hand, instantly dispersing the buffeting gales around them. The air currents split as if guided by consciousness, parting around the group instead.

Chen Hui snorted. "Well that's one useful trick."

Another player was swaddled in layers, but his build suggested he was an adult male, with curly brown hair at his temples—marking him as foreign.

Chen Hui and Eurus both silently guessed that he might be a player from a foreign land, or even another world.

Sure enough, when he spoke, his language was unfamiliar. Without the system’s universal translator, the others would have been left in the dark. "You may refer to me as 'Scholar.' Veritas Domain, Tier 6."

"Since our assigned professions in this dungeon are detectives, if any of you find clues, you can hand them over to me for analysis... I may be able to glean deeper insights."

After the trio finished introducing themselves, their gazes naturally shifted downward to the last—and most peculiar—player.

What made her peculiar was that she was a petite, delicate-looking girl who looked no older than twelve at first glance.

But nobody here would lower their guard simply because of her childlike appearance, thinking she was completely harmless—even disregarding the possibility of certain special domain abilities, the system store sold items to alter one's age and appearance. Not to mention, in this vast world, there were unique races born with naturally long lifespans, staying childlike for centuries.

A normal child needing protection would never survive alone in an amusement park, much less get matched into an A-level dungeon with them.

Beneath the girl’s thick mountaineering hat, two shiny black braids stuck out. Her voice was bright and lively, like every word was bouncing with energy: "I'm Lena, Fate Domain, Tier 5. I’m thrilled to tackle this dungeon with all of you, big brothers and sisters!"

The moment she lifted her face, everyone caught a clear glimpse of her eyes behind the goggles—pale, almost colorless, twinkling with mischief as they swept over the group.

In that brief exchange of glances, the other players all experienced a weird, passing feeling… as if they were being scrutinized.

"I see," Lena’s smile widened, radiant. "Everyone’s luck is pretty good right now. At least, you’ll all survive tonight."

Eurus raised an eyebrow, leaning in toward Lena with an ambiguous tone. "You said you’re Tier 5?"

"Yeah, is there a problem?"

Faced with the sudden question, Lena’s smile didn’t waver, her pale silver eyes meeting Eurus’s directly.

After a few seconds, Eurus was the first to look away, acting casual. "Nothing… Just thinking that if we ever have a mandatory group dice roll later, we can leave it to you."

At that moment, the Scholar interjected with a timely reminder: "Our employer is here."

Not far away, a portly man came huffing toward them, lumbering through the snow like a black snowball.

He stopped in front of the four players, patting his chest to catch his breath before speaking. "Hello, I’m Zhang Ming. You must be the detectives recommended by Master Lin?"

"What an impressive group," Zhang Ming shook hands enthusiastically with each of them. When he reached Lena, who looked like a middle-schooler, he faltered awkwardly before continuing, "Uh… such a prodigy."

Normally you'd think twice about bringing a child like her on a mountain expedition, but likely due to the system’s interference, Zhang Ming paused briefly before smoothly accepting her presence as a detective without further question.

After a few polite exchanges, the Scholar probed, "Mr. Zhang, could you elaborate on the circumstances surrounding your father’s disappearance?"

"For instance, were there any physical or mental abnormalities? Did he exhibit any unusual behavior?"

"There were."

Zhang Ming hesitated, a flicker of fear crossing his face.

He gestured for the players to lean in closer, then lowered his voice. "My father’s been missing for almost ten years. I was thirteen at the time, so much of it's fuzzy now. But there’s one thing I’ll never forget…"

"Shortly before he vanished, he often locked himself in his study, forbidding anyone from approaching. No one knew what he was doing."

"One day, my curiosity got the better of me. I sneaked into the courtyard, right beneath the study window, trying to catch a glimpse of what he was up to."

"Through a gap in the curtains, I saw—"

Zhang Ming paused, fear seeping into his eyes. The others could almost picture the young boy peering fearfully through the window all those years ago.

"Snakes," Zhang Ming’s lips trembled, his voice going hollow, with an eerie edge. "I saw so many snakes, covering the desk, the floor, the walls…"

"And my father was kneeling in the middle of them, muttering to himself… like a madman."