THE GOD OF MISFORTUNE
Chapter 8: (CH7)THE ETHICS OF POWER

Chapter 8: (CH7)THE ETHICS OF POWER

The apartment walls felt thinner than usual, like they were barely holding back the chaos outside. Distant screams echoed through the cracked windows—sirens, roars, something shattering. Luis sat cross-legged on the floor, counting his Soul Essence for the third time.

300. Still not enough.

Zyx floated lazily near the ceiling, upside down like a bored bat, spinning an imaginary coin between his fingers. "You know," he said casually, "there’s a faster way."

Luis didn’t look up. "If you’re about to suggest killing other Hosts again—"

"Not just any Hosts," Zyx interrupted, flipping midair and hovering right-side up now. "I mean the weak ones. The ones who’ll die soon anyway. Think of it as... early recycling. Efficient and eco-friendly."

Luis’s grip tightened around his wrench. "No."

"Oh come on—"

"I said no." The words came out sharper than he meant. Luis took a breath, tried again. "I’ll fight if it’s life or death. But not for crafting materials. Not just because it’s convenient."

Zyx hovered in silence for a moment, expression unreadable. Then he sighed and shrugged. "Fine. Enjoy your moral superiority while slow-roasting in bunny hell for the next week."

Return to the Forest

Dawn painted the forest in pale gold, but there was nothing peaceful about it. Luis’s muscles still ached from the day before, and the Rustfang Hares had grown smarter—skittish now, darting through the underbrush like they knew what he was.

The Bramble Crawlers had gotten nastier too. One of them nearly got his eye.

"You’re getting predictable," Zyx muttered as Luis crouched in a sunlit clearing, baiting a Shade Stalker with a bloodied scrap of meat. "They’re adapting."

Luis wiped the sweat from his brow. "Then I’ll adapt too."

The Stalker lunged.

That’s when it happened—something cold and electric unfurled in his chest, like static crawling beneath his skin. The world shimmered violet for a split second.

A notification blinked across his vision:

[NEW ABILITY UNLOCKED: MISFORTUNE’S TOUCH]

Inflicts a random debuff on the target for 10 seconds:

Damage Vulnerability (10–100% increased damage taken)

Movement Impairment (10–100% speed reduction)

Critical Failure (5–50% chance of self-injury or ability backfire)

Perception Glitch (10–100% accuracy loss)

Stagger Magnet (Next hit guarantees knockdown)

Cooldown per target: 1 hour

The Shade Stalker’s claws slashed—then it tripped over an exposed root mid-pounce and slammed straight into Luis’s waiting wrench.

CRACK.

The blow crushed its throat. Black mist poured from the corpse and flowed into Luis’s hands.

[SHADE STALKER DEFEATED][SOUL ESSENCE GAINED: 25][MISFORTUNE’S TOUCH EFFECT: CRITICAL FAILURE (34%)]

Zyx whistled, impressed. "Now that’s handy."

Luis stared down at his hands, heart still racing. "Why now?"

"Stress triggers God abilities sometimes," Zyx replied, floating lower. "And you, my friend, are a walking panic attack. Congrats on the glow-up."

Nine Hours Later

Luis collapsed against a tree long after sunset, armorless and half-dead, but triumphant. His Soul Essence counter gleamed in his vision:

[TOTAL SOUL ESSENCE: 2,017]

He grinned through cracked lips. "Finally..."

Zyx didn’t say anything for a while. Then, in a rare moment of seriousness, he gestured to the east. "Let’s go. You smell like blood and bad decisions, and something bigger will notice soon."

Back in the City

They were barely two blocks from the apartment when the air shifted—thicker, heavier. Luis froze.

A gust of wind blew past, carrying the coppery stench of blood and wet fur.

Around the corner, atop a crushed car, stood a Silver Wolf King (Lv. 11 silver class). Its silver fur shimmered like mercury, crackling with static.

Five Hosts surrounded it, moving like a squad trained for this:

A woman with molten gauntlets that hissed with steam.

A man wielding twin, electrified katanas.

A teen whose shadow slithered like a living weapon.

A sniper perched silently above.

And at the center: a figure in black tactical gear, his fists distorting gravity itself.

The fight was fast and surgical. The Wolf King struck like a thunderclap, shearing through concrete. The sniper popped its eye. The shadows pinned it. The gauntlets cracked open its skull.

[SILVER WOLF KING DEFEATED]

Luis didn’t dare move. The air around the leader bent subtly, and then—he turned. Right toward Luis’s hiding spot.

Their eyes met.

One beat. Two.

Then the man smirked, just a little, before turning back to his team.

Luis exhaled so hard his ribs ached.

Zyx’s whisper was nearly a hiss. "That was Krathos’ team. They saw you."

Luis clutched his Soul Essence like a lifeline, his heart pounding in his throat.

"Then I’d better craft something good."

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