Location: Inner Sect Archive – Room 404

  Time: Late Night (Three Days before the Ranking Battle)

  ?The pile of "corrupted" books on the table was shrinking.

  ?To Elder Shu, Aris was a miracle worker who spent hours scrubbing curses off ancient pages with a toothbrush and "special solvent."

  ?To Aris, this was a data heist.

  ?[System Scan Complete]

  [Technique Acquired: The Nine-Fold Thunder Blade (High-Grade).]

  [Technique Acquired: Celestial Breathing Method (Mid-Grade).]

  ?Aris tossed the cleaned manuals onto the "Done" pile.

  ?"Trash," he muttered. "Trash. Garbage. Flashy lights with zero substance."

  ?He picked up the last book. It was a thin, ragged manual titled The Drunken Willow. It wasn't cursed; it was just neglected. It had been used to level a wobbly table leg.

  ?Aris flipped through it.

  ?[Analysis: The Drunken Willow]

  [Type: Evasion / Movement.]

  [Description: A forgotten technique that mimics the swaying of a willow branch in a storm. The user yields to force rather than opposing it.]

  [Current Status: Flawed. The footwork is erratic.]

  ?Aris's eyes lit up.

  ?"It's not flawed," he realized, simulating the movements in his mind. "It's chaotic. It doesn't rely on Qi to block; it relies on vectors to redirect. It looks like stumbling, but it's actually micro-dodging."

  ?This was exactly what he needed.

  ?To stay in the Outer Sect, he had to participate in the Monthly Ranking Battle. If he won too much, he'd attract attention from the Elders. If he lost too badly, he'd be kicked out of the sect.

  ?He needed to be the master of the "Accidental Draw."

  ?"System," Aris commanded. "Optimize The Drunken Willow. Remove the Qi cost. Integrate with Law Manipulation: Friction Control."

  ?[Optimizing...]

  [New Skill Created: The Idiot's Gamble.]

  [Effect: 100% Evasion rate against linear attacks. Visually indistinguishable from a panic attack.]

  ?Aris smirked. "Perfect."

  ?Location: The Outer Sect Arena – Ring 72

  Time: The Day of the Ranking Battle

  ?The arena was a dust bowl surrounded by cheering disciples. The air smelled of sweat and desperation. This was where the bottom-feeders fought to keep their rice bowls.

  ?"Next Match!" the referee shouted. "Han Xiao (Waste Unit) vs. Boulder-Fist Zhou (Mining Unit)!"

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  ?A roar of laughter went through the crowd.

  ?"The Sludge Rat!"

  "Squash him, Zhou!"

  ?Aris walked into the ring. He looked terrified. His knees were knocking together. He held a rusted iron sword with a shaking hand.

  ?Opposite him stood Zhou—a man as wide as he was tall, with forearms like tree trunks. Zhou grinned, cracking his knuckles.

  ?"Don't worry, rat," Zhou sneered. "I won't kill you. I'll just break your legs so I can take your spot in the queue."

  ?"P-please!" Aris stammered, backing up to the edge of the ring. "I... I surrender! Don't hit me!"

  ?"Too late!" Zhou roared.

  ?The match began.

  ?Zhou charged. He didn't use technique; he used momentum. He swung a fist the size of a ham straight at Aris's face.

  ?Aris squeaked. He tried to turn and run, but his foot "slipped" on a loose pebble.

  ?[Skill: The Idiot's Gamble - Active]

  ?Aris flailed backward. His head dipped exactly two inches.

  ?Whoosh.

  ?Zhou's fist occupied the space where Aris's nose had been a millisecond ago. The wind pressure ruffled Aris's hair.

  ?"Huh?" Zhou blinked. He had missed?

  ?"I'm sorry!" Aris yelled, spinning around in a panic. As he spun, his elbow "accidentally" knocked Zhou's knee.

  ?[Law Manipulation: Vector Nudge]

  [Target: Patella Tendon.]**

  [Force: Minimal (Precision Strike).]**

  ?Zhou's leg buckled. The big man stumbled forward, his own momentum carrying him toward the edge of the ring.

  ?"Whoa!" Zhou flailed, trying to regain his balance.

  ?Aris, still spinning in "panic," tripped over his own sword. He fell forward, head-butting Zhou in the lower back.

  ?It looked like a clumsy accident.

  ?In reality, Aris had reinforced his skull with Abyssal Plating.

  ?THUD.

  ?The impact was like a battering ram.

  ?Zhou flew out of the ring. He sailed through the air, arms windmilling, and crashed face-first into the mud outside the boundary line.

  ?The crowd went silent.

  ?The referee stared.

  ?Aris lay face-down in the ring, groaning. "Did... did he kill me?"

  ?The referee looked at Zhou, who was groggy and trying to figure out how he lost to a tripping idiot.

  ?"Winner... Han Xiao!" the referee announced, sounding confused. "By... Ring Out?"

  ?"Boooo!" the crowd erupted.

  "Trash fight!"

  "Luck!"

  ?Aris stood up, dusting himself off, looking sheepish. "I... I won? I'm alive?"

  ?He scurried out of the ring before anyone could throw a rock at him.

  ?Location: The Viewing Stands (Shadows)

  Time: 10 Minutes Later

  ?High above the common rabble, in a private box, Iron-Mountain watched the arena with narrowed eyes.

  ?"That's him," Iron-Mountain growled. "The rat from the trial."

  ?Beside him sat a young woman in green silk robes. She was peeling a grape.

  ?[Target Scan]

  ?Name: Liu Yan (Disciple of the Poison Peak).

  ?Rank: Outer Sect #4.

  ?Specialty: Neurotoxins.

  ?"He looks like an idiot," Liu Yan said, bored. "He tripped and got lucky."

  ?"He has too much luck," Iron-Mountain insisted. "In the tomb, he tripped and opened the door. In the canyon, he tripped and triggered an avalanche. Now, he trips and wins a match."

  ?Iron-Mountain crushed the stone railing in his hand.

  ?"There is no such thing as infinite luck. He is playing us."

  ?"So?" Liu Yan popped the grape into her mouth. "Do you want me to kill him?"

  ?"No," Iron-Mountain smiled cruelly. "Killing him is too easy. The Sect Leader's Fox is looking for a 'playmate' to groom its fur. The job pays well, but the last three disciples who took it were eaten."

  ?He looked at Liu Yan.

  ?"Use your connections in the Assignment Hall. Get Han Xiao assigned to the Herb Garden Duty. Let the Fox expose him."

  ?Location: Waste Processing Unit

  Time: Evening

  ?Aris returned to his barracks, counting his pathetic winnings (5 Spirit Stones).

  ?"Rank 4,800," Aris told Mo. "Safe for another month. And I established the narrative: I am a clumsy coward who survives on dumb luck."

  ?Suddenly, a golden crane made of paper flew through the window. It unfolded in front of Aris.

  ?[Sect Mandate]

  [To: Disciple Han Xiao.]

  [From: Assignment Hall.]

  [Order: You have been promoted. Report to the Herb Garden immediately.]

  [Duty: Grooming Attendant for the Divine Sky Fox.]

  ?Aris read the note. He smiled.

  ?"They think they are punishing me," Aris laughed softly. "They just gave me the key to the vault."

  ?"The Fox hates ugly people," Mo reminded him, looking at Aris's disguise (pallid skin, dark circles, messy hair). "You will be eaten."

  ?"Mo, you lack imagination," Aris stood up, burning the note. "The Fox is Level 85. It's intelligent. It doesn't want a pretty face; it wants conversation. It wants entertainment."

  ?He walked to the door.

  ?"And I know exactly what kind of story a bored, immortal fox wants to hear."

  Update - The Nine-Tailed Sky Fox:

  ?Name: Lady Bai. ?

  Age: 3,000 Years.

  ?** quirk:** She guards the World Tree because she is bored. She kills disciples who bore her. She loves riddles, gossip, and shiny things.