Chapter 4: May the Goddess of Fortune Bless You

The mist before his eyes faded away in layers, as if space itself was collapsing.

Ian's eyes snapped open.

Lying on the cramped little bed, he shifted uncomfortably. The silvery moonlight streaming in through the window bathed the room in a soft glow.

His gaze landed on the clock hanging on the wall.

The hands pointed at 12:07. The second hand kept ticking, marking the passage of time.

He had experienced such a vivid and surreal dream, yet in reality, only seven minutes had passed.

"Hu..."

Ian took a deep breath, wiping away the nonexistent sweat on his forehead.

His mind felt a little disoriented. It was more of a mental exhaustion rather than physical.

Recalling the events within that dreamlike realm, he instinctively glanced at the back of his hand. A faint, silvery-white mark shimmered briefly before disappearing into his skin.

The dim lighting of the small room, illuminated only by the moonlight, made it difficult to see clearly.

Ian sat up, walked over to his desk, and pulled open a drawer. He rummaged through an assortment of crafting tools before grabbing a small flashlight.

Click.

The beam of light illuminated his arm.

"What is this?"

He studied the mark closely, curiosity gleaming in his eyes.

It was a gift from a friend.

The mark shimmered faintly before completely merging with his skin.

He could take real objects into the dream realm and bring things back as well—just like the chocolate he had given Arianna.

But what exactly was the purpose of this mark?

Ian had no clue.

He attempted to check his skill panel.

Name: Ian Prince
Class: Bloodline Sorcerer
Mana: Level 4

Skills:

Linguistic Proficiency (Lv.3): 23/400 Biological Dissection (Lv.4): 796/800 Hand-to-Hand Combat (Lv.3): 85/400 Psychology (Lv.6): 42/3200 Extraordinary Trait: Mind Perception

Ian had some expectations...

But there was no mention of the mark on his skill panel.

Thinking about it, that made sense. This was a gift from a friend, not a skill. Just like his ability to enter the dream realm, which also wasn't recorded on the panel.

Maybe he could look up similar cases in the Hogwarts library? It was said to be the most comprehensive repository of magical knowledge in the world.

With that thought, Ian ran his fingers over his arm absentmindedly.

A wave of drowsiness washed over him.

He returned to bed and drifted off to sleep.

The Next Morning

By the time the sun rose, Ian was already seated at his desk, deeply engrossed in his language studies.

[Successfully read a French word, Linguistic Proficiency +1]
[Successfully read a Latin phrase, Linguistic Proficiency +1]
[Successfully read a Latin phrase, Linguistic Proficiency +1]

"Hu..."

Ian exhaled, rubbing his temples.

Learning languages wasn't easy. He had to rely on phonetic notation to pronounce words correctly. Not only that, but he also had to commit every word's meaning to memory.

Still...

Diligence always paid off.

Linguistic Proficiency (Lv.3): 35/400 (+12)

A morning of study had earned him 12 points of experience.

He wasn't far from reaching level 5, where he would unlock an extraordinary trait for the skill.

With no spells to learn yet, his options for practical skills were limited.

But what kind of extraordinary trait would linguistic mastery grant him?

With anticipation for the future, Ian began his day.

Afternoon: The Fortune-Telling Hustle

After lunch, Ian pushed his small cart to a familiar street corner and set up his usual fortune-telling stand.

Calling it a "scam" might be harsh, but his money-making method definitely involved reading people rather than actual divination.

Seated behind a display of tarot cards, Ian seemed to be preparing for a reading.

In reality, he was relying on his self-taught psychology skills and his Mind Perception trait to analyze his customers.

To be honest...

Even if he actually knew fortune-telling, it might not be as profitable as what he was doing now.

After all, people didn't always want the truth—sometimes, they just wanted to hear what they needed to believe.

Soon, a young woman approached, intrigued by his stand.

As she sat down, Ian observed her clothing, subtle hesitations, and microexpressions.

He had her figured out.

Then, with the air of a true mystic, he spoke:

"Miss, you've been under a lot of stress lately."

The woman nodded, unfazed.

That wasn't hard to guess.

Ian smiled. "Is it about your graduation?"

Her eyes widened in surprise. "Oh... You're right!"

Ian nodded knowingly. "Your advisor has been making things difficult for you. You're about to graduate, but at this rate, it's clear they won't let you pass smoothly."

The woman's jaw dropped.

For a few moments, she was too stunned to speak.

When she finally gathered herself, her voice trembled with a newfound reverence.

"Seer... you're absolutely right. What should I do?!"

[Successful psychological analysis, Psychology Proficiency +1]

Ian stayed calm.

At this moment, the customer was completely within his grasp.

With his mind-reading-like ability, he could manipulate the conversation however he wished.

But Ian had principles.

"Miss, you may need to spend a bit of money... Perhaps a gift for the headmaster to smooth things over. But that alone might not be enough."

His tone turned mysterious.

"A lucky amulet would certainly increase your chances... After all, the Goddess of Luck smiles upon those who are prepared."

The woman, already fully convinced, looked at the array of amulets displayed on Ian's table.

"How much for one?" she asked. "Can I buy them all?"

Ian had expected her to be rich, but this was beyond expectations.

"A single amulet is only £5," Ian said smoothly, "but of course, you can take as many as you need."

He placed twenty charms on the table.

"I'll take them all! Twenty times the luck!"

Moments later, Ian was £100 richer.

The amulets were nothing more than foreign-style talismans—pieces of yellow paper with "lucky" words scribbled in crude English.

Still, Ian solemnly blessed them before handing them over.

"May the Goddess of Luck watch over you."

"Thank you!" The woman clasped her hands together devoutly before leaving.

Watching her go, Ian grinned.

"Looks like luck is on my side too. One session and I've already hit my goal... Might as well call it a day early."

£100 in the 1990s was no small sum—nearly equivalent to two months of living expenses.

He packed up his stand, bought several hot stews from a nearby restaurant, and returned to the orphanage.

Evening: Orphanage Dinner

As soon as Ian walked in, pushing his cart loaded with food, the children swarmed him excitedly.

"Ian, what is that?!"

Their eyes sparkled with hunger and anticipation.

Even the older kids were drawn in.

Ian chuckled, setting the pots on the table.

"Alright, everyone—grab some plates. And wipe off that drool while you're at it!"

Laughter filled the room as the children rushed to get their bowls.

As they ate, the conversation took a turn.

"Ian, I heard you're going to a prestigious private school!"

Ian nearly froze—but then, he understood.

It was the effect of Dumbledore's Confundus Charm.

He simply smiled and listened.

But then, a small voice whispered beside him.

"Ian... I know you're not going to a private school," a blond girl murmured. "You're going to Hogwarts. That white-bearded old man said it's a school where wizards can turn candy out of thin air."

The unexpected words disrupted Ian's thoughts, leaving him momentarily dazed.

He turned to look at the speaker—a young girl with golden hair.

She appeared conflicted, glancing around nervously before leaning in to whisper, her tone pleading.

Ian met her hopeful gaze.

Then, suddenly, it was as if an unknown ability within him activated. A sharp ringing filled his ears, and amidst the noise, he seemed to hear the girl's urgent inner voice—

"I want to go to Hogwarts too! I want to learn magic that can create candy from nothing! If I could do that, I'd be the Candy Princess!"

Ian shook his head, and the ringing vanished.

That was… Mind Perception.

It was a skill that sometimes allowed him to directly sense a person's most fervent desires.

At this moment, the other children continued chatting and eating, completely unaware of the silent exchange. But in front of him, the little girl still looked at him with eager eyes, waiting for an answer.

Ian quickly deduced the truth—this girl might have magical potential. That was the only explanation for why the Confundus Charm didn't work on her.

Otherwise, there was no way Albus Dumbledore's magic would make such an oversight, allowing a Muggle to hear the truth.

"Can I, Ian?" the girl, Catherine, asked again, her voice filled with anticipation.

Ian snapped out of his surprise and gave her a calm smile.

"Of course, Catherine. But you must promise to keep this a secret for now."

"Hogwarts only accepts children who can keep secrets."

Catherine's face lit up with sheer delight. She nearly jumped in excitement before Ian quickly stopped her.

"Catherine, remember—you have to keep this secret."

She immediately covered her mouth with both hands.

"I'm a good girl! I won't say a word! Even if the matron breaks my legs, I won't tell!"

Ian: "..."

Nightfall – The Orphanage Kitchen

The kitchen was dimly lit, the warm glow of oil lamps flickering as Ian swung his knife with practiced precision, swiftly butchering chickens and ducks.

Two chefs worked beside him, one of them glancing over and chuckling.

"Honestly, Ian, we owe you. Every time you help, it saves us so much time."

The other chef nodded. "With the kids needing meat to stay healthy, it's a big help having an extra pair of hands."

Every night, Ian came to the kitchen to help. It had become a habit.

And because of that—

[Successfully butchered a chicken. +1 to Biological Dissection proficiency.]

[Successfully butchered a duck. +1 to Biological Dissection proficiency.]

[Successfully butchered a duck. +1 to Biological Dissection proficiency.]

He had gained the Biological Dissection trait.

However, tonight was different.

[Ding! Congratulations! Your Biological Dissection proficiency has reached its limit and advanced.]

[Biological Dissection (Level 5): 1/1600]

[Congratulations! Skill has surpassed Level 5. You have acquired an Extraordinary Trait…]