I Maxed Out My Luck Stat

In the vast wilderness, a place that used to be the Mountain Range, two people stood side by side while staring into the horizon.

They were Special Investigators Frankcastle and his partner, Iri.

Far into the distance were mountains that stretched high into the sky, some even tall enough to pierce the darkened clouds.

’Ever since that explosion all those years ago, quite a few changes have occurred in this land...’

Frankcastle exhaled silently.

He maintained a calm demeanor, his dark shade of glasses completely obscuring his extremely deep gaze. It was evident that he was in deep thought, considering the way he kept both hands in his pockets and stared into the distance.

Iri noticed this melancholy and chose to be silent.

She knew her partner well.

It had been over three years since they were assigned this investigation, yet they had nothing to show for it. Throughout this period, Frankcastle was obsessed with catching the mysterious culprit, using every resource at his disposal to tighten the noose, even if only a little.

But it was all in vain.

The Wild Dog couldn’t sniff out the target.

He couldn’t solve the case.

Just as the culprit’s assigned name, it turns out the Great White Death and Vanishing Plague of Destruction... had disappeared completely.

Just like a Ghost.

Despite all of this, Frankcastle hadn’t given up completely.

Iri could see it in his gait.

He still had one final card he desired to play.

"During this expedition, the Mutated Mountain Range will be visited by all kinds of people. Our target will blend in with the crowd. After all, it is extremely likely that he has some arrangements in this place. I doubt he would let the Explorers and Adventurers plunder a place that he has already marked his own..." Frankcastle smiled lightly while speaking.

Iri nodded almost immediately. "That’s why we’ll be observing everyone’s movements."

He nodded.

"Naturally, such a cautious individual will be very wary due to our presence. That’s why I’ll need you to use your Principal Disposition to create dummy versions of the two of us."

The moment Frankcastle said this, Iri’s eyes lit up.

"I see... So you want to fool the culprit while we hide among the crowd and observe from a much closer distance?"

"Fooling is going too far. I’m not so arrogant that I believe I can fool someone like that. I’m just hoping they let down their guard and make a mistake which we can better detect at a much closer proximity..." Frankcastle’s tone was rather sullen.

Three years on this case with no results had humbled him greatly.

Although he was a veteran in the field, and he was even very excited when he was first assigned the case, he had long become disheartened by the lack of progress.

Every night, he had the same nightmare.

His dreams were haunted by the enigmatic entity that was Ghost.

This person was messing with him!

He was too skilled at running him in circles... too good at concealing all of his traces...

... Too good at hiding!

’Will you finally reveal yourself in this expedition?’

Frankcastle raised his eyes and stared at the landscape once more, and sighed.

The Mutated Mountain Range, as he now identified it, had become noticeably different from what it used to be. Even if you ignored the vast crater that existed within this outskirt region, some features of this place could not be ignored.

The clouds were dark, rumbling softly with thunder.

The mountains in the distance had taken on dark colors, almost like they were made of metal.

The ground had turned into dark, heavy sand—almost like it was a desert.

The air felt hot when inhaled, but it was cold to the skin.

The list went on.

The most fascinating thing was that this wasn’t always the case.

The Mountain Range looked a lot different over three years ago, before the sudden explosion that changed everything.

’The forensic experts say that there was leftover radiation of some kind of unknown energy that mutated everything around it. It’s also possible that this could result in the emergence of some strange existences. However, since we limited our investigation to finding the culprit, we weren’t able to confirm or deny any such existence.’

Frankcastle was also curious.

What exactly could be existing within the depths of this place?

Since the Explorers Association and Adventurers Guild were teaming up to find the answers, he was confident that they would find something of note here.

For one final moment, his eyes shone with anticipation, and a dark smile graced his face.

’I can’t wait... Ghost!’

************

"Everything has been taken care of, right?"

A tall, beautiful woman was seated on her throne while she addressed her subordinates present.

All of them, without exception, bowed and trembled in her presence.

They clearly feared her.

She had lustrous red hair, pale skin, and deep ruby eyes. Her gaze oozed a kind of wickedness that was best left unexplored, and her long fangs displayed a dominance that many couldn’t help but recognize.

Even among Noble Vampires, she was of superior quality.

The Head of the Rouge Family...

Rachel Ciel Vi Rouge—also known as the Blood Empress!

"According to our arrangements, I’ll be attending the expedition in disguise. That way, even though everyone will think that the Head of the Rouge Family isn’t present, I’ll be able to watch their every movement with ease." She smiled wickedly.

This was her plan!

Many Noble Households and even freelancers would see this expedition as an opportunity.

They would surely be after their own benefits.

If the Rouge Family Head attended this expedition, most of them would curb their greed out of both fear and respect for the Rouge Household.

However, Rachel didn’t want to see such an obvious pretense.

She wanted the real deal.

’Now that I’ve entered into power and solidified my family as the strongest, it’s only right for me to take in vassals and ally with the best factions in the Vampire State. I should also make good relations with reliable Noble Families. But I need to be sure that these people are trustworthy and will not favor their self-interest above my authority.’

That was why she was doing this.

By observing all the strange movements and hidden schemes through her disguise, she would be able to filter the bad eggs out and find the true gems that she could invest in.

Beyond that, there was another reason.

A much more sinister one!