A DIVINE FOOL

Chapter 2: "The Fool's Luck"

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The morning after Yuki Fushiwara's strange and unexpected encounter with the Divine Artifact, he woke up to an irritatingly loud buzzing noise. His eyes shot open, and his head pounded. The air around him felt charged with a strange energy. A quick glance at the clock on the wall told him that he had overslept far longer than usual, missing his morning cultivation practice.

"Yuki! Yuki! Get up! They're coming for you!" A small, mechanical voice buzzed frantically from the corner of the room.

Yuki groggily rubbed his eyes and looked around, trying to locate the source of the noise. There, hovering beside his bed, was a small robotic drone with gleaming metallic wings, its lights flickering in a panicked manner.

"Buzzzy? What in the world is going on now?" Yuki grumbled, still half-dazed from sleep.

"Get up! They're coming! You need to hide!" the drone repeated, its voice cracking with distress. "The Elder Council has already learned about your... accidental awakening of the Divine Artifact!"

Yuki blinked. "Huh? The Elder Council? That's... that's great, right? I'm about to become famous, right?"

Buzzzy groaned, its little mechanical wings flapping faster. "No, Yuki! You don't understand! They are going to... study you! You've become a walking disaster! No one is supposed to interact with that artifact!"

Yuki yawned, trying to shake off the remaining remnants of sleep. "I don't know what's going on, but I feel like I got lucky. I mean, I found this thing, right? Doesn't that make me special?"

"No!" Buzzzy insisted. "No, no, no! It makes you a target!"

Suddenly, there was a loud knock at the door.

"Yuki Fushiwara, we are here to escort you to the Elder Council!" The voice from behind the door was deep and commanding, sending a chill down Yuki's spine.

Yuki's eyes widened. "Escort? Oh no... I don't like where this is going."

Before he could react, the door swung open, revealing a group of cultivators—official-looking and very serious, their robes adorned with symbols of the Elder Council. They were accompanied by two towering mechanical enforcers, whose glowing eyes gave off a menacing red hue.

"Yuki Fushiwara," one of the cultivators called in a cold tone. "You are required to come with us. Immediately."

Yuki stood frozen, his mind racing. These were people of power, and they weren't here to compliment him. He rubbed his hands together nervously, trying to act nonchalant. "Uh, sure, sure. Just give me a minute. I'll grab my shoes."

Buzzzy was vibrating frantically above him. "Yuki, get moving! They're here to figure out what's going on with you, and probably—probably—dissect you!"

"Dissect me?!" Yuki's eyes widened as he rushed to grab his shoes, his face turning pale. "I just woke up! I don't even know what's going on!"

But there was no time to think. The cultivators didn't wait for him. They moved swiftly, grabbing Yuki by the arms and guiding him out of his small quarters.

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The Neo Tianhe Cultivation Hall

Yuki was quickly ushered through the massive halls of the Neo Tianhe Cultivation Hall, a place filled with powerful cultivators from across the world. The place was a magnificent blend of advanced technology and ancient spiritual power. It was almost overwhelming, the walls adorned with holographic screens and floating lanterns, while elders meditated in serene chambers.

"Where are you taking me?" Yuki asked, his voice trembling as he tried to keep up with the fast pace of the cultivators. "Is this some kind of test?"

"You'll see soon enough," one of them replied, keeping their eyes forward, avoiding his gaze. "The Elder Council has ordered your immediate evaluation."

Yuki's stomach dropped. He had no idea what was going on, but he could feel something wasn't right. The artifact inside his chest pulsed with strange energy, as though it had a will of its own, and Yuki couldn't help but feel that the situation was spiraling out of his control.

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The Elder Council's Chambers

The Elder Council sat in an expansive chamber, seated upon thrones carved from ancient stone. The room was dimly lit, with ancient scrolls floating beside the seated members and strange glowing symbols that danced in mid-air. Their eyes were stern and calculating, watching Yuki as he was escorted into the room.

At the center of the chamber stood the head elder, an older man with a long, flowing white beard, dressed in robes that shimmered with a deep, otherworldly glow. His eyes, however, were not warm but filled with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion.

"Yuki Fushiwara," the head elder spoke, his voice booming and echoing in the vast room. "You stand before the Elder Council today because you have activated a most dangerous artifact—a relic that no mortal should be able to interact with, let alone possess."

Yuki felt a knot tighten in his stomach. "Wait, I didn't do anything! I was just wandering around the forest and found it! It kind of... found me, actually."

The elder's piercing gaze never left him. "The artifact you carry is known as the Divine Circuit of Fortune. A relic said to be from the ancient age, one that links the mortal realm with the gods themselves. The power within it can either elevate a cultivator to the highest realm or bring destruction beyond measure."

Yuki's jaw dropped. "Wait, gods? Ancient age? What are you talking about? I just thought it was some cool thing I found!"

The elder's eyes narrowed. "You may be a fool, but you have been chosen by the artifact. But understand this: such power does not come without consequences. You are now marked—by both the gods and the forces who seek to use you. You will have enemies on all sides."

Yuki scratched his head, still trying to piece together what was happening. "So... I'm like a walking disaster, huh?"

One of the elders beside the head elder scoffed. "A divine fool, indeed. We are not sure whether you're a threat or a blessing, but your presence in this world has already begun to ripple through the fabric of fate itself."

Buzzzy, hovering nervously above Yuki's head, added, "Not to mention the fact that everyone will want a piece of you now. Including the gods."

The head elder finally spoke again. "We have no choice but to keep an eye on you. You will be given a task—to test your abilities, to see if you can truly wield the power of the artifact without bringing ruin to yourself and those around you."

Yuki gulped. "Test? You mean like a trial or something? What if I fail?"

The elder's expression remained unreadable. "You will either succeed and rise above your fate... or fail and be consumed by it."

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The First Test

Yuki was soon led into a large training arena, the ground beneath his feet humming with energy. The air was thick with spiritual pressure. This would be his first test, to see whether he could actually use the artifact's power.

Standing in the center of the arena, Yuki was handed a simple wooden staff. "Channel your energy," the head elder instructed. "Let the artifact guide you."

Yuki held the staff and closed his eyes, focusing on the faint buzzing sensation coming from within his chest. A brief flash of golden light pulsed through him, and suddenly, he felt a strange force radiating from his body. The staff in his hands glowed with a faint golden aura.

"Now, concentrate," the elder said.

But as Yuki focused, a sudden attack came from a nearby practitioner—a young cultivator, dressed in light armor. They raised their hand, summoning a bolt of energy that shot toward Yuki.

In that instant, the artifact reacted. The bolt of energy stopped mid-air, suspended as if time had frozen. Yuki watched in awe as the energy fizzled out of existence, absorbed by the golden aura surrounding him.

"Did I just do that?" Yuki whispered in disbelief.

Buzzzy hovered above him, clearly impressed. "It wasn't you, Yuki. It was the artifact. You're untouchable as long as it's with you."

The head elder watched with a calculating look. "Interesting... You may not understand it yet, but the artifact is using you, not the other way around."

Yuki was speechless. He had no idea what was going on, but one thing was clear—his life had just taken a strange turn, and now, whether he liked it or not, the gods themselves would be watching him closely.

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Cliffhanger:

Just as Yuki thought things couldn't get weirder, a large shadow appeared on the horizon, casting an ominous presence over the arena. A chill ran down his spine as he felt something powerful approaching.

"Is that...?" Yuki stammered. "Who's that?"

The elder's expression darkened. "Prepare yourself, fool. You may be untouchable... but they are not."