MTLNOVEL Chapter 50: Testing Fate
Testing Fate
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1. The Descent into Darkness (Tom's POV – Entering the Black Site)
The wasteland above the Council's hidden black site was a graveyard of forgotten battles—cracked earth, skeletal remains of fallen ships, and a sky that held no light.
The entrance wasn't marked.
But it was there—buried beneath layers of rock and illusion.
Tom knelt beside the hidden access point, feeling the faint distortion in the air. A Council-grade cloaking field—meant to keep the prison invisible to all but those who knew where to look.
Orion ran a scanner over the entry point, his face grim. "Security's heavy. Motion sensors, auto-lock failsafes… It's designed to keep people in, not just keep others out."
Stacy exhaled sharply. "We're going in blind, aren't we?"
"Not exactly," Nyla said, her eyes scanning the horizon. "We have one advantage."
She turned to Tom.
"You."
Tom's fingers twitched.
She wasn't wrong.
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2. The First Roll of the Dice (Tom's POV – First Experiment with Luck Manipulation)
Tom felt it again—that strange pull at the edges of his perception, like probability itself was waiting for him to take control.
It had been so long since he wielded it. Since he could guide it, shape it.
Not with reckless gambles.
But with precision.
Let's see how much I've got.
He focused—not on forcing luck, but nudging it.
A simple change. A small shift.
He imagined the security scanner's system lagging for just a fraction of a second. A moment where it might accept a false input without flagging an error.
The red light flickered.
Then—
Green.
Orion's eyes widened. "No way."
Stacy blinked. "You didn't even touch it."
Tom smirked. "I guess I'm just lucky."
But inside, his mind was racing.
That wasn't just chance.
That was him.
It wasn't much. But it was a start.
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3. Shadows in the Tunnels (Group POV – Advancing Deeper, More Security Measures)
They moved through the tight corridors of the black site, where the air was stale and thick with the scent of metal, oil, and old blood.
The prison was deeper underground than expected. Each step downward felt like descending into something meant to be forgotten.
Every hallway was lined with motion sensors, turret recesses, and scanning nodes.
But Tom's subtle nudges helped them avoid detection:
A turret malfunctioned just as Orion disabled it.
A security patrol took a different route, missing them by inches.
A locked hatch just so happened to be left slightly ajar.
Tom kept his expression neutral, but Nyla was watching him.
Too closely.
He knew that look.
It was suspicion. Calculation.
She wasn't sure if she trusted what she was seeing.
And Tom?
He wasn't sure if he did either.
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4. Imma's Faint Whisper (Tom's POV – Another Fragmented System Message)
As they moved deeper into the tunnels, Tom felt another pulse in his mind.
Not painful this time. More like a vibration, a distant echo.
Then—
[…Sys—… Attempting recon—…]
Tom stiffened. The voice was faint, but he recognized it.
Imma.
[—onnect… User…]
His breath hitched.
She was still there. Somewhere.
Then another pulse—not a message, but a feeling.
For a split second, Tom felt something shift.
Like the world around him had taken a deep breath, waiting for him to decide how the dice would fall.
And when he exhaled?
A security drone, just meters ahead, shut down on its own.
Stacy froze. "What the hell?"
Orion checked his scanner. "It's… offline?" He frowned. "But the system says it was never active in the first place."
Nyla turned sharply to Tom.
Tom shrugged. "Guess it wasn't our problem after all."
But Nyla wasn't buying it.
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5. Navigating the Unknown (Group POV – Using Probability Subtly to Advance, Tom's Growing Confidence)
Each obstacle required stealth, timing, and a little bit of luck.
Tom kept testing his control:
A retinal scanner glitched for just long enough for Orion to override it.
An access hatch opened on a delayed cycle, keeping guards from spotting them.
A reinforced door took longer to lock, giving them an opening to slip through.
Each time, Tom nudged probability.
Each time, it listened.
The more he used it, the easier it felt.
Like stretching a muscle that hadn't been used in too long.
Like waking up.
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6. The Final Test Before the Storm (Tom's POV – A Riskier Move, More Power Returning)
They reached a security gate blocking their way forward.
A biometric scanner. No way past without an authorized signature.
Orion sighed. "Unless one of you stole a Council officer's eyeball, we're stuck."
Tom stepped forward.
Time to see how far this luck thing could go.
He reached toward the panel.
Didn't touch it. Didn't hack it.
Just—
Let it happen.
The scanner flashed red.
Then, abruptly—green.
The door hissed open.
Orion stared at him. "That's not normal."
Stacy swallowed. "Tom… how much of your power is back?"
Tom clenched his fists.
Not enough.
But soon.
And when it did?
The game was going to change.
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