3: Chapter 3 Blood Awakening Treasure Hunt System

A crimson bead of blood seeped from the wound, trembling as it gathered into a drop, finally landing with a soft 'plop,' precisely on the rough surface of the black stone.

Instantly, a bizarre scene unfolded.

That drop of blood didn't flow along the stone's grain. Instead, the moment it made contact, it was greedily absorbed by the stone as if a drop of water had fallen into a parched sponge, vanishing without a trace.

Immediately, the stone began to grow hot.

At first, it was just a faint warmth, like a cup of freshly poured warm water. Before Hu Tian could even process it,

in the blink of an eye, that warmth escalated into a searing heat, as if he were holding not a stone, but a branding iron fresh from the furnace.

"What's going on?!"

Hu Tian exclaimed, his pupils constricting sharply.

Instinctively, he wanted to fling this hot potato away, but it was already too late.

The stone's surface suddenly erupted with a blinding dark light. This glow wasn't ordinary brightness, but a strange, profound purple radiance, seemingly capable of devouring all surrounding light.

In the next second, the hard stone actually began to melt.

It transformed into a viscous black liquid, as if possessing a life of its own, and forcefully burrowed into Hu Tian's body through the still-bleeding wound on his finger.

"Ah!"

In a panic, Hu Tian tried to shake his hand free, even considering using a knife to cut away the affected skin.

But the black liquid was incredibly fast. In the blink of an eye, it had completely merged into his palm, disappearing without a trace as if it had never existed.

Immediately after, an indescribable, intense pain erupted from his palm.

The pain, like a volcanic eruption, rapidly spread through his entire arm, then to his shoulder and chest, before finally shooting like lightning straight to his brain.

The agony was beyond words. It felt as though countless red-hot steel needles were churning violently in his mind, or as if some foreign entity was forcibly squeezing into the depths of his consciousness, brutally tearing at his nerves.

Hu Tian clutched his head in pain, his whole body curled up on the rickety single bed, convulsing uncontrollably.

Beads of sweat the size of soybeans instantly broke out on his forehead, sliding down his cheeks and soaking the bedsheet beneath him.

He opened his mouth wide, trying to call for help, but his throat felt as if an invisible hand were tightly choking it. No sound came out, only a hoarse, guttural rasp.

Time stretched into an agonizing eternity in that moment, each second feeling like a century.

He didn't know how long it lasted—perhaps a few minutes, perhaps a painfully long ten or more minutes.

Finally, the excruciating pain that had nearly torn him apart began to gradually subside until it faded completely.

Hu Tian gasped for breath, his chest heaving violently. He was drenched in cold sweat from head to toe, as if he had just been pulled from water, so weak he couldn't even muster the strength to lift a finger.

Just as he thought it was finally over and was about to slip into unconsciousness, a cold, emotionless mechanical voice suddenly echoed in his mind.

"Beep, host binding successful."

"Treasure Hunting Radar System initializing..."

"System initialization complete."

"Welcome to the Treasure Hunting Radar System."

Hu Tian was momentarily stunned. He stared blankly at the ceiling, wondering if the extreme fatigue and blood loss had caused auditory hallucinations, or if his brain had fried.

Just as he was doubting himself, the mechanical voice sounded again in his mind.

This time, the voice was clear and real, each word seemingly etched into the grooves of his brain: "The Treasure Hunting Radar System has fully integrated with the host. The host can interact with this system through will."

"Treasure Hunting Radar function activated. The host can use this system to scan the surrounding environment and locate treasure positions."

"The system's built-in storage space has been activated. Initial space capacity is one cubic meter. Capacity can expand as the host's level increases."

"Current host level: Lv.0."

Hu Tian sat dumbfounded on the bed, these unbelievable terms echoing incessantly in his mind.

Treasure Hunting Radar System?

System Space?

What is going on?

A cheat ability?

Twenty-four years single since birth, enduring workplace beatdowns, now unemployed and destitute... and a system just falls from the sky?

Mechanically, he lowered his head to look at his hand.

The deep, bone-revealing wound on his index finger had completely healed. The skin was smooth and flawless, not even a scar remained, as if the earlier agony had been just a dream.

And the black stone that had triggered it all had vanished completely from his hand.

Hu Tian took a deep breath of the stale indoor air, forcing himself to calm down.

Since this so-called 'Treasure Hunting Radar System' was already bound to him, he might as well study it properly—whether it was a lifeline or another absurd nightmare.

"System, can you hear me?"

Hu Tian tentatively whispered, his voice hoarse.

"Yes. The host can communicate with this system through will, no need to vocalize."

The icy mechanical voice responded immediately in his mind.

A thought stirred in Hu Tian. He continued inquiring in his consciousness, "That... how do I use the Treasure Hunting Radar?"

"The host only needs to activate the radar function through will to scan the status of items in the surrounding environment. The current radar scan range is a radius of 10 meters. Within this range, the system will mark and identify treasure auras of ordinary grade or above. The host can access basic item information by consciously touching the displayed aura."

10 meters?

Hu Tian frowned. This range seemed far too small. In this crowded urban village, 10 meters probably meant he could scan his neighbor's toilet.

But since this was the system's initial state, he figured the radar scan range would likely expand as his level increased.

"Activate radar function."

Hu Tian silently commanded in his mind.

In the next second, his vision underwent a strange transformation.

The originally dim and cramped room looked completely different in his eyes.

Every object was outlined with a faint halo of light, though most of these halos were a lifeless gray.

The single bed made of pieced-together planks, the peeling, worn-out desk, the chair missing a leg propped up by a brick, the wardrobe with a door that wouldn't close, the desk lamp with its dim, yellowish light...

Everything was enveloped in a gray aura, exuding an air of poverty.

Hu Tian's gaze fell on the thermos on the bedside table. With a thought, he consciously touched that gray aura.

Instantly, a line of clear text appeared in his mind: [Item: Thermos] [Quality: Trash] [Estimated Value: 0 yuan] [Note: Street stall goods. Inner liner damaged. Insulation function basically lost. Recommend replacement ASAP to avoid potential health impact on host.]

Hu Tian's mouth twitched, revealing a bitter smile.

Wow, this system was brutally honest enough to make a man cry.

He remembered buying this thermos for 15 yuan at a night market last month. The vendor had sworn it was 304 stainless steel and would last ten years.

Yet, after just one month, the system rated it as "trash," not even worth 0 yuan.

Hu Tian shifted his gaze to the desk lamp on the table, the wall clock, the old clothes in the wardrobe...

Scanning them one by one.

Without exception, the results were all gray auras, accompanied by heart-piercing evaluations.

[Desk Lamp: Trash. Third-rate brand. Bulb nearing end of life. Recommend replacement.]

[Wall Clock: Trash. Battery leakage. Movement damaged. Keeps inaccurate time.]

[T-shirt: Trash. Street stall goods. Deformed from washing. Recommend use as a rag.]

Looking at these merciless evaluations, Hu Tian's mouth kept twitching, a mix of emotions churning in his heart.

This system was blatantly ripping off his scars, ruthlessly telling him: in this less-than-20-square-meter rented room, there was nothing but trash, more trash.

Yet, despite the poverty, this little room was meticulously kept in order.

The bedding on the bed was folded into a neat, block-like shape. Though the desk was worn, books and documents were arranged with meticulous care. Even the floor was mopped clean, without a speck of dust.

This subtly portrayed Hu Tian's inner resilience and principles, even in adversity.

He refused to let his life completely fall apart. Even if he were to end up on the streets tomorrow, he would live with dignity today.

This very tidiness further highlighted his current helplessness and exhaustion after losing his job.

He sighed, his eyes sweeping over the entire room again.

Suddenly, he noticed his charging phone. The aura around it seemed slightly different from the others.

Looking closely, he saw the aura was a faint white. If not paying special attention, it was easy to mistake it for the surrounding gray.

A thought stirred in Hu Tian. He consciously touched that pale white aura.

[Item: Smartphone] [Quality: Ordinary] [Estimated Value: 800 yuan (depreciated price)] [Note: Domestic brand, mid-range model from three years ago. Although configuration is outdated, operation is stable. Well-maintained. Still holds some value in the second-hand market.]

Hu Tian's eyes lit up.

Ordinary quality!

Even though this was just a domestic phone he bought for over 2000 yuan three years ago, long obsolete in the market, the system actually rated it as "ordinary quality" and valued it at 800 yuan.

So, in this entire room, only this old phone counted as a decent "thing"?

As Hu Tian pondered the system's evaluation criteria, a series of urgent notification sounds suddenly rang in his mind.

"Beep—Newbie Mission issued."

"Mission Content: Find 1 item of ordinary grade treasure, with a value of 2000 yuan or above."

"Mission Reward: 10 Energy Points, unlock basic treasure appraisal function."

"Mission Time Limit: None."

"Hint: This is a newbie guidance mission. Upon completion, more system functions will be unlocked. Please complete it as soon as possible."

Hu Tian was stunned for a moment, then let out a bitter laugh, a trace of bitterness in his smile.

Ordinary grade treasure?

And worth over 2000 yuan?

He looked around. In this less-than-20-square-meter rented room, aside from the old phone barely qualifying as ordinary quality but falling short in value, everything else was "trash."

Where was he supposed to find ordinary grade treasure?

Was he supposed to hand over his phone to the system?

No, the system said "find." It probably didn't refer to existing items, but required him to actively search.

Frowning in thought, Hu Tian's gaze inadvertently drifted to the window.

The night was deep. Outside the window lay the intricate alleys of the urban village and the dazzling neon lights of the distant city.

Since the radar range was 10 meters, that range shouldn't be limited to just inside the room. It should also be able to scan other areas outside.

Perhaps the opportunity was out there?