Treasure-hunting: Into the Unknown

On a hill behind the Welkin Sect's base, there was an empty place surrounded by dense green woods. A young man dressed in white was standing there in front of a worn out wooden post. He got soaked completely by the rain, and his white clothes clung to his body, revealing his lean frame. He was clenching his fists so tightly that it seemed his nails would rip open the skin of his palms and gouge his flesh out.

"Am I a veritable loser now? I was a genius. But everything has changed ever since I was injured three years ago. Now I cannot even cultivate the most basic martial energy. I detest myself! God, discharge your thunderbolts and kill me now if you dare! Otherwise, I will wreak vengeance on you in every possible way!" the young man shouted with all his might, in order to ensure all his complaints reached God's ears.

Rumble!

All of a sudden, a thunderous sound that mimicked the roar of a giant, echoed from the hilltop to the valley below. From the sky eclipsed by dense dark clouds, a quick flash of lightning descended. Then, that lightning flash enveloped the young man.

What befell him was probably the divine retribution for his outrageous behavior against the Almighty!

However, a blurry and shining, ghostly apparition slid into the young man's body the moment that lightning flash had completely covered it.

Then, that lightning flash disappeared. Immediately after that, a mysterious object, the size of an average man's palm, flashing colorful beams of iridescent light, started falling slowly from up above. Its shape resembled that of a compass.

At that moment, the young man slowly opened his eyes. All the former traces of resentment and despair in his eyes seemed to have given place to shrewdness and wisdom. It was like he had been reborn.

Just as the mysterious object fell, the young man caught it in his outspread hand, looked at it, and surveyed his surroundings carefully. Then he exclaimed, "What is this place?" He said that in a modern tone which was quite peculiar to the world where he was situated. "Have I traveled through space and time?

I simply wanted to try using the Treasure-hunting System for fun. I did not expect to travel through space and time. Is this some sort of a bonus? Hey! I still remember my full name is Zachary Zi. But is this my body? Well, I guess only my soul has traveled to this world, and now it has taken possession of this body." Zachary Zi analyzed the situation, swinging his legs, folding and unfolding his hands to feel his body.

It was a great surprise that the body of the then resentful young man was now possessed by a soul from another world. Now that his disgruntled soul had gone for good, perhaps it was good luck to him because he was not miserable any longer.

Then, Zachary Zi started merging the old soul's memories with his own. The old soul was a young master of the Zi Clan, an influential clan with several thousand disciples. His father was the respected head of the clan. Besides, the old soul was a born genius with an great aptitude for martial arts, which he had inherited from his father. He had lived a life of comfort and luxury. He could easily get what he wanted and enjoy everyone's respect.

Nevertheless, a tragedy had struck three years ago. One day, a group of mysterious men with great power suddenly sneaked into the Zi Clan's house and killed many disciples. The old soul's parents were also killed when they fought against the intruders. Before death, his father ordered him and his betrothed to escape from the house through the secret tunnel. Although the couple found their way to it, the intruders still overtook them. When they were about to catch him, his fiancee saved him but she nearly perished.

To keep his fiancee out of danger, he began running towards another direction alone to divert them away. However, after a considerable chase, they did catch him and beat him so hard that he nearly died.

Fortunately, Lewis Xuan, his father's sworn brother and the Welkin Sect's leader, came to rescue him just when it seemed that all was lost. After that, he went back to look for his fiancee under Lewis Xuan's protection. Unfortunately, he could not find any traces of her.

Later, Lewis Xuan informed him that the mysterious gang had killed all the members of the Zi Clan, except him. Since he had become homeless, he followed Lewis Xuan and went to the Welkin Sect's base. To avenge his clan, he decided to stay there and cultivate to be a powerful warrior. Also, he wanted to ascertain who the murderers were and find his missing fiancee.

However, he could not have anticipated that his injuries would rob him of his original genius abilities and debilitate him. Even three years later, he still could not gain an entry into the Welkin Sect as its official disciple, let alone take revenge on his parents' murders!

"This guy's name, like mine, is also Zachary Zi. Even the spellings are the same. This is probably not a coincidence, is it? Maybe I've come here for a reason. Perhaps I am meant to come here to fulfill his wish! But, I am not Aladdin's genie or something..." Zachary Zi was lost in his thoughts, rubbing his chin slowly.

All of a sudden, a tall figure dashed through the heavy rain. In the blink of an eye, it appeared behind the Zachary Zi, and was bone dry! Its awesome aura permeated the entire surroundings. Clearly, that was a great man.

Feeling a powerful presence behind him, Zachary Zi turned around immediately. He was first perplexed, but then he exclaimed, "Oh, Master Lewis, you're here. What's up?"

With sharp eyebrows, the person, who was now standing in front of Zachary Zi, had an imposing appearance. He looked much younger than his fifty years. He was Lewis Xuan, the Welkin Sect's leader.

"Tomorrow is your parents' death anniversary. Don't forget to pay your respects to them and clean their graves. You have been in the Welkin Sect for three years now. How time flies!" Lewis Xuan said firmly, his eyes sparkling. Immediately, his eyes reflected regret and perhaps disappointment as well.

"Sure!" Zachary Zi lightly responded to Lewis Xuan's reminder. To hide his true identity, he tried to act like the old soul based on his memories.

"The annual selection test will be held in a month. If you still cannot become an official disciple, according to the rules, you are not allowed to stay here anymore. Then you must leave the Welkin Sect. I advise you to find a job and work hard! You don't have to persist in becoming an official disciple, as there are some things that you cannot change..."

Lewis Xuan said, his face gloomy. Then he turned around and disappeared in the curtain of rain.

"Did you say that there were some things that I could not change? Well then, I will change them and prove myself to you!" Zachary Zi laughed aloud confident, looking at the direction where Lewis Xuan had gone.

After Lewis Xuan's departure, Zachary Zi continued to merge the original soul's memories with his. He learned that this world was called the Olden World. As for the Welkin Sect, it was a sect of warriors, and was based in the Enigmatic Kingdom in the southwestern Supernal Continent.

The Supernal Continent was the Olden World's most ordinary continent, for it comprised of many other, more mysterious, more legendary and more archaic continents, which probably already existed in the Olden World's ancient times.

Most human residents of the Supernal Continent did not dare to explore those continents, because those places were filled with mysterious and were extremely dangerous for them. Only warriors dared to venture there. Their physical limits far exceeded those of ordinary people, as they were exceptionally powerful.

Anyone from the Supernal Continent who aspired to acquire invincible powers by practicing martial arts was called a "warrior." Ordinary people held the warriors in high esteem and respected them.

Once Zachary had got his bearings and understood what the Olden World and the Supernal Continent were, he immediately looked at the compass he was holding, and mumbled to himself, "This Treasure-hunting Compass is more miraculous that I thought it was. It could take my soul to another time and space..."

The biggest technology company in the world had invented the Treasure-hunting Compass that Zachary had in his hand.

The most powerful function of the Treasure-hunting Compass was creating a second world in which adventurers could search for treasures.

Plus, its assisting system could also release quests on its own. Whoever successfully completed them would be awarded substantially. Those who were lucky could become millionaires in a matter of days. As a result, countless adventurers loved, and even worshiped the assisting system.

Since the Treasure-hunting Compass could not only create a second world, but also connect the real world with it, any item or creature could travel between those two worlds, seamlessly. Undeniably, that was a miracle!

Furthermore, the company gathered a hundred volunteers and planned to observe them while they regularly handled the Treasure-hunting Compass. That way, they would be able to fix bugs, if there were any, and ensure that it would not cause any health issues to the people using them. Zachary was one such volunteer.

To his surprise, the Treasure-hunting Compass had brought him to an entirely new world-one that was totally different from his.

At that moment, Zachary's eyes were glued to the crescent-shaped "Start" button. Moments ago, he had pressed that button, and its activated system had teleported him to the unknown world he found himself in at that moment. Therefore, he thought that if he were to press it again, he might be teleported back to the world he belonged to. Of course, there were also chances that he might find himself somewhere else.

Anyhow, Zachary pressed the button once again, hoping to get back to his familiar surroundings. No sooner had he done it than a faint blue light flashed from the device and enveloped his entire body. The next moment, before he could blink an eye, his body transformed into a tiny blue dot and vanished.

When Zachary opened his eyes again, he found that he was in a mysterious, actually, a three-dimensional virtual space. He immediately held his right hand over his eyes to protect them from the brilliant network of different hued lights that were flashing back and forth.

All of a sudden, a soothing, angel-like voice filled the space saying, "Welcome to the Treasure-hunting System. I'm your guide, Mimi."

"So, is this the Treasure-hunting System? I'm inside..." Zachary was surprised. After he had inspected his body, he was sure that it had entered the system. Therefore, it could only imply that the teleportation happened because of system failure.

"Ninety percent of the Treasure-hunting System is severely damaged. However, self-recovery will happen, but it will take a long time. Therefore, as of now, it can only support the most basic functions..." It was just as Zachary had expected! There was something wrong with the Treasure-Hunting System.

"Okay, I get it. Even though it's damaged, why did it teleport me to this space?" Zachary grumbled. In order for him to get back to his original world, he had to get the Treasure-Hunting Compass fixed first. Worried, he asked, "Mimi, how long does it take to fix the system?"

"Since the damage is too severe, I cannot estimate accurately how much time self-recovery will take," Mimi replied.

Just as Zachary was about to ask more questions, the entire sky glistered with a bright yellow light, and Mimi reported in a girlish tone, "The Treasure-hunting System has found a new world-the Olden World... Supernal Continent... Scanning...

Map loading...

Data loading...

Historical records loading...

Loading complete!"

"Now, the Treasure-hunting System can directly load information about the world it has found!" Zachary could not believe what he had just heard.

As he was wondering, Mimi said, "Please enter your name!"

"Zachary Zi," Zachary quickly answered, snapping back to reality.

"Age!"

"I should be about... eighteen years old!"

"Gender!"

"Male."

"Height!"

"Weight!"

"Personality!" "Hobby!"

After fifteen minutes or so, Zachary could not help but complain, "Mimi, are you doing a background check? That's more than enough!"

Suddenly, Mimi was silent. It seemed that Zachary's complaining had caused her to keep quiet. However, now that Mimi had not said anything for some time, Zachary was beginning to get worried.

"Alright, go ahead and ask!" He said so, because he felt that Mimi was angry with him. 'Even a virtual character has her temperament, though I've never heard about that!' Zachary thought to himself.

"Are you a homosexual?" Soon, Mimi asked another annoying question.

Zachary could not help rolling his eyes at her. "What kind of a system is this? Mimi, you're like a big-mouthed gossip!"

Suddenly, a huge screen appeared in front of his eyes, and a figure approximately his size, appeared on the screen. Following that, several beams of red light flashed on his body.

"Body inspection completed!" It was Mimi speaking again.

Meanwhile, some data was displayed on the virtual screen that was near the figure.

The concluding comment at the end read, "You're the weakest of the weakest in the Supernal Continent. You won't be able to even beat an ant there!"

"What kind of an assessment is that?" Zachary blurted out angrily, and cursed the system.

Just as he was getting impatient and annoyed, the entire surroundings were filled with a flashing red light, which seemed to be warning him.

"Congratulations! Even though physically and mentally you're weaker than the weakest of the Supernal Continent, you're blessed with double martial speed, which is rare-only one in a thousand has that!" Mimi exclaimed, excitedly.

"What are you saying? I don't understand any of that," Zachary pouted, getting confused once again.

"The world you're currently in is called the Olden World, and you are in the Supernal Continent. The warrior's career is the most popular in this world. There are eight levels associated with it, which are: the Mortal Level, the Earth Level, the Heaven Level, the King Level, the Imperial Level, the Sage Level, the Holy Level, and the Divine Level. Also, before becoming a warrior, one has to go through the Foundation Establishment, so in total, there are nine stages. However, in order to become a warrior, one has to at least own the original martial speed."

"Okay, I understand." Soon, remembering something, Zachary said, "Wait a second! I thought this body, which my soul is currently in, cannot cultivate at all because of a major past injury. Then how come, all of a sudden, it has the talent of double martial speed?" From the original soul's memory, Zachary knew that he had been gravely injured. Therefore, in that state he could not reach the original martial speed.

"It is true, the Zachary Zi of the Supernal Continent had lost his double martial speed because he had got hurt owing to the torture he suffered, but that doesn't mean that he can't recover!" Mimi answered.

"Mimi, are you saying that there's a remedy?" Zachary raised his eyebrows, and wondered if the body's owner would take it from him, if he got to know that he could recover his martial speed.

"You are going to get a Refreshing Pill, if you activate the second world. That will help you rebuild your body," Mimi replied.

"Then why am I waiting? Help me activate it now!" Zachary was quick to answer.

"Loading... The second world is activating soon! Gentle reminder: You might feel unwell when you enter the second world. Please don't worry about that. That happens..." Though Mimi sounded serious, there was a playfulness in her tone, as if she was half-joking.

After his conversation with Mimi, suddenly, Zachary felt that his surroundings had changed rapidly, and everything around him was blurred. Soon after that, he felt that a mystical force was lifting him, and he was rising towards the sky. The next second, he felt that he was falling into an abyss. After that, Zachary blacked out.

Near a pond of clear water, a man could be seen. His forehead was resting on the uneven rock's surface, while his hips were raised high and not touching it at all. To passersby, who might stop to look at it, or glance from a distance, he presented the sight of a lover in the act of love-making. Contrary to what it seemed, after some time, his entire body started shaking, though it began with his hips moving first.

Bang!

The body collapsed and lay prone on the ground.

"Ahem!" When Zachary regained consciousness, he realized his mouth was filled with mud. When he opened his eyes, he found that he was no longer in the previous three-dimensional virtual space. On looking around, he could see that he was under peach trees. Their fragrance permeated the air. Their lush canopies covered the undergrowth, while birds of paradise chirped and darted from tree to tree, leaving a blaze of color behind them. Zachary's first thought was, 'Am I in heaven?'

"This is..." Zachary was surprised at what he saw. Everything seemed so real, but he knew that he was not in the real word.

Once again, he heard Mimi saying, "This is the second world that the Treasure-hunting System has created to assist adventurers hunt for treasures. You are in the Peach Blossom Forest. This is where beginners hunt for treasures. As your expertise increases and you gain experience as a warrior, other scenes will reveal themselves. Remember that each scenario's map has its function, and it will aid you to advance in your treasure-hunting quest. Listen carefully, for what I am going to tell you now is crucial. The amount of time you spend in this world will translate to the real world on a one-to-one ratio. That means, if you cultivate here for a day, one day will pass in the real world as well. And the effect will be the same!

Plus, in the second world, the system is going to beset you with a wide range of treasure-hunting quests. Once you finish them, you will be rewarded with treasures, and those will directly translate to riches in the Supernal Continent. The rewards you receive will be in the forms of pills, cultivation methods, armor, weapons, and other treasures. The tasks you complete and the riches you gain in the second world will give you an edge in your treasure-hunting adventures. Moreover, the treasures you get in the second world can be used in the real world. Similarly, you can also use those you gain in the real world in the second world..." Mimi continued to explain.

While listening intently, Zachary thought to himself, 'If this Treasure-hunting System can create a second world that is so similar to the real world, then it is indeed very powerful.'

"Moreover, this Treasure-hunting System also has the beauty collection mode through which you can meet many beautiful women of all types. And it has been developed with the sole purpose of preventing the treasure hunters from feeling lonely. As you complete your quests, you will meet women of different kinds: innocent, aloof, domineering, etc. Even legendary and fictional female characters from novels and fictions. Once you complete some specific quests, you will have the opportunity to train them to become the types of people you want them to be. Moreover, you may even be able to take them back to the real world!" Mimi exclaimed excitedly.

"Wow, this Treasure-hunting System is truly amazing. It even has the beauty collection mode!" Being a man, Zachary could not help getting excited. 'If I can take home the beauties that only exist in books and imagination, I will surely be the happiest man in the world!' he exclaimed inwardly.

"I'm going to be Casanova! I can't wait to have fun with the girls!" Zachary said.

"Here's a reminder for you. Since the second world is equivalent to the real world, your death in this world, will also be translated to the real world," Mimi added.

Goose pimples instantly surfaced on Zachary's skin.

"Since you're not a warrior yet, only the newbie quests are available to you. For each newbie quest you complete successfully, you will receive a treasure that is given to beginners. If you can complete all the newbie quests and become a warrior at the first grade of Mortal Level, you will earn a special award!" After a pause, Mimi continued, "Once you have completed your first quest, you will get a Refreshing Pill, which will help you recover your double martial speed."

"Will the quests that are assigned to beginners be dangerous?" Zachary asked, cautiously.

"There is nothing to worry about. There is no danger associated with the newbie quests," Mimi reassured Zachary, as she had understood his initial fear.

Since Mimi was so positive, Zachary thought that it should be okay to begin his treasure-hunting adventure. Nodding his head, he said, "What's the delay? Let's begin!"

"Newbie quest mode on! The first quest..." As Mimi was announcing for the quest to begin, a huge ten-foot high teak door suddenly appeared in front of Zachary.

Pushing it open, he walked into the hallway. Just as he had crossed the threshold, an intense white light radiated from inside, and engulfed him completely.