The system's voice droned in Ethan's head like a futuristic advertisement.
"This tank is produced by the Future Technology Company. It has eight tracks and immense horsepower. It is amphibious, all-terrain. It can climb mountains, cross rivers, even roll straight up staircases. It is armed with long-range tracking missiles, plasma laser cannons, and magnetic detonation bombs…"
Ethan's jaw nearly unhinged. His mind was drowning in those words—missiles, plasma cannons, magnetic bombs. A superweapon straight out of a video game.
For one horrifying second, he imagined the system just… dropping it on him. A multi-ton war machine crashing into the mudflat, burying him waist-deep in sludge while he suffocated under the stink.
But nothing like that happened.
Instead, the voice continued calmly:
*"Due to the size of this treasure and unstable factors in the recovery process, the system recommends the following plans:
Exchange this treasure for points. Level 8 treasure equals 8 points.
Compress this treasure into a card and store it in your inventory. It can be summoned at any time in the future."*
Ethan let out a shaky laugh. Trading away a tank for a measly eight points? That was criminal. Sure, he couldn't drive one now, but who in their right mind would throw away something this awesome?
"The second option," Ethan muttered quickly.
The system's response hit like a sucker punch.
"Confirming. Due to the volume of this treasure, compressing into a card requires 20 points. Each use will also consume 2 points. Proceed?"
Ethan froze."What? You couldn't mention that earlier?!"
He glanced at his balance. Only 45 points left. His chest tightened like he'd swallowed a rock. Losing 20 in one blow stung—bad.
But giving up a tank? Unthinkable.
"Do it," he growled through clenched teeth.
"Compressing treasure… please wait."
Light flared in his vision. His points dropped to 25, and the confirmation followed.
"Compression complete. You have obtained the All-Terrain Tank Card. This has been stored in your inventory. Note: each activation consumes 2 points. Please begin a new round of treasure hunting promptly to earn additional rewards. Thank you for using the Treasure Master System."
The system fell silent.
Ethan blew out a long breath. His hands were still shaking. A tank—his tank—tucked safely inside his inventory like some digital trump card.
When he glanced at the radar again, his eyes widened. The screen inside his mind had changed.
Signals multiplied, filling the map with even more glowing points. Not just more in number—the brightness had spiked too. Higher-level treasures.
And the interface itself looked different. Cleaner, sharper. All four function bars at the bottom were finally active, each one flashing with a guiding arrow.
Ethan rubbed a muddy sleeve across his face. The temptation to dive in right now and explore every new function burned hot—but he was still standing knee-deep in stinking river muck, caked in slime from head to toe.
Not exactly the place for careful system study.
So he packed up, pulled his bike from storage, and rode off.
By the time he reached the café, dawn had broken. Pale light stretched across the sky. His four rented batteries were almost drained, but Ethan felt the opposite of exhausted. His veins thrummed with raw adrenaline, every nerve buzzing like he'd just chugged ten energy drinks.
This night had changed everything.
Back inside, he tossed his filthy clothes into a pile, scrubbed himself down in the backyard shack, and slipped into something clean. His little cubby behind the café counter—a wooden partition and a narrow bed—wasn't much, but right now it felt like a king's chamber.
He didn't even bother counting the treasures. Instead, he lay back, closed his eyes, and focused on the glowing interface in his mind.
First stop: the "Description" tab. The arrow blinked insistently over a submenu—"Points Description."
Ethan tapped it.
Text scrolled across his vision:
Points usage: Can redeem items in the store.
How to earn points: Three methods.
The breakdown made him sit up straighter.
First: Each detected treasure gave points. Level 1 = 1 point. Level 2 = 2 points. And so on. Simple enough.
Second: Completing missions granted points equal to the number of treasures collected. If the task bar read 0/20 and he finished it, that meant 20 points.
Third: Treasures themselves could be exchanged for points. Detected treasures, system rewards—anything the radar recognized. Financial cash and biological items didn't count.
On top of that, bonus points came with every completed mission depending on difficulty.
Ethan nodded slowly."So that's the game. Hunt, hoard, and stack points. The tank card nearly cleaned me out. Gotta build the stash back up before the next big thing drops on me."
His thoughts flickered darkly to the warning he'd gotten before—Game Over meant death. No points? No way to keep playing. He needed a cushion. At least two hundred, bare minimum.
He backed out of the description tab and went straight to the "Store." This was the one he'd been waiting for.
The interface unfolded with two options: Card Counter and My Cards.
In "My Cards," the screen displayed neatly—five Translation Cards, plus one brand-new All-Terrain Tank Card glowing faintly.
His heart skipped at the sight of it. Real, tangible power, one click away.
Then he opened the Card Counter.
Another text box appeared first:
"Card-type treasures are designed as welfare tools for hunters. Four types exist: system cards, function cards, suppression cards, and transformation cards. Each has unique effects to aid in treasure hunting. Cards may be acquired through point redemption, exploration of other worlds, or as task rewards. Note: usage time is limited; extensions require points. Some cards have cooldowns."
When the text faded, the shelves loaded—and Ethan's eyes nearly popped.
Cards stacked row after row, glowing in a rainbow of effects.
A Driving Card that let you pilot any vehicle like a pro.An Invisibility Card to vanish from sight.A X-Ray Card to see through walls.A Power Card to grant endless strength.
His pulse hammered faster. He scrolled further.
The next page held even crazier ones:Transformation Cards. Flight Cards. Invincibility Cards. Resurrection Cards.
Ethan stared, slack-jawed. His whole body tingled as if the air itself had turned electric.
"This… this is insane," he whispered.
With these cards in his hand, who would be able to stop him?
(End of Chapter 7)