boyutpedia Chapter 1 I am a Treasure Hunting Aura Master
Chapter 1 I am a Treasure Hunting Aura Master
Jiangzhou City Third Street Police Station.
"Officer, I need to contact the Star Gate Management Bureau to report a major case."
Officer Li, who was on duty, put down his pen and looked up at the young man across the table.
He was eighteen or nineteen years old, wearing a faded old coat, with messy hair, but his expression was surprisingly steady.
"Young man, do you know how high the level of the Star Gate Administration is? Even the Municipal Bureau has to go through three approval procedures to contact them. You're just a student who has just come of age, what major case could you possibly have?" Old Li's tone revealed a professional scrutiny.
Lu Yan placed his hands on the table and leaned forward.
"This concerns the national strategic reserves of secret realms, as well as the White Eagle Empire's resource monopoly plan in C-level secret realms. This is beyond the jurisdiction of the police station."
Old Li frowned. That was too confident a statement; an average high school student wouldn't be able to use such technical jargon. Out of professional caution, he didn't immediately kick him out.
"Okay, please register first. I'll consult with the director." Old Li pulled out a chair, pointed to the interrogation room next door, and said, "Go in and wait."
Lu Yan walked in, pulled out a chair, and sat down.
Why is he sitting here?
In his past life, Lu Yan was a renowned operator of a treasure-hunting studio in the gray market. With forty high-spec PCs and twelve shifts of power levelers working day and night, he dominated the economic systems of all mainstream online games. He studied drop lists, economic models, and inflation curves, turning virtual in-game currency into a constant flow of real-world cash.
The long-term sleep deprivation took a toll on my body. My heart stopped, and the screen in front of me went completely black.
When he woke up, he had become Lu Yan in a parallel world. Yesterday, this body had just turned eighteen.
This world veered off course ten years ago.
Ten years ago, more than three thousand stargate cracks appeared without warning all over the world.
Thirty-one days later, the rift expanded. In the center of each city with a rift, a complex of buildings covering tens of thousands of square meters appeared out of thin air, officially named "Secret Realm Base".
The base has a highly standardized internal structure. The trading hall handles the flow of goods, the secret realm portal provides access, the job change statue is used for personnel awakening, the equipment appraisal table analyzes item attributes, and the NPC merchant counter sells basic supplies.
The era of everyone hunting for treasure has begun.
The rules are simple and straightforward. Once you are 18 years of age or older, touch the job-change statue to obtain a job. Jobs are divided into combat, support, and production classes. After obtaining a job, you can enter the secret realm through a portal.
The secret realm yields gold coins, materials, and equipment. The exchange rate between gold coins and real-world currency is 1:1, uniformly determined by the emerging unit, the Star Gate Administration.
It is worth noting that the transaction prices of materials and equipment are entirely determined by market supply and demand, with high-end items frequently fetching astronomical prices at auction.
The death mechanism within the secret realm is quite unique.
Once a player's health reaches zero, they will be forcibly teleported back to the base's respawn point. The cost is the loss of all equipment they are carrying, plus a one-month ban from entering the dungeon.
Punishment mechanisms have given rise to extreme social phenomena.
Someone took out a loan to buy a full set of expensive gear, hoping to make a big splash in a secret realm. Unfortunately, they were unlucky, encountered powerful monsters, and were sent back to the respawn point. They lost all their gear, were burdened with huge debts, and were left with no way out.
Some people have achieved financial freedom by relying on a basic blueprint or a rare piece from a set, transcending social classes.
Risk and reward go hand in hand; the secret economy is reshaping the global wealth distribution landscape.
The current world order is not peaceful.
The White Eagle Empire quickly established its hegemony by seizing several large, high-level dungeons in its early stages. Through restrictions on the production of advanced equipment and technological blockades, they firmly strangled other countries.
Due to its lack of top-tier combat power, China is constrained in many ways on the international stage. Military-organized expeditions to explore secret realms often suffer heavy casualties in order to bring back only a small amount of high-level resources.
Yesterday morning, in the City Center Secret Realm Base, at the Job Change Hall.
The place was bustling with noise. High school graduates lined up, waiting to touch the greyish-white statue of the job-changing statue.
It was Lu Yan's turn.
He stepped forward and placed his palm on the rough stone surface.
A faint white light shone from the surface of the stone statue, its radiance dim.
Two lines of text appeared on the electronic screen above the lobby.
Name: Lu Yan
【Class: Aura Master (Support)】
Whispers rippled through the group of students at the back of the line.
"An Aura Master? Isn't that just a walking mana-draining machine?"
"Support is useless. Its basic aura range is small, the amplification ratio is low, and its mana cost is high. This class's buffs can't even kill a slime; who would want to take it on a dungeon?"
"When you're in a party, you have to share experience and loot, so bringing an aura master along is just a hindrance."
"What a pity, from now on I can only work as an assistant in the production workshop or carry potions for people in low-level dungeons."
Mocking voices reached my ears.
Lu Yan ignored him.
At the same instant the white light illuminated, another blue virtual panel, visible only to him, popped up on his retina.
[Host's soul trait compatibility detected; hidden class awakening in progress...]
Awakening successful.
[Real Profession: Treasure Hunting Aura Master (Unique Hidden Profession)]
[Core Skill Lv1: 100x Drop Rate. In a party, the drop rate of items from monsters killed by the party is increased by 100x, and items have a 50% chance to be upgraded by two major tiers.]
The text on the panel flashed twice and then disappeared.
He stared into the void, his breath catching for half a second.
Having spent twelve years immersed in the game economy in his previous life, he was all too aware of the destructive power of those words.
Frankly speaking, a 100-fold increase in drop rate when in a party violates the basic principle of numerical balance in online games. In conventional online games, drop rates are controlled by the law of diminishing marginal returns.
But the drop rate is increased by a hundredfold, and the quality is upgraded.
Even more astonishing is the two-tier quality upgrade. Black iron turns into gold, and dark gold becomes a divine artifact.
What others obtain as low-grade junk becomes, under his aura, a rare gold-grade item.
The drop rate of Iron-grade items is enormous, and once upgraded to Gold-grade, the amount of resources generated is enough to arm an army.
In a world where gold coins can be exchanged for real-world currency at a 1:1 ratio, and top-tier equipment is strictly controlled and monopolized by Western empires, this represents a devastating blow to the global economic system.
Every husband is not guilty, and he is guilty of his crime.
A support character with absolutely no ability to protect themselves, yet holding a trump card that could drive the entire world mad. Once exposed, there are only two possible outcomes.
Either try your luck in the front-line secret realm; if you win, you'll be rich; if you die, it's over.
The original owner's parents died in the early front-line secret realm, leaving him with a profound lesson.
Lu Yan withdrew his hand, not responding to the surrounding ridicule.
He lowered his head, feigning disappointment, and quietly left the job change hall with the flow of people.
Back in his rented room, he spent the entire night reviewing the events.
Initially, going solo was an option. But further analysis revealed that the secret realm not only contained monsters, but also infamous players who were known for killing and looting. He was a complete weakling and couldn't bring back any good loot.
Seeking cooperation with conglomerates is even more unrealistic. Capital is profit-driven, and in the face of profit, there is no such thing as a contractual agreement.
The only way out, and also the safest and most profitable way out.
Hand it over to the state.
China is currently constrained in many ways on the international stage, and its military has suffered heavy casualties. What it lacks most is top-tier equipment and resources.
He provided the prestige, and the state provided the highest level of security and top-notch henchmen.
Take what you need.
The door to the interrogation room was pushed open.
Old Li walked in with a middle-aged man wearing a black jacket.
"This is our branch's criminal investigation captain, surnamed Chen," Old Li introduced.
Captain Chen pulled out a chair and sat down, opening his notebook: "You said you have important information about the Star Gate Management Bureau. Young man, filing a false police report carries legal consequences. Now, you can speak."
Lu Yan looked at him and leaned back.
"Captain Chen, I need to see the Zhenguo Dragon Guard."
"What?"
Captain Chen looked at him in disbelief.
"You want to see the Zhenguo Dragon Guard without even saying what the case is? Do you even know what kind of organization they are?"
"The elite of the elite!"