Chương 94: Music and Treasure Hunting

Joe was as mentally prepared for the Treasure Hunt as he could be. A little relaxation before it began felt wiser than trying to force one more level. If he wasn't strong enough now, a single level wouldn't change much. Corel's suggestion to read the rules beforehand had stuck with him, though, so he had taken her advice and was glad he did. Solo Treasure Hunt - The hunt will last for five days. Competitors must gather scattered treasures to gain points, climbing the ranks based on what they collect.

Treasures come in tiers, with rewards increasing as follows: Tier 10: 10 points Tier 9-2: Scaling upward Tier 1: 1, 000 points Alpha Tier: 10, 000 points Omega Tier: 1, 000, 000 points (only one per hunt) All treasures remain in the possession of whoever claims them.

Integration Points Rewards: Top 100: 10, 000 points Top 50: 20, 000 points Top 25: 100, 000 points 5th place: 120, 000 points 4th place: 130, 000 points 3rd place: 150, 000 points 2nd place: 400, 000 points 1st place: 750, 000 points Competitors will receive a mini-map, but only the explored areas will reveal themselves. Treasure mountains will gradually appear as the hunt progresses, beginning with three and culminating with the Omega Mountain, revealed one day before the competition ends. Good Luck.

The rules were straightforward, but the real challenge would be surviving the bounty hunters who would no doubt come sniffing the moment his location was exposed. He laid out a simple plan: first, scout as much of the area as possible, using Nature's Paradise to speed the process. Then, head toward one of the first three treasure mountains, collecting whatever he could along the way. The key was to stay hidden for as long as possible.

The longer he remained unnoticed, the more treasures he could secure before being swarmed. He only hoped the points he had invested in Agility would give him the speed to stay ahead and focus on what mattered most, treasures, not battles. As he reread the rules, music drifted softly from his left. Corel sat a short distance away, the Guzheng resting across her lap as her fingers plucked uncertainly at the strings. __ Corel winced as she missed a note.

She had never played an instrument before; in clan Relashra, music had meant flutes and drums, not something with strings. The Guzheng was utterly foreign to her. The skill scroll the kind human woman, Vera, had given her had etched the proper finger movements into her mind, but translating that into active movements was far harder than any combat skill she had learned. It would take time, perhaps a lot of time, before she could play to a standard she found acceptable.

She focused on the score hovering in her vision and began plucking through a piece titled Birds Among the Clouds. It was the simplest she had, yet even so, her hands ached as she worked her way through it. The melody floated out, soothing, carrying a calm that settled across her shoulders. When she reached the final notes, she let the sound fade and shook her head.

"You almost made me lose concentration," she scolded lightly. Joe was watching her with wide-eyed admiration. He clapped enthusiastically.

"Wow, how did you get so good so fast?" His starlight-filled eyes shimmered through his sunglasses, visible only to her because of their bond. She pulsed annoyance at him, more for amusement than anger, before returning her gaze to the strings. She tried again, fingers working carefully through the same piece until the melody reached its gentle end. With sore fingers, she shook her hands, only for a cup of herbal tea to float over and land softly in her lap, guided by mana. Her lips twitched despite herself.

Frustrated, she tried to fight the smile. Why was it so easy for him to unravel her mood? She lightly slapped her cheek, reminding herself she was Corel Relashra, Seeker; she was not some smitten child at a coming-of-age ceremony. Yet when her eyes drifted back to him, seated in meditation with that ever-present readiness in his posture, like a bowstring held taut, her resolve wavered. He radiated strength and calm. Why couldn't she focus the same way?

With a quiet sigh, she rose, deciding a change of scenery was what she needed. Putting a little distance between them, she walked away to clear her thoughts. __ Joe watched Corel walk away, a faint cloud seeming to linger above her head. He wondered what was on her mind, catching himself as his gaze lingered on the gentle sway of her hips. Stop it! Joseph, he scolded himself. Focus. Get battle-ready. Drawing a deep breath, he closed his eyes and settled back into his pre-competition meditation.

The day of the treasure hunt arrived in a blink, and Joe stood ready.

"Do you really get to keep the treasures? I wonder what they'll be," Shanna mused aloud.

"Maybe a crown covered in jewels? Or a sceptre?" Travis added.

"Hopefully nothing too gaudy. A silver tiara or hairpin would be better," Shanna said eagerly.

"Can you bring us back something?" Joe chuckled.

"If I find a Tiara, you'll be the first to get one, Shanna."

"Yay! Oh my god, what if he finds a pair of slippers…" Joe tuned her out as the excitable girl launched into a long list of items she hoped he'd stumble across. Corel approached, and they touched heads briefly.

"Be careful," was all she said. He gave her his best bow.

"I will." With a crackle of mana, Joe vanished, teleported off-world towards treasure and excitement. At that same moment, three hundred and thirty-nine other participants were transported to the starting area. Some came chasing treasure and points. Most, however, had only one goal. Claim the bounty and secure themselves a fast track into the Multiverse. Joe appeared inside a small chamber surrounded by nine Voldura. Unlike previous competitions, there were no other worlds present here. Only his group.

"Progenitor," a rough voice intoned. Thankfully, their names floated above their heads, sparing him the embarrassment of not remembering them.

"Gar," Joe said respectfully.

"Good to see you again. Are you all ready?" A notification blinked in his vision, warning that they had only ten minutes left to prepare before being sent to the hunting grounds.

"We are ready, Progenitor. Do you have any instructions for us?" Gar asked.

"Nah, just one tip. I'll be travelling alone to avoid bounty hunters as much as possible, so if you see me, pretend you didn't. I don't want to drag you guys into my troubles," Joe replied.

"We will do as you wish. We had planned to keep our distance. We've heard of your strength. We would only be a hindrance to you." Joe nodded. They looked strong enough, but the faint traces of their Auras told him they were far below his level. A couple of shop panels shimmered into view at the edge of the room. While the Voldura crowded around one, Joe browsed through another, skimming the available items.

There were tools to highlight nearby low-tier treasures, assorted trap arrays, stealth scrolls, and at the very top, a one-credit escape token. Crush it in your hand, and you'd be teleported out instantly, forfeiting all points and treasures gained. Joe doubted many would buy it. He remembered the bloodbath of the battle royale; too many had thrown away their lives even against overwhelming odds. He pushed the thought aside, hoping this hunt wouldn't turn into another massacre.

He purchased a handful of the treasure-marking tools, which only worked on treasures below Tier 5, then waited out the last few minutes. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

"Good luck, everyone. Be safe. I hope to see you all at the end," he said with a small bow as the timer hit zero. In the next instant, they were teleported down to the surface. Joe blinked, eyes adjusting to the glare of three suns blazing in the sky. He stood alone inside a shimmering golden barrier, a new timer floating above his head. One minute. The barrier was translucent, and through it he took in the land around him. He was in the middle of a vast clearing, hemmed in by dense forest.

A perfect battlefield for him, he could use his profession's skills here without restraint. Beyond the trees, three impossibly large mountains loomed, one to the north, one south, and one east. Their peaks vanished into heavy clouds, unreachable by sight. The scale of the area was staggering; it would take hours just to reach one mountain's base. But all of that was eclipsed by what shared the clearing with him. Over three hundred golden pillars of light shimmered in the grass around him.

Inside each stood another competitor. One by one, faces turned toward him. Weapons were drawn. Mana flared in hands, ready to cast. Eyes brimmed with naked greed as the countdown ticked away, second by second. Joe swore under his breath.

"Are you fucking kidding me…" Twenty seconds left. Joe activated Mana Stream as a purple wreath of mana pulsed into existence, wrapping tightly around his torso. He flexed his fingers, breath steadying as his Aura flowed outward like steam from a geyser. No point in hiding now, his careful plans had already turned to dust. Fifteen seconds left. Two choices. Flee… Space Jump away and spend the entire Treasure Hunt running. Or stand his ground and break the chains here and now. Ten.

He inhaled deeply, chest rising, gaze steady. Who was he kidding? There was only one path that gave him freedom to move. Five. Four. He held his breath. Three. Two. One. The golden barrier around him shattered. Joe's Aura erupted like a hurricane, the shockwave sending the ten nearest competitors tumbling across the grass. In the same instant, a hundred blasts of mana screamed through the air, locked onto him like missiles. Arrows and projectiles followed in a storm of steel and flame.

A rock-skinned warrior teleported behind him, massive foot descending toward Joe's spine. A purple bubble surged from his Mana Stream, intercepting the strike. The warrior never touched him, because the next heartbeat, every incoming skill and arrow slammed into them both. Fire roared, lightning cracked, and the rock man disintegrated into dust as the barrage ripped him apart, the remnants still tearing toward Joe. His Mana Stream shimmered, rippling outward to form a full coating just before impact.

The world detonated around him. The ground split into a smoking crater, debris and flame surging upward as the endless explosion hammered his defences. Joe staggered but held firm, the stream pulsing outward, carving himself a pocket of space as wooden barding spread across his torso. Defence upon defence layered into place, anchoring him to the broken earth. Dust and debris cloaked the battlefield, perfect cover. He Space Jumped left, reappearing in the air above a cluster of ten enemies.

Jingu Bang screamed into his hand, lengthening as he swung down in a vicious arc. A Mana Wave burst forth, a tsunami of raw power that crashed across the clearing. Everything caught in its wake slammed into the dirt, bodies scattering like leaves in a gale. A torrent of kill notifications lit up the corner of his vision, but Joe ignored them, steeling his heart. These greedy fools attacked first; there would be no pity today.

He vanished, slipping past a barrage of skills, and reappeared in the middle of a tight cluster of six. Jingu Bang roared through the air, sweeping wide. They tried to counter, barriers flashing into place, but he was moving too fast. Five were crushed before a sixth's shield caught his strike. His eyes darted ceaselessly, every movement planting seeds, every step preparation. He jumped skyward, scanning the battlefield, planting more with each flicker of his eyes.

Not all had chosen to fight; he saw a handful vanish into the forest, but most remained. At least two hundred still stood in the clearing, weapons raised, mana burning in their palms. Hundreds of projectiles homed in on him. Joe smiled. He reappeared on the southern edge, lungs burning from too many Space-Jumps in rapid succession. He raised a hand and whispered, voice low and certain.

"Harvest." The ground split open. Corn stalks erupted by the hundreds, shooting skyward five meters high in the span of a heartbeat. The clearing filled with their rustling as competitors shouted in alarm. Some turned to flee, others hurled desperate attacks at the sudden growth, but it was already too late. The stalks shuddered violently, scattering flecks of mana into the air. In seconds, the clearing was saturated. Joe hesitated only a breath, then lowered his hand.

"Bloom." The field ignited. Purple fire tore through the air, mana flames cascading outward in a storm that devoured everything it touched. Screams were cut short, barriers shattered, and a wall of burning corn turned into an inferno. Competitors teleported away in panic, others sprinted blindly for the forest, but most were swallowed by the blaze. Joe didn't wait to admire the destruction. He turned south and dashed toward the distant mountain, kill notifications flaring like a flood at the edge of his vision.

Ding! Class Absolute Space Farmer has reached level 140 - stat points distributed. Ding! Class Absolute Farmer has reached level 140 - stat points distributed. __ Marwack Vie screamed a warning as the strange golden plants burst from the ground around them. His two companions dashed to his side, huddling close as he raised his shield and spread it wide over them. Dammit. Why hadn't they moved when everyone else attacked the bounty… attacked Feormere?

They had frozen, too stunned, too afraid, hoping to wait out the chaos and slip away unnoticed once the dust settled. But Feormere hadn't been crushed beneath the storm. Somehow, impossibly, he had survived… and now he was countering. Winning. The corn around them shuddered violently, scattering motes of mana into the air. Marwack's eyes went wide in horror as the motes ignited a heartbeat later, blossoming into a blinding flood of purple fire.

The roar swallowed the clearing, and cracks spiderwebbed across his barrier, each louder than the last. It was seconds from collapse.

"Gart, teleport us away now!" Marwack screamed, praying he could be heard over the thunder of burning mana. Luckily, Gart had already pulled out a teleportation scroll. The parchment flared in his hands just as the barrier shattered into nothing. The purple fire washed down upon them, then they vanished, escaping a fraction of a moment too late. They crashed into the dirt somewhere deep within the forest, bodies scorched, flesh blistered, screams tearing free as the pain caught up. They were alive. But barely.

Marwack lay gasping, struggling to gather his thoughts. This had been a mistake. A monumental, suicidal mistake. He should have known the moment Feormere's bounty flashed at the top of the competitors' list that this hunt would become a massacre. But he had clung to hope, prayed that maybe, just maybe, this one last competition could change his world's fate. Now he wished he had never entered. How could he compete with what he had just seen? The sheer power on display was beyond anything he could comprehend.

Beyond anything mortal. With shaking hands, he pulled out his escape token. He crushed it to dust. A light swallowed him, ripping him from the hunt. He left everything, treasures, hopes, and dreams, behind. __ Joe vaulted a fallen tree as he sprinted south, pulsing Nature's Paradise every ten seconds to refresh the terrain on his mini-map. Dozens of red dots lit up behind him, around fifty pursuers in total, mostly grouped in squads of five, spreading out like hunting packs.

A few lone figures and duos trailed further back, stubborn enough to keep up. The sheer ferocity of his opening strike had brought him a healthy lead. He could feel the distance widening with every stride. Apparently, he was fast, even without leaning on Space Jumps. The rules forbidding skyboats in the Treasure Hunt annoyed him; his vessel remained sealed in its ring, forcing him to rely on his own legs. But it was manageable. He had always been good at running.

He Space-Jumped high above the canopy, scanning the forest below with Mana Sight and Dao Sight. Signatures flared across his vision, names floating like banners above his pursuers. As he caught sight of them, one in particular stood out. Bas Horo. Rank three on the entire Integration leaderboard. He whistled low. Bas was the only one chasing alone, hanging back at the very rear of the pack as though content to let the others test Joe first, wear him down before making a move.

"Smart," Joe muttered with a grin. His blood sang with adrenaline as he dropped back to the forest, sprinting harder. Half an hour of relentless running later, Joe's mini-map pinged; a treasure had spawned directly east. He immediately cut course, bee-lining toward it. His pursuers adjusted instantly, the pack shifting like hounds on a scent. That angle let them close in slightly, forcing Joe to brace for possible long-range attacks.

His Mana Stream pulsed faintly around him, the purple current circling his torso like a sash. Wooden barding flowed over his shoulders and arms, both defences sustained with hardly any mana drain. With his enormous pool, he could keep them active indefinitely unless things truly turned ugly. Five minutes later, he burst into a clearing. At its centre stood a squat wooden hut, but the ground rumbled beneath his feet. Two towering golems erupted from the soil, bodies plated with slabs of stone and dirt.

Joe didn't even slow down. He lowered his shoulder, shot toward the nearest golem's leg, and shattered its frame into rubble as he smashed through. The hut's door splintered under his momentum a moment later. Inside, a plain wooden box waited atop a table. He snatched it without stopping Tier 10 treasure claimed. 10 points awarded. Joe barreled back into the trees, a grin tugging at his lips. It took Joe four hours to reach the foot of the mountain.

Along the way, he'd snagged two more Tier 10 treasures and one Tier 9. Each had been guarded by earth golems, but he hadn't bothered with them; he simply barreled through and kept going. So now, he had 50 treasure points in total, which, surprisingly enough, placed him in the top fifty so far. The current first-place competitor only had 150 points. Clearly, most of the stronger hunters were either still chasing him or heading for one of the mountains themselves. That was fine by him.

As he drew closer, Joe noticed a suppressive pressure hanging over the trees. It dulled his ability to Space-Jump, preventing him from getting a clear aerial view. The closer he came, the heavier the weight became, until it pressed down like a physical hand. The base of the mountain loomed before him, shrouded in dense, swirling clouds that completely blocked sight. Neither Mana Sight nor Dao Sight could pierce it, and the haze radiated an eerie, ominous warning. Joe didn't slow.

Without a shred of hesitation, he sprinted straight into the cloud, eyes fixed on his mini-map. By his reckoning, he had maybe fifteen minutes before the first group caught up. He intended to use every second. A chime echoed in his vision as the mist swallowed him whole. You have entered a Treasure Trial