Chapter 4

    Claudia was now comfortably seated on the bus, gazing out the window with keen interest. In this city, no matter how late it got, the outside was always bustling with lights and people. The buildings looked modern and futuristic, as if from another world.

    Dungeons that could appear at any moment kept the Hunters on their toes, always ready to face whatever came their way.

    Some might wonder why he didn't bring anyone along. What if danger arose? Wasn't he courting death? Of course, if he took others with him, they'd question how Claudia knew about this place, especially since it had nothing to do with him.

    He didn't have a good enough reason to explain it to them, and he was used to doing things alone anyway.

    Time passed, and the bus drove out of the city. The outskirts were noticeably different from the city—fewer people, a peaceful atmosphere, and only the occasional car passing by. The streetlights cast a beautiful glow along the roads.

    As Claudia was lost in thought, the bus reached its destination. He took out some money to pay the fare, got off the bus, and surveyed his surroundings with sparkling eyes.

    Claudia felt a surge of excitement. This place was exactly as described in the novel. This slum area was known as 'Cyber 207,' surrounded by rows of buildings. It seemed there were quite a few residents, judging by the brightly lit rooms, though some remained in complete darkness.

    Between the buildings, neon signs flashed brilliantly, almost blindingly. Tangled wires hung haphazardly, with elevated pipes and hot coils attached to the structures. The walls were adorned with colorful graffiti, giving the area a mix of slum and futuristic vibes.

    Claudia watched people passing by, chatting animatedly. Numerous shops lined the streets, some beckoning customers inside, others peddling their wares. However, he had no time to pay attention to them, as he had a mission to complete and couldn't afford to dawdle.

    Claudia continued walking until the crowd thinned out. At the end of a deserted alley, he saw what the novel had mentioned. Before the abandoned building ahead, there was a small opening on the ground, muddy and damp from rainwater, but still passable. The entrance had a flickering red sign, on the verge of breaking down, written in a language he couldn't understand. It felt eerie and dangerous to him.

    Claudia wasted no time and plunged inside. Instantly, he was covered in filthy mud and surrounded by a foul odor, which he brushed off indifferently.

    To his surprise, he discovered a two-story abandoned house, now devoid of inhabitants. Claudia ventured inside and meticulously explored the surroundings. It wasn't long before he finally found the Treasure Dungeon he had been searching for.

    Under the staircase, there was an entrance door, revealing a Gate resembling a swirling vortex, radiating a rainbow aura characteristic of a Treasure Dungeon. Claudia stepped in without hesitation.

    Once he was warped into the altered environment, he felt slightly dizzy, pressing his slender fingers against his brow as he surveyed the area.

    Just as he had anticipated, the interior was a mine resembling a long cave, neither wide nor narrow, with the scent of earth and a noticeably humid atmosphere, indicating a lake must be nearby.

    The surroundings were filled with stalactites and stalagmites, the terrain rugged, and multicolored crystal ores illuminating the area. He didn't need a torch to navigate comfortably.

    Claudia cautiously explored the front, confirming the dungeon was indeed a treasure trove as its name suggested. Along the way, he collected ores until his inventory was nearly overflowing.

    After hours of exploration, he still hadn't found the item he was searching for. All he saw were the lake and the crystal ores.

    These crystal ores were incredibly useful, serving as components for forging weapons, armor, or clothing. The purer the ore, the higher the attributes of the produced item.

    The types of crystal ores could be categorized by color as follows:

    Gold crystal, attributes equivalent to Rank S

    Red crystal, attributes equivalent to Rank A

    Orange crystal, attributes equivalent to Rank B

    Purple crystal, attributes equivalent to Rank C

    Blue crystal, attributes equivalent to Rank D

    Green crystal, attributes equivalent to Rank E

    And Clear crystal, attributes equivalent to Rank F

    Purity could be determined by the opacity of the color. For instance, a deep purple crystal would yield a Rank B item, but a pale purple one might produce an item lower than Rank B, possibly even dropping to Rank E. Therefore, most people avoided using them.

    Treasure Dungeons didn't appear easily, with only a 0.001% chance. Even when a dungeon emerged, it wasn't always a mining dungeon, as they were as rare as finding a needle in a haystack.

    Even in a Rank S Monster Dungeon, only low-purity purple and orange crystals were found. That's why he said this place was a treasure trove.

    Claudia felt exhausted, so he walked over to sit by the lake to rest. But as he looked at the water, a thought struck him.

    "What if it's underwater?" These items aren't always on land. Why hadn't he thought of that before?

    Claudia immediately gazed into the lake. It wasn't long before he noticed a bright light emerging from beneath the surface. Previously, he hadn't paid attention. Even though the water was clear enough to see inside, the crystals on top reflected light off the water, making them blend in completely.

    Luckily, he could swim, and the lake wasn't too deep. Claudia removed his hat and decided to dive in immediately.

    Holding his breath, he explored underwater and saw a light shining behind a rock. He swam over and grabbed it without hesitation, causing a status window to suddenly appear.

    Ding!

    Item: Seven Elemental Gems (Bound)

    Rank: ???

    Details: ???

    Activate / No

    Found it! This was the item he was searching for. Claudia quickly swam to the surface, inhaling oxygen deeply.

    He raised his hand to push his hair back, the long, pearly white curls clinging wetly to his beautiful face. His clothes stuck to his body, revealing his clear curves. Anyone who saw Claudia at this moment would surely be captivated.

    Claudia took off his clothes and washed them by the water's edge to remove the mud and any unpleasant odors. He wrung them out until they were damp and put them back on.

    "If I'd known, I would've brought spare clothes," Claudia thought to himself.

    He took out the item again. The exterior of the Seven Elemental Gems was smooth and transparent. When placed near a light source, it emitted a rainbow shimmer.

    "So beautiful..." Claudia was mesmerized.

    As he regained his senses, Claudia immediately activated the item. Suddenly, it emitted a bright white light, shooting directly into his eyes.

    Claudia began to feel heat around his eye sockets. As time passed, the sensation turned into a burning pain, making him want to gouge his eyes out. He cried out in agony, writhing on the ground, unsure where to place his hands.

    Claudia bit his lip until it was severely wounded, fresh blood flowing out frighteningly. Tears streamed down in seven colors as he lay clutching his eyes, sobbing.

    After about an hour, the pain gradually subsided until it finally disappeared.

    "Ugh, it hurts so much I wish I could die again," Claudia sobbed, wiping away his tears haphazardly. He hadn't expected it to be this painful!

    And he hadn't noticed that his eyes and tears had changed.

    Right now, Claudia had no desire to check his status. All he wanted was to leave this place and go home to rest.

    But it seemed the System knew he wasn't interested, so it appeared right in front of him.

    "Whoa, that scared me!"

    Character Information

    Name: Claudia Heart

    Rank: ???

    Title: Goddess of Elemental Galaxy *See More*

    Skills: Diana's Insightful Eye Level L (Can be upgraded)

    Instant Movement Level A > L (Can be upgraded)

    Elemental Galaxy Level A > L (Can be upgraded)

    *See More* (Skills not yet unlocked)    

    Claudia's eyes widened. He hadn't thought the item would be this overpowered. From having no power at all, it had turned into something extraordinary.

    Goddess of Elemental Galaxy

    Description: The sole goddess possessing the power of all 7 elements (a result of the Elemental Galaxy skill).

    Diana's Insightful Eye Level L

    Description: You can view detailed information on both living and non-living things without limit.

    *Skill is hidden*

    Instant Movement Level A (Can be upgraded)

    Description: You can move rapidly within a 500-meter range with a cooldown of 5 seconds per use.

    'Hmm... if I upgrade the skill, I might be able to move even farther.'

    Elemental Galaxy Level A (Can be upgraded)

    Description: You can wield the power of all 7 elements

    (Darkness, Light, Water, Fire, Earth, Wind, Wood) *Can be combined*

    *See More*

    It was important to note that once a person's skills were awakened, they couldn’t be further developed. The only way to enhance them was through training and using items. That was why the Seven Elemental Gems was considered so overpowered.

    Moreover, it allowed the use of multiple elemental skills. In this world, no one possessed more elemental power than he did now. Plus, the title of Goddess of Elemental Galaxy hadn't appeared in the novel yet. He planned to research more about it later.

    Seeing his status made Claudia feel much better, and he happily walked out of the dungeon.

    He teleported back to the spot where he entered the dungeon. When he looked at the gate, he found it had disappeared, leaving only an ordinary door. Inside was just a regular storage room.

    Claudia walked out of the abandoned building. When he saw the muddy path ahead, he found some old cardboard nearby to cover it. He couldn't completely ignore cleanliness. After all, what if others caught an unpleasant odor from him?

    Feeling as if a weight had been lifted off his chest, Claudia tied his slightly damp hair back and put on a hat. He checked his clothes, which were still damp in some places and dry in others, then immediately walked out of the deserted alley.

    It was now two in the morning. The streets were less crowded, and most shops were closed, leaving only entertainment venues and chill-out spots still open. He glanced curiously at the people inside.

    Thud!

    Caught off guard, Claudia bumped into someone.

    Before he could even see who it was, he found himself enveloped in someone's embrace...