After defeating the Hydro Mimic, Lu Chen had no interest in talking to the others. He headed straight for the treasure chest.
He'd come for the chest from the beginning. Whether fighting monsters or saving those young men—it was all just incidental.
The "Exquisite Treasure Chest" lay half-buried in the rocky shore, gleaming under the moonlight reflected off the sea.
"Hope I get lucky this time…"
Muttering under his breath, Lu Chen stepped up and forcefully pried open the chest.
Right on cue, the system prompt chimed.
[Exquisite Treasure Chest]
[Primogems ×20]
[Traveler's Experience: Increases character level ×1]
[Adventurer's Experience: Increases character level ×5]
[Attribute Experience Book (choose one: +1 Intelligence, Charisma, Stamina, or Agility)]
[Lucky Dog's Goblet (Artifact: Goblet of Eonothem)]
[Lucky Dog's Silver Circlet (Artifact: Circlet of Logos)]
[Fine Enhancement Ore (Weapon EXP Material) ×3]
Seeing the rewards, Lu Chen finally let out a breath and gratefully accepted everything.
The Primogem count was double that of an ordinary chest—and most importantly, he'd finally obtained the attribute point he'd been longing for.
Choosing from Intelligence, Charisma, Stamina, or Agility, Lu Chen didn't hesitate: he put it into Stamina.
Finally, he could leave behind the misery of having only 4 points in Stamina.
The enhancement ore would help with weapon upgrades. The artifacts, though still low-tier, were welcome in times of scarcity. Combined with the defense-boosting Lucky Dog set, he'd now pieced together a mixed four-piece set, greatly improving his survivability.
He glanced at his status screen:
[Level: Lv25]
[Attributes: Intelligence 8; Charisma 7; Stamina 5; Agility 5]
His Stamina still wasn't high, but at least it had reached the average.
He was confident that he could restore his full strength.
While pondering, Lu Chen heard footsteps behind him.
Turning around, he saw the young man with glasses approaching, still holding his Harbinger of Dawn. His quick stride might have made someone think he was here to steal the chest.
The young man watched Lu Chen closely, afraid of being misunderstood.
"Senior! I'm not here to take anything, please don't misunderstand!" he said quickly.
Lu Chen gave a slight nod, expression unchanged. The youth's strength posed no threat—there was nothing to worry about.
Besides, the guy had left a decent impression.
"Hello," Lu Chen greeted calmly.
"Hi!" The young man brightened immediately.
He adjusted his glasses. After everything they'd just been through, he needed to reevaluate this seemingly unremarkable teenager.
Though unassuming at first glance, the teen was actually quite good-looking—the kind of guy girls probably liked. But more importantly, he was strong.
From the start, he'd suspected the teen had opened treasure chests before.
But upon seeing his ordinary sword and slim build, he'd assumed the teen wasn't strong.
He couldn't have been more wrong…
The teen had effortlessly taken down three tough monsters—and even seemed to possess supernatural power.
That moment when he soared through the air like he was flying was seared into his memory. Even the dullest person would realize this guy wasn't normal.
All the more reason to get on his good side.
"Senior," the young man smiled again, "Thank you so much. If it weren't for you, our reckless move could've gotten us all killed."
Lu Chen glanced into the distance. Of the remaining four, one was seriously injured—the one who'd been rammed by the boar. He couldn't even stand now.
The rest, including the young man, had various minor injuries.
"No need to thank me," Lu Chen said, waving it off. Saving them had just been a side effect.
Without defeating the Hydro Mimic, he wouldn't have been able to claim the chest.
"My name's Wang Qi, second-year at Haizhou Economic College. I really want to repay you somehow, Senior. May I ask your name?"
Wang Qi didn't feel embarrassed at all calling a teenager "Senior."
After all, this guy clearly had "powers."
He hadn't gotten the treasure, but if he could build a connection, it would be well worth it.
"No need," Lu Chen said, uninterested in making friends. He turned to leave.
Wang Qi looked disappointed, but just before Lu Chen walked away, he paused and looked back.
"If you really want to thank me, answer one question."
"Of course, Senior!" Wang Qi replied quickly.
Lu Chen thought for a moment, then asked what Wang Qi had seen the last time he opened a treasure chest.
He'd always wondered—without the system, could ordinary people see all the rewards?
Wang Qi looked sincere, like he was telling the truth.
He said that when he first opened a chest, he got the Harbinger of Dawn, some Slime Condensate (which he didn't know how to use), and several purple-colored ores he didn't understand either…
Honestly, the guy had pretty good luck. If Bennett—stuck in another world and only ever getting cabbages—heard this, who knows what he'd think...
Anyway, it confirmed Lu Chen's suspicion: they couldn't see virtual rewards like Primogems, EXP books, or attribute points. Only physical items were visible.
Seeing Lu Chen in a good mood, Wang Qi even shared some extra info about other treasure hunters.
Apparently, rumors of magical treasure chests had been circulating lately. People believed these chests contained powerful artifacts, and their group wasn't the only one out searching.
More importantly, a rumor had spread: defeating monsters and opening chests could make you stronger.
Wang Qi really did feel stronger. It used to take all five of them to beat a single Slime. Now, they could do it with three.
It was just as Lu Chen expected. As the two worlds grew more connected, elemental energy was becoming denser in the real world. The entire world was bound to change.
Maybe one day, monster hunting and treasure seeking would become the norm.
But... Lu Chen glanced at Wang Qi. After that hard-fought battle, he was still only Lv4 and hadn't gotten any rewards. For newcomers to catch up to him? Not likely.
"Take your friends to a hospital. And next time, don't rush toward treasure chests like you've lost your mind," Lu Chen said, waving him off before turning to go.
Rewards come with risks. And in some cases, those risks can be fatal.
People from a peaceful world didn't have the experience or mindset of Teyvat adventurers.
In the end, he left without giving his name—just the image of his calm departure, never expecting that their paths might cross again someday.
"Thank you, Senior..." Wang Qi watched the teen walk away, eyes full of hope.
...
Lu Chen considered this outing a success. Besides the chest rewards, he'd also unexpectedly awakened an Anemo Vision.
The feeling of wind wrapping around his body was still fresh in his mind. He couldn't resist trying it again.
He released a wind domain, letting the breeze lift him gently and carry him to where Venti sat cross-legged on a boulder.
"Our hero returns?"
"What hero…"
Lu Chen was glad Venti hadn't stepped in. If the Anemo Archon had helped, taking out those Hydro Mimics would've been far too easy.
And that would've made the entire ordeal pointless.
Lu Chen might seem easygoing, but he took important things very seriously.
Especially with the opening of the "Gate of Teyvat," challenges and opportunities would go hand in hand. Stronger monsters were sure to follow.
After all the fighting, he was starting to feel tired.
"Let's go home," Lu Chen said.