"Big brother, pleeease~ just help me out with this once! Once you fix it, I'll let you be the Mole Gang's vice-boss!"
"Little Hook, this is already the 108th time your Digging Machine has broken."
"That's not true! It's only the 107th time!"
"To be honest, this Digging Machine is way too beat-up. How about I make you a much cooler one next time?"
"No! N-No way! Clara gave this to me!"
Belobog — the Underworld.
Boulder Town.
In a narrow side alley not far from Natasha's Clinic, a black-haired young man wearing protective goggles sat at a workbench.
A layer of animal fur was draped over his knees to keep out the cold as he carefully adjusted the device in front of him with tools in hand.
Standing opposite him was a petite blonde girl, wrapped tightly in a thick coat. Her golden hair was completely hidden beneath a tall hood, and when she spoke excitedly, two tiny tiger teeth showed through the biting cold.
This little girl was one of the most terrifying "criminal forces" in the Underworld—
Hook, boss of the Mole Gang.
The legendary Pitch-Dark Hook the Great.
"Not today, I'm afraid. I'm missing a component," the young man said.
"I'll head back and see if I have a matching part. If not, I'll need to check the Rivet Town ruins."
He packed away his tools and slung them naturally across his back before lifting the Digging Machine.
"Go on home, Hook. Your old man will start worrying soon."
"I'll see if I can find a suitable part. If I do, I'll fix it. If not, you'll have to wait until I track one down."
Before leaving, Evan casually ruffled the girl's golden hair, completely ignoring her puffed-up cheeks.
Then he turned and walked off, muttering complaints as he went.
"Damn blockade… Cocolia must really have something wrong with her head."
Hook stomped her foot in anger. As the Mole Gang's boss, hardly anyone dared to pat her head like that!
Of course—
the old witch at the clinic didn't count.
As a transmigrator, Evan's situation could only be described as tragically miserable.
Yes, he had transmigrated.
But he'd transmigrated into the world of Honkai: Star Rail.
Worse still, he'd landed on Jarilo-VI, the planet that had been frozen solid for seven hundred years!
Based on his knowledge of the plot, the Astral Express hadn't even arrived yet.
For a normal transmigrator, this would be the moment for a life-changing opportunity—
topple Cocolia's tyranny, resolve the Stellaron crisis, and save Belobog.
But him?
He couldn't even step onto a Path.
Since arriving here, he'd muttered the name of the Amber Lord, Qlipoth, more times than he could count—
and received absolutely no response.
The universe of Star Rail was a terrifying place.
Only by walking a Path and becoming a Pathstrider could one obtain true power.
And if an Aeon personally bestowed their blessing…
That was practically peak combat power in the cosmos.
But Evan?
He'd transmigrated into the Underworld of Belobog and become a mechanical repairman who had only just shed his identity as a vagrant.
As for the Path?
He didn't even know what it looked like, let alone walk it.
Over time, as his reputation in the Underworld gradually grew, his obsession with the Path faded.
As long as the Astral Express eventually arrived and solved Belobog's Stellaron crisis…
he could just go on living his life, right?
...
He pushed open the door—
Clatter!
A pile of spare parts came crashing down, smacking him square on the head.
[Detected host encountering danger. Activating God-Tier Treasure Hunter System!]
[Binding successful!]
Lying on the ground, Evan stared blankly at the ceiling.
Wait—what just happened?
Something had appeared in his mind.
A cheat?
A golden finger?!
What the hell counts as "danger"?!
Wasn't arriving in Belobog dangerous enough already?
So getting hit by a screw was what finally triggered it?
Then what were all those hardships he'd endured before supposed to count as?
Did I transmigrate too early or something?!
As he continued cursing internally, the system's voice echoed repeatedly in his mind.
[Binding system…]
[10%]
[20%]
[50%]
[99%]
[System binding complete. Loading system interface.]
[System Name: God-Tier Treasure Hunter System]
[Under system enhancement, host will become a Treasure Hunter]
[Host: Evan]
[Age: 22]
[Profession: Treasure Hunter]
[Current map unlockable treasure locations: Underworld – Boulder Town, Rivet Town]
[Overworld temporarily locked. Unlock by exploring]
[Note: Treasure chests may be obtained from special characters, locations, or missions]
[First-time binding reward detected. Granting one random system gift chest]
[Open now?]
The voice finally fell silent.
In front of Evan, a treasure chest shrouded in mist slowly appeared.
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