The Eyes That See All

Morning sunlight poured gently through the old lace curtains of Zhang Wei's room, casting delicate patterns across the wooden floor. The chirping of birds outside mingled with the faint hum of city life, but it wasn't those sounds that stirred Zhang Wei awake, it was the cold, mechanical ding that rang directly into his consciousness.

[System Update Complete.]New Feature Unlocked: Artifact & Historical Item Exchange SystemFrom now on, host may trade rare objects, statues, artworks, scrolls, relics, and ancient treasures for Spendrift Points.

Zhang Wei's eyes flew open, pupils narrowing as he sat up in bed.

"Artifacts… artwork… historical relics?" he murmured, thoughts racing.

His heart pounded with sudden clarity. This was a game-changer. Until now, he had been shackled by the monetary limitations of a middle-class student. Every Spendrift Point had to be earned through dangerous missions, immense risk, or rare windfalls. But this… this was different. Now, even a dusty artifact from a pawnshop might be the key to rising further.

Zhang Wei immediately accessed the system's shop interface with a thought.

"System, is there an appraisal technique available? Something to identify the value of these items?"

[Searching...]

Result: All-Seeing Eyes Part 1-A (Rank: Hidden)Cost: 1,000 Spendrift PointsDescription: A fragment of an ancient ocular technique. Even in its incomplete state, it grants the ability to perceive the hidden nature, origin, and karmic fortune or misfortune of items and people in the mortal world.

Zhang Wei's breath hitched.

"A Hidden-rank technique again… even just a part of it is powerful enough to shake the world," he whispered, reverence creeping into his voice.

Then came the blow.

"System, I only have 700 Spendrift Points left. Can I redeem it partially?"

[Error: Redemption requires full amount of 1,000 Spendrift Points.]

Zhang Wei clenched his fists. His sister's recovery had been worth every one of those 2,000 points, but now he stood just a few hundred short of another major leap.

"Alright… then what's the exchange rate for RMB to Spendrift Points?"

[1000 RMB = 1 Spendrift Point.]

His heart sank.

"That means I need 300,000 RMB…"

He opened his drawer, pulling out a box where he had kept his savings since high school. Every coin saved from part-time jobs, scholarship awards, tutoring sessions it all lay there. He even counted the money he had tucked away in hidden envelopes and his student bank account.

After what felt like an eternity of sorting and counting, the total came to 190,000 RMB.

Still 110,000 RMB short.

Zhang Wei stared at the stack of cash, the weight of reality pressing on his shoulders. Even though he had faced powerful enemies and near-death battles, asking his father for money… somehow felt harder.

After a moment of pacing, he took a deep breath and walked toward the living room where his father, Zhang Tianhai, sat sipping morning tea and reading an old newspaper.

Zhang Tianhai looked up, sensing the tension in his son's eyes.

"What is it, Wei'er?" he asked, setting the paper aside. "You look like you're about to face a tiger."

Zhang Wei hesitated, his throat dry.

"Dad... I need to ask something important. I need 110,000 RMB more. It's not for gambling or anything useless, I swear. It's for… something that could change everything."

His father didn't respond immediately. Instead, he stared deeply into Zhang Wei's eyes the sharp, clear determination, the passion, the desperate glimmer of hope.

Zhang Tianhai set the cup down. "Whatever you're doing with this money… don't let it go to waste."

Zhang Tianhai gave him 150,000 RMB....

Zhang Wei froze.

No questions. No interrogation. Just… trust.

A quiet moment passed between father and son.

"I won't," Zhang Wei finally said, voice heavy with emotion.

His father left the room without another word, leaving Zhang Wei alone with his thoughts.

Zhang Wei gave 110,000 RMB to system..

[110,000 RMB Received. Total: 300,000 RMB.][Would you like to redeem: All-Seeing Eyes Part 1-A?]

Zhang Wei closed his eyes, inhaled deeply, and nodded.

"Do it."

[Congratulations, Host. Technique Acquired: All-Seeing Eyes Part 1-A.]You may now perceive the fate, history, and nature of any mortal object or being.]

An unbearable pressure slammed into his mind.

Zhang Wei's head throbbed as an ancient script danced across his inner vision. Glyphs older than civilization themselves spun wildly before settling behind his pupils. A burning sensation swept through his eyes, So intense it felt like his retinas were being branded.

He cried out and fell to one knee, gripping the side of the bed as energy coursed through him.

Then… silence.

Zhang Wei rose, his breath steadying.

His eyes slowly adjusted every object around him now shimmered with invisible details. The wood grain of his desk revealed decades of history. A photo frame emitted a faint glow of nostalgia and warmth. Even the air itself carried threads of movement.

Zhang Wei walked to the window, opened it, and stepped outside his home.

He looked toward the distant streets, the world bathed in morning light.

But to him, it was more than that now.

He could see.

Not just with his eyes, but with a perception that transcended the mortal plane.

A smile tugged at his lips.

"Let's see what secrets this world has been hiding..."

And with that, Zhang Wei took his first step toward a future painted in the ink of destiny.