Chapter Two Mediocrity Is Just Mediocrity

When Fang Nian arrived in this world, he retained memories from his previous life. Though born amid the ravages of war, he was never truly drawn into its chaos. His parents were among the most brilliant scientists in Huaxia, their significant contributions to the Hope Project earning them great renown. Because of this, Fang Nian, along with his grandparents and other relatives, received the shelter and protection such service merited.

Yet fate is always unpredictable. Fifteen years ago, the world laid down its arms, the Hope Project was triumphantly completed, and Fang Nian settled in the Eastern Fourth District of Huaxia with his grandparents. But his parents perished in an accident during the construction of Hope, never to return, and his grandmother followed them only months later, succumbing to illness.

Not long after, the Soul Hunting Grounds emerged, and, bereft of his family's support, Fang Nian scraped by alongside his grandfather, drifting from one hunting ground to another in District Four, eking out a living by doing odd jobs. A month ago, his grandfather too passed away due to illness. On his deathbed, he entrusted Fang Nian with a notebook, a blue crystal, and a marriage contract, instructing him to take these to the Xia family in District Sixteen. During the Great Escape, he had arranged a marriage with the old master of the Xia family.

Fang Nian had been only eight when his parents died, powerless to change anything. At the time, he had wondered: why did the protagonists in those novels always receive some miraculous gift when they crossed into another world, while he himself was left empty-handed? Now, looking back, he realized that his own golden finger had not failed to arrive, only arrived late. Fortunately, it was not too late. Trouble hemmed him in from all sides—danger ahead, and a beautiful woman’s claim upon his life behind. In such times, to have a system by his side was surely a sign of heaven’s favor.

With this thought, Fang Nian’s lips curled into a faint smile as he continued to study the system menu.

“Becoming a Hunting Ground Architect is a little premature for me right now, but as for being a hunter, that’s something I’m quite interested in. After so many years in the hunting grounds with my grandfather, I’ve always wondered how it would feel to try it myself.”

He scanned the menu once more, a touch of helplessness in his gaze.

“Truly, I have nothing to my name. Aside from a sharper nose, nothing’s really changed. But from all the novels I’ve read, I’d wager that this system’s tasks are just the thing to change my fate.”

Resolute, Fang Nian brought up the system’s quest interface, where four options immediately appeared.

Mediocre Difficulty: The Soul Hunting Grounds are fraught with endless danger and terror. As a qualified hunter, your first task is to develop a fundamental understanding of the grounds. Please read The Basic Rules of the Soul Hunting Ground ten times.

Mortal Difficulty: Within twelve hours, personally craft a hunting ground tool of grade F or above.

Hell Difficulty: Within twenty-four hours, successfully clear a solo-themed hunting ground of grade F or above, and achieve an evaluation of grade A or higher.

Nightmare Difficulty: Temporarily unavailable.

You may only select one system quest at a time. Upon completion, the Mediocre and Mortal difficulties will automatically refresh, while Hell and Nightmare require completion of corresponding tasks to refresh. Rewards are issued according to difficulty.

Kind Reminder: Some quests may inflict inhuman suffering upon the host. Please choose with caution, lest you meet a tragic end.

Final interpretation of all tasks belongs to the system. Good luck.

Fang Nian was speechless. The quests themselves seemed quite ordinary, yet the system’s tone made them sound like a matter of life and death.

“Well… as the saying goes, heed the system and you’ll fill your belly. I may have spent half my life scrabbling in the hunting grounds, but this is my first time officially acting as a hunter. Best start with something safe to test the waters.”

With that in mind, Fang Nian turned his attention to the Mediocre and Mortal difficulties.

“Crafting hunting ground tools is my strong suit. I’ve done it plenty with Grandpa over the years. I can put together an F-grade tool, but I don’t have the materials or tools on hand. Once I get into the city tonight, there’s no way I’ll finish within twelve hours. Compared to that, the Mediocre difficulty…”

A faint smile lit Fang Nian’s face as he made his decision.

“Mediocre it is, then.”

When he snapped out of his thoughts, Fatty had already paid the sixty Hope coins to enter District Sixteen and driven the car inside. Seeing that Fang Nian was still conscious, Fatty relaxed a little but didn’t press for details.

Since Fatty asked nothing, Fang Nian didn’t mention the system either. It wasn’t a matter of trust; he simply found the explanation too troublesome and decided to save it for another time.

By the time they entered the city, night had fallen. Fatty intended to use their last few coins to buy food for the night, but Fang Nian insisted on buying a book instead, offering the high-sounding excuse that it was to prepare for tomorrow’s initiation, which infuriated Fatty to no end.

Fatty had no choice—he was still counting on Fang Nian to snag a rich wife—so he went off hungry to catch some sleep. Fang Nian, meanwhile, picked up The Basic Rules of the Soul Hunting Ground and began his ten required readings, not stopping until dawn broke the next day.

…

At the first pale glimmer of morning within the city, Fang Nian stretched and sat up straight.

“It’s my first time actually reading this book. Though it covers the basics of the hunting grounds, it’s surprisingly helpful.”

The Soul Hunting Ground was a creation born in the aftermath of the Great Catastrophe, devised to curb population growth. Using advanced technology, it could activate a hidden cluster within the human brain, transporting a person’s consciousness into a virtual space to complete designated objectives.

This technology served its purpose in population control because participation in the Soul Hunting Ground came with great risk; a single misstep could result in severe brain trauma, and many died tragic deaths as a result.

Yet, in an age where mere survival was a struggle, countless people still rushed headlong into the maelstrom of the Soul Hunting Grounds.

With the birth of a new culture, change inevitably followed. After more than a decade of development, the Soul Hunting Grounds evolved; most hunting grounds could now ensure a hunter’s safety, and even death within a scenario caused only minimal harm to the real individual.

As Fang Nian finished the book for the tenth time and closed it, a warm notification chimed from the system interface.

“Mediocre difficulty quest complete. When darkness clouds the heart, perhaps a glimmer of clarity is the way out. Congratulations, you have obtained the beginner skill—Clarity Sutra.”

At once, a chant-like monologue echoed in Fang Nian’s mind.

“Clarity Sutra… If I recall correctly, this is a Taoist scripture, said to dispel distractions and purify the spirit. Yet much of its content has been lost to history. How did the system get its hands on it? Is this for real? I don’t feel much different after reading it.”

Fang Nian smiled wryly. It seemed useless at first glance, but if a mere Mediocre difficulty reward was a long-lost Taoist scripture, then the rewards for the Hell tasks must be truly extraordinary.

Reinvigorated, Fang Nian’s fatigue vanished and excitement surged within him.

“According to the rules, the Mediocre and Mortal difficulty quests should have refreshed.”

Eagerly, he opened the system menu, and sure enough, the quests had been updated.

Mediocre Difficulty: To become an outstanding hunter, learning is essential. Observe a hunt in the Soul Hunting Ground and take notes for study.

Mortal Difficulty: The Soul Hunting Ground is not a challenge that one can conquer alone. You need a formidable team. Assemble a small hunting team, including at least the following professions: Warrior, Story Archivist, Mechanic, and Codebreaker.

Hell Difficulty: Within twenty-four hours, successfully clear a solo-themed hunting ground of grade F or above, and achieve an evaluation of grade A or higher.

Nightmare Difficulty: Temporarily unavailable.

You may only select one system quest at a time. Upon completion, the Mediocre and Mortal difficulty quests will automatically refresh, while Hell and Nightmare require completion of corresponding tasks to refresh. Rewards are issued according to difficulty.

Kind Reminder: Some tasks may inflict inhuman suffering upon the host. Please choose with caution, lest you meet a tragic end.

Final interpretation of all tasks belongs to the system. Good luck.

Fang Nian was speechless.

“Xiao Xi, you can skip the warm reminders next time, alright?”

“Understood.”

At that moment, Fang Nian hesitated. The Mortal difficulty seemed ill-suited for a newcomer to District Sixteen like himself. The Mediocre task left him equally uninspired.

Squinting, Fang Nian’s eyes narrowed to slits as he gazed at the Hell difficulty.

“If I’m going to make my mark, I might as well go all in.”