HP: Bad Intentions

"System! This Eye of Truth evaluates the ability and potential of animals and plants. Isn't it similar to your equipment rating system?" Blake asked.

The system's reply was immediate and mechanical:

[Ding! The light perceived by the Eye of Truth is a comprehensive evaluation of the ability and potential value of animals and plants. The ranking hierarchy is as follows: gold as the highest, followed by purple, blue, cyan, and white.]

It continued

[Ding! The system prompts that only characters with blue or higher light outlines can drop treasure chests above gold level. Cyan, and anything below cyan, can only drop silver treasure chests.]

"So that's how it works!" Blake exclaimed, a grin spreading across his face. The Eye of Truth was proving to be even more valuable than he initially thought.

Without hesitation, Blake darted out of the Room of Requirement and made his way to the garden filled with Whomping Willows. Activating his Eye of Truth, he inspected each tree one by one, checking their outlines against the system panel.

Sure enough, the tree radiating golden light had the strongest attributes among all the Whomping Willows. The rest displayed descending colours, their potential clearly ranked. The system's classification was precise and reliable.

"Qing Yue!" Blake called out, summoning his phoenix.

With a trill, Qing Yue appeared in a flash of emerald light, her delicate form perched on Blake's arm. The Ice Crystal Phoenix tilted her head, her intelligent eyes fixed on him.

Blake activated his Eye of Truth, studying her intently. A faint golden light radiated from her form, confirming that she was indeed a being of golden legendary quality.

"Chirp, chirp, chirp?" Qing Yue's melodic voice conveyed a curious tone. "(Is something wrong?)"

Realizing he had been staring for too long, Blake chuckled. "It's nothing. Here, have some cod." He placed a bucket of fresh fish on the ground, watching as Qing Yue flapped her wings and descended eagerly.

"Chirp, chirp, chirp! (Hey, I'm eating because you told me to, not because I wanted to! If I gain weight, it'll be your fault!)" she seemed to scold between bites.

Blake reached out to gently stroke the soft feathers on her head. "That's right. Eat as much as you want. Even if you get fat, I won't mind."

Qing Yue chirped indignantly but continued eating, clearly enjoying her meal.

Satisfied with his tests on magical creatures and plants, Blake turned his attention back to his surroundings. Even though he was alone in the Room of Requirement, he couldn't suppress his excitement about the Eye of Truth's abilities.

Summoning a small dimensional portal, Blake directed his gaze through it. On the other side, his dormitory came into view. His roommates were fast asleep, oblivious to the faint circle of sparks that had appeared on the ceiling.

Using the Eye of Truth, Blake examined them closely. Roger Malone's body emitted a faint blue light, indicating excellent potential. Wayne Hopkins, in the bed next to him, also radiated a similar hue.

Both of them had good qualifications and could potentially yield gold-level treasure chests.

Then Blake's gaze fell on Bob, whose outline glowed a faint purple.

"Hmm," Blake mused. "That makes sense. Training as an Animagus at his age does require exceptional talent."

Satisfied with his observations, Blake closed the dimensional door. He leaned back, mentally summarizing the benefits of the Eye of Truth.

"Support, attack, reconnaissance—this artifact is versatile beyond belief," he thought.

He couldn't deny its overwhelming value. The ability to see through barriers, assess potential, and identify high-value targets made it one of the most potent tools in his arsenal. And while he wouldn't admit it aloud, he couldn't ignore the artifact's more covert applications… not that he planned to abuse it, of course.

Blake's thoughts turned to the supreme treasure chest still in his inventory. The diamond chest had already yielded a good reward, pushing the boundaries of what he expected. What kind of surprise would the supreme treasure chest hold?

Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Blake commanded, "System, open the Supreme Treasure Chest!"

[Ding! The Supreme Treasure Chest is being opened for the host!]

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining the Illustrated System Module!]

[Ding! Would the host like to use this module to upgrade the system?]

"Illustrated System Module?" Blake repeated, puzzled. "System, what does this module do? How does it strengthen the system?"

The system began its explanation:

[The Illustrated System Module adds new functionality to the system. Specifically, it enables the creation of a comprehensive illustrated book.]

Blake's curiosity deepened. "Illustrated book? Explain further."

[Ding! The illustrated book records detailed information about individuals who have completely submitted to the host. Once a person is added to the book, their loyalty becomes absolute, and they will never betray the host.]

The system elaborated,

[Characters included in the illustrated book provide attribute feedback to the host. Each individual randomly increases one of the host's attributes, and the strength of the feedback correlates with their potential and abilities. The higher their potential, the greater the attribute boost.]

Blake listened intently as the system continued:

[Additionally, the death of individuals in the illustrated book will not reduce the host's boosted attributes.]

For a moment, Blake was speechless. "So, I can grow stronger simply by recruiting people?" he asked, astonished.

The system confirmed: [Correct. The more high-potential individuals the host recruits, the stronger the host becomes. However, the host must personally convince them to submit. The system does not assist in recruitment.]

Blake's mind raced. The implications were staggering. "This is absurdly overpowered," he muttered. There was no limit to the number of recruits he could add, and the loyalty clause ensured they would remain unwaveringly devoted. The only challenge lay in persuading them to join—a task that relied on his charisma and strategy.

Suddenly, Blake's thoughts turned to the Eye of Truth. "Wait a second," he said aloud. "The Eye of Truth lets me assess someone's potential and abilities… And now I have a module that rewards me for recruiting high-potential individuals?"

His suspicion grew. "System, are you sure these rewards are random? Because it feels like they're designed to work together."

The system, as always, remained aloof. Blake shook his head, a mix of amusement and unease bubbling within him. "If that's the case," he mused, "I may have just stepped onto a path I can't turn back from."

The possibilities were endless. With the Eye of Truth and the Illustrated System Module at his disposal, Blake's path to power seemed all but guaranteed. But the responsibility—and the potential dangers—were equally immense. For now, he resolved to take things one step at a time, his golden-tinged eyes gleaming with determination.

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