The black ring had rolled to a spot near the threshold.
After taking three or four steps, Lin Lei stopped abruptly right before the threshold—he had clearly felt something under his foot, something like a large pebble.
"When I checked earlier, there was no pebble near the threshold. It must be a splinter from the broken wooden rack." Thinking of the collapsed wooden shelf, a surge of irritation rose in his heart, and he ground his foot down hard on the 'splinter.'
According to Lin Lei's reasoning, if it was a rotten piece of wood, it should crumble to dust the moment he stepped on it. But—
"Ow, that's hard? What's under my foot?" Lin Lei realized the thing beneath him was unusually tough, and immediately lifted his foot to get a closer look.
There, lying quietly on the ground, was a black, unremarkable ring-shaped object, covered in a layer of dust. It was completely inconspicuous.
"A ring?" Lin Lei's sharp eyes lit up with delight as he picked up the black ring from the floor. He then used his already filthy sleeve to scrub it vigorously several times, and only then did he make out the true appearance of the black ring-like object.
It was entirely pitch black, its material looking like a cross between wood and stone.
The ring was made entirely of this wood-and-stone substance, and engraved on the band was a very faint, twisted shape—
"A worm?" Lin Lei stared at the carving on the ring band, puzzled.
At first glance, his mind had identified that 'twisted elongated shape' as an earthworm.
Lin Lei chuckled and muttered to himself, "The craftsmanship is truly terrible—any random person off the street would probably do a better job. What a pity, there's not even a decent diamond on this black ring, let alone anything as precious as a magic crystal."
Usually rings came adorned with diamonds or magic crystals.
But this black ring was nothing but pitch-black wood-and-stone material throughout—not a trace of diamond or magic crystal in sight. It was clearly worthless.
For reasons he couldn't quite explain, Lin Lei found himself drawn to this black ring the moment he saw it. Perhaps it was simply because it was his sole prize from all the effort he'd put into treasure hunting in the old house.
"Hmm, this ring is too big for my finger—I can't wear it on my hand. I'll find a string and thread it through, then wear it as a pendant." His eyes brightened.
At only eight years old, Lin Lei's hands were far smaller than an adult's, so he couldn't wear the black ring on his finger.
"As for what to name this black ring… Worm Ring? No, that sounds terrible." Lin Lei pondered for a moment, then his eyes lit up. "Heh, that twisted shape could pass for a 'dragon' too. A dragon coiling around the ring—so I'll call it… Coiling Dragon! The Coiling Dragon Ring!" Even though Lin Lei thought the twisted figure looked more like an earthworm, he still named it the 'Coiling Dragon Ring.'
"The Coiling Dragon Ring!" Lin Lei held up the dark, ancient-looking Coiling Dragon Ring and broke into a brilliant smile.
Because of the family's financial difficulties, this was the first pendant Lin Lei had ever owned from childhood to now—and it was especially meaningful since he had found it through his own effort. This only deepened his fondness for it.
"Oh no, the evening training session is almost here!"
Lin Lei suddenly snapped to attention, panic flooding his mind. He looked down at himself—covered head to toe in dust, looking like a beggar. "That's bad." Without a moment's hesitation, he dashed out of the old house at full speed and headed straight for the washroom.
*Splash!*
Lin Lei doused himself with water. His skin was a healthy wheat color, and his body already showed well-defined muscle lines—a testament to his rigorous training. Under the cascade of water, the dust washed away quickly.
Working at top speed, he rinsed himself clean, then hurriedly changed into his training clothes.