Collecting Blind Boxes

These pitch-black boxes were different from the boxes in their three's vision; they weren't in that unreal state. Instead, they were casually scattered throughout the city, just like the surrounding buildings.

'Huh, what are these things? Do you turn into this if you open the box?'

Lin Ye used his mental energy to sense those boxes but found his mind couldn't penetrate the box surface at all.

The box surface was different from other materials that block mental energy. It was a type of material that could completely isolate mental energy, doing so with an exceptionally thorough seal.

'How do I leave this place now? Do I need to retrieve that system item?'

Lin Ye didn't know how to escape from here.

Just as Lin Ye was thinking seriously, a box very close to them suddenly began to vibrate violently. The lid automatically opened, and a disgustingly repulsive fleshy monster crawled out from inside.

Lin Ye controlled a spiritual energy blade to pierce the fleshy monster's vital point. The fleshy monster struggled for a while before collapsing to the ground, turning into a corpse.

"That easy?"

Lin Ye felt a bit strange. He had thought this thing would be very dangerous, but it was just a very ordinary low-level mutation creature.

Cynthia looked at Lin Ye curiously, completely unable to see how he had acted.

At that moment, a black portal suddenly appeared in the city center. A squad of humans wearing white hazmat suits walked out from it.

"Survivors?"

A woman who looked like the captain spotted Lin Ye and the others at a glance.

"Barely, I suppose. Who are you people? Where does that portal lead to?"

After the mission ended, Lin Ye could leave this place directly, but the two children couldn't leave with him. Even if the problem caused by the system item was resolved, they would still have to stay here and face the dangers outside the city.

"In principle, we don't bring people with us when we leave."

The female captain glanced at Cynthia and the silent boy. Her attitude noticeably softened a bit.

"That's negotiable. What's your purpose for coming here?"

Lin Ye felt these people weren't entering the interior of such a ritual site for the first time.

"Our mission is to collect some black boxes and take them back. You might not be able to accept this, but the things inside the boxes are no longer your fellow humans."

The female captain thought Lin Ye was a survivor from this area, after all, Lin Ye was only at the third tier and looked very young.

She had seen similar survivors before. As long as their willpower was strong and they had some luck, there was a certain probability they could avoid the first wave of black box attacks.

"No, I'm not a human from this Plane. Previously, my fellow adventurer brought the item that triggered this ritual into this Plane. The nations of this Plane attacked that fellow adventurer and obtained this item. Now they're planning to use this item against me, which is how things ended up like this."

Lin Ye explained helplessly.

"...Huh, that's quite unlucky for you."

The female captain looked at Lin Ye with suspicion. She didn't think Lin Ye was lying to her because Lin Ye had no need to fabricate a bunch of lies; he could have just gone along with what she said.

"This is a side effect from using a certain relic. Normally, I'm actually not this unlucky."

Lin Ye brought the two children closer to the squad, naturally blending into the team.

Although the female captain felt something seemed a bit off, she didn't refuse Lin Ye joining the team, and the other team members felt the same.

"What are you collecting these boxes for?"

Lin Ye watched curiously as the female captain used an instrument to scan the surrounding boxes and placed the boxes that showed green on the instrument into a spatial item.

"For research. After these people enter the boxes, they undergo an unknown random event. These random events might contain some knowledge we need, so we enter here during the ritual's first phase to take back some boxes in a stable state."

The female captain answered Lin Ye's question very naturally; she didn't feel there was anything wrong with this.

"So that's how it is. Then, when you go back, can you take these two children with you? How would your side handle this situation?"

Lin Ye also picked a few boxes and placed them into his loot space. He planned to ask the middleman later if he wanted this stuff.

"...They might be treated as experimental subjects. The situation on our side isn't exactly good."

The female captain said very honestly.

"Forget it then. You continue with your mission."

Lin Ye gave up on that idea. Their way of handling things didn't surprise him.

Along the way, boxes would automatically open from time to time. All sorts of bizarre things ran out from them: gelatinous creatures that turned into a puddle of mucus constantly wriggling, strangely shaped statues, and pools of murky bloodstain.

The things that came out of these very unstable boxes were relatively easy to deal with. Without Lin Ye needing to act, the squad members easily handled them.

Lin Ye couldn't be bothered to deal with them either. From time to time, he selected some boxes to put into his loot space, hoping the middleman would have some clients who liked opening blind boxes.

"Captain, there's a really big box over there! It's the first time I've seen a box this huge!"

A team member suddenly said excitedly.

Lin Ye had already sensed that enormous box long ago. He could roughly guess what was trapped inside.

The female captain led the squad members quickly towards the giant box. This box was as tall as a four-story building. It was the first time she had seen a black box of this model.

"Huh, I suggest you'd better not take it back. Of course, this is just a suggestion; I won't stop you."

Lin Ye thought what was inside was the parasitic butterflies he had created, because there originally weren't any individuals this large in the city. If those parasitic butterflies had undergone some random event and become more dangerous, they definitely wouldn't be suitable things for research.

"Sorry, this is our mission. No matter how dangerous it is, we must complete it."

The female captain glanced at the green stable pattern on the instrument and said with great determination.

"Alright then. However, what's inside is very likely a parasitic-type biological weapon I created. Do you need me to provide information about this weapon?"

Lin Ye held no malice towards that unknown Plane, but if the other side insisted on taking this thing back, he wouldn't forcibly stop them.

After all, Lin Ye didn't know the state of those parasitic butterflies either. This thing was like opening a blind box; what if the other side could open something good?

"So that's how it is. Then, please do."

The female captain sent someone to record the information Lin Ye provided. She wasn't too worried because after living beings enter the boxes, they generally undergo significant changes. For small parasitic creatures like these that exist in large numbers, whether they can even come out alive is a question.

Lin Ye didn't try to persuade them further either. Instead, he stood to the side, curiously watching as those team members installed a Plane transfer device near the giant box.