Lin Ye sighed. He had a feeling that if he could just close that strange box, this simulation would be over. But he couldn't close it.
*The box is already three-quarters open. Did the first two people open it?*
*No, it's more likely that the box being opened triggered the anomaly, and that's why we were sent here.*
*Closing the box requires some kind of energy. What about opening it? Does that also require a certain energy?*
*Could the two D-Class Personnel and the captain who went before have passively provided the energy to open it?*
*In that case, if I go in first, will I be able to close the box easily?*
Soon, the prison transport stopped in front of the villa again.
Without wasting words, Lin Ye stepped forward and let a team member put the helmet on him.
No one objected. After all, it was a suicide mission; no one was going to stop Lin Ye from taking the first step.
Helmet on, Lin Ye strode into the villa, only to see a figure hanging upside down in the center of the main hall the moment he stepped inside.
The figure opened its eyes, its blood-red pupils glowing faintly in the dark.
The instant he saw the figure, Lin Ye's body began to break apart into small pieces. These pieces then twisted, turned, and reconnected around a central point, finally assembling into a brand-new object.
……………
*Bzzzz...*
[Simulations Remaining: 6]
Lin Ye stared blankly into space. He hadn't actually felt any pain, but a sense of distortion that transcended his nervous system lingered, leaving him unable to even move a finger for a moment.
Thankfully, the feeling of distortion quickly faded, and Lin Ye could think clearly again.
*I can't go in first. Going in first is certain death.*
*I'll have to try going in second. If that doesn't work either...*
The prison transport stopped in front of the villa. This time, Lin Ye waited for Number 1 to enter before stepping forward and requesting to be the second one in.
Once again, no one stopped him. Lin Ye expertly put on the helmet and waited for the captain's order.
A few minutes later, the captain ordered Lin Ye into the villa. Without a hint of hesitation, he strode inside.
This time, the shadow was no longer in the center of the first-floor hall. Lin Ye didn't look around, instead dashing straight for the stairs leading to the second floor.
On the second floor, the black box sat on the coffee table just as before, but its lid was less than a quarter of the way open.
*So opening the box really does consume life. Those damn things must have come out of it.*
Lin Ye wasted no time, rushing to the coffee table to try and close the box.
"Wait! What are you doing?"
The captain's voice crackled through his headset.
It might have really been the captain's voice, or it might not have been. Regardless, Lin Ye paid it no mind.
If he failed again this time, he might have to resort to a more drastic approach.
The lid was still ice-cold. Although the warmth was draining from his body slower than last time, Lin Ye was still gradually losing sensation. Worse, it felt like something was approaching from behind.
There was no sound, no other sensory change, but he could just feel it.
Lin Ye's body began to segment and distort. Fortunately, he had already lost almost all feeling in his body, which allowed him to barely push the lid shut.
The instant the lid closed, all sensation vanished. Lin Ye collapsed to the floor, staring at the dark ceiling as he completely lost consciousness.
………………
[Simulation Ended]
[Simulations Remaining: 6]
[Obtained 6 random items from the event]
[Obtained Abyss Box Usage Right x1]
[Obtained Title: Savior]
Lin Ye climbed out of bed in the Sanctuary. He didn't feel any discomfort, but when he saw what was in the room, his blood ran cold.
It was an orange-colored specimen of a reassembled human body, hanging upside down. Mounted on the wall like a mural, it brazenly displayed itself to Lin Ye.
"Damn!!! How the fuck did you follow me here?!"
Cold sweat trickled down Lin Ye's back. It was like waking up from a nightmare only to find the monster from his dream in the real world.
A quick look at "paw𝑟ead.com" will leave you more fulfilled.
But he quickly realized it must be one of the items the simulator had rewarded him with.
Besides the "mural," five other items were laid out on the floor: a fully loaded pistol, a simple ration pack, a simple medkit, a full set of military combat fatigues, and a dagger.
The pistol was a model Lin Ye had never seen before, and it contained ten rounds.
The ration pack contained five Energy Bars and two cans of an energy drink. There was no ingredient list, so Lin Ye had no idea what they were made of.
The medkit held three metal syringes labeled: Emergency, Treatment, and Lifesaving. There was also a roll of bandages, a bottle of anti-inflammatories, and a bottle of painkillers.
The combat fatigues were a perfect fit and not too heavy. Lin Ye could move freely after putting them on.
The dagger was just an ordinary dagger, though it felt like it was of good quality.
Lin Ye opened the System panel and found two new notifications: one for the Abyss Box usage right, and the other for the title he had just obtained.
[Savior]
[Your actions have saved an entire region. Your deeds are already spreading throughout the Organization.]
[Note: As you unlock more titles, your treatment as D-Class Personnel will also improve.]
"Huh? Better treatment? Can't I just get promoted to C-Class Personnel?"
Lin Ye had a speechless expression on his face. He would much rather be doing less challenging work.
[Abyss Box Usage Right]
[You can open the Abyss Box once at no cost and retrieve one item from within.]
[Note: This is a dangerous item. Please do not open it casually.]
"This... isn't going to spit out a monster, is it?"
After some thought, Lin Ye decided to use the Abyss Box anyway. The System's information stated that the Sanctuary was absolutely safe. Since his Innate Ability came from the System, whatever came out of this box shouldn't be able to break the System's rules.
The absolute safety only lasted for seven days, so it was best to use the Abyss Box now.
Lin Ye selected the option to open the Abyss Box directly in the System.
A pitch-black box appeared in the center of the Sanctuary, looking exactly like the one in the simulation.
The Abyss Box opened automatically, and a flood of bizarrely shaped things poured out, filling the entire Sanctuary.
[Dangerous information detected in the Sanctuary. Neutralization in progress...]
[Neutralization complete. Please make your selection as soon as possible.]
Lin Ye was stunned. The instant the Abyss Box opened, he felt as if he had died countless times in every way imaginable as all sorts of strange things filled the Sanctuary.
Luckily, he had the System's protection; otherwise, he would have been done for.
After the System's processing, Lin Ye's Sanctuary now looked like a basement from some movie, piled high with all kinds of bizarre and grotesque items.
A bottle made of an unknown, brilliantly white material; a stuffed animal covered in unidentifiable fur; a penguin with one eye that moved; a hanging scroll with an indiscernible image...
Even Lin Ye himself was covered in creatures that looked like butterflies. Their aquamarine wings trembled slightly, as if they were about to take flight at any moment.
Proofreader: Peter Pan