Wen Yuâs expression flickered uncertainly.
It wasnât that the Touch of Greed displeased Wen Yu; on the contrary, he was exceedingly pleased with it!
This was a piece of equipment without a level requirement, meaning it was a treasure comparable to the Book of Black!
However, Wen Yu had already sensed a deep, hidden malice emanating from the treasure land.
The last three items he had obtained aloneâthe Blood and Flesh Badge, the Flames of Tyranny, and the Touch of Greedâalready made him feel that this treasure land was an absolute godsend.
But for these items to appear at this particular time was, in Wen Yuâs view, simply inconceivable.
Even a Level 8 professionist would be ecstatic to obtain any one of these items.
Unless... that so-called Second Stage...
The more one receives, the more one must give! This was a principle Wen Yu had always believed in. Nothing in this world comes without a price!
Yet, what had he given in return this time? Absolutely nothing. No danger, no crisis, not even anything remotely difficult. It had all been too easy, far too simple!
The more Wen Yu looked at Pandoraâs Magic Box before him, the more he felt that this small item, which had brought about a metamorphosis in his strength, was a ticking time bomb. Once it detonated, everyone in the treasure land would be blown to smithereens!
Letting out a heavy sigh, Wen Yu turned to look at the few people beside him, and then at the forest where an unknown number of professionists lay hidden.
"Things might not be looking good!" Wen Yu said to William and the others with a wry smile.
"Whatâs wrong? Is the quality of the treasures not up to par? Did Pandoraâs Magic Box trick you?"
It was Chu Ziling who spoke, a gloating look on his face.
Wen Yu considered putting down Pandoraâs Magic Box and teleporting directly out of the treasure land. But after a momentâs thought, he picked it up again.
What if... what if there were still more treasures? What rank would they be? SSS-Class? Or perhaps an even higher rank he had never even heard of?
After mulling it over for a long while, the greed and desire for a lucky break grew stronger in Wen Yuâs eyes.
Behind greed lies destruction.
However, with wealth and power laid out so blatantly before him, Wen Yu found it impossible to resist the temptation.
Just one more time. What if thereâs really something? What if?
The current Wen Yu would unhesitatingly step forward, even if an abyss yawned before him.
"Hey, what on earth is going on?"
Seeing Wen Yuâs hesitation and inner conflict, even William wore an inquisitive expression.
"Itâs nothing." Shaking his head briefly, Wen Yu tucked Pandoraâs Magic Box into his clothes.
Ultimately, he still couldnât resist the allure of power.
...
Thirty minutes slipped by quietly while Wen Yu maintained a grave expression.
It was time for Pandoraâs Magic Box to open again.
But this time, Wen Yu didnât open Pandoraâs Magic Box directly.
"Let me briefly share my own speculation," he said. As he spoke, Wen Yu exited his combat stance and began to absorb the magic crystals he had pried from Chu Zilingâs grasp.
"This might be the last time it opens. If something comes out, Iâll take it and teleport out immediately. Then, Pandoraâs Magic Box is yours!"
Upon hearing this, the eyes of the others immediately lit up.
Wen Yu had already absorbed six Level 2 magic crystals, raising his physical attributes to 50 pointsâthe peak of Level 2!
After feeding the remaining 52 magic crystals one by one to the little Soul Beast, Wen Yu spoke again.
"Do you remember that saying? âBehind greed lies destruction.â"
He carefully scanned his surroundings. Apart from William, who seemed lost in thought, the other four appeared to be selectively ignoring Wen Yuâs words.
"Brother Sun."
Wen Yu turned his gaze directly to Sun Ruixing, who stood behind William, almost like an invisible man.
"What is it?" Sun Ruixing looked at Wen Yu curiously.
"Even you wouldnât choose to teleport out now, right?"
Sun Ruixing studied Wen Yu carefully, hesitated for a long moment, then nodded earnestly.
"Actually, I have my own selfish desires. I also want to become stronger. I believe I might gain something in the Second Stage. Thatâs also greed, isnât it?"
"Alright. Since even you think so, thereâs nothing more for me to say."
Even Sun Ruixing, whom Wen Yu considered a moral paragon, thought this way. The others who had remained until now surely wouldnât think any differently! It was useless to say anything more.
Wen Yu had already sensed the immense crisis lurking within the Second Stage. He had initially wanted to persuade these less powerful individuals not to throw their lives away needlessly. Such a warning wouldnât affect him personally, and it was merely a matter of a few words, so Wen Yu didnât mind offering it.
But, searching his heart, Wen Yu knew that if he were in their shoes, he wouldnât give up either!
"Get ready," Wen Yu said.
Seeing Wen Yuâs solemn expression, the others immediately understood what he was implying. It wasnât that the treasure was bad; it was too good. So good, in fact, that it made Wen Yu think,
Such incredible benefits surely wouldnât be given for free!
Jiang Wentao said nothing. He directly instructed Monkey to retrieve the plasma hand grenade from the ground and took out the Knuckle Duster already stored in his space ring.
William, too, silently prepared for battle.
Only Chu Ziling was still clamoring, "What do you mean? What are you talking about? If youâre not going to open the treasure box, then hurry up and leave!"
The little Soul Beast had absorbed 50 magic crystals, its physical attributes now at 50 points, also at the peak of Level 2. Wen Yu placed the remaining two Level 2 magic crystals into his space ring and carefully picked up Pandoraâs Magic Box.
"Prepare yourselves!"
With Wen Yuâs loud command, he forcefully opened Pandoraâs Magic Box.
Nothing happened.
Wen Yuâs heart skipped a beat!
There was no glow of treasure, no treasure at all; the box was completely empty!
"What happened? Is it over?" Seeing Wen Yu open Pandoraâs Magic Box without the usual massive pillar of white light, Chu Zilingâs face instantly filled with disappointment.
"Itâs over."
Wen Yuâs expression was extremely grim. He swiftly took out the teleportation jade charm from his space ring and crushed it, silently willing himself to teleport.
But, nothing happened!
The First Stage was over. The teleportation jade charm was useless!
Just then, a voice echoed throughout Cacodemons Island.
"I did warn you, didnât I? âBehind greed lies destruction.â
"But you only saw the treasures and failed to perceive the danger.
"The danger has never originated from within you humans.
"So, allow me to show you what true danger, true destruction, and true despair really are!
"Welcome to the Second Stage of the treasure landâs trial.
"Welcome... to my world!"