Chapter 21. Box of Serenity
Looking at the box in Lumine's hand, even Paimon immediately understood what had happened. The Traveler had clearly succeeded in signing in and obtained an item, while she herself had only received experience points. The contrast was so direct that her expression instantly collapsed.
"This?!" Paimon stared at the box in disbelief. She had always been quite confident in her luck, yet she hadn't expected such a result on her very first attempt.
"It's all the same, it's all the same." Futsu Mitama waved his hand casually, speaking with the calmness of someone who had long grown accustomed to bad luck.
"Even with so-called luck-enhancing items, very few people in the group have actually drawn anything meaningful. If not for Klee and Aila, this sign-in system would basically just be 'experience collection'."
Kuki Shinobu nodded slightly in agreement. Over the past half year, even with items created by Albedo to increase luck, the results had barely changed. Aside from gaining slightly more experience than usual, item drops were almost nonexistent.
"Hmph! Then next time I'll definitely get something!"
Paimon clenched her fists, her eyes lighting up again with determination. Even though she had just been told she had to wait until the next day to sign in again, she was already convinced that her future luck would turn around.
Sangonomiya Kokomi smiled faintly and added gently, "Confidence is good, but don't be overly confident. The last Guuji who thought the same way is now beginning to doubt her own luck."
At the side, Guizhong quietly glanced at Zhongli. He had not drawn anything since joining either, yet his expression remained completely calm, as if it had nothing to do with him.
"Rather than that…" Shinobu shifted the topic, looking at the box in Lumine's hand. "What kind of item is this?"
"It looks…strange."
The box was clearly divided into two halves. One side carried a radiant sun pattern, giving off a sense of warmth and hope, while the other side bore a blood-red moon, with dark, ominous patterns that suggested destruction and despair. The contrast was so extreme that it made people instinctively uneasy.
"There's an introduction." Futsu Mitama looked at Lumine. "The Chat Group will provide a basic description of items."
"Is it a one-time item or a continuous one?"
"That's important," he added. "Continuous items are rare."
Lumine nodded slightly and read the description carefully. Her expression became somewhat subtle as she spoke. "It's called the 'Box of Serenity.' It can be opened ten times a day. Under Aha's arrangement, the user can obtain some small items."
"If you sincerely wish for something… there might be special effects. Sincerity makes it work. If it doesn't work, then it means you weren't sincere — Aha."
(I don't have the impression of this box from Star Rail, anyone who might know something should comment about this box name or use in the original)
The moment she finished reading, everyone's eyes lit up.
Ten times a day.
That alone made it far superior to the normal sign-in system.
"Ten pulls?" Futsu Mitama's interest was immediately piqued. Compared to a single daily sign-in, this was practically a dream. Even if the results were mediocre, ten attempts still meant far more chances.
"Traveler! Open it and try!" Paimon urged eagerly, almost unable to contain herself. "Ten chances! What if something good comes out?!"
Lumine glanced at Futsu Mitama instinctively.
"Give it a try," he said calmly. "There shouldn't be a problem."
"Okay."
She placed the box on the table and slowly opened it.
"Buzz—!!!"
A brilliant golden light burst out instantly, flooding the entire courtyard.
"!!!"
Futsu Mitama's eyes widened slightly. That golden glow triggered something almost instinctive within him.
"So bright!!" Paimon covered her eyes, overwhelmed by the light.
"Something good?" Kokomi's eyes flickered with curiosity.
"Golden light—what could it be?" Guizhong leaned forward slightly, clearly interested.
Only Zhongli remained silent, his gaze fixed on the box. His intuition told him something was not quite right, and he quietly prepared himself in case something unexpected appeared.
Lumine, now slightly excited, opened the box fully.
Inside—
There was a bag of trash.
A glowing, golden…bag of trash.
A faint, unpleasant smell drifted out, completely contradicting the sacred aura it had displayed moments ago.
"…"
Silence.
No one spoke.
For a moment, the entire courtyard seemed frozen.
"How about my turn?" Futsu Mitama suddenly said, as if nothing had happened.
"Alright," Lumine replied, rubbing her forehead slightly before taking out the glowing trash and throwing it aside. The golden effect vanished immediately, leaving nothing but an ordinary pile of garbage.
Futsu Mitama stepped forward, muttering "good item, good item" under his breath as he opened the box.
Golden light flashed again.
This time—
A golden-glowing chest wrap appeared, carrying a faint smell of gunpowder.
"…"
Silence again.
One by one, the others took their turns.
Paimon got three cabbages.
Kuki Shinobu obtained a usable talisman.
Guizhong received an apple.
Sangonomiya Kokomi got a lively fish.
Zhongli drew a multicolored gemstone.
Shenhe received a blue-and-white porcelain bowl.
Then—
It was Aila's turn.
Without hesitation, she stepped forward and opened the box.
"Buzz—!!!"
This time, what emerged was not light—
But darkness.
A dense, ominous black aura surged out from within.
"!"
Zhongli's expression changed slightly. A faint golden glow appeared around him as Geo elemental power gathered instantly, forming a protective barrier around the entire courtyard.
"Abyssal power?!" Guizhong's tone sharpened as she raised her hand, summoning swirling dust that reinforced the barrier.
Futsu Mitama reacted even faster. Wind surged around him as he activated the Anemo Archon's authority, channeling power into the Gnosis. In the same instant, the Seven Thunder of Retribution: Narukami appeared in his hand, and the Chakra Desiderata unfolded behind him.
He did not hesitate.
He went all out.
At that moment, his aura surged violently, reaching a level capable of contending with a weakened Archon.
Lumine's expression tightened as she felt that pressure. Without thinking, she drew her dull blade and stepped forward, instinctively entering a combat stance.
Even without fully understanding the situation—
She knew one thing.
This was dangerous.
The moment the Abyssal aura erupted, everyone present instinctively reacted. The atmosphere in the courtyard shifted from relaxed to tense in an instant, and almost everyone entered a combat-ready state. The earlier warmth from the meal vanished completely, replaced by a sharp vigilance that filled every corner of the space.
Only Aila remained different.
She seemed to sense something.
Without hesitation, she stepped forward and opened the box again.
Inside, the previously chaotic Abyssal energy did not surge outward as expected. Instead, it condensed, gathering into a faint blackish-red glow that slowly took shape. Before anyone could act, that glow transformed into a pair of watery, floating eyes.
"Ah—!!!!"
Paimon shrieked instantly and darted behind Lumine. She had long accepted her role—when danger appeared, she would hide first and think later.
Futsu Mitama, however, did not move. His gaze fixed on those eyes, and a faint trace of confusion appeared within it. For some reason, there was something about them that felt… familiar.
Aila stepped forward calmly, her expression steady, completely lacking any hostility. She looked directly at the eyes and spoke as if greeting someone she already knew.
"How are things on your side?"
The eyes paused for a brief moment, then shifted slightly, as if observing the surroundings. They lingered for an instant on Futsu Mitama, then returned to Aila.
"Is that so? Do you need help?"
"I see… I understand."
"Young Master already knows where you are. We'll be there in a few days."
"Very dangerous? Young Master is stronger than you think."
"Hmm… don't die before we arrive."
"I will win."
The exchange was short, almost abrupt, yet filled with an unspoken understanding.
After the final sentence, the eyes took one last look at Futsu Mitama, then slowly closed. The blackish-red aura dissipated, and the box returned to its previous stillness, as if nothing had happened.
For a moment, no one spoke.
Even those present, who had experienced countless strange events, found it difficult to immediately process what they had just witnessed.
"Black Aila?" Futsu Mitama finally asked, his gaze turning toward Aila.
"Mm." Aila nodded, then closed the box once more.
As the Abyssal aura completely vanished, Zhongli and Guizhong withdrew their power at the same time. The golden Geo barrier and the swirling dust dispersed silently, restoring the courtyard to its original state. Futsu Mitama also released his own power, the Anemo Gnosis dimming as the Chakra Desiderata and The Omnipresent God's Wheel faded away.
"That was her," Aila said, her voice slightly faster than usual, betraying a rare urgency. "That Abyssal power—it belongs to her."
"She said that something in the unseen world is pulling at her power. She attached her consciousness to it to see who was interfering."
"After realizing it was me, she told me she is trapped in a place where time and hunger cannot be perceived. Staying there for too long has already begun to blur her consciousness. Black monsters appear there, along with fallen Millelith, and they constantly attack her."
She paused slightly before continuing.
"There is also a four-armed humanoid figure wearing a mask, capable of wielding Electro elemental power. That one is the most dangerous. Even she cannot defeat it completely. Even if she kills it, it will revive after a period of time. She can only evade it."
As Aila spoke, Guizhong's eyes lit up immediately.
"Four arms, masked, wielding Electro?" she repeated, her tone turning sharp with certainty. "That must be Bosacius."
She turned to Futsu Mitama, her expression carrying both surprise and curiosity. "The leader of the Five Yakshas. The strongest among them. And your maid can actually kill him once?"
Even as she said it, she clearly understood that something was off.
Futsu Mitama shook his head slightly. "That's probably not the real Bosacius. If it were the real one, she mightn't be able to handle him like that."
He paused, his gaze thoughtful.
"That space is likely reproducing fragments… or afterimages. Just like it did with Xiao in the original situation. But this time, the target is her."
Guizhong fell silent for a moment, clearly considering this explanation.
Aila, however, continued.
"That place has already become unstable. [I] told us not to enter for now. Because of the spatial disturbance, if we go down, we will most likely be caught in a vortex. If we enter as a group, we will be separated."
"So she suggested that for now…she will remain there and not attempt to break out."
The implication was clear.
Black Aila had already caused enough chaos inside that space. If they rushed in recklessly, the situation would only become worse.
After saying this, Aila fell silent again.
Just as the courtyard settled into a heavy quiet—
"Thump, thump, thump!"
A knock suddenly sounded from the door. A lively, energetic voice followed immediately after.
"Hello, hello? Anyone home? Futsu Mitama, you guys are back, right?!"
"What was that just now? Dust everywhere and a Geo barrier! The Millelith have already arrived, so be careful~"
The voice was unmistakable.
Hu Tao—had returned.
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