Chapter 306: Is It a Reward or a Trap?

But even so, one can see that this small town must have once been quite prosperous.

And at that moment, a sudden burst of excited shouts rose from not far away:

"Whoa, everyone come quick, there are tons of Treasure Chests here!"

"My god! How can there be so many Treasure Chests here? White, green, blue, purple… even Red Treasure Chests. If I could claim them all, I'd become a big shot instantly!"

"I advise everyone to be cautious; when things go awry, demons are bound to appear. After all, we've survived countless hardships and just barely made it this far, so we should stay alert—what if this is a trap?"

"Exactly, having so many Treasure Chests appear here is obviously abnormal; there could be traps inside. I urge everyone to be careful."

……

Lin Yifan heard the crowd's shouts and hurriedly ran over with Ruan Qing Tuan and the others.

Reaching the center of the crowd, he finally saw that the grass ahead was littered with Treasure Chests.

The Treasure Chests were multicolored, each emitting a halo as if waiting for someone to pick them up.

"So tempting, I feel even more that this is a trap!" Ruan Qingtan, standing beside Lin Yifan, immediately furrowed his brows, stepped back a half-step, and wore a face full of caution.

Lin Yifan naturally understood this, but they currently had no way to return to the Initial Domain, which in itself was abnormal.

Now that an anomaly has appeared here, it might be the clue to leaving this place, so he must investigate no matter what.

However, just as he was preparing, someone indeed beat him to it and stepped directly onto one of the Red Treasure Chests.

There were only two Red Treasure Chests here; he chose one, and from Lin Yifan's perspective, the one he chose was the brighter-colored.

The two Red Treasure Chests: one with a dull hue, one with a proper hue. Normally they wouldn't seem odd, but in an Instance, you must select the latter.

Before Lin Yifan could intervene, the person impatiently lifted the lid of the Red Treasure Chest.

In an instant, dazzling red light shot upward, bathing the ruins in a blood‑red glow. The person let out an ecstatic scream: "It's equipment! Legendary equipment!"

He now wielded a wholly crimson longbow, its shaft wrapped in flame patterns and exuding scorching aura. The others, seeing this, reddened with envy and rushed toward the Treasure Chests they coveted.

"Hold on! It could be dangerous!" Lin Yifan shouted, but it was already too late.

The moment the crowd touched the Treasure Chests, a sudden mutation erupted. The unchosen chests violently trembled, their lids opening automatically, spewing thick black mist.

From the black mist, countless skeletal hands emerged, grabbing the nearest people and dragging them into the chests.

"Help!"

"What the hell is this!"

Screams rose in waves. Lin Yifan acted decisively, brandishing the Dawn Sword to slice off several bone hands, rescuing a few companions who had nearly been dragged away.

Ruan Qingtan quickly cast a spell, laying a pale golden protective barrier around the group.

Even so, the person who first reached for a Treasure Chest and claimed the weapon had already turned into a desiccated corpse.

And the weapon he held faded away slowly like a shadow.

"Everyone back!" Lin Yifan, seeing this, involuntarily inhaled a cold breath and shouted sternly:

"These Treasure Chests are bait; do not approach them, and certainly do not open them to take what's inside."

Having watched a living person turn into a dry corpse right before one's eyes, who would dare act recklessly?

The crowd retreated, still shaken, saying:

"That damned fate is so hateful; we barely survived this far, only to be given a trap—it's as if it fears we won't die completely!"

"We barely made it this far, only to lose our lives like this—what a waste! Luckily I hesitated a moment; otherwise I'd probably be a dry corpse now."

"Regrettable, yes, but we can't blame anyone. These Treasure Chests appeared out of nowhere; even a toe could tell something's off. Yet that guy threw himself at the most precious Red Treasure Chest. If he doesn't die, who will?"

"Right, greed killed him; no one to blame. Still, these Treasure Chests are strange, and I have a feeling they might relate to how we return to the Initial Domain."

……

But at that moment, the two opened Red Treasure Chests, after the black mist cleared, remained quietly where they lay, still emitting an alluring glow.

Only the contents had changed, and what they turned into was uncertain, because the items radiated dazzling light that held one's gaze.

Lin Yifan only just sensed danger, but thereafter felt no further threat, leaving him hesitant.

He wanted to trust his sixth sense, but betting with it meant a win was fine, while a loss would be fatal.

More importantly, he had never been a gambler, let alone with his own life at stake, so after a brief thought he said plainly:

"Everyone, one last thing: I feel the danger has passed, these Treasure Chests are still here, perhaps they are a reward for us, so no more danger should follow."

"But that's just speculation; I don't know what's true or false. I want to try it, and you can wait for me to test it before proceeding."

Having said that, he stepped forward, intending to choose a Red Treasure Chest to open.

But Ruan Qingtan blocked him, saying with a disapproving face: "You can't take that risk; you saw what happened earlier—if your sense is wrong, you'll lose your life."

"I'll be prepared," Lin Yifan sighed lightly, saying helplessly:

"So far we still haven't returned to the Initial Domain, which shows that here our mission remains unfinished; only when the mission is completed can we leave."

"Given what's happened, urging everyone to venture out is impossible, but I still feel there's no danger inside, so I want to gamble on my sixth sense."

"What if you fail?" Ruan Qingtan said, eyes watery and face anxious:

"This is far too dangerous; if you gamble wrong, the next dry corpse will be you."

"What kind of sixth sense is worth betting your own life on? I therefore refuse your plan, firmly disagree."