Chapter 2028: Black Key
The Vilna family member gently raised his hand and waved it in the air, and five old-fashioned keys of different colors appeared before him.
"These five keys have been placed in different locations around the estate. Whoever retrieves a key can obtain the box of the corresponding color."
As he spoke, he raised his hand again, and five boxes materialized in the air.
"Everyone attending the banquet has a chance to obtain a key. Please feel free to move about now."
As soon as he finished speaking, transparent diamond-shaped light pillars appeared in the space of the banquet hall. These pillars spread outward like spatial barriers, passing through furniture and decorations, sweeping through the standing crowd, layering themselves over the estate one after another. These spaces overlapped and separated, having no apparent effect on the venue on the surface, but in reality, they partitioned the estate into different spaces. Those paying close attention could sense the subtle spatial differences.
The older generation of the Vilna family and other nobles chose not to participate in this activity, leaving the opportunity to the younger members of their families. Whether the younger generation truly wanted to obtain the boxes or were just going through the motions, they all had to actively and earnestly search for the keys.
"Could we end up somewhere we shouldn't go?" a noblewoman asked quietly, and her companion beside her told her, "If you can't go there, you naturally won't be able to enter."
The spatial division just now was not only meant to increase the estate's area but also to block off places unsuitable for outsiders.
"Was this event held before?" Xu Huo asked Roy as they passed through the corridors on both sides of the venue and entered the residential area of the main building.
"Sometimes. Such activities aren't fixed; it depends on what the Vilna family has harvested that year," Roy said. "Happy things are naturally shared with everyone."
Before coming here, Xu Huo suspected that the Super Players might be settling scores after the fact. However, judging from the entire banquet, the Vilna family was not narrow-minded. The selected noble members represented the current and future backbone of their power. The purpose of the evening party was to win people over, and he just happened to be on that list.
He figured that District 011 wouldn't have only one Temporal Super Evolver, but their numbers certainly wouldn't be large. Since the local Super Player was one who excelled at using time powers, this was likely not just about winning over nobles but also about selecting talented players.
If that was the case, then the Vilna family bore him no ill will for now. Outsiders could also become noble members of District 011. As long as interests and blood ties were properly maintained, anyone could be a citizen of District 011.
The five keys were made of black, white, blue, red, and purple gemstones, each clearly carrying the aura of time power. However, the estate was also filled with time power everywhere, making it not so easy to find the keys based on that alone.
Regardless of whether anyone had discovered that he was the one who broke into that time courtyard, he was safe for now. So whether he could obtain a key or not, his situation wouldn't change, even if this was a test.
The noble youths searching for the keys maintained their decorum. Everyone searched room by room, neither competing nor arguing, and even yielding to one another. Even members of the Vilna family would take the initiative to greet marginal nobles like Xu Huo.
As soon as they reached the second floor, Roy was pulled away by a young woman. He gave Xu Huo an apologetic smile, signaling for him to go on ahead.
Xu Huo strolled to the next room and, like everyone else, reached out and turned the doorknob.
Because of the spatial barrier, he had no idea what was behind the door. So when he saw three women sitting inside, he bowed slightly and prepared to withdraw.
However, the woman closest to the door quickly stepped forward and pulled him in. "Everyone's busy looking for keys. My feet are sore from all the walking. Why not sit down and have some tea first?"
Xu Huo was pulled inside, and soon tea was set before him. The three women introduced themselves and then asked for his name. Among them, Xiya of the Vilna family smiled lightly. "The Rose Knight?"
Xu Huo smiled back. "A knight title that doesn't quite match my appearance."
"Not at all. You look very gentlemanly." Xiya took a delicate sip of tea. "The key-finding event won't end so quickly. It's fine if we rest a bit before going... Would it delay you?"
"It's a matter of luck. Maybe arriving a little later will be just my luck," Xu Huo said relaxedly.
Xiya observed his demeanor and, seeing that he wasn't just putting on a front, began conversing with him.
In conversations among noblewomen, men were mere embellishments; in conversations among men, women were the same. So Xiya Vilna compromised by discussing the customs and experiences of other districts to avoid an awkward silence.
After finishing a cup of tea, they prepared to continue searching for the keys.
The other two ladies had barely walked a few minutes before they went to the restroom together, so Xiya led Xu Huo onward, playfully telling him she knew about some hidden mechanisms in the estate where the keys might be concealed.
Xu Huo followed along, cooperating and occasionally lending a hand, taking charge of rummaging through boxes and cabinets.
Surprisingly, this actually led them to find a key.
The key wasn't in the room they were searching. It was just as they came out from that end, the person searching the room opposite had just left without closing the door. The special time power that hadn't been there a second ago flickered inadvertently as they passed by.
With so many guests today and no one having found a key yet, it was clear that these keys weren't just hidden with special powers—they were also mobile.
He couldn't pretend not to see something right in front of him. Xu Huo raised his hand and gently pressed it in the air. The surrounding time rays trembled simultaneously, and the key hidden within the time power flickered amid the interleaving and leaping time fragments. With a light pull of the space rays, a black gemstone key fell into his palm.
"You found it!" Xiya cheered in delight. "We can go get the box now!"
Xu Huo returned to the hall. He was the second person to find a key. The first was a Vilna family member, who had obtained a blue gemstone key. When he saw the black gemstone key in Xu Huo's hand, his expression shifted slightly, but he quickly returned to normal and offered his congratulations.
Over the next half hour, Ashis Werner and Kage Helta emerged one after another with the purple and red keys. However, the white key was never found. At that point, the Vilna family announced the end of the "key-finding" event, and those who had obtained keys could take the corresponding boxes.
As the only marginal noble and an Outer Zone Player to obtain a key, Xu Huo attracted considerable attention, especially standing alongside figures like Ashis Werner, the hope of District 011.
Clearly, the black key carried a different meaning from the other colored keys. Even Ashis's gaze lingered on Xu Huo's hand for a long time. He took the initiative to let Xu Huo retrieve his box first.
After a polite exchange, Xu Huo was the first to take the black box. The Vilna elder hosting the event amiably announced the end of the banquet and asked Xiya to see him off.
The aircraft departed from the villa. Standing at the entrance, Xiya Vilna said disappointedly to the butler, "He doesn't like me. I have no chance."
(End of Chapter)