Thirty minutes later, Fang Senyan emerged, having showered and bandaged his wounds, only to find his teammates gathered around the dining table.

The truth was, they weren't hungry, nor did they intend to eat. It was simply that an object rested on the table: the Pandora's Box that Fang Senyan had obtained after defeating Loki. With less than twenty minutes remaining to complete the mission, and believing Loki and his group wouldn't return in time, everyone had settled down. Zai, upon taking possession of Pandora's Box, discovered it strangely absorbed her magical energy. With teammates standing guard, she let it continue this process. After absorbing roughly a third of Zai’s magic, a miniature hourglass illusion materialized above the box, adjacent to the micro-black hole meant for offerings. Next to this illusion, a percentage was displayed: currently 79%.

Through a paid inquiry made by Fang Senyan, he confirmed that this percentage represented the intensity of the sacrifice. The more offerings presented, the greater the sacrificial intensity, leading to more extreme surprises or disasters upon opening the box. Fang Senyan deliberated for a moment and began attempting to sacrifice some inconsequential items. However, his efforts were counterproductive; some items seemed utterly displeasing to the box, even being actively repelled by the micro-black hole, causing the sacrifice percentage to drop to 78%.

Finally, Fang Senyan gritted his teeth, calculated his options, and decided to throw in the Golden Pearl of the Caribbean, the Aberrant Soul Relic, and the Sorting Hat from Hogwarts all at once. This finally pushed the sacrificial intensity up to 80%, but strangely, 80% appeared to be the ceiling, an impassable limit. This realization highlighted the staggering cost Steel File must have paid to raise the box’s sacrifice percentage from 0% to 78, a price that had inadvertently benefited Fang Senyan.

It was at this moment that Fang Senyan noticed the Pandora's Egg, acquired in the hidden world of Resident Evil: Origins, emitting an eerie glow. A thought struck him: Pandora's Box, Pandora's Egg! Was there some intrinsic link between the two? Consequently, Fang Senyan sacrificed the Egg as well, immediately triggering an intensely dramatic phenomenon!

First came an indescribable fragrance, likely the scent that drove men mad, bestowed upon Pandora by Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty. This was followed by dazzling, vibrant colors, perhaps the gift of Athena, goddess of wisdom and craft, granting Pandora beautiful garments and nimble intelligence. Next, an illusion of an exquisite headband floated up—a creation of Hephaestus, the god of the forge... Simultaneously, the sacrificial intensity finally breached the 80% barrier and began to climb wildly, ultimately rocketing to 100%!

At this point, the illusions surrounding Pandora's Box sharpened. A rich perfume flooded the noses of the onlookers. Soon, illusions of pure white doves began circling, and an apple tree with silver foliage sprouted forth, bearing golden apples so heavy their weight bent the branches toward the ground. Then, ewes and she-goats with long white fleece, and white bulls whose horns were tipped with gold, grazed serenely in the vicinity...

“We must open it now!” Fang Senyan distinctly felt the energy within the box ascending to its absolute peak. However, if they missed this window, the energy would slowly recede, dropping back to 80%. While the energy was maximal, Pandora's Box was inherently capricious; opening it could still result in a disastrous outcome, or conversely, an excellent one. Due to the peak energy level, the result was likely to lean toward an extreme.

Undoubtedly, the best candidates to open the box were Fang Senyan or Reef, as they could ensure survival even if the worst materialized. Yet, at this critical juncture, San Zai suddenly reached out and placed his hand on Pandora's Box. He looked earnestly at Fang Senyan and stated, “Brother Yan, gambles based on luck like opening a box should absolutely be handled by me.”

San Zai was entirely correct; those 'Chosen Ones' possessed a far greater advantage in luck. Fang Senyan hesitated, "But..."

San Zai cut in, "Let Brother Reef prepare the Hand of God. I'll open it exactly when the countdown hits zero, and Brother Reef can pull me back half a second later."

The ensuing suspense was brief. San Zai grasped Pandora's Box and wrenched it open! In that instant, all the surrounding illusions were utterly absorbed back into the box. Then, the most perilous and absurd moment occurred: Reef used the Hand of God to yank San Zai away about thirty meters. San Zai was pulled clear, but... for some unknown reason, he refused to let go of Pandora's Box, dragging the box along with him.

The group exchanged bewildered glances, sensing a colossal failure in coordination. Fortunately, the box was finally open, and they figured any potential harm should have already manifested, leaving escape impossible. They cautiously approached. To their surprise, Pandora's Box had turned transparent, rapidly collapsing into points of light toward its center. What appeared before Fang Senyan was a most peculiar scroll.

The scroll had a substantial feel and texture. Viewed from the back, it resembled ordinary parchment. But when flipped over, its front surface rippled like disturbed water or a mirror. Crucially, no matter the angle from which one viewed it, the reflection displayed was that of the person holding it!

This scroll bore a brutally poetic name: The Scalp of the Cretan Deity.

Fang Senyan took the scroll, and a series of attributes materialized:

Grade: Legendary Item. Description: I have heard your desire—the yearning to become stronger. Given the abundance of your offerings, I grant you this scroll, steeped in blood and power. Only the scalp of a Cretan deity from the primordial age could bear the power of Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty and desire, drawn at the height of her splendor. Usage: The power of Aphrodite... will hear your deepest voice and custom-create an S-Rank/Legendary ability for the holder. Note: Undoubtedly, the more powerful the holder's personal attributes, the more formidable the resulting S-Rank/Legendary ability will be. Upon gaining the ability, this item will vanish into dust. Therefore, use it when you are in your absolute prime. Warning: The majesty of the gods must never be profaned. A divine gift may be claimed by the victor, but it cannot be treated as mere chattel for illicit transfer. Thus, only those truly worthy may unroll this scroll; others risk incurring divine punishment.

Reading that final sentence, Fang Senyan couldn't help but sigh. In the short term, he possessed considerable leverage: For protracted engagements, he had the Virus Monarch; for raw burst damage, he had Judgment/Wound of Erosion/Final Impact/Extinction. Therefore, for enhancing his current strength, his primary goal should be reinforcing existing assets—such as manifesting the high-tier disease SARS as quickly as possible, followed by unsealing items like Chris Redfield's Lucky Bracelet, not to mention the Major General's Bloody Armor awaiting him upon rank promotion. Fang Senyan understood the principle of not biting off more than one can chew.

He had initially intended this scroll for Zai, whose awakening skill remained elusive. While her primal force attacks were versatile, they lacked a definitive finishing blow. Regrettably, that plan seemed defunct now; it appeared he had to use the scroll himself. Fang Senyan decided against using it immediately, as most supplementary potions and buffs had been depleted. Only upon returning to the Space could he achieve optimal condition, receive necessary healing, and guard against unforeseen complications.

After a brief consultation, the excited voice of Major Li echoed from outside the door: "It's finally done!"

Fang Senyan stood up, letting out a long breath, just as a team of medical personnel slowly wheeled in Dr. W. The doctor was completely prone on the gurney, his eyes peacefully closed, an aura of aging and mortality emanating from him. He smiled faintly at Fang Senyan. “Thank you for your assistance; you allowed me to complete my research personally. Now, I have no further use for this. It’s time to return it to its rightful owner.”

Dr. W handed the Everlasting Vodka to Fang Senyan, then closed his eyes with a contented smile, letting out a soft snore. He was utterly exhausted, and although this sleep might well be eternal, the expression on his face was one of profound happiness. Simultaneously, Fang Senyan and his team received a clear mission update:

Hidden Follow-up Timed Mission: The True Trump Card (Completed) Mission Objective: Protect Mr. W for the next 24 hours, ensuring his survival. Mission Reward: Permanent +5 to All Attributes for every member of your team! RQ