14

The silver haired youth woke up from the bed of her penthouse, confusion written on her face as she turned to the first person she saw.

"What happened, Art?" Chun asked her busy butler who was arranging paperworks for his young master.

"Young lord, your students solved the case and your body fell asleep by the table infront of the monitors so I took you with me after I confirmed that they finished the case," Art explained as he steadied his golden rimmed eyeglasses.

He helped the young man off the bed and assisted her to wear her slippers.

"What time is it?"

"It's 11 in the afternoon, young lord."

Surprised was present on Chun's face as she heard the words uttered by her butler.

"11? There's no class today?" Chun asked while dealing with her robes' belt.

Chun liked to wear her traditional clothing that came from her household's heritage. Stacks of colored robes were piled on her closet, from lighter ones to darker shades. Whereas her modern clothes were just few in numbers, around a pair of pants and a pair cream shirts and two pairs of shoes but most of all her reason was she preferred her traditional robes because it was comfortable to sleep with.

"It's weekend, young lord."

Art neared his young master and untangled the tousled belt and helped her on tying it.

"You're really perfect, Art," Chun commented as she thanked the butler.

"Did the general retrieved the precious item of the King?" the silver haired young man uttered as she started to eat the prepared meal. Art stood by her side, pouring tea to the cup of his young master.

"No."

"What sect did they infiltrated?"

"Skywave."

Chun did not react immediately as she was cutting precisely her steak or probably she did not care.

"Hmm... where's that silver box?" She then drank her rose tea.

"In my storage space."

After eating and doing her daily routine, Chun seated herself in the bed and gestured for Art to take out the silver box.

The silver box known as Pandora's silver box was one of the tale of Xanxia. Chun read it on their household library and she then asked Art to get her the copy of the book on her bookshelves.

The Origin of the Ten Continents.

Chun opened the book and searched through the pages, she finally found what she was looking for. It said 'Pandora's three boxes'.

Pandora was the only deity who doesn't govern a continent because she manages the three boxes given by the Creator. These boxes were one could call a disaster, a blessing or a curse. These boxes were previously on the Mountain Qi but a tragedy happened that made Pandora to hide the three boxes on separate locations.

The black box can grant one a power to destroy the whole world and it was rumoured to be on the Slatercort continent's dark lands ruled by the Demon King. The white box can help one to have a miraculous healing power that can cure any types of illnesses or diseases, even uncurable ones. And lastly, the silver box was known for its containment power, it was a remedy towards both of the former boxes. It can contain their powers and seal it.

Chun examined the silver box, it has a plain texture on its surface, no traces of markings or designs. Like a plain silver box.

'How can I open this?' Chun thought.

The helpless youth tried every method of opening the box, smashing it with a hammer, inserting a little bit of qi energy, solving it like a rubics cube but still nothing happened. It stayed the same.

"Art! Help me!" Chun shouted as her butler was busy on the work room, cleaning the dust off of the furnitures.

"Young lord, that silver box was a deity's possession, maybe you need help from someone who had a possession of the other boxes," Art suggested in the mind link as he was still busy on the work room.

"You mean, I need to communicate with your father who had stripped you off from your princely status and abandoned you?" Chun asked with sarcasm.

The butler did not responded.

Chun sighed and set aside the troublesome box and went inside the work room.

"Cheer up, Art! That no good father of yours was not even good as my pinky toes," the silver haired youth comforted the butler.

Art turned towards Chun, with his stiff smile, "I'm alright, young lord. Don't you worry."

The astounded young man was dazed for a moment and beamed at Art.

"Ey! You smiled! But try harder though, still I'm proud of you!" Chun cheered her butler with a proud smile.

The butler continued his work with a gentle warmth on his eyes. As the day passed by while Chun followed Art all around teasing him.

They did not noticed the slight glinting of the silver box on the bed as a smoke went out from there, forming a humanoid stature but it instantly disappeared.

------

Mountain Qi

The strange man appeared inside the meeting room as he was the only one being waited by the others. Vernunium glared at the other deities as he was disturbed during his play.

"You're late," Argentum, the counterpart of Vernunium's power, stated.

"Obviously," Allexun seconded.

Vernunium ignored them and with his serious demeanor seated himself on his designated seat.

Axec coughed, catching their attentions.

"Let's begin." He gestured and the crystal stone appeared in the middle.

"The crystal stone once again reacted and I felt what it was saying," Axec paused, observing them all but slightly glanced at Vernunium's direction.

He then continued, "It says that Pandora's silver box was stolen."

After hearing the news, all of them bursted out in discussions.

"Where did Pandora hide the silver box?" Allexun asked.

"I knew that she lost it hundred years ago, I think," Salluria answered.

"That's not good," Jurnune exclaimed.

Axec observed their discussions and prompted them to be silent.

"Alright. That's it. I'm just making sure that you all know about this disaster," Axec continued.

"Wait, what disaster does the silver box posed off? I thought its only a concealment box?" Calen asked.

"Don't forget that the silver box originally contained the troublesome deity and you know Him," Axec reminded them.

Titus, the deity of Prevalent Tragedy. He was sealed by the Creator himself even though he was the same status as the Creator. But he was the opposite of the Creator because he destroys, a known destroyer.

Horrified faces could be seen on them as they look at each other with tacit understanding. They did not want to encounter another disaster like six hundred years ago, where Pandora was still alive and the Creator was still present. It was called a great tragedy when Pandora was on a beginner's status on managing the three boxes.

At that time, she accidentally freed half of the soul of Titus that caused many tragedies to befall on their continents. Luckily, the Creator was present and able to restrained Titus unreplenished power and once again, he was locked up inside.

They sighed with distress while reminiscing the past. It was a bad event.

"We will look for the silver box, unless it went to our own continent," Xeris said.

After the discussion, Axec dismissed them but called for Vernunium. The serious Vernunium suddenly chuckled when the two of them was the only ones left.

"Oh, so you knew and you let it be stolen," Axec uttered while staring at the sarcastic face of Vernunium.

Axec invited Vernunium inside his personal office. A chessboard was placed on the table with glass pieces arranged on it.

"Let's play."

Vernunium moved first, he moved his pawn on F4 space.

"Well... it's not my fault if they escaped," he simply stated and did not bothered to explain.

Axec observed Vernunium silently and moved his pawn to the E6 space.

"What are you planning?" Axec asked with curiosity.

"Do you plan to rebel---"

He chuckled darkly, "Rebel? That's quite a dream," Then he moved his F4 pawn to F5 space and it was eaten by Axec.

Vernunium then moved another pawn to D3 space, whereas Axec moved another pawn to G6 space.

"Then what?" Axec asked.

"I was just putting the pieces on their right places." Vernunium replied and moved his bishop to G5 space.

"Checkmate."

"I did not see that. A lost is a lost, and you know what I mean?" Axec seriously stated at Vernunium as he stood.

He escorted Vernunium outside.

Vernunium was about to leave when he turned around, "Are you not bored?"

A surprise expression was present on Axec face as he heard it. In truth, he was very bored on managing this world, as the Creator was nowhere to be found and He just left a message, saying that He would be back after 300 years because He would be dealing first a trouble in an another world realm.

Axec sighed and smirked, "Very well, then."