【Interstellar Contract Magician】Ruyuanke

Chapter 324 [Empire] Transparent Vines

"So, what is our mission this time?" I looked at Nightingale.

Nightingale remained silent, instead groping for a "hidden switch" on the wall. After a brief deciphering, another door opened. It was still a prison, but of a noticeably different class. The metal surfaces shone faintly with a purple glow. Unlike the outside, the entire room was covered in "ice and snow." Nightingale smiled. "That's it." He pointed to the transparent vines in the sole, enormous cage. "Take this and blow up the base."

The nightingale's voice was filled with excitement and a hint of playfulness, as if this was just an ordinary game.

I looked at the object he pointed at. It was a transparent vine, entwined within a massive metal cage. Even in this icy environment, it displayed a frightening vitality. The vine was crystal clear, as if carved from glass or ice, yet a faint light could be seen flowing within it.

"Is this our goal?" I asked tentatively, my gaze shifting from the cage to Nightingale's face. He nodded, seemingly quite satisfied with my response.

"What's its name?" I asked, trying to get more information out of him.

Nightingale shrugged. "We call it the 'Phantom Vine.' It has an extremely high energy source and is considered one of the top-tier combat plants. Of course, the risk factor is proportional to its value."

I glanced around. This facility was clearly built specifically to hold beings of this caliber. The purple metal, the frigid environment, the layers of security—all designed to limit the vine's power.

"How are you going to take this thing away?" I couldn't help but ask. "Even if your team is strong, this isn't just a normal transport mission, is it?"

Nightingale's smile deepened. He patted my shoulder and said with an inexplicable confidence: "Don't worry, you are all I need."

"Me?" I raised an eyebrow, my tone full of sarcasm. "Do you think I can run all the way back carrying this thing?"

"I'm not talking about your body," Nightingale raised an eyebrow and pointed at my backpack, "but your 'team members'."

Hearing this, the backpack on my back seemed to move slightly. Apparently, someone had already noticed the existence of the vine.

"So, you want me to use it to deal with this?" I said slowly, my eyes falling on Nightingale's face.

He didn't answer directly, but smiled meaningfully: "Boy, don't you want to see how capable your 'team members' are?"

A tense atmosphere filled the air, and I couldn't help but tighten my grip on the straps. The light within the vine cage grew brighter, and my backpack seemed to begin emitting a familiar green glow.

Tiny ice crystals in the air reflected a faint glint in the light, seemingly accidental, yet creating a scene shrouded in icy cold. A biting chill seeped in from all sides, making even the breath taste bitter. I stopped, realizing the strangeness of this environment.

These ice crystals weren't natural, much less artificial. My gaze followed the tiny crystals suspended in the air, finally landing on a web of vines entwined in the distance. In the dim light, the vines appeared vaguely transparent, like a beast lurking in the mist.

"It..." A chill welled up in my heart, and I suddenly realized that this extremely cold environment was not meant to restrict it. On the contrary—this biting cold was a part of it, an extension and control of itself.

"This is its territory." I murmured, with a slight tremor in my heart.

Each tentacle of the transparent vine pulsed with an invisible energy, the icy environment spreading freely as if it were its breath. The ice crystals, the chill wind, even the surrounding silence, seemed like its camouflage, a seemingly natural protective shell, but in reality, an invisible hunting net.

I took a deep breath and felt the seedling in my backpack stirring faintly. It wasn't fear, but... anticipation.

"Are you crazy?" I murmured to myself, but I couldn't help but tighten the straps of my backpack and continued to walk towards the vines.

Nightingale was leaning against me, his arms folded across his chest, looking quite relaxed, but his eyes held a playful air of anticipation. His gaze scanned my backpack like a probe, a hint of an ambiguous smile playing at the corner of his mouth.

"What?" I raised my eyebrows and asked with a hint of sarcasm, "Are you just going to stand there and watch the fun?"

He chuckled, unhooked his arms, and shrugged: "I'm powerless against this kind of thing."

There was a frivolous air to his words, but he didn't seem genuinely afraid at all. His eyes held a playful curiosity, as if he was waiting for my next move.

"Oh?" I deliberately dragged out my tone, my smile unchanged. "A high-ranking mercenary claims to be powerless against this thing? Are you mocking it, or yourself?"

Nightingale raised an eyebrow, as if amused by me, leaned closer slightly, and chuckled softly, "Boy, this is your treasure, how dare I interfere."

"My 'baby'?" I smacked my lips and patted my backpack. "Then open your eyes and watch carefully. Maybe you can learn something."

Nightingale took a step back, made an exaggerated "please" gesture, and smiled nonchalantly: "Okay, then I have to observe carefully."

The zipper of my backpack slowly unzipped, and the tiny leaves of the seedling peeked out. Their verdant color had an almost transparent quality under the light. But I knew it was just a disguise.

It clearly sensed danger. Its leaves trembled slightly, and cyan light scattered like a drizzle. The air around it seemed to stand still for a moment. At the same time, I felt a chill—invisible ice crystals gradually condensed, locking the seedling tightly like a net.

This silent confrontation made me subconsciously hold my breath. The seedling's leaves trembled slightly, as if testing something, as if brewing something. I could sense the power stirring within it, as if ready to strike back at any moment.

"Don't mess around," I whispered a warning, my fingers gently pressing against the edge of the backpack, as if trying to soothe her. But there was also a hint of inexplicable complexity in my tone.

This is a kind of contest, a confrontation in which neither side is willing to give in - on one side is the young seedling's vigorous desire to grow, and on the other side is the cold restraining force.

The confrontation seemed separated by an invisible barrier. Standing nearby, I couldn't sense any of the intense fluctuations. There was no energy surging in the air, no sound, not even a murmur of movement. Only an eerie silence reigned.

"Stuck?" I muttered softly, looking down at the seedling with a little leaf tip sticking out of my backpack.

The seedlings showed no reaction, their leaves still drooping lazily, as if they didn't care about the mood of their "owner." However, I knew that this was far from the truth.

Its opponent remained silent, hiding in a nearby corner, waiting for its chance to strike. The confrontation between the two seemed to have entered a strange stalemate, with not even a leaf or a vine moving. But I could feel the power lurking in the shadows, tugging at my nerves.

"Can you guys be more straightforward? If you don't want to fight, just go home." I spoke a little helplessly, trying to break the dead silence.

However, all I got in response was a silent stalemate. It felt like being in a chess game without rules, where the battle between the pieces could neither be seen nor heard, yet every second, the situation was shifting in the invisible depths.