Chapter 207: The Mysterious Rewards!

Neve somehow sat down on the ground in front of the box, his curiosity overwhelming him.

He began to open the plain brown box carefully. As he lifted the lid, he started wondering why he was given a physical reward like this one instead of the other kinds of rewards the system normally gave.

Other rewards like medical knowledge or language skills or special abilities. Those kinds of rewards that appeared as notifications in his head.

Now, it was completely different. He was getting an actual physical box with things inside.

Well, he did not know what was in there yet, so he would just have to find out.

The box was about three feet tall and three feet wide. He opened it fully and looked inside.

His eyes furrowed in confusion.

There was nothing but black misty air inside. Just swirling darkness like fog.

But the system had said he was supposed to have five rewards for what he had accomplished. Five rewards for bonding with all ten mates. Five rewards for completing such an important mission.

So why was there nothing visible?

Neve blinked repeatedly, trying to see if his eyes were playing tricks on him.

"Hello?" he called out into the box. "Is there anything in here?"

No response came.

He took a deep breath and decided to do the only logical thing. He dipped his hand into the box.

His hand touched something immediately. Something solid. Something real.

Neve pulled his hand back quickly, clutching it to his chest.

Okay, he was not expecting that. He had just hoped it was not a body or anything horrifying like that.

He took another breath to steady himself and dipped his hand into the box again.

This time, he tried to grab whatever was inside and hold onto it.

Even with the box, the thing felt heavy and bigger than he had expected. Much bigger.

Neve almost could not bring it out on his own. His pregnant belly and tired body were not strong enough to pull it free from the box.

But then he remembered. He had abilities now. He could use all the abilities his mates had.

He closed his eyes and concentrated on accessing Aldric’s super strength ability.

His body seemed to shift slightly as the power flowed through him. His muscles felt stronger. His grip became firmer.

With the borrowed strength, Neve dragged whatever was inside out of the box.

It was long and heavy. Whatever this thing was, it was definitely not light.

Finally, he pulled it completely free and dropped it on the stone floor with a heavy thud.

Neve blinked at what lay before him.

It was almost like a sword case. He had seen one in the movies before. It was a long rectangular case made of dark leather, sealed shut with what looked like clasps.

Neve frowned and flipped the case to open it.

The moment the case opened, a blinding light erupted from inside. Neve immediately slammed the case shut and covered his eyes with his hands.

"What the hell is that?" he muttered, squinting against the brightness that had burned into his vision.

The system replied immediately with a notification.

[Weapon Acquired: Luminos Blade - A light sword forged to cut through darkness and shadow magic. This blade will not harm the innocent and cannot be wielded by those with ill intent.]

Neve frowned, wondering what darkness he was supposed to cut with this fancy sword.

He opened the case again carefully, shielding his eyes from the intense glow.

He slipped his hand around the hilt of the sword cautiously.

The moment his skin made contact with the handle, he felt a connection form. The sword seemed to recognize him and accept him as its wielder.

The system notification appeared.

[Weapon Bound To User]

[Luminos Blade will take the form of a ring when not in active use. Call upon it by name to return it to sword form.]

As if responding to the notification, the bright sword slowly began to shrink and change form. The blade contracted and twisted, becoming smaller and smaller until it was nothing but a thin band of light.

The band wrapped itself around Neve’s pinky finger and solidified into what looked like an elegant silver ring with a faint glow.

"I do not even know how to use a sword," Neve rolled his eyes in frustration.

He saved the empty case in his inventory and slipped his hand into the box again.

He was already pissed off about the first gift being useless and now he was really hoping the second one was not bad.

He grabbed the second item and it was much smaller. It was a tiny box with "push me" written all over it. Maybe it was some kind of mystery box.

Neve pushed the small square button on the box.

The system appeared in front of him immediately.

[Congratulations!]

[Bond Points Received: 1500]

Neve’s eyes widened in shock.

Fifteen hundred Bond Points. That was so much. That was more than he had ever had at one time.

He almost screamed and wanted to dance, but he was too heavy and too tired to stand. His pregnancy made movement difficult.

But inside, he was celebrating like crazy.

This was what he wanted. Not swords and other things he had not even checked yet. Not weapons he could not use.

Bond Points meant he could buy things from the market. He could buy ramen for everyone. He could buy gifts for his mates.

Now there was a genuine smile on his face as he thanked the system mentally and checked the other rewards.

He reached into the box again and grabbed the next item.

It felt small and rectangular and somewhat familiar in a way he could not quite place.

Neve pulled it out and his eyes widened in absolute shock.

"No way," he whispered. "Is that a... phone?"

He looked at the device in his hand carefully.

It was a phone. Not just any phone.

It was his original phone. The phone he had owned in his original world before he died and found himself in this beast world.

He paused and muttered to himself, staring at it in disbelief.

"I am not understanding anything anymore," he said quietly. "First a sword, now my phone. What is happening?"

The phone looked exactly as he remembered it. Same crack on the corner of the screen. Same worn case. Same everything.

’How the hell is this possible? How did the system get my phone?’

Neve’s mind was spinning with questions and possibilities.

He turned the phone over in his hands, examining it from every angle. It felt real. It felt like his phone.

But it made no sense. This phone should be somewhere back in his original world. Maybe with the cops or by his bed where he laid unconscious. This phone should still be there, not here.

Unless...

Unless the system had retrieved it somehow. Unless the host had sent it to him for a reason.

Neve secretly thought to himself, his mind racing with theories.

’Did the host do this? What exactly does he want me to do?’