Marvel: Hunter

Chapter 360: Reward

"I don't know what will happen if I eat it."

"Wakanda is truly blessed."

"There is not only vibranium, but also treasures like the heart-shaped herb."

Looking at its unremarkable appearance, Blaine could hardly imagine that this was a plant that had survived for tens of thousands of years. The green rhizomes, the purplish-red leaves, and the deep crimson fruit all looked entirely ordinary.

No matter what, Blaine pretended to carefully observe the growth of the heart-shaped herb and squatted down again. While everyone else's attention remained focused on the herb as it continued to spread, Blaine used his body as cover and quietly released his mental power, unexpectedly taking away a large chunk of heart-shaped herb along with the surrounding soil in one motion.

Then Blaine quickly activated his Copying Eyes and cast a healing spell. In the blink of an eye, the empty patch was filled again as the heart-shaped herb rapidly regrew.

"Huh… that was dangerous."

"I don't know if people who don't belong to Wakanda can use it."

"They're all wonders of heaven and earth. Shouldn't they recognize their master?"

After finishing all of this, Blaine hurriedly glanced at the reactions of the Council of Elders, T'Challa, and his sister. He had moved extremely fast just now, and no one should have seen it clearly. A few of them rubbed their eyes, saw that the heart-shaped herb in front of them looked unchanged, and assumed they had simply imagined it.

Blaine cautiously used his mind-reading ability to scan them one by one. When he confirmed that none of them harbored any doubts, he finally let out a sigh of relief.

At this moment, Blaine had only one thought: this was a real heart-pounding game.

Stealing Wakanda's heart-shaped herb right under everyone's eyes without being discovered—how could Blaine not be nervous?

Fortunately, Blaine also had the "bug" known as Hunter Space, which could store not only people and objects, but living things as well. He had even taken the heart-shaped herb together with its soil, so he wasn't worried about it leaving Wakanda and dying. After all, Hunter Space 2.0 was designed to preserve life, and the heart-shaped herb was life too—just in plant form.

What Blaine worried about now was whether he could actually use the heart-shaped herb after collecting it. That would be truly embarrassing.

After all, this herb was traditionally consumed only by each generation of Wakandan kings during their ascension. It seemed that only royal blood could inherit the power of the Black Panther. Ordinary people might use it only for healing. Even so, Blaine didn't know whether any ordinary Wakandans had ever actually taken it. Although he wanted to try it himself, this was obviously not the right time.

"Let's go. My mission is complete~"

"It's time for you to fulfill your promise."

While the Council of Elders was still immersed in the joy of the heart-shaped herb's rebirth, Blaine hurriedly said this to T'Challa and led him out of the cave. Otherwise, those strange old men would surely surround him with endless questions.

T'Challa was perceptive as well. Knowing that Blaine disliked dealing with red tape and tedious formalities, he followed without hesitation.

In fact, even without Blaine's reminder, T'Challa knew what to do. He hadn't expected that Blaine would truly succeed in saving the heart-shaped herb. At this moment, even if he immediately handed over a ton of vibranium, it didn't feel like much of a loss anymore.

After all, from ancient times to the present, the heart-shaped herb had been passed down through generations. T'Challa would never dare allow it to go extinct during his reign. Blaine's actions could hardly be described as merely life-saving.

They made him a great benefactor of Wakanda. Compared to the extinction of the heart-shaped herb, a ton of vibranium seemed entirely reasonable.

With the gracious consent of the Council of Elders, T'Challa personally led Blaine onward.

However, Blaine soon realized that T'Challa wasn't heading toward the vibranium meteorite in the back mountain at all, but instead back to the building where Blaine had stayed earlier.

After entering, T'Challa wasted no time and opened an elevator made of some unknown material. The two of them descended straight down. At first, Blaine could still see the outside through the transparent elevator doors.

They passed more than a dozen levels in succession, all resembling laboratory floors. As Blaine continued to observe with curiosity, the elevator's descent suddenly accelerated. It was as if the chain above had snapped, and the elevator instantly lost its brakes. Blaine felt a long-forgotten sense of weightlessness surge through him.

If T'Challa hadn't been standing beside him, Blaine might have wondered whether the elevator was poorly maintained or had malfunctioned.

In the next instant, the scene outside the transparent elevator plunged into darkness. For a brief moment, Blaine felt as though he had returned to outer space.

Sensing the extreme speed rushing past outside, Blaine simply closed his eyes. Inside the elevator, aside from the lights, everything outside was pitch black. The two stood in silence, with only the sound of their breathing intertwining.

He didn't know how much time passed—one minute, two minutes, three minutes, or perhaps only a few seconds.

Then, with a soft click, the feeling of weightlessness vanished instantly. Blaine felt solid ground beneath his feet once more. When he opened his eyes, the elevator doors had automatically opened, and the cabin had come to a steady stop.

Although the surroundings were still dim, it was much better than before. Faint lights glimmered around them, enough for Blaine to see clearly without relying on Hawkeye.

T'Challa smiled slightly, bent forward, and gestured politely.

Blaine didn't hesitate. After a brief pause, he stepped out first. Still, he couldn't help but complain inwardly. Wakanda was so vast, yet they couldn't even be bothered to install proper light bulbs or light rods. Everything had to be shrouded in gloom just to enhance the atmosphere. Were they opening a haunted house?

"It's not because we're unwilling,"

"During high-speed descent, ordinary electrical wiring and sensors can no longer function properly."

"Especially under such a strong magnetic field—not only does the current become unstable, but the human body also experiences severe discomfort."

"The lights aren't just for illumination; they also help soothe the body and the senses."

"As for why we don't use higher illumination…"

"That's for the same reason."

Perhaps noticing Blaine's hesitation, T'Challa explained calmly.

After hearing this, Blaine could only think that someone privileged truly couldn't understand the pain of someone bullied by circumstances. T'Challa said a lot, but only described the effects without explaining the underlying principles. Still, it was more than enough to leave Blaine thoroughly confused.

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