Chapter 684 The Black Box

Chapter 684 The Black Box

The sun had just ascended, bathing the vast desert in a golden radiance. The white sands stretched out like an endless sheet of parchment, unmarked and pristine, as Erik and the convoy continued their journey.

Everyone was in high spirits. They just reached the area where the plane was believed to have crashed, and every passing minute brought them closer to finish the quest that had led them on this dangerous expedition.

Erik leaned forward, his eyes meeting Kael's through the rearview mirror. "How long until we reach the black box's location?"

Kael glanced at the GPS, then back at Erik. "Half an hour, give or take."

Erik nodded, settling back into his seat. In a landscape as uncertain as this, every minute held tremendous value, making a half-hour appear substantial despite its short duration.

The area through which they were journeying was incredibly vast, appearing to stretch on endlessly with its sea of sand and rock, and the black box could be located anywhere within it. The crash has the potential to propel it a considerable distance away from the main wreckage, which would further complicate their search efforts.

While the vehicle continued to move steadily forward, Erik's mind churned with a multitude of possibilities. The black box was crucial. The key to understanding what had happened to the plane was held by it, and, even more importantly, it had the potential to offer them valuable information that would assist them in their mission.

With a glance out of the window, his eyes immediately began scanning the horizon. The desert stretched out before them, its vastness both awe-inspiring and terrifying.

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While the armored vehicle made its way through the rough and uneven terrain, Erik and Kael, with anticipation and curiosity, peered intently through the windows, meticulously examining the panoramic view of the surrounding landscape.

The desert had a way of swallowing things whole, erasing traces of anything that dared to intrude upon its vastness. But today, it seemed, the desert was willing to give up some of its secrets.

"There," Kael pointed. As Erik followed his gaze, he was met with a chilling sight - fragments of twisted metal and shards, remnants of a once intact plane, strewn across the sandy landscape, resembling the scattered remains of a mechanical creature. They knew the plane was likely destroyed, but seeing the wreckages in person was unsettling.

As they neared the wreckage, the vehicle gradually slowed down, causing its tires to crunch over the smaller debris in its path. As they watched, both men experienced a profound sense of solemnity that seemed to envelop them. These fragments were all that remained of a journey that had ended in tragedy. But they weren't there to mourn. No, their goal was to find the cargo, as the success of the mission depended on that.

The team worked in an organized manner, accounting for and securely handle every single box. As they completed their task, a feeling of collective accomplishment washed over them. However, based on the information shared by their employer with the guild, it became clear that there were likely many more boxes yet to be found. Their job wasn't done yet.

Erik held the black-box in his hand. He observed the device with a pensive look on his face. That, until Kael voiced a question. "What do you think had happened?"

"I was wondering the same thing," Erik began, his brow furrowed as he gazed at the scattered wreckage. "There's no way we can learn much from this alone. We'd need to examine the plane itself, what's left of it, or the black box to make any real deductions."

Kael nodded, a hint of uncertainty in his eyes. "Yeah. To be honest, I suspect it was a Thaid."

Erik's lips tightened, skepticism clear in his voice. "That's the likely cause, but planes usually fly much higher than where Flying Thaids roam. Could it have been a wyvern?"

The other man shrugged, his gaze drifting to the horizon, lost in thought. "Don't wyverns usually stick to mountains? Besides, I don't know of anything that could fly that high."

"Yeah," Erik said, his voice trailing off as he considered the possibilities. "But it's the only creature capable of something like this. Unless..."

The pause hung heavy in the air. Kael's eyes narrowed, a dawning realization reflecting in them. "It was man-made..."

Erik turned to face him, his expression turning solemn. "Indeed."

"This plane carried precious cargo," Erik began, his eyes narrowing as he pieced together the puzzle. "If someone on board got greedy, they could've sabotaged everything."

Kael leaned against a fragment of the wreckage, his arms folded, a skeptical look crossing his face. "But that's risking their own life, and they likely didn't survive. What are the odds of surviving a fall from that height, not to mention the Thaids in the desert, all while injured?"

Erik shook his head, a grim certainty in his tone. "Almost none," he said. "No, not 'almost none.' None at all." His gaze fixed on the debris.

"What do we do now?" Kael's voice carried a hint of fear. His eyes flickered with the uncertainty of their situation. "We got lucky with the Galewing, but what if there's more, or something even worse lurking nearby?"

Erik, standing with a resolved stance, met Kael's gaze. His face was set, a mix of determination and an underlying sense of duty. "I'll buy you as much time as I can," he said. "Just promise me you will keep Mira safe."

Kael's expression hardened. "I'll do what I can," he replied, his voice steady yet laden with the weight of the responsibility he had just accepted.

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