Chapter 207: The Enormous Gap, Obtaining the Crystal Core

Chapter 207: The Enormous Gap, Obtaining the Crystal Core

"How is this possible..." Zhuo Hongjun's inner voice whispered, his eyes filled with bitterness and resentment.

Just a few minutes ago, when he requested to engage in battle with his superior officer, he was so confident. He believed that as long as he took action, he could capture Alex Austin before anyone else arrived.

However, when he actually fought with Alex Austin, he realized how difficult this Thunder War God of the White Eagle Federation was to deal with.

He had a high opinion of himself and had never taken anyone seriously, but after facing Alex Austin, he had to admit that Alex's strength far exceeded his imagination.

It was to the point where he didn't even have a chance to retaliate and was completely overwhelmed.

If it weren't for Alex Austin's need to withdraw quickly, he might have been killed if the fight had continued for another ten rounds.

Precisely because of Alex Austin's terrifying combat power, when Lu Heng arrived, Zhuo Hongjun was certain that Lu Heng wouldn't be a match for Alex Austin.

Sometimes, the human heart can be so despicable.

At the moment Lu Heng appeared, Zhuo Hongjun wanted to see him suffer a crushing defeat.

That way, his own loss to Alex Austin wouldn't be so embarrassing.

Even if it meant letting this team of enemy metahumans escape, he didn't care.

He just wanted to witness Lu Heng's humiliating defeat, even at the expense of national interests.

However, when Lu Heng took action, the situation changed.

Although Lu Heng initially retreated and dodged, avoiding Alex Austin's fierce offensive, he only dodged three times before launching a powerful counterattack.

A sharp sword beam shattered Alex Austin's seemingly impenetrable defense, and then, breaking the sound barrier, he consecutively unleashed five sonic blasts, each one instantly killing a White Eagle metahuman.

That terrifying combat power left Zhuo Hongjun breathless.

The metahumans sent by the White Eagle Federation to steal technological data were all top-tier individuals at the pinnacle of their field.

Yet, against Lu Heng, even a single sword strike couldn't stop them.

This frightening power gap filled Zhuo Hongjun with deep jealousy and resentment.

He couldn't accept this reality; he had always been nurtured as an elite.

After the Abyssal Descent, he had powerful connections and access to the best resources. Every skill crystal core he absorbed was B-Class or above.

Countless metahumans would fight tooth and nail for a single C-Class skill, but in his eyes, he wouldn't even spare them a glance.

The first time he saw Lu Heng at the training base, he didn't give him any attention.

Lu Heng, an ordinary metahuman, wouldn't even be worthy of speaking to him in another place.

Yet, this seemingly ordinary metahuman unleashed sonic blade attacks that shone with brilliance.

Alex Austin, who had overwhelmed Zhuo Hongjun, was easily defeated by Lu Heng with a single sword strike.

This disparity was so vast that it shattered Zhuo Hongjun's fragile self-esteem.

...

Lu Heng, after slaying five enemy spies, didn't even glance at Zhuo Hongjun. He bent down, picked up the two pieces of Stellar Shield and Thunder Hammer that had fallen to the ground, and stored them in his inventory.

These two A-Class weapons were excellent forging materials that he couldn't afford to miss.

After the battle ended, the reinforcements from Jian Qing's team finally arrived.

Jian Qing rode the wind and descended from the sky, only to find that the fight was already over by the time she got there.

It wasn't that she was slow; she had rushed over as soon as she received the order, riding the wind.

However, her original ambush location was slightly further away, causing a slight delay.

As a result, by the time she arrived, the battle had already concluded.

It wasn't that she was too slow; it was that Lu Heng was too fast.

Five sonic blade strikes, instantly killing five people, from the first sonic boom to the last, took less than ten seconds.

When Jian Qing landed on the river's surface, she even witnessed Lu Heng unleashing two sonic blade strikes.

It truly flashed twice, and two sonic blast clouds emerged, sending their opponents flying.

The sword light unleashed in a supersonic state had terrifying kinetic energy, causing the opponents' bodies to spin and fly apart, their blood painting a trail. The scene was breathtakingly beautiful.

After landing, Jian Qing exclaimed, "It's only been a little over two months since we fought the Flame Wielder, and I can no longer understand how quickly your combat power has risen."

Lu Heng smiled at her and said, "You're also improving very quickly."

Jian Qing was already a Captain, and at her age, a promotion to Major was within reach.

Witnessing their mutual praise, Zhuo Hongjun's psychological gap widened, and his face turned dark with resentment.

Moreover, the competition for the Damage Reversion crystal core had also concluded.

The initial rule was that whoever captured Alex Austin would receive the crystal core.

The outcome was obvious, and even a Lieutenant witnessed it all.

This made Zhuo Hongjun feel even worse, as if he had completely lost face in front of everyone.

He could even imagine the scolding he would receive when he returned home.

Since childhood, he had received the best education, and after the Abyssal Descent, he had access to the finest resources.

Every time there was a call to arms for the Abyss Battlefield, metahumans with the same countdown from various war zones would be transferred to join him in the battlefield.

He had entered the Abyss Battlefield four times and had obtained three World Quest rewards.

He was so proud, arrogantly believing that he stood at the pinnacle of human strength.

However, when faced with Alex Austin, he felt an immense gap between them.

The White Eagle's Thunder War God, with his terrifying combat power, was helpless before Lu Heng.

At this moment, his pride was trampled underfoot, mercilessly crushed.

...

Lu Heng never once paid attention to Zhuo Hongjun, and after confirming that all five enemy spies had been dealt with, he crossed the river with Jian Qing to check on You Zhanyu's condition.

You Zhanyu, who had served as bait to lure out the enemy spies, needed to be brought back for trial, even if it was to make up for his past mistakes.

However, when Lu Heng found You Zhanyu, he discovered that he had already committed suicide by shooting himself under the bridge pier of Jing Shui Bridge.

Just as he had said before, he was free.

He had fallen in the Abyss, embarking on a traitor's path with no way back.

He had betrayed his original beliefs, his country, and the glory he had once achieved.

He didn't want to continue falling, but he had no choice.

Death was the only option he could choose, ending all the crimes he had committed.

If his death could leave anything behind, it would be a warning to future generations.

A traitor's fate was sealed, with no turning back.

Lu Heng understood this, but for other metahumans at that time, this realization might not have been as clear.

...

The mission concluded with the recovery of the stolen hard drive and the successful ambush of the enemy spies.

The only thing that slightly disappointed the superior officer was that Lu Heng had been too heavy-handed, leaving no one alive.

This meant that no one could be interrogated.

A few days later, Lu Heng received his third medal, this time for Second-Class Merit.

If only the recovery of the hard drive and the ambush of the enemy spies were considered, a First-Class Merit would have been justifiable.

However, Lu Heng had already received two First-Class Merits, and this achievement, compared to the previous two, was slightly less impressive, so he was awarded the Second-Class Merit.

Jian Qing was the one who presented the medal.

As she placed the medal on Lu Heng, she sighed, "At this rate, you'll soon have more medals than me."

Although she had participated in the operation, she didn't have many individual achievements, so she received a group Second-Class Merit.

"Also, here's the Skill Crystal Core you wanted. Furthermore, the organization's promised reward still stands. You can make any request at any time, and any request is acceptable as long as the nation can fulfill it." Jian Qing opened the box and took out the Damage Reversion Crystal Core, officially handing it over.

Lu Heng held the crystal core and raised it, saying, "I didn't mean to take it from you."

Jian Qing waved her hand and said, "Do I seem that petty to you? Besides, I know the situation. If you hadn't taken this crystal core, it wouldn't have ended up with me anyway. Some things are just destined from the start."

After delivering the medal and crystal core, she bid farewell and left.

Lu Heng held the crystal core and released a bolt of lightning, decomposing it into energy and absorbing it into his body.

A few minutes later, the crystal core's energy condensed into an energy sphere in the fifth skill slot.

On the data panel, the fifth skill, Damage Reversion, appeared.

Finally, all five skill slots were filled.

Thinking back to when he had just awakened, he only had three skill slots, and now he had increased it to five, a very impressive improvement.

Lu Heng quickly checked his combat power data.

Name: Lu Heng

Level: 28

Health: 640/640

Origin Energy: 650/650

Attributes: Strength 64, Agility 82, Physique 64, Spirit 65, Perception 64

Talents: Agile Dragon, Divine Evolution, Demon Hunter

Combat Rank: Shadow Swordsman (Second Transformation)



Origin Ability: Shadow Traverse, Rift Slash

Skill Slots: 5

Skills: Thunder Prison, Shadow Clone, Wind Runner, Bullet Time, Damage Reversion

Martial Arts: Swordsmanship (Intent Realm), Combat (Proficient), Body Technique (Intent Realm)



Secondary Profession: Advanced Tempering Master, Forging Assistant

When checking the Shadow Clone skill, he noticed that its proficiency had reached 4960/5000.

Training the proficiency of an A-rank skill was indeed much slower than that of lower-ranked skills.

He had obtained this skill during the first few days of the Abyssal Descent, and eight months had already passed. Its proficiency was almost maxed out.

This meant that the skill was about to level up.

Only 40 proficiency points were needed, and with dedicated training, it could be maxed out.

However, upgrading an A-rank skill required a substantial amount of Divine Energy, which he needed to accumulate.

Subsequently, Lu Heng tested the effect of the Damage Reversion skill.

Although the skills had data descriptions, the actual effects could only be known after testing.

After all, some effects wouldn't be reflected in the data.

After testing the skill, Lu Heng discovered that its effect was even stronger than expected, almost equivalent to three seconds of invincibility.

Of course, this skill couldn't defend against instant lethal damage.

For example, a nuclear explosion would instantly turn everything to ashes, leaving no chance for damage reversion.

Even so, the skill was powerful, as it could revert any damage that didn't instantly kill him. Even if he was hit by a sniper, he could immediately activate the skill, returning his body to the state before the damage.

Additionally, Lu Heng valued this skill for another reason: after upgrading, it had the potential to evolve into a skill that could influence time and space.

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival, let's eat mooncakes together!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end