Chapter 261: The Round Table Knight Mercenary Group

Chapter 261: The Round Table Knight Mercenary Group

As dusk fell, the Atriel Club glowed with a soft blue light.

According to the intelligence provided by Chen Lianian, an intermediary named Christopher was said to be inside this very club.

The Atriel Club was unique, an international chain of clubs catering to metahumans.

Ostensibly, it was a place for metahumans to relax and entertain themselves, but in reality, the club offered special services to its members.

These services included, but were not limited to, crystal core trading, intelligence brokerage, and even fulfilling personal desires.

Of course, the prerequisite for enjoying these privileges was possessing top-tier combat capabilities.

With the emergence of metahumans, societal structures inevitably underwent changes.

Metahumans were destined to gain privileges, but only if they possessed formidable powers.

The more chaotic the order, the greater the class divide.

Daxia was among the best at maintaining order among the world's nations, but even it could only prevent total societal collapse.

Ordinary citizens living in Daxia were unaware of how much the outside world had deteriorated since the Abyssal Descent.

Samuel Huntington, a political scientist from the White Eagle Federation, had once mentioned in his work, "The Clash of Civilizations and the Reconstruction of World Order," that Daxia was a civilization masquerading as a nation.

This statement, while containing a hint of malice, was not far from the truth.

The people of this land were resilient, hardworking, and intelligent, carrying on the most ancient of human civilizations.

Of the four ancient civilizations in the human world, only one remained, and there was a reason for that.

As time entered the end of December in the Abyssal Age, a time of special significance approached.

In ten days, it would be exactly one year since the Abyssal Descent.

Within this year, the world order had undergone tremendous changes. Some nations had declined during the abyssal invasion, and some smaller countries had even completely vanished in the mist.

In the future, more abyssal demons would emerge from the mist, accelerating the human world's descent into the abyss and worsening the living conditions for humanity.

In such harsh environments, some chose to take up arms against the demons, while others turned their guns on their fellow humans.

This was the difference between civilization and barbarism.

...

At 8:16 p.m., the Atriel Club was just starting to liven up. Many metahumans gathered here, indulging in the club's vibrant atmosphere.

Across the street from the Atriel Club, a sedan was parked along the curb.

Lu Heng sat inside the car, observing the club's logo.

The logo consisted of six white illuminated letters spelling "Atriel."

This metahuman club would become very famous in the future, spreading worldwide and forming a unique metahuman intelligence network.

15 minutes earlier, Lu Heng had received a message from Chen Lianian and had come here with Su Muyu.

At that moment, Su Muyu sat in the passenger seat with her eyes closed, conducting reconnaissance.

Her vision was entirely focused on the Celestial Phoenix, which she was using to scout inside the Atriel Club.

Two minutes later, Su Muyu suddenly opened her eyes and said, "I've found him, but my Celestial Phoenix has been detected."

Since their operation was so aggressive, they had employed thunderous methods.

As Su Muyu conducted her reconnaissance, she directly controlled the Celestial Phoenix to fly into the Atriel Club.

Being an international metahuman club, it did indeed have top-tier metahumans within its ranks.

With the Celestial Phoenix flying directly into the club to search, even in its invisible state, detection at such close proximity was inevitable.

Lu Heng didn't mind being noticed as long as they acted swiftly.

Su Muyu spoke quickly, "He's in Room 207. He must have received the message and left the room, heading for the elevator."

Lu Heng put on a mask and a hood, opened the car door, and headed towards the club while speaking into his communicator, "Confirm the floor."

"The elevator has reached the 25th floor. The door opened, and he entered an invisible state. He must have sensed something and is trying to escape," Su Muyu continued to report.

Lu Heng sprinted, leaped high into the air, and used Tier 3 Source Ability - Ethereal Flash, teleporting to the 25th floor of the Atriel Club in an instant.

"Room 2501," Su Muyu continued to provide the room number.

Lu Heng approached Room 2501, preparing to break in, but the door suddenly opened from the inside.

However, there was nothing behind the door.

Nothing was visible, but Lu Heng could even hear the person's breathing from such close proximity.

Clearly, this person had entered an invisible state.

At such a close distance, combined with Lu Heng's heightened perception, this level of invisibility could be easily detected even with closed eyes.

Lu Heng raised his hand, grabbed the person's neck, pushed them into the room, and slammed them against the wall with a loud thud.

The invisible person groaned in response to the heavy blow, and their figure gradually became visible, finally revealing their appearance.

He was a Caucasian male in his forties, with brown hair and blue eyes. He had undergone a tanning treatment, resulting in a darker complexion.

Pinned against the wall by his neck, he struggled vigorously, grasping Lu Heng's wrists with both hands.

He had been holding a briefcase, which now fell to the ground with a clatter.

His right hand reached into the briefcase and pulled out a Browning pistol.

Lu Heng swiftly took the gun, pressed it against the man's head, and released the safety.

"Stop! Who are you? We've never met before," the Caucasian man realized that resistance was futile and immediately attempted to communicate.

"Christopher?" Lu Heng spoke his name.

"I... I'm Christopher Sanchez... I hold the nationality of the Lionheart Empire, and I know the Lionheart Empire's ambassador in Daxia. You'd better not harm me," he quickly revealed his identity and his connection to the ambassador.

"Don't tell me you know the ambassador. Even if you were the ambassador, I'd dare to put a hole in your forehead," Lu Heng responded.

Lu Heng's eyes flashed with a murderous intent.

Christopher Sanchez, however, showed no fear. "Don't blame me for not warning you. If you hurt me, there will be serious consequences. You'll definitely be brought before the arbitration court."

Lu Heng smirked, wasting no words. He loaded his gun and pulled the trigger, firing a shot into Christopher's thigh.

Bang!

Ah!

Christopher let out a piercing scream, beads of sweat forming on his forehead, and his face finally showing a look of panic.

Lu Heng stared into his eyes and asked, "Do you want me to shoot another hole in you?"

"No... No more, please. I'll do whatever you want, I'll cooperate," Christopher pleaded, realizing that this Daxia man was unlike any he had encountered before.

In the past, many Daxia people he had met wouldn't dare offend him due to his foreign identity.

But this Daxia man in front of him had no qualms about shooting.

If it weren't for the fact that he still had questions, that shot might have been aimed at his head.

"Do you know Jin Shibiao from the Money Leopard Mercenary Company?" Lu Heng began his interrogation.

"No, I don't know who you're talking about," Christopher immediately denied.

Lu Heng pressed the gun barrel against his arm and pulled the trigger again.

Bang!

Ow!

Christopher let out an even more agonizing scream and quickly changed his answer, "I... I know him. I'll tell you everything, just don't shoot again."

He had already been shot twice, and blood was gushing from his wounds.

This Daxia man before him was more ruthless than any other Daxia person he had met.

Christopher begged for mercy, "I'll answer all your questions, just don't kill me."

Lu Heng ignored his pleas and continued, "Who hired you to attack the Tempering Master?"

Christopher's expression turned grim. He had already guessed why this Daxia man was here, but the matter was too big to be involved in.

After hesitating for two seconds, Lu Heng moved the gun barrel to his shoulder.

"Don't shoot, I'll talk. It's... Ah!"

Bang!

The third shot pierced through his shoulder blade, causing him to grimace in pain.

Even a Metahuman couldn't withstand such gunshot wounds, and the shots were getting closer to vital areas.

Finally, Christopher was genuinely afraid and dared not hesitate, "It's the Round Table Knights. You're asking about the Round Table Knight Mercenary Organization. I'm just a middleman. The person I contacted is a leader in the Round Table Knight Mercenary Organization."

"I was only responsible for finding agents in Daxia and carrying out the task of threatening the Tempering Master. I wasn't involved in anything else."

Lu Heng continued his questioning, "Who killed the Tempering Master?"

Christopher shook his head vigorously, "That's not my responsibility. My task was to find agents in Daxia and carry out the threats. I didn't do the killing."

Seeing Lu Heng's gun barrel moving again, he quickly added, "I wasn't responsible for the killing, but I know it was the Round Table Knights. The Round Table Knights are the organization you're looking for. I've told you everything I know. Please, let me go."

...

Meanwhile, downstairs on the street, Su Muyu sat in the car, ready to provide support and observing the surroundings.

At that moment, two Metahumans, one black and one white, emerged from the Atriel Club and approached her car.

Since Christopher had received the message and wanted to escape, the Atriel Club had also gotten wind of it.

The Atriel Club had a special feature—they offered protection to certain Metahumans.

Of course, the Atriel Club wouldn't openly violate local laws, but they could do a lot on the edge of legality.

The two Metahuman bodyguards knocked on Su Muyu's car window, with the white one resting his hand on the gun holster at his waist.

"Miss, roll down the window and state your business."

Su Muyu glanced at them and lowered the window halfway, saying, "Get lost!"

The white Metahuman who had knocked on the window suddenly lunged forward, reaching into the car to grab Su Muyu's hair.

He was experienced in dealing with women; even if she was hiding in the car, he could just grab her hair and pull her out.

But this time, he had picked the wrong target.

As his hand entered the car, a ring of dark thorns appeared on the window, binding his palm.

The barbs on the dark thorns pierced his wrist.

His energy began to deplete at a rate of 273 points per minute, the effect of the Dark Thorn Trap, causing 3x his psychic energy in damage per minute.

At the white Metahuman bodyguard's level, he would be in mortal danger within half a minute.

"Ah! What is this? Ah!" He struggled desperately, but the more he struggled, the more severe the wound became.

Seeing this, the black Metahuman turned and ran.

The white Metahuman cursed in shock, "What are you doing? Come back and help me!"

But the black Metahuman had only taken two steps when he collided with a celestial phoenix and was swept off his feet.

After dealing with the two men, Su Muyu got into the driver's seat, started the car, and drove a little further to avoid any more trouble.

...

At that moment, five Iron Blood Investigation Bureau vehicles arrived.

Su Muyu spoke into her communicator, "The Iron Blood agents are here. Are you done over there?"

Lu Heng had asked all the questions he needed to, and there was no way to get any evidence.

Christopher Sanchez was just a middleman, tasked with finding agents in Daxia.

The mastermind behind him was the Round Table Knight Mercenary Organization of the Lionheart Empire.

The person he had contacted would never leave any evidence, so there was no direct proof on this man that the Round Table Knight Mercenary Organization had killed the Daxia Tempering Master.

Even if Lu Heng wanted to find evidence, he wouldn't find any on Christopher Sanchez's head.

Even the Iron Blood Coastal Headquarters had no evidence to arrest Jin Shibiao of the Money Leopard Mercenary Company.

Therefore, Lu Heng never intended to seek evidence from the start.

The task of gathering evidence fell to the Ironclad Investigation Agency.

Lu Heng only needed to know the identity of his opponent.

The Round Table Knights, a well-known mercenary organization in later generations, could be considered the strongest mercenary force in the Lionheart Empire.

Among the world's top-tier mercenary organizations during the Abyssal Age, the Round Table Knights ranked above the Oni Warriors.

The Oni Warriors were the most powerful mercenary group in Fusan, while the Round Table Knights belonged to the Lionheart Empire.

Moreover, the Round Table Knights had a powerful backing, being a mercenary organization under the control of the Plant family, one of the 33rd-level families of the ASE All-Knowing Eye Alliance.

The Plant family possessed immense wealth, enough to rival a nation.

For these 33rd-level families of the ASE All-Knowing Eye Alliance, even if their nation were to fall, these families would remain unscathed.

The origins of this family could be traced back to the 11th-century Plantanet Dynasty, a lineage with a long history.

For a family to have endured for ten centuries, spanning a thousand years of historical changes, the depth of its foundation was unimaginable.

In truth, Lu Heng had always suspected that a powerful force was behind the attacks on the Tempering Artisans. However, he never expected it to be the Round Table Knights, the Lionheart Empire's strongest mercenary organization.

No wonder these people were so arrogant; they had such formidable military support.

In fact, Sumitomo Corporation of Fusan dared to repeatedly act within Daxia's territory because they had the powerful Oni Warrior Mercenary Company at their disposal.

If the Iron Blood were to investigate this case and trace it back to Christopher Sanchez, that would be the end of it.

The Iron Blood had no means to pursue the Round Table Knights, a military force of the Lionheart Empire.

This matter involved international issues, and its nature was entirely different.

Therefore, if the Iron Blood were to handle this case, they could only sever the Round Table Knights' involvement in Daxia but would have no means to deal with the Lionheart Empire's top mercenary organization.

Just because the Iron Blood couldn't handle the Round Table Knights didn't mean Lu Heng couldn't.

After Chen Lianian led his team to the 25th floor, Lu Heng released Christopher Sanchez. With a swift movement, he returned to the ground and met up with Su Muyu, then they drove off.

...

In the hallway of the 25th floor of the Atriel Club.

Chen Lianian rushed to Room 2501 and saw the pitiful state of the white man inside. He waved his hand, ordering his men to take the person.

Chen Lianian walked to the window and looked down at the street below.

On the street, a sedan was driving away from the club's neighborhood.

He recognized it as Lu Heng's car.

He watched the car disappear at the end of the street, with no intention of pursuing it.

If Lu Heng hadn't personally intervened, the case would have hit a dead end at the Money Leopard Mercenary Company.

Investigations could be so troublesome at times.

He knew who to investigate but couldn't find any evidence.

In contrast, Lu Heng's approach was straightforward—beat them up, then interrogate them. If they didn't talk, he'd beat them until they did or died.

In peaceful times, he would have considered this method too cruel.

But in the Abyssal Age, such people were necessary.

When the enemy disregarded reason, one had to respond in kind to maintain fairness.

Chen Lianian, as a representative of the official Daxia Iron Blood Investigation Bureau, had to rely on evidence, making evidence-gathering his primary goal.

However, he was grateful to Lu Heng, as only someone like him with such thunderous methods could deal with those bandits.

Christopher Sanchez, having been shot three times, kept muttering to the Iron Blood agents, "I want to see the ambassador, I want to see the ambassador."

Chen Lianian glanced at him and ordered, "Shut up, put on the hood, and take him away."

...

Back at the Iron Blood Headquarters, Chen Lianian quickly extracted information from Christopher Sanchez.

Christopher Sanchez had already answered Lu Heng's questions, revealing what he should and shouldn't, so there was no need for further resistance.

Consequently, Chen Lianian also learned about the Round Table Knights.

At this point, he realized the case had exceeded his authority.

Not only him, but even at the national level, there was no way to handle this matter.

After all, the Round Table Knights were the Lionheart Empire's strongest mercenary force, and such a cross-border incident was fundamentally unmanageable.

The most they could do was impose equivalent sanctions.

After the interrogation, Chen Lianian called Lu Heng.

"You got the information about the Round Table Knights, right?" he asked with a hint of helplessness in his voice.

"Yes, I did."

"I've reported the matter, but what comes next is beyond my control," Chen Lianian said, feeling a strange admiration for Lu Heng at that moment.

He finally understood why Lu Heng had never joined a department like the Iron Blood.

With that identity, one had to follow the rules.

Lu Heng replied calmly, "Don't worry, I'll handle what comes next."

Chen Lianian was surprised by Lu Heng's words and asked, "Are you going after the Round Table Knights?"

"Justice has a source, and the matter is not over. Why shouldn't I pursue it?" Lu Heng replied decisively.

"But..." Chen Lianian was concerned about Lu Heng's recklessness. He wanted to say something but stopped, remembering their previous interactions.

After a moment's hesitation, he said, "If you need any help, just call me. I'll do whatever I can."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end