Chapter 267: The Reason for the Summons, the Magical World

Chapter 267: The Reason for the Summons, the Magical World

After the appearance of the countdown to the summons, Lu Heng and Su Muyu discussed the reason for the sudden summons.

As there were no significant events occurring around them at the time of the summons, it was likely that there was another reason for it.

Lu Heng first sent a message to Chen Lianian, asking him to investigate any important events that took place within an hour of the summons countdown.

However, no cause was found.

Chen Lianian did send over a list of special events that occurred during that time frame, but none of them seemed related to the summons.

"If we can't find the reason for the summons, we'll just have to prepare as we normally would," Su Muyu had already decided. Before the teleportation, she quickly crafted two pieces of jewelry to enhance the team's combat power.

Although the rune gems she crafted could only increase 4 points of psychic energy and add a single rune trait, every little bit helped.

Lu Heng checked the team chat but didn't see any messages from Lin Zeyu, guessing that he hadn't realized he was also summoned yet.

With a countdown of seven days, there was no immediate rush.

Su Muyu remembered someone and asked, "Should we contact Xie Shi En and inform him about our summons? It might be better if he knows."

"Yeah, I'll log into the email."

Lu Heng logged into an infrequently used email account and checked for new messages, finding none.

He then opened a website for sending anonymous emails, preparing to send one to Xie Shi En.

The email was just a code for contact, and on the surface, it appeared to be an advertisement.

As he was about to send the email, a new message arrived in his inbox.

Lu Heng opened it and saw that it was from Xie Shi En.

"He's taking the initiative to contact us. Let's wait for him for a bit," Lu Heng closed the email and continued browsing the web for useful information.

...

Half an hour passed.

A knock sounded at the door, and just as Su Muyu had finished brewing some tea, she went to answer it, squeezing out, "You finally realized it?"

The visitor wasn't Xie Shi En but Lin Zeyu.

After discovering the summons countdown, he had rushed down from upstairs.

"I was practicing shooting all night yesterday, and I was so tired that I dozed off. When I woke up, I saw the summons countdown. What's going on?"

Lu Heng, busy sifting through information from various sources, casually replied, "We're analyzing the reason for the summons too."

Lin Zeyu entered and noticed the tea Su Muyu had prepared, raising his eyebrows and saying, "You even brewed tea for me? This is so formal; I feel a bit embarrassed."

Su Muyu rolled her eyes, "You're overthinking it."

Lin Zeyu blinked, asking, "Are there other guests?"

At that moment, a voice came from outside the door, "The guest you're referring to must be me."

Xie Shi En stood outside, waving in greeting.

Lu Heng waved him in, saying, "I was just about to send an email, and then I saw your message. Is there something you needed?"

Hearing this, Xie Shi En raised his eyebrows in surprise, asking, "You...weren't summoned, were you?"

Lu Heng nodded, "Yes, we're trying to find out the reason for the summons."

Some summons in the Abyssal Battlefield had no warning signs, especially when humans were summoned for the first time.

Some summons, however, did have reasons, and if the cause could be identified, it might be possible to predict which Abyssal World they would be summoned to.

Xie Shi En exhaled, saying, "I might know the reason."

The three of them turned to look at him intently.

If what he said was true, it meant they could anticipate the world they would enter and make more thorough preparations.

"What's the reason?" Lu Heng asked eagerly.

"If it's not a coincidence, this summons was probably triggered by me..."

Xie Shi En took a deep breath and said something that left the three of them stunned, "I opened the Soul Vault's lid."

Lu Heng had seen the Soul Vault before and asked, wide-eyed, "You opened the wooden stopper of that crystal bottle?"

The Soul Vault was a bottle made of a faint blue crystal, with a wooden stopper sealing its mouth.

Xie Shi En nodded, "Yes, I opened the stopper of the Soul Vault, and the drop of liquid inside evaporated. Then the summons appeared."

After hearing his explanation, Lu Heng felt the situation was more complicated than expected and said, "Wait a moment, let's first confirm if the summons timing is the same."

If they were being summoned to the same Abyssal Battlefield, the countdown would be identical, down to the precise second.

Xie Shi En recited the summons countdown, and after Lu Heng and the others heard it, they looked at each other and nodded in confirmation, "It's the same."

Lin Zeyu's expression turned puzzled, and he asked, "Why did you open that thing?"

Xie Shi En also seemed a bit embarrassed and explained, "The temperature has been dropping lately, and I noticed the faint light in the Soul Vault had condensed into a liquid, looking like a drop of water. I wanted to take some out to see what substance it was, but as soon as I opened the stopper, the liquid evaporated."

One month ago, Lu Heng had already examined the Soul Vault and noticed faint specks of light within the bottle. However, he didn't remove the cork to inspect further, so he wasn't sure what the light was.

Now, listening to Xie Shi En's description, he realized that the light was actually a liquid.

If it were an ordinary bottle containing a drop of liquid, it wouldn't be unusual.

But this bottle was a Soul Vault, a Lich's Soul Vault.

The liquid inside was rather extraordinary.

Lu Heng pressed, "What kind of liquid is it? Did you manage to identify it?"

Xie Shi En shook his head awkwardly, "I thought it was a liquid, so I wanted to use a pipette to extract some, but as soon as I opened it, the liquid evaporated. I couldn't tell what it was, but from the scent I detected, it seemed to be a liquid imbued with special energy, without any evil spirit aura."

"No evil spirit aura?" Lu Heng felt something was amiss.

The Soul Vault was a container used by Liches to store souls, a treasure of the Undead lineage.

When ordinary people came into contact with such items, they would usually suffer from spiritual pollution, leading to mental instability.

It was strange that a liquid contained within such an evil-infused item didn't emit an evil spirit aura.

Xie Shi En added, "Not only was there no evil spirit aura, but I even felt it had a strong invigorating effect on my spirit."

Lu Heng continued his inquiry, "When you opened the cork, didn't you use your psychic energy to isolate the surrounding environment?"

Xie Shi En nodded, "I did isolate it, so I initially thought opening the cork wouldn't be an issue. But soon after opening it, I was summoned. That's why I believe this summoning is likely due to the Soul Vault."

Lu Heng paced back and forth in the living room, gathering the information he had and beginning to ponder the reason for this summoning.

According to Xie Shi En's information, it could be inferred that the summoning was related to the Soul Vault, or more precisely, the liquid inside the Soul Vault.

However, the questions remained: what was this liquid, and why did its evaporation trigger a summoning?

These questions were yet to be answered.

"Is there still liquid in the bottle?" Lu Heng wanted to first confirm the nature of the liquid inside the Soul Vault.

Xie Shi En shook his head, "The evaporation was too fast; it disappeared almost instantly. And once it evaporated into the air, it quickly vanished. I couldn't even use my psychic power to gather the liquid back."

"That's a tricky situation. Do you know which world the Soul Vault came from?" Lu Heng asked thoughtfully.

Xie Shi En shook his head, "The Creator Organization hasn't disclosed the origin of the Soul Vault, so I'm not sure either, but 013 should know."

After a moment of contemplation, Lu Heng said, "It seems we'll need to ask 013 for information about this world."

However, what reason could he use to inquire? Without a valid excuse, asking about the Soul Vault's origin would arouse suspicion from the Creator Organization.

If the Creator Organization learned that this summoning was due to the Soul Vault's cork being opened, numerous crises would likely follow.

Firstly, if the Creator Organization knew this summoning was connected to the Soul Vault, it would imply that 027 was among those summoned.

After entering the Abyssal Battlefield, Xie Shi En's identity might be exposed.

Xie Shi En suddenly recalled something, "I remember that Derrick Wolff's Dark Werewolf lineage and the Soul Vault originated from the same world.

"It was after leaving that world that Derrick Wolff joined the Creator Organization."

Upon hearing this, Lu Heng's mind flashed with insight, "If that's the case, I have a plan."

...

The next day, Lu Heng met with 013 at the Wuli Bridge Training Ground.

The black crow, as usual, circled in the sky a couple of times before descending and transforming into a human form, concealed within a black feathered cloak.

"What's the matter?" Lu Heng glanced at him, his expression impatient.

"I'm here to inquire about the progress of the task. When will you obtain Derrick Wolff's blood and flesh cells?" 013 got straight to the point without beating around the bush.

"Didn't you invite him to join your organization? Why didn't you extract his cells initially?" Lu Heng questioned.

"We took a blood sample at first, but we need more cellular tissue, preferably stem cells," 013 explained briefly.

"Must I obtain it? You're asking me to steal inside the Ironblood Investigation Bureau," Lu Heng frowned, his expression displeased.

"If you hand over Derrick Wolff's cellular tissue, you can make a request to the organization. Crystal cores, equipment, items, anything, as long as the value is equivalent," 013 offered, sensing Lu Heng's impatience.

Lu Heng considered for a moment, then said, "Previously, when Ironblood investigated Derrick Wolff's Dark Werewolf heritage, if you give me the world's data, I'll see if I can use it to obtain Derrick Wolff's cells."

"The information about the Abyssal World itself does not enhance combat power and holds no value for ordinary people.

However, in the hands of Metahumans, if utilized well, it can generate tremendous value.

Thus, many Metahuman organizations and factions, after experiencing an Abyssal Battlefield, will collect the information but keep it confidential.

Typically, the various factions exchange Abyssal World data among themselves.

The origin of Derrick Wolff's Dark Werewolf heritage is classified information belonging to the Creator Organization.

Of course, this information is not top-secret; it's not restricted from members' access.

013 paused for a moment, then agreed, "Alright, I'll send you the information after I get back."

After concluding this matter, 013 continued, "Have you discovered any traces of 027 recently?"

Lu Heng didn't look at him and casually replied, "No, 027's movements are even more mysterious than yours. It's not that easy to find him."

013 had to admit that 027 was indeed elusive in his movements.

Since 027's desertion, except for the few times they sensed 027's presence through Derrick Wolff's enhanced sense of smell, they hadn't detected him again.

Lu Heng curiously asked, "You haven't given up on capturing 027?"

"Of course not. He took the organization's sacred artifact."

013 refused to answer, "You don't need to know that."

Lu Heng hooked his lips in a slight smile and didn't press further.

There was no need to ask; he already knew that the so-called sacred artifact of the Creator Organization was the Soul Vault.

However, given Lu Heng's identity, he shouldn't have known about this sacred artifact.

Because this artifact was stolen by 027, or Xie Shi En, and unless one had contact with 027, they shouldn't have known its secret.

So, when 013 mentioned the sacred artifact, Lu Heng asked that question.

Lu Heng had intended to continue probing, wondering if 013 would inquire further about the Soul Vault.

This was because the current conscription was related to the liquid inside the Soul Vault, indicating a connection to the Creator Organization.

After all, the Soul Vault was brought back from the Abyssal World by the Creator Organization.

However, even if the Soul Vault was connected to the Creator Organization, it didn't guarantee that members of the organization would be conscripted during the event.

013 didn't continue discussing the sacred artifact. After finishing their conversation, he spread his wings and flew away.

...

Lu Heng returned to Jade Peak Lake, awaiting the Creator Organization to send the Abyssal World information.

After about half an hour, the information finally arrived.

Lu Heng opened it and found the content to be about the origin of Derrick Wolff's Dark Werewolf heritage.

The Soul Vault was not mentioned in this information.

All the data revolved around the Dark Werewolf heritage.

The information that Derrick Wolff's Dark Werewolf heritage and the Soul Vault originated from the same world was provided by Xie Shi En.

However, this was merely his speculation.

Thus, there was a possibility that the two worlds were not identical.

But after reading the information, Lu Heng could confirm that his speculation was correct.

The Dark Werewolf heritage and the Soul Vault indeed came from the same world.

The Creator Organization had removed all content related to the Soul Vault before sending the information.

After all, Lu Heng had only requested the Dark Werewolf heritage's job tier information from 013, and the data sent by the Creator Organization was not comprehensive.

Although the details about the Soul Vault were omitted, the Dark Werewolf heritage's data still revealed much.

More importantly, Lu Heng already knew about this Abyssal World.

In his previous life, this Abyssal Battlefield was relatively well-known.

This world was known as the "World of Elves and Magic," inhabited by powerful Arcanists and the undead Lich.

Within this world, an Elven Kingdom thrived with a long-standing civilization.

However, with the Abyssal Invasion, this world of elves and magic began to descend into the abyss.

Some elves mutated, falling into the ranks of Fallen Demons, becoming low-intelligence monsters.

According to Lu Heng's knowledge, this elven civilization was one of the longest-lasting in the face of the Abyssal Invasion.

Perhaps due to the elves' longevity, their civilization suffered less severe damage during the invasion, allowing the elven kingdom to endure for seven hundred years without collapsing.

Even so, by the time human Metahumans were conscripted, this elven kingdom was on the brink of collapse.

Upon confirming it was this world, Lu Heng realized that this conscription would be the most dangerous one since his rebirth.

The danger level of this world was at least a 6-star rating."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end