Chapter 269: Abyssal Combat Mode

Chapter 269: Abyssal Combat Mode

Lu Heng's heart skipped a beat when he saw the danger level marked as 7.

And it skipped another beat when he saw the words 'Abyssal Combat Mode'.

Despite his thorough preparations, the sight of the battlefield mode still made him feel the pressure.

Among the various battlefield modes, Abyssal Combat Mode was one of the most dangerous.

Lu Heng had assumed that the previous Abyssal Battlefield he was summoned to had a maximum danger level of 5, and this time it should be level 6.

But it turned out to be level 7.

The reason for this high level was clear—it was due to the 'Abyssal Combat Mode'.

Even in the middle and late stages, this mode was known for its severe casualties.

Moreover, this was likely the first time humans had encountered Abyssal Combat Mode in the current stage.

There had been no information about this mode before.

After Lu Heng finished reading the world information, his vision slowly returned to normal.

His first instinct was to survey his surroundings, a common reaction among the summoned.

Lu Heng scanned the area, and in that instant, he froze.

In that brief glance, he gathered a wealth of information.

First, Su Muyu and Lin Zeyu were both nearby, but Xie Shi En was not.

Second, they were in a treehouse, a massive one.

Third, there were seven other humans in the treehouse, making a total of ten.

But none of these facts were the reason for Lu Heng's shock.

Not only was Lu Heng stunned, but all the summoned individuals in the room shared the same astonished expression.

Some even discreetly gripped their weapons.

Because, inside the treehouse, there was a non-human entity—an elf.

In the center of the treehouse, a sphere of light with a diameter of over a meter hovered.

The elf stood before this sphere, seemingly in prayer.

Sensing the humans behind him, he slowly turned around, scanning the ten humans before him.

This Queldorei elf was male, and by his appearance, he seemed quite old.

Elves had exceptionally long lifespans, which meant this elder could be several hundred, or even a thousand years old.

The ten human Metahumans instinctively stepped back, warily eyeing the elder elf.

The elf's expression was kind, and he made no aggressive moves.

This caused the ten humans to hold their weapons but refrain from attacking.

Seeing the reaction of the humans before him, the elder elf slowly spoke, "Welcome, friends from the human world. I am Serien, the guardian of this forest."

The summoned humans exchanged glances but remained silent.

Lu Heng had interacted with elves before and understood their nature to some extent.

Normally, elves were quite amiable.

Before the Abyssal Descent, their environment was prosperous, and their long lifespans had cultivated a slow and deliberate demeanor.

Although the elven civilization had suffered severe damage during the Abyssal Invasion, 700 years was not a long time for the Queldorei.

Given their thousand-year lifespans, there were still elder elves from before the Abyssal Invasion alive in the current Queldorei civilization.

Perhaps this elder, who introduced himself as Serien, was one of those pre-invasion elders.

"Hello, do you know us?" Lu Heng took the initiative to communicate.

Serien shook his head, "I don't know you, but the Knowledge Tree once prophesied that humans would be guided by the Moon Goddess to come and face the Abyss. I've been waiting here... for a very long time."

Lu Heng listened intently to every word, extracting useful information.

Since the Queldorei elves worshipped the Moon Goddess, their mention of her guidance might be a symbolic act of faith, not necessarily indicating her actual involvement.

No one knew what entity had summoned the humans to this world.

If it were the Moon Goddess's guidance, how could one explain humans being summoned to other worlds?

Therefore, the elder elf's words needed to be distilled to extract useful information.

Lu Heng asked, "Are we the first group?"

Serien shook his head and then nodded, "You are the first humans I've seen, but before you arrived, I heard rumors about your kind."

This confirmed some known information; there had indeed been a previous group of summoned humans.

Lu Heng continued, "What did the previous group of humans do? What changes occurred in the world?"

Serien shook his head, "I heard they were active in the Moonshadow Basin, and some even went to Colossus City. As for the world, I haven't heard of any significant changes."

"Thank you, elder of the elven race," Lu Heng continued his inquiry, "Do we need to leave immediately, or can we stay here?"

"You are free to move about the forest, but if you wish to pick the fruits from the trees, please be careful not to harm the branches or the flowers and grass below," Serien said, turning to leave the treehouse with the sphere of light, leaving the ten humans behind.

This summoning was unlike any Lu Heng had experienced before.

Previously, he had always been summoned into prisons or onto prison wagons.

But this time, he had been transported to a safe location.

At least, it seemed safe for now.

The summoned individuals in the treehouse relaxed only after the elder elf left.

Aside from Lu Heng's group of three, the other seven summoned individuals were not all from Daxia.

From their appearances, three were of Asian descent, and among the other four, two were white males, one was a white female, and one was black.

One of the tall, blond white males stood up and began a speech, "Ladies and gentlemen, I am Blake Field. We are a team of four. If you wish to form an alliance, I propose that I take the role of captain."

In the Abyssal Battlefield, a four-person team is already a formidable force.

The danger level of this world is rated at 7, indicating that the summoned Metahumans cannot be of low levels. The average level of the summoned individuals is guaranteed to be above 30.

If it's a stronger team, their levels are undoubtedly higher.

One of the summoned individuals spoke up, "What makes you think you're qualified to be the leader?"

Blake Feld's face lit up with confidence, and he replied loudly, "It's simple. I've studied the information about this world."

The people present reacted differently to this statement.

Some looked at Blake Feld with surprise and delight, knowing that having access to world information would provide a significant advantage when carrying out the main storyline quests.

Lu Heng and his two companions, however, were taken aback.

Obtaining the Abyssal Battlefield's information in advance was no easy feat.

Lu Heng and his friends confirmed that they had prior knowledge of this world's information because they had learned from Xie Shi En that the world they were being transported to was related to the Soul Vault.

They then acquired the world's information from the Creator Organization.

However, the information provided by the Creator Organization was incomplete.

The remaining details were filled in by Lu Heng's memory.

So, how did Blake Feld obtain this world's information?

It's not unusual for humans to possess knowledge about the Quel'Dore world.

After all, humans had been summoned before, and it's natural for certain factions to acquire the information.

The Creator Organization, for instance, had this information.

Could Blake Feld be connected to the Creator Organization?

Is he also a member of the organization?

Lu Heng observed him for a while but couldn't confirm his identity.

This single clue wasn't enough to establish a connection between Blake Feld and the Creator Organization.

With a danger level of 7, this world would require a significant number of summoned humans, at least 30.

The previous group of summoned Metahumans likely numbered around 30 as well.

Assuming there were 30 summoned individuals, it's unlikely that all of them were members of the Creator Organization.

Therefore, there must be other Metahuman organizations that possess information about the Quel'Dore world, not just the Creator Organization.

For now, it can only be confirmed that Blake Feld is associated with a faction that has access to Quel'Dore world information.

Blake Feld scanned the room, his eyes gleaming with arrogance, and asked, "Have you made up your minds? Joining forces with me and following my lead is your best chance at success."

Lu Heng and Su Muyu exchanged a glance, both with the same look in their eyes.

Blake Feld fit the stereotypical Alpha Personality that the two had of white people.

In the ABO personality types, A stands for Alpha, which translates to Alpha in English.

Alpha Personalities are typically outgoing and highly confident. If they lack the necessary abilities, they can become arrogant.

Individuals with this personality tend to seek leadership roles in social settings, competing for the captain's position, and enjoy guiding and motivating others.

Type B, Beta, is an assistant personality, sometimes showing a reliance on others.

Type O, Omega, is characterized by introversion, sensitivity, and kindness. They often take on the roles of listeners and companions within a group, caring about others' feelings. They may appear shy and timid but also possess a strong sense of self-protection.

In the social environment of the White Eagle Federation, especially among the youth, Omega Personalities, being more introverted, are prone to bullying. This phenomenon exists even during school years.

In other words, to avoid becoming a target of ridicule in the White Eagle Federation, it's best to have an Alpha Personality.

Western culture strongly emphasizes individual heroism, and Alpha Personalities are more socially desirable, especially among women.

Consequently, the most common personality type among white people is Alpha.

In any social setting, individuals with Alpha Personalities will vie for leadership positions, regardless of their actual leadership abilities.

This often leads to a situation where, in a diverse social gathering, whites frequently take on leadership roles and easily gain support.

However, these whites who grab leadership positions may not even understand basic addition and subtraction within 20.

This is not an isolated case; it's a widespread phenomenon.

Why do they still seek leadership positions when they lack the necessary skills? They don't consider the consequences of leading a team poorly; it's the team that suffers if things go wrong.

This white Metahuman, Blake Feld, exhibits an Alpha Personality.

The ten summoned individuals present are essentially a social gathering.

Following his instincts, Blake Feld stepped forward to claim the leadership role, and no one challenged him for it.

In Blake Feld's upbringing, those with non-Alpha Personalities were treated as playthings.

With even more arrogance, he said, "Have you decided? Agree now, and I'll give you a chance to ally with me. After today, you won't have this opportunity again."

Lu Heng and Su Muyu looked at each other, both expressing disbelief.

Individuals with Alpha Personalities are often overly confident, acting as if they know everything, but their leadership abilities remain uncertain.

Lu Heng stood up and walked away, showing no interest in allying with Blake Feld.

Su Muyu and Lin Zeyu naturally followed, also leaving without a word.

Blake Feld, seeing that three black-haired individuals had left, frowned slightly and turned to the other three with similar dark hair and eyes, saying, "What about you? Don't blame me for not giving you a chance."

The three Metahumans, clearly part of a team, glanced at each other and also stood up to leave.

Blake Feld's frustration grew.

This social event was not a success for him.

He wanted to be a leader, but these six dark-haired guys didn't give him any face.

If he were in the White Eagle Federation, he would have taken people to teach these disrespectful guys a lesson.

However, this was the Abyssal Battlefield, and those summoned here were undoubtedly of the same rank.

It was indeed a bit much to start an internal conflict over such a minor issue.

He watched the few people walking away, a cold smile forming on his lips.

...

Outside the treehouse, Lu Heng and his two companions strolled through the Giant Tree Forest, observing the environment of this world.

The trees in this forest were enormous, with some trunks reaching ten meters in diameter, so tall that they couldn't see the tops.

The treehouse they had just left wasn't built from branches but had been carved out of the tree trunk itself.

"This is the first time I've seen such massive trees," Su Muyu said curiously, patting the trunk of a tree.

Lu Heng, however, noticed dark colors on the trunks of these giant trees, indicating that they had been tainted by the Abyss.

The pollution wasn't too severe, though.

There was also that self-proclaimed guardian, Serian, whose identity was equally mysterious.

He had mentioned that the Knowledge Tree had prophesied that humans guided by the Moon Goddess would come to fight the Abyss.

It was hard to say if the prophecy was true, but there might indeed be a Knowledge Tree in this forest.

Just as the two were observing the forest, the three other black-haired, dark-eyed metahumans caught up with them.

The leader of the group greeted them, "Hello, nice to meet you. I'm Rong Xincheng, and these are my companions."

Lu Heng turned to look at him, curious, "Aren't you going to ally with that guy?"

Rong Xincheng shook his head, "Allying with someone without knowing their background isn't always a good idea. Besides, there have been too many instances of white people rushing to take the leader position, but that doesn't necessarily mean they have the capability."

In the Abyssal Battlefield, whenever multiple countries' metahumans were present, it was almost always a white person who took the leader position during alliances.

This had become a common pattern.

Clearly, Rong Xincheng had experienced this situation before, and his expression suggested he had been taken advantage of.

Lu Heng sized him up and asked, "Then why are you here to see me?"

Rong Xincheng was candid, "To form an alliance."

Lu Heng raised an eyebrow, curious, "Blake Feld wants to ally, why come to me instead?"

Rong Xincheng didn't hide anything, he smiled and replied, "Because I recognized who you are."

"Oh?" Lu Heng was a bit surprised.

"Yes, I've seen you in Forge Castle, so I know who you are. Therefore, allying with you won't be a bad deal. Rest assured, we will follow your orders, as long as you don't betray us." Rong Xincheng directly assumed a subservient posture.

Lu Heng was even more surprised.

To be honest, Lu Heng liked metahumans who knew how to choose a leader.

Because choosing a leader was a skill in itself.

To ally with someone, one must first recognize which one is the most powerful.

Blake Feld had initiated the alliance and offered the temptation of having this world's information, which was a huge allure.

Having the Abyssal Battlefield's information meant having the upper hand.

But Rong Xincheng didn't choose Blake Feld; instead, he proactively approached Lu Heng for an alliance. This was a skill.

To give up on Blake Feld, who had the world's information, and choose someone who hadn't spoken a word, one must have some ability to make such a choice.

Lu Heng asked curiously, "Blake Feld has this world's information, right? If he's willing to share it with you, you know how much it would help with the mission, don't you?"

Rong Xincheng smiled, "If his information is so useful, why aren't you allying with him? You didn't say a word, turned, and left, which shows you don't need his information.

"Rest assured, since I said I'll follow your orders, I will do so. Moreover, we are both Daxia people, and I believe you will treat us well."

After hearing his words, Lu Heng had to admit that Rong Xincheng had succeeded.

"Alright, let's form an alliance then. Come with us, and we'll discuss the upcoming arrangements."

"Sure, I'll do as you say." Rong Xincheng nodded immediately, his smile sincere.

Lu Heng led the group to another treehouse, where they sat down to discuss the upcoming Abyssal Battlefield.

"First of all, congratulations, you've chosen the right alliance partner. Because we also have this world's information.

"We'll talk about the information later; let's analyze the main and challenge quests first."

"Okay, go ahead, we're listening."

"The first main quest is to establish diplomatic relations with the Elven Race, a clear direction, as we are to be allies with the elves.

"The second main quest is a bit problematic, as it involves evading an unreasonable pursuit.

"This quest is strange. In my previous main quests, if there was a pursuit, it would always specify which faction was chasing us, but this time it doesn't."

Rong Xincheng thought for a moment and proposed an idea, "Is it possible that the faction pursuing us is also of an unknown allegiance?"

Lu Heng nodded in agreement, "That's possible, but I've thought of another point. The third challenge quest requires us to investigate the crisis facing the Elven City of Colossus.

"The focus is on investigation, which means this crisis is unknown, and we need to uncover this mystery.

"So, is this unknown faction related to the third challenge quest?"

Lu Heng paused, then continued, "Additionally, there's one crucial piece of information—the Abyssal Combat Mode, which is extremely dangerous. Note that, I repeat, this mode is extremely dangerous."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end