Chapter 298: The Elven Race's Investigation Results

Chapter 298: The Elven Race's Investigation Results

At 7 p.m., Lu Heng lay on the sofa in the living room, munching on an apple and scrolling through his phone.

At that moment, a breaking international news story began airing on the television.

A gruesome photograph was displayed, with the most graphic part censored.

Even so, the image caused viewers to furrow their brows in disgust.

"Hello, viewers, I'm reporter Wang Mingyang, reporting live from a small town in the outskirts of Chiang Mai, Siam, where the rumored vampire incident took place.

"Tonight, the town is shrouded in a tense atmosphere. The residents are anxious, and rumors are spreading in the streets and alleys about a series of mysterious and bloody events that have occurred in the area recently.

"According to local residents, for the past week, the nights in this town have been filled with bizarre and bloody incidents, making the nights here particularly eerie.

"Some claim to have heard strange cries and shrieks in the dead of night, only to discover victims lying on the roadside the next day, bearing marks that suggest they were bitten.

"Others, returning home late at night, have reported sightings of a mysterious creature resembling a vampire roaming in the darkness, its appearance chilling to the bone.

"The local Investigation Bureau has stepped in and arrested an Ability User addicted to superpower serums. The suspect has confessed to the crimes.

"It turns out that the reason behind these bizarre incidents is an ordinary serum.

"Due to the local government's lack of regulation on SPA serums, the substance has become rampant. Ability Users who inject the serum become addicted, lose their sanity, and even resort to sucking the blood of others.

"As this news report airs, we have received word from the Siamese government that they have recognized the dangers of superpower serums and have announced plans to regulate them.

"The dangers of superpower serums go beyond what we've seen here. We should take this as a warning and resolutely resist such illegal products.

"Thank you for watching, I'm reporter Wang Mingyang, and I will continue to follow this story and bring you the latest updates. Goodbye."

The situation unfolded much as Lu Heng remembered. It was at this point that the superpower serums began to spread uncontrollably.

Regarding the proliferation of superpower serums, Lu Heng had once wondered if he could prevent it with his own strength.

The answer was: impossible.

How could he stop it if these countries didn't even ban the serums themselves?

In the early stages of the serum's spread, some countries even legalized superpower serums to increase tax revenue.

Only a few nations, like Daxia, took a firm stance against the prohibition of superpower serums.

Lu Heng hadn't been idle, though. Two months ago, before the serums started spreading wildly, he had issued a warning, causing Daxia to ban the serums two months in advance, significantly improving the domestic situation.

At least, for now, Daxia hadn't experienced the rampant chaos caused by the serums.

Lu Heng had personally witnessed Ability Users sucking the blood of their kind on the streets, but he believed that this situation wouldn't escalate to that extent in this lifetime.

After washing the dishes, Li Xiu Yun brought a basket of green grapes to the coffee table and watched the news for a while before turning to Lu Heng with a serious expression. "You must never touch that stuff. It's terrifying. I heard from the neighbors that someone on Xingyang Street injected that serum, and they became neither human nor ghost. It's frightening just to think about it."

Lu Heng was well aware of the dangers of superpower serums, and he smiled, assuring his mother, "I know, Mom."

Li Xiu Yun added after a moment's thought, "You should also remind Muyu. Make sure he stays away from that stuff. No, I'll tell his mother to warn him. Such a good boy, we can't let that serum ruin him."

Su Muyu had been involved in the superpower serum incident from start to finish, so Lu Heng wasn't too worried, but he couldn't ignore the concerns of his family.

...

The next day, Lu Heng and Su Muyu visited the Dragon Valor Mercenary Corps headquarters.

Although they were honorary captains of the corps, they could count on one hand the number of times they had been there.

This time, they heard that Wu Weibing and Tao Yalen had been transferred to the Dragon Valor Mercenary Corps as captains and had received promotions.

It had been a while since their return from the Elven world, and this was a good opportunity to catch up with them and celebrate their promotions.

Not only Wu Weibing and Tao Yalen, but all the Ability Warriors who had returned from the Elven world had received promotions.

However, after the promotions, everyone went their separate ways.

After all, most of them had become captains and would now lead their own teams.

Chen Zi Hang's situation was a bit different. He was a student at the National Defense Seven Sons High School and had already secured a spot for graduate studies. Whether he continued his education was up to him.

The group met at the Dragon Valor Mercenary Corps headquarters and then drove to a hotel for a meal.

Not long ago, they returned from the Abyss Battlefield, each of them having experienced a lot. Emotions were running high as they reunited.

Nine people attended this gathering, Lu Heng and his two companions, along with Chen Zi Hang and Wu Weibing's group of six.

Xie Shi En had returned to the capital to visit his teacher's wife and couldn't make it.

Moreover, Xie Shi En is the pursued 027 of the Creator Organization, and he usually needs to hide his identity. Unless necessary, he wouldn't often appear with Lu Heng's group.

Additionally, a few of Wu Weibing's team had been reassigned to other war zones and had just taken up their new posts, so they couldn't make it to the gathering.

So, this gathering had nine people, and although not everyone was present, everyone was in high spirits.

"You've all advanced so quickly; it's amazing to see you all as officers already," Lu Heng toasted.

Before this, Wu Weibing, Tao Yalun, and the others were only sergeants, but after returning from the Elven world, they were promoted to officers, which made everyone delighted.

"It's all thanks to your excellent leadership, Commander Lu," Wu Weibing quickly complimented.

Tao Yalun teased from the side, "Old Wu is now addressing you as Commander Lu."

Lu Heng rarely heard people call him Commander Lu, and he wasn't used to it at first.

Seeing his friends' success, Lu Heng was genuinely happy for them.

During this gathering, Chen Zi Hang spoke less than usual.

Lu Heng curiously asked, "What about you? What are your plans?"

Chen Zi Hang shrugged and replied, "I haven't decided yet, but I didn't hand in the Moonwell Spring. If I were to join the military, I'm not sure if I'd face any discrimination."

Lu Heng frowned and inquired further, "What do you mean?"

Wu Weibing and the others exchanged glances and coughed, trying to change the subject.

Chen Zi Hang, being a student from the National Defense High School, had a different status from Wu Weibing's group, so he spoke without reservation, "It's just a private gathering; what's there to hide?"

Wu Weibing had no choice but to answer, "Go ahead and speak. It's not a big deal. Apart from Chen Zi Hang, all eight of us got promoted. It's related to the Moonwell Spring."

Lu Heng furrowed his brows and asked, "What do you mean?"

Wu Weibing waved his hand and explained, "It's not like that, and we didn't hand in all of it. Our instructor spoke to us individually and asked us to hand in one-tenth of the Moonwell Spring.

"Moreover, the organization promised that after we handed in one-tenth of the Moonwell Spring, we would receive a Tri-Transformation Essence.

"Without the Tri-Transformation Essence, the Moonwell Spring would have to be used to upgrade skills, which wouldn't maximize its benefits.

"So, after considering it, I agreed to hand in one-tenth of the Moonwell Spring and received a Tri-Transformation Essence.

"Now I have the Third Rank Proficiency, and Tao and the others are in a similar situation.

"With the Third Rank Proficiency, we were promoted to officers and reassigned as captains in various places, so we all have bright futures."

After listening, Lu Heng asked, "So, all eight of you handed in one-tenth of the Moonwell Spring each?"

Wu Weibing nodded and replied, "More or less. I didn't ask in detail, but everyone got promoted, so it's a similar situation."

In truth, if Lu Heng were in their position, he would likely make the same decision.

Handing in one-tenth of the Moonwell Spring in exchange for a Tri-Transformation Essence and a promotion was a good deal, especially since they didn't have to hand in all of it.

So, Wu Weibing and the others were brimming with confidence, having obtained the Third Rank Proficiency and promotions to officers, with bright futures ahead of them.

This was undoubtedly a good thing.

However, Lu Heng discerned something different from this information.

Eight people, each handing in one-tenth of the Moonwell Spring, meant that the collected spring water was almost enough to fill a bottle.

It was unclear whether this collected spring water would be used for research or some other purpose.

Afterward, everyone continued chatting while enjoying a hot pot, the atmosphere relaxed and cheerful.

Lin Zeyu, upon hearing that they had obtained the Third Rank Proficiency, joked, "So, I'm the only one here without the Third Rank Proficiency? I've become the tail-ender."

Everyone burst into laughter but didn't take his words seriously.

...

The day after the gathering, Lu Heng prepared to travel to the Elven World to find Teres and continue training his second ultimate technique, Soaring Dragon Sky Hunter.

Su Muyu also wanted to accompany him.

Her world mission reward was also a Spatial Anchor, not because the other two options were bad, but because she had promised the Tree of Knowledge to collect Life Tree Vines and bring them back, so she needed a Spatial Anchor.

Additionally, the other two reward options didn't include godly rewards like extra skill slots.

"What will you do after teleporting there? Is it just to accompany me?" Lu Heng felt this didn't align with her style.

After all, teleporting consumed Divine Energy, and the longer one stayed, the more energy was consumed.

"Join me, aren't you happy?" Su Muyu smiled, hands behind his back.

"It's not that, I just think you're usually so stingy with your Divine Energy, and this isn't your style." Lu Heng teased.

Su Muyu's eyebrows furrowed, and he hummed, "I'm going to the Moonshadow Forest to practice enhancing my Nature Messenger abilities and consult the Tree of Knowledge about the Abyss. Last time, we were in a rush, and I still have many unanswered questions."

The Elven civilization was the longest-standing resistance against the Abyss, and the Tree of Knowledge was the most erudite plant in the Queldore world.

With enough time, one could learn a lot from the Tree of Knowledge.

"Alright then."

So, the two teleported to the Queldore world, appearing within the fenced garden of the Moonshadow Forest.

Serene had returned to the forest to continue her research on Nature Magic and find a way to purify the Abyss.

Upon seeing Lu Heng and Su Muyu appear, Serene didn't show any surprise, casually greeting them, "You're here so soon?"

Lu Heng looked around and asked, "How long have we been gone?"

Serene replied, "Almost three months."

Three months had passed in the Queldore world.

Lu Heng's return to the main world was only eight days ago; the passage of time was different in the two worlds.

This was likely due to the time difference caused by teleportation.

After a brief chat with Serene, Lu Heng continued, "Where is Elder Teres now?"

"He's probably in Koloss City. Are you going there?" Serene immediately understood Lu Heng's purpose for coming; he must be seeking Teres to learn swordsmanship.

"Yes, I'm heading to Koloss City," Lu Heng nodded.

"Perfect, help me bring these two Golden Tree Seeds there and find a place to plant them," Serene said, taking out the two seeds and placing them in Lu Heng's palm.

In the Queldore world, each day required the consumption of Divine Energy, so there was no time to leisurely explore.

After chatting with Serene, Lu Heng prepared to set off for Koloss City and turned to Su Muyu, asking, "Are you coming with me, or staying in the Moonshadow Forest?"

Su Muyu teleported over, intending to learn from the Tree of Knowledge, so she didn't have to go to Koloss City.

Yet, she nodded firmly, "Of course, I'll go to Koloss City."

Traveling from the Moonshadow Forest to Koloss City would take half a day even by flight.

After Su Muyu consulted the Tree of Knowledge, the two set off, riding on a Mechanical Tiger towards Koloss City.

Half a day later, the two arrived at Koloss City, first finding Fiona and giving her the Golden Tree Seeds. They then chatted about the changes in the Elven race.

Three months had passed since the last attack by the Bloodline Clan.

Koloss City had undergone significant changes; all damaged areas had been repaired, and some collapsed buildings had been cleared, but no new constructions were underway, possibly due to other plans.

Fiona led the two around the city, briefly explaining the events of the past three months.

Lu Heng remembered a lingering question from before his departure and asked, "By the way, did you figure it out later? Who opened the Bloodline Clan's teleportation gateway?"

Mentioning this matter, Fiona became immediately interested, leading the two into the archive room and saying,

"Regarding this, we did find some clues.

"Indeed, no one witnessed who opened the Bloodline Clan's teleportation gateway at that time because the guards in the Spatial Corridor were killed.

"In the beginning, we couldn't even find the guards' bodies until we cleared the collapsed buildings in the city and discovered several bodies under the rubble, confirming their identities as the Spatial Corridor guards."

Lu Heng, upon hearing this information, inquired further, "Did you find any clues on these guards' bodies?"

Fiona produced a record and handed it to Lu Heng, replying, "We did find some clues. These guards' bodies had claw marks, like those of a beast, which couldn't have been caused by the Elves.

"We Elves can cause such claw marks, but only the Druid profession. Still, Druids are peace-loving and wouldn't do such a thing, and we've checked; our Druid population is small, so we can rule them out as suspects."

"Aside from Druids, are there any other possibilities?" Lu Heng continued to press.

"If it's not a beast, there's another possibility: Dark Werewolves. We've compared the claw marks, and they are very similar to those caused by Dark Werewolves. So, we suspect that Dark Werewolves might have infiltrated Koloss City, but we haven't found any useful clues." Fiona flipped through the record to the last page, pointing out the content to Lu Heng.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end