Chapter 328: The Elite of the Elite

Chapter 328: The Elite of the Elite

Upon returning to the Flame Emblem Headquarters, Xie Shien exited the vehicle and entered the building to inform his teammates and their parents that they were safe.

After all, Lu Heng had been taken away by the military, and the situation was quite formal.

Although it was Jane Qing who came, no drastic measures were taken during their departure, but such a display would undoubtedly worry Lu Heng's parents.

On their way back, Lu Heng had already called his parents to reassure them.

After Xie Shien went inside, Lu Heng lingered in the car for a while longer.

"Is there something else?" Jane sensed that he had something to say.

"I have some additional intelligence to share with you about what happened when the Siks Civilization returned. You probably don't know about this yet," Lu Heng began.

"Go on," Jane replied, her tone revealing her keen sense of the seriousness of the matter.

"The Creator Organization's raid team attacked the Siks Civilization's Antimatter Research Institute half an hour before their return. You understand what this means, right?" Lu Heng revealed the information.

Jane's expression immediately turned solemn.

Antimatter, for humans, was a particle that had been explored but was far from being utilized.

Scientifically speaking, antimatter is the opposite state of normal matter.

On Bluesphere, electrons carry a negative charge, while protons carry a positive charge.

Before the discovery of antimatter, humans believed that the positive and negative charges of protons and electrons were natural laws.

It wasn't until scientists discovered positively charged electrons, or positrons, that they found antimatter.

Positrons and negatrons are antiparticles, and compared to the commonly known electrons and protons, they have equal electric charge but opposite polarity.

Under normal circumstances, antimatter cannot exist in nature.

When matter and antimatter meet, they annihilate each other, causing an explosion and releasing tremendous energy.

In other words, when a positron enters the Bluesphere atmosphere and encounters a negatively charged electron in the atmosphere, it will explode, annihilating the particles and releasing enormous energy.

Due to this characteristic, if technology advances to the point where antimatter can be manufactured and stored, the power of its explosion would be hundreds of times stronger than that of a nuclear bomb.

The emergence of nuclear bombs in the last century shocked the world with their destructive power.

The strength of an antimatter bomb is more than three hundred times that of a nuclear bomb, which is a significant difference in magnitude.

This means that in this era, whoever possesses antimatter technology holds the power to conquer the world, similar to those who had nuclear weapons in the last century.

Although Jane wasn't a researcher, she knew what antimatter was and understood the power one could wield by mastering this technology.

Her expression was one of shock, and she hurriedly asked, "Did they succeed?"

If the Creator Organization's raid team had succeeded in acquiring antimatter technology, the consequences would be dire.

Lu Heng shook his head. "No, they didn't succeed. Their ambitions are much greater than I initially thought. I assumed their target would be other tech weapons, but I didn't expect them to go straight for antimatter."

Antimatter technology is considered cutting-edge even in the Siks Civilization, as it shares the same level of advancement as anti-gravity technology—both are 2.0-level technologies, starting at the 2.0 level.

In other words, the Siks Civilization is still in the research phase and hasn't deployed it yet.

The Creator Organization's ambitions are far greater than previously assumed, and they are much more extensive.

Jane felt relieved when she learned that the Creator Organization had failed, "I will report this intelligence. It's my duty to acquire this information in the Siks Civilization, and I failed to do so."

She felt a bit annoyed because she was the state-appointed leader of the summoning team.

The resources and intelligence she obtained during her mission with her team were far less than what Lu Heng had gathered.

Lu Heng added, "The Creator Organization might not be as neutral as they appear on the surface. This organization attempts to control the political situation in Fusang and also owns one of the top ten biopharmaceutical companies in the world, pushing for the legalization of the superpower serum."

"If they had succeeded in this antimatter technology, the consequences would be unimaginable."

Jane nodded and said, "I understand. I will report this intelligence to the higher-ups, and someone will handle it."

She paused for a moment before continuing, "There shouldn't be any issues with your situation, but the organization still needs to hold a meeting to make the final decision. According to discipline, it's best for you to remain in the Coastal Region until the results are out."

Lu Heng nodded in agreement, "Understood."

Jane got out of the car first and opened the door for Lu Heng, saying, "Alright, I've brought you this far. You should head back; your uncle and aunt must be very worried."

If it weren't for her leading the team to invite Lu Heng, and if someone else had come instead, the situation might have become very awkward.

She had invited Lu Heng for a conversation in a gentle manner, also out of concern for his parents.

Lu Heng waved goodbye to her and returned to Tempering Castle, realizing he had been overthinking.

From a distance, he could hear his mother's boisterous laughter, her social butterfly nature in full display.

Lu Heng's mother was the type of person who got along exceptionally well with the neighbors, always cheerful and laughing heartily with everyone she spoke to.

Even in a new environment, she could quickly integrate into new circles.

Of course, it would be a lie to say he wasn't worried, and Li Xiuyun was also concerned. But worrying wouldn't change anything, and she had full confidence in her son.

She had just received a call from Lu Heng, and she was completely relaxed, chatting and laughing with Su's mother outside the room, loud enough for everyone to hear.

As Lu Heng entered the room, all eyes turned towards him.

Clearly, everyone was still eager to hear his explanation.

Lu Heng smiled and said, "It's nothing serious. I met with the commander of the Southern Theater, and we had a brief chat."

Li Xiuyun was delighted to hear this, but she couldn't resist scolding him, "You rascal, meeting with such a high-ranking official without letting us know in advance. Do you know how worried everyone was?"

Lu Heng quickly apologized, "It's all my fault. I won't do it again."

Lu Mingli, with his military background, understood such matters and asked, "What exactly happened? Can you tell us?"

The matter was definitely not something he could easily discuss, as it involved too many confidential details.

Lu Heng casually replied, "It's not a big deal. Don't worry. When I returned, I applied to the state for identity protection for you. It's best to minimize going out for a while."

Su's mother nodded in agreement, "That's not a problem. I can stay at home all day if needed."

She didn't want to be a burden to her daughter, and with their current comfortable living conditions, she didn't have many other desires.

Lu Heng explained, "It's not as serious as it seems. Just be a little more cautious in the future."

Li Xiuyun pointed at the ceiling and asked, "I heard this castle is quite special. Will we still be able to come here in the future?"

Lu Heng nodded, "Of course. Lin Zeyu is in charge of that. Just ask him."

Lin Zeyu quickly agreed, "That's easy. I'll talk to the manager of Flame Emblem, and in the future, you can come whenever you like, Auntie."

"Ling Jie mentioned before that Su Muyu stays in the castle all day, carving things. She wants to come and see for herself but is too shy to ask," Li Xiuyun said, revealing Ling Jie's thoughts as she hugged Su's mother's arm.

Two months ago, Su Muyu had dedicated almost all her time to the Gem Workshop in Tempering Castle to gain experience as an Engraver.

Sometimes, she wouldn't see her daughter for an entire day, and she would occasionally confide in Li Xiuyun about these family matters.

...

After settling his parents' affairs, Lu Heng gathered his team of four to discuss their next steps.

"After this incident, there's a high probability that Xie Shien 027's identity will be exposed."

Xie Shien nodded, "I'm prepared for that. This secret can't be kept forever. Although the content of our conversation is unlikely to be leaked, the Creator Organization will probably guess my identity."

Lu Heng had already considered this possibility during his time in the Siks Civilization.

The exposure of Xie Shien's identity wasn't due to a mistake in their operation but rather the culmination of numerous interconnected events.

There were certainly intelligent individuals within the Creator Organization who, by piecing together all the information, could easily reach this conclusion.

From the Black Iron Dwarf World to the Elf World, and now to the Siks Civilization, 027 had been present in all three of these Abyssal Battlefields.

There were only a handful of Ability Users who could simultaneously appear in these three places, and a simple process of elimination could quickly narrow down 027's identity.

Lin Zeyu quipped, "This time, it seems like our conflict with the Creator Organization is irreconcilable."

Among the four team members, only he had no direct conflict with the Creator Organization.

Both Lu Heng and Xie Shien had "defected" from the Creator Organization.

Su Muyu, on the other hand, had promised the Life Tree Vine of Quel'Thalas to help retrieve the Life Tree Vine, which had been taken by a raiding team from the Creator Organization.

To reclaim the Life Tree Vine, she had no choice but to oppose the Creator Organization.

The three of them exchanged glances and smiled at each other.

After a moment's thought, Lu Heng said, "Since we're up against the Creator Organization, our team of four might be a bit understaffed."

Lin Zeyu asked in surprise, "Are we recruiting new teammates? Who do you have in mind? How about Jane Qing? I think she's great, hehehe..."

Su Muyu gave him a sidelong glance and said, "When Lu Heng mentioned the shortage of manpower, he wasn't referring to just one or two people. Our team contract only has one slot left, so adding one more person won't make much difference."

Lu Heng gave her a knowing look and continued, "I'm thinking of relying on the Longwei Mercenary Corps to form an elite team.

Xie Shien understood and asked, "You want to utilize the ability to upgrade skills, right?"

Lu Heng nodded, "Yes, it's time to unlock the full potential of this ability."

Divinity Evolution not only allows one to upgrade their own skills but also helps others unlock and upgrade their skills.

This ability can have a significant impact.

Of course, to maximize its value, there's a prerequisite—one must be able to keep this ability a secret.

If it were a year ago, Lu Heng could have helped others upgrade their skills, but if the secret got out...

What would happen?

Undoubtedly, major factions and organizations, even nations, would try to contain him, forcing him to upgrade the skills of Ability Users endlessly.

This ability is too powerful for any organization or faction to let go of. They might even go as far as to cut off Lu Heng's limbs and imprison him to keep this ability under their control.

Don't hold any illusions about the nature of people in the Abyssal Era.

Take the Creator Organization, for example. If they had discovered Lu Heng's Divinity Evolution from the start, they wouldn't have sent an invitation; instead, they would have dispatched their strongest team to capture him immediately.

This is why Lu Heng had only upgraded the skills of his team members previously. With the team contract in place, their interests were aligned, and trust was possible.

It's difficult to guarantee the same level of trust with others.

A common man with no fault becomes guilty when he possesses a treasure.

This timeless saying applies in any era.

Now that Lu Heng has the ability to protect this secret, he can finally unlock the full potential of Divinity Evolution.

Xie Shien continued, "How do you plan to proceed?"

Lu Heng shared his initial thoughts, "I plan to talk to Li Guining about forming an elite team within the Longwei Mercenary Corps, directly under our team's command. I'll help upgrade the skills of the selected members."

Xie Shien nodded in agreement, "That's a feasible approach. We can choose the team members, and there shouldn't be any issues."

Lu Heng turned to Su Muyu and Lin Zeyu, asking, "What do you think? Any opinions?"

Lin Zeyu spread his hands and replied, "I agree. If this succeeds, I'll have a large group of followers in the future."

Su Muyu also nodded in agreement, "This step is definitely necessary, and the timing is right. But I suggest that upgrading skills should require some effort from them. It's better if they don't receive benefits without exerting any effort; it will create a different mindset."

Lu Heng contemplated and said, "Indeed, it's best to use skill upgrades as rewards, and it would be even better if we can bind them together."

After discussing, Lu Heng called Li Guining's private number and briefly mentioned his idea, but he didn't mention the ability to upgrade skills in bulk during the call. Instead, he arranged a meeting.

Li Guining sensed that Lu Heng had more to say during the call.

His position of authority wasn't achieved by chance; his insights were sharp, and he understood Lu Heng's personality. He knew Lu Heng wouldn't do something meaningless.

So, he immediately agreed to meet the next day.

The following day, Lu Heng went to a military base in the Southern Theater, where he met Li Guining.

Li Guining's deputy was originally accompanying him, and Lu Heng smiled at the sight.

The deputy looked at Li Guining, seeking guidance with his eyes.

As Li Guining's deputy, his primary responsibility was to protect Li Guining, so he usually stayed by his side, never leaving his side.

In peaceful times, such caution might not be necessary, but in the Abyssal Era, anything could happen.

Li Guining waved his hand, signaling for the deputy to leave, and said, "You can go now. Let me have a private chat with Lu Heng."

In truth, if Lu Heng had any ill intentions, the deputy's presence wouldn't have made much difference.

In the Southern Theater, Lu Heng's combat data was updated almost daily.

So, Li Guining was well aware of the true strength of the young man before him. Even if he picked the strongest super warriors from the four theaters, they wouldn't be a match for Lu Heng.

After the deputy left, Li Guining took the initiative and asked, "Any new ideas? I already know about the information you shared with Captain Jian yesterday regarding antimatter technology. It's indeed a matter that requires careful handling."

Lu Heng didn't continue on that topic but said, "I came today with an idea I'd like to discuss with the Commander-in-Chief. I plan to form an elite team within Longwei, led by my team."

Li Guining considered the matter seriously and asked, "Longwei is already an elite force."

Lu Heng smiled and said, "I'm talking about the elite of the elite. To be frank, I have a way to help them upgrade their skills, just like with Moonwell Water."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end