Chapter 52: Upgrade, Enhanced Talent Effect

Chapter 52: Upgrade, Enhanced Talent Effect

The trio ventured deep into the Blade Ridge Stone Forest.

After confirming there were no pursuers, Lu Heng stopped to gather kindling and other flammable materials to start a fire.

He gathered a pile of firewood but felt it wasn't enough, so he prepared to search for more.

At that moment, Lin Zeyu returned with an armful of dry branches and placed them together with Lu Heng's collection.

Lu Heng glanced at him and reminded, "I'm not starting a fire for warmth."

Lin Zeyu nodded, "I know."

Intrigued by his words, Lu Heng asked, "Is this also the gathering signal for your team?"

Lin Zeyu didn't hide anything and spread his hands, "Well, it's the best method we have. We can't use Divine Energy to bring a signal flare, and even if we did, it might not be enough."

Their goals aligned perfectly; both wanted to start a fire and create smoke as a signal for their team to assemble.

On Bluestar, communication was convenient; a simple phone call would suffice.

But in the Abyss World, without an information network, they had to resort to the most primitive method of conveying messages—beacon fires and smoke signals.

Of course, there were risks associated with smoke signals.

They might attract Demon Minions.

Lu Heng wasn't worried about this; as long as Su Muyu saw the smoke, she would naturally send Scout Eagles.

The fire blazed, forming a column of smoke that rose into the sky.

After creating the signal, the three continued forward, and at regular intervals, Lin Zeyu would stack stones to mark their path.

After walking for about an hour, Liu Qichen suddenly spoke up, "Someone is catching up from behind."

Just then, a whistle sounded from behind them.

Lin Zeyu's face lit up with delight, "Don't worry, it's my people."

As he finished speaking, two people came running, reaching Lin Zeyu and panting, "We finally found you."

These two were both around thirty years old and appeared to have undergone professional training, possibly with a military background.

After a brief introduction, the five formed a temporary team.

Lin Zeyu's two team members were Wang Xiang Feng, an Invisible Recon Soldier, and Li Da Yong, a Strength-based Warrior.

Their abilities complemented each other well, making the temporary team a reasonably balanced group.

Lin Zeyu had found the people he was looking for, but Lu Heng hadn't.

After waiting for so long, they hadn't seen Su Muyu, nor had they spotted any Scout Eagles in the sky.

The situation was worse than expected.

Lu Heng also asked Lin Zeyu's two subordinates, but they hadn't seen Su Muyu either.

They could only hope that Su Muyu was too far away to see the smoke, rather than something unfortunate happening to her.

...

Lu Heng now needed a map to analyze Su Muyu's possible location and find the memory of several places with advanced resources.

"We need a map right now; otherwise, we won't know our current position."

Lin Zeyu agreed, "We do need a map."

Wang Xiang Feng, the Invisible Recon Soldier, took out a leather map and handed it to Lu Heng, saying, "When we passed by, we discovered a Demon Minion camp, and there was some commotion there. I sneaked in and found this map."

With his military background, Wang Xiang Feng understood the importance of maps, so while searching for Lin Zeyu, he was also looking for a map.

Lu Heng took the map and found a spot to sit down and start examining it.

This map centered on the Evil God's temple, depicting the surrounding area's terrain.

Lu Heng first confirmed their current location, which was the Blade Ridge Stone Forest, fifty kilometers south of Barton's Temple.

Then, he noted the positions of several important locations on the map.

After studying the map, Lu Heng noticed a crucial Demon Camp on the western peak of the Blade Ridge.

According to his memories from the previous life, this Demon Camp contained a very important item, a key component for the Demon God's resurrection ritual.

He wanted to check if this item was still there, so he discussed it with Lin Zeyu and then led the team through the Blade Ridge to the mountainside of the western peak.

Indeed, there was a Demon Camp on the mountainside, and its structures were sturdy and difficult to attack.

"There are sixteen Demon Minions in the camp," Liu Qichen counted the demons inside.

"Only sixteen? That seems a bit low," Lu Heng felt that a camp of this size should have more demon guards.

"When we passed by earlier, we noticed some commotion. We wanted to see what was happening, but when we saw the smoke signal, we headed for the gathering point. Perhaps this camp was raided by a Metahuman team," Wang Xiang Feng explained briefly.

"If there are only this many, we might as well eliminate them," Lu Heng suggested.

"That... might be a bit risky, right? Sixteen Demon Minions, even if we can defeat them, it could be troublesome if we get injured. Getting injured in the Abyss World is a serious matter."

Wang Xiangfeng was extremely cautious.

Lin Zeyu had witnessed Lu Heng's skill in only killing Winged Demon Sorcerers, so he patted Wang Xiangfeng's shoulder in agreement, "Alright, we'll follow your lead."

"Okay. I'll go in first to prepare. Once the fire starts, you can make your move," Wang Xiangfeng said as he entered invisibility and stealthily made his way into the demon camp.

A few minutes later, the demon camp was set ablaze in multiple places.

Over a dozen demon minions roared and rushed out, attempting to extinguish the fires.

Li Da Yong charged forward, removed a door panel from the camp's entrance, and used it as a shield. He knocked down the leading demon minion with the door and then swung his axe with full force.

Initially, he hadn't planned to engage in close combat, considering they were only five, and one of them was a Sensor.

Facing sixteen demon minions was still a daunting task.

Just as he felt the pressure mounting, Lu Heng dashed forward, leaped onto the wall, and flipped into the camp. He drew the Aurora Blade from the void and, with a swift stroke, beheaded a demon minion.

Without hesitation, he glided forward, executing the Seven-Step Sword Technique's "Mountain-Splitting Strike" and splitting another demon minion in two.

At that moment, a demon minion stealthily climbed onto the roof of a stone house and pounced, launching a surprise attack from behind. It swung its hammer viciously, aiming for Lu Heng's back.

Lu Heng parried the hammer with his sword and then grabbed the demon minion's neck with his left hand, activating the skill [Thunderbolt Weapon].

A surge of wild electricity erupted from his palm, enveloping the demon minion's body.

Lu Heng slammed the demon minion into the ground, and the thunderous blast of electricity annihilated it.

In the blink of an eye, he had killed three.

Three prompts appeared in quick succession:

[Kill a demon minion, absorb 80 points of demon energy.]



Just then, a Winged Demon Sorcerer emerged from a stone house and launched a long-range sneak attack, firing a wave of dark sorcery energy at Lu Heng.

"Watch out!"

Lin Zeyu blasted the head of a demon with his gun and, noticing the sorcerer's attack, shouted a warning.

Lu Heng had already sensed the incoming attack and, in the instant the dark sorcery wave emerged, he executed a Micro-Level Mobility technique, leaping onto the roof of the stone house to evade the energy wave.

Simultaneously, he slashed horizontally with his sword, killing a demon that was about to launch a surprise attack from the roof.

The Winged Demon Sorcerer, hiding in the stone house, continued to wave his bone staff, casting dark sorcery at the group that had entered the camp.

Li Da Yong blocked the sorcerer's energy wave with the door panel, which was now riddled with a large hole.

He roared and raised his axe, ready to charge into the stone house to finish off the sorcerer.

Lu Heng furrowed his brows and quickly shouted, "Don't go! There's a trap!"

Li Da Yong's expression turned grim, and he immediately changed direction, pouncing on another demon minion.

Lu Heng's warning wasn't due to discovering a trap in the stone house but was based on his experience and judgment.

Winged Demon Sorcerers could fly, and they typically attacked ground targets from above. However, this sorcerer remained hidden in the stone house, indicating a trap within.

Lin Zeyu blasted the head of another demon and then turned to aim at the stone house, firing a shot.

Bang!

The Winged Demon Sorcerer inside the stone house dodged behind the wall, avoiding the line of fire. He continuously unleashed dark sorcery waves, forcing Lin Zeyu and the others to seek cover.

After Lu Heng finished off the fourth demon minion, he released a Shadow Clone.

The clone performed a backflip, jumped off the roof, and slashed his way into the stone house.

As soon as he entered, a magic trap emerged from the floor, ensnaring the clone with over a dozen dark thorns.

The Winged Demon Sorcerer let out a maniacal cackle and fired a blast of dark sorcery energy, obliterating the clone.

In the instant the clone exploded, Lu Heng used his Source Skill [Shadow Traverse] to pass through the back wall and enter the stone house. With a "Piercing Cloud" strike, he aimed for the sorcerer's back.

The sorcerer, sensing someone behind him, was startled, causing him to tremble and quickly turn around to block with his bone staff.

Lu Heng's sword tip lifted half an inch, sliding along the edge of the staff, and then plunged into the sorcerer's chest.

A thunderous force erupted, reducing the sorcerer to ashes.

[Kill a Winged Demon Sorcerer, absorb 120 points of demon energy.]



[Demon energy enhancement, Essence Energy level increased to 11, all attributes +2, Agility attribute +0.6]



From Essence Energy levels 1 to 10, each level-up grants a +1 to all attributes.

Level 10 is a turning point; from level 10 onwards, each level-up grants a +2 to all attributes. The [Agile as Dragon] talent increases Agility, rising from +0.3 per level to +0.6.

The effect of [Agile as Dragon] intensifies with each level, which is why this talent becomes more potent in the later stages.

As a result, Lu Heng's five attributes reached: Strength 21, Agility 27, Constitution 21, Psyche 22, and Sensor 21.

With all attributes surpassing 20, his combat power surged, and Lu Heng immediately activated Unmatched Mode, hunting down the demon minions within the camp.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end