Chapter 53: Barton's Ring, The Betrayer's Secret Mission

Chapter 53: Barton's Ring, The Betrayer's Secret Mission

The battle was exhilarating.

After clearing out the demon minions in the camp, Lu Heng's level rose to 11 with 36% progress.

To level up this quickly after reaching level 10, the demons in this camp must be quite rich in experience.

During the fight, Lin Zeyu had been observing Lu Heng.

This was the first time he witnessed a human display such masterful swordsmanship and agility on the battlefield, their movements as smooth as silk.

Since the Abyssal Era began, metahumans had indeed gained extraordinary powers, but these were primarily manifested in their Essence Energy skills.

For someone like Lu Heng, who had honed his agility and swordsmanship to the Micro Level, there was no other person at this point in time.

...

After the battle, Lu Heng obtained a map from Wang Xiang Feng and once again confirmed the location of the camp.

In his memory, there was a crucial item in this camp, known as Skullshatter, which would be transported to Barton's Temple before the resurrection ceremony.

This item was of utmost importance to Evil God Barton's resurrection ritual, but it was uncertain if it was still in the camp.

If the item was still there, it should be in... the stone hut of the Winged Demon Sorcerer.

The Winged Demon Sorcerer had been hiding in the stone hut, unwilling to come out, even at the cost of his flight advantage, to guard the hut.

Aside from the binding trap inside the hut, there was likely another important reason—to protect that crucial item.

Lu Heng returned to the stone hut and found a beautifully carved box in a wall recess.

Opening the box, he discovered a skull ring.

[Barton's Skull Ring]



[Item Rank: A-Class]



[Specifications: 20mm diameter, 20g weight]



[Attributes: +8 Psychic]



[Enchantment: Psychic Shock]



[Psychic Shock: Deals 8 points of psychic damage on attack and reduces the target's psychic attribute by 8 points.]



[Description: Barton's ring, imbued with powerful divine energy. Those with weak willpower may experience mental confusion when wearing it.]



The moment Lu Heng touched the ring, a mission prompt appeared before his eyes:

[Hidden Mission Triggered: Barton's Skull Ring]



[Content: You have discovered a ring filled with divine energy. Put on the ring, listen to the divine oracle, and become a follower of the God.]



[Reward: Obtain the divine power bestowed by Barton.]



After reading the hidden mission's content, Lu Heng couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

This hidden mission was... terrifying.

Based on its content, anyone who accepted this mission would immediately soar to new heights.

The reward was "Obtain the divine power bestowed by Barton," a reward for ascending to godhood in broad daylight.

Moreover, the difficulty of completing this mission was... too low.

All one needed to do was put on the ring; it was practically a gift.

Others might have put on the ring without hesitation.

However, Lu Heng already knew what this ring was, and just by reading the mission content and reward, he could tell that there was something amiss.

The mission was too easy to complete, and the reward was suspiciously good.

This hidden mission was clearly problematic.

Others might not have realized the nature of such hidden missions.

Lu Heng, however, had experienced it firsthand. These hidden missions were actually a type of "Betrayer" mission.

By comparing this hidden mission with the main storyline quests in the Abyssal Battlefield, one could discern its true nature.

When humans were summoned to the Abyssal Battlefield, they all saw the main storyline quests upon arrival.

If one read the main quests carefully, they would conclude that these quests guided humans to oppose the Abyssal World.

Whether it was this Abyssal Battlefield or the previous one, the main quests always pitted humans against the Abyss.

What kind of mission could be considered a "Betrayer" mission? There was only one answer: any mission that went against the goal of opposing the Abyss was a "Betrayer" mission.

Moreover, the rewards for completing "Betrayer" missions were not calculated at the end of the battlefield but were typically granted immediately upon completion.

In the previous era, someone had analyzed the pattern of "Betrayer" missions and concluded that they were likely released by the Abyss itself.

Even more frightening was the fact that "Betrayer" missions had a distinct characteristic: their rewards were extremely generous, often several times greater than the main quests.

This enticed many metahumans, making it difficult to resist the temptation, ultimately leading them to side with the Abyss.

Some metahumans believed that they could complete the "Betrayer" missions, claim the rewards, and remain steadfast in their original convictions.

However, those who played by these rules eventually found no way back.

For the path of power was endless.

As Lu Heng inspected the ring, Lin Zeyu entered the room and asked, "What did you find?"

Lu Heng flipped his palm, storing the Barton's Skull Ring in his inventory, and then held up the crystal core extracted from the Winged Demon Sorcerer, replying, "I got a Skill Crystal Core."

This battle yielded a total of two Demon Crystal Cores.

Lu Heng obtained the crystal core extracted from the Winged Demon Sorcerer.

The other crystal core, a common one, was picked up by Li Da Yong and handed over to Lin Zeyu.

Upon hearing that it was a skill crystal core, Lin Zeyu inquired, "What skill is it?"

Lu Heng, who had just checked its attributes, replied, "It's a Skill Crystal Core, Dark Witchcraft Binding Trap."

[Dark Witchcraft Binding Trap: The caster sets up a trap around themselves, ensnaring any target that steps into it with dark witchcraft. Skill Cost: 20 Source Energy. Skill Rank: D-Rank.]



Moreover, Lu Heng had two Dark Witchcraft Binding Trap crystal cores. The Winged Demon Sorcerer he defeated while escaping from the transport cart also dropped this type of crystal core.

"Are you selling it?" Lin Zeyu asked directly.

"What are you offering in return?" Lu Heng asked curiously.

"Anything is fine—cash, bank transfer, or exchanging with other crystal cores. As long as it's of equivalent value, you can name it. Of course, the payment can only be made after we return," Lin Zeyu said, trying to show his sincerity.

Lu Heng asked in surprise, "Haven't you maxed out your skills yet?"

Lin Zeyu nodded, "Yes, I still have one skill slot left to fill. I want a defense-oriented control skill, and this Dark Witchcraft Trap is perfect."

In fact, his family had acquired a suitable skill for him, and he had absorbed it, but recently he's been quite unlucky. He absorbed the crystal core but didn't acquire the skill.

After seeing the Dark Witchcraft Trap trigger in the stone house, Lu Heng's shadow clone was immediately entangled by dark thorns and couldn't move.

He was very satisfied with the effect of this skill, so he wanted to buy it.

If it were someone else, Lu Heng might have worried about being cheated, but he didn't need to worry about Lin Zeyu.

For someone who is willing to trade a Professional Quintessence to watch the tempering process, defaulting on the deal is unlikely.

Of course, if he were to die on the Abyssal battlefield, things would get complicated.

Moreover, this Abyssal battlefield is extremely challenging, so it's best to prioritize exchanging items that can enhance combat power.

Conveniently, Lu Heng knew that there was a tempering furnace in this Abyssal battlefield, so he asked, "Do you have any tempering materials?"

Recently, the Lin family has been buying tempering materials at high prices, so Lin Zeyu had some in his possession.

He originally planned to go to the Forge Castle for tempering after returning.

But now, he can use it to exchange for the skill crystal core.

According to the current market trends, the price of tempering materials is much higher than that of skill crystal cores.

However, being able to exchange for a skill suitable for his learning, and obtaining a skill in the Abyssal battlefield that can immediately enhance combat power, is worth it even if the price is a bit higher.

Lin Zeyu took out a piece of Tempering Essence and said, "I have one. Do you want to trade?"

"Sure."

This trade was a win-win situation; Lin Zeyu didn't lose out, and Lu Heng gained a substantial profit.

After obtaining the Dark Witchcraft Binding Trap crystal core, Lin Zeyu immediately crushed it to absorb its energy.

After a while, he glared and cursed, "Damn it! It failed again."

Lu Heng had already turned to leave, but upon hearing the curse, he glanced back with a sympathetic look.

Absorbing crystal core energy doesn't guarantee a 100% success rate in learning the skill.

Several factors influence the success rate, such as comprehension, energy adaptability, and skill compatibility.

Of course, the most crucial factor is luck.

Lin Zeyu tugged at his hair in frustration.

If this were in the main world, wasting a crystal core wouldn't be a big deal for him.

But here, in the Abyssal battlefield, each additional skill increases the chances of survival, making it a matter of life and death.

Lu Heng turned to look at this unlucky fellow and took out the second Dark Witchcraft Binding Trap crystal core, asking, "I have another one. Do you want it?"

"Yes! I'm not giving up."

Lin Zeyu was determined and didn't hesitate. He took out the second piece of Tempering Essence, slapped it into Lu Heng's hand, took the second Dark Witchcraft Binding Trap crystal core, and crushed it to absorb its energy.

After a few minutes, he finally exhaled in relief, "Finally, success!"

At that moment, he felt completely drained, as if entering a sage-like state.

Moreover, acquiring this skill was not easy, making him cherish it even more.

...

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end