Simultaneous Travel: Becoming a Legend in the Heavens.

Chapter 581 There Must Be a Fifth Among the Four Heavenly Kings

Upon hearing Lu Ke's voice, Xue Pengkai was momentarily stunned.

For some reason, the voice felt strangely familiar and nostalgic to him. A blurry, hazy image flashed through his mind, and an indescribable feeling of regret arose in his heart.

"Hand over what you have in your hand; it needs to be kept safe." Xue Pengkai suppressed his agitation and followed the procedure.

Luke handed over the box, his tone gentle: "This thing isn't that dangerous; it's probably the most harmless type."

"I remember explaining the concept and horror of sealed artifacts to you in our previous conversations. Was it that the electronic analog signal didn't explain it clearly to you?"

Xue Pengkai's voice dropped sharply, becoming even more chilling than the cold current from Carsondra, and his eyes were like knives.

"Sealed objects refer to anomalies that are beyond the scope of human cognition, which modern technology cannot achieve, or even analyze in terms of their working principles. They may be some kind of strange life form, some kind of magical tool, or some kind of strange phenomenon."

Lu Ke answered calmly with a smile, "Each sealed artifact is a bizarre thing that defies common sense and goes against the rules of the world. It is something that, if not handled properly, will drag the entire world down with it."

“You warned me to be extremely careful when I came into contact with them, because if I wasn’t careful, I wouldn’t have the chance to be careful.”

"Isn't this something I've memorized quite well?"

Xue Pengkai chuckled, carefully put away the small box, and gestured for Lu Ke to get in the car. Only after Lu Ke fastened his seatbelt did Xue Pengkai follow him in.

The vehicle sped through the rain, accompanied by the roar of its engine, drifting across the road like a silver lightning bolt.

As time passed, the rain in the sky gradually subsided, and the dark clouds slowly dispersed, but the weather remained gloomy.

Perhaps feeling the atmosphere inside the car was too heavy, Lu Ke took the initiative to start a conversation.

"Mr. Xue, what happened? Why are you a few minutes late?"

Xue Pengkai didn't want to answer, but according to the International Convention on Seals and the Future Company Recruitment Regulations, those who become new employees by submitting seals are under the jurisdiction of the host, which means that Lu Ke would theoretically become his subordinate.

To maintain harmony within the department, Xue Pengkai remained silent for a few seconds before responding in a cold, almost lifeless voice.

"Strong winds snapped birch trees along the roadside, which then snapped power lines. There was standing water on the ground. Luckily, there was a patrol car nearby, and the road was closed, so I took a longer route."

Lu Ke nodded: "There have indeed been a lot of extreme weather lately, and the accident rate is reaching new historical highs every year. I don't know what's wrong with this world."

Xue Pengkai lowered his eyes, turned on the autopilot, lit a Marlboro cigarette with his freed right hand, and looked at it with a complicated expression.

Have you ever heard of 'Pandora's Box'?

Lu Ke nodded slightly: "A classic story from Greek mythology."

Prometheus stole fire from the gods and gave it to humankind. To punish humankind, Zeus ordered Hephaestus, the god of fire, to create a maiden named Pandora. Pandora was sent to humankind with a box containing 'wickedness,' 'disaster,' and 'disease,' and was forbidden from opening it. If her curiosity outweighed her reverence for the gods and she opened the box, disaster would befall and destroy humankind.

"The original story is a sealed artifact of the company. The 'Pandora's Box' is real and has been opened. Natural disasters will increase year by year until the world is destroyed or the 'hope' at the bottom of the box appears."

"Oh, that's amazing."

Lu Ke raised an eyebrow and closed the magazine in his hand. "Does Mr. Xue know who opened this sealed artifact?"

"..."

Xue Pengkai was silent for a few seconds, then glanced at Lu Ke with surprise. "When you find out about this, your first reaction isn't surprise that something from mythology actually exists, or fear of the world being destroyed, but curiosity about who opened the box?"

"You speak with such composure and unexpected calmness. Are you really a local of Carsendra, born into a petty thief in the back alleys?"

Lu Ke straightened up and stared intently at Xue Pengkai, asking, "Mr. Xue, were your words just now meant to discriminate against my background?"

This is bullshit political correctness!
Xue Pengkai's face darkened, and he gripped the steering wheel tightly, trying to control his emotions.

"……no."

"Even petty thugs can have ambition. I love watching anime and reading books. I even went to Hawaii to learn various skills, so I have a wealth of knowledge."

"……Been taught a lesson."

"So, Mr. Xue knows who opened Pandora's box?"

Xue Pengkai hummed in response, his voice becoming low. "His name is Wang Lang, and he's one of my juniors."

“He joined the company a year ago and quickly broke my promotion record, rising from the lowest ‘Level 1 Staff’ to team leader, the same level as me, in less than a year. Now he is about to be promoted again.”

The company originally had four managers, each with their own responsibilities. A year ago, Anna, the manager known as the "Chief of War," died mysteriously, leaving a vacancy.

Xue Pengkai was also one of the candidates, but everyone knew that the real and only candidate had already been decided, and the competition was over before it even started.

The minimum requirement for promotion to supervisor is to subdue two "1" level sealed artifacts, or a derivative of a "0" level sealed artifact. However, Wang Lang has already begun to inherit a complete "0" level sealed artifact—"Ultimate Inscription."

Once he has fully inherited the "Ultimate Inscription," he will become the new leader as the victor.

Lu Ke exclaimed in admiration, "That guy named Wang Lang sounds really impressive."

"Everyone who knows him says so."

Are you willing to accept being surpassed by a junior?

Xue Pengkai flicked his cigarette ash, expressionless. "What's there to be dissatisfied about? Capable people will shine wherever they are."

Lu Ke changed the subject, his smile as warm as a spring breeze: "Mr. Xue is also very impressive. Since it was Wang Lang who broke your record, it means that you were the record holder before he came."

People tend to only remember the first place.

"This does not change the fact that the second place is equally excellent."

"Flattery won't work in the company, and trying to curry favor with me won't help you at all."

Xue Pengkai's voice was flat, and he didn't smile, but the air conditioning in the car noticeably cooled down, and the coldness in his eyes softened considerably.

"Okay, I've learned something from you."

Luke smiled and nodded, then asked, "Opening Pandora's Box should be a bad thing, right? Why did you deliberately open it?"

"You're asking too many questions. I just told you, the more you know, the faster you die..."

Even so, Xue Pengkai answered the question honestly, treating it as "pre-job training."

"The company needs the 'hope' in the box to prepare for the coming crisis."

Lu Ke's lips curled into a meaningful smile: "The impending crisis?"

"The company is not the only organization that possesses sealed artifacts. There are many organizations of similar nature. The company is just one of the most powerful organizations among them. Organizations may cooperate occasionally, but most of the time they are in competition. This is the company's newcomer handbook. You can take a look."

Xue Pengkai tossed Lu Ke a booklet and added, "In addition to that, we also need to prevent the explosion of sealed artifacts and the possibility of intelligent sealed artifacts retaliating after escaping."

Luke took the manual but didn't rush to read it. Instead, he asked questions with great interest.

"for example?"

"...A recent example is a Level 0 humanoid derivative that escaped, codenamed 0-7-3."

Xue Pengkai frowned, instinctively resisting the question for some reason, even though theoretically he had never had any connection with that level 0 humanoid derivative.

"The levels of sealed artifacts are divided according to their range of influence. Level 3 covers the range from a single person to a street, Level 2 covers the range from a street to the entire city, Level 1 covers the range from a city to a country, and Level 0 covers the continent and even the entire world."

"Derivatives are things that have been imbued with the power of the sealed object. They are things that appear because of the sealed object or are associated with the sealed object, and they usually also possess special powers."

“0-7-3，代表着那个逃脱的封印物是由代号为‘0-7’封印物衍生出来的第三个东西，据说是叫做……叫做……”

Xue Pengkai couldn't quite recall the specific name for a moment. He glanced at Lu Ke for some reason, then quickly looked away. He raised his hand and pinched the space between his eyebrows before remembering it.

“‘Miles,’ his name is ‘Miles,’ he possesses the power to destroy the world and harbors malice towards the company. To guard against him, the company has implemented many protective measures, making it difficult to even enter or leave.” Luke tapped his index finger back and forth on the new employee handbook: “There is no malice without a reason in the world. ‘Miles’ must have a reason for harboring malice towards the company.”

"Perhaps... but that's not something we should be considering, especially for a newcomer like you."

Xue Pengkai roughly understood the crux of the problem: the company's containment measures were not a good thing. Anyone who had been locked up for eighteen or nineteen years would know that they would seek revenge after being released.

But one's perspective is determined by one's position. Since he is a member of "Future Technology," he shouldn't be considering whether doing this is fair from the perspective of the sealed artifact.

“That’s true, one should do their job in their position.” Lu Ke chuckled, without refuting.

Xue Pengkai suddenly felt tired and lost interest in the conversation.

"Read the new employee handbook carefully; it will be helpful for your future work."

"I also believe this will help my subsequent work."

Lukemo stroked the newcomer's handbook, stared at it for a few seconds, and then gently turned the title page.

Hierarchy system, daily work routine, precautions, containment procedures, emergency evacuation, criteria for evaluating sealed artifacts, guide to publicly available sealed artifact illustrations...

Luke carefully read through these unimportant contents, his gaze lingering on the brief introduction to the Global Seals organization.

Future Technology:

Core concept: Embrace the past, look to the future
Assessment: The most powerful yet most benevolent organization of sealed artifacts in the world.
The company is committed to using sealed artifacts to promote world progress and civilization, making the world a better place. It focuses on its current efforts and looks forward to the future.

Main types of sealed items: All types are available, with no obvious preference.

Deterrent sealing items:

0-7 "Doomsday Horn", 0-13 "Wanted"

--------

Lighthouse Co., Ltd.
Core concept: Even in darkness, keep your heart turned towards the light.
Assessment: An extremist violent organization, difficult to negotiate and achieve a win-win situation.

Lighthouse Corporation denies the possibility and legitimacy of sealed objects, asserting that they are a scourge on the world and that the purpose of collecting them is solely to destroy them. They claim that sealed objects are few in number but generally powerful and stable.

Main types of sealed artifacts: Conceptual weapons, Mythical Catalog

Deterrent sealing items:

0-3 "Atlas", 0-6 "Divine Bird"

-------

Story Editorial Department

Core philosophy: Seeking neither fame nor fortune, only happiness, even at the cost of life.

Assessment: A reliable ally, a formidable foe, a madman of the Chaos faction
The story editing department is dedicated to crafting compelling stories, equally incorporating all sealed artifacts into their narratives. If you find yourself involved in the script, it's best to cooperate with them to complete it; otherwise, you risk going berserk.

Main types of sealed artifacts: Causality, Synopsis
Deterrent sealing items:

0-2 "Story Editing Machine", 0-8 "World Barrier"

------

Psychotherapy Center
Core concept: Unity of knowledge and action; I think, I am.

Evaluation: Not to be spied on

████████
Main sealed item type: ███

Deterrent sealing items:

0-4 "Chaotic Maze", 0-5 "Great One's Garden"

------

Are they the Four Great Sealed Objects Organization?

Lu Ke thoughtfully closed the new employee handbook and quietly watched the scenery rushing past the window.

The dark clouds completely dispersed, revealing a clear blue sky. Sunlight streamed into the car, bright and dazzling, instantly lifting everyone's spirits.

"I forgot to ask you earlier, what's the purpose of the sealed artifact you handed over? Tell me."

As they got closer to the company, Xue Pengkai seemed to be in a slightly better mood and asked a question.

Lu Ke put down the newbie manual and said casually, "I call it 'Miracle Cream.' Ordinary creams have the function of repairing the skin, but this cream expands and upgrades its scope of action."

"What do you mean? This cream has become an all-in-one cosmetic?"

Lu Ke smiled and shook his head. "No, the scope specifically refers to everything you can imagine. Anything that has been applied to the 'Miracle Cream' will be repaired and optimized. For example, if you apply the 'Miracle Cream' to a person, wounds will heal, broken bones will connect, and a healthy body will be strengthened."

It's a very powerful sealing artifact, but sealing artifacts generally have both advantages and disadvantages.

Xue Pengkai frowned, pondering as he asked, "You mean this 'miracle cream' will indiscriminately enhance the application of the cream anywhere?"

"anywhere is fine?"

Lu Ke slowly repeated Xue Pengkai's words, then suddenly looked enlightened and nodded slightly.

"Yes, applying it to the face will increase charm, applying it to the limbs will enhance physical abilities, applying it to the body will enhance the abilities of the internal organs, and applying it to the genitals..."

Lu Ke gave Xue Pengkai a meaningful look and said tactfully, "Mr. Xue, if you want to use it, you can use it now. Before you hand it over, well, I can keep it a secret for you."

"No need, I'm healthy enough, and that's spectacular enough!"

Xue Pengkai's face darkened, and he abruptly steered the adult topic back onto the main subject.

"My main question is whether the enhancement effect of this 'miracle cream' is controllable. If it is applied to malignant tumors, parasites, bacteria, or viruses in the human body, will it also enhance them?"

If that's the case, wouldn't it mean that simply throwing this thing into a virus culture dish could create a super virus that defies the laws of nature and could wipe out humanity?
"No, the 'miracle cream' will only make the things you apply go in a positive direction."

Lu Ke patiently explained, "Pouring the 'miracle cream' into sewage can purify rivers, pouring it into the desert will cause soil and new shoots to grow again, and pouring it onto a garbage dump will clear away all the garbage... The malignant tumors and virus culture dishes you mentioned will probably disappear the moment they are applied."

Xue Pengkai pondered for a moment before asking, "How did you solve the dosage problem?"

Undoubtedly, the person in front of me has used a large amount of the "miracle cream" to improve their body and has made a fortune from it. Just look at that small box; it's clearly not enough.

"The Miracle Cream has a multiplication function. As long as you apply the Miracle Cream to another Miracle Cream, you can get multiple Miracle Creams. So theoretically, the number of Miracle Creams is unlimited."

Lu Ke casually rested his chin on his hand. "The Miracle Cream defies the 'entropy' of the universe, adding new heat in an endless way. Using the rating method Mr. Xue just introduced, what level should this sealed artifact be considered?"

babble-

As soon as the words were spoken, the speeding vehicle was torn apart by the magic of inertia and the physical braking engine, leaving two charred marks on the road before suddenly coming to a stop.

Xue Pengkai stared blankly at the building in front of him with the "Future Technology" logo, his eyes unfocused, his voice as ethereal as a dream.

"Level 0 sealed item".

"That's really lucky. Now you're one of those shining people too."

Luke chuckled, leaned back in the back seat, and uttered a half-smile.

"Mr. Xue, do you feel like you are being pampered by this world?"

(End of this chapter)