When dawn broke the next day, John could hardly wait to retrieve his Bloodthirsty de from the forge.


    Old Nick, visibly weary yet excited, assured him, "Honored Commander, I guarantee you will adore this weapon once youy eyes on it."


    Curiosity piqued by Old Nick''s enthusiasm, John wondered what made the dwarf so thrilled.


    The dwarves were naturally gifted in smithing, but something like this was unprecedented.


    What had they transformed the Bloodthirsty de into? Upon receiving the de and seeing its attributes, John gasped in surprise.


    The already ornate Bloodthirsty de was now embellished with an eye-catching Dragonblood Stone in its hilt.


    The blood-red gem only enhanced the sinister allure of the de, casting a dark crimson glow that flickered subtly, captivating and bright.


    [Equipment]: Bloodthirsty de (Damaged)


    [Type]: Weapon


    [Level]: Lv30


    [Tier]: tinum-tier/Divine Artifact


    Enjoy reading at m _v _le _mp _yr.


    [Quality]: Damaged


    [Attributes]: Strength+816, Spirit+651, Attack Speed+30%, Bleeding+30%


    [Requirements]: Crimson Demon, Blood Apostle, Crimson Ritual...


    [Skill One]: Blood Devourer (Passive)


    [Skill Two]: Blood Rage (Active)


    [Skill Three]: Blood Puppet (Active)


    [Iy]: Dragonblood Stone (0.08% of inflicted damage converts to the wielder''s HP with no upper limit. When HP is full, there''s a 0.5% chance to store it as a blood shield, which can automatically deploy using stored HP from the blood shield.)


    John had not anticipated that merely setting a gemstone would elevate the Bloodthirsty de from gold-tier to tinum-tier!


    Moreover, it even added a blood shield skill!


    Most importantly, this wasn''t just about having the ability to heal from damage in battle; the pivotal feature was that the blood shield could be essed at any time!


    If his health regeneration fell short duringbat, he wouldn''t even need to reach for a potion.


    This was essentially a self-replenishing health reserve! Though the chance was only 0.5%, it was still remarkable.


    Isabe''s staff had only a 0.1% chance, with a mere 30% probability, and it didn''t support blood storage.


    No wonder Old Nick had been so sure John would be thrilled upon seeing this staff.


    And indeed, he was!


    "Old Nick, your craftsmanship is truly incredible; you are without a doubt the finest artisan among the dwarves!" John eximed.


    Upon hearing this, Old Nick puffed out his chest proudly and his beard even twitched a bit.


    "It is my honor to serve you, Commander!"


    Old Nick bowed respectfully, cing one hand over his heart in a gesture of homage.


    John, unable to put down his new Bloodthirsty de, turned it over in his hands, feeling hisbat strength increase yet again.


    "By the way, when is the new hire you mentioned arriving?"


    John asked curiously, noting that there seemed to be no new workers in the forge.


    Old Nick chuckled heartily, "That fellow arrivedst night, but he''s still asleep now. Rest assured, Commander, it won''t hinder our work."


    "The bothersome tall elf has already gone to the healing room. If you have time now, Commander, you might want to take a look."


    Old Nick hesitated as he said this.


    "That elf can be quite difficult, so please don''t take offense if there''s any sh."


    Realizing he might have spoken too strongly, Old Nick quickly added, "But he is excellent in his field, you can be assured of that, Commander."


    John smiled, signaling his understanding, but he was inwardly curious about what kind of person this elf with a notorious temper might be.


    "I''ll leave it to you then. If my friends need something forged in theing days, I hope you can expedite it."


    Old Nick stroked his beard and muttered gruffly.


    "We dwarves never deceive; if we promise something to you, Commander, we will deliver. Rest assured."


    John nodded with a smile and then turned to head towards the healing room.


    He was quite eager to see what kind of person could elicit suchments from Old Nick.


    When John arrived at the healing room, he was astounded.


    What had been a in room with a few simple medical devices had transformed into a lush green haven.


    The entire room was enveloped in vines, and to the uninitiated, it might have been mistaken for a primeval forest.


    The moment John entered, the vines seemed to stir slightly, as if sensing his presence but detecting no malice, they retracted.


    [Name] Healing Vines


    [Healer Abby''s personal pet]


    Hmm? Vines as a pet?


    This piqued John''s curiosity even more about this healer.


    "Hello, is anyone there?"


    John called out as he ventured deeper into the room, where windows and balconies were draped with vibrant green vines.


    The vines bore tiny white flowers that looked exceptionally charming.


    A gentle breeze wafted through, causing the delicate blooms to sway, filling the air with a subtle floral scent.


    John felt his spirits lift at that moment.


    [You have received a buff, Mystic Refreshment, mind power regenerates one point every ten seconds.]


    John was surprised to hear the prompt and instinctively checked his status bar.


    After defeating the boss earlier, he had been in a constant state of tension, never fully rxing even back at the fortress.


    Thus, his mental energy was not at full capacity.


    Unexpectedly, just wandering around the healing room had begun to slowly replenish his mind power!


    John looked around, observing the flowers swaying in the breeze, and as his gaze lowered, he realized this healer was indeed extraordinary.


    "Good day, Commander," came a voice as cool and clear as a mountain spring, just as John was enjoying the gradual restoration of his mind power.


    Instinctively turning around, he saw a slender figure seated on a chair intertwined with vines.


    Pointed ears and silver-white hair dered the person''s identity.


    Their attire was a soft green, possibly woven from some type of nt, shimmering subtly in the sunlight, adding an extra touch of splendor.


    The delicate, handsome face coupled with the silver hair made them seem ethereal and untouched.


    Even the light streaming in through the windows seemed gentler, as if afraid to startle this breathtaking being.


    The beautiful face was androgynous, so much so that if it weren''t for the resonant voice that followed, one might think they were beholding a beauty beyondpare!


    An elf, truly?


    John suppressed his excitement and nodded.


    "Good day."


    He had never imagined that in this secret realm, he would encounter such legendary creatures, entities that belonged in the novels of his original world.


    And now, to see them with his own eyes!


    Yet John was unaware that at that moment, everyone in the audience was utterly astounded.


    "What race is this? Why have we never seen such a stunning species in this secret realm before?!"


    "My goodness, I want to go in there too, can I please go and talk to this pretty boy?!"


    "How can such a beautiful face belong to a man? I, as a woman, am almost feeling inferior."


    "Am I the only one noticing that the creatures in this secret realm seempletely different from those in previous ones? Shouldn''t the academy provide an exnation for this?"


    "Yes, and now the time it takes toe out has also slowed down. Moreover, my child came out with a noticeable decrease in mind power and symptoms of dizziness and vertigo. Shouldn''t there be an exnation for this?"


    "Aftering out, my child is still unconscious. What exactly is going on? I hope Star Cluster Academy gives us an exnation."


    The audience was abuzz, not just in awe of the elf''s beauty but increasingly demanding an exnation from Star Cluster Academy.


    They had noticed that the childrening out were generally feeling unwell, something that never used to happen!