Being in the arena was too conspicuous.


    John, though already aware of the prying eyes on him, dared not show any hint of difference in demeanor.


    He knew that everyone was watching him, and any sign of fear would undoubtedly seal his fate, as standing out in this ce was not a good thing.


    However, he didn''t care; his initial n was to get the captain and leave this ce, and whatever else woulde, woulde.


    Even if he wanted to keep a low profile, those around him wouldn''t likely see him as such.


    Once inside the elevator, John couldn''t help but grunt softly, a trickle of blood escaping the corner of his mouth.


    He had been holding back for a long time and finally couldn''t anymore.


    The power exerted on him had been too intense; he had managed to endure it initially, but now he had reached his limit.


    Jasmte nced at him and gently pulled a small green bottle from her bag.


    "This is from the master," she said.


    John looked at the bottle without speaking, then back at Jasmte.


    "The master said, since you are his partner, you can''t just die off so easily. There''s another tough battle ahead, and this is all the help he can offer you."


    John took the small bottle, sniffing it carefully.


    The moment he recognized the scent, his mind seemed to clear.


    It was the same concoction he had drunk before in the penthouse suite.


    Without any hesitation, he drank it down and then closed his eyes to rest and recuperate.


    He immediately felt his stamina, MP, and HP recovery rates elerating.


    If he continued like this, he would be able to face those two vampires in a much better condition.


    He knew better than anyone that Benjamin and Francis were the type to ruthlessly exploit any weakness.


    Showing even the slightest sign of fatigue would definitely be seized upon by them.


    Thus, he had to maintain his best condition no matter what.


    It might be difficult, but it was something he had to do since he had no other options left.


    As for why he wasn''t avoiding Jasmte, it was because he knew that she essentially served as a monitor ced by his side, and the boss had likely anticipated this condition, hence there was no need to guard against her.


    The boss probably had other ns for him; otherwise, he wouldn''t have had this substance delivered today.


    Now, his only choice was to restore his strength as quickly as possible.


    John remained silent, continuing to rest with his eyes closed.


    Jasmte did not disturb him, standing quietly by his side like a statue.


    Meanwhile, John sensed that the elevator seemed to be slowing down.


    He could guess the reason—it was probably to give him more time to rest, as time was incredibly precious to him right now.


    It was what hecked the most, and without it, those two would surely notice.


    Suddenly, he felt the elevator stop and instinctively opened his eyes.


    Jasmte looked at him and calmly stated, "Apologies, esteemed guest, our elevator has malfunctioned and may need urgent repairs.


    Please bear with us for a moment."


    John chuckled softly upon hearing this, said nothing, and closed his eyes again to quickly continue regaining his strength.


    The Rose Hotel was famously high-end; how could such an incident ur suddenly?


    The only exnation was that the elevator malfunction had been orchestrated, giving him a chance to recuperate.


    As for why, there was no need to borate—everyone knew.


    The sudden elevator malfunction indeed drew quite a crowd, with some guests expressing their grievances.


    The Rose Hotel exined that there was a need for temporary maintenance and hoped for everyone''s understanding.


    While some guests were initially unhappy, they had no choice but to hold back theirints, given the prestige of the Rose Hotel—a ce where they felt unable to voice even a mild criticism.


    When it was announced that the Rose Hotel wouldpensate them with a week''s worth of room fees, everyone was delighted.


    The cost of staying at the Rose Hotel was not cheap by any means.


    Being offered a week''s stay for free was quite a generous gesture, and the fact that it could be converted into cash was even more thrilling.


    When John felt his strength was sufficiently restored, he slowly opened his eyes.


    Jasmte, who had been standing quietly by his side, calmly pressed a button in the elevator.


    Immediately, the elevator resumed normal operation.


    John slightly lowered his gaze, a hint of understanding in his eyes.


    It seemed the owner really did want to help him, though his exact motives were still unclear.


    But there were more pressing matters ahead for him to attend to.


    He was curious to see what ns the other two had in store.


    Upon reaching the designated floor, John followed Jasmte and slowly stepped out only to notice that something seemed different about the ce.


    Previously, the panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows had offered a clear view of the outside scenery, but now vines adorned with delicate, light purple flowers hung beside them, adding a quaint charm.


    It was unexpected; none of these had been here before, and they seemed somewhat out of ce.


    John didn''t dwell on it, though, and quietly continued inside.


    As expected, Francis and Benjamin were already there.


    Benjamin''s smile was as radiant as ever, while Francis looked somewhat displeased.


    When Benjamin saw John, his smile brightened even more, and he even rose to greet him, though his corpulent figure wobbled intimidatingly as he walked, his flesh quivering like a jelly mountain.


    "You made it! We were wondering if you might arrive a bitter, but you''re actually a bit earlier than I expected," Benjamin eximed.


    John''s lips curled into a slight smirk, his expression a mix of amusement and indifference.


    What did it mean to be ''a bit earlier'' or ''a bitter''?


    It seemed the elevator incident was something everyone was aware of, yet unspoken.


    John nced around but did not see the dark mist that usually signified the presence of the boss.


    At that moment, Jasmte spoke up, timing her intervention perfectly.


    "The boss is tied up with some matters. You three please have a seat here for a while; he''ll join you shortly."


    John, ever perceptive, noticed that Jasmte varied her references to their host depending on the audience.


    In private, she referred to him as ''master,'' but in front of the three, she used ''boss.''


    Could there be a significance to this difference? Or was there some nuance he was missing?


    John shook his head slightly, puzzled, but chose to remain silent and simply took a seat.


    Benjamin looked at John and a smile creased his face, his pudgy hand patting John on the shoulder.


    "Young man, you indeed have some skill, no wonder you took up our wager. I really didn''t expect you to ovee those two, and thatst move was particrly brilliant," Benjamin chuckled, clearly impressed.


    The use of momentum in John''s final maneuver had caught everyone by surprise.