After going into the sea, I met the witch.

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【Life-Generating Glass Bead】: A unique bead containing powerful life force. Its life force is precipitated and condensed, therefore holding it does not produce a healing effect. Adding this item during equipment forging will generate additional special skills related to "life".

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"nice one!"

Ryan's eyes lit up.

This thing can actually give equipment additional special skills.

He believed that the Silver Hammer Master would be very interested in such a magical item.

After carefully putting away the [Glass Bead of Life], Ryan looked up at the reclusive dragonman on the cave wall and tentatively asked, "Dragonman, do you know the secret of this island? Why did the legendary ancient dragons migrate here?"

The term "Ancient Dragon" was something Ryan learned from the hunting party's vice-leader's notes. The hunting party's purpose in coming to this mysterious island was to track down the ancient dragons.

"The end...the origin...all will eventually bear witness..."

The reclusive dragon-man spoke in a cryptic, incomprehensible language that Ryan couldn't understand, then he lowered his head again:

"...Desert Knight...Crimson Horn...Proof of Valor...Testimony of Witness..."

After saying this, the reclusive dragon man shut his mouth, stopped talking, and turned to walk into the cave behind the cave wall.

Ryan squinted.

He roughly understood the meaning of what the reclusive dragon man said.

This mysterious island seems to be some kind of "land of witnesses," and to know more about it, one needs "the means to witness."

This thing comes from the "Crimson Horn" on the Desert Knight, also known as the "Proof of Valor".

"In the end, can't we still get around the [high-ranking] unicorn dragon?"

Ryan's expression was solemn, but he showed no fear or hesitation.

Unlike their first meeting, his [Relic - Azure Medal] is about to awaken, and besides, he doesn't have to go and hunt down the [High-Rank] Unicorn Dragon right now.

He only needs to defeat one more "lower-level apex" special species to level up again.

When Ryan travels again and gets a better weapon, with the added boost of a stronger physique and the awakened Relic: Azure Medal, obtaining the "Crimson Horn" will no longer be impossible.

A bright future awaits us tomorrow!

Of course, before that, we have to wait for the "Awakening Effect" of the [Artifact: Azure Medal] to complete.

Sitting beneath the old tree inside the cave, Ryan quietly whiled away the time, observing the spirit deer that were curiously eyeing him.

Ryan had never imagined that a mere half hour could be so unbearable.

As time passed, the spirit deer, having observed Ryan enough, lay down to rest, no longer paying attention to Ryan, this "two-legged beast."

Finally, the azure blue surface of the medal shone with dazzling brilliance.

Ryan's eyes lit up with excitement, and he immediately looked at the panel's description.

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【Artifact - Azure Medal】: A medal that only those who make outstanding contributions to the hunting party are qualified to obtain. It contains magical power and can increase the wearer's physical attributes by three levels (level 20 and below) - You have completed the will, and this artifact has been awakened.

This legendary medal, which only the strongest hunters are qualified to wear, fully awakens after you hunt down ten different special species. —Based on your primary weapon and fighting style, you gain inheritance of the [Weapon - Greatsword] derivative skill tree, currently unlocked: [Special Sword Skill - Charge Attack], [Special Sword Skill - Defensive Charge] (more special sword skills will be unlocked after successfully completing 100 special sword skills).

—[Special Sword Skill - Charge Attack]: During the greatsword's charging process, if attacked by an enemy, you can charge forward. During this process, the "blood energy" within your body will form a special protective film on your body surface. As long as the protective film is not subjected to an attack exceeding its withstand limit, you will remain in a "super armor" state and will not be interrupted during the charging process. —"Blood energy" strength is based on [physique].

—[Special Sword Skill - Defensive Charge]: In the 0.5-second "golden time" before the enemy's attack lands, raise your greatsword and charge forward. "Blood Qi" will swirl around the greatsword. If you successfully parry within the "golden time," the surging "Blood Qi" will flow back, allowing you to immediately complete a charge. —"Blood Qi" strength is based on [Physique].

The fully awakened azure medal gleams with dazzling light, yet above it, a guiding starlight still shines, offering hope to all. Above the azure, a touch of cerulean remains; successfully hunting an Elder Dragon will allow this artifact to undergo a fundamental transformation! Current progress: 0/1.

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Chapter 105 [Outpost of the Abyss of Corruption] Brand New Notes Information (Please Subscribe)

Looking at the description of the "Awakened Version" of the [Relic - Azure Medal], Ryan was stunned. After a long while, when he came to his senses, his eyes were filled with ecstasy.

He had thought that the fully awakened [Relic - Azure Medal] would be very strong, but he never expected it to be this strong.

First and foremost, the most straightforward point is that the physical fitness upgrade level has been increased from "+2" to "+3". Although the maximum level is still 20, this point remains unchanged. However, for Ryan, there is no need to worry about the level 20 cap in the short term.

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[Physical Strength]: 35.82 → 45.81

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Just one level difference caused Ryan's [Physical Strength] to surge to 45.81, which shows how terrifying exponential growth can be in its later stages.

A powerful force, as strong as a Tyrannosaurus Rex, surged within him. At this moment, Ryan even felt that he could contend with a lower-level three-star monster with his physical strength alone.

Of course, he also knew that this was just an illusion caused by his sudden surge in power.

Compared to the alien species, he, a human with flesh and blood, has no claws or sturdy scales. Even if he is physically stronger, he would not be a match for the alien species in a fight with his bare hands. Not to mention that the alien species also possess various unique abilities, such as fire, magma, and torrents.

"call……"

Letting out a long breath to suppress the agitation in his heart, Ryan carefully studied the second effect of the awakened [Relic - Azure Medal] - the [Weapon - Greatsword] derivative skill tree.

[Special Sword Skill - Attack Charge] and [Special Sword Skill - Defensive Charge].

Unlike the Storm Sword Technique he had previously practiced, these two special sword techniques are essentially designed to help the greatsword charge up. Their core function is to ensure that the greatsword's charging process is not interrupted and even to use the enemy's attacks to accelerate the charging speed.

Throughout his career, Ryan has always needed to find the right moment to charge up his greatsword slash: almost all the time, he does it while the monster is in a "stunned" state. When fighting highly mobile enemies like the Black Knight, he doesn't even have time to charge up and can only use basic attacks, because he is afraid that his charge will be interrupted, putting him at a disadvantage.

The charging of 【Storm Sword Skill - Wave Breaker】 is a very delicate technique. If you are attacked by an enemy during the charging process, even a relatively weak blow will interrupt it.

Now, with these two "special sword skills," the situation will be very different.

As the name suggests, the effect of the special sword skill "Attack Charge" is to charge forward when about to be attacked by an enemy during the charging process of the greatsword, and use the protective barrier formed by "blood energy" to maintain a "super armor state" so that the charging cannot be interrupted by the enemy.

As for the damage limit that "blood energy" can withstand, it is based on his [physical] strength. As for the specifics, we will only know after actual combat.

The second special sword technique, "Defensive Charge," is even more interesting: in the "golden time" of 0.5 seconds before the enemy's attack lands, the user raises their greatsword and charges forward. Unlike the first technique, this special sword technique does not require a charging process.

If he can complete an effective "defense block" within the "golden time", his "blood energy" will return, and he will immediately gain a "charge".

If this special sword technique is used well, he can almost use the "charged attack" as a normal attack in actual combat.

Of course, the exact energy consumption of these two special sword techniques can only be determined through further practice.

Looking at the medal gleaming with a bright blue light in his hand, Ryan was filled with emotion.

The [Relic - Azure Medal] was of immeasurable help to his travels. The vice-captain of the Seventh Reconnaissance Hunting Group, Loik, who left this [Relic] to him, recorded in his notes that the Relic was "something that is not something I can carry around, but is still quite useful."

A level 20-level strength is something even Ryan can't imagine now, and yet, this vice-captain Loike, with such power, seems to have never turned back after venturing deep into the isolated island...

Shaking his head, Ryan stopped thinking about it. For him, what he needed to do now was to improve his strength as much as possible before reaching the depths of the island and the "anchor point".

Compared to Vice Commander Loik, he also possesses a supernatural system from another world, making his combat power far superior even if they are at the same level.

After practicing his Storm Sword Techniques for a while and adjusting to his surging physical abilities, Ryan left the cave and headed deeper into the cave.

Before hunting the [High-Rank] Unicorn Dragon, he wanted to level up as much as possible.

……

The underground cavern's passages were winding and complex. Ryan first returned to the wetland cavern where he had previously hunted the mud dragon, and went down from its deepest entrance.

Following the water source is always the right thing to do.

To Ryan's surprise, he walked for half an hour without encountering another large cave. Instead, he noticed a faint smell of decay in the air, and the algae growing on the surrounding rock walls, though still shimmering, had turned purplish, causing him to frown.

But now that we've come this far, turning back isn't realistic. After all, our main body is still inside the Blood Moon Temple, and Freya doesn't know when she'll wake up. Time is limited, so we need to return as soon as possible.

After walking for another five minutes, a sudden burst of light appeared at the end of the passage ahead. Ryan's eyes flickered, and he quickened his pace.

Near the exit, a fork in the road appeared to the left. The passage was so narrow that a normal person could barely pass through by turning sideways.

Ryan thought for a moment and decided to go in and take a look. The stench of decay coming from the exit ahead grew stronger and stronger, casting a strange shadow over his heart.

[Spirituality] At his level, the warnings he senses are never unfounded.

He squeezed through a narrow passage that was more like a crevice in the rock than a passage, and what appeared before Ryan was a fairly spacious small stone cave.

Above the cave, rays of light streamed down, and looking upwards, one could see a small opening at a very high point, seemingly leading to the outside world.

In the center of the cave, there is a long-abandoned campfire, with man-made objects such as stone pots, stone chairs, and grills nearby.

At the edge of the cave, there was a stone bed, a stone table and benches, and a simple stone shelf carved into the cave wall.

"This is?"

A gray-text prompt appeared before Ryan's eyes.

You have discovered a place where spiritual energy converges—Outpost of the Abyss.

You can set up a "campfire" here to enable fast travel between the "Starting Point" and other "campfire points".

While inside the "campfire," you can use all functions except for "Return."

Whether you're a navigator or a hunter, getting enough rest is extremely important.

"A brand new campfire spot!"

A look of intense joy appeared in Ryan's eyes.

He couldn't wait any longer and walked to the campfire that had been silent for who knows how many years, and gently touched it with his hand.

"Whoosh...whoosh..."

A spark drifted from Ryan's palm and landed on the campfire. The next second, a cluster of flames appeared and quickly grew into a blazing campfire.

An invisible wave of warmth swept over his body, and Ryan felt as if he were soaking in a hot spring, feeling incredibly relaxed.

Having a brand-new campfire spot means that Ryan won't have to waste time traveling on his next journey, which is of great significance to him.

After lighting the "Campfire Point - Corruption Outpost", Ryan got up and went to the stone shelf next to him. When he saw the notes on it, his eyes lit up.

He carefully picked up the notebook, and upon opening it, the familiar handwriting made it impossible for Ryan to suppress the joy in his eyes.

Sure enough, it was a record left by Loik, the vice-captain of the Seventh Reconnaissance Hunting Group!

Since the "campfire spot - the gap in the giant tree" in the ancient forest area, Ryan had not seen any trace left by Vice Commander Loik. Now that he had finally seen it again, how could he not be excited?

The notes of Vice Commander Loik indicate that there is more information about this island!

Although there was already a visible source of information, the "Hidden Dragonman," his words were vague and unclear, far inferior to those of Vice-Captain Loik.