John had no intention of joining another family to serve as a re guard dog, not even planning to stay with Hidden Stars for long.
He was not a person who craved fa or power.
What he desired was to enhance his own strength, continually pushing his limits.
However, with his talents exposed, every move he made would now be scrutinized and magnified by those with ulterior motives.
Far from seeing any benefits, John could only foresee endless constraints and troubles coming his way.
What exactly was going on? John wasn't sure, but he harbored a strong suspicion that House Carter was likely involved.
After the Carter House guard returned, he would undoubtedly report Lucas's death and John's information to House Carter.
John's talents and the Legacy of the Crimson Demon would certainly not remain secrets.
House Carter would not let him go easily.
It was possible that even his identity as a Black Cloak had been uncovered by House Carter.
Given that House Carter had offended both House Fairfax and Theodore within the Crimson Realm, they surely wouldn't let House Carter off easily either.
Considering the current circumstances, the manipulations of the major families and powers might very well revolve around him…
John felt a headache coming on and decided not to dwell on it further.
With his identity and power, he could only take things one step at a ti; overthinking was futile.
After a short chat, the nurse went off to tend to her duties.
A colorful light shimred into the room.
Yina, fluttering her wings, her silver hair catching soft glints of sunlight, landed on John's chest with her bare feet.
Her beautiful, colorful eyes sparkled mischievously as she teased, "How does it feel to be treated as a hero?"
John rolled his eyes, responding, "I don't know how it feels, but I definitely don't want a second round."
The last mont of killing Rean, if not for Victor's tily arrival, he reckoned he'd be nothing but a pile of mush by now.
Nobody would want to go through that again.
However, to be fair, slaying awakeners is one of the fastest ways for John to enhance his power currently.
If he finds the ti later, he could consider returning to his old profession as a bounty hunter and assassin.
Earning money while gaining attributes, why not?
Yina, munching on a strawberry, seed to catch on to John's thoughts.
She frowned slightly, advising, "You should be careful with that knife from the Crimson Demon; there's sothing off about it."
John was montarily stunned, "The Bloodthirsty Blade? Is there a problem with it?"
He had used it a few tis and hadn't noticed any significant issues with the Blade.
Yina explained, "Seven days ago, I sensed the aura of the Crimson Demon on the blade. That guy might not be dead, and worse, he might be hiding in that blade, planning to resurrect himself using you as a conduit."
Yina's words startled John.
The Crimson Demon wasn't dead and was hiding in the Bloodthirsty Blade?
John pulled out the Bloodthirsty Blade, imdiately wanting to discard it.
This was a bona fide dark god, who knew what nefarious plans it had.
Yina rolled her eyes, "Since He has stayed by your side and even granted you His domain, it actually shows a certain attitude. You don't need to worry about Him. If He dares any mischief, I'll help you teach Him a lesson."
Not sure if it was an illusion, but after Yina's words, John felt the Bloodthirsty Blade in his hand tremble slightly, as if responding.
The Crimson Demon was really inside it?!
John suddenly felt a bit queasy, akin to wielding the Crimson Demon himself to strike down his foes, which was rather eerie.
As John was lost in his thoughts, so noise suddenly ca from outside the door.
Yina glanced towards the door, grabbed a bunch of grapes, and vanished in the blink of an eye, likely returning to the Contract Space.
Before John could ponder any further, the door was opened again.
Albertus, Scarlett, Daniel, Dark Fox, Silver Tear, and others stread in, followed by so of John's classmates.
The once sowhat quiet hospital room instantly beca lively.
Daniel burst in, exclaiming loudly, "Damn, John, you finally woke up. You really had fooled! You promised to be a loser for life, and here you are, secretly turning into a genius?!"
As he spoke, Daniel began to grumble incessantly.
He had thought John wasn't much talented and had even consoled him.
Now, discovering John was a supre genius, he felt like a clown kept in the dark.
Seeing Daniel, John couldn't help but smile.
He teased, "Don't worry, once I beco one of the Federation's top powerhouses, I'll definitely take you with to soar."
His words mirrored what Daniel had once said to comfort him, only now the roles were reversed.
Daniel sighed repeatedly, then continued to complain about John's lack of fairness.
After a pause, he suddenly said, "I've decided to join the military. We probably won't see each other for a long ti."
John paused, puzzled, "You're joining the military? Didn't your father arrange for you to attend a college in the capital?"
Upon hearing explanations from other classmates, John finally understood.
Daniel had been greatly inspired after learning about John's exploits outside Stellarburg and decided to join the military against his father's wishes, aiming to make a na for himself.
Daniel's father was nearly apoplectic with rage.
He had spent a considerable sum to secure Daniel a spot in a prestigious college in the capital, only for his son to secretly enlist, choosing the highly dangerous Northwest Citadel, no less.
Positioned in the northwest of the Federation, it serves as a bulwark against the Demon Realm, where Alexander and Shadowcloud were stationed.
Daniel was about to head to the Northwest Citadel to serve alongside Alexander.
John's lips twitched at the thought.
Daniel was an only child, and one could imagine how furious his parents must be.
But at this point, there was likely little they could do but accept his decision.
Daniel ntioned that his parents were already considering having a second child, which left John both amused and speechless at his friend's audacity.
Albertus also ca to say goodbye, having initially left ho without his family's consent.
Now that it was ti to return to the capital, he had sothing serious to share with John: "There's sothing you need to know. House Carter has been looking to target you. Although they were stopped by Hidden Stars, House Harris, and our House Fairfax, the Carters are known for their vindictiveness and will surely find another way to get back at you. You must be careful."
From Albertus's hints, John gathered that House Carter had indeed made moves against him, which was blocked by others.
This aligned with his expectations, and John expressed his gratitude.
Before leaving, Albertus left John a contact thod and a card as a small gesture of goodwill.
John didn't refuse; he indeed needed the money right now.
Dark Fox and Silver Tear brought so gifts, mostly fruits and healing items.
However, their expressions were sowhat troubled.
Dark Fox seed to want to say sothing but, after glancing at Scarlett, ultimately remained silent.
After a brief chat, Dark Fox and the others departed, leaving Scarlett behind.
"You're quite popular now. I heard that the daughter of the city lord has been visiting you frequently," Scarlett said, sitting by John's bed and peeling an apple for him.
Her face was devoid of smiles, yet her words carried a hint of jealousy.
"Maybe my charm is just too overwhelming," John replied nonchalantly, changing the subject, "How have things been recently?"
He had noticed the unease in Dark Fox and Silver Tear's deanor.
Compared to the information he got from the nurse, Scarlett surely knew more.
At John's question, Scarlett paused in her apple peeling.
She fell silent for a mont before calmly stating, "Old Dog and a few others are buried in Black Mountain Cetery. General Shadowcloud barely survived but has beco incapacitated; he's still unconscious in the next room. Captain Victor has been relieved of his command, and I've been dismissed."
John's breathing halted for a mont, and the smile on his face slowly faded.
He frowned, "What exactly happened? And what about those news reports?"
Scarlett sighed and explained one by one, "There were spies embedded among Stellarburg's officials, leading to nurous deaths at the hands of the Dusk Sect within Stellarburg, ultimately deed as Hidden Stars' negligence."
"Captain Victor, having offended soone from House Wilson, was scapegoated during this opportunity. To appease the populace, the rits were attributed to you."
"To prevent retaliation from House Carter, House Fairfax and House Harris seized the opportunity to amplify public opinion, offering you a layer of protection to deter hidden enemies."
"However, soone has been stirring the pot, aiming to place you in the spotlight and make you a target."
With Scarlett's explanation, John finally understood the entirety of the situation.
He hadn't realized there was so much going on behind the scenes and remained silent for a long ti.
Even soone as strong as Victor could be manipulated and targeted, what could he possibly do?
Without sufficient strength, one is rely a pawn in others' gas; he was lucky to have survived this far.
Instead of dwelling on these matters, it was better to focus on how to enhance his own strength.
John still held an invitation to the "Red Moon Secret Realm," a hell-level secret realm suitable for levels 15 to 25, capable of rapidly increasing his strength in a short period.
However, before entering the secret realm, John had a few matters to attend to.
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