Chapter 129: Rebirth

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Zhao Tianhe hurriedly opened the attribute panel. Sure enough, under the professional skills section, two new skill entries had appeared.

Infinite Soldier Lv1, Skill Experience 1/10000
Active Effect: Consumes 10/30 mana points to project weapons or armor that have been touched, lasting (2 * skill level) minutes.
Passive Effect: Base defense + (2 * skill level), base elemental resistance + (2 * skill level).

Number of the Saint Lv1
Passive Effect: Fire resistance + (10 * skill level), affinity with fire element + (10 * skill level).

“Just as I thought, no wonder the bedsheets didn’t feel that hot earlier... Hmm?!” Zhao Tianhe muttered with a look of surprise, but then he noticed something strange.

Below the skill bar, an additional entry called “Permanent Blessing” appeared, which contained an item.

Nature Elf’s Blessing Lv1
Increases stamina/health/mana recovery rate by (2 * skill level) per second.

“What is this...” Zhao Tianhe was momentarily stunned. He stepped out of the storage room and looked toward the bed.

Pixie was lying on the bedside table, drooling in deep sleep.

Speaking of the nature elf, without a doubt, it had to be her!

“Did she save me? I remember feeling so much pain just moments ago...” Zhao Tianhe’s expression softened as he looked at Pixie. At the same time, he realized something else—Pixie had returned to normal!

Her once massive, dough-like form had lost all excess fat and reverted to the slender figure of a young girl.

“Though, it seems she’s grown a little... maybe about a centimeter taller...” Zhao Tianhe recalled and felt Pixie’s physique had subtly changed. “But not by much…”

Also, this permanent blessing was likely just a residual effect of Pixie healing herself. The situation just now was far too severe to be helped by such a mild restoration.

Two figures rushed hurriedly into the room—it was Doctor Dildit and a caregiver.

“Huh?!”

Upon seeing Zhao Tianhe’s appearance, both were stunned.

Doctor Dildit glanced at the caregiver, who shook their head and pointed at Zhao Tianhe.

“I’m not lying, Doctor! I swear, this brave man looked like he was... like he was dying just moments ago...”

Indeed, Zhao Tianhe’s state moments before could only be described as near death.

In truth, had Pixie not used her unfathomable fairy power to save him, with his frail body and constitution, he would have barely survived.

In the past two days, Jerose and the others had specially exchanged a bunch of equipment to greatly improve his physical attributes, boosting his health and stamina. Without that, he probably wouldn’t have made it this far.

“This lady did not lie,” Zhao Tianhe nodded. “I was indeed in great danger, but Pixie saved me with fairy power. I can’t explain how exactly. Anyway, it seems I have completed a transformation.”

“Is that so... fairy power? A nature elf?” Doctor Dildit scratched his head, baffled. He looked at Pixie, sound asleep on the bedside table, then shook his head. “In any case, we need to run some tests first to rule out any hidden issues.”

“Mm,” Zhao Tianhe nodded and sat on the sofa nearby.

Doctor Dildit then pulled out various portable array diagrams from his backpack and began setting up for diagnosis.

During the examination, Doctor Dildit showed keen interest in Pixie and asked many related questions.

Zhao Tianhe didn’t feel embarrassed about nearly dying from slime poison, so he recounted everything except for the “Rainbow Heart” incident.

After more than ten minutes, Doctor Dildit observed Zhao Tianhe’s physiological responses and confirmed that he was indeed fully healed, with no hidden ailments or residual issues.

“Fairy power? Truly incredible...” The caregiver looked at Pixie on the bedside table, exclaiming in amazement. “It’s just like a fairy tale—the fairy king who grants all wishes, haha...”

“Indeed, quite incredible,” Doctor Dildit nodded and then turned to leave.

When Jerose and the others returned and saw Zhao Tianhe bustling about in the kitchen, they were equally surprised.

Upon learning it was Pixie who had done it, they were utterly bewildered.

Though nature elves were widely known in this world, most people only heard of them in fairy tales.

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These little fairies inexplicably always appeared beside heroes or great mages in various stories—a classic trope in traditional novels.

Then there was the existence of the Fairy King, rumored to be a magnificent being who could grant any wish or dream.

But in reality, the Fairy King’s whereabouts were a mystery. Occasionally, he appeared somewhere to play, was kind and forthcoming, but showed no extraordinary powers.

“The ecology of nature elves... is a very obscure subject. I heard there’s even a nationwide fan club,” Jerose stroked his chin, looking curiously at Pixie lying on the table.

Because nature elves were so rare and seemingly useless, few cared to learn about them. Most people just regarded these little creatures as pretty mascots to study.

“Hmph, you mortals, even if you want to understand, you can’t,” Pixie proudly patted her bulging belly. “I’m very great, hmm, though I don’t remember much, I am very great. You must respect me!”

“Of course, respect, respect. How does it taste?” Zhao Tianhe placed a finger-sized strip of chocolate cake in front of Pixie.

“Not bad, give me more,” Pixie said while eating. “I’m so hungry! That fairy secret technique I just used must have cost me hundreds of years of power...”

How could Zhao Tianhe refuse such a request?

The next day, fully recovered, Zhao Tianhe stepped out of the apartment, brimming with energy, ready to embark on the usual monster-hunting journey with his teammates.

The corruption of the Wind Demons had caused an abnormal abundance of dungeon energy. B-ranked dungeons were greatly affected, and bosses had been spawning almost daily for the past few days.

According to expert evaluations, the dungeons near Bar Island might collectively upgrade within the next six months.

These Wind Demons intended to occupy these dungeons as permanent strongholds, likely investing precious resources to tamper with them.

As usual, the first floor was handled by Artoria Alter.

However, thanks to Zhao Tianhe’s huge increase in power, progress was about ten minutes faster than usual.

Facing an elite monster with a hard shell on its surface, Zhao Tianhe casually pointed, and six sharp conical short swords appeared around him.

The sword was called Fish Intestine Sword, though definitely different from the historical artifact. As a treasured weapon, it had powerful piercing effects and special damage against humanoids.

Unfortunately for the ghosts from the Abyssal Light Sea Tomb, they were humanoid, making the sword perfectly effective.

Zhao Tianhe instantly cast sixty stacked spells of Magic Hand, triggering several instances of super spell premonition to use higher-level spells—a level four spell, Giant Magic Fist.

With Magic Hand’s assistance, the Fish Intestine Sword transformed into six faint cyan phantoms, driving the elite monster into a retreat before Zhao Tianhe finished it off with a curse.

“You’ve gotten stronger,” Hei Dai said strangely, watching Zhao Tianhe.

“Hmm?” Zhao Tianhe was momentarily stunned but smiled and nodded. “Yeah! You know, because I used Gawain’s treasured weapon, my body now has an incomplete form of the Number of the Saint.”

Out of some concern, Zhao Tianhe didn’t mention the Unlimited Sword Works.

“But that’s not Gawain’s power,” Hei Dai tapped the fake Fish Intestine Sword with his finger, a slight smile on his lips. “You’re hiding something from that honor student, aren’t you?”

Though strange, Artoria’s two faces had a nuanced view of each other: part disdain, part admiration.

“Hmm...” Zhao Tianhe frowned, unsure how to respond. Fortunately, Hei Dai’s summoning time was up.

Watching Hei Dai’s figure fade away, Zhao Tianhe finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Unlimited Sword Works was indeed impressive, but he feared letting Artoria know about it because...

Whether she retained memories of the Fifth Holy Grail War was a complicated matter.

“I’ll just come clean when we get back. Keeping this bottled up isn’t comfortable. Besides, the favor level is high enough, and my charisma attribute is fine,” Zhao Tianhe resolved. This decision was partly because he had grown significantly stronger recently.

Summoning Artoria, the group pressed toward the dungeon’s lower levels.

As expected, a boss appeared on the last floor today.

It was a nearly ten-meter-tall humanoid giant, its body covered in a glossy black shell. The head, mouth, and back were riddled with numerous black holes that looked like breathing pores.

Of course, that was impossible because ghosts didn’t need to breathe—they didn’t even have lungs.

Based on past experience, these were likely offensive organs.

The most probable function was poison spitting.

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“Come forth! Aile!” Zhao Tianhe shouted, and the girl in a black dress appeared, carrying a long spear.

Several spear shafts floated around Aile, exploding into mana that entered her body.

After her talent awakening, Aile’s mana was astonishing. Now, with the added spear-shaft mana, her strike’s power was naturally formidable.

Boom!

On the spear of Mestramtea of the Temple of Heat, an incredible burst of thermal energy erupted, instantly vaporizing the surrounding water!

The explosion caused by the steam shook the entire water area!

The distant boss was also alerted. Seeing Aile’s stance and the power of Mestramtea, it charged without hesitation!

While rushing forward, the suspected poison-spitting organs on its body continuously absorbed the surrounding water.

All the common and advanced ghosts and Abyssal Light energy in the water it passed through were absorbed entirely.

Its original height of nearly ten meters quickly swelled to over twelve meters. These strange holes weren’t for spitting but for sucking!

“Go! Mestramtea’s Impact!” Aile pointed at the boss. Her spear advanced, detonating the surrounding water, and finally slammed into the boss!

The conical Mestramtea pierced the boss’s chest, releasing terrifying heat and soul shock that shattered its shell and penetrated inside.

The boss’s suction power from the holes increased sharply, but unfortunately, the Abyssal Light–rich water around it had already been blasted apart by the spear’s intense heat.

Though Aile only intended to showcase her power, her abilities happened to counter this boss perfectly.

Seeing this, the others didn’t hesitate to use various spells to isolate the boss from the Abyssal Light water and other monsters.

Several melee fighters charged in, and Artoria unleashed a magical slash that cut open the boss’s left rib.

However, except for Artoria’s magic burst, neither melee nor ranged attacks could break the boss’s shell easily. They had to attack through the gaps opened by Aile and Artoria.

Zhao Tianhe released the Gem Sword, rapidly casting resistance-reducing spells at a rate of 40 to 50 per second.

Though still low-level magic, Zhao Tianhe’s speed was arguably the best in the world!

Under the weight of countless curses, the melee boss’s shell gradually changed color—from deep black to dark purple.

Jerose, watching his Fire Spear pierce the boss’s shoulder, stared in shock at Zhao Tianhe’s Gem Sword.

As his closest partner, Zhao Tianhe had told Jerose about the artifact’s effects, but Jerose hadn’t expected it to be so powerful when combined with Zhao Tianhe’s passive skills!

‘Hmm, time to switch dungeons,’ Jerose smirked, a flaming dragon head materializing before him.

He instantly cast a level six spell: Dragon King’s Roar!

Feeling the scorching force behind him, everyone quickly retreated.

The other mages unleashed their signature spells, followed by a terrifying elemental explosion!

The surging light and heat swept through the water, nearly wiping out all Abyssal Light energy and monsters...

Huddled behind protective barriers, the group watched as the boss’s body cracked and collapsed, eventually turning into dust and three iridescent crystals.

“Wow, sorry about this, I...” Zhao Tianhe knew his huge contribution had drastically increased the holy crystal drop rate.

“Haha, don’t be polite! You earned the Hero of the Island title for us all, so this is nothing!” laughed Han Al, the blue-skinned giant.

“Exactly, this one’s on me,” Li Mei smiled.

“Well then, I won’t refuse,” Zhao Tianhe chuckled as he picked up the three holy crystals.

To be honest, without these crystals for survival, Zhao Tianhe always felt a bit uneasy.

But once in hand, he couldn’t help but want to try his luck with a draw...