The first item was a black invitation, adorned with exquisite golden patterns.
At the center of the invitation was a design of a Red Moon.
[Item]: Red Moon Secret Realm Invitation
[Quality]: Special
[Description]: Using this invitation, you can enter the Red Moon Secret Realm for a trial. The Red Moon Secret Realm is a Level 15-25 Hell-Level Dungeon that has yet to be cleared.
This is an invitation to a secret realm, which all dungeons have a chance to drop.
Upon using a secret realm invitation, an awakener can enter the secret realm for a trial.
Once a secret realm is cleared, it manifests in the real world as a regular dungeon.
Most of the dungeons in the Federation have originated this way.
The rewards from clearing a secret realm vary depending on its difficulty level.
Secret realms are generally categorized into five levels: Easy, Adventure, Hard, Hell, and Nightmare.
The Red Moon Secret Realm is classified as a Hell-Level Dungeon.
Its status as uncleared attests to the sheer difficulty of this secret realm.
The second special item was a crescent-shaped ornament, primarily red in color, cool to the touch and piercingly cold, with an indiscernible material - it seemed to be some type of jade, or perhaps some kind of bone.
[Item]: Crimson Key
[Level]: Unique
[Description]: This key unlocks the treasure of the [Crimson Demon].
...
A Unique item, meaning there's only one of its kind, unattainable by others.
If John remembered correctly, this item was originally depicted in the massive mural behind the Ghost Wizard.
This suggests the item wasn't actually dropped by the Ghost Wizard but was unearthed by chance when the Necrochurch collapsed.
John stroked his chin, pondering.
The [Crimson Demon] must be the dark god worshiped by the undead magus and his followers, but the location of the Crimson Demon's treasure remained a mystery.
Holding just the key without the treasure's location felt somewhat futile.
However, since his awakening, John felt his luck had been exceptionally good, so encountering the treasure in the future wasn't entirely out of the question...
With these thoughts, John stored the Crimson Key and decided not to dwell on it further.
Having spent nearly a day and night in the Phantom Ruins, he planned to head back for some rest.
Mainly because he couldn't gain any more experience until breaking through the Iron-Tier's cap, making his stay here somewhat pointless.
To break through the Iron-Tier limit, he needed a precious item he hadn't yet acquired: an Iron-Tier Breakstone.
Breakstones, randomly dropped by dungeon bosses and quite expensive, would require a visit to the Awakener market in Stellarburg to find.
Initially, John considered coaxing one from Seraphina, but recent events made him reconsider.
Despite her wealthy background, Seraphina wasn't easily swayed, so his best bet was to head back to Stellarburg.
John glanced over at Seraphina.
She was sitting on a clean stone, leaning against a damaged pillar, seemingly asleep.
After a day of monster-slaying in the dungeon and following John to the Cemetery of the Deceased, even without much fighting, she was evidently exhausted.
After the Ghost Wizard's demise, the black mist in the Cemetery of the Deceased gradually dissipated.
The red moonlight draped over Seraphina's exquisitely beautiful face, casting a red veil that made her appear even more enchanting and captivating.
John took a good look at Seraphina and couldn't deny that she was quite attractive with her eyes closed in rest.
Her features were delicate, her skin fair, and her figure graceful.
Even among the many women he had encountered, Seraphina's beauty was outstanding, with few able to match her in appearance.
Sensing John's gaze, Seraphina's long eyelashes fluttered before she opened her eyes.
Seeing John observing her, her expression immediately turned cold, and she coldly spat out two words: "Pervert!"
John was unfazed, instead responding with a smile, "If I were a pervert, I would have done something to you already, especially since you can't beat me right now."
At John's words, a flash of anger crossed Seraphina's eyes, her pride wounded.
But she knew John was speaking the truth; at this moment, she indeed couldn't beat him, even using her second class.
John's damage output was already formidable, and now that he had leveled up to Lv10, his strength had undergone a significant transformation, putting them on entirely different levels.
However, Seraphina was confident that she would surpass him in the future.
Seeing Seraphina's combative stance, John quickly interjected, "Alright, alright, I know you'll surpass me someday. But for now, let's hurry out of this dungeon. Don't you want to rest? I'm genuinely exhausted."
John was telling the truth. Since entering the dungeon, he had been in constant battle, fighting monsters, engaging in PvP, or on the move without rest.
Coupled with his fight against Lucas Carter, the encounter at the Necrochurch, the fusion of two skills, and soloing the Ghost Wizard, he had surged from Lv1 to Lv10 in one go.
Even with adrenaline coursing through his veins and boundless energy, John was feeling weary by now.
All he wanted was to head back and get a good night's sleep, leaving everything else for tomorrow.
Seraphina shared this sentiment.
Having made up their minds, the two didn't linger and quickly made their way towards the dungeon's exit.
Along the way, they encountered numerous monsters, but these posed little challenge to them.
A decayhound that initially intended to ambush them hadn't even prepared to pounce when it saw a five to six-meter-long fire serpent charging towards it.
The sight of the serpent, far larger than itself, left the decayhound bewildered.
"Boom!!!"
The fire serpent exploded instantly, the rolling flames spreading like tidal waves.
The terrifying fire soared into the sky, reaching heights of over ten meters, and a building already in disrepair was blasted into ruins by John's Pyrokinesis.
"-13157!" Seeing the damage from his casual attack, John himself was taken aback.
"Wow, that's strong! Worthy of me!" he thought, quite pleased with himself.
Seraphina, on the other hand, remained calm, having grown accustomed to such displays.
For the rest of the journey, John refrained from taking action; even a very ordinary skill in his hands could inflict over ten thousand damage, which was somewhat alarming.
After all, it was only the second day since the awakening, and there were many in the dungeon who knew him.
If seen, John could easily make the headlines in the Federation's daily news the next day.
Despite their efforts to keep a low profile, they still attracted quite a bit of attention.
After all, Seraphina's appearance and identity made her the center of attention wherever she went.
Moreover, having reached level 8, her damage output might not compare to John's, but among ordinary awakeners, she was an insurmountable peak.
Meanwhile, some people also noticed John, expressing great surprise.
One awakener remarked in astonishment, "Hey, isn't that John over there?"
Another person took a closer look and confirmed, "Indeed, that's John. I'm from StellarSea Academy; I've seen him before."
Yet another individual, somewhat enviously, commented, "How did he end up with Seraphina? She's the daughter of Stellarburg's city lord. Has he managed to latch onto Seraphina's coattails now?"
The first speaker shook his head, "It's probably just a coincidence they're traveling together. Maybe it could have been possible before, but now? Everyone in Stellarburg knows John's awakening was a failure. He's just an ordinary awakener now, not even fit to be Seraphina's subordinate."
...
Having reached level 10, John's physical abilities had enhanced, and with his mind power far surpassing that of ordinary people, he caught every word of the discussions around him without missing a beat.
John hadn't bothered with a cloak or mask, especially considering he was likely to encounter Lucas Carter's people upon exiting the dungeon.
Concealing his face would only be an admission of guilt.
Seraphina, too, heard these comments, her emotions a complex mix.
It must be frustrating to possess great strength but be unable to show it, only to be ridiculed instead.
Initially, Seraphina thought to comfort John, to tell him not to worry.
However, when she turned to him, she found that he didn't seem to care at all; he was even casually scrutinizing her figure without any restraint.
A flash of annoyance passed through Seraphina's eyes.
In her heart, she thought someone like John, an utter scoundrel, truly deserved to be scorned by thousands!