My health recovery is incredibly fast.

..

During his last few months at the academy, he absorbed some elements, increasing the power of his curse spells to 6 points.

Without hesitation, Xia Zuo directly unleashed a Curse of Decay with 6 points of power onto the sand.

The cursed mark ignored the glass casing of the hourglass and appeared directly on the red sand, slowing the sand's descent.

"Phew~ I can finally rest for a bit." As soon as Rek'Sorrow withdrew his spell, the sand began to fall much faster.

“Hmm… your sign is weaker than I expected, but it’s enough.” Rexor glanced at the scene in the hourglass, stood up, and cracked his neck, making a snapping sound.

"I'm going to the restroom, I'll be right back." The bald man waved his hand and walked to a corner of the room. "No matter what you hear or see, don't pay attention to it. You must maintain the curse mark."

Xia Zuo nodded. "Yes, Master."

He heard the sound of water being turned on and flushed behind him, and Xia Zuo curiously used his detection spell on the red sand.

The feedback was full of unknowns and question marks, with only the effects of one's own curse clearly visible:

It loses 3 health points per minute—half less than the data on the spell panel, indicating that Red Sand has high spell resistance.

Rexol dried his hands, walked back and sat down, but did not immediately take the hourglass.

"Xia Zuo, how long can you maintain the Curse of Decay?"

"Each session is half an hour, followed by a one- or two-minute break, after which you can maintain the duration for another half hour. In total, this adds up to about five or six hours throughout the day."

Rexor touched his bald head, observed the speed at which the sand was falling, and said unhurriedly:

"So, you've been holding about 20 small elementals. Studying alchemy must have taken up a lot of your time. A witcher your size should be able to hold at least 80 small elementals."

He leaned closer to examine the cursed mark on the fine sand. "You learned the most basic cursed hand seals, right? The kind that's directly infused with secret medicine."

“Yes, Master.” Xia Zuo was not surprised at all that the other party could obtain so much information at once.

Because the Signs were the specialty of the Witcher school, they relied on the Signs and their superior martial arts to kill countless monsters in the Fourth Age.

At the beginning of the establishment of the Temple of Mages, the Demon Hunter school contributed the Curse Sign and the Blessing Sign, which were shared with the other three schools.

The remaining sign techniques are kept secret and can only be learned within the Demon Hunter school.

Every school of thought is like this; each has its own unique skills.

The elemental shell of the alchemical school.

The language of the weavers of the tower scholars.

The Warriors' Guild's Breathing Technique.

Rexor reached out and turned the hourglass, saying:

"The basic signs have few side effects, making them quite suitable for alchemists to learn."

He paused, then said, "But I think that with your willpower, you can withstand even stronger spells."

Xia Zuo pondered for a moment, "But... I can only exchange for basic seals. This is the only seal available in the alchemy school."

“No.” Rexol shook his head. “If you can contribute to the Witcher school, I will teach you more powerful curse signs.”

He then added:

"This doesn't require you to leave the Alchemy School. In the last era, the Demon Hunter School split into several sub-schools, which made a mess of things. Now that I'm alive, the differences between schools are no longer that important to me. Otherwise, I wouldn't have accepted the Alchemy School's invitation to serve as an advisor to the Category 3 Disaster Response Department."

Xia Zuo asked, "Do you mean that the other Demon Hunters don't live in the Silvermoon Federation?"

"Of course, the Silvermoon Federation is the territory of the Alchemy School. The Demon Hunter School's stronghold is deep inland in the Eastern Continent, and most of its people live there."

Rexol pointed to the hourglass. "Keep an eye on it for me. When the sand is almost gone, flip it over so that the sand is always falling. I need to meditate for a while."

Rexor knelt on the ground, his buttocks resting on his heels, and said, "Don't make any mistakes, or you'll be in big trouble."

Xia Zuo glanced at the hourglass, then at the bald man who had closed his eyes and entered meditation, and focused his mind to maintain the curse of decay.

Half an hour later, Xia Zuo rested for one minute, flipped the hourglass over, and cast the next round of the Curse of Decay.

After casting ten rounds of curses in succession, his energy gradually began to wane.

Xia Zuo thought for a moment and gave up on activating the [Blood Sacrifice Spell], lest the bald man on the other side notice something amiss.

He rubbed his temples, his right fingertips pointing at the hourglass, trying to maintain the curse.

Another hour has passed.

Just as Shazor's energy was about to run dry, Rexor ended his meditation and unleashed his own Curse of Decay.

“Take a break, Shazo,” Rexol said. “Look at the contents of the file, and then we’ll talk.”

Xia Zuo greeted the other person, went to the restroom to take care of his business, washed his face to clear his head, and then sat back down on the floor.

The file folder contained a stack of onboarding documents that detailed Xia Zuo's responsibilities.

Xia Zuo's main job is as a toxicology researcher. He just needs to go to get off work and leave on time every day and report on the progress of his toxicology research regularly.

Serving as a support staff member for the 17th Action Team means that he will occasionally accompany the team on field missions, such as on-site investigation of poisons, searching for suspicious poisons, and handling dangerous situations. When necessary, he will participate in the battle as a curse mage and cooperate with the team members.

This onboarding guide lists the specific types of Category 3 disasters:

Hundreds of troublesome and ferocious monsters, as well as more than ten kinds of evil inheritors left over from the Fifth Era, such as blood mages—these people are called Otherworldly Demons.

Any incident involving a Category 3 disaster will be forcibly transferred from the Federal Police Department, the Bureau of Incident Investigation, and other organizations to the Category 3 Disaster Response Department.

The 17th Action Group is primarily responsible for disasters caused by Blood Mages within the city limits.

Interesting, interesting... Shaza is gradually getting the hang of being a SHIELD agent.

Rexor glanced at the other's smile and scoffed, "Heh, you might be underestimating the Third Category Hazard. Before coming to the Western Continent, I encountered several alchemists like you, fresh out of the academy, every year. Young and living a comfortable life in the academy, unaware of the dangers lurking in the shadows. Their endings weren't good. I advise you not to be careless."

"Ahem. Yes, Master." Xia Zuo suppressed his smile and nodded solemnly.

"Alright, I have a task for you. From now on, come here every day and help me watch over the hourglass."

Rexor gestured with his chin to the hourglass. "Inside is a blood mage reduced to dust, the one traded with Helmstor."

Xia Zuo looked at the hourglass and blinked.

"This kind of blood mage, which can be smashed to pieces and turned into sand but still cannot be destroyed, we call it a blood demon."

Rexor held up a finger. "Accept the conversion ritual and become a Converter. This is the first step to becoming a Blood Mage."

“Then,” he held up his second finger, “he devoured the bodies of 108 living creatures of similar size and transformed into a blood addict. Generally, the transformed are driven by the Blood Demon to devour their former kind.”

"After becoming a blood addict, by consuming large amounts of the blood of monsters, one will become a blood demon."

Rex'thal reversed the hourglass and continued casting the Curse of Decay. "The Blood Fiend regenerates very quickly. I need to constantly weaken it with the Curse of Decay. Evocation spells would also work, but that would destroy the hourglass."

"The Blood Demon is an expert in manipulating blood. It can cast spells using other people's blood and is far more powerful than Transformers and Blood Addicts."

Rexol emphasized, "If it recovers, you and your companions will be drained of blood instantly. Because you are the weakest creatures on this airship."

Xia Zuo nodded solemnly, "I guarantee there won't be any mistakes, Master."

“Hmm.” Rexol took out his pocket watch and glanced at the date on the dial. “Six days from now, the airship will approach the extreme storm. Come to me on the evening of the fifth day and stay until the storm is over.”

"Yes, Master."

"Go on, do your own thing. Remember to come back tomorrow morning." Rexol stared at the hourglass and said nothing more.

Xia Zuo got up and left.

Anru'er had already returned to the guest room.

Xia Zuo told her about the plans for the next few days, and then inquired about the onboarding process.

Anruer took out her file folder and handed it over, "It's all in there, take a look yourself."

She stretched out her other hand and said in an unquestionable tone, "I want to see yours too."

"Okay, okay, here you go." Xia Zuo readily handed over the file folder.

Anru took the document, flipping through the pages rapidly until she found the section on Category 3 disasters. After reading it carefully, she playfully punched her boyfriend on the shoulder and said in a serious tone:

“My advisor said you wouldn’t get involved in anything dirty, which is why I agreed to let you choose this position. Now I need you to promise me that you will never be at the forefront when we go out on fieldwork.”

She pounded the hammer a few more times, and said anxiously, "You have to promise me."

"Okay, okay, I promise you, I'll definitely stay in the back. I'm not a member of the assault team, I'm just a support staff member, I'll definitely be protected." Xia Zuo put his arm around the other person's shoulder to comfort him.

Anru leaned against her lover for a while, calming down. "Alright, I'll believe you for now. If you don't keep your word, hmph, I'll never wear black silk stockings again."

"Huh!!??" Xia Zuo was jolted awake, looking at the other person in disbelief, feeling as if fate had grabbed him by the throat and he had been subjected to a fierce blow.

"Hehe, I've finally found a way to control you." Anru'er tilted her head back triumphantly and walked briskly to the sofa by the window to sit down.

Xia Zuo pressed his forehead, sighed helplessly, and looked down to read the other party's onboarding guidance document.

Anru's job is relatively simple. She goes to the Category 1 Energy Management Department on time every day and does not need to go out on fieldwork. As a result, her total compensation is relatively low, and she only receives a basic salary each year.

This job suits Anru'er quite well, and it also saves Xia Zuo a lot of trouble.

He took out a spellbook, walked to the window, sat down, and looked down at the clouds and the sea below.

The sea's color is blue with a hint of green, suggesting that we are currently in the nearshore area. When the seawater turns dark blue or even black, it will be in the deep sea, far from the coast.

Chapter 43 The Self-Destructive Blood Demon (Bonus Chapter for Donations)

The airship drifted over the vast ocean for five days.

Xia Zuo stood by the window, frowning as he looked at the dark clouds ahead.

A sudden downpour began outside.

The rain was pitch black, the clouds were pitch black, and the sea was pitch black. It was as if, in an instant, the world was dyed black with thick ink, and the light of the sun could not be seen.

The lingering black clouds churned outside the airship's pale blue barrier. Lightning flashed and thunder roared within the clouds, muffled claps of thunder echoing through the barrier, and purple lightning bolts streaked wildly through the clouds, occasionally colliding with the barrier and causing the airship to tremble.

The airship did not fly forward.

Captain Remes is maneuvering the airship to continue its ascent.

The higher they went, the heavier the rain and the louder the thunder became. Around three or four in the afternoon, the rain subsided, but dark clouds and thunder still lingered around the airship.

Two hours later, the scenery outside the window changed instantly.

The airship flew out of the dark clouds and arrived above them.