Energy surged through every cell of my body as the advancement took hold. My muscles restructured to handle greater power output. My mana channels expanded to accommodate increased flow. My very essence condensed and refined to peak-Elite density.

The transformation lasted perhaps thirty seconds, but when it completed, I felt fundamentally stronger than moments before.

I stood there breathing heavily, my body covered in sweat and minor injuries from the intense fight, but victorious and measurably stronger.

Behind me, I heard Changing Star's excited chirping and Kael's amazed exclamation.

"You actually killed a mid-tier Transcendent!" Kael said with obvious awe. "And you just advanced rank right here!"

I smiled tiredly, sheathing my blade and allowing the various enhancement aspects to deactivate. "That's what we came here for."

Kojiro approached with professional assessment. "Excellent combat execution, Master. The final strike combination was perfectly timed."

I nodded acknowledgment, then looked at the massive mammoth corpse. "Changing Star, this one's all yours. Eat well."

RAWR!

She needed no further encouragement, immediately approaching the enormous feast with dragon enthusiasm.

I sat down heavily, allowing myself to rest while she ate. The fight had been genuinely challenging, pushing me to use multiple cards and nearly getting crushed in the process.

But I'd won, advanced to peak-Elite rank, and accumulated the power necessary for the next phase of my development.

Now I just needed to reach Transcendent rank to unlock Carmilla's second secret art stance.

--------

As we headed back toward the city in the pre-dawn darkness, I glanced at Changing Star sleeping peacefully beside me in the carriage. After that massive devouring session - consuming most of a mid-tier Transcendent mammoth - she'd started growing drowsy, her eyes gradually closing despite her best efforts to stay alert. Eventually she'd succumbed completely to sleep, curled up on the carriage seat with her tail wrapped around herself and soft purring indicating contentment.

Kael sat across from us, also exhausted from the night's intensive hunting but forcing himself to stay awake. Kojiro had returned to card form to conserve energy, leaving just the three of us in the quiet carriage as it rolled through empty streets.

I took the opportunity to review my system inventory, checking the various items I'd accumulated from the past week's daily rewards. The system had been surprisingly generous lately, providing a steady stream of useful equipment and resources.

Several enhanced weapons occupied inventory slots - a backup sword with sharpness enchantments, a dagger with poison coating capabilities, a spear with penetration bonuses. I kept these as emergency equipment or potential gifts for allies who needed better gear.

Defensive items included a cloak with physical damage reduction, boots that enhanced jumping ability, and gloves that improved grip strength. Nothing spectacular, but all useful for specific situations.

The most valuable items were the healing potions - three of them, each one graded as Rare quality. These weren't common academy medical supplies but genuine high-grade alchemical creations capable of healing grievous wounds within minutes. At my current rank, one of these potions could probably regenerate a severed limb or repair catastrophic internal damage. I intended to keep them strictly for life-threatening emergencies when conventional healing wouldn't suffice.

But today's daily reward was what truly surprised me.

The notification had appeared before, but only during the carriage ride, and I'd claimed it.

[Congratulations! You have received: Ragnar's Hammer]

[Grade: Superior]

[Details: The first smithing hammer that was once wielded by Ragnar the Forgemaster, an ancient dwarf craftsman whose works were said to rival the best of artifacts. This hammer enhances the wielder's blacksmithing capabilities significantly, allowing them to work with materials that would normally be too difficult to shape and imbuing creations with superior durability and magical conductivity. The hammer itself is nearly indestructible and can be used as both crafting tool and devastating melee weapon when necessary.]

I stared at the description with growing appreciation. A superior blacksmithing tool that enhanced crafting capabilities and could double as a weapon - that was genuinely valuable for someone pursuing both combat and engineering advancement.

The timing was particularly apt given my recent smartphone development and plans to expand into more complex magical engineering projects. Having superior crafting tools would accelerate that work significantly.

I manifested the hammer briefly to examine it - the weapon appeared in my hand with substantial weight, its head carved with intricate runic patterns that seemed to shift when observed directly. The craftsmanship was extraordinary, clearly the work of a master who understood both function and artistry.

"What's that?" Kael asked, noticing the sudden appearance of the ornate hammer.

"A new crafting tool," I explained, dismissing it back to inventory. "Will be useful for blacksmithing projects."

He nodded tiredly, not pressing for details about where I'd acquired such an item.

---

Arriving at the mansion as morning light began filtering through the windows, I carefully carried the sleeping Changing Star up to her designated room and placed her gently on the large magical cushion she'd claimed as her favorite resting spot. She barely stirred, completely exhausted from the night's hunting and the massive amount of Transcendent-rank essence she was currently digesting.

Despite the intensive combat and extended hunting expedition, I felt almost completely recovered already. My vampire physiology's regenerative capabilities were remarkable. The supernatural constitution combined with vampiric bloodline advantages meant my recovery speed far exceeded human limitations.

Rather than sleeping, I found myself energized and eager to test the new crafting tool I'd received.

I made my way to the mansion's blacksmithing workshop - a well-equipped facility I'd established in one of the basement chambers specifically for private engineering projects. The room contained a proper forge, anvil, tool racks, material storage, and workspace large enough for complex fabrication.

I manifested Ragnar's Hammer, feeling its substantial weight and examining the intricate runic patterns covering the hammerhead. The craftsmanship was extraordinary, and I could sense the magical enhancement flowing through the tool even before using it.

"Time to test what you can do," I murmured, setting the hammer aside momentarily while I prepared materials and reviewed my project plans.

The crossbow.

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