The dryad named Ferin possessed flowing hair that changed colors with the seasons, along with a face of elven beauty. Her life was intricately linked to a colossal oak tree; if they were separated by more than 300 yards, the dryad would wither and perish within 24 hours.

The essence of life was slowly ebbing away from this particular dryad, indicating that she had been away from the oak tree for some time. Typically, the process of a dryad withering away was agonizing, yet strangely, there was no hint of pain in her demeanor, nor even the expected fear.

She tilted her head, gazing at Panni Seann who was busy with his tools, her tone tinged with puzzlement. "Are you afraid?"

"What do I have to fear? It's you who should be afraid," Panni Seann replied after a pause. In truth, he was indeed afraid. He had never before laid a hand on a living humanoid being, and this act crossed his moral threshold. Despite living in this place for eight years, his moral compass had almost disintegrated, yet he still wasn't mentally prepared to become a butcher. But now, he had no choice but to proceed. However, the dryad's calmness unsettled him greatly. Therefore, he attempted to instill fear in her, hoping it would alleviate some of the guilt he felt about what was about to happen. "Look, your body will be preserved there."

Following Panni's outstretched finger, the dryad saw a large glass jar filled with liquid, containing a severed head at its center. One half of the head appeared to be that of a high elf, while the other half sported horns and spikes, likely from a demon from the depths of the abyss. The elf's half grimaced in agony, while the demon's half wore a serene smile, with a glint of red still flickering in its eyes, suggesting that it was not yet dead.

"It looks terrifying," the dryad replied nonchalantly, devoid of any trace of fear. This greatly frustrated Panni Seann. "But you're not afraid at all."

"Why should I be afraid?" the dryad smiled, looking beautiful and youthful, resembling a maiden. "Happiness and suffering are the two ends of the balance. When I suffer, someone else will find happiness because of it, isn't that so?"

"Ilmarth..." Panni's mouth twitched slightly. The dryad's words echoed the rhetoric of the suffering god Ilmarth, and they sounded particularly jarring to him. "Shouldn't dryads believe in Melikai?"

"The temple of the suffering lord is beneath my companion," the dryad explained, referring to the oak tree she was bound to. "His voice accompanied me as I grew up, and I am always ready to fulfill his creed."

"You don't want to harm me, but there are reasons forcing you to do so, I can feel it," Panni turned his head slightly, trying to avoid the dryad's gaze.

"Even if you're sinking in the mire, as long as there's still light in your heart, it will let me know that the fate I'm about to face is not entirely worthless," the dryad spoke gently to Panni Seann. "Ilmarth has forgiven you for your sins."

"I don't need his forgiveness," Panni Seann said, picking up the surgical knife, his tone beginning to sound somewhat irritable.

The dryad closed her amber eyes. "May you soon be free from suffering."

Panni thrust the knife into the dryad's ear with precision, hitting a nerve and causing no excess blood to spill. He had dissected dryad corpses before and knew precisely where to strike to render them unconscious, turning them into "vegetative" beings. This stab ended her suffering, but the rise and fall of her chest indicated that her life still lingered.

However, Panni knew her life was fading, even if he did nothing.

Yet, this moment made him feel disgustingly dirty. His body involuntarily weakened, his stomach churning violently, threatening to vomit at any moment.

This dryad, a stranger to him, had tried to redeem him.

Creak!

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The door opened, and the bespectacled, bald, middle-aged man in a red robe appeared at the doorway. "It's time," he said.

Panni responded indifferently, but noticed that Janhuashi did not approach the experimental table. Instead, he waved his hand, signaling for Panni to follow.

The two entered a chamber where magical lamps illuminated the room well. On the central table floated a magical basin, upon which two... arms were suspended?

Panni closed his eyes slightly, sensing the surging vitality and magical energy within the arms. He gave Janhuashi a curious look, but saw him sitting in a chair, removing two gloves and rolling up his sleeves, revealing two withered, skeletal-like forearms. "Put them on for me," Janhuashi instructed.

Panni hesitated slightly. Limb reattachment was not a simple surgery. In another world, it wasn't something one person could accomplish alone. It required several doctors to convene, treating it like a research topic before beginning. However, in this world, with its inherent magical power, things might be different.

Panni extracted a new arm from the magical basin and sensed its extraordinary magical strength. A simple close-eyed scan revealed that the surgery wasn't too difficult for him. It just required some effort to trim and connect the tissues. So, he picked up his tools and began the process of reattaching Janhuashi's limbs.

Janhuashi's arms had suffered some unknown injury, leaving them desiccated and lifeless. No wonder Panni found them so peculiar. Moreover, the decay was spreading up the forearms. It had truly reached a point where replacement was imperative. However, Panni couldn't help but feel a sense of doubt.

During this surgery, Janhuashi would be without arms. Except for basic level-three spells, he couldn't use any other magic. He would lose half of his strength, with Panni being so close and in control of Janhuashi's limbs. In such a scenario...

If Panni had malicious intent, Janhuashi would likely meet his end. Panni pondered over the limited spells that could aid Janhuashi in such circumstances, but couldn't think of any that would save him from doom, especially considering the time needed to chant the spells.

As for the zero-level spells that Janhuashi could cast instantly... if he were to use his precious fourth-level spell slot for such a purpose, well...

So Panni couldn't help but wonder, did Janhuashi really trust him so implicitly?

After all, distance equaled life for a mage. When facing familiar friends, mages often maintained a certain distance unless necessary. But for Janhuashi to entrust half of his life to Panni's hands, did the dean really have such confidence?

What kind of character were the Red Robe apprentices anyway? Janhuashi couldn't be unaware of their nature...

But then again, considering who could perform such surgeries in Cerl, the priests of the malevolent deities, the Red Robe peers... They all seemed like unreliable characters.

Despite Panni's overthinking, he managed to complete the surgery in about three hours. Magic truly was a marvelous force. Panni skillfully removed Janhuashi's necrotic hand, and the new arm seemed to automatically bond with the stump under the influence of magic. Panni only needed to adjust the blood vessels and nerves. He didn't feel any pain, perhaps due to some magic Janhuashi had cast beforehand.

Indeed, necromantic spells were extraordinary.

During the surgery, there was a minor incident. The life force next door quietly extinguished around two hours into the operation. This made Panni breathe a sigh of relief, finally escaping the task of cutting down a living tree sprite. He still couldn't bring himself to harm a corpse.

"Oh, it's done. Well done," Janhuashi moved his hands and made a few gestures, showing satisfaction to Panni. "You may leave now."

"Uh..." Panni was taken aback. "The experiment..."

"The experiment is already completed," Janhuashi swept the desiccated arms on the ground into a magical bag. "Am I not alive?"

Panni realized he had misunderstood something. "But what about the tree sprite outside?"

"If you're willing, she was supposed to be our experimental subject today," Janhuashi appeared to be in a good mood, unusually talkative, with a peculiar smile on his face. "But it seems you're clearly unwilling, so I'll have to change the experimental material."

Panni felt numb for a moment, understanding now. These Red Robes were indeed complex in their thoughts.

"A disciple like you, if encountered by me ten years ago, would have undoubtedly been turned into a specimen without hesitation, as I believed such foolish and weak waste had no qualification to be a Red Robe," Janhuashi said bluntly. "But now, it seems someone like you is not entirely useless."

Panni remained silent, sensing that his fate had reached a crucial turning point. However, it seemed that the most difficult hurdle had already been overcome during the experiment, so he wasn't too worried.

"You must have some utility, but don't draw too much attention to yourself," Panni's heart skipped a beat as Janhuashi grinned even more oddly. "Apprentice, I must say, I quite like this phrase. But you are far more useful and conspicuous than you imagine."

"Go pack your things. Tomorrow morning, someone will notify you to come see me. Also, prepare a few first-level spells, or I might change my mind."

Panni Sean staggered out of the laboratory, his current emotions difficult to describe. But there was one sentiment that was unmistakable.

That was joy.