《Awakened Talent: 10,000 Exp Converter!》 Chapter 1: Awakening Talent

Chapter 1: Awakening Talent

"Listen up, students!" "This test will decide your future. Fail, and you can kiss your dreams goodbye." "So don''t let me down. Give it your all! You got that?!" "Sir, yes Sir!" In the middle of a huge park, a tough-looking instructor in a crisp soldier uniform stared at the quiet students in front of him. N?v(el)B\\jnn They were the ss 12 Year 3 students of No.3 High School . The students gazed at the floating cube moving in the center of the park. Their faces showed different feelings. Some fidgeted nervously, scared they might fail and ruin their dreams. Most looked excited and hopeful about their future. Among them, one student seemed unbothered, like he didn''t care about his future at all. Vincent Magnus, 17 years old now, but 27 just a few weeks ago. Back on Earth, he was just another struggling young adult. Life was tough. With only a high school diploma, he had to work multiple jobs just to get by. That''s right! But everything changed for him three weeks ago. His damn curiosity got him sent to this weird world. He was walking home when he saw a cat ying with a glowing marble on the street. Even though he knew ''curiosity killed the cat'', he still took the marble. Then, like some magic trick, a bright light swallowed him up. He vanished from Earth without a trace. Next thing he knew, he was in the body of some random guy who happened to have the same name as him. (a/n: Let it be) At first, he thought he''d traveled back in time, seeing how young he looked. But man, he was wrong! And not just a little wrong - he was dead wrong about time travel or ending up in some modern parallel world. He soon found out he''dnded in a ce way more high-tech than Earth! But that wasn''t even the craziest part! This world¡ªAstrum, was too digital! A world connected to countless stars, realms, gxies and space stuff! And the big boss system¡ªStarmark, ran the whole universe! That meant all the big shots and powerful beings were under Starmark''s rule and watchful eye. With the world linked to so many stars, gxies, and realms, Astrum was no peaceful fantasynd. Men and women under 17 had to train for wars. At 18, they had to go to a special ce called the Origin World. The Origin World was a crazy ce full of different powers and races. It was like a huge arena where all smart life from the universe fought over resources and power. But not everyone could enter the Origin World. You needed a special key to get in. And today was the big day for Year 3 ss 12 of No.3 High School ! They were going to the Source Cube, that floating mechanical cube in front of them, to awaken their Origin Power! Suddenly, a figure appeared, floating in the air in front of the Source Cube! "Isn''t that our District Leader?!" "You''re right! That''s our very own District Leader Leo!" "He''s scary... is this what an Origin Warrior feels like?" The man who just showed up, with a serious face, was the big shot of their district, Leo ire! Vincent had learned about this guy during his three weeks of research. Leo ire was a huge deal, a hero to many young people in their district. Before bing a famous and powerful Origin Warrior, he was just a poor orphan living on government support. He had it rough, but on his awakening day, he got his origin power and C-rank talent! C - rank talent: me Synergy! With the power to use fire and make his body stronger with it, he started climbing the ranks. That''s how he became a role model for many students, especially those struggling in life. Then, Leo spoke. "Listen up, students of No. 3 High School ! Today''s the start of a new Chapter in your lives!" "I know how you all feel today, I''ve been there! I just want to remind you that no matter what happens today, whether you awaken or fail, I hope you''ll still support your family, the young and old, our district and our world!" "We might not be the strongestpared to other races, but we''re tough! We adapt fast! We''re survivors! And we''ll keep surviving for ages toe! We are humans!" "Now, let the awakening begin!" As the students'' blood pumped with Leo''s words, the start of the awakening snapped them out of their daydreams! "ID no. 02783-672, step forward!" The called student stepped up and touched the Source Cube. A minuteter, nothing happened. The instructor finally said, "Failed, next!" As harsh as it sounded, the student had no choice but to ept it. The next student came up. "Failed, next!" "Listen, move aside and go back to your room after your result!" "Next!" "Failed!" As time passed, Vincent could see the students'' faces changing. It had been a while, but still no one had awakened their Origin Power! If he was really a teenager and hadn''t faced the harsh realities of life, he might be like them - a bit worried, but probably too optimistic! He once thought he was the main character of the world when he graduated and started making money! He wondered where he got the guts to be that hopeful! Right now, all he could think about was how to use his experience and n for the future if he failed to awaken. "I could always mooch off someone if things get really bad..." he thought. Just then, someone he knew stepped up to the Source Cube. It was Greg Malcolm! Coming from an Origin Warrior family, he had some pull in the school. But he was better known as one of the school bullies. Though Vincent hadn''t run into this bully, he didn''t like him. Three weeks was enough for Vincent tobel Greg as a typical bad guy! He''d read thousands of novels in his boring past life, so he knew exactly what kind of character to avoid in this world. "Guess you can''t fix stupid," he thought. "Haha, it''s my turn! Out of my way! I''m finally gonna be an Origin Warrior like my brother!" Greg shoved the shocked student aside, making them fall. The instructor didn''t react to Greg''s behavior. It was clear he was ignoring what Greg did. "Enough, just touch the Source Cube for a minute!" Vincent gave the Instructor a quick look before turning away. This just reminded him what kind of world he was in! A world where strength and influence matter! If you''re poor and weak, your future''s worse than an animal''s! Vincent became more determined to reach his goal. He had to get stronger! Stronger than anyone else! If not, then at least smart and rich! He''d do whatever it takes! He''d struggled back on Earth, he didn''t give up then and he won''t give up now! While lost in thought. "Will Greg awaken his Origin Power?" "Are you doubting our Boss''s potential? He has an Origin Warrior brother, his father was a powerful Origin Warrior too! Boss Greg''s been eating and drinking special stuff! If he can''t awaken his Origin Power, then none of us will!" "I-I''m just talking nonsense, ignore me." "Hmph, you better watch carefully!" Just then, the Source Cube started glowing faintly. "H-Hey, something''s happening! The Source Cube is lighting up!" "Is this awakening... Is Greg gonna be an origin warrior?" "Haha, see? I told you! Our boss is gonna awaken too!" The Instructor''s eyes widened a bit. As the Source Cube''s light faded, a faint shower of light covered Greg''s body. "Hahaha, I''ve finally awakened my Origin Power! Who can beat me now?!" The instructor quickly went to Greg. "Congrattions, Greg! You''re truly a dragon among men! Your future is limitless!" "Haha, you''re too kind Instructor Pen!" "I''m just stating facts. Can you show us what talent you awakened?" Hearing this, Greg smiled smugly and held out his hand. A visual interface appeared above it. [D-Rank Talent: Fire Element Ability] "A D-Rank talent! That''s great! Congrattions Young District Leader Greg!" The Instructor became even more respectful as he addressed Greg. He knew how important this talent was. It wasn''t far from the C-Rank talent of their District Leader who ruled over tens of thousands of people! Suddenly, a figure appeared above Greg and the instructor. It was Leo ire! Leo''s face was still serious, but his eyes sparkled a bit. "Congrattions on awakening. Your talent is good. I can rmend you to the me Tower Guild if you''d like to join." "Are you inviting me to your guild, District Leader Leo?" Greg''s voice got louder, clearly excited by the offer. "I can''t promise anything, but I can rmend you." "That''s enough! With my talent, I''m sure they''ll take me!" Leo frowned slightly before shaking his head, thinking it was just a young person''s overconfidence! "You can go back to your ssroom or stay here if you want. Go on, continue the awakening." Leo flew up again and stood with his eyes closed after ordering the Instructor. "How unfair this world is... the bully gets powerful while we weak ones stay weak forever.." "We should leave this school and find work in another district, that bully will be even worse now!" "Shh, keep it down. He''s awakened now, he might hear you!" Vincent heard the talk of those who failed to awaken and were bullied by Greg. He also started wondering how cruel this world could be. Soon, his ID number was called. "ID No. 09051-997, step forward!" His heart raced as he stepped up, feeling everyone''s eyes on him. Following the Instructor''s directions, Vincent touched the floating Source Cube. The moment his hand touched it, he felt warm energy flowing through his body. He thought it would be cold at first. 30 secondster, still nothing happened. The instructor, looking at the timer on his holographic screen, thought it was another failure seeing no reaction. "This batch might have the worst potential of all," he thought. Vincent, still waiting for something to happen, felt more and more disappointed. Even though he wasn''t too hopeful and had set low expectations, he couldn''t help feeling let down. "Looks like I''m not meant to be the Main Character in this world either." The moment he thought that, something changed. The quiet Source Cube started to vibrate. At first, it was subtle, but soon even the ground began to shake. "What''s going on?" "An earthquake now?" "W-Wait, look! The Source Cube is shaking!" "Huh?" Even the Instructor was surprised by the sudden earthquake. Then, a bright light shot out of the Source Cube and pierced the sky. The students, Instructor, and even Leo were shocked. They''d never seen an awakening like this before! Soon, Vincent felt like he was soaking in a hot spring as the light seeped into his body! [Congrattions to the Host on awakening Origin Power! Talent Awakened: C rank - Origin Power Enhancement! SSS rank - 10,000x Exp Converter!] Talent Details: Origin Power Enhancement - increase the total value of Origin Power by 30% 10,000x Exp Converter - receive ten thousand multiplication experience points upon killing lifeforms. Experience points can be converted to different subjects. SSS rank talent skill options: ¡ñ Upgrade to Next Level ¡ñ Upgrade Skills Quality ¡ñ Upgrade Skills Proficiency ¡ñ Upgrade Items Quality ¡ñ Upgrade Items Quantity "Whoa... what the hell is this broken talent?" Spoiler info so you don''t need to ask like others: Different rank talents has different amount of experience points needed to rank up. Low rank talent means low exp points required. Also there will be experience potions and booster. So, stop asking. Chapter 2: Marina

Chapter 2: Marina

[Name: Vincent Magnus] Rank: Tier 0 Origin Power: 1300/1300 (a/n: mana) Force: 1 (Overall Physical Output Damage and Defense) Speed: 1 (Overall affects the agility and reaction speed) Mental: 1 (Overall affects mental and spiritual characteristics) (a/n: 1 is average value of a normal person) Skills: ¡ñ Basic Offensive and Defensive Martial Technique (Proficiency: Adept) ¡ñ Basic Meditation Method (Proficiency: Adept) Talents: ¡ñ C - Rank: Origin Power Enhancement ¡ñ SSS - Rank: 10,000x Exp Converter Are these my personal attributes? Vincent couldn''t believe his eyes. Was this his cheat ability for transmigrating? As cliche as it seemed, he was thrilled! He could check his stats without a device, and he had two talents! A C-Rank talentparable to a District Leader, and an unheard-of Triple S rank talent! In his 17 years, Vincent had never known anyone with an SSS rank talent. Even if someone had one and kept it secret, it didn''t change the fact that his future was limitless! I might have endless potential, but I''m still weak. I can''t let anyone know about my talent! "He actually awakened!" "Who is he?" "He''s in our ss! He never talked to anyone. We thought he had no hope, but he awakened..." Among the shocked faces, Greg was fuming. He felt like his spotlight had been stolen. The instructor approached Vincent. "Congrattions on your sessful awakening, student Vincent Magnus!" "Thank you, Instructor," Vincent replied calmly, his face unchanging. He''d expected the change in the Instructor''s attitude now that he''d awakened. The Instructor, unfazed by the short response, smiled and asked, "Can you show us what Talent you awakened?" Vincent''s expression remained neutral. He knew it was mandatory to reveal his awakened talent, so he''d already decided which one to show. He held out his hand, and a hologram interface appeared. "C - Rank: Origin Power Enhancement?!" the Instructor eximed. "What? A C rank talent?" "He awakened a higher rank than Greg, who''s from an Origin Warrior Family?" "Is this the start of a new legend in our district?" The students buzzed with excitement. High above, Leo frowned. Something felt off. He had a C-rank talent too, but his awakening was different from Vincent''s. Despite his suspicion, Leo was happy. It was good news for the district. N?v(el)B\\jnn Vincent looked up, watching District Leader Leo descend slowly. "Congrattions on awakening, Young Hero." Leo said. "Thank you, District Leader Leo, but I don''t deserve that title." "Don''t be modest. Our talent ranks might be the same, but your talent has a brighter future than mine." The Instructor gaped in surprise. "What do you mean, District Leader?" Vincent stood calmly, curious about Leo''s words. "Origin Power is the key to the Origin World. It''s the life force of everything there. It''s also called mana, powering all lifeforms in the Origin World. With Origin Power, you can use skills and techniques. Vincent''s Talent lets him increase his Origin Power and attack strength." Leo exined. Vincent was enlightened. He hadn''t known his talent could do so much. "Thank you for teaching me, sir." "Don''t mention it." Vincent felt uneasy as the District Leader gaze lingered on him. "Is there something else, District Leader?" Leo paused, thinking. "Would you like to consider joining my me Tower guild?" Vincent was about to refuse, but Leo quickly added, "Don''t say no yet. I know your talent doesn''t match our guild, but we have a special spot for someone like you. You can skip the assessment. I want to recruit you directly." "We''ll help you start in the Origin World. You''ll get 2 million astrum credits yearly, a vi in the 10th District, and skills and armaments for your rank to boost your strength. Think about it." Vincent fell silent. The offer was tempting. He only got a few hundred credits monthly from his student support. The vi in the 10th District was surprising too. He was currently renting a house in the 12th District. From what he knew, they lived in a huge Ark with 12 Districts. The 12th District was on the edge, prone to monster attacks and crime. Moving to a safer district was appealing! But what tempted him most were the promised skills and armaments. These were vital for Origin Warriors, especially beginners like him. Skills and armaments weren''t sold openly. You had to use special trade routes, and they were incredibly expensive. Even the lowest-ranked skills or gear were hard to afford. As tempting as it was, Vincent didn''t agree right away. He only knew a bit about the Origin World. He knew there had to be a catch. Nothing in life was free. Even death could be demanding. "Thank you, District Leader. I''ll think about it carefully." Leo nodded, not pushing for an answer. "No pressure. Just focus on preparing for the Origin World. Use your new awakener credits wisely to buy things that''ll help you survive there." "I understand." "Good. You can go prepare on your own now." "Yes. I''ll take my leave then, Instructor Pen, District Leader." Vincent quickly left the awakening center, feeling the mixed gazes of the students on his back. Greg red at Vincent, fuming. He couldn''t believe a nobody had stolen his thunder! Vincent Magnus! You''ll pay for humiliating me! "Find me everything about that brat." Greg hissed. ---------------- Vincent didn''t go home. He took a hover taxi, run by AI. Neon skyscrapers blurred past as he traveled. Minutester, the taxi door opened, and Vincent stepped out in front of a towering building. Origin Warrior Association. It was just a branch in District 12, but it showed the association''s power and influence. Two 3-meter tall mechanical guards stood at the ss entrance. They looked like Transformers from Earth, painted dark green. Vincent entered, and blue lights scanned his body. The red caution hologram disappeared. You may enter, a voice said from nowhere. He followed the red carpet to a spacious lounge and went straight to the information counter, where a beautiful woman in professional attire sat. "How can I help you?" she asked. "I just awakened. I want to register and get my rewards." "Of course. Please fill this out, and someone will guide you to the registration office." She waved her hand, tossing a hologram screen to Vincent. He quickly filled in his name, student ID, and age, then pressed the ''O'' symbol. "Little 13, please guide Mr. Magnus to the registration office," the woman called out. A floating monochrome robot with ''13'' written on it appeared. In a small, girly voice, it said, "Mr. Magnus, this way please." Vincent silently followed Little 13 for a few minutes until they reached the registration office. He saw other young people his age seated in rows of chairs. He took a digital token with the number 24. Half an hourter, his number was called. He entered a room and saw a red-haired woman in professional attire sitting behind a ss screen. "Hello, Mr. Vincent Magnus. Please sit down." "Thank you." "You''re here to register as an awakener and im your district rewards, right?" Vincent nodded. "Alright, please put your hand in this hole. I need to confirm your awakening." Vincent frowned. "Will that show all my awakened talent data?" "Don''t worry. This device just scans to confirm you''ve awakened. You had to reveal your talent name and rank at the awakening center, but everyone has the right to keep the specific effects private," she exined professionally, used to such questions. Convinced, Vincent put his arm in the hole and felt a sting on his wrist. "Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Vincent Magnus. You''re now officially listed as an awakened Origin Warrior of District 12. You''ll receive fifty thousand credits, ess to Astrum Origin Hub, a basic origin power meditation guide, and a basic origin power movement guide," she said. "We''ve sent the credits to your bank ount and the guides to your Astrum Origin Hub email. Log in with this.." She handed him a visual ID card with his name, photo, Origin Warrior number, and rank (zero). "This is your Origin Warrior License. Don''t lose it, or you''ll be penalized. Don''t try to make fake copies either, or you''ll be severely punished. We can revoke your registration if you do that. I''ve emailed you the rules for registered Origin Warriors. Please read them," she exined carefully. "Is there anything else I can help with?" "Yes, where can I learn the basics about the Origin World," Vincent asked. "You can easily find that on Astrum Origin Hub." "I see. Thank you." "No problem. Anything else?" "No, that''s all." "Great. Please give me a second of your time to rate your registration experience." Satisfied with the quick process, Vincent gave five stars on the hologram screen and left the Origin Warrior Association. He called a hover taxi home. He had a lot to prepare and research about his Awakened Talents, especially the SSS rank one! After more than half an hour, the view outside the taxi became more urban. Though the world was high-tech, some areasgged behind. As night fell, Vincent arrived home. He scanned his fingerprint to pay the taxi. His rented house was a three-story building, huge for one person. He used his fingerprint to unlock the door, and gem-like bulbs on the walls lit up the room. As soon as he opened the door, a young voice called from inside. "Is that you, brother?" In the living room, Vincent saw his younger sister, Marina, wearing a thin white dress. She sat on the sofa, sipping soda and watching a huge holographic screen showing a handsome man. "Watching that drama again?" Vincent asked. "What''s wrong? Jealous that I''m watching a handsome man other than my pervert brother?" Marina teased, bending her neck to look at him from the edge of the sofa with a smirk. Her wet ck hair swayed behind the sofa, her dress revealing the cleave of her growing chest. Her appearance bore a striking resemnce to Vincent''s. Her oval-shaped face was graced with fair, light skin that seemed to glow under the room''s soft light. Her eyebrows, perfectly arched, framed eyes that mirrored Vincent''s in their captivating purple hue. Long, sweeping eyshes added depth to her gaze, enhancing the allure of her eyes. Her nose, small yet elegantly pointed,plemented her delicate features. Her lips, though thin, were plump and invitingly red, reminiscent of ripe cherries. Vincent, now ustomed to his newfound little sister''s behavior, ignored her teasing and asked, "Where is Sister Amara?" Sister Amara was the actual owner of this three-story building. Vincent and Marina merely rented two rooms. "Hmph, you''re ignoring your sister and asking about another woman instead!" Marina huffed indignantly. Vincent could only face-palm in response. Initially, he had been overjoyed to discover he had a sister in this world, having been without family back on Earth. Now, however, he was beginning to have second thoughts. With a sigh of resignation, he gently pinched both of Marina''s cheeks. "Alright, alright. Brother is sorry for ignoring the little princess," he conceded. Though slightly miffed, Marina couldn''t help but smile happily at the attention. At that moment, the sound of approaching footsteps caught their attention. "Oh, you''re here, little Vincent," a feminine voice called out. Still pinching Marina''s cheeks, Vincent turned around. His eyes fell upon a short-haired woman standing at an impressive 170 cm. She was d in a fitted gray sleeveless tank top that entuated her curves, paired with form-fitting shorts that showcased her long, toned legs. Her alluring appearance was further enhanced by the casual way she held a beer in one hand, exuding an air of confidence and rxation. "Sister Amara..." Vincent breathed, his eyes inadvertently drawn to her captivating presence. Chapter 3: Astrum Origin Hub

Chapter 3: Astrum Origin Hub

"Brother..." "Aren''t you staring at sister Amara too much?" Vincent suddenly shivered, feeling a chill down his spine. He slowly turned around to face his younger sister, Marina, who wore a dark and disappointed expression. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om "I''m not. You''re imagining things," he said simply before changing the subject. "Go wash your hands and let''s have dinner. I have something to tell youter." Still annoyed, Marina left to wash her hands. Vincent then faced Amara, who had messy bed-hair. "You''re drinking again, Sister Amara." "Oh,e on, little brat. Are you my father? Let me be," she casually responded before jumping on the couch. She spread her legs in afortable position and took a sip of her beer. "Fuah! That hit the spot!" she eximed. "Did you even eat before drinking?" he asked as he walked to the kitchen, heading towards a rectangr ck screen mounted on the wall. "You know the answer to your question. Just go prepare dinner for us!" Tap! The moment he touched the ck screen, it became transparent, revealing what was behind it: a fridge. "What do we have here... Skinless chicken breast and some vegetables. I guess this will do..." In this house, Vincent was the only person who could make a proper meal. Having lived by himself before, it was natural for him to learn how to cook. Despite being 26 years old, Amara had no talent for cooking. Once, she made a meal for them, but Vincent had diarrhea for two days afterward. He vowed never to let her cook again. Although shecked cooking skills, Vincent was grateful to Amara. Three years ago, when their parents suddenly went missing on a trip, they had no idea what to do. With no money to pay rent for their previous ce, Amara, who was living alone, took them in. Amara actually had no connection to them; she just encountered them one night in a park while she was drunk, heading back to her house. Three years ago, Vincent was only 14, while his younger sister Marina was 13 years old at the time. To pay for rent, Vincent was tasked with cooking for her, doingundry, and other household chores. Even after living with her for three years, he still had no idea about the background of this mysterious drunkard. Nevertheless, they were grateful to her. Twenty minutester, Vincent made a chicken stir-fry with mixed vegetables and rice. "Dinner is ready!" he called out as the food''s aroma filled the dining room. "Woah, it smells good!" Marina was the first to arrive, followed by Amara, who had already finished her beer. "Come on, let''s dig in!" Amara''s eyes shone as she stared at the food on the table. Her previousziness was nowhere to be found. "These foodies..." Vincent thought. Although he wore a wry smile, Vincent was inwardly d that someone actually enjoyed his cooking. His three weeks in Astrum had been quite an experience. He was able to ept his situation unusually easily. After eating, the two foodies let out sighs of satisfaction. Their stomachs were visibly bulging, obviously full. As Vincent cleaned the table and put the dishes in the dishwasher, the satisfied Amara suddenly inquired, "By the way, how did it go?" Hearing this, Marina also looked at her brother. She knew what Amara meant: the awakening! She was also curious about her brother''s results but didn''t dare to ask him, afraid that he might have failed and that it would hurt his feelings. "Well, about that..." Vincent didn''t immediately answer the question. He paused and stared at them, making them assume he had failed. Marina''s eyes darted left and right, unsure what to say. Making up her mind, she crossed her arms over her chest. "It doesn''t matter even if you failed to awaken. I''ll be awakening myself next year. I''ll be the one taking care of you!" The usually aloof andzy Amara also chimed in. "That''s right, you can just continue living here and do the house chores." Vincent''s forehead twitched. Even though their intentions were out of concern, their choice of words sounded annoying. "Why would you assume I would fail?" "If you didn''t fail, then... did you sessfully awaken?" Vincent stared at his young sister. "What? Just tell me already!" she demanded in annoyance. He eventually broke into a smile before nodding. Seeing him nod, Marina gaped, her eyes widening. Amara, on the other hand, raised her eyebrows. "Are you for real?" Vincent simply held out his hand, showing them the C-rank talent. "That''s great! Congrattions, brother!" Marina pounced and hugged him, obviously happy for him. "Congrattions, little Vincent," Amara smiled, genuinely d for the siblings. "I can''t keep calling you ''little'' from now on. You''re grown up now..." Shaking her head, she added, "It doesn''t matter. You''ll still be adorable little Vincent in my eyes." Vincent could only offer a wry smile. "So, what''s your n now, brother? It''s still August. You still have 2 weeks before September and your birthday," Marina asked. "Don''t worry about that. I already have a n in mind." "Alright, if you need my help, just let me know," Marina imed as she flexed her quite toned muscles. "Now, now, Little Rina, let your brother go and have a rest. You should also sleep early; you have school tomorrow. Don''t you dare bete again. I don''t want to talk to your Instructor again," Amara said, shaking her head. "Hmph! That was just once!" Although reluctant, Marina still agreed. On the third floor, finally alone in his room, Vincent took a t screen device from his pocket. After tapping it, a hollow virtual screen appeared. He quickly visited the Astrum Origin hub. He logged in using his Origin Warrior License numbers. Soon, the ten-inch hologram screen widened, and a few more hologram screens surrounded him. As he scrolled through the hub, he finally saw a thread post titled ''Beginners Guide to Origin World''. It was posted by a user named ''Tata Lino''. He saw other thread posts by the same username but decided to read this one first. The Origin World was a vast, endless expanse. It was like a universe inside a universe. Monsters, races, extraterrestrials, experts, powerhouses, etc., were all over the Origin World. To enter, one had to use Origin Power to tap into their consciousness and enter the Origin World. By spending spiritual force, one could stay in the Origin World. Spiritual Force is a power that grows as the warrior climbs in rank. For his rank, Tier 0, Vincent could only stay in the Origin World for 48 hours. To be specific, Origin World''s time was twice that of reality. So, 24 hours of reality was 48 hours in the Origin World. The Origin World also had a rule that one could not simply leave the world as they wished. One had to wait for their time to run out or use an expensive escape item to leave the Origin World. It also had a rule that once you died in the Origin World, you wouldn''t be able to enter it again, essentially ending and cutting off one''s endless potential. Even with that risk, going to the Origin World had many benefits. As long as they survived in the Origin World, they could take everything they had back to reality! It was a world with countless resources! As an Origin Warrior, it was very important to explore the Origin World since the resources in the real world were already scarce. "I have to carefully prepare and thoroughly n my way in the Origin World..." Vincent thought to himself. He knew the rewards and dangers the Origin World could bring to him. He continued reading through the hub, learning about key locations, influential powerhouses, and the rules within these key locations. After learning all of this, he checked his email and read through the rules and regtions for registered Origin Warriors. His attention thennded on the two Guides in his email: Basic Origin Meditation Guide and Basic Origin Movement Guide! He skimmed through them. The meditation method was a guide on how to easily enter meditation, directing the origin power to train mental power. The movement guide was just a basic movement method using Origin Power. Although both were basic and the lowest-rank skill books, they were very important not just to him but to all newbies as well. They would improve his overall survival ability. The meditation guide to train mental power was vital since there were many monsters in the Origin World that had higher mental power than humans. Furthermore, experts had powerful mental abilities. Just being in the presence of an expert with significantly higher mental powers could make someone faint. The importance of the movement guidey in speed and escape movements, vital for survival. Therefore, there were huge red warning letters at the end of the guides regarding confidentiality. It was illegal to make a copy and sell it for personal gain. Since he was in his room, Vincent decided to try the meditation guide first. He took a lotus position, sat, and closed his eyes in the middle of his bed. He concentrated, clearing his thoughts. The guide said he had to empty his mind first. This was the hardest step, ording to the guide. However, when he closed his eyes and focused for a moment, he felt something warm inside him, triggered, which instantly cleared his mind. Soon, specks of white light began to appear around him before gathering in his body. +0.1 Exp! +0.1 Exp! Notifications continued as he controlled the warm energy into the pattern ording to the guide. +0.1 Exp! +0.1 Exp! Thirty minutester, he woke up and summoned his personal attributes with a thought, focusing on certain data. [Vincent Magnus] Rank: Tier 0 (180/2600 Exp) "I''m improving? Isn''t it said it was only to train my mental power?" He had no idea what was happening, but he was thrilled to discover that it could help him improve. Not wasting any more time, he began meditating again! He continued until he fell asleep. The next day, Vincent, who was peacefully sleeping, unconsciously heard a buzzing sound. Bzzz! Pah! With a subconscious p, the buzzing sound near his ears stopped. Host killed a mosquito, received +0.01 Exp! Talent activated! 10,000x exp! Received +100 Exp! As the notification sounded in his ears, Vincent felt a warm energy absorbed into his body, making him involuntarily moan. Soon, he felt a seething heat inside his body. He immediately sat up and began meditating. As time ticked by, he felt his body was bathing in a hot spring. His muscles and bones were cracking as if they were reforming. Specks of light gathered around him. After an indefinite amount of time, an explosion rang inside his body. He felt a surge of power. He even felt his senses increase greatly. He also realized he had found a dark marble in his body. "Origin Core!" It could only mean one thing. With a thought, he summoned his personal attributes. [Vincent Magnus] Rank: Tier 1 - 1 ¡ï (20/100,000 Exp!) "I''ve broken through?!" Chapter 4: Entering the Origin World!

Chapter 4: Entering the Origin World!

[Vincent Magnus] Rank: Tier 1 - 1¡ï (20/100,000 Exp!) Origin Power: 2300/2300 (mana) Force: 2 (Overall Physical Output Damage and Defense) Speed: 2 (Overall affects agility and reaction speed) Mental: 2.5 (Overall affects mental and spiritual characteristics) (1 is the average value of a normal person) Skills: ¡ñ Basic Offensive and Defensive Martial Technique (Proficiency: Adept) ¡ñ Basic Meditation Method (Proficiency: Adept) Talents: ¡ñ C-Rank: Origin Power Enhancement ¡ñ SSS-Rank: 10,000x Exp Converter "I''ve broken through?!" Vincent was dumbfounded. He had just awakened his talent yesterday, learned a basic meditation method, and identally killed a mosquito. Now he had broken through to Tier 1 - one star! "I thought cultivation was supposed to be difficult," he mused. "Didn''t I just sleep and unconsciously p a mosquito? My talent is truly extraordinary. While others are probably risking their lives in the Origin World to gather resources and cultivate their rank, I might be the only one who can breakthrough by sleeping and casually pping a mosquito to death." He shook his head, wondering about his future. With his increased power, his initial ns surfaced in his mind. Before transmigrating into this body, its previous owner had been a hard-working youth who matured early. He had died from exhaustion, training relentlessly every day and cramming at night in his desire to be an Origin Warrior and find their missing parents. Although Vincent admired the previous owner''s dedication, he understood the importance of a healthy diet and proper sleep. No one could grind mindlessly and expect to be fine indefinitely. Now that he was living in this body with limitless potential, he felt obligated to find the whereabouts of his and Marina''s parents. "I''m thinking too far ahead," he realized. "I''ve just started my path as an Origin Warrior. I still have a long way to go." With a clear mind, he began to observe the changes brought by his breakthrough. His personal attributes data showed his strength had doubled. He also examined his Origin Core, which seemed oddly familiar. The Origin Core was the foundation of Origin Warriors, serving as a container for Origin Power. Initially, upon awakening at Tier 0, origin power had roamed throughout his body. Now, it was all contained within his Origin Core. However, something puzzled him. "Isn''t the Origin Core supposed to be gray?" he wondered. His was ck in color. Suddenly, he remembered the reason for his transmigration into this world three weeks ago. "Isn''t this the same marble that brought me here?" Lost in thought, he couldn''t determine if it was indeed the same marble or just an anomaly in his Origin Core. Shrugging off these thoughts, he focused on his ns for theing days. Vincent left his room and headed downstairs. Marina had already gone to school, and sister Amara had left for work, though he wasn''t sure of her exact job. He prepared a light breakfast before jogging to the park in a tracksuit. He had memorized the Basic Origin Movement Guide and wanted to practice it. Fifteen minutester, he arrived at the park. Some residents of District 12 were also exercising, walking, and rxing there. Although already warmed up, he stretched out of habit. "ording to the guide, I need to control my origin power and focus it on my legs," he thought. Following this, he guided his origin power to his legs, feeling the warm energy settling there. "Let''s see the effect-" Just as he was about to test the guided movement speed, the warm energy in his legs vanished. Frowning, he focused and channeled origin power to his legs again. This time, maintaining his concentration, he kept the Origin Power steady. Completely focused, he took a step and vanished with a ''whoosh'', reappearing 4 meters away from his original position. The children and elderly in the park who witnessed this were surprised. "M-Mom, that person teleported!" "Shh, don''t point at him. He might be an Origin Warrior!" "Mom, I want to be like that person!" "Yes, yes. Mom would be happy if you awaken too..." Ignoring the whispers around him, Vincent marveled at his burst of speed. "That was fast!" he eximed. It was indeed quick, but he noticed the high consumption of Origin Power. He had used 100 Origin Power in just a second! "I need to train to get used to the speed and minimize Origin Power consumption," he concluded. Vincent continued training in the park, disregarding the whispers and stares of onlookers. He practiced the Basic Origin Movement until nightfall. Returning home, he prepared a meal and ate with Marina and Amara. At night, he meditated, expecting the rate of experience gain to remain the same as the previous day. However, it was several times slower. With 100,000 exp required to reach the next level, he realized meditation alone wouldn''t be enough. It would take far too long! He also tried killing insects in the house but failed to gain any experience from them. This meant he needed to defeat lifeforms of the same rank to receive experience points. For the next few weeks, he focused on physical training, origin movement practice, and meditation. He also used his awakening reward credits. Initially, he thought the fifty thousand credits in his bank ount would be sufficient to buy several items. But he was mistaken! Browsing the Astrum Origin Online Market, he felt impoverished. Common dark-steel alloy weapons cost half of his entire reward - twenty-five thousand credits! He was even more shocked to find that armor of the same material was more expensive! He could only afford cheaper armor made of mixed leather and steel. He spent the remaining credits on other necessities, emptying his bank ount. September 5, Astrum Calendar Year 3000 In the living room, Vincent, Marina, and Amara sat on the sofa. It was Sunday morning, and the two girls wore casual clothes, contrasting with the fully armed Vincent, who also carried a ck backpack. "Brother, are you ready to go?" Marina asked, her voice tinged with concern. She honestly didn''t want him to leave. Today was his actual birthday; they had celebrated it just yesterday. Her worries stemmed from a fear of abandonment. He was her only family member. She couldn''t bear the thought of her brother leaving her too. She was well aware of the dangers the Origin World held. "You have nothing to worry about. Your brother is strong!" he assured her. He understood Marina''s concerns. He would be afraid too if he were in her position. That''s why he had to be stronger. He was no longer living just for himself. He had a younger sister and an older sister, though not by blood. "I understand, but please be careful there ande back tomorrow, okay?" "If you don''t return tomorrow, I''ll post your search history online!" Marina threatened yfully. Vincent couldn''t help but tremble inwardly at the thought. His body''s previous owner was a youth, so it was natural that there might be some questionable search history. Seeing his reaction, Amara smirked. "Hmm, why don''t you tell me your brother''s search history so I can post it on my social media as well?" Her tone was mischievous. Marina turned to look at her, considering the idea. Seeing his younger sister about to agree, Vincent quickly intervened. "Alright, alright, stop! I''ll be back by tomorrow morning!" The duo chuckled at his reaction. "So you''re actually like that, Little Vincent..." Amara maintained her teasing smile. Vincent chose to ignore her and change the subject. "Alright, I''ve wasted enough time. You have nothing to worry about. I''ve thoroughly prepared for this moment. I''ll be going now!" As he stood up, a transparent vial filled with red liquid was thrown at him. He reflexively caught it. "Take that with you," Amara said. Vincent examined the vial in his hand before looking at Amara. "This is a recovery potion, right?" Amara didn''t respond, just smiling at him. "Where did you get this? This is expensive." Thest time he browsed the online market, he saw the cheapest recovery potion selling for 50,000 credits! And that was the cheapest option! He could buy two dark-steel weapons with the vial he was holding. "Don''t worry about it. Just make sure toe back in one piece. It''s hard to find another tenant who can cook and do myundry..." Although her tone was casual, he could detect a hint of concern in her voice. He didn''t press further. Though curious about the potion''s origin, he simply epted it with thanks before tucking it into one of his pockets. "I''ll be going now." The two girls nodded. "Please be careful out there, brother!" N?v(el)B\\jnn "Come back quickly. You still have to cook for us." Vincent nodded with a smile. Closing his eyes, he focused his thoughts, and a bright light enveloped him before he vanishedpletely. The two girls watched in silence before Marina broke it. "How are we going to eat now?" Once again, silence filled the room. Chapter 5: Novice Sanctuary

Chapter 5: Novice Sanctuary

Vincent''s vision cleared, and he found himself standing in the center of a majestic circr field. Towering white walls of intricate architecture surrounded him, with a massive clock tower looming in the middle. The setting was a mesmerizing blend of futuristic and medieval styles. Countless white lights appeared around him as other Origin Warriors materialized in rapid session. [Wee to No.3 Novice Sanctuary!] A holographic interface shed before his eyes. In the Origin World, Tier 0 to Tier 3 Origin Warriors, ssified as Novice rank, were automatically spawned in one of four Novice Sanctuaries. These sanctuaries were situated on designated vast continents ording to one''s rank. Vincent had appeared in No.3 Novice Sanctuary, located in the western part of the Novice Continent. The other sanctuaries were positioned at the cardinal points: No.1 Novice Sanctuary in the North No.2 Novice Sanctuary in the East No.4 Novice Sanctuary in the South "Of all ces to spawn... my luck truly is abysmal," Vincent muttered under his breath. ording to the hub information, No.3 Novice Sanctuary was the worst possible starting location for humans. With a scarce human poption, this sanctuary was dominated by other races. As Vincent surveyed his surroundings, he noticed one of the materializing figures nearby. It had a humanoid shape but sported green and ck spotted skin, sharp fangs, and pointed ears ¨C a Vyrmin. These creatures were known for their smaller staturepared to humans. While Vincent was taking in the sights, a gruff voice cut through his thoughts. "Well, well, what do we have here? Another human insect dares to show its face in our sanctuary?" The voice dripped with malice. Vincent turned to face its owner and found himself staring up at an imposing figure. Standing nearly three meters tall, the being before him was d in heavy chest te armor with a giant axe strapped to his back. His appearance was vicious ¨C purple skin, short thorny spikes adorning his bald head and the sides of his face, all entuating his bodybuilder-like physique. It was a Thrygian, one of the races most hostile towards humans. The Thrygian was nked by twopanions, both a head shorter than him but no less intimidating. The Thrygian''s booming voice caught the attention of the other spawning races in the area. Whispers began to circte among the onlookers. "Isn''t that Grarik? The young master of the ckthorn n?" "You''re right. I heard he''s already at the peak of Tier 2." "What''s all thismotion about?" "Not sure, but it looks like Grarik''s set his sights on that human..." "Which human?" "That one there. Looks like a newbie..." "Poor soul. I''ve heard their n is ruthless towards humans. A fight''s bound to break out if they cross paths." "But would they dare to fight inside the sanctuary?" Vincent frowned as he caught snippets of the whispered conversations around him. He was well aware of the strict rules governing the sanctuary, one of which explicitly forbade killing within its confines. However, the rules said nothing about fighting... Realizing the precariousness of his situation, Vincent felt a headacheing on. He had just arrived, and all he wanted was to explore the sanctuary in peace. Was that too much to ask? With a furrowed brow, he addressed the Thrygian. "What do you want?" Grarik scoffed, his eyes narrowing. "What do I want? I want you to kneel, kowtow, and beg forgiveness from my ancestors, you miserable insect!" Vincent''s eyebrows shot up in disbelief. "And why, pray tell, would I do that? Do I owe you something?" "Owe me?" Grarik growled, his purple face darkening with rage. "You humans owe my entire family! Your kind dared to pige our resources and ughter my people! Of course you owe me!" Vincent''s patience was wearing thin. "You''re spouting nonsense. If you want a fight, just say so. No need for these fairytales!" Although he knew he was at a disadvantage, Vincent wasn''t one to back down from a challenge. He believed in fighting for his dignity ¨C a man could die fighting, but should never suffer humiliation. Of course, if circumstances required him to swallow his pride for the sake of loved ones, he would. But this... this was not one of those situations. Moreover, Vincent was confident that Grarik wouldn''t dare kill him inside the sanctuary. That knowledge emboldened him. "You, a mere human insect, dare to challenge me?" Grarik''s voice turned cold, disbelief evident in his tone. "Why not? Are you afraid?" Vincent retorted, a hint of a smirk ying on his lips. He might be weak, but Vincent had never shied away from a fight. Even back on Earth, where he had grown up alone on the streets, he had faced death multiple times. He had always had to fight for himself. "Afraid? Haha!" Grarik suddenly burst intoughter as if he''d heard the funniest joke of his life. Without warning, a heavy pressure erupted from Grarik, crashing down on Vincent like a tidal wave. Although Vincent had braced himself for battle, this was his first encounter with the raw power of a Tier 2 Origin Warrior. The crushing weight seemed to bear down on every fiber of his being. "Why would I fear an ant like you?" Grarik''s voice was deep and cold, devoid of any humor now. ''Damn it! I had no idea the gap between Tier 1 and Tier 2 was this vast...'' Vincent thought, his body trembling under the immense pressure. In that moment, a sobering realization dawned on him. Just because he possessed an SSS-rank talent and had managed to break through to Tier 1 in a single night, he had allowed himself to be overconfident. He had naively expected his journey to be smooth sailing thanks to his innate abilities. As the pressure threatened to force him to his knees, Vincent gritted his teeth in defiance. "What''s the matter? Why has the little insect stopped buzzing? Cat got your tongue?" Grarik taunted, clearly reveling in Vincent''s struggle. Just as the situation seemed bleakest, a deep, calm voice cut through the tense atmosphere. "I believe you''ve had your fun, Giant Fool!" Suddenly, a simr pressure crashed down, colliding with Grarik''s mental assault. Vincent gasped in relief as the oppressive force lifted, feeling as though he''d just survived the most intense minute of his life. "Who dares?!" Grarik roared, his eyes scanning the area for the source of the interruption. Vincent turned to see his unexpected savior ¨C a man with flowing golden hair, dressed in elegant clothes and armor. An exquisite longsword hung at his waist, its sheath gleaming in the light. "Caelius!" Grarik spat the name as if it left a foul taste in his mouth. The neer, Caelius, casually picked at his ear as if Grarik''s shout had actually hurt it. "You really do have a habit of shouting, don''t you?" "You actually have the audacity to show your face before me?!" Grarik growled, his massive frame quivering with barely contained rage. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Caelius let out a heartyugh. "I even dared to kill your younger brother. Why wouldn''t I dare to show myself to a clown like you?" At the mention of his brother, Grarik''s eyes zed with murderous intent, his expression contorting into one of pure hatred. "You bastard!!!" he roared, reaching for the massive axe on his back. In that moment, all he wanted was to hack the arrogant human before him into bloody pieces. However, before he could make a move, one of hispanions grabbed his arm. "Wait, young master! The elders ordered us not to cause any major disturbances for the time being." "Did you not hear what this insect just said? He killed my younger brother!" Grarik snarled, struggling against hispanion''s grip. "I understand your anger, young master. But please, calm yourself. I''m certain the elders have a n, and we will have our revenge soon enough." Though still seething with rage, Grarik managed to regain some semnce of control. He fixed Caelius with a deadly re. "Count yourself lucky we''re inside the sanctuary. If I catch you outside these walls, it''ll be your funeral!" He then turned his venomous gaze on Vincent before storming off with his men in tow. "Bye-bye, Giant Idiot!" Caelius called out cheerfully, waving as he watched Grarik''s retreating form disappear into the distance. As the crowd began to disperse, Vincent turned to face Caelius, his unexpected ally in this strange new world. "Thank you for stepping in," Vincent said, genuine gratitude in his voice. Caelius waved his hand dismissively. "Don''t mention it. I didn''t do it for you ¨C I just can''t stand that guy. Besides, it was hrious watching his face turn ck with anger. Did you see that?" He broke intoughter once more. Vincent could only manage a wry smile. It seemed he had encountered quite the character. "I''m Caelius, by the way. And you are?" the golden-haired man asked, extending his hand. "Vincent," he replied, shaking Caelius'' hand firmly. "You''re new here, aren''t you?" Caelius asked, his eyes twinkling with curiosity. "Is it that obvious?" Vincent asked, a hint of embarrassment in his voice. Caelius shrugged. "If you''d spawned in any other sanctuary, maybe not. But here? A human walking around without a mask or robe? That speaks volumes." Vincent wanted to point out that Caelius himself wasn''t exactly hiding, but he bit his tongue, the memory of his recent encounter still fresh in his mind. "You seem to know that Thrygian well," Vincent observed. "Am I going to be in trouble after what just happened?" Caelius stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Well, I do know Grarik, unfortunately. As for trouble... try not to dwell on it too much. We humans might be scarce here, but we''re not without our own foundations. They won''t openly attack you, especially not within the sanctuary. Unless..." "Unless I''m outside," Vincent finished, understanding dawning on him. Caelius nodded solemnly. "Come on," he said, his mood lightening. "I''ll give you a tour of the sanctuary. You''ll need to familiarize yourself with this ce if you want to survive." Chapter 6: Novice Center

Chapter 6: Novice Center

As Vincent walked alongside Caelius, exploring the sanctuary, he absorbed the wealth of information his new acquaintance shared, solidifying the knowledge he''d gleaned from his prior research. "The No. 3 Novice Sanctuary is under the rule of the Crystallians, a neutral race," Caelius exined, his voice tinged with a hint of admiration. "They''re known for their fair governance, which is a blessing in this melting pot of races." Vincent nodded,mitting the information to memory. "What about the living arrangements here?" he inquired, his eyes scanning the impressive structures around them. Caelius''s lips quirked into a knowing smile. "Ah, that''s where it gets interesting. For newbies like yourself, the first two days are on the house. After that, you''ll need to pay taxes to stay." "And if I choose not to pay?" Vincent asked, raising an eyebrow. "Then you''re on your own in the wild," Caelius replied, his tone turning serious. "Trust me, you don''t want that. If you leave the Origin World while outside the sanctuary, you''ll spawn back in the wild when you return. It''s a death sentence for most newbies." Vincent felt that it does makes sense. "I see. What else should I know about the sanctuary''syout?" "The sanctuary is divided into three districts: outer, middle, and core," Caelius continued, gesturing to different areas as they walked. "Living in the middle or core districtses with perks, but you''ll need to earn contribution points to gain ess." "What kind of perks?" Vincent asked, his curiosity piqued. "Discounts, valuable connections, ess to special trade routes," Caelius listed off, a glint in his eye. "But don''t get ahead of yourself. For now, focus on understanding the system and surviving." Vincent nodded, his mind already working on strategies to climb the ranks. "Where to next?" "The Novice Center," Caelius announced, pointing to a grand building ahead. "It''s the go-to ce for newbies and unaffiliated individuals. You can gather and sell info, take on missions, and trade items there." As they approached the imposing structure of the Novice Center. The building''s architecture was a testament to the advanced civilization of the Origin World, its sleek lines and imposing presence a stark contrast to anything he''d seen on Earth. Upon entering, Vincent was immediately struck by the diversity of races bustling about inside. Beings of all shapes, sizes, and colors moved with purpose, their conversations creating a low hum of activity. Human faces were few and far between, most hidden behind masks or concealed beneath hooded robes. Vincent touched the ck mask Caelius had given him earlier, grateful for the anonymity it provided. Through the mask, only his striking purple eyes were visible, a feature he hoped wouldn''t draw too much attention. As they made their way through the crowd, Vincent couldn''t help but notice the sideways nces and hushed whispers directed at Caelius. Hispanion seemed either oblivious or deliberately ignorant of the attention. "Man, why is that demon here?" Vincent overheard someone mutter. "I heard he massacred a group of rogue warriors again," another voice added, tinged with fear. "Yeah, and didn''t he kill the youngest master of the ckthorn n?" a third chimed in. The whispers continued, painting a picture of Caelius that was at odds with the helpful, almost cheerful demeanor he''d shown Vincent. Curiosity gnawed at him, but he pushed it aside for the moment. There were more pressing matters at hand. They approached a long counter where five women of various races attended to visitors. Vincent stepped up to an avable attendant, an Almaurian woman with almond eyes and copper skin. "How can I help you?" she asked, her voice professional and courteous. "I''d like to register," Vincent replied, keeping his voice steady. The woman nodded. "Certainly. Do you have any affiliation?" Vincent questioned. "What''s the difference if I''m affiliated or not?" The attendant''s expression softened slightly, recognizing a neer. "Well, if you''re affiliated with a guild, n, or sect and want to join our organization, you''ll have ess to special missions with amazing rewards. Without affiliation, you''ll only be able to ess normal and some elite missions. You can still join other registered warriors for special missions, though." Vincent nodded, suddenly recalling the District Leader''s offer. He filed that information away forter consideration. "I''m not currently affiliated with any organization," he stated. "I understand," the attendant replied, tapping on a digital screen beside her. With a fluid motion, she dragged a virtual screen towards Vincent. "Please fill this out." Vincent quicklypleted the form, providing his chosen alias ''Shroud'', his current rank, and confirming his unaffiliated status. As he passed the screen back, the attendant continued working, her fingers dancing across the interface. A momentter, a faint light shimmered before her, coalescing into a circr token. She handed it to Vincent with a smile. "This will be your identification token." Vincent epted it, marveling at the strange material. It seemed almost alive, with lines of green and blue pulsing across its surface. The inscription "Tier 1 - 1¡ï" was prominently disyed, with ''Shroud'' written beneath. "The token serves multiple purposes," the attendant exined. "It''s your ID when leaving the sanctuary, grants you two days of free lodging in the outer district inns, and allows you to track mission progress. It also has an emergency signal function." Vincent nodded, absorbing the information. "Where can I ept missions?" he asked, eager to get started. The attendant pointed to arge virtual screen on the far side of the room. "You can check and ept avable missions on that Novice Mission Board." After thanking her, Vincent turned to Caelius, who had been waiting patiently nearby. "You''re epting a mission now?" Caelius asked. "Yes, that''s my n," Vincent confirmed. "Is there a problem?" Caelius paused, seeming to choose his words carefully. "Nothing specific. Since you''ve explored the outer district and have a n, I''ll take my leave. I have some matters to attend to." Vincent wasn''t feeling disappointed he just nodded in understanding. "Thank you again for your help earlier and for the tour." "Don''t mention it," Caelius replied with a wave of his hand. "Good luck, and see you around." As Vincent watched Caelius''s retreating form, he couldn''t help but feel a mix of gratitude and wariness. The first human he''d encountered in this new world had been unexpectedly helpful, but the whispers he''d overheard left him with more questions than answers. Shaking off his musings, Vincent steeled his resolve. The memory of his encounter with Grarik in the Spawn Field still burned in his mind, a stark reminder of his current weakness. It was time to start improving, to get stronger! With determined steps, he approached the Novice Mission Board. The massive virtual screen disyed four columns, one for each tier from 0 to 3. Vincent focused on the Tier 1 missions, scanning the avable options: Gather 6 Tier 1 - 1¡ï ck-Iron Bee Stingers! Reward: 100 origin crystals. Gather 5 Tier 1 - 2¡ï Green-Horned Boar Horns! Reward: 200 origin crystals. Kill 4 Tier 1 - 3¡ï Corrupted Hyena! Reward: 300 origin crystals and 1 recovery potion. The list continued, offering missions ranging from one to five stars within Tier 1. Most rewards were in origin crystals, the currency of the Origin World, with a few offering additional items like potions. Recalling his humbling experience with Grarik, Vincent decided to start small. Overconfidence could be deadly in this new world. He had limitless potential, true, but he needed to be cautious and mindful of his actions and surroundings. After careful consideration, Vincent epted the first mission: Gather 6 ck-Iron Bee Stingers. A soft ''ding'' sounded from his token, confirming the eptance. He pulled out the token and tapped it, revealing a small virtual map showing the location of the ck-Iron Bees. With the informationmitted to memory, Vincent left the Novice Center. It was time to hunt some ck-Iron Bees! The outskirts of Verdant Wilds, a vast rainforest west of No.3 Novice Sanctuary, teemed with life. Vincent treaded carefully along the forest path, his newly acquired pair of dark-steel alloy daggers clutched tightly in his hands. The weapons, purchased from the Astrum Origin Online Market, felt reassuringly solid in his grip. As he ventured deeper into the forest, Vincent finally spotted a group of ck-Iron Bees in the distance. The creatures were enormous, easily 130 cm tall, with yellow bodies and menacing ck stingers that gleamed in the dappled sunlight. Despite his mission, Vincent didn''t hesitate to retreat. He wasn''t about to risk taking on a whole group without knowing their true strength. For the next fifteen minutes, Vincent scouted the area, searching for a lone bee. His patience was rewarded when he stumbled upon a solitary ck-Iron Bee resting on an enormous, vibrant flower. The opportunity was too perfect to pass up. Gripping his daggers tightly, Vincent focused on channeling his Origin Power to his feet. A warm energy suffused his lower limbs, and when he was about ten meters from the sleeping bee, he sprang into action. In an instant, Vincent appeared behind the unsuspecting creature, driving his daggers towards its wings with all his might. To his shock, instead of piercing the delicate-looking appendages, his weapons rebounded with a resounding ng, leaving only faint white marks. The impact sent painful vibrations up his arms, nearly causing him to drop his weapons. "So hard!" Vincent gasped, his eyes widening in disbelief. The disturbance roused the ck-Iron Bee from its slumber. Its body shook with anger, wings vibrating to produce an ominous buzzing sound. Fixing Vincent with a furious re, itunched into the air, diving towards him with frightening speed. Vincent didn''t dare underestimate the creature now. Drawing upon the basic origin movement techniques he''d practiced relentlessly for a month, he managed to dodge the bee''s initial assault. But the ck-Iron Bee was relentless, swooping down again and again, its massive stinger a blur of motion as it sought to impale him. For fifteen grueling minutes, the dance continued. Vincent dodged and weaved, asionally finding openings to counterattack. Slowly but surely, injuries began to umte on the ck-Iron Bee''s body, and its attacks grew sluggish. Vincent, too, was feeling the strain. Maintaining his Origin Power while constantly evading and counterattacking was taking its toll. But he pressed on, knowing that victory was within reach. Finally, as the bee swooped down for another attack, Vincent saw his chance. With a precisely timed strike, he severed one of its four wings, sending the creature crashing to the ground. Seizing the moment, Vincent pounced, driving his daggers deep into the bee''s ocelli andpound eyes, not stopping until he felt the weapons pierce its brain. A system notification chimed in his mind: You have sessfully killed a ck-Iron Bee! n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om You have received 5 exp! Talent activated! 10,000x Exp! You have received 50,000 Exp! As his talent activated, a surge of warm energy burst forth, flowing directly into Vincent''s Origin Core. The sensation was indescribable, a rush of power that left him feeling invigorated despite his physical exhaustion. Before his eyes, the defeated ck-Iron Bee dissolved into a shower of digital lights, leaving behind its prized stinger and a mysterious white orb of light. Curiosity oveing his fatigue, Vincent reached out and grasped the glowing orb. The moment his fingers touched it, the orb shattered into motes of light, coalescing into a small white book that hovered before him. The title shimmered into view: "Common Stinger Skill Book." Vincent''s eyes widened in surprise and excitement. "It dropped a skill book?!" he eximed, his voice echoing in the now-quiet forest. Chapter 7: Growth

Chapter 7: Growth

As the ck-Iron Bee dissolved into a shower of digital lights, Vincent''s eyes widened at the sight of a mysterious white orb hovering amidst the remains. Curiosity overcame his fatigue, and he reached out to grasp the glowing sphere. The moment his fingers made contact, the orb shattered into motes of light, coalescing into a small white book that floated before him. The title shimmered into view: "Common Stinger Skill Book." "It dropped a skill book?!" Vincent eximed, his voice a mix of surprise and excitement. He quicklyposed himself, remembering the potential dangers lurking in the forest. Without hesitation, he focused on the book, and a system prompt appeared in his mind: Skill Name: Stinger Quality: Common Effect: Increases the damage and status effect of weapon strikes, causing the target to bleed and take poison damage for a short duration. [Do you want to learn Stinger?] Vincent didn''t even pause to consider. With a thought, he epted the skill. As the white skill book dissolved into particles of digital light, he felt a warm energy and newfound knowledge enter his being. [New Skill ''Stinger'' has been added!] With a mere thought, Vincent summoned his personal attributes visual data: Name: Vincent Magnus Rank: Tier 1 - 1¡ï (50,104/100,000 Exp) Origin Power: 2300/2300 (mana) Force: 2 (Overall Physical Output Damage and Defense) Speed: 2 (Overall affects agility and reaction speed) Mental: 2.5 (Overall affects mental and spiritual characteristics) (1 is the average value of a normal person) Skills: ¡ñ Basic Offensive and Defensive Martial Technique (Proficiency: Adept) ¡ñ Basic Meditation Method (Proficiency: Adept) ¡ñ Basic Origin Meditation (Proficiency: Novice) ¡ñ Basic Origin Movement Speed (Proficiency: Adept) ¡ñ Stinger (Proficiency: Beginner) Talents: ¡ñ C-Rank: Origin Power Enhancement ¡ñ SSS-Rank: 10,000x Exp Converter A smile yed on Vincent''s lips as he reviewed his stats. "Excellent," he murmured, his voice low but filled with satisfaction. "Just one kill, and I''m already halfway to breaking through to Tier 1-2¡ï. This new skill will significantly increase my damage output against the ck-Iron Bees." He paused, considering his next move. "One more kill should suffice. Then I''ll be able to handle these creatures with rtive ease." Vincent carefully stored the 20 cm long, 3 cm diameter ck-Iron Stinger in his backpack. He needed four more of these materials toplete his mission, and he was cautiously optimistic about obtaining them. After a brief rest to recover his energy, Vincent surveyed the area, searching for another ck-Iron Bee. It didn''t take long before he spotted one. This time, the creature wasn''t sleeping. It buzzed from flower to flower, seemingly collecting precious pollen to take back to its hive. Vincent observed its movements, formting a n of attack. With practiced stealth, he crept closer, his newly acquired dark-steel alloy daggers gripped tightly in his hands. As he closed the distance, Vincent channeled his Origin Power to his feet and activated the Stinger skill. His daggers began to emit a faint green glow. In a burst of speed, Vincent pounced. His enhanced daggers struck true, puncturing the bee''s tough hide and sinking deep into its abdomen. "Puchi!" The sound of metal piercing chitin filled the air, followed by the bee''s pained buzz. The creature crashed into a nearby tree, its flight suddenly erratic. As Vincent withdrew his weapons, rusty reddish-brown blood burst from the wound. "It worked," he muttered, a hint of satisfaction in his voice. The wounded ck-Iron Bee, now bloodied and desperate, began to buzz its wings frantically. The air around it grew heavy with vibration, forcing Vincent to leap backward to avoid the dangerous airwaves. "Not so fast," Vincent called out, his voice calm but determined. He brandished his daggers once more, purple eyes focused intently on the weakened insect. Vincent knew he had the advantage now. The bee was bleeding profusely and weakened by the poison from his Stinger skill. "Just one more strike," he thought, preparing to deliver the final blow. With a swiftness born of adrenaline and his honed reflexes, Vincent lunged forward, his daggers poised to strike. The ck-Iron Bee, despite its weakened state, attempted to dodge the iing attack, but Vincent''s enhanced speed proved too much. In a single, deadly thrust, he plunged his daggers deep into the bee''s thorax. The creature''s buzzing reached a fever pitch before abruptly ceasing, its wings falling still as Vincent withdrew his weapons. The glow of Origin Power faded from the edges of his daggers as the bee''s body copsed into digital specks of light. A familiar warmth spread through Vincent''s body as the system notifications appeared: You have sessfully killed a ck-Iron Bee! You have received 5 exp! Talent 10,000x exp multiplier activated! You have received 50,000 exp! [Avable Options: ¡ñ Level up to Tier 1 - 2¡ï (requirement: 100,000 exp!) ¡ñ Increase skill proficiency (requirement: 100,000 exp!) ¡ñ Increase skill quality (requirement: 100,000 exp!) ¡ñ Increase item quality (requirement: 100,000 exp!)] Vincent''s eyebrows rose slightly in surprise. "Interesting," he mused, studying the unexpected options before him. "It seems my talent doesn''t automatically level me up as it did during my initial breakthrough." Although all the avable options were enticing, Vincent knew exactly what he needed most at this moment. Without hesitation, he chose the first option. A surge of Origin Power flooded into his Origin Core, filling him with renewed energy and vitality. He had officially reached Tier 1 - 2¡ï. Despite his satisfaction with the level up, Vincent''s expression turned thoughtful as he realized the ck-Iron Bee hadn''t dropped any items this time. "Perhaps I used up my luck with that skill book earlier," he pondered, shaking his head slightly in disappointment. However, he quickly pushed the thought aside, refocusing on his mission. It took only a few minutes of searching before Vincent stumbled upon a pair of ck-Iron Bees. One rested motionless on a flower, while the other buzzed about, heavy with pollen. Feeling more confident with his increased strength, Vincent formted a quick n. Gripping his daggers, he took careful aim and threw one at the stationary bee''s head. In the same fluid motion, he pounced on the active bee, driving his remaining dagger into the back of its thorax. "Puchi! Puchi!" Two simultaneous strikes ended the lives of both ck-Iron Bees. The system notifications appeared once more: You have sessfully killed 2 ck-Iron Bees! You have received 2.5 exp! You have received 2.5 exp! Talent Activated! + 25,000 exp! + 25,000 exp! As the experience points were added to his total, the two ck-Iron Bees left behind their stingers and a single white orb of light. Vincent collected the stingers before turning his attention to the orb, anticipation building as he reached out to touch it. Upon contact, the white orb copsed into digital lights before reforming into a yellow-copper pair of leather armguards. Though only ofmon quality, Vincent equipped them without hesitation. Curious about his progress, he checked his personal attributes once more: Name: Vincent Magnus Rank: Tier 1 - 2¡ï (50,104/200,000 Exp) Origin Power: 2000/2800 Force: 2.5 Speed: 2.5 Mental: 3 "The experience requirements for leveling up are substantial," Vincent observed, his tone neutral but his mind racing. "Without my experience multiplier talent, progress would be considerably slower." He also noted that he had yet to find an opportune moment to utilize his C-Rank talent. "All in due time," he reminded himself. "For now, the focus is on continued growth." With renewed determination, Vincent set out to hunt more ck-Iron Bees. Two hours of intensebatter, he had finally umted 200,000 exp. His efforts had also yielded more than the required five ck-Iron Stingers and wings, though unfortunately, no additional skill books or armaments had dropped. Now, Vincent found himself resting against the trunk of a massive tree, replenishing his energy with a ration he had brought from the real world. As he ate, the familiar options screen appeared before him: n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om [Avable Options: ¡ñ Level up to Tier 1 - 3¡ï (requirement: 200,000 exp!) ¡ñ Increase skill proficiency (requirement: 100,000 exp!) ¡ñ Increase skill quality (requirement: 100,000 exp!) ¡ñ Increase item quality (requirement: 100,000 exp!)] Though tempted to explore the other options, Vincent''s pragmatic nature won out. "Increasing my cultivation level is the wisest choice for now," he decided, selecting the option to break through to Tier 1-3¡ï. Another wave of energy suffused his being, and Vincent could feel his strength improving once more. A small smile of satisfaction yed on his lips as he finished his meal. Suddenly, his enhanced senses picked up a series of approaching footsteps. Vincent''s body tensed, his hand instinctively moving towards his daggers. "Who?" he wondered. Spoiler info so you don''t need to ask like others: Different rank talents has different amount of experience points needed to rank up. Low rank talent means low exp points required. Also there will be experience potions and booster. So, stop asking. Chapter 8: First Kill

Chapter 8: First Kill

As the figures drew closer, emerging from the dense foliage, Vincent''s eyes narrowed in recognition. Two towering Thrygians, each standing nearly three meters tall, their purple skin glistening with an otherworldly sheen, stepped into view. Their massive frames dwarfed the surrounding vegetation, and the ground seemed to tremble beneath their heavy footfalls. Vincent''s jaw clenched as he recognized them as the duo apanying Grarik earlier. Their hostile intent was palpable, radiating off them in waves that made the air feel thick and oppressive. Therger of the two, Taruk, brandished a massive sword that looked more like a b of metal than a refined weapon. His bare, muscled chest heaved as he fixed Vincent with a predatory gaze. "We have finally found you, insect," Taruk growled, his voice a low rumble that seemed to vibrate through the forest. "You really made us search, huh?" The second Thrygian, Farek, stepped forward, cracking his knuckles ominously. "You were fortunate that we were inside the sanctuary earlier," he sneered, baring sharp teeth. "You won''t be so lucky this time!" Vincent''s expression hardened, his mind working furiously to understand how they had managed to trace him. He had been meticulous in covering his tracks, donning a mask and venturing deeper into the forest. Yet here they were, having hunted him down like bloodhounds. Despite the worry gnawing at him regarding the Thrygians'' strength, Vincent steeled himself for the impending confrontation. His face remained impassive, betraying none of the tension coiling within him. "Go, let''s kill him already!" Taruk roared, his patience clearly at its end. "We have wasted so much time looking for this insect!" He raised his enormous sword, the metal catching the filtered sunlight and gleaming ominously. With a battle cry that shook the leaves from nearby trees, Taruk charged at Vincent. The ground trembled under his feet, small pebbles bouncing with each thunderous step. Vincent, however, didn''t flinch. In a fluid motion born of rigorous training he had in his academy and newly acquired skills, he gripped his daggers tightly and chose to meet the attack head-on. As Taruk''s massive sword came crashing down, Vincent raised his daggers in a cross-guard. The sh of metal on metal rang out through the forest, a discordant symphony of battle. ng! "What?!" Taruk''s shocked voice cut through the reverberations of the sh. His arms numbed from the impact, his sword bouncing back unexpectedly. Vincent, despite sessfully parrying the attack, couldn''t help but furrow his brow in confusion. ''Aren''t they supposed to be stronger?'' he thought, recalling the infamous reputation of Thrygian strength. Farek, seeing hispanion''s attack repelled, let out a roar of frustration. "What the hell are you doing, Taruk?!" He charged forward, massive fists raised for a devastating punch. But to Vincent''s enhanced perception, the attack seemed to move in slow motion. With a grace that belied his recent transformation, he sidestepped the iing fist. In the same fluid motion, he counter-attacked, his dagger finding purchase in Farek''s left ribs. sh! "Ugh!" Farek groaned, more in surprise than pain. Vincent pressed his advantage, not allowing his opponents a moment to recover. He darted in again, his daggers a blur of motion as they traced crimson lines across Farek''s purple skin. With a final, powerful kick, Vincent propelled himself backward, executing a perfect vertical flip to create distance. Taruk''s eyes widened in disbelief. N?v(el)B\\jnn "Farek! Fall back!" he called out, his voice tinged with uncertainty. "There''s something wrong with him!" As Farek stumbled back, clutching his wounds, Taruk''s mind raced. This human, who had been paralyzed by their young master''s mere presence hours ago, was now moving with the speed and precision of a skilled warrior. It didn''t make sense. "Isn''t he a newbie?" Farek gasped, voicing the confusion they both felt. "Howe he''s this strong?!" Unbeknownst to the Thrygians, Vincent had activated his C-rank talent: Origin Power Enhancement the moment they attacked. This not only amplified his already enhanced movement speed but also sharpened his senses by 30%, giving him a significant edge in the battle. Taruk, grasping for an exnation, called out to hispanion. "He might be using a special or forbidden skill. He probably won''tst long. Let''s buy time!" Farek nodded grimly, "Alright!" The duo adopted a new strategy, attacking in tandem with coordinated movements. shes from Taruk''s massive sword were followed immediately by Farek''s powerful punches, leaving little room for error. But Vincent, emboldened by his earlier sess, met their assault with growing confidence. He weaved between their attacks, his daggers shing as he countered with precise strikes. Each movement was calcted, each dodge followed by a counterattack empowered by the Stinger skill. As the battle wore on, a look of understanding passed between the two Thrygians. With a synchronized nod, they prepared to unleash their race''s innate ability. Twin roars of fury echoed through the forest as the Thrygians'' bodies began to change. Their already impressive muscles bulged grotesquely, veins standing out like corded ropes beneath their purple skin. The spikes adorning their bald heads and the sides of their faces elongated and sharpened, giving them an even more fearsome appearance. Vincent''s eyes narrowed as he recognized the transformation. He took a cautious step back, reassessing the situation. "Die!" The Thrygians bellowed in unison, their voices deeper and more guttural than before. The battle resumed with renewed intensity. Despite their increased strength, the Thrygians found themselves still outmatched. Vincent''s higher cultivation level,bined with his Origin Power Enhancement, allowed him to maintain his edge. Taruk, frustration evident in his voice, shouted between swings of his massive sword, "How are you this strong, human? What kind of forbidden technique are you using?" Vincent did not respond and kept dodging. He would never dare to get distracted during a fight. Farek,unching a flurry of punches, growling. Vincent parried a blow, his daggers leaving a thin line of blood on Farek''s arm. As the fight dragged on, the effects of Vincent''s Stinger skill became increasingly apparent. The Thrygians'' movements grew sluggish, their purple skin taking on a sickly pallor as poison coursed through their veins. Taruk, his breathing in ragged gasps, locked eyes with Vincent. "You... You are not a newbie. Who are you really?" Vincent ignored his words. He does not give a fuck about their thoughts. As the Thrygians weakened, their attacks became desperate, fueled more by fear than strategy. Taruk, his massive frame swaying, made onest attempt to reason with Vincent. "Wait... please," he gasped, his sword drooping. "We were just following orders. We have families... children..." Vincent hesitated for a moment, his daggers poised for the final strike. In that instant of doubt, Farek lunged forward with a roar, aiming a poison-weakened but still deadly punch at Vincent''s head. Instinct took over. Vincent''s daggers shed, and Farek fell, his final words a gurgle of disbelief. Taruk, seeing hispanion fall, let out a howl of anguish. "You monster! You''re no better than the worst of us!" With thest of his strength, he charged at Vincent, his sword raised high. Vincent, his face a mask of grim determination, met the charge head-on. In a flurry of strikes, Taruk''s massive form crumpled to the ground. As the light faded from Taruk''s eyes, he whispered, "Remember this day, human. Remember... the lives you''ve taken." Finally, exhausted and overwhelmed, the two Thrygians copsed. Their massive bodies shimmered and dissolved into specks of digital light, leaving behind only their dropped items and glowing orbs. System notifications shed in Vincent''s mind: You have sessfully killed a Tier 1 - 2¡ï Thrygian! You have sessfully killed a Tier 1 - 2¡ï Thrygian! You have received 3 exp! You have received 3 exp! Talent Activated! + 60,000 exp! As the adrenaline of battle faded, the reality of what had just transpired hit Vincent like a physical blow. He stood frozen, his daggers still gripped tightly in his trembling hands. Taruk''s final words echoed in his mind, mingling with Farek''s taunts about never belonging. He had killed for the first time in his life, he had taken the lives of sentient beings. Even though the Thrygians weren''t human, they were close enough to make the act feel monumentally significant. And they had spoken of families, of children... Vincent''s mind reeled. Just two months ago, he had been a normal, struggling adult on Earth. Now, he stood in an alien forest, his hands stained with the essence of creatures he had only recently learned existed. Creatures who, despite their hostility, had lives and loved ones of their own. The weight of his actions pressed down on him, threatening to overwhelm his maintainedposure. Vincent clenched his fists, acknowledging the weight of his actions. When it suddenly dawned on him. "What the hell am I thinking? They are still alive though they won''t be able to enter the Origin World for the rest of their life.." he thought, remembering the rules of Origin World. The killing felt so surreal that he thought of his actions. Having gathered his thoughts and reaffirmed his determination, Vincent turned his attention to the items left behind by the fallen Thrygians. Taruk''s massive ck sword, nearly two meters in length,y on the forest floor. Beside it, a brown pouch had spilled open, revealing pieces of broken, colorless crystals. Two orbs of light, one white and one blue, hovered nearby. Vincent approached cautiously, first reaching for the broken crystals. As his fingers brushed against them, he felt a faint pulse of Origin Energy. You have received 300 Origin Crystals! "So these are Origin Crystals," Vincent mused, carefully pocketing the valuable resource. Next, he picked up the white orb. It copsed into a shower of digital lights before reforming as a transparent vial filled with a vibrant red liquid. You have received amon recovery potion! A small smile tugged at Vincent''s lips. "Nice! Another life-saving item." Finally, he reached for the blue orb. As his hand made contact, the light dissipated, leaving behind a blue book that seemed to hum withtent power. Vincent''s eyes widened in recognition. "Another skill book?!" he eximed, his earlier emotional turmoil momentarily forgotten in the face of this unexpected boon. Chapter 9: Upgrade

Chapter 9: Upgrade

Skill Name: Thrygian''s Trait Quality: Rare Required: An innate ability of Thrygians Race, only can be learned with Thrygians Bloodline. Effect: Physical Enhancement - enhance 20% of your physical ability for a period of time. Enhancement effects depend on the purity of bloodline. "A rare skill but..." Vincent''s voice trailed off, a hint of disappointment evident on his young face. He let out a small sigh, his brow furrowing slightly. "I can''t even use it." He contemted his options, his mind working through the possibilities. "I could sell it on an online auction," he mused aloud, "but the prerequisites might make it difficult to find a buyer. Still, it''s rare. I could make good money if I manage to sell it." Vincent''s thoughts drifted to the quality tiers in this world: Common, Umon, Rare, Epic, and Legendary. A small, wry smile tugged at his lips as he remembered the unlisted ''Poor'' quality tier, found only outside of Origin World. His ck-steel alloy daggers, which had cost him 25,000 credits, fell into that category. "Just imagine how much this rare book could sell for," he muttered, carefully storing the skill book away. Next, Vincent turned his attention to the massive sword left behind by Taruk. He reached out, gripping the hilt with both hands, and lifted. "It''s quite heavy," he noted, silently grateful for his recent increase in strength. As he held the sword, information flooded his mind: [Darksteel Sword] Power: Tier 1 Armament Quality: Common Details: A sword crafted by a novice cksmith using ck-iron materials. Skill(s): Darksteel Slice Effect: A basic attack skill that deals moderate damage to a single target. This skill has a chance to inflict a minor bleed effect on the target, causing them to take a small amount of damage over time. "An armament?!" Vincent eximed, genuine surprise coloring his voice. His mind raced, recalling what he knew about armaments. They were on another levelpared to crafted weapons on Astralis, capable of being stored in an Origin Warrior''s consciousness and growing alongside their owner. A cold realization washed over him. "I''ve been fighting against an armament with my ck-steel alloy daggers," he murmured, a mixture of awe and disbelief in his voice. "If I hadn''t focused on dodging..." His gaze fell to the daggers at his side, and his lips twitched in dismay. Visible cracks marred their surface. "This is just the first day I used you for fighting," he addressed the daggers, a hint of bitterness in his tone, "but it seems you won''tst much longer." Despite the setback, a spark of excitement ignited within him. "At least I''ve got a new weapon now, and it''s an armament!" [Do you want to bind it?] Without hesitation, Vincent agreed. The Darksteel Sword broke into motes of light, entering his consciousness. With a thought, he summoned it back into his hand, marveling at the seamless transition. He repeated the process several times, familiarizing himself with the weight and feel of the weapon. As the excitement of his new acquisition faded, Vincent''s mind returned to the gravity of his situation. His appetite, interrupted by the Thrygian attack, had not returned. Instead, a sense of urgency filled him. "I need to use all my precious limited time in Origin World," he muttered, his purple eyes scanning the forest around him. "I have to get stronger quickly." The memory of the two Thrygians he had defeated surfaced in his mind. "Killing Grirak''sckeys... our enmity has reached an irreconcble state." He paused, his expression hardening. "No, it was irreconcble the moment Grirak bullied and humiliated me." With a few hours of daylight remaining, Vincent set out to hunt, pushing himself to make the most of his time. As Vincent ventured deeper into the Verdant Wilds, unbeknownst to him, events were unfolding elsewhere that would have significant implications for his future. ***** Somewhere in Novice Continent, Grirak paced back and forth, his face contorted with annoyance. The young Thrygian''s usuallyposed demeanor had given way to visible frustration. "What the hell are those fools doing?!" he growled, his fists clenching and unclenching rhythmically. "Why are they taking so much time just to kill that insect?!" His eyes darted to themunication device on a nearby table, willing it to light up with news from Taruk and Farek. But the device remained stubbornly silent, further fueling Grirak''s irritation. "They had one simple task," he muttered, his voice low and dangerous. "Find the human and eliminate him. How difficult could that be for two warriors?" As the minutes ticked by with no word from his subordinates, a seed of doubt began to take root in Grirak''s mind. Could something have gone wrong? He quickly dismissed the thought. After all, what chance did a mere human neer stand against his two Thrygian warriors? Little did Grirak know, his world was about to be turned upside down. ***** Meanwhile, on the Thrygian, within the residence of the ckthorn n, a scene of confusion and despair was unfolding. In a dimly lit room, Taruk and Farek sat side by side, their expressions a mixture of disbelief and fear. Their usually vibrant purple skin had taken on a sickly pallor, a physical manifestation of their inner turmoil. Taruk, therger of the two, broke the heavy silence. "We... died?" The words came out as barely more than a whisper, his gaze fixed on the window, staring out at a world that suddenly seemed alien to him. Beside him, Farek''s voice trembled as he voiced the question weighing heavily on both their minds. "What are we going to do now?" The reality of their situation crashed down upon them like a physical blow. Death in the Origin World meant more than just a temporary setback. It meant the severance of their connection to that realm, cutting off their chances of bing the powerful warriors they had aspired to be. Farek''s hands clenched into fists, his voice taking on a bitter edge. "We were justckeys. We can''t afford the resources for our cultivation outside of the Origin World." Taruk nodded grimly, the full implications of their failure sinking in. "Our dreams of power... gone. Just like that." As the initial shock began to wear off, their expressions shifted from despair to a mixture of fury and nervousness. The memory of their defeat at the hands of the human they had dismissed as insignificant burned in their minds. "How?" Farek growled, mming his fist against the wall. "How could a mere human neer defeat us both?" Taruk shook his head, his voice low and filled with dread. "It doesn''t matter how. What matters is whates next. We... we have to report this to the young master." The thought of facing Grirak with news of their failure sent a shiver down both their spines. They knew their young master''s temper, his intolerance for failure. Farek''s voice quavered as he spoke. "We have no other choice anymore. We can only report what happened to the young master and hope for mercy." Taruk nodded solemnly. "May the ancient Thrygian warriors have mercy on our souls." n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om With heavy hearts and trembling limbs, the duo left their room, steeling themselves for the confrontation thaty ahead. The walk to Grirak''s chambers felt like a march to their execution, each step bringing them closer to a fate they feared more than the death they had just experienced in the Origin World. ***** Back in the Verdant Wilds, oblivious to the turmoil he had caused in the Thrygian ranks, Vincent continued his hunt. The sun was beginning to set, casting long shadows through the dense foliage. As he hunted, Vincent discovered new limitations to his SSS-rank talent. Not only did he fail to gain experience from killing lifeforms of a lower tier, but his umted experience points could not exceed the limit needed to raise his cultivation level. Currently at Tier 1 - 3¡ï, his limit was 300,000 experience points. This revtion led to a moment of contemtion. Vincent found a small clearing and sat down, his back against a sturdy tree trunk. He closed his eyes, focusing on his inner energy and the lessons he had learned. "If I continuously raise my level," he mused aloud, his voice barely above a whisper, "one day I''ll hit a bottleneck. I might face an opponent I can''t defeat with cultivation alone." Opening his eyes, determination glinted in their purple depths. "I need to n carefully for my future." After careful deliberation, Vincent decided against leveling up immediately. Instead, he focused on his avable options: [Avable Options: ¡ñUpgrade to Tier 1 - 4¡ï (requirement: 300,000 exp!) ¡ñUpgrade skill proficiency (requirement: 100,000 exp!) ¡ñUpgrade skill quality (requirement: 100,000 exp!) ¡ñUpgrade item quality (requirement: 100,000 exp!)] With 300,000 experience points at his disposal and no immediate ns to delve deeper into the Verdant Wilds, Vincent made his choice. "I''ll increase the quality of Stinger," he decided, recalling how useful the skill had proven during his recent hunts. [Do you want to upgrade the quality of Stinger?] Vincent nodded, a small smile ying on his lips. "I do." [The Stinger skill quality has been sessfully upgraded!] Eager to see the changes, Vincent checked the skill''s new parameters: Skill Name: Virulent Stinger Quality: Umon Effect: Increases the damage and status effect of weapon strikes, causing the target to bleed and take poison damage for a longer duration. Additionally, the target''s movement speed is slightly reduced, making it easier for the character tond additional attacks. "The name changed, and it has an additional effect!" Vincent eximed, unable to contain his excitement. The improvements to Virulent Stinger filled him with a sense of aplishment and anticipation for future battles. With 200,000 experience points remaining, Vincent considered his options carefully. He could upgrade Virulent Stinger once more, but the increased Origin Power consumption gave him pause. After weighing the pros and cons, he made his decision. [Choose Item to upgrade] ¡ñDrop materials ¡ñCommon Copper Armguard ¡ñDarksteel Sword Armament Without hesitation, Vincent summoned his Darksteel Sword. "I choose you," he dered, his voice filled with certainty. [Darksteel Sword has been upgraded sessfully!] The massive sword in his hand suddenly glowed with digital lights. After a few moments, the lights faded, revealing the upgraded weapon: ``` [Darksteel Sword] Power: Tier 1 Armament Quality: Umon Details: This sword is forged from ck-iron materials and infused with a magical enchantment that increases its damage output and durability. Skill(s): Darksteel sh Effect: A more powerful version of the Darksteel Slice skill that deals increased damage to a single target. This skill has a greater chance to inflict a bleed effect on the target, causing them to take moderate damage over time. Vincent''s eyes gleamed as he examined the improved weapon. "It''s unfortunate that I didn''t get a new skill," he mused, "but it''s good that the existing skill improved!" Satisfied with his progress, Vincent decided against further upgrades. The sky was darkening, and he knew the dangers that lurked in the Verdant Wilds at night. Primals were more active in the darkness, and he had no desire to test his newfound strength against them just yet. As he made his way back to No.3 Novice Sanctuary, Vincent remained vignt, asionally engaging low-level primals to farm experience points. Each encounter was an opportunity to test his upgraded skills and weapon, and he found himself growing more confident with each victory. Upon reaching the sanctuary, Vincent headed straight for the Neer''s Lodge. He presented his Novice Warrior token, securing a single bed room for the night. Exhaustion from the day''s events weighed heavily on him, and he decided against cultivation, opting instead for a restful sleep. The next morning, Vincent descended to the lobby, intent on having breakfast before reporting to the Novice Center. Already wearing his ck mask. To his surprise, he found the inn bustling with activity. The dining tables were filled to capacity, upied by a diverse array of races engaged in animated conversations. Among them, he spotted a group of humans, a sight that caused him to pause momentarily. Curiosity piqued, Vincent approached the bar. Behind it stood a bartender with sharp ears, green skin, and ck spots ¨C a striking appearance that momentarily caught Vincent off guard. "Is it like this every day?" Vincent inquired, his voice muffled slightly by the ck mask he wore. The bartender, who had been cleaning a ss, looked up at Vincent. His expression remained neutral as he studied the neer. After a moment of silence, the bartender spoke. "I bet you''re a newbie, right?" Vincent nodded, seeing no reason to deny it. The bartender set down the ss he had been cleaning. "You might not know this, but today is the date for the weekly Outer District Battle." "Outer District Battle?" Vincent echoed, his interest piqued. "Yes," the bartender confirmed. "Neers will fight in the arena, and the selected winners will be allowed to enter the Lost Grove." Vincent''s brow furrowed beneath his mask. "What is Lost Grove?" Instead of answering, the bartender simply tapped the bar table. Vincent understood the unspoken message. He reached into his pocket, retrieving five origin crystals and cing them on the table. The bartender''s gaze fell to the crystals, but he made no move to take them. Vincent, catching the hint, added another five crystals to the pile. A wide smile broke across the bartender''s face as he scooped up the payment. "Lost Grove is a secret realm," he began, his voice lowered conspiratorially. "Rumor has it that it contains powerful relics and artifacts left behind by the Ancient Origin Warriors." Vincent leaned in, intrigued. The bartender continued, "The realm is said to be guarded by a powerful spirit, but those who can prove their worth and defeat its guardians will be rewarded with powerful treasures." As the bartender''s words sank in, a question formed in Vincent''s mind. He voiced it carefully, "If it''s really as you say, that it contains relics of ancient origin warriors, then who is recruiting warriors to enter the secret realm, and why?" The bartender''s smile faltered slightly. "About that..." Chapter 10: Strange Woman

Chapter 10: Strange Woman

The bartender''s smile faltered slightly. "About that... If you''re interested, you can just go to the Outer District Battle Arena." Vincent didn''t press the bartender further. ''I guess it might be better to see it on my own,'' he thought. Deciding on his next course of action, he sat down and ordered a light breakfast before heading to the Novice Center to report and acquire more missions. Although his curiosity was piqued by the bartender''s information about the secret realm, he didn''t have enough knowledge about it. It might contain dangers he wouldn''t be able to ovee. Therefore, he believed the wisest decision was to improve his personal strength first. At the Novice Center, Vincent approached the same Almuarian woman who had guided him through registration yesterday, Alma. He submitted the ck-Iron Bee Stingers he had collected. "With these, you havepleted your mission," she said, pausing before handing him a small silk pouch. "This is your reward, 100 origin crystals." Vincent epted it withoutment. He then heard a soft ''ding'' sound from the identification token in his pocket, indicating thepletion of his mission. After thanking Alma, he skimmed through the Tier 1 missions and chose avable tasks ranging from 1 to 5 stars. Initially, he wanted to ept all avable missions within that range. However, he discovered he could only ept five missions simultaneously. With this limitation in mind, he chose missions focused on killing primals and collecting materials. As he was about to leave the Novice Center, a woman''s voice interrupted him. "W-Wait, you! The one who epted five missions!" Frowning beneath his ck mask, Vincent turned to face the voice''s owner. He saw a crimson-haired woman standing 170 cm tall, her red clothes clinging to her body, emphasizing her well-developed figure. Although she appeared human at first nce, her skin was different. She had red skin, reptilian crimson eyes, long eyshes, and a few reptile scales on her cheekbones. A Drakorii. They were known as one of the neutral races in the Origin World, with a natural affinity for fire elementals. Most of them possessed an innate talent for fire maniption and were skilled hunters. While observing her, Vincent could feel the gazes of others around him. They were assessing him, trying to determine if he was a powerful warrior or a suicidal idiot. Seeing nothing remarkable about him, they quickly lost interest,beling him as thetter. Noticing hisck of reaction, the Drakorii woman approached him and said, "Hey, I saw you ept the mission about irmuse?" Still cautious, Vincent responded, "What about it?" "Oh, so you really epted it. I was just guessing, hehe," the woman said yfully with a giggle. Vincent simply stared at her, unsure of her intentions. Seeing hisck of reaction, the woman pouted. "You''re so boring. Are other humans as dull as you?" Surprised by her innocent question, Vincent''s eyes widened, and he subconsciously touched his face, wondering if he had forgotten to wear his mask. Feeling the cold texture of the ck fabric, he realized it was still in ce. ''I am wearing my mask. How did she know I''m human?'' he wondered, having been extra cautious today after yesterday''s events. That was why he had donned the mask the moment he left his rented room earlier. Although curious, Vincent decided it was better not to get close to her. Without responding, he quickly left the Novice Center. However, the woman persisted in following him. "Wait! Human!" she called repeatedly, which eventually annoyed Vincent. He stopped in his tracks and faced her. "Why do you keep bothering me? What do you want?" His voice rose slightly, evidently irritated. The Drakorii woman faltered back, seemingly surprised at his tone. "W-Why are you mad?" Her voice softened, and the corners of her eyes watered. Seeing her reaction, Vincent couldn''t help but touch his forehead, feeling a headacheing on. ''Just what kind of people am I encountering today?'' he thought bitterly. Yesterday he had met individuals with deep backgrounds and others who wanted him dead. Now, he was facing another peculiar character. Calming his thoughts, he addressed the teary-eyed woman who was acting like a scolded child. "Calm down, I''m not mad." "Really?" she asked doubtfully. "Yes, yes, really," Vincent responded, as if soothing a child. "Hmm, okay," she said, seeming to ept his words. Seeing her calm down, he asked again, "So, what do you want from me? Why did you follow me?" This time, his tone was more measured, wary of upsetting her further. The woman stared at him innocently. "I want to go with you!" "Go with me? Where?" n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om "irmuse." "irmuse?" She nodded. Vincent''s lips twitched. Although her reply was brief, he somehow understood her intention. "Do you want to go with me to hunt irmuse?" She nodded again. "Why? Can''t you go alone?" he asked. She went silent, fidgeting before shaking her head. "Don''t you know there''s a map in your identification token? You can find the whereabouts of irmuse through that." She remained silent, her red skin taking on an even deeper shade of crimson, seemingly ashamed. "I-I don''t know..." her voice was almost inaudible. "You don''t know what?" "I don''t know how to look at the map..." she said softly. Vincent was speechless. "Just how old are you not to know how to follow a map?" The Drakorii woman was too embarrassed to reply. Shaking his head, Vincent chose to reject her. "No, I can''t go with you. I don''t even know you; you might kill me when I let my guard down." He didn''tpletely believe her act. Hearing his rejection and usation, the woman responded, raising her thin but perfectly arched eyebrows, "Why would I kill you? Are you a bad human?" "Are you sure you''re above 18?" he could no longer hold his doubt. Vincent saw her about to nod before she shook her head. He was skeptical but discarded the thought, knowing it was impossible to enter the Origin World for those below 18 years old. ''Maybe she has some cognitive issues,'' he reasoned, trying to find the most usible exnation. "Anyway, I really cannot let you go with me," he said firmly, determined not to let a stranger know his secrets. Moreover, she would likely be a hindrance to his farming efforts. He turned around, preparing to leave. "W-Wait, I can pay you!" She called, grabbing his clothes. "No," he said simply, removing her hand. "I can pay you whatever you want!" This time, he was surprised. He raised his eyebrows, scrutinizing her from head to toe. "Whatever I want?" Chapter 11: Azhara

Chapter 11: Azhara

Vincent''s eyes locked onto the Drakorii woman before him, his gaze intense behind his mask. "Whatever I want, you say?" Azhara took an involuntary step back, unnerved by his piercing stare. "Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Ignoring her question, Vincent pressed on. "Tell me, youngdy, what can you offer?" "What do you want? I have many things here..." Azhara waved her hand, and suddenly the air shimmered. A dazzling array of items materialized before them: crystals that seemed to pulse with inner light, gems that sparkled like captured stars, potions in every color of the rainbow, and various light orbs with possible variety of rare items. Vincent''s eyes widened behind his mask, fixated on the ck ring with its neon light design adorning Azhara''s finger. ''She''s loaded!'' he thought, barely containing his excitement. ''If this were a game, she''d be the walking loot box!'' Unaware of Vincent''s reaction due to his mask, Azhara misinterpreted his silence. "Is this not enough?" she asked, worry creeping into her voice. Vincent cleared his throat, trying to sound nonchnt. "Which of these are you willing to offer?" Azhara tilted her head, puzzled. "What do you mean? Of course, I''ll be giving you all of this." "What?!" Vincent eximed, hisposure slipping. ''Is this girl for real?'' "What''s wrong? Is this really not enough? In that case¡ª" "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Vincent hurriedly interjected as Azhara prepared to summon even more items. "That''s more than enough! Any more and we''ll need a moving truck!" "Really?" she asked, uncertainty written all over her face. "Yes, really," Vincent assured her, marveling at her naivety. ''How has she survived in this world with such an attitude? Did she fall out of a "Rich Kids of Fantasy Land" reality show?'' Composing himself, Vincent addressed her request. "Listen, I''ll agree to bring you with me if you promise to follow my instructions. Are you alright with that?" His tone was firm, like a teacherying down ssroom rules. "Yes, I promise!" Azhara nodded enthusiastically, her eyes shining brighter than her jewels. "Good. Let''s introduce ourselves properly. You can address me as Shroud," Vincent said, opting to use his alias. He couldn''t simply trust her, no matter how adorably clueless she seemed. "I''m Azhara, a Drakorii," she replied cheerfully, as if her dragon-like features weren''t already a dead giveaway. "Alright, Azhara. Are you prepared to leave?" "Yes," Azhara smiled gently. "Before I came here, my father even gave me a gift." With a sh of crimson energy, a beautiful silver rapier materialized, its rose-shaped crossguard gleaming. Vincent sensed a subtle me energy emanating from the de. ''An armament?!'' Vincent thought, astonished. His curiosity about Azhara''s background deepened. She was clearly from a privileged background, equipped with rare items and gifted an armament by her father. ''Great, I''m babysitting a dragon princess. What could possibly go wrong?'' As they left the Sanctuary, heading towards the Verdant Wilds, a shadowy figure stealthily followed them. In the Verdant Wilds, Vincent''s de shed, cleaving a ferocious ckbite Rat in two. The creature dissolved into digital lights, leaving behind a small, dark tooth. [You have killed a ckbite Rat!] [You can''t gain more experience points] It had been merely an hour since they entered the Verdant Wilds, and Vincent had already maxed out his experience points. The reason? Azhara had panicked at the sight of a bug¡ªa mere Tier 1 - 1¡ï primal¡ªand stumbled into a ckbite Rat''s den. "It''s just a bug!" Vincent had yelled as Azhara iled around. "But it''s so... buggy!" she had shrieked back, demonstrating a remarkable grasp of the obvious. Although individually weak, the sheer number of rats had been overwhelming. Vincent lost count after ying a hundred. Fortunately, Azhara proved her worth with her fire affinity and rare armament, allowing them to vanquish the horde. Exhaling heavily, Vincent turned to the silent Azhara. "What did you promise before I agreed to your request?" Azhara, too ashamed to respond, could only mumble an inaudible apology. Vincent sighed. "Forget about it. Let''s take a short rest before we look for irmuse and conclude this deal. And maybe invest in some bug spray." As he began collecting the materials dropped by the ckbite Rats, Azhara watched him curiously. "Why are you putting those in a backpack?" "Because I don''t have a storage item," Vincent replied, not looking up from his task. "Eh? But why? Isn''t this item cheap?" Azhara wondered, ncing at the ck ring on his finger. Vincent''s lips twitched. ''Young miss, you have a nice way of indirectly calling me poor to my face!'' he thought. ''Maybe I should start a GoFundMe: "Help a Poor Origin Warrior Buy a Magic Backpack."'' "No, it''s not. They''re not cheap, and I can''t afford them yet," he admitted. "But father has many of these..." Azhara muttered before her eyes lit up with an idea. She approached Vincent, who immediately turned, still cautious. "What do you want?" he asked. "Um, I''d like to give you this as an apology for my mistake earlier..." Azhara held out a ck ring¡ªa storage ring. Surprised but wary, Vincent asked, "Are you sure?" Azhara nodded with a gentle smile, pressing the ring into his hand. "I am sure. Please ept it." Though still dubious, Vincent epted the gift. "Then, I''ll dly take it. Thanks." He bound the ring to himself. As they prepared to continue their journey, a twig snapped in the nearby underbrush. Vincent tensed, his hand moving to his [Darksteel Sword]. "Azhara, stay close," he whispered. "And please, for the love of all that''s holy, don''t scream if it''s another bug." n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Suddenly, five rough-looking men with different races emerged from the foliage, their eyes gleaming with malice. Vincent quickly assessed them¡ªTier 1 - 4¡ï bandits, each slightly stronger than him individually. "Well, well," the leader sneered, a Tier 1 - 5¡ï brute with a nasty scar across his face. "Looks like the little princess has some valuable trinkets. How about sharing with us, sweetheart?" Azhara gasped, instinctively moving closer to Vincent. "W-who are you?" The bandit leader chuckled darkly. "We saw your little disy back at the Sanctuary. Couldn''t resist following such a tempting target." "Wow," Vincent muttered, "stalking is really bing an epidemic these days. Have you guys considered a less creepy hobby? Like knitting, perhaps?" The bandit leader''s eye twitched. "Enough talk! Hand over the valuables, or else!" Vincent''s mind raced, his mental score of 3.5 working overtime to formte a strategy. These men were indeed higher-level than him, but he had his skills and talents to even the odds. He even had an option to upgrade his level now. "Gentlemen," Vincent said calmly, "I suggest you reconsider. This youngdy is under my protection, and I assure you, the consequences of harming her would be... severe." He paused for dramatic effect. "Also, has anyone ever told you that you''re really embracing the whole ''evil bandit'' stereotype a bit too enthusiastically?" The bandits hesitated for a moment, but their greed won out. They charged forward, weapons raised. Vincent pushed Azhara behind him, his [Darksteel Sword] vibrating. "Stay back," he warned her. "And remember, if you see any bugs, they''re on our side this time!" He met the first attacker head-on, their weapons shing with a shower of sparks. Using his superior speed, enhanced by his Basic Origin Movement Speed skill, Vincent ducked under the bandit''s guard. "[Virulent Stinger]!" Vincent called out, activating his Umon skill. The [Darksteel Sword] glowed with a sickly light as it found a gap in the man''s armor. The bandit howled in pain as the poison took effect, his movements slowing. As the first bandit stumbled back, the others closed in. Vincent weaved between them, his movements fluid and precise. He couldn''t match them in raw strength, but his agility and quick thinking kept him one step ahead. "[Darksteel sh]!" Vincent''s sword glowed with dark energy as he unleashed his weapon skill on the second bandit. The enhanced attack caught the man off guard, opening a deep gash across his chest and sending him reeling. "Azhara!" he called out, parrying a vicious blow from the third bandit. "Use your fire! Create a barrier!" Understanding dawned in Azhara''s eyes. She raised her hands, channeling her innate Drakorii abilities, and a wall of mes sprang up between them and the remaining bandits. The attackers recoiled, momentarily blinded by the intense heat and light. "Hot enough for you?" Vincent quipped. "I hear fire is great for roasting marshmallows... and bandits!" Seizing the opportunity, Vincent activated [Basic Origin Movement Speed], his form blurring as he dashed through the gaps in the me barrier. His [Darksteel Sword] shed twice in rapid session, leaving two more bandits clutching at bleeding wounds. The bandit leader, seeing his men fall one by one, snarled in rage. He charged at Vincent, his superior strength sending shockwaves through the air with each swing of his massive axe. Vincent, recognizing the danger, focused his Origin Power into his de. As the bandit leader''s axe came crashing down, Vincent sidestepped and countered with a precisely aimed [Virulent Stinger]. The poisoned de found its mark, sinking deep into the leader''s thigh. The massive man roared in pain and fury, his movements bing sluggish as the poison spread. Vincent, seeing his chance, unleashed a flurry of strikes, each empowered by his C-Rank Origin Power Enhancement talent. Finally, with a decisive [Darksteel sh], Vincent brought the bandit leader to his knees. The remaining attackers, seeing their invincible boss defeated, turned tail and fled into the woods. "And stay out!" Vincent called after them. "Next time, try a less dangerous profession. I hear the Verdant Wilds are short on telemarketers!" Panting slightly, Vincent turned to Azhara, who stared at him with wide, awe-filled eyes. "Are you alright?" he asked, his voice rough from exertion. Azhara nodded, still too shocked to speak. Vincent quickly gathered what valuable items the bandits had left behind, his new storage ring proving immediately useful. "We need to move," Vincent said urgently. "They might have friends nearby." Grabbing Azhara''s hand, they sprinted deeper into the Verdant Wilds, leaving the groaning bandits behind. ''Is it really that difficult to have a peaceful experience farming..?'' Chapter 12: Unnamed

Chapter 12: Unnamed

After several minutes of running, Vincent heard Azhara''s meek voice. "Um, can you please let go of my hand now?" As soon as he heard her words, Vincent subconsciously looked at his hand and immediately released hers. He hadn''t realized he had been holding her hand since they started running. "I apologize. I didn''t realize," he said, unabashed. On the other hand, Azhara, who was slightly blushing, felt a sense of loss when Vincent let go of her hand. "It''s fine..." At that moment, an almost 10-inch crimson dragonfly with a me on its tail passed over them. Vincent paid no mind to it. However, when Azhara saw it, her crimson eyes shone. "Shroud, Shroud!" she called out. Vincent turned, curious. "What''s wrong?" "That, that!" She pointed at the metail dragonfly. "Don''t tell me you''re afraid of that?!" His voice couldn''t help but rise. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om "No, no!" She shook her head. "irmuse!" Although she only said one word, Vincent was surprised to find that he somehow understood what she was trying to say. "Do you mean that thing is connected to irmuse?" Azhara shook her head before nodding repeatedly. "Food!" "You mean irmuse loves to eat that?" This time, Azhara''s eyes shone as she nodded, indicating that he finally understood what she meant. Vincent was slowly getting used to her personality, so he saved himself from having a headache by ignoring her short way of responding. "Then let''s follow that bug." The duo followed behind the metail dragonfly. Several momentster, a rustling sound came from the underbrush, and then a sudden red figure shed toward the peacefully flying metail dragonfly. As itnded on the ground, the red figure finally revealed its appearance. It was simr to a squirrel; however, it had crimson fur, and its tail had a burning me. "Here it is!" Vincent eximed in his mind. Both of them were hiding behind the bushes. Although a irmuse had already appeared, neither of them moved. ording to the mission information, irmuse was known for being elusive. Just a simple sound could make them flee in panic. Although irmuse also had a strength of Tier 1 - 3 stars, simr to him, he wouldn''t be able to catch up to its innate speed. They even had a ''burrow'' skill, allowing them to escape through the ground. Therefore, he waited, silently letting the irmuse enjoy its meal. Soon, when it was about topletely devour the metail dragonfly, Vincent eximed in his mind, ''Now!'' However, before he could even move, Azhara, who stood silently behind him, tugged the corner of his clothes. He turned and asked in a low voice, "What is it this time?" Instead of answering, she only handed him a shiny gem. He observed it but found nothing useful about it. "What do you want me to do with this?" "Throw it," she simply said while pointing at the irmuse. Although puzzled, Vincent just followed her request. She was the one who was looking for the irmuse in the first ce. Even if it escaped, it would just take him some time to look for another one. It was still quite worth itpared to what she was offering him. As per her demand, Vincent softly threw the shiny gem toward the irmuse. The irmuse, which had just finished its meal, suddenly perked up at the sudden sound, cautiously looking around its surroundings. Its gaze thennded on the shiny gem thrown by Vincent. Although still cautious, it slowly walked toward the gem. Soon, it started fidgeting with the gem, seemingly interested and happy with it. Upon seeing this, Vincent felt it was the perfect time to move; however, Azhara beat him to it. He saw Azhara throw a crystal ball. It hit the unaware irmuse. A sh of light burst out of the crystal ball, forcing him to shield his eyes. Soon, when the light faded, the irmuse was nowhere to be seen. What remained was the same crystal ball Azhara had thrown. "Yay! Shroud, I caught it!" Azhara, obviously delighted, immediately ran and picked up the crystal ball. She then walked up to Vincent, showing him the crystal ball. "Shroud, look! I caught it!" She sounded so happy. Filled with curiosity about the crystal ball, he looked closer at it. He found the small figure of the irmuse moving inside. He had no idea what the name of the crystal ball was or its other functions, but for it to be able to imprison a primal, even though it was only a Tier I primal, he simply understood it was certainly expensive. Then, he couldn''t help but wonder, "Are you here just to catch a irmuse and not hunt it for materials or anything else?" Baffled, Azhara tilted her head. "Yes, why would I kill them? They are so cute! No one is allowed to kill them!" ''Okay, she probably truly likes the irmuse to respond with more than a word,'' he thought. "So, what now? Is our deal done?" Hearing his words, Azhara fell silent. She felt a sting inside her, wondering why, but she still managed a reply, "Yes..." She then waved her hand, taking out the promised rewards. "Here, this is all yours..." At the moment he epted his rewards and put them all in his storage ring, the ground suddenly shook. "W-What''s happening?" Caught by surprise, Azhara moved closer to Vincent, tugging the corner of his clothes. Although also surprised, Vincent immediately summoned his [Darksteel Sword Armament] while frowning. Soon, the earthquake became stronger, trees falling down, as if making a path for someone or something. In the next moment, a familiar pressure he felt when he stood against Grirak came crashing down, making it hard to breathe. With his enhanced senses, his sight could see far and better than the average unawakened human. There, he saw a humongous moving ck tortoise-like Primal, heading their way. It was over 20 meters tall. Without an ounce of hesitation, he took Azhara''s hand, calling out, "Run!" That thing was undeniably stronger than him, something he currently couldn''tpare with! That thing was even tens of meters away from them, but he could already feel the pressure. He couldn''t imagine what would happen if that Primal got closer to them. He would die if he fought that thing! No, he might die just by its pressure. However, they hadn''t gone too far when the humongous tortoise let out a deafening roar, forcing them to halt their escape. Groans escaped from their mouths. "Don''t tell me, this is how my journey is going to end..." Vincent couldn''t help but mutter, forcing himself to look at the humongous tortoise. Soon, he saw a bright light sh straight toward the head of the humongous tortoise. Bang! An explosion erupted, and smoke billowed. Roar! The humongous tortoise roared with a mix of rage and pain. Vincent then realized someone was fighting the towering primal! Someone is actually fighting that monster?! Focusing his sight, he finally caught sight of a lean humanoid figure. Humanoid because it had an appearance as though its body was made of crystals. Even its hair was like a set of spiky diamonds. Its upper torso was bare, revealing an ice-sculpted-like crystal chest and muscles. "Is that a Crystallian?" Vincent wondered, remembering the well-known neutral race and rulers of the No.3 Novice Sanctuary. Hovering in the air, the Crystallian lifted its right hand. Several sharp crystals materialized above him. With a wave of his hand, the sharp crystals swooped down, crashing into the humongous tortoise! Bang! Although there was a sound of explosion, the humongous tortoise seemed unaffected by the attack. When the smoke and dust faded, the humongous tortoise was revealed, its huge mouth widely open, with swirling water slowly charging in its maw. The Crystallian visibly panicked when he saw its action. His crystal eyes widened as he hurriedly flew back, attempting to escape. The Crystallian flew so fast that Vincent couldn''t even track him. Then, like a cannon, a powerful wave of concentrated water burst forth, straight toward the fleeing Crystallian. Bang! Vincent clearly saw the water cannon directly hit the back of the Crystallian, causing him to be shot down straight to the ground, his fate unknown. "The Crystallian lost?" As his thoughts stopped there, Vincent forced himself to run, dragging Azhara with him. Chapter 13: Going Back

Chapter 13: Going Back

Vincent and Azhara burst out of Verdant Wilds, their feet pounding the earth as they ran. After several minutes of uninterrupted sprinting, they finally slowed to a stop, gasping for air. Vincent, still sping Azhara''s hand, turned to her. "Are you alright?" he asked betweenbored breaths. Azhara remained silent, her gaze fixed on their joined hands. Noticing her stare, Vincent quickly released his grip. ''Why do I keep grabbing her hand?'' he wondered, perplexed by his own actions. Clearing his throat, he tried again. "How are you holding up?" "I''m fine," Azhara replied, her cheeks slightly puffed in a pout. "That giant turtle was just being naughty! If Father were here, it would be turtle soup by now!" Vincent raised an eyebrow at her words, increasingly certain that Azhara came from a powerful, influential background. The monster that had nearly scared him to death seemed inconsequential to her father. As they approached the outskirts of No. 3 Novice Sanctuary, Vincent turned to Azhara. "Our deal isplete. I''ll be on my way now. What about you?" Azhara hesitated, seemingly reluctant to part ways. "I suppose I should head home. Father must be worried by now." Vincent nodded, having no intention of prolonging their time together. "And you?" Azhara asked. "I''ll rest for a bit, then resume hunting," he replied matter-of-factly. They entered the Novice Sanctuary, and Vincent prepared to leave. "Well, I''m off. Thanks for the deal!" He waved as he walked away. "Wait, Shroud..." Azhara''s voice trailed off, toote to stop him. She watched his figure fade into the distance, a hint of disappointment crossing her face. Shaking her head, Azhara retrieved a white scroll from her storage ring. She tore it in half, and in a shimmer of digital lights, she vanished. On Drakoth, the Drakoriis'' home, Azhara materialized in her opulent bedroom within the Drakota ns Residence. She had barely opened her eyes when the door burst open, mming against the wall. A lean, muscr Drakorri man wearing blood-red and golden royal attire rushed in, arms outstretched. "My princess! My baby!" he eximed, enveloping Azhara in a tight embrace. "Father!" Azhara returned the hug with equal fervor. Zhar Drakota held his daughter at arm''s length, scrutinizing her for injuries. "Are you hurt? Did anyone bully you?" Azhara smiled at her father''s concern. "I''m fine, Father. No one hurt me." "Are you certain?" She nodded, and Zhar exhaled in relief. "That''s good, that''s good. Now, tell me about your time in Origin World." Azhara recounted her adventures, including her encounter with Shroud. At the mention of a human, Zhar''s brow furrowed. "You met a human? And he assisted you?" "Yes, his name is Shroud. He helped me capture this irmuse," Azhara exined, producing the crystal ball. "Look, my first hunt!" Zhar''s expression softened at his daughter''s pride. He gently patted her head. "Well done. Father is proud of you." Azhara beamed at the praise. "Now, about this human..." Zhar began. "Shroud," Azhara corrected. Zhar''s lip twitched. "Yes, Shroud. Did he do anything else? Hurt you or try to deceive you?" Azhara paused, recalling the events. "No, I don''t think so..." Zhar nodded, "That''s a relief¡ª" "Except for grabbing my hand," Azhara added. "Twice." "What?!" Zhar''s voice rose sharply. "He grabbed your hand? Twice?!" "Is something wrong, Father?" Azhara asked, puzzled by his sudden anger. "Where does this human live? He seems tired of living! I''ll bury him myself!" Zhar fumed, an illusory smoke rising from his head. "No, Father! Stop!" Azhara protested. "If you don''t calm down, I''ll tell Mother you''re acting up again!" At his daughter''s threat, Zhar reluctantly reined in his anger, though he continued to plot Shroud''s demise in his mind. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Meanwhile, in Origin World, Vincent sat on his bed in his rented room, marveling at the items and glowing orbs before him ¨C his payment from Azhara. "My word, I''m rich with just these!" he eximed, focusing on the valuable items. He first examined the white scroll: Name: Escape Scroll Type: Special Item Effect: Safely teleports the user out of Origin World three seconds after tearing the scroll. "An Escape Scroll! Excellent," Vincent chuckled. "Finally, a lifesaving item!" Hisughter abruptly ceased as he remembered its origin. "Damn it! If I''d known I had this earlier, I wouldn''t have run for my life from that tortoise." Shaking off the thought, he continued his inspection. Touching the green light, an emerald metallic mask materialized. Name: Morphic Mask Rarity: Umon Effect: Assumes the appearance of any personally seen humanoid form, concealing the wearer''s true identity. The transformation is limited and cannot deceive higher-tier Origin Warriors. "This is merely umon?" Vincent marveled at the mask''s utility despite its modest rarity. He donned it, and with a thought, his skin turned red, reptilian scales emerging on his arms. ncing in the mirror, he saw his dark purple hair and eyes had transformed to crimson, mirroring Azhara''s Drakorri features. "Incredible, it feels so real," he murmured, practicing different racial appearances. Next, he examined the blue orb, which transformed into a book: Name: Way of the Flowing Waters Rarity: Rare Description: A sword cultivation technique focusing on water''s ebb and flow to guide the cultivator''s swordy. It allows the practitioner to mimic flowing water, adapting attacks from swift and precise to slow and powerful as needed. Stages: Rippling Waves: Increases speed and agility by 10%, enhancing quick strikes and evasion. Tidal Surge: Boosts attack damage by 20% with increased critical hit chance. Torrential Cascade: Imbues the sword with rushing water''s strength, increasing damage by 30% and bypassing physical resistance. "A cultivation manual!" Vincent eximed, understanding its immense value. He knew that Origin Warriors needed such techniques to advance beyond Tier 1-5 stars, refining experience points into Origin Essence. The manual''s rarity made it even more precious, something novice warriors from influential families would fight over. Vincent silently thanked Azhara for her generosity. Finally, he touched the purple orb, revealing another book: Name: Book of the Heaven''s Eye Rarity: Special Effects: Instantly discerns a cultivator''s power level, revealing their cultivation tier, stage, and technique nature. Inbat, it grants temporary insight into the enemy''s fighting style and weaknesses. "A Special Skill!" Vincent''s excitement was palpable. This skill would be invaluable for navigating dangers in Origin World. Without hesitation, he learned it immediately. [You have sessfully learned Heaven''s Eyes!] After reviewing his newfound treasures, Vincent decided to use his umted experience points to level up to Tier 1 - 4 stars. The encounter with the giant tortoise had taught him the true dangers of Origin World. With his experience points depleted, he opted to skip the Weekly Novice Battle and instead focus on farming more experience. Donning the Morphic Mask to appear as a Drakorri, he ventured to the southern part of No.3 Novice Sanctuary, another section of Verdant Wilds. He spent the remainder of his time in Origin World hunting, until the familiar sensation of being pulled back to Astralis enveloped him. In a sh of digital light, he vanished from his rented room. Back on Astralis, Vincent found himself in his living room. It was still dark, just 4 AM. His eyes widened in shock, then narrowed in anger. The room was in shambles, as if a typhoon had torn through it. Walls were cracked, and furniturey in pieces. "What happened here?" he muttered, hisposure slipping. "Marina! Sis Amara! Where are you?!" Chapter 14: Going Back (2)

Chapter 14: Going Back (2)

Vincent''s heart raced as he dashed through the wrecked living room, calling out desperately. "Marina! Sis Amara!" Silence answered his pleas. Panic rising, he bolted up the stairs, taking them two at a time. He burst into Sis Amara''s room first, only to find it in a simr state of disarray. Clothes were strewn across the floor, drawers hung open, their contents spilled out like entrails. "Damn it!" Vincent cursed, spinning on his heel and rushing to Marina''s room. The scene that greeted him was no better. Marina''s beloved anime postersy in tatters, her collection of figurines scattered and broken. The sight of her ruined sanctuary sent a chill down Vincent''s spine. Last, he entered his own room. The destruction continued here, his belongings tossed about carelessly. But amidst the chaos, a glint caught his eye. His phoney miraculously unscathed on the floor, having fallen between the bed and nightstand. With trembling hands, Vincent snatched up the device. He quickly navigated to his contacts, finding Marina''s number. His finger hovered over it for a moment before he tapped, bringing the translucent hologram to life. The call connected, but it wasn''t Marina''s voice that greeted him. "Little Vince?" Sis Amara''s casual tone came through, a stark contrast to the turmoil in Vincent''s mind. "Sis Amara! Where are you? Where''s Marina? What happened here?" The questions tumbled out in a rush. "Whoa, slow down there, kiddo," Sis Amara drawled. "We''re fine. We''re at the Ster za Hotel. Room 507." Vincent exhaled sharply, relief washing over him. "I''m on my way," he said, already moving towards the door. "Take your time, little Vince. We''re not going anywhere," Sis Amara replied before ending the call. The journey to the hotel passed in a blur. Vincent''s mind raced with possibilities, each scenario more terrifying than thest. When he finally reached Room 507, he knocked with more force than necessary. The door swung open, revealing Sis Amara in her usual tank top and shorts, a beer in hand. "Hey, little Vince. d you could join the party," she said with azy smile. Vincent''s eyes shone, seeing the usual calm andzy Amara. The heaviness in his heart wasrgely alleviated but notpletely gone. "Sis Amara..." His eyes scanned the room until theynded on Marina. She sat cross-legged on one of the beds, engrossed in a holographic anime ying before her. "Rina!" Vincent called out. Marina''s head snapped up, her eyes lighting up at the sight of her brother. "Big bro!" she eximed, leaping off the bed and tackling him in a hug. "I missed you so much! Did you see what those jerks did to my limited-edition figurines? They''ll pay for that!" Vincent returned the hug, relief flooding through him. After a moment, he gently disentangled himself from Marina''s grip and turned to Sis Amara, his expression serious. "What happened?" he asked, his voice low and controlled. Sis Amara took a long swig of her beer before answering. "Robbers, looks like. Hit the ce while we were out. I was at work, and Marina was at school." "Robbers? How''s that possible..?" Vincent muttered to himself. He was baffled since, based on Vincent''s memory, they had never encountered any kind of situation like this in the couple of years they had lived in their district. "Is that really it?" he thought, feeling there was something more to it. Though he had no definite suspicion who would do that to him. He had been quiet all his life and rarely talked or got in touch with anyone. Amara saw Vincent in deep thought, so she asked him, "What''s wrong, little Vince?" Facing her question, Vincent simply shook his head. He had no n to implicate anyone if this event really had a connection to him. "Have you reported it to the authorities?" he asked. "Yeah, yeah," Sis Amara waved her hand dismissively. "They came, took some pictures, said they''d look into it. Don''t hold your breath, though." Vincent nodded, his mind already working on their next steps. Since it wasn''t safe to live in their house, it must be better for them to stay in the hotel for a while before he found them a new ce to stay. "Brother, what do we do now? Are we going back to Sis Amara''s home?" Marina couldn''t help but ask, ncing at Vincent and Amara. Vincent didn''t answer immediately; he instead stared at Amara. Sensing the siblings'' gaze, Amara quickly understood that they were waiting for her decision. "You''re a big guy now, you can decide what you want to do..." she said before sipping her beer, as though she didn''t care what would happen to her ce. Vincent kept staring at Amara. He was truly curious about her background and what was going on in her mind. She had been so calm and collected despite what happened to her house, as though nothing could shake her emotions. Since Amara let him decide, without thinking twice, he decided. "Then let''s just stay in the hotel for a while before we look for a new ce to stay." Hearing his decision, Marina, who was silent, couldn''t help but ask, "We''re not going back?" Vincent simply nodded in response. "But where do we get the money to get a new ce? Is sister Amara going with us?" Her eyebrows rose. Once again, Vincent turned to look at Amara, who was drinking her beer in silence with her eyes closed, as if she didn''t hear Marina''s question. He then turned to face his younger sister and pinched both of her cheeks. "What the hell are you thinking? I was just gone for a day. Why are both of you like this?" He wondered. Ever since he arrived at the hotel, he felt as if something was amiss between them. He deeply wondered until realization dawned on him. Looking at both of them, he questioned, "Did Sis Amara force you to eat something she cooked?" Marina, who was still being pinched by her cheeks, eximed, "You know it, brother!" Her eyes shone and her eyebrows rose, ring at Amara, whose eyes were still closed but lips were twitching. Although she was being red at, Amara justpletely ignored her. She knew Marina had reason to be angry. Since Vincent had gone to Origin World and no one would cook for the both of them, she decided to cook for herself and Marina. And the result was Marina''s hate. Seeing them acting like this, Vincent could only sigh. They were too dependent on his cooking. Well, he could not dismiss Marina''s hate for Amara, since he clearly knew her cooking. ''Sis Amara''s way of cooking is definitely cursed,'' he thought. "Alright, alright. That''s enough. Have you eaten yet?" "No, I lost my appetite since yesterday morning..." Marina didn''t even hide her thoughts. Vincent chuckled, stroking her head to calm her down. "Let''s just order food downstairs. I''ll cook for you tomorrow." Enjoying her brother''s caresses, Marina simply nodded her head. After ordering a meal and having breakfast, Marina went to school while Amara stayed in the hotel and had no n to go to work. Vincent, on the other hand, checked his email. It had been almost a month since he awakened. He had never been to the school since then and was focused on preparing to go to Origin World. He knew that event was about toe. As he expected, he found an email from school, which notified him to report back to school in order to participate in the Annual Battle Ceremony. Annual Battle Ceremony was a tournament battle between awakened Origin Warriors to showcase their abilities and promote their school to different guilds, institutes, and organizations'' recruiters. Therefore, it was basically the most important tournament for newly awakened Origin Warriors for their future career. Although he felt that with his talent, he could improve on his own, he had no intention to ditch the tournament. He was quite interested in the other awakened students and the champion prizes. Last year was also a st; the Annual Battle Ceremony champion won a lot of high-quality items. Therefore, he had no reason to ignore the prizes if they wanted to hand them to him. Yes, Vincent felt that with his absurd improvement, he believed no one couldpete with him, unless some cosmic fate interfered and caused him to lose. Hence, he immediately left the hotel and went out after letting Amara know. He didn''t immediately go to the school since the tournament would start in the afternoon. It was still early in the morning; he had enough time to sell his loot for quick money. After calling a hovering cab, Vincent arrived at the Origin Warriors Trade Market Branch of District 12. Although it was a market, the ce was a towering skyscraper, although not as grand as the branch of Origin Warriors Association. Simr to the Origin Warriors Association building, Vincent was also scanned by blue lights as he entered the establishment. The moment he entered, he was greeted by a robotic AI. "Greetings! May I kindly know the purpose of your visit today?" "I''m here to sell my items." "Great! Would you like me to guide you to the Central Bazaar?" "I''m good, just let me know where to find it." n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om "If you want to visit the Central Bazaar, you can go to the 10th to 13th floor. Just a reminder, you can freely visit the first floor of Central Bazaar, which is on the 10th floor, where you can buy or sell various resources that aremon in quality. And if you want to buy or sell higher quality items, you have to visit the higher floors, which will require authorization from the Bazaar host." Chapter 15: Central Bazaar

Chapter 15: Central Bazaar

After getting directions from the AI robot, Vincent rode the elevator up to the tenth floor. As soon as the doors slid open, he stepped out into a long, wide hallway. At the far end, a crowded entrance buzzed with activity as people flowed in and out, while guards with serious expressions, dressed in sleek, skin-tight armor, kept a watchful eye on the scene. One of the guards stepped forward as Vincent approached. "Let me see your ID," the guard said, holding out his hand. Without a moment''s hesitation, Vincent presented his Origin Warrior License. The guard examined both Vincent and the card carefully. Although the cardbeled him as just a Rank 0 Origin Warrior, the guard couldn''t help but feel an unusual pressureing from Vincent. Confused, but brushing it aside, the guard returned the license and handed Vincent a ck token. Vincent inspected the smooth ck token, noticing a countdown timer ticking away. "What''s this for?" Vincent asked, raising an eyebrow. "That''s your visitor''s token," the guard exined, his voice steady. "It tracks how much time you have left to stay in the bazaar and is only good for this floor. If you want to go to any higher levels, you''ll need the Host''s permission and top-tier items to qualify." Vincent gave a nod of understanding, now aware he had just two hours. Thanking the guard, he moved forward and entered the Central Bazaar. As Vincent stepped into the bazaar, he was immediately swept up by the lively atmosphere. The immense space was filled with vendors and buyers, their chatter blending into a constant hum of activity. The bazaar stretched out so far that he couldn''t see its end from where he stood. "Armor materials for sale! Check out my stall!" "Buyingmon items here!" "Sellingmon and umon skill books!" Vincent was taken aback by the sheer scale of the market, having never experienced anything like it before in this world. His Heaven Eye skill activated, allowing him to sense the strength of those around him. Most of the people he passed were Rank 0 to Rank 1 Origin Warriors, with the asional Rank 2 mixed into the crowd. As he wandered through the bustling marketce, his attention was drawn to a particrly crowded stall: the Lucky Stone Stall. "Step right up!" the vendor called out enthusiastically. "Try your luck by cracking open a lucky stone for just 10 Origin Crystals or 10,000 credits! You might find a rare gem worth over 100,000 credits or more!" The vendor, an elderly man with a long, wispy goatee, stroked his beard as he continued promoting his goods. "I''ll even give you a discount¡ªfive Lucky Stones for only 40,000 credits or 40 Origin Crystals!" A brash-looking Origin Warrior from the crowd stepped forward with a confident grin. "Give me five! Today''s the day I clean you out!" The old man''s lips curled into a teasing smile. "Ho ho, looks like you didn''t learn your lesson from yesterday, did you?" "Shut it, old man! Today''s my lucky day!" the warrior snapped. "If you say so. It''s your money, after all." The man selected five stones and handed them to the vendor. "Crack them open already!" he demanded impatiently. The vendor chuckled softly before raising a hammer. "As you wish, let''s see what fortune has in store for you..." With a sharp bang, he brought the hammer down on the first stone. It was empty. "That''s your first stone. Unfortunate," the old man said, his voice dripping with feigned sympathy. Grinding his teeth, the man barked, "I''ve still got four left! Keep going!" "Very well, onto the next one," the vendor replied calmly. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Bang! The second stone was also empty. The third and fourth stones yielded the same results, and frustration was etched deeply into the warrior''s face. His fists clenched tightly as he struggled to contain his anger. "This is a scam! Your stones are all rigged!" he used, ring at the vendor. "Now, now," the old man said with a shrug, "this is all a game of chance. You weren''t forced to buy my stones. I''m not responsible for your bad luck." Seething, the man''s lips trembled with fury, but there was nothing more he could do. "Just open thest one," he growled. "As you wish," the vendor said, raising his hammer one final time. Bang! Thest stone didn''t split immediately but showed a few cracks. Seeing this, the man''s eyes gleamed with a flicker of hope. Bang! With the second strike, the stone broke apart, revealing a small green gem inside. "Congrattions!" the vendor announced theatrically. "You''ve uncovered a speed enhancement gem!" The man let out a triumphant shout. "Yes! I knew it! I won!" "Indeed," the vendor agreed. "You can sell that gem for 20,000 credits or 20 Origin Crystals." The warrior''s excitement faded quickly as he realized that even with the gem, he had still lost 20 Origin Crystals overall. "You swindling old bastard! I still lost out on this!" The vendor merely chuckled. "That''s how it goes, young man. You win some, you lose some." Furious but defeated, the man stormed off, grumbling under his breath. Vincent had observed the entire scene from a distance. "Anyone else feeling lucky?" the vendor called out to the crowd. His gaze scanned the area before settling on Vincent, who was watching intently. "You there! You look like a newly awakened warrior. Want to try your luck? I''ll give you a special discount¡ªjust 5 Origin Crystals for one stone!" The crowd, having witnessed thest customer''s frustration, started to voice their disapproval. "Hey, Old Feng! You''re trying to scam a newbie now?" "Yeah, you old fox! Don''t pick on the kid!" But the vendor, unfazed by their protests, scoffed, "Hmph! I''m not forcing anyone to buy. If you''re not interested, then move along!" He turned back to Vincent with a sly grin. "So, what do you say, young man? Feeling lucky?" Vincent met the vendor''s gaze, his mind churning with amusement. ''This old man thinks I''m easy prey...'' With a subtle smirk, Vincent responded, "How about we make it a bit more interesting?" The vendor''s eyes gleamed at the challenge. "Oh? What do you have in mind, boy?" Vincent''s smile grew. "I''ll buy just one stone. If I find a gem inside, you pay me double the market price." "And if you lose?" the vendor countered, intrigued. "Then I''ll pay double the normal price for your stones." The old man burst intoughter. "You''ve got guts, kid! Alright, if you''re so eager to give me your money, who am I to refuse?" Still smiling, Vincent stepped forward and began inspecting the stones carefully. "Take your time,d," the vendor taunted, "but remember, you''ve only got about two hours left for your stay!" Vincent ignored the old man''s jibes, carefully examining the stonesid out before him. After several minutes of silent inspection, he finally selected one. "Ha! Took you long enough!" Old Feng chuckled. "I thought you were going to spend your whole time here staring at rocks. You sure about that choice? I''ll give you onest chance to change your mind¡ªthis one''s probably empty!" Vincent''s smile remained unchanged. "I''m satisfied with my choice. Go ahead and open it." The confidence in Vincent''s voice baffled Old Feng, but the vendor shook his head with a grin. "Alright then, don''t say I didn''t warn you!" He raised his hammer and, with a resounding bang, struck the stone. To his shock, the stone didn''t shatter like the others. Instead, cracks formed along its surface, and a glint of something shimmered through the fractures. Old Feng''sughter faded as the crowd leaned in, murmuring in surprise. Vincent''s smirk widened. "Well, I''ll be!" the vendor eximed, his voice catching in his throat. "The kid''s got beginner''s luck! There''s a gem in there!" The vendor struck the stone again, and it cracked open fully to reveal a high-quality power enhancement gem. The crowd gasped. "That''s no ordinary gem," one of the onlookers whispered. "That one could go for 150,000 credits, easy!" "And the deal was for double the market price!" another shouted. "Old Feng''s gonna have to pay up 300,000 credits!" Laughter rippled through the crowd, and those who had lost money to the vendor earlier couldn''t hide their satisfaction at his predicament. "Looks like Old Feng''s finally taken a hit!" they jeered. Old Feng''s face twitched with barely concealed frustration, but he forced a strained smile. "Alright, alright, you lot! I''m not so shameless as to cheat a young man!" He shot a re at the crowd before turning to Vincent. With a bitter tone, the vendor spoke, "I''ll pay up, but you''ve got to wager with me one more time. After all, I epted your first bet, didn''t I?" Vincent''s smile vanished, and his face darkened. "You''re being pretty shameless, old man," he said coldly. "You''re the one who pushed me into buying a stone in the first ce." But Old Feng, seeing Vincent''s stern expression, became convinced the young man had just gotten lucky. There was no way it could happen twice. The vendor''s eyes gleamed with confidence as he said, "Not shameless,d¡ªjust giving you another chance to win more! What do you say? Will you take another bet?" Vincent paused, as if in deep thought, then gave a small nod. "What are the terms?" "Same as before," Old Feng replied eagerly. "If you win, I''ll pay double the market price again. But if I win, I won''t pay you your previous winnings, and you''ll have to pay for all the stones you''ve opened." Vincent didn''t answer immediately, pretending to weigh the risks. After a moment, he nodded in agreement. "Good!" Old Feng''s grin widened. He knew there were fewer than ten stones left on the table, and based on his experience, he was certain that all the remaining ones were worthless. "Pick your stone," he said, his voice dripping with smug confidence. Vincent approached the table once more, his expression grave. He took his time, carefully inspecting each remaining stone, while the crowd watched in silence, the tension rising with each passing moment. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Vincent made his choice. "This one," he said calmly, handing it to the vendor. Old Feng''s eyes sparkled with excitement. He was sure this stone was empty. "Ready to lose, boy?" he taunted onest time, lifting his hammer. Vincent remained silent, his face unreadable as he watched the vendor. Bang! The first strike didn''t split the stone, but a crack appeared. Old Feng''s smile faltered, but he kept going. Bang! The second blow shattered the stone open, and to the vendor''s utter disbelief, another gemy nestled inside. But this time, the gem wasn''t just valuable¡ªit was even more precious than thest one. The crowd erupted in cheers, some pping in excitement at Vincent''s astonishing luck. A wide smile spread across Vincent''s face as he calmly looked at Old Feng, his eyes sparkling with amusement. It was as if Vincent had known all along what would happen. "You... you knew, didn''t you?" Old Feng stammered, his voice barely audible over the noise of the crowd. His expression was a mix of shock, disbelief, and grudging respect. The old man stared at Vincent, realizing he hadpletely underestimated him. Chapter 16: Central Bazaar (2)

Chapter 16: Central Bazaar (2)

Vincent''s smile grew wider, but he didn''t respond to Old Feng''s assumption. In reality, he had been aware of the gem hidden inside the stone all along. How? While watching the previous customer''s attempts, Vincent had been actively utilizing his Heaven Eyes skill to scan the crowd. Before Old Feng cracked open that final stone, he had sensed a strange aura emanating from it. When the gem was revealed, he recognized that the peculiar energy he had detected indicated the presence of a gem within the lucky stone. Though confident, Vincent had initially held onto a sliver of doubt. To confirm his theory, he proposed a wager with Old Feng. Feigning displeasure at the vendor''s challenge, he skillfully hid his ability to see through the stones. The rest, as they say, was history. With a frown, Vincent spoke in a displeased tone, "What are you rambling about, old man? You think I can see through your stones or something? I won fair and square." "Then how did you do it..." Old Feng''s words were drowned out by the cheers of the crowd. "Old Feng, quit stalling and pay the young man!" "Ha! You''ve finally taken a big hit, old timer!" "Pay up! Pay up!" Though irritated, Old Feng had no choice but to concede to his misfortune. After asking for Vincent''s bank details, he transferred nearly a million credits into the young man''s ount. Vincent couldn''t hide his smile. This was his first significant windfall since arriving in this world, and it felt like just the beginning. His dream of amassing wealth and livingfortably back on Earth seemed within reach, even though the idea of rxation felt far away in this dog-eat-dog world. "Thanks for the business, old man," Vincent said lightly. "Hmph! Get lost! I don''t want to see your face around here again!" Old Feng grumbled. Vincentughed at the vendor''s frustration as he left the Lucky Stones Stall to explore the rest of the Central Bazaar. He still needed to sell his items and perhaps discover something interesting. After nearly an hour of wandering, Vincent came upon a strangely deserted stall. The vendor, dressed in ck clothing with a dark veil obscuring their features, sat quietly beside their wares. Vincent examined the items on disy: old, tattered books, rusty and unadorned weapons, and various other objects that looked more like junk than merchandise. He thought to himself that there were indeed entric individuals in every world. Just as he was about to move on, an inexplicable force tugged at something deep within him as his gaze fell upon an ordinary-looking rock. His eyes narrowed as he tried to peer into the in stone''s depths. Unlike his earlier experience with the lucky stones, he couldn''t see through this rock, but he felt a strong connection to it resonating within his Origin Core. An old man''s voice broke into his thoughts. "It seems something has caught your eye." Vincent turned to face the veiled figure. Rather than answering directly, he asked, "I''m just curious why you''re selling these old items..." "Oh? Do you think I''m peddling garbage?" the vendor challenged. Vincent raised an eyebrow. "If they''re not trash, what are they then?" The man fell silent for a moment before replying. "These items may have lost their value and purpose for some, but I believe in the saying, ''One man''s trash is another man''s treasure.''" Vincent pondered the vendor''s words, nodding silently in agreement. "If you''re not buying, please move along. Don''t obstruct my business," the man said, though his tonecked genuine hostility. Despite being shooed away, Vincent stood his ground. "You say one man''s trash can be another''s treasure. Well, I have some ''trash'' here. Care to make a deal?" The vendor''s interest seemed piqued. "Ho, a business proposition? Do tell." With a wave of his hand, Vincent produced all the items he''d looted in Origin World. The previously sparse stall was now filled with his acquisitions. "Care to buy this ''trash''?" Vincent asked. While an unawakened person might have been overwhelmed by the sheer volume of items, the veiled man showed no reaction. That was, until Vincent revealed a purple book¡ªthe Thrygian Trait Skill Book. Originally rare, he had upgraded it to Epic quality before returning. "An Epic Skill Book?" the vendor remarked, though his reaction was more subdued than Vincent had anticipated. Vincent''s curiosity about the man''s background intensified. He activated his Heaven Eyes, scanning the vendor but found nothing unusual beyond confirming that he was a peak Tier 1 Origin Warrior. "Interested in buying the lot?" Vincent inquired. The man hesitated before responding. "I can offer 90% of market price for all yourmon items." "Ny percent? Hmm. What about this book?" Vincent asked, gesturing to the purple tome. "That high-quality, specialized skill book is a bit different. It''s not in high demand, but it could be priceless to the right buyer. I''d rmend you auction it instead." "Auction, huh?" Vincent mused, contemting where he might do so. Noting Vincent''s consideration, the vendor added, "I could auction it for you, if you''d like." "For how much?" The man''s tone became more appreciative. "I like you. Straight to the point. I want 20% of the sale." Vincent frowned, displeased. "Five percent." The vendor shook his head. "Can''t do it. Fifteen percent." Rather than continue haggling, Vincent made to withdraw. "Forget it. I''ll auction it myself." Seeing Vincent about to reim the book, the man hurriedly interjected. "W-Wait! Ten percent, and you can choose one item from my stall." Vincent regarded him silently. "Come on," the vendor pressed. "The auction site takes a 5% cut. I''d only be making 5% myself. Cut me some ck here." Though Vincent''s expression remained impassive, inwardly he wasughing. Of course, he knew the standard auction fees and how time-consuming the process could be. Still, he yed along, acting as if he was epting out of pity. "Alright. Ten percent and..." he paused, surveying the items before him. "...I''ll take this one," he said, pointing to the rock that had drawn him in so strongly. N?v(el)B\\jnn The moment he made his choice, Vincent felt a piercing gaze upon him. He nced around, but the sensation vanished as quickly as it hade. ''What was that? Am I getting paranoid?'' he wondered. Oblivious to Vincent''s internal dialogue, the vendor responded cheerfully. "Excellent! Let''s draw up a contract, shall we?" With a wave of his hand, the man conjured a transparent interface. He signed it with his fingerprint before passing it to Vincent. Vincent carefully scrutinized the contract''s contents. It was a standard digital business agreement used in Astralis, governed by thews of the Starmark System. Any breach would result in immediate arrest¡ªa marvel to Vincent, who hailed from Earth. Satisfied that everything was in order, Vincent added his own fingerprint signature. Both parties received a copy of the finalized contract. "So, you''re Vincent..." the vendor murmured, eyeing the signed document. Vincent learned the man''s name was Alex. "I''ll need your bank details and contact information," Alex said. "Then you can have this..." He carefully handed over a small box, about the size of a fist, containing the rock. Vincent epted it without a word. The moment his fingers brushed the container, he heard a faint, rhythmic pulsing¡ªlike a heartbeat. ''Just what are you?'' he pondered, studying the strange stone. "Everything alright, young man?" Alex''s voice broke through his musings. Snapping back to the present, Vincent replied, "Yes, fine." He tucked the box into his storage ring. "When can I expect results from the auction?" "I''ll notify you in three days at the earliest, a week at most." "Alright. Just transfer the payment for mymon items to my ount. I''ve got other business to attend to." Alex nodded, watching as Vincent left the Central Bazaar. "Interesting..." the vendor murmured to himself. As Vincent rode in a hover cab on his way to school, he couldn''t help but grin at the bank notification that shed across his interface. Notification: You have received a payment of 1,500,000 credits from Alex. Your ount bnce is now 2,400,000 credits. His first day in Origin World hadted him over two million credits, catapulting him from pauper to millionaire. Of course, he knew the source of most of his newfound wealth. ''Azhara, my little walking treasure,'' he mused. ''I hope we cross paths again in Origin World.'' Chuckling at the thought, Vincent retrieved the item he''d acquired from Alex. Upon opening the box, he immediately noticed a change in the rock''s appearance. It now emitted a faint ck aura, exuding a mix of dread, chaos, and raw power. Filled with both curiosity and caution, he slowly reached for the stone. The moment his fingers made contact, a sh of ck light erupted from within. The outeryer disintegrated, revealing a shiny ck marble that was eerily familiar. It was identical to the one that had transported him to this world! "How... why is it here?" Vincent muttered, baffled. If the marble that had brought him to this reality now served as his Origin Core, what was this simr orb, seemingly filled with countless bright stars. Before he could ponder further, a pir of obsidian light burst forth from the marble. It shot skyward, piercing the clouds and drawing the attention of countless onlookers throughout District 12. Vincent''s consciousness faded as the ck light engulfed him. An indeterminate amount of timeter, Vincent felt awareness returning. To his shock, he found himself floating thousands of feet above the ground. "Where the hell am I?" he wondered aloud, gazing at the unfamiliarndscape far below. Chapter 17: Mysterious Vision

Chapter 17: Mysterious Vision

Vincent stood, bewildered, his eyes scanning the strange, destendscape that stretched endlessly before him. A towering figure cloaked in darkness loomed in the distance, its form pulsing with a sinister energy that seemed to consume the very air around it. Surrounding this dark entity were countless shadowy armies, locked in a brutal sh against forces from all walks of existence. Farther away, Vincent spotted anothermanding presence, leading the opposition. This colossal figure, formed entirely from swirling mist, exuded a holy, almost divine aura. The sight of these two beings alone made Vincent feel minuscule, as though he were nothing more than a grain of sand in an iprehensible universe. Although he had no idea who or what these entities were, one thing was clear¡ªthey radiated unimaginable power. "Where the hell has that marble dragged me now?" Vincent thought, his mind racing as he tried toprehend the scene unfolding before him. Just as his thoughts started to spin, the dark figure spoke, its voice deep, ancient, and strangely yful. "Still ying the hypocrite, huh? After all these reincarnations, you''d think you''d get tired of it." The misty figure, apparently unmoved by the taunt, responded with a scoff. "Don''t pretend you don''t know who you are. Your very existence is the reason cmity continues to fall upon the universe." "You old fools always find someone to me for your own mess. Can''t you think of a better excuse?" the dark figure replied, dripping with sarcasm. "Shut up, demon!" the mist figure roared, its voice filled with fury. "Hand over the Chaos System. You have no idea what you''re dealing with¡ªwielding that kind of power will bring nothing but disaster for all of us!" The mist figure''s form shifted and reconfigured, summoning an enormous golden hand that hovered menacingly in the air, orbs of holy light swirling in its grasp. The dark figure chuckled at the disy. "See? There''s the truth. You''re still after my power, aren''t you? Even after all these eons, even after killing everyone I cared about¡ªand even your own people¡ªyou''ll do anything to get it." The chuckle turned into a bitterugh filled with hatred. Raising its hand, the dark figure summoned a circr disc of dark energy, its surface resembling a clock. The hands of this clock moved backward, forcing the golden light back to its original form before it dissolved into nothingness. "You''ll never beat me, not in this lifetime!" the dark figure dered. "Hmph. You think I''m not ready for that?" The mist figure sneered, producing an artifact¡ªa golden hourss brimming with chaotic energy. The dark figure''s voice faltered for the first time, a note of shock creeping in. "How did you get that?!" "I paid a heavy price for it," the mist figure said, throwing the artifact into the air where it hovered, ominous and foreboding. Strange, arcane chants filled the space, and a massive vortex of white, chaotic energy began to form, its gravitational pull swallowing everything in its path. Armies, monsters, even reality itself seemed to warp and bend as they were consumed by the chaotic portal. "You mad old dog!" the dark figure roared. "Are you really willing to destroy the entire universe just to defeat me?!" "I''ll do whatever it takes to end you!" the mist figure''s voice rang out, resolute. Desperately, the dark figure conjured countless clocks, their hands moving backward in a frantic attempt to reverse time. Some of the beings that had already been pulled into the vortex were yanked back, momentarily brought back to life. But the mist figure was unrelenting. "There''s no point in resisting. You know it''s futile." As the dark figure strained against the overwhelming force of the vortex, it suddenly shifted its gaze toward Vincent. Its abyssal eyes locked onto him, and in that instant, a searing pain tore through Vincent''s skull, so intense that he cked out. When he came to, Vincent was back in his cab, his head still throbbing from the encounter. His body trembled, drenched in cold sweat. "Who... who was that?" he whispered to himself, rubbing his temples. "Why do I feel like I know him?" As he tried to piece together what had just happened, panic surged through him¡ªhis ck marble was gone. Frantically, he searched the cab, hoping to find it, but it was nowhere to be seen. Just as despair started to creep in, a strange, dark aura pulsed from within him. Focusing inward, Vincent realized his Origin Core, once in and unremarkable, now glowed with a multitude of bright stars¡ªeerily simr to the marble he''d been holding. The core throbbed with a dark, ominous energy, reminiscent of the power he had witnessed from the dark figure. Acting on instinct, Vincent tapped into the dark energy, channeling it to his eyes. His sclera turned pitch ck, while his pupils remained their striking purple. Suddenly, a vision took hold¡ªa tower of obsidian light piercing the sky, surrounded by countless eyes watching over it. The vision shifted again. This time, he saw powerful figures converging on the tower of light, their eyes locked onto him. He could see his own cab, suspended mid-air, with himself being pursued by these beings. With a sharp gasp, Vincent cut off the dark energy, his eyes snapping back to normal. Without hesitation, hemanded his cab to descend. The moment it was low enough, he kicked open the door and leaped out, sprinting toward the crowded streets of the district. Disoriented, he knew one thing for sure¡ªif he didn''t keep running, he might not survive whatever wasing for him. The moment Vincent disappeared into the ocean of faces, hundreds of feet above him, Leo ire-District Leader of District 12-appeared, his face as grave as stone. A minute or twoter, another figure appeared, hovering in the air beside Leo. The new one had long blonde hair, with a big horizontal scar across the bridge of his nose. d in skin-tight ck armor, his face was a mask of arrogance. "Yo, me Boy!" the blond-haired man called out. "I gotta admit, I''m quite surprised you kept such a huge secret buried in your district!" Leo-least in the mood for any banter-forwarded a sharp re in the man''s direction, Arman Matthews. "If you think I''m hiding something in my district, why don''t you go back to your own district like someone with some decency?" Arman was the leader of the neighboring District 11 and loved getting dirt under Leo''s nail. "Humph! Don''t y dumb about knowing what that ck pir means!" This time Leo said nothing; he knew exactly what Arman was referring to. Legend spoke of a ck pir that heralded cmity-a catastrophe that had onceid waste to an entire civilization. The thought of it nagged him and, simultaneously, incensed him that such an omen should appear in his territory. Having been a District Leader for a couple of years, even to think that something so viinous could be lurking within the ambit of his care was immensely disturbing. Not having received an answer from Leo, he pressed on. "Come clean, Leo. What are you concealing in your territory?" To the persistent inquiry from Arman, Leo just snapped, "Do you really think I''d be standing here with you if I knew what the answer to that was?" Almost immediately after this was said, two more figures materialized beside them. One was a tall, statuesque woman with flowing silver hair and piercing gold eyes, while the other was a stocky man with a shaved head, his exposed skin covered by intricate tattoos. "My, my," the woman spoke, her voice like silk. "What do we have here? A lover''s quarrel between our esteemed colleagues?" "Can it, Selena," growled the man with the tattoos. "This is no time for your games. We all felt that surge of power. Leo, exin yourself." Leo turned to them, his exasperation clear on his features. "Selena, Goran, I assure you, I''m as oblivious to this mess as you are. The thing with the pir of light simply showed up out of thin air, and I''mpletely at a loss about how and why it''s here." Goran, the tattooed man, narrowed his eyes. "You expect us to believe that? This is your territory, Leo. You should know every pebble and de of grass within it." "I understand your skepticism," Leo said evenly, though he was clearly struggling to keep his temper. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om "But I swear upon my position as District Leader, I had no knowledge of this. phenomenon until it manifested." Selena prowled around the group, her movements fluid yet menacing. "The fact that either Leo knew or didn''t know about it is beside the point. What is relevant is what are we going to do about this?" said Arman, who had been uncharacteristically quiet till then. "We need to find the source of that pir. If it indeed foretells some sort of disaster, just like those legends told, we can''t afford to just sit around." "For once, I agree with Arman," Leo said, his words drawing a surprised look from the rest. "We should get search parties andb District 12. Whatever did this needs to be found and contained." Goran just nodded grimly. "Agreed. But let''s not forget, if this does turn out to be something you''ve been concealing from us, Leo, there will be repercussions." Meanwhile, as Vincent was making his way through the crowded streets, his heart racing with anticipation, the District Leaders were talking about what was to be done to find out the truth. Chapter 18: Annual Battle Ceremony (1)

Chapter 18: Annual Battle Ceremony (1)

Vincent navigated through several alleyways, his appearance shifting subtly with each turn thanks to his Morphic Mask. As he finally approached the Academy grounds, he could sense the heightened atmosphere of anticipation and tension. His phone had been buzzing incessantly with messages from his sister and Amara, but he''d deal with thoseter. Despite the recent disturbance in the city - that ominous ck pir that had everyone talking - the Academy was bustling with activity. Today marked the Annual Battle Ceremony for awakened students, and representatives from various guilds and institutes would be in attendance. The stakes were high, and Vincent could feel it in the air. As he entered his ssroom, the usual cacophony of morning chatter died down instantly. All eyes locked onto him, and whispers began to ripple through the room. "Vincent Magnus is here!" "He looks... different somehow. Has it really only been a month?" "Did you feel that? There''s something about him now..." "Could it be rted to that ck pir we saw earlier?" Vincent made his way to his seat at the back of the room, his mind still processing the events of the morning. The dark energy he''d absorbed from the mysterious ck marble pulsed within him, a constant reminder of the changes he''d undergone. He was so lost in thought that he almost missed the approaching footsteps. "Hello, Vincent." The voice was feminine, deliberately pitched to sound alluring. Vincent looked up to find udia Blonde standing before his desk, nked by two of her usual followers. Her tanned skin and blonde twin-tails were as immacte as ever, the red and white school uniform tailored perfectly to her figure. As the daughter of an influential family, udia was used tomanding attention - though she''d never paid much attention to Vincent before today. Keeping his expression neutral, Vincent replied, "What can I do for you?" udia twirled a lock of hair around her finger, a practiced gesture that had probably won over countless admirers. With a slight blush, she asked, "Would you like to join me for a walk after school?" Vincent had to suppress a smirk. The privilege of power was already making itself known. Before his awakening, he''d been invisible to the likes of udia. Now, suddenly, he was worthy of her attention. Though he was no ordinary teenager - his memories of his past life on Earth gave him a different perspective on such matters - he decided to y along. "Interesting invitation," he said, letting a hint of amusement color his voice. "Though I''m curious - we''ve never really talked before, have we? And weren''t you involved with Greg?" From the corner of his eye, Vincent could see Greg Malcolm tensing at his desk. The boy''s face was turning an interesting shade of red as he mouthed silently, "Don''t... you... dare... agree." Everyone knew Greg had been pursuing udia for over a year, unting his family''s connections and his brother''s reputation as a genius Origin Warrior. Vincent''s deliberate mention of him was like poking a sleeping beast. "I would love to join you for a walk," Vincent continued, his eyes locked with udia''s, "but I''m afraid I''m quite busy today with the Annual Battle Ceremony. Perhaps another time?" He punctuated his response with a subtle wink that made udia''s blush deepen. The reaction was immediate. A wave of heated energy rolled through the ssroom as Greg shot to his feet, his Origin Power ring visibly around him. "You dare to mess with my woman, you punk?!" Greg''s voice cracked with fury, veins bulging on his forehead as fire energy swirled around him. Vincent had to admit, he was somewhat impressed. Despite his D-rank talent, Greg had improved significantly - clearly, his family''s resources had been put to good use. Yet,pared to Vincent''s current level, Greg''s Tier 1 power felt like a candle next to a bonfire. Maintaining his yful smile, Vincent turned to udia. "Is that true? Are you his woman?" udia''s face scrunched up in anger. "I''d never like him at all! He just kept pestering me, always unting his family''s power and his brother being a genius Origin Warrior." Vincent faced Greg, his smile never wavering. "That''s what she said." Greg''s face turned an even deeper shade of red, his fury reaching a boiling point. "You! Good! Haha, you bitch chose that poor punk instead of me? Do you think he''ll survive and be great just by having a good talent without a proper background?" Vincent remained silent, studying Greg with an unnerving calmness that only seemed to enrage the other boy further. "What do you mean by that?" udia demanded, her voice heavy with indignation. "I''ll show you what I mean!" Greg''s right arm erupted in red-orange mes as he lunged forward. udia, still standing near Vincent''s desk, could only cry out, "Watch out!" Vincent didn''t move until thest possible moment. The dark energy he''d absorbed earlier surged through his body, mixing with his Origin Power in ways he was only beginning to understand. As Greg''s ming fist approached, Vincent casually raised his right hand. His normally pure, transparent Origin Power now had a subtle dark tinge to it as he blocked Greg''s punch with a resounding bang. The force of the impact sent a shockwave through the ssroom, scattering papers and rattling shelves. Greg''s eyes widened in disbelief. "H-How can you block my attack?" n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Vincent''s smirk grew slightly. "You''re just too weak." Still holding Greg''s fist, Vincent gave a casual push that sent the other boy stumbling backward to fall ungracefully on his back. "Ugh!" The ssroom erupted in shocked whispers. Vincent Magnus, the former nobody, had just effortlessly defeated Greg Malcolm. Even udia was staring at Vincent with newfound wonder. "Are you alright, Vincent?" she asked, concern evident in her voice. As Vincent turned to answer her, his eyes shed with dark energy for a brief moment before returning to normal. "I''m fine." Greg''s enraged roar cut through the murmuring crowd. "Vincent Magnus! I will kill you! I want you dead!" He scrambled to his feet, his face contorted with rage. A pair of ornate red gauntlets materialized on his fists, the red pearls embedded in them glowing ominously as mes erupted around his arms. "Today will be your funeral!" Just as Greg was about to attack again, a stern voice cut through the tension like a de. "What''s happening here?!" All eyes turned to see Councilor Carlos Castenos standing in the doorway, his gray hair and lined face doing nothing to diminish hismanding presence. Vincent''s senses tingled as he observed the old man. He''s actually Tier 3 Origin Warrior... "Aren''t you both ashamed of what you''re doing?" the councilor demanded. "Today is an important day for both you and the school, and here you are making a mess? Go back to your seats!" Vincent noticed the councilor studying him intently for a moment, and he wondered if the old warrior could sense the change in his Origin Power. "Both of you,e with me to the announcement hall," Councilor Carlos ordered. "The Dean will announce the rules of the Annual Battle Ceremony." As they filed out of the ssroom behind the councilor, Vincent could feel the weight of everyone''s stares. The walk to the announcement hall was tense, filled with unspoken hostility between Vincent and Greg. Councilor Carlos led them through the Academy''s sprawling corridors, his steady footsteps echoing against the polished stone floors. Other students they passed whispered and pointed, word of their confrontation already spreading through the school like wildfire. Vincent took the opportunity to observe his surroundings more carefully. The Academy was even more alive than usual today, with staff members hurrying about makingst-minute preparations for the ceremony. Through therge windows, he could see viewing stands being erected in the courtyards and what appeared to berge, covered cages being transported toward the arena area - undoubtedly containing the Primal Beasts for the first phase of the tournament. As they walked, Vincent became increasingly aware of the dark energy coursing through his body. It seemed to respond to his emotions, curling and uncurling like a sleeping beast. He could sense it mixing with his original Origin Power, creating something new, something potentially dangerous but undeniably powerful. Greg, walking slightly behind him, was still radiating anger. The red pearls on his gauntlets pulsed rhythmically, matching his agitated breathing. Vincent could hear him muttering under his breath, probably plotting some form of revenge during the ceremony. "Both of you," Councilor Carlos suddenly spoke, his voice carrying the weight of decades of experience, "I hope you understand what today represents." He paused in his stride, turning to face them. "The Annual Battle Ceremony isn''t just apetition. It''s a tradition that dates back to the founding of our Academy, a chance for students to prove their worth not just to their peers, but to themselves." The old councilor''s eyes seemed to pierce through Vincent, and for a moment, he wondered if the man could sense the strange energy within him. "It''s also," the councilor continued, "a reminder that true strength isn''t just about power. It''s about control, strategy, and knowing when to fight and when to step back." They resumed walking, now joined by streams of other students all heading toward the announcement hall. Vincent noticed how people reacted to their group - some with curiosity, others with barely concealed excitement at the prospect of uing battles. He recognized many faces: Lin Feng, known for his exceptional speed; Sara Chen, whose healing abilities were renowned throughout the school; Dmitri Volkov, whose physical enhancement Origin Power made him a formidable opponent. As they approached the massive doors of the announcement hall, Councilor Carlos turned to them one final time. "Remember, whatever personal grievances you may have, they end here. In the ceremony, you fight for the honor of the Academy and for your own growth as Origin Warriors. Do you understand?" "Yes, Councilor," Vincent replied calmly, while Greg merely nodded, his jaw clenched tight. The announcement hall was already filling up as they entered. It was an impressive space, with high vaulted ceilings supported by columns inscribed with ancient runes that pulsed with a soft, blue light. The air was charged with anticipation and the mingled Origin Power of hundreds of students. Vincent found a spot near the middle of the hall, conscious of the curious nces thrown his way. The confrontation in the ssroom had clearly sparked interest in him as a potential contender in the ceremony. He could hear snippets of conversation around him: "Did you hear? He took down Greg Malcolm without even trying..." "But isn''t he the one who only awakened recently?" "Something''s different about him now..." Before long, the runes on the columns red brighter, signaling the arrival of Dean Augustus Thorne. The legendary Origin Warrior stepped onto the elevated tform at the front of the hall, his presence immediatelymanding attention. The dean''s Origin Power was so refined that it was barely noticeable, yet Vincent could feel its immense pressure filling the entire hall. "Students of the Academy," the dean''s voice resonated throughout the space, "today marks themencement of our Annual Battle Ceremony." His eyes swept across the gathered crowd, and Vincent felt a slight pressure when that gaze passed over him. "As you stand here, know that you represent not just yourselves, but the future of Origin Warriors." Holographic disys materialized around the hall, showing maps of the different arenas and statistics from previous years'' ceremonies. Vincent studied them intently, already formting strategies in his mind. "This year''s ceremony will follow the traditional three phases," Dean Thorne continued. "However, I must warn you - our scouts have reported unusually aggressive behavior among the Primal Beasts in recent months. The creatures we''ve captured for the ceremony are stronger and more cunning than in previous years. Exercise extreme caution." A murmur of excitement and apprehension rippled through the crowd. Vincent noticed Greg smirking, probably thinking this would give him an advantage with his fire-based abilities. As the dean proceeded to exin the specific rules for each phase, Vincent felt the dark energy within him resonating with his anticipation. He knew that this ceremony would be more than just a test - it would be his opportunity to truly understand the changes happening within him, to push the boundaries of his newfound power. The announcement concluded with the dean activating arge holographic disy showing the random team assignments for the first phase. Vincent quickly located his name and memorized his teammates - he was paired with Lin Feng, which could be advantageous given theirplementary abilities, along with two students he didn''t know well. As the students began to disperse to prepare for the ceremony, Vincent caught Councilor Carlos watching him with an unreadable expression. The old warrior nodded slightly before turning away, leaving Vincent to wonder if he had sensed something different about his Origin Power. Chapter 19: Annual Battle Ceremony (2)

Chapter 19: Annual Battle Ceremony (2)

Vincent stood at the corner of the training field, his mind adrift in thought. The recent changes he''d been experiencing gnawed at him, a constant presence just beneath the surface. Ever since he had absorbed the strange ck marble, something had shifted. His emotions felt foreign, as though they were no longer his own, influenced by something dark and unfamiliar. "What the hell is that marble, really?" he muttered under his breath, his eyes scanning the bustling field. The ceremony would begin soon, and all the awakened students were gathering, their excitement palpable in the air. Vincent''s gaze drifted toward the far end of the field. "Alex... that old man might know something. I''ll ask him once this ceremony is over." As he stood, lost in his thoughts, the sound of footsteps approaching snapped him back to the present. A confident voice, smooth yetced with arrogance, cut through the noise around him. "Vincent Magnus." Vincent turned to see Lin Feng, a young man with long ck hair that cascaded down his back, standing a few feet away. Dressed in light blue martial clothes with a sword at his hip, Lin Feng exuded an air of superiority. He had been one of the first to awaken in their batch, and Vincent could sense that the boy''s pride came as much from his family name as it did from his power. Vincent''s eyes narrowed slightly, and with a thought, he activated his Heaven Eyes ability. He couldn''t help but feel a flicker of surprise. Lin Feng had already reached Tier 1, 4-star. How are they improving so quickly? Vincent wondered, his mind racing. Even for someone from a prestigious martial family, the speed at which Lin Feng had progressed made no sense. His C-rank talent, Swift Speed Ability, enhanced movement and attack speed, but the experience required for such rapid breakthroughs should have been astronomical. Something about it felt off. "Yes?" Vincent''s voice was terse, betraying hisck of interest. Lin Feng''s smile widened. "You know who I am, don''t you?" He didn''t wait for an answer. "I''m Lin Feng. And unlike that idiot Greg, I''m not someone you can just defeat so easily." Vincent sighed internally. Why does every world have people like this? Arrogance like Lin Feng''s was as predictable as the rising sun. "What do you want?" he asked, his tone t, clearly not in the mood for a drawn-out conversation. Lin Feng took a step closer, his tone turning demanding. "When you''re on my team, you''ll follow my orders. Understood?" Vincent nced past Lin Feng at the two other students standing silently behind him¡ªa boy and a girl, both looking ufortable but unwilling to voice their concerns. The weight of Lin Feng''s family name loomed over them, and Vincent could see it in their eyes. He turned to them, his expression neutral. "How about you two? Are you okay with this?" The boy, Van, shifted ufortably under Lin Feng''s re, his eyes flicking nervously between them. The girl, Shaina, remained silent, her posture stiff. Neither dared oppose Lin Feng openly, and after a tense moment, they both nodded quickly. Vincent shrugged. "Do whatever you want." The truth was, the ceremony didn''t matter much to him. His goals were beyond these petty rivalries, and he could grow faster in the Origin World regardless of the oue. He had no intention of getting involved in a leadership dispute with Lin Feng. He''d win in the end, regardless of who called the shots now. Closing his eyes, Vincent sat down, his posture rxed, signaling the conversation was over. Lin Feng, clearly annoyed by his nonchnt response, clenched his jaw before turning to his followers. "You two! If you want to win, follow me!" he barked, storming off with an indignant huff. Soon after, the deep voice of Dean Thorne echoed across the field,manding the attention of all the awakened students. "All awakened students, preparations areplete. Please proceed to the training field!" Vincent stood and began making his way to the field along with the others. The training ground had been transformed into an enormous arena, the size of a football field. Arge podium stood at the front, surrounded by rows of spectators¡ªstudents, their families, and various influential figures from across the region. On the podium, beside Dean Thorne, sat several notable individuals, their presence radiating authority. Vincent recognized a few faces from news reports, the kind of people whose power and status were often mentioned in whispers. The excited chatter of the crowd filled the air, their voices a mix of awe and anticipation. "Are those recruiters from the big organizations?" "They must be! I feel weak just looking at them. They''re stronger than our Dean, I bet." "That woman there¡ªsee her? That''s the Snow Princess. She''s got an A-rank talent!" "No way... She''s here at our battle ceremony?" Vincent''s curiosity piqued, and he instinctively activated his Heaven Eyes to observe the podium more closely. What he saw startled him. He couldn''t discern Dean Thorne''s power level, nor that of the visitors seated beside him. They must be above Tier 4, Vincent realized. He could still make out Councilor Carlos''s power, who was at Tier 3, but the rest were beyond his ability to read. As his gaze moved across the figures on the podium, a woman with long blue hair and a short, form-fitting dress suddenly turned her head in his direction. Her sharp, ice-blue eyes locked onto his for a split second, and Vincent quickly averted his gaze. The woman was none other than the Ice Princess¡ªan elite member of the Bronzehaven Legionnaire Corps, one of the few Origin Warriors who had awakened an A-rank talent in their Arc. She''s even more dangerous than I thought. That sharp sense... Dean Thorne noticed the exchange and leaned toward her, his voice low but clear enough for those nearby to hear. "What''s wrong, niece?" The Ice Princess continued to stare in Vincent''s direction, her face impassive. "Nothing, uncle." Satisfied, Dean Thorne stepped forward to address the students, his voice carrying across the arena. "Students, as mentioned earlier, the first phase of the ceremony will be the Primal Hunt. You will be transported through the portal to a designated location. The rules are simple¡ªthe ten teams that hunt the most primals will advance to the next phase and earn a special prize that will aid your cultivation." He raised a small wrist device. "For your safety, instructors are stationed throughout the area. If your team wishes to withdraw, simply activate the bail button on thismunication device. You''ll each be given one before entering the portal. It will also track your primal kills. And remember, killing other students is strictly forbidden!" The students erupted in excitement, their voices rising in a collective cheer. Vincent stood with Lin Feng, Van, and Shaina. Lin Feng shot him a quick, irritated nce before addressing the group. "Let''s go." They received their devices in silence, and Vincent nced down at the two-hour countdown timer. Group 24 was up. As they stepped through the portal, the world shifted around them. The brief sensation of vertigo passed as quickly as it came, and within moments, Vincent found himself in a dense wilderness. Towering trees stretched skyward, their thick canopies casting deep shadows over the underbrush. The air was humid and thick with the scent of moss and damp earth. The only sounds were the rustling of leaves and the distant calls of unknown creatures. Themunication device on Vincent''s wrist buzzed softly, and he nced down to see a holographic map materialize above it. The map showed a birds-eye view of their current location, represented by green triangr icons. Other purple icons marked the positions of nearby teams, and severalrge red dots indicated the locations of high-tiered primals scattered across the hunting zone. Vincent remained quiet as he studied the map, already nning his strategy. He had no intention of sticking with Lin Feng and his team for long. The sooner he could break off, the better. Lin Feng, on the other hand, had other ns. "Let''s go!" Lin Feng barked, his voice brimming with authority. His eyes flickered toward Vincent, narrowing slightly. "And as for you," he added, his tone sharp, "I don''t like your attitude. You''re out of the team." Vincent raised an eyebrow, the corners of his mouth twitching into the faintest hint of a smile. Well, that was quicker than expected. Van, clearly startled by the abrupt decision, stepped forward. "W-Wait, Lin Feng! You can''t just kick him out. We need all the help we can get if we want to qualify for the next round." Shaina, equally concerned, nodded in agreement. Her gaze shifted uneasily between Lin Feng and Vincent, not daring to voice her thoughts but clearly troubled by the sudden exclusion. Lin Feng shot Van a look of pure disdain. "Do you think I''m an idiot? I have my own ns. You just need to follow my orders. Or maybe you want to join him?" Van''s expression faltered, and despite his obvious difort with the situation, he shook his head quickly. Though he hated Lin Feng''s arrogance, he wasn''t confident that Vincent could outmatch him. He chose the path of least resistance, stepping back without further protest. Vincent, unsurprised by the turn of events, gave a casual shrug. He didn''t have the energy to argue or convince them otherwise. If they thought kicking him out would benefit them, he wasn''t going to waste his time trying to change their minds. "Suit yourselves," Vincent said simply, turning on his heel and walking off into the dense forest. He didn''t bother looking back as he vanished into the shadows, leaving the group behind. Lin Feng watched him go, his jaw clenched in irritation. "Good riddance," he muttered before turning to Van and Shaina. "Now, let''s move. We don''t have time to waste." Meanwhile, Vincent moved deeper into the forest, his senses alert as he navigated the terrain. He wasn''t concerned about being alone. In fact, he preferred it that way. Lin Feng''s impulsiveness would only get in the way, and Vincent knew his own strength better than anyone else. The Primal Hunt was just another obstacle, one he would ovee on his own terms. As he continued forward, hismunication device buzzed again, signaling the proximity of a primal beast. He stopped, scanning the area with his Heaven Eyes. The faint outline of a creature appeared through the dense foliage¡ªarge, hulking beast covered in thick scales, its eyes glowing faintly with primal energy. Vincent''s lips curved into a smile. Finally. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om He moved silently through the underbrush, positioning himself downwind of the creature. The primal was a Tier 1, not particrly dangerous, but strong enough to pose a threat to those who were careless. For Vincent, however, it was perfect practice. Chapter 20: Primal Hunt

Chapter 20: Primal Hunt

All eyes in the arena were glued to the floating screens before them. The central disy,rger than the rest, focused on a young man with wild red hair and a muscr build, his stern face a mask of concentration. This was Elric Baelius, an A-rank awakened talent who the instructors and VIPs fully expected to dominate the ceremony. He and his team were making short work of the Tier 1 primals, dispatching them with practiced ease. Nine smaller screens surrounded the main disy, each tracking other promising groups who showed potential to advance to the next round. In the center podium, the influential figures had already begun their own subtle battle. A man with long green hair, dressed immactely in a fine suit and thin-framed spectacles, spoke up from his seat near Dean Thorne. His voice carried no emotion, carefully neutral as he asked, "Mr. Thorne, have you delivered my requested favor to student Elric?" Augustus Thorne, who had been watching his students'' performance with an approving smile, briefly frowned before smoothing his expression. He was well aware of the speaker''s background. This was Verno Alius, an A-rank Origin Warrior and elite member of the prestigious Emerald Python Guild. Led by a formidable S-rank Origin Warrior, the guild was notorious for recruiting only those with A-rank talent or higher. Before Augustus could respond, another voice cut in. "Pulling strings already, Snake Verno? That''s low, even for you." The words dripped with undisguised contempt. The speaker was Arnold Mazels, another A-rank Origin Warrior and elite member of the White Tiger Guild. His tanned skin stretched over thick muscles, barely contained by his white martial garment. Short hair and heavy eyebrowspleted his intimidating appearance. At the mention of his nickname, Verno''s reptilian jade eyes flickered briefly as he turned to face Arnold. "Don''t act so righteous. We both know you had the same idea. I just moved faster, old dog." With that, he closed his eyes and turned away, clearly dismissing any further discussion. "Who are you calling an old dog? You looking for a fight?!" Arnold''s voice rose dangerously. "Are you sure you''re in a position to challenge me right now?" "What''s that supposed to mean?" "You know exactly what I mean, old dog. Your... owner''s days are numbered." The mention of his ''owner'' triggered an explosive reaction. A vibrant, bloody aura erupted from Arnold as killing intent filled the air. His clenched teeth revealed sharp fangs, and the armrest of his seat cracked under his grip. In response to Arnold''s pressure attack, Verno released his own baleful emerald aura, the two forces shing violently. With a thunderous ''bang,'' a shockwave rippled through the arena, startling the audience and terrifying the school instructors seated behind the VIPs. "What''s happening?!" "Mad Dog Arnold and Snake Verno are at it again!" "Someone stop them!" While chaos erupted in the stands, Vincent was threading through the wilderness with deadly precision. He obliterated a Tier 1 - 1 star primal with a single punch. [You''ve killed Tier 1 - 1 ¡ï Vile Snake] +0.0005 experience points! Talent activated! You have received 5 experience points! His kill counter ticked up by one, but after fifteen minutes of hunting, he''d only managed to earn 20 primal points. A frown creased his brow as he considered his options. "This isn''t going to cut it. Only an idiot would waste time on low-level primals. Real-world primals don''t even drop loot or leave corpses." Decision made, Vincent set his sights on therge red dot closer to his position. He needed to gauge whether he could take it on with his current strength. As he made his way there, he casually eliminated any primals in his path. He quickly learned that Tier 1 - 2 star primals were worth 2 points each. It made him wonder if higher-tier primals would award points proportional to their cultivation level. Meanwhile, in another part of the wilderness, Greg''s party of two D-rank and two E-rank Origin Warriors crouched behind bushes and tree trunks. They watched intently as another group battled a Tier 1 - 2 star Vicious Wolf. One of Greg''s teammates whispered nervously, "Are we really doing this?" Greg''s expression soured slightly as he replied, "Just follow my lead. My brother tipped me off. The rules only prohibit killing other participants, not injuring them. And get this - if we snatch theirmunication devices, we get their primal points." "But aren''t we being monitored?" another teammate asked anxiously. "Enough questions! You want to make it to the next round or not? Then do as I say!" Thud! The group they were watching finally took down the Vicious Wolf, its form dissolving into digital particles. Greg''s voice rang out with determination, "Now!" Back with Vincent, he perched on a tree branch, carefully observing his surroundings. His attention was drawn to a massive ck bear sleeping near a cave entrance, its fur blending seamlessly with the forest shadows. Activating his Heaven Eyes, he quickly assessed its cultivation level. "A Forest Fury... peak Tier 1." The sight prompted Vincent to check his own status: Name: Vincent Magnus Rank: Tier 1 - 5¡ï (500,250/1,000,000 Exp) Origin Power: 5300/5300 Force: 7.5 Speed: 7.5 Mental: 8.5 Chaos Energy: 60/100 Skills: ¡ñ Basic Offensive and Defensive Martial Technique (Proficiency: Adept) ¡ñ Basic Meditation Method (Proficiency: Adept) ¡ñ Basic Origin Meditation (Proficiency: Novice) ¡ñ Basic Origin Movement Speed (Proficiency: Adept) ¡ñ Stinger (Proficiency: Beginner) Talents: ¡ñ C-Rank: Origin Power Enhancement ¡ñ SSS-Rank: 10,000x Exp Converter "Good call on farming experience points beforeing back. I''ve hit peak Tier 1, but I still need to work on my skills, upgrade my gear, and start cultivating that manual from Azhara..." N?v(el)B\\jnn His thoughts drifted to the chaos energy coursing through his body. "But this energy..." Frowning slightly, he connected the dots. This had to be from absorbing that chaotic marble earlier. "What else can this do besides foresight?" he wondered. Experimentally, he channeled the chaos energy into his right arm. Power surged through his muscles, making his veins bulge visibly. He watched in fascination as his force stats jumped from 7.5 to 8.5 - a full point increase! The chaos energy meter dropped from 60 to 59. To test his enhanced strength, he gave the tree trunk a light jab. The result was explosive - the entire trunk shattered, forcing him to leap to another branch. "Holy shit! Wasn''t expecting that!" As the tree crashed down with a thunderous impact, Vincent''s eyes snapped to the supposedly sleeping Forest Fury. The bear''s head was now raised, its gaze locked directly on him. Vincent could only manage a weak, "Good morning?" The bear''s answering roar shook the forest. "Someone woke up on the wrong side of the cave," Vincent muttered. The beast charged his position, massive jaws mping down on his tree branch. CRUNCH! As the tree began to splinter, Vincent leaped down, using his momentum to deliver a powerful kick to the Forest Fury''s head. Despitending with a resounding ''bang,'' it felt like striking solid metal. He flipped gracefully,nding several meters from the thirteen-foot-tall ck bear. "Damn, that''s one hard head!" The Forest Fury merely shook itself, seemingly unaffected by the blow. "Tough customer, huh?" Enraged, the bear charged again, its bloodshot eyes promising death. Despite its enormous size, it moved with shocking speed, closing the distance in an instant. It swiped with massive paws tipped with razor-sharp ws, but Vincent had anticipated the attack. He dodged smoothly and countered with a devastating punch to its stomach. BANG! His fist connected solidly, but numbness immediately shot through his left arm. The Forest Fury''s jaws gaped wide, revealing gleaming fangs as it attempted to crush Vincent in its maw. But before it could, Vincent summoned his [Darksteel Sword], blocking the savage bite. CLANG! Metal met fangs in a shower of sparks. Vincent quickly disengaged as the bear''s ws began to glow with crimson energy. With a thunderous roar, it unleashed a cross-shaped energy attack. Vincent responded instantly, unleashing Darksteel sh. A white energy wave erupted from his de,pletely nullifying the bear''s attack. BANG! The collision generated a shockwave that devastated the surrounding trees. "Alright, that''s enough testing the waters. I can definitely handle peak Tier 1 primals now." Without hesitation, Vincent activated his awakened talent: Origin Enhancement! His force increased by 30% as he channeled chaos energy into his [Darksteel Sword], making the de hum and vibrate ominously. "Darksteel sh!" A mixture of light and dark energy exploded from his de, streaking toward the furious Forest Fury! BOOM! The deafening roar was followed by a cloud of dust thatpletely obscured the beast. When no confirmation of the kill came, Vincent unleashed three more shes in rapid session. Finally, the notification he''d been waiting for appeared: You have sessfully killed a Tier 1 - 5 stars Forest Fury! +10 experience points! Talent activated! You have received 100,000 experience points! As the dust settled, the Forest Fury''s massive form dissolved into digital particles. Vincent let out a slow breath, checking hismunication device. His primal points had increased by 50 - equivalent to killing fifty Tier 1 - 1 star primals. The difference was staggering. Though this method was faster, Vincent suspected the number of peak Tier 1 primals in the area had to be limited. Otherwise, nobody would have trouble passing to the next round. As he studied his map, Vincent realized something odd - despite killing the Forest Fury, the red dot near his position remained. "What the hell?" Confused, he scanned his surroundings before his eyes settled on the cave entrance he''d noticed earlier. "That dot must being from in there..." Gripping his [Darksteel Sword] tightly, Vincent cautiously entered the cave. Though dark, his enhanced senses allowed him to see clearly. The entrance, deceptively small, opened into a vast, cavernous space. Water dripped somewhere in the darkness as he followed the winding path deeper inside. Morning sunlight barely prated this far, casting everything in dim shadows. Unknown to Vincent, mere moments after he disappeared into the darkness, another group of four silently entered the cave behind him. Chapter 21: Primal Hunt (2)

Chapter 21: Primal Hunt (2)

Vincent traced the winding cave path with practiced caution, periodically consulting his floating map interface until he finally reached the spot marked by an imposing red dot. Instead of the high-tier primal he''d anticipated, his eyes fell upon a sereneke. In its center, a yellow lily flower bloomed, its petals shimmering with an ethereal pale golden light. Standing at the water''s edge, recognition slowly dawned on Vincent''s face as he recalled crucial information about the mysterious bloom. "Isn''t that..." he began to murmur. A sharp voice cut through his thoughts like a knife. "We''ve hit the jackpot! That''s a rare Sunspire Lily!" Vincent turned unhurriedly, unsurprised by the neers. He''d been monitoring his map diligently, so their arrival hadn''t caught him off guard. Four students stood at a distance, two guys and two girls, looking as casual as if they were on a leisurely field trip rather than a dangerous expedition. The guy who''d spoken carried himself with the unmistakable air of entitlement that came from a privileged upbringing. His brown hair was meticulously styled, and hispanions shared the same aura of unearned confidence. "Hey there, fellow student," the brown-haired young man called out, his tone dripping with false camaraderie. "You wouldn''t mind if we imed that Sunspire Lily, right?" Behind him, his friends exchanged knowing smirks, already certain of the oue. Vincent had to suppress a wry smile. If he hadn''t known the true value of the Sunspire Lily, he might have just walked away - confrontation wasn''t typically his style. But this flower, which required a full decade to reach full bloom, was no ordinary nt. It could permanently increase both force and speed attributes by a point, boost heat resistance, and improve sun affinity. Such a prize was worth fighting for. So instead of backing down, he let his annoyance show. "I found it first. You''ve got some nerve making demands like that." The brown-haired student''s friendly facade cracked instantly. He let out a hollowugh as if he''d heard something utterly ridiculous. "Are you seriously refusing to hand it over?" Vincent responded with silence, his steady gaze speaking volumes. One of the girls stepped forward, her tinum blonde hair arranged in an borate braid that must have taken hours to perfect. Her face was caked with enough makeup to paint a small mural. "Senior Cyrus," she drawled, "let''s just beat this loser down! Look at him - all alone. Probably got kicked out of his party for being too weak!" Her voice dripped with the kind of contempt that only the truly privileged could muster. The other girl, sporting vibrant violet hair and enough piercings to set off a metal detector, eagerly joined in. "Yeah! Let''s take him down and grab the lily. We''ll make a fortune!" Her eyes gleamed with anticipated riches. Cyrus''s eyes lit up as if he''d just had an epiphany. "Oh man, they''re right, aren''t they? Your team ditched you, didn''t they?" Vincent frowned briefly before stering on a goofy, disarming smile. Scratching the back of his head sheepishly, he stammered, "Heh, well, Senior Cyrus... I was just trying to act tough. Of course I wouldn''t actually refuse you. But maybe we could work something out? You know..." He rubbed his hands together suggestively. Cyrus stared for a moment before bursting into uproariousughter. "Wait, are you seriously trying to get me to pay you?" Vincent nodded, maintaining his dim-witted expression. Cyrus''sughter cut off as abruptly as it had started. "Do you really think you''re in any position to negotiate? I''ll give you onest chance - get lost." The quiet guy with ck hair shifted ufortably. "Cyrus, maybe we should-" "Shut it, Martin," the blonde girl snapped, her manicured nails tapping against her arm impatiently. "This weakling needs to learn his ce in the pecking order." Vincent''s face fell in apparent disappointment, but he remained silent. He simply turned and walked toward the exit, shoulders slumped in defeat. "What a coward," the blonde sneered as he passed, her overpowering perfume almost choking in the damp cave air. Once Vincent was out of sight, the group couldn''t contain their glee any longer. "That was almost too easy," the violet-haired girl giggled, twirling a strand around her finger. "Did you see how fast he gave up? Absolutely pathetic!" "Martin, go grab that lily!" Cyrus ordered, his D-rank Combat Intuition failing spectacrly to warn him of the impending danger. Martin jumped onto the nearest lily pad, wobbling slightly despite his E-rank Enhanced Bnce talent. "These things are way slipperier than they look!" Meanwhile, Vincent watched silently from behind a cave wall, a faint smirk ying on his lips. "Come on, Martin! Just one more jump!" the violet-haired girl cheered, her D-rank Sound Amplification making her voice bounce unnaturally off the cave walls. "I know, I know! Here goes nothing!" Martin gathered his courage and made the final leap, grinning triumphantly as he reached for the golden flower. But before his fingers could even brush the delicate petals, a dark shape exploded from beneath the water''s surface! Cyrus could only shout a bted warning: "Look out!" n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om The shadow wrapped around Martin in an instant, dragging him under with frightening speed. "Martin!" The blonde''s scream shattered herposed facade as the water churned violently, Martin''s cries quickly turning to desperate gurgles. A massive serpentine form breached the surface, its sickly green scales seeming to absorb what little light there was in the cave. Martin was caught in its coils, his face turning an rming shade of purple as the creature constricted. "Oh god," the violet-haired girl whispered, her hair standing on end as her Sound Amplification picked up the creature''s subsonic growls. "That''s no ordinaryke serpent." Indeed, mutation had twisted the primal into something truly nightmarish. Bony spikes jutted from its scales at irregr intervals, and a frill of poisonous barbs crowned its neck like some grotesque royal cor. Its eyes glowed with an unnatural yellow light as it fixed the students with a predatory stare that spoke of nothing but hunger. Cyrus, his earlier arrogance reced by naked terror, tried desperately to rally his team. "Lysithea, use your Light Burst! Zephyrine, try to distract it with sound! We have to save Martin!" Lysithea''s hands shook violently as she formed a pathetically weak ball of light, barely matching the Sunspire Lily''s natural glow. "I-I can''t! It''s too strong!" The serpent seemed to tire of its toy, flinging Martin aside like a rag doll. Hended hard on a lily pad, coughing up a disturbing mixture of water and blood. "Help... please..." Zephyrine attempted to disorient the creature with her sound abilities, but it seemed more annoyed than affected. Its tail whipped through the air with lightning speed, catching her off guard and sending her crashing into the cave wall with a sickening crunch. "This can''t be happening," Lysithea babbled, backing away on trembling legs. "We''re Tier 1 - 3 star students! We''re supposed to be the elite!" From his hidden position, Vincent observed the unfolding chaos with calcted interest, his Heaven''s Eyes assessing the creature''s strength. "A Mutated Lake Serpent, another peak Tier 1 primal. But how does itpare to a normal one?" he mused quietly. "Their talents are clearly useless against something of this caliber." The serpent reared up to its full height, its frill expanding to reveal glistening poison nds. Cyrus scrambled backward, earlier bravadopletely evaporated. "Everyone, fall back to the tunnel! Now!" As the group began their desperate retreat, Vincent saw his chance. Activating his Origin Movement Speed skill, he became a blur across the lily pads. The serpent, still focused on the fleeing students, didn''t notice his approach. Time seemed to slow as Vincent neared the Sunspire Lily. He could hear Cyrus shouting incoherent orders, Lysithea''s hysterical sobs, and Zephyrine''s pained moans. His hand closed around the flower''s stem just as the primal finally sensed his presence. Vincent''s Adept-level martial techniques came into y as he narrowly avoided the serpent''s lightning-fast strike. His Basic Offensive and Defensive Martial Technique allowed him to maintain perfect bnce on the precarious lily pad as he swiftly severed the flower with his Darksteel Sword, immediately securing it in his storage ring. "You... you were waiting for this!" Cyrus used, his voice cracking with fear and rage. "You knew all along!" Vincent didn''t waste breath responding. He focused entirely on escaping, using the primal''s momentary distraction to make his way back to solid ground. Only when he reached safety did he turn to address the battered group. "Unlike some, I don''t rely solely on talents," he said quietly, carefully securing the Sunspire Lily. "Observation, patience, and actual skill count for far more than star rank alone." Lysithea, her perfectly applied makeup now streaked with tears, pointed a shaking finger at him. "You... you used us as bait! We could have died!" "And? What''s that to me?" Vincent responded with ice in his voice. "You were so certain of your superiority that you never even considered the danger. That''s not my fault." The serpent, recovering from its confusion, now seemed uncertain which prey to pursue. It wavered between Vincent and therger group, its forked tongue tasting the air hungrily. "This isn''t over," Cyrus spat as he helped Zephyrine to her feet, the violet-haired girl wincing in obvious pain. "When we get back to the academy¡ª" "You''ll what?" Vincent interrupted, his voice still maddeningly calm. "You think I''ll let you continue this event?" His eyes hardened to chips of ice. "Hand over yourmunication device, or you can enjoy being that thing''s dinner." He gestured casually at the mutatedke serpent. "Don''t make meugh! I''ll kill y¡ª" Cyrus''s threat died in his throat as bone-chilling killing intent radiated from Vincent''s eyes. His battle intuition screamed that one wrong move meant certain death. Fear struck him to his core, rendering him speechless and thoroughly confusing his party members. "Senior Cyrus? What are you waiting for? Get him!" The moment those words left Lysithea''s mouth, Cyrus whirled and pped her hard across the face, his own contorted with fury. "If you want to die so badly, don''t drag me with you!" "H-How dare you hit me?" Ignoring her outburstpletely, Cyrus quickly removed hismunication device and held it out to Vincent with trembling hands. "Here, take it. We already transferred all our primal points. Just... let us go." Vincent silently epted the device and activated the bail option. In an instant, Cyrus vanished, teleported back to the safety of the arena. He simply watched as the remaining three students struggled briefly with their pride before following their leader''s example, bailing out one by one. Storing themunication device in his ring, Vincent turned his full attention to the mutatedke serpent. A rxed smile spread across his face, excited to truly test his strength against such a formidable creature. Back at the school''s arena, Verno and Arnold''s intense standoff was suddenly interrupted by the amazed gasps of the crowd watching Vincent''s exploits on floating screens. "Holy crap!" "He actually killed a peak Tier 1 Fury Forest!" "And he snatched that rare herb right from under Cyrus''s nose!" "Who is this guy?" Chapter 22: Mutated Lake Serpent

Chapter 22: Mutated Lake Serpent

As the crowd gasped with excitement, all eyes turned toward the small floating screen showing Vincent. Even the Dean and other influential figures at the podium shifted their attention. Snake Verno and Mad Dog Arnold, who had been in the middle of a heated argument, suddenly stopped. Dean Augustus Thorne inwardly sighed in relief, d that the tension between the two powerful Origin Warriors didn''t escte further. His eyes then focused on the live screen, silently thanking the person who had unknowingly diffused the situation. As his gaze settled on the screen, his eyes briefly shed with recognition. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om "Him?" The Ice Princess, Sylthana cienne, seated beside her uncle Augustus, noticed the change in his expression. "What''s wrong, Uncle? Do you know that student?" she asked. Augustus didn''t immediately reply, seeming to carefully consider his response. But Verno Alieus, nearby, interrupted. "Mr. Thorne, why have I heard nothing about this student? Are you hiding a talent from us?" Verno''s voice was cold as he referred to Vincent. Even Mad Dog Arnold joined in, questioning Augustus. "Mr. Thorne, what''s the meaning of this?" Though Augustus was grateful to Vincent for defusing the situation earlier, he now regretted it. The student was causing him more problems than he could have anticipated, and he felt like crying under the pressure. "Mr. Alieus and Mr. Mazels, please allow me to exin," Augustus began. "I didn''t reveal anything about the student, Vincent Magnus, because he only awakenedst month." "Last month?!" both Verno and Arnold eximed in low voices. Sylthana''s eyes shed briefly, but she remained silent. "Yes," Augustus confirmed with a nod. The other recruiters from lower-level guilds and organizations began murmuring among themselves, wondering if a true genius had appeared in this school. Arnold''s eyes sparkled with excitement at the revtion, though he quickly masked it. "So, tell us. What''s his talent?" Arnold asked, trying to contain his enthusiasm. Augustus hesitated for a moment, unsure if he should reveal Vincent''s talent. Ultimately, he decided that since it was public knowledge and easy to discover, it was better to be upfront. "His talent is... C-rank: Origin Power Enhancement." As expected, Verno and Arnold immediately lost interest. Even Sylthana''s initial curiosity faded. Verno fell silent, while Arnold clicked his tongue in disappointment. Augustus could only manage a wry smile, having already anticipated their reaction, though he was still surprised at how quickly Vincent had advanced. He couldn''t help but wonder how Vincent managed to grow so fast. --- Meanwhile, back at the battle, Vincent stood silently, eyeing the Mutated Lake Serpent that had now slithered fully out of theke. The serpent''s scales gleamed like molten gold in the dim cave light, a result of its mutation from the Sunspire Lily, which had given it radiant power. Vincent could feel the heat radiating from the creature''s body, now pulsing with sun-infused energy. Its fury was palpable¡ªafter months of guarding the flower, the beast was ready to unleash its rage on Vincent for stealing its treasure. "I need to keep my distance until I understand its full strength," Vincent thought, his gaze locked on the serpent. He shifted his stance, bracing himself for the battle. His recent encounters with low-tier Primals over the past two days had taught him that brute strength wasn''t everything. Cunning and patience were just as important. The serpent coiled its massive body, its yellow eyes fixated on him. Without warning, it lunged forward¡ªfaster than he had anticipated. Vincent barely managed to sidestep, his muscles tense as he spun out of the way. The ground where he had been standing exploded as the serpent''s head mmed into it with terrifying force, sending rocks flying in every direction. "Fast, but predictable," Vincent observed, keeping hisposure as the serpent recovered quickly, its tail whipping toward him. Anticipating the follow-up attack, Vincent ducked low, feeling the wind from the serpent''s tail pass just above him. He rolled forward, closing the distance between them and swung his [Darksteel Sword] at the beast''s underbelly. The sword connected with a satisfying hiss, leaving a gash in the serpent''s softer scales. It wasn''t deep, but it was enough to make the creature rear back in pain. The serpent thrashed violently, its body twisting as it let out a loud, piercing screech. Vincent watched as its golden scales glowed brighter, energy building within its body¡ªthe mutation feeding it with even more power. "It''s absorbing sunlight..." Vincent realized, his brow furrowing. If this fight dragged on, the serpent would only grow stronger. He needed to finish it quickly. Just as that thought crossed his mind, the serpent reared back, its mouth wide open, gathering energy for a powerful attack. A brilliant sh of light burst from its body¡ªa Radiant Pulse. Vincent''s eyes widened as he threw his arm up to shield his face. The pulse exploded outward, momentarily blinding him and knocking him back several feet. He hit the ground hard, skidding across the rocky surface before managing to flip back onto his feet. His vision blurred, the afterimage of the blinding light still burning in his eyes. "Too strong to face head-on..." he thought, quickly assessing his options. But the serpent wasn''t giving him time to recover. It lunged again, more ferocious this time. Vincent sidestepped, but the serpent anticipated his movement. Its tail crashed down from above, forcing him to roll out of the way. The ground beneath him cracked, leaving a deep crater where the tail had struck. "I can''t let this continue," Vincent thought. The serpent was growing stronger with each passing second, and the faint sunlight filtering into the cave only fueled its power. Vincent took a deep breath, centering himself. His Heaven''s Eye had already given him insight into the serpent''s fighting patterns. It favored brute force, relying on its size and power to overwhelm opponents. But Vincent had no intention of being overwhelmed. As the serpent lunged once more, Vincent didn''t dodge. Instead, he charged forward, closing the gap between them in a blink. His [Darksteel Sword] gleamed as he shed upward, aiming for the serpent''s exposed neck. The de connected, but the serpent''s scales were tougher than expected. It hissed in pain, but quickly retaliated, coiling its massive body around Vincent in an attempt to crush him. Vincent barely managed to twist out of its grasp, feeling the pressure from its tightening coils as he slipped free. Darting to the side, his mind raced, strategizing his next move. The poison from his earlier strike was starting to take effect, slowing the serpent''s movements, but it wasn''t enough. He needed tond a decisive blow. The serpent reared back, preparing to unleash another Radiant Pulse. Vincent''s eyes flickered as he calcted the timing. He couldn''t afford to be hit by that attack again. The light began gathering in the serpent''s mouth, its body glowing with an intense golden aura. Now! Vincent activated his Origin Movement Speed, his body bing a blur as he dashed toward the serpent. Just before the Radiant Pulse was released, he slid under the serpent''s massive body, his sword glowing faintly as he activated Virulent Stinger. His de sliced deep into the serpent''s soft underbelly, injecting a potent poison directly into its bloodstream. The serpent let out a blood-curdling screech, thrashing violently as the poison spread through its body. Vincent rolled out from beneath it, narrowly avoiding the serpent''s tail as it mmed into the ground with terrifying force. He could see the pain in the creature''s movements now. Its attacks were bing more erratic, less precise. "It''s working," Vincent thought, keeping his breathing steady despite the intensity of the fight. But he couldn''t let his guard down. Even in its weakened state, the serpent was still dangerous. Its massive body coiled again, eyes burning with hatred, as it lunged with its fangs bared, intent on tearing Vincent apart. This time, Vincent was faster. He sidestepped the attack, his [Darksteel Sword] shing as he delivered a precise sh across the serpent''s neck. The creature recoiled, dark blood pouring from the wound. Vincent didn''t stop. He pressed the advantage, shing again and again, each strike more urate than thest. The serpent''s movements slowed further, its body weakening under thebined effects of the poison and blood loss. Finally, with onest effort, Vincent leapt onto the serpent''s back, raising his sword high. He drove the de deep into the creature''s neck, sinking it into its flesh. The serpent let out one final, agonized screech before copsing to the ground, its body twitching violently before going still. You have sessfully killed a Mutated Lake Serpent! You have received +50 Experience Points! Talent Activated! +500,000 Experience Points! Vincent stood over the disintegrating body of the serpent, his chest heaving from the exertion. His mind remained sharp as he assessed the situation. He had won, but the battle had pushed him to his limits. "I can''t afford to take risks like that again," he thought, wiping the blood from his sword. This was the first time he had fought against something nearly stronger than him, without even using his chaos energy. Although he knew the power that energy could provide, he was still uncertain about the potential negative effects it might have on him. Shaking off those thoughts, Vincent noticed that his primal points had increased by 100, doubling what he would normally gain from killing a normal peak Tier 1 Primal. With the additional 100 points, his primal points were now close to 300. He nced at hismunication device, checking the remaining time. "There''s still more than an hour left. I can hunt a bit more, but before that..." Vincent muttered to himself, falling into deep thought as he observed his personal interface. --- Back at the school''s arena, the crowd was still glued to the screen, watching Vincent''s performance. Their expressions were a mix of awe and disbelief. They had just witnessed Vincent defeat a Mutated Peak Tier 1 Primal without taking a serious injury. "Wow!" "Vincent! Vincent! Vincent!" the crowd cheered. "I can''t believe it! He actually beat that mutatedke serpent! But does that mean he can defeat our top student, Elric Baelius?" one spectator asked. "Are you crazy? Senior Elric would easily beat that mutated Primal! He has an A-rank talent! A-rank! And Vincent only awakened a C-rank talent. He''s nothingpared to Senior Elric!" another argued. Once again, the crowd fell into heated debate, arguing passionately over Vincent''s abilitiespared to the school''s elite. Chapter 23: Blind Arrogance

Chapter 23: Blind Arrogance

Vincent had no idea what was happening in the arena. After taking a quick rest, he now faced another Tier 1 - 5 stars primal. Standing before him was a 3-meter tall wolf with abyss-like thick fur covering its body, capable of blending within the shadows. A Shadowstalker! This menacing primal beast that could easily trample any normal human being was now covered in injuries. Vincent couldn''t help but be amazed by his newly upgraded armament sword he was now gripping. The changes it brought to the weapon were quite significant. The previously heavy and in double-handed sword had be lighter and thinner. It now had a matte ck hilt wrapped in dark leather, with a smooth, polished de. Silver veins asionally pulsed with energy, giving off a faint, shadowy glow during use. When skills were activated, the sword became enveloped in a dim dusky purple aura that intensified with each strike. Even its name and effects had improved. [Duskedge de] Power: Tier 1 Armament Quality: Rare Details: The Duskedge de is crafted from ck-iron and dusksteel alloys, giving it a sleek, dark-gray finish with veins of silver running through the de. The sword is light but exceptionally durable, enchanted to deal greater damage and inflictsting bleed effects. Its sharp edge gleams under low light, giving it an ominous presence inbat. Skill 1: Duskedge sh Effect: A precise strike that deals significantly increased damage to a single target. It has a moderate chance to cause a deep wound, inflicting a severe bleed effect over 12 seconds. Each tick of the bleed slightly reduces the target''s defense, making them more vulnerable to future attacks. Skill 2: Duskedge Wave Effect: A ranged energy sh projected from the de, traveling up to 10 meters in a straight line. The wave deals moderate damage to all enemies in its path and has a small chance to stagger them. It also inflicts a minor bleed effect thatsts for 8 seconds. Stagger Chance: 15% He had upgraded it before leaving the mutatedke serpent''s cave, which consumed half of his umted experience points. Besides upgrading his armament, he had also activated his currently most useful skill: The Virulent Stinger skill. The additional effects it brought gave him immense satisfaction. Skill Name: Venomstrike Lash Quality: Rare Effect: Enhances weapon strikes with corrosive venom, causing severe poison damage over time. The target suffers from crippling wounds, bleeding profusely and taking continuous damage. Additionally, the venom has a moderate chance to briefly stun or slow the target''s movement and attack speed, giving the user an opening for follow-up attacks. The poison and bleed effects are harder to resist and linger longer, even against higher-tier enemies. Poison Duration: 15 seconds Bleed Duration: 10 seconds Stun/Slow Chance: 25% After upgrading these two factors, he was only left with 300,000 experience points, which was nowhere near enough to upgrade either to a higher level. With these improvements, Vincent''s fighting capability had obviously increased. With deliberate action, he shed his Duskedge de armament, unleashing his new weapon''s skill - Duskedge Wave. "Haaa!" Vincent roared as he struck. A dark-purple energy sh projected from his de, fiercely traveling straight at the exhausted Shadowstalker, destroying everything in its path! The weakened primal attempted to flee by using its innate ability to hide within the shadows butpletely failed as the energy de swiftlynded across its battered chest. Bang! Awoo! The Shadowstalker Wolf could only let out a pitiful whimper before it copsed into particles of digital light. You have sessfully killed a Tier 1-5 stars Shadowstalker Wolf! +10 experience points! Talent Activated! You have received 100,000 experience points! "I''ve definitely gotten stronger!" Vincent eximed as he gripped his sword tightly. Seeing his efforts clearly show the progression of his strength gave him a profound sense of fulfillment. "Let''s go, no time to lose. I better hunt more primals to fill my experience points!" Vincent then headed to another location ording to the given map. On the other side of the wilderness, Greg''s group had been continuously hunting and setting traps for other participants. Standing before Greg''s group was another team consisting of four male students. They all had furious and displeased expressions etched on their faces. Injuries were visible all over their bodies, indicating they had just been in battle. The male student¡ªacting as party leader of the team, spat furiously, "Greg! Aren''t you ashamed of doing this? Such a despicable move against your fellow students? Do you really think the dean is just going to sit back and watch this happen?!" His face flushed as he gritted his teeth in anger. Hearing the male student, Greg shed a wide, malicious grin. "What are you talking about? Is there a rule that says it''s prohibited to fight against other participants?" The male student fell silent, realizing that the event''s rules specifically only prohibited killing. One of Bry''s party members suddenly asked in worry, "Team Leader Bry, what should we do now? We''re all exhausted. We just fought against several Tier 1 ck-Iron Bees. Should we try to escape?" "Why should we run? Let''s fight our way out. I''ve really hated that fucking Greg''s face for a very long time!" Another party member chimed in, clenching his fists. Before Bry could make a decision, Greg no longer wasted time and unleashed a wave of fire energy from his gauntlet, straight at Bry''s party! "I have no time for your pointless chatter. If you don''t want to surrender yourmunication devices, then you can die!" Greg shouted, his eyes gleaming with malice. "Go! Attack!" He ordered, which was immediately followed by his party members. shes of skills flew straight at Bry''s party! Bang! Bang! Greg burst into maniacalughter as his team bombarded them mercilessly. In another part of the wilderness, Lin Feng''s group, who had abandoned Vincent, were now fighting and being surrounded by swirling dark cloud fly-like primals. They were a swarm of insects called Sky Swarm! sh! A in steel sword cut through one of the huge flies as Van shed desperately. "Is this really your n, Lin Feng? How are we supposed to kill all of these?!" He questioned, no longer caring about Lin Feng''s background. "Will you shut up? Just fucking focus on killing these disgusting insects!" Lin Feng snapped, his usually arrogant face now distorted with displeasure. Initially, he thought his n was wless. Beforeing to this event, he had brought several pouches of honey to attract the Sky Swarm. With his cultivation level of Tier 1 - 4 stars, he had assumed it would be a breeze to hunt the Tier 1 Sky Swarm. However, he hadn''t anticipated these overwhelming numbers. Even with his speed and sword techniques, it wasn''t enough to kill all the insects. "Van, watch out! One more behind you!" Shaina, who had a second of breathing space, shouted as she waved her staff, swatting the insects away! "Argh!" Although Van managed to sh one, another bit him in the back, making him yelp in pain as his movements became more sluggish. "Lin Feng, do something, or we need to give up now!" Shaina spoke in a hurried and worried voice. "I know! Just shut up!" Lin Feng''s mind worked quickly,ing up with a desperate n. Gritting his teeth, he took out two leather pouches and handed one to each of them. "What is this?!" Shaina asked, holding the pouch as she cast a green healing light toward Van, faintly alleviating hisbored breathing and sluggish movement. "It''s honey! No time to exin! Start running if you don''t want to die!" Lin Feng no longer bothered to exin the effects to them. He immediately activated his Swift Speed Talent, increasing his movement speed incredibly, leaving after images as he escaped, dumbfounding Shaina and Van for a short moment. "Shit! He''s using us as bait!" Van immediately realized Lin Feng''s n as he hurriedly threw the pouch in the distance. "Shaina, throw it and run! Come on!" As the two of them ran for their lives, Lin Feng was grinning deviously when he realized that no Sky Swarm had followed him. Looking back to where he had left Van and Shaina, he muttered, "Don''t me me for doing this. me your own stupidity for being weak..." He then turned, dismissing his thoughts, determined to hunt for more primals to increase his chances of passing to the next round. And just as he turned around, he was surprised to see Vincent standing right in front of him. "You..." Vincent, who had been constantly monitoring his map and heading to another location of a possible peak Tier 1 primal, was also caught by surprise when he encountered Lin Feng. However, he was confused to see him alone. Van and Shaina were nowhere to be found. Although surprised for a moment, Vincent had no intention of arguing with him as he continued heading toward his target location. However, before he could move far, Lin Feng''s voice rang out loudly. "Stop!" Vincent frowned, slightly turned to face him, and asked coldly, "What do you want?" "H-Howe you''re still not out of this event?" Lin Feng demanded, his voice tinged with disbelief. "Why would I be? You''re still here. Why can''t I be?" Vincent replied evenly. "You! Huh, I should have known. You must have been hiding all along. How else could an idiot like you survive this long!" "Think whatever you want." Vincent really couldn''t stand talking with this insufferable person. He simply ignored him and was about to leave but was once again stopped. "Stop! Where do you think you''re going? It was already a mistake that I let you go before. You better concede right here, right now!" Utterly confused by how Lin Feng''s mind worked, Vincent couldn''t control his thoughts and responded, "Are you mentally ill?" "W-What? What did you just say?" Lin Feng''s face reddened with anger. "I said, don''t waste my time. If you want to fight, then just fight. You''re talking too much!" "Me? You want to fight me?" Lin Feng burst outughing as if he couldn''t believe what he had just heard. A newly awakened nobody actually dared to provoke him. His expression then twisted, evidently furious at Vincent''s attitude. "You seem not afraid of death. Fine, I''ll let you know the difference between us!" n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Gripping his saber, Lin Feng channeled his origin power as he activated his Swift Speed Talent, explosively increasing his movement and attack speed. Lifting his saber, he immediately dashed at Vincent with blinding speed, his form blurring in motion. "Die! sh Strike!" He shed his saber down smoothly, cutting through Vincent''s body, making Lin Feng anticipate his victory. However, before he could rejoice, Vincent''s figure blurred and vanished, revealing his attack had onlynded on an afterimage. How? Vincent''s voice then resounded despite Lin Feng''s utter shock and confusion. "Too slow..." it was calm and devoid of emotion. What came after was a heavy ''bang'' as the bone-chilling sound of cracking bones filled the air. Vincent had punched Lin Feng''s back in a swift motion, causing the arrogant youth to be sted several meters away with a pained moan. "Agh!" Vincent didn''t waste another second and immediately rushed at Lin Feng. He grabbed him by the cor, blood spilling from the corner of Lin Feng''s mouth. Pain distorted his usually arrogant face. "Thank you, I am now clear about the difference between us." Vincent smiled coldly as he grabbed Lin Feng''smunication device before dropping him unceremoniously to the ground. Chapter 24: End of Primal Hunt

Chapter 24: End of Primal Hunt

Vincent gripped themunication device firmly as Lin Feng desperately reached for it, his voice breaking with desperation. "Please, I''m begging you," Lin Feng pleaded, hisposurepletely shattered. "I can''t afford to lose this event. I''ll pay you anything¡ªjust spare me this one time." Despite Lin Feng''s pathetic appeals, Vincent remained silent, his expression unreadable. Though he understood well that every action carried consequences, he had long since stopped caring about others'' desires for revenge. A steely resolve hardened in Vincent''s mind: I''ve already experienced what it''s like to be weak, to live in constant fear of those with influence. In this life, I refuse to take a backseat to anyone. Cross my path, initiate conflict with me, and you''ll find no mercy. His philosophy was simple: A tooth for a tooth. N?v(el)B\\jnn With a cold finality, Vincent uttered, "See yater," and pressed the bail button on the device without hesitation. Lin Feng''s furious scream echoed through the air: "Vincent Magnus!" His form disintegrated into particles of digital light as he was forcibly transferred back to the arena. Following this encounter, Vincent didn''t waste time. He systematically hunted down two more peak Tier 1petitors and several lower-tier primals. As the final seconds of the ''Primal Hunt'' event ticked away, a satisfied smile crossed his face before he, too, dissolved into particles of light along with the other surviving participants. Back in the school''s Annual Battle Ceremony arena, a spectacr scene unfolded before the audience and the influential figures seated in the podium. Multiple figures materialized in bursts of light, revealing the state of thepetitors. Vincent observed with interest that most participants bore injuries ranging from minor to severe. Only a select few¡ªthe well-known top students¡ªemerged unscathed: Elric Baelius, the prodigy who had awakened an A-rank talent. Sara Chen, whose B-rank talent specialized in healing. Dmitri Volkov, another B-rank talent holder focusing on Physical Enhancement. And several other elite students with equally formidable abilities. To Vincent''s mild surprise, the notoriously arrogant Greg Malcolm also appeared unharmed, sporting his typical smug expression. When Greg noticed Vincent''s gaze, his expression quickly morphed from smugness to rage. Vincent simply ignored him, which only served to further infuriate Greg. Dean Augustus Thorne rose from his seat at the podium to formally conclude the first stage. "Now that the first stage of the Annual Battle Ceremony has ended, we will announce the top 10 groups advancing to the next round. Please surrender yourmunication devices to the instructors." The Dean''s expression grew serious as he continued, "I must also address the matter of Team Leaders who abandoned and expelled their own members..." He paused, his gaze sweeping across the participants. In the audience, Lin Feng, who had barely recovered after consuming a healing potion, wore a dark expression. His eyes remained fixed on Vincent as he muttered, "Just you wait, Vincent Magnus..." before departing, seemingly anticipating the Dean''s next words. Dean Thorne''s voice carried clearly as he dered, "These individuals will be disqualified. The remaining team members'' Primal Points will be counted individually. However, those failing to reach the minimum threshold of 100 primal points will not advance to the next round!" The announcement sparked immediate outrage among certain participants who grasped its implications. "This is absurd! We won''t ept this!" "There were no rules against removing team members!" As protests filled the air, an overwhelming mental pressure suddenly descended upon the dissenters. Vincent, still standing in the arena, felt the suffocating force¡ªfar more intense than anything he''d experienced before. The pressure brought the protesting students to their knees with heavy thuds, apanied by their pained groans. "I-I can''t breathe..." "Please... make it stop!" Tracing the source of this overwhelming force, Vincent''s gazended on Dean Thorne, who maintained his pleasant smile despite the cold fury in his eyes. The Dean''s voice cut through the chaos: "I see no reason to justify my decisions in my own school. I am the Dean¡ªI make the rules here! Remove these fools from the arena!" As instructors dragged away the disqualified students, their pleas echoed futilely: "Dean Thorne, please have mercy!" "No, don''t do this!" After this dramatic interlude and the collection ofmunication devices, the ranking announcement began. An instructor, holding a holographic document, took center stage and began: "With 242 primal points, the tenth and final group to advance is... Group 10, led by Michael Archons!" The rankings continued, building tension with each announcement: 9th: Group 13 - Loy Mesins, 250 points 8th: Group 9 - Luke Collins, 270 points 7th: Group 16 - Franco Bullocks, 280 points 6th: Group 7 - Greg Malcolm, 320 points 5th: Group 3 - Sara Chen, 335 points 4th: Group 6 (Individual - Ana ckwings, 340 points) 3rd: Group 2 - Dmitri Volkov, 350 points 2nd: Group 1 - Elric Baelius, 400 points 1st: Group 24 (Individual - Vincent Magnus, 815 points) As the final rankings appeared on the floating screen, the arena erupted with a mixture of excitement and disbelief: "Incredible! Vincent Magnus scored more than double Senior Elric''s entire team!" "I can''t believe that snake Greg''s team made the top 10!" "Another solo qualifier? Who is this Ana person?" The sessful group leaders disyed various reactions, but most shared looks of curiosity and disbelief. The question on everyone''s mind: How had Vincent amassed such an astronomical point total? Greg, whose initial satisfaction at his team''s cement had quickly soured, couldn''t contain his shock and fury. "How did that bastard pull this off?! HOW?!" Chapter 25: Second Stage

Chapter 25: Second Stage

Chapter 25: Second Stage Begun As the echoes of the Primal Hunt faded, Dean Thorne once again stood forward, capturing the attention of every student at No.3 High School. The atmosphere buzzed with anticipation, and he wasted no time as he addressed the eager crowd. "Congrattions, students of No.3 High School! You''ve all shown incredible skill and determination during the Primal Hunt. But thepetition is far from over. Next, we''re kicking off the Arena Challenge Gauntlet!" The students leaned in, excitement palpable in the air. Dean''s voice became more serious as he continued. "We have our top 10 contenders: two outstanding individuals and the leaders of eight formidable groups. These fighters have proven their worth, but now they face their toughest challenge yet. In this round, each of the top 10 must participate in five battles." He paused, letting the weight of his words settle among the students. "However, listen closely: to advance to the final stage, each top fighter only needs to win three out of those five battles. If you lose more than two, your journey ends here. It''s a high-stakes game, and only the strongest will move forward." Dean Thorne''s expression turned resolute as he emphasized the rules. "Each fighter will face challengers from the eight parties, and after every battle, they''ll have ten minutes to rest and regroup before their next fight. Remember, you can only challenge a top fighter once, so make your choice wisely." His gaze swept over the crowd, inspiring confidence. "Fight with honor, with skill, and represent No.3 High School with pride! This is your moment to shine. Now, let the Arena Challenge Gauntlet begin!" The crowd erupted into cheers, and the challengers stepped forward, their eyes focused on the top 10. The arenas were ready, and the battles were about tomence, with each participant eager to prove themselves. Standing in the huge arena under the scrutinizing eyes of the students he was going to fight, several drones appeared, creating 10 smaller tforms where the top 10 students would defend their spot to advance to the finals. One of the instructors then said, "The Top 10 students go to your designated tforms ording to points ranking." Vincent ignored their gazes and walked to his stage. As soon as he stood on his tform, he caught the figure of Elric Baelius in the corner of his eyes, standing next to him on his own tform. Their gazes met each other. Elric then gave him a nod which somewhat surprised him. Therefore, he confusedly nodded back before looking at the other top students standing on their designated tforms. Next to Elric was Dmitri Volkov. He had a clean haircut, tanned skin, and toned muscles like a bodybuilder. He had a serious and disciplined expression on his face, like a real soldier. Standing on another tform next to Dmitri was a fair-skinneddy, the person he was most curious about: Ana ckwings. She had a beautiful appearance; however, her expression was cold. She had straight, silky ck hair with straight-cut bangs hiding her forehead, long eyshes, thin red lips, and a perfect pointed nose. Standing on another tform next to Ana was brown-haired Sara Chen. Contrary to themonly known frail appearance of a healer, she had well-toned skin, wielding a heavy metal club. She looked like a tomboy, a gangster from Vincent''s perspective. While he was checking out the Top 10 students, they were also checking him out. As these students observed each other, a loud feminine voice resounded, filling the air. "Hello, helloooo! Ladies and Gentlemen of No.3 High School. It''s me, Vianne Dior, your host for this stage! I hope you enjoy this event with me!" Hearing this, Vincent turned to look at the source of the voice and found near the audience area, on an elevated stage, a prettydy with pink hair and a sexy outfit. This person was also one of the school belles of No.3 High School, like udia. "This Vincent really has youthful memories," he thought to himself as he realized he actually knew a lot about these school belles. "Now that our top 10 students are on their designated tforms, challengers may now proceed to choose who you want to fight!" With Vianne''s cue, several eyes immediatelynded on him, which made him smile wryly. "These kids..." Just as the second cue had announced, a short-haired male student immediately jumped onto his tform. The studentnded heavily with a ''bam'' on the tform. "Vincent Magnus, right?" The student stretched his neck and arms in a haughty but rxed movement. "I don''t know how you managed to umte those primal points, but I don''t believe you earned them by your own strength! I''ll be your opponent. You don''t deserve that spot!" "I, Cley Dioti, challenge Vincent Magnus! Do you dare to ept it? Or maybe you''re afraid. I''ll give you a chance to concede." As Cley announced his challenge, the crowd erupted, followed by Vianne''s resounding voice. "Here we go! The dark horse no one expected to be in the Top 10 has received his first challenge!" While the students who wanted to challenge Vincent could only curse Cley who shamelessly beat them to it. "Damn it! That idiotic Cley had been eyeing Vincent Magnus this whole time!" one of them couldn''t help but exim. While on the other hand, Vincent was silent for a moment as he stared at the smug face of Cley. He then responded, "What''s there to be afraid of?" "Well, if you''re asking for death, I won''t stop you!" Vincent watched as Cley took a stance, stretching his arms as three small energies made of liquid appeared before his hand, quickly forming a bullet-like appearance. "Water Bullet!" Shooting straight at Vincent like a triggered gun! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! ng! A metal shing sound filled the air as the water bullets collided with his [Duskedge de]. Vianne: The bullet has been shot! The battle has begun! Seeing that his attack did not work, Cley did not lose his confidence as he channeled his Origin Power, summoning more water bullets. Bam! Bam! Despite the speed of the water bullets and force they brought, Vincent simply defended himself by holding his de in the trajectory of the water bullets. Vianne: Once again! Cley''s bombarding attacks are useless! The trajectory is so predictable! Cley has to do something for his attacks to work, or he will just exhaust himself. As predicted, Cley began to run in a circle, moving around Vincent who was motionless while shooting water bullets! However, Vincent was able to block it with ease. But then, a ball of liquid flew before him as he heard Cley''s exmation, "Explode!" Immediately, a loud resounding boom filled the arena as a white cloud of dust covered Vincent. Vianne: Oh, it seems like a direct hit! But soon, when the wind finally swept the cloud of dust away, Cley couldn''t believe his eyes. "How are you unscathed?!" Vianne: Woah! What a surprise. The dark horse is not even slightly injured! Vincent simply replied, "You''re underestimating me too much if you think those attacks will work on me." Cley was instantly enraged when he heard the mocking Vincent. With a furious expression, "I''m preparing for the final round, but I''ll let you experience this secret weapon of mine!" With a wave of his hand, a sapphire futuristic handgun appeared in his hand. "You probably haven''t seen an armament in your life, right? Behold my Sapphire Pulse MK-IV!" "Water st!" Vincent could not bother to argue with him, and even if he told him the quality of his [Duskedge de], he probably wouldn''t believe him at all. A st of pure water energy was immediately unleashed, sting toward Vincent. This time, Vincent did not choose to block. He took a stance, and when it was about to hit him, he shed the sted water energy, cutting it in half. Boom! Boom! The cut water stnded on both his sides, leaving a deep fracture on the ground. "Hoh, that''s quite strong at least..." Vincent simply said. However, to Cley, it was a deafening mocking response. N?v(el)B\\jnn As a Tier 1 - 4 stars, Cley believed he could trample on Vincent, believing Vincent''s being ranked 1 in the primal hunt was a fluke. Still in a state of disbelief, Cley pointed his armament gun at Vincent. However, before he could even touch the trigger of his gun, Vincent''s figure suddenly vanished and instantly disappeared before him. With a deliberate action, Vincent slightly moved the thickness of his de to hit Cley''s face. Bam! "Argh!" Cley cried in pain as he rolled on the ground, a few of his teeth falling onto the ground, shocking him. Chapter 26: First Victory

Chapter 26: First Victory

Seeing Cley in a state of utter disbelief, staring down at his broken teeth, unable to process what had just happened. The crowd, fully aware of Vincent Magnus''s true strength, could hardly contain their excitement. They erupted into wild cheers, their voices booming across the arena. "Vincent! Vincent!" they chanted, their enthusiasm infectious. "Haha! That idiot thought Vincent was weak!" someone in the crowd shouted. "That''s what you get for being so arrogant!" another voice added, the sound ofughter cutting through the air as people celebrated Cley''s defeat. Meanwhile, the students who had previously doubted Vincent''s abilities were left in stunned silence. None of them had expected the fight to end so swiftly, let alone with Cley on the losing side. Their skepticism had melted away, reced by a growing sense of awe and confusion. One of them, still trying toprehend what had happened, asked hesitantly, "Did you... Did you catch how he moved?" "I-I don''t know either," replied another, just as mystified. "Even Lin Feng wasn''t that fast." The mention of Lin Feng sparked a wave of murmurs among the students. "Speaking of Lin Feng, where is he?" someone else asked. "Did he fail?" At this question, another student¡ªone who had remained silent until now¡ªspoke up. "Well... about that..." Immediately, all attention turned to him. Eyes wide with curiosity, they pressed in closer. "You know something?" The timid student fidgeted nervously before stammering out his response. "I-I heard he was beaten to a pulp by Vincent Magnus." The revtion hung in the air for a moment before the students exploded into angry outbursts. "What? You knew this, and you didn''t tell us?! What if I had jumped up there first? I could''ve been humiliated just like him!" The timid student tried to defend himself, though it was clear his excuse would not save him from their ire. "Y-You didn''t ask me..." But it was toote. The angry students quickly surrounded him, venting their frustrations on the poor boy. Meanwhile, back at the tform, Cley was still reeling from the fight. His mind raced as he stared at his fallen teeth, unable toe to terms with what had just urred. His face throbbed with pain, but the physical hurt paled inparison to the humiliation of being bested so thoroughly. He had been confident of his abilities, so sure that Vincent would be an easy target. Now, he could hardly believe that he hadn''t even seen the blow that had felled him. To make matters worse, his left ear was ringing, the constant buzz making it impossible for him to hear the crowd''s reaction. His vision blurred as he looked up and saw Vincent, who stood on the tform with an air ofplete calm, his expression as unreadable as ever. It was as if the entire fight had been little more than a routine for him, just another task toplete. "Is he still wondering how I pped him with a de?" Vincent mused inwardly, barely suppressing a smile at Cley''s bewildered expression. Deciding to put an end to the fight for good, Vincent raised his [Duskedge de] once more and moved swiftly toward Cley. His speed generated a gust of wind, and within an instant, Vincent was standing right in front of Cley, the edge of his de mere centimeters from the defeated boy''s neck. Cley, finally realizing the danger he was in, came to his senses and stammered, "I-I concede!" Vianne, the energetic host of the tournament, didn''t miss a beat. Her voice rang out over the loudspeakers, amplifying the already frenzied energy of the crowd. "And there we have it, folks! In the blink of an eye, Vincent Magnus ims his first victory! Let''s give him a round of apuse!" The arena erupted into cheers, the crowd chanting Vincent''s name with renewed enthusiasm. "Vincent! Vincent!" "You''re my hero now!" "Well done! I''m betting on you in the finals!" Despite the overwhelming praise being showered on him, Vincent remained unfazed. He calmly sat down in the center of the tform, cross-legged, and began to meditate as he took advantage of his ten-minute rest period. With Vincent''s incredible disy of power fresh in everyone''s minds, no one dared to challenge him immediately. It was as if they were all waiting for someone else to step forward and test their strength against him, unwilling to be the next sacrificialmb. The other challengers, emboldened by Vincent''s victory, started making more calcted decisions about who to fight. N?v(el)B\\jnn The remaining top rankers in their respective tforms were soon engaged in battles of their own. Unsurprisingly, no one approached Elric Baelius''s stage, leaving him unchallenged for the time being. As Vincent continued to rest, he heard Vianne''s voice once again, booming across the arena with her signature enthusiasm. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have another battle underway! Ana ckwings, another dark horse in this tournament, is facing off against Lisa Vishkov, who has awakened a D-rank talent: Wind Ability!" Intrigued, Vincent turned his attention toward the battle. Even with just a nce, he already knew how it would end. Lisa Vishkov, a tall but otherwise in-looking young woman, stood confidently on her side of the tform, holding a folding fan. With a wave of her hand, she summoned a powerful gust of wind that rushed toward Ana, the motionless figure on the other side of the stage. The wind roared as it tore across the tform, causing gasps of awe from the crowd. But Ana stood still, unmoved by the attack. Her hair fluttered gently in the breeze as the once-powerful gust of wind dissipated into nothing more than a soft breeze. The crowd, as well as Lisa herself, were left in stunned silence, unable toprehend how such a forceful attack had fizzled out so quickly. In the crowd, voices began to rise in admiration for Ana. "She''s absolutely stunning!" one boy eximed. "Beautiful!" another agreed. "Kyaaaah! Marry me, Ana!" cried an overzealous fan. Vianne, clearly as bewildered as everyone else, struggled to find an exnation for what had just urred. "What just happened? Did anyone see that? How did that gust of wind just vanish?" Frustration shed across Lisa''s face as she attempted another attack. With a flick of her wrist, she sent another gust of wind hurtling toward Ana. But just like before, the attack fizzled out, turning into nothing more than a soft breeze. Lisa, growing more desperate by the second, continued to wave her fan, summoning gust after gust of wind. But each attack met the same fate¡ªpowerful at first, only to dissipate into nothing before reaching Ana. The crowd watched in awe as Lisa''s stamina quickly began to wane, her constant attacks having no effect. Finally, as Lisa''s strength began to fade, Ana made her move. She lifted her finger and pointed it directly at Lisa. In the blink of an eye, a sh of silver light shot from her fingertip. Before Lisa could react, she was struck by an invisible force and sent flying off the tform,nding with a heavy thud on the ground below. The entire arena fell into silence, shocked by the sudden turn of events. But the stillness didn''tst long. Within moments, the crowd erupted into cheers once more. "Ana! Ana!" "What just happened?!" Though no one fully understood what had urred, Vianne was quick to announce the result. "Victory for Ana ckwings!" Vincent, who had anticipated Ana''s victory from the beginning, was not surprised. The difference in strength between the twobatants had been obvious from the start. Lisa was a Tier 1 - 3 stars, while Ana had reached the peak of Tier 1. The oue had been all but inevitable. However, even Vincent found himself slightly puzzled. He still didn''t know the full extent of Ana''s abilities. As Ana''s battle came to an end, Vincent watched as Sara Chen defeated her own opponent¡ªa muscr man, with her heavy club. The other top rankers in their respective tforms quickly followed suit, each iming their first victory with ease. More than ten minutes passed before Vincent''s next challenger stepped forward. A determined figure ascended the stage, looking Vincent in the eye. "I''ll be your next opponent, Vincent Magnus!" Chapter 27: Fighting Greg

Chapter 27: Fighting Greg

As Vincent locked eyes with his new challenger, he couldn''t help but feel a momentary sense of relief. Unlike the arrogant viins he had faced before, this opponent seemed devoid of the typical overbearing pride that often clouded their judgments. For the first time, Vincent thought he might be up against someone who wouldn''t waste time on empty words. That brief sense of relief, however, vanished the moment his challenger opened his mouth. "It''s time for you to know your ce. Let''s fight!" The challenger''s voice boomed across the stage. Vincent suppressed a sigh, already regretting his earlier optimism. Standing before him was a man with a military-style crew cut, his chiseled physique on full disy as his armor left his six-pack abs exposed. In his hands, he wielded a massive axe that looked capable of cleaving through steel. This man was a Tier 1, four-star Origin Warrior, someone not to be taken lightly. Vincent''s face darkened, feeling foolish for expecting anything different. Without hesitation, he unsummoned his [Duskedge de] and activated his C-rank talent: Origin Power Enhancement. The energy coursing through his veins heightened his force attribute, increasing his strength. With his Basic Origin Movement technique activated, he became a blur of motion, rushing at his opponent with deadly intent. His fist, glowing with a faint musky aura, made a resounding p as it collided with his opponent''s gut. The impact was immediate. The challenger''s eyes bulged as he was hurled backward, skidding across the stage before crashing unconscious outside its boundaries. "I''ve had enough of these clich¨¦ speeches for today," Vincent muttered under his breath, casually picking at his ear, as if the fight had been nothing more than a minor inconvenience. Vianne, who had been preparing to announce the second challenger, was frozen in ce, her mouth slightly open in disbelief. The crowd, which had been buzzing with anticipation, fell into stunned silence. "Did... did he win just like that?" someone in the audience finally murmured. "I guess? That guy''s not moving at all," came the uncertain reply. As confusion spread throughout the arena, an instructor stepped forward to check on the fallen challenger. A quick examination confirmed that the fighter was no longer able to continue. With a gesture to the referee, the decision was made. Vianne snapped back into action, her voice filling the stadium with excitement. "Instant victory for Vincent Magnus!" The crowd erupted, their previous shock giving way to thunderous apuse and cheers. "VINCENT! VINCENT!" they chanted in unison, their voices reverberating across the arena. "ONE MORE WIN!"another section of the crowd roared, eager to see their new favorite triumph once again. High above the arena, in the distinguished seats reserved for the influential, Dean Thorne watched with an impressed expression. "Not bad," he muttered under his breath, a rarepliment slipping past his lips. Sylthana, seated beside her uncle, overheard his words but kept her expression neutral, though her curiosity about Vincent deepened. On the other hand, Arnold looked utterly bored, his gaze wandering away from the stage, while Verno hadn''t even bothered to watch the fight. With another decisive victory under his belt, the atmosphere shifted among the remaining challengers. Those who had harbored thoughts of testing Vincent''s strength or dethroning him now found themselvesughing nervously at their own hubris. The challenger he had just knocked out was one of the academy''s elite students¡ªsomeone many believed to be unbeatable. "Do you still want to challenge Vincent Magnus?" one student asked, breaking the uneasy silence. "I might have doubted his strength before," another replied, "but I''m not blind. He deserves that position. It''s probably smarter to challenge Greg Malcolm instead." "Yeah, I heard Greg was pretty underhandedst round," came the whispered reply. "Didn''t he and his party gang up on some weaker students and kick them out of the event?" As the students spected, Vianne''s voice once again boomed across the arena, cutting through their conversation. "What''s this? It seems the Top 6th contender, Greg Malcolm, is leaving his stage! Is he... conceding? Wait, no, he''s heading towards Vincent Magnus'' stage!" All eyes turned to Greg, who strode confidently across the arena. His presencemanded attention, and Vincent, standing at the center of the stage, watched him approach with a calm, stoic expression. Greg stopped at the base of the stage and addressed the nearest instructor, who also served as a referee for the event. "If I concede my current position," Greg asked, "will I be allowed to challenge Vincent Magnus for his spot?" The instructor hesitated, unsure how to respond, and nced up at Dean Thorne for guidance. The Dean, after a moment of silent contemtion, nodded his approval. "I allow it," the Dean dered, his voice carrying across the arena. A slow smile spread across Greg''s face. "Thank you for your wise decision, Dean," he said, his tone dripping with mock gratitude. N?v(el)B\\jnn Vincent, still unmoved, was curious. Where was Greg''s confidenceing from? He had seen what Vincent was capable of, yet here he stood, certain that he could emerge victorious. "Will you dare ept my challenge, Vincent Magnus?" Greg called out, his voice loud enough for the entire audience to hear. Vincent''s response was simple and unshaken. "Come up here, then." Though visibly irritated by Vincent''s nonchnt demeanor, Greg kept his anger in check and leaped gracefully onto the stage. "Do you need to rest?" Greg taunted, a grin spreading across his face. "Take your time¡ªI wouldn''t want you to im I took advantage of youter." Vincent remained utterly unfazed. "I don''t need to rest to fight a weakling like you." "Hmph! We''ll see how smug you are after I beat you to a pulp!" With a shout, Greg took his fighting stance. A faint red glow enveloped his fists, solidifying into a pair of fearsome [Fire Gauntlets]. The air around him began to shimmer with heat as his fire affinity activated, surrounding him in an aura of burning energy. Vincent, maintaining his calm demeanor, summoned his [Duskedge de]. The dark, gleaming de glowed faintly with purple energy as he held it at the ready. Still, he couldn''t help but wonder where Greg''s confidence came from. Greg was only a Tier 1, three-star Origin Warrior¡ªhardly a match for someone who had just bested a higher-tier opponent. Once both fighters were ready, Vianne''s voice rang out again. "What an unexpected turn of events! Our Top 6th contender, Greg Malcolm, has surrendered his position to challenge the Top 1 contender, Vincent Magnus, who''s already secured two impressive victories today! Could this be an act of revenge after Vincent''s earlier humiliation of Greg? Either way, this promises to be an exciting battle!" The crowd, already on the edge of their seats, erupted into cheers once more. "Go, Greg! Beat the crap out of him!" one voice shouted. "Vincent! Vincent!" others called, eager to see the academy''s top contender continue his winning streak. Vincent watched as Greg''s fiery aura intensified, small fireballs materializing in the air around him. They hovered for a brief moment before, with a swift motion of Greg''s hand, they flew toward Vincent, whizzing through the air like zing projectiles. The first few were easy enough to block. Vincent deflected them with his [Duskedge de], the dark weapon slicing cleanly through the mes. However, more fireballs kepting¡ªtwo, four, six¡ªand soon, the barrage seemed endless. Greg was relentless, hurling them with increasing speed. Yet, even with the pressure mounting, Vincent moved with calcted precision, dodging and parrying each attack. His face remained impassive, his focus unshaken. Just as he prepared to advance, Vincent noticed something off. One of the fireballs, unlike the others, curved mid-flight. It wasing from behind, tracking his movements like a homing missile. "Crafty," Vincent muttered under his breath. Before he could react, the fireball hit its mark. A loud boom echoed through the arena, and a cloud of thick smoke enveloped Vincent''s figure. The crowd gasped as Vianne''s voice cut through the tension. "A direct hit!" For a moment, all eyes were fixed on the smoke, wondering if Greg''s surprise attack had given him the upper hand. But the anticipation was short-lived. Without warning, Vincent burst through the smoke, unharmed and as stoic as ever. His [Duskedge de] gleamed menacingly as he rushed toward Greg, his movements swift and decisive. Greg clicked his tongue in frustration, clearly annoyed that his trick hadn''t worked. He quickly shifted into a defensive stance, his fists clenched and his [Fire Gauntlets] glowing brighter as he prepared for the impending sh. As Vincent closed the distance between them, he unleashed his next move. With a sharp swing of his de, a pulse of venomous purple light shone¡ªa manifestation of his skill, Venomstrike Lash. "Haa!" Vincent''s battle cry rang out as his attack tore through the air. Greg gritted his teeth and met the attack head-on, his gauntlet-covered fists aze. With a powerful punch, he tried to counter the strike, mes erupting from his hands as he attempted to overwhelm Vincent''s offensive. ng! The sound of shing metal filled the arena, followed by a heavy bam as the force of the impact sent Greg stumbling backward. He rolled across the stage, struggling to regain his footing. "Agh!" Greg grunted in pain as he finally came to a stop. His arms throbbed, the force of the blow leaving them numb. He winced, barely able to believe what had just happened. "How... how can he be this strong?" Greg''s thoughts raced as he tried to make sense of it. His gauntlets, a rare gift from his father, were of high quality¡ªTier 1, rare armaments. Yet, they had been matched by Vincent''s seemingly humble de. Greg''s confidence faltered for the first time. He had underestimated Vincent, assuming that his background would make him an easy target. But now, it was clear¡ªVincent''s strength wasn''t something that could be exined away by wealth or status. Vincent, for his part, was equally surprised. He had expected Greg''s gauntlets to show some damage after their sh, but they were unscathed. "So, he has rare armaments too," Vincent thought with a frown. "His father must be filthy rich..." But there was no time for further spection. This was a battle, and Vincent knew better than to waste precious moments standing still. He had to press the advantage while he still had it. "I don''t know what he''s nning," Vincent thought, eyeing Greg warily as thetter struggled to his feet. "But it''s better to end this quickly." Without hesitation, Vincent activated his Basic Origin Movement once more, his figure blurring as he dashed forward with blinding speed. He closed the distance between them in an instant, his [Duskedge de] cutting through the air with lethal intent. Greg, still reeling from the earlier attack, barely had time to react. He raised his arms in a desperate attempt to block the strike, his [Fire Gauntlets] shing with Vincent''s de. Bang! The force of the blow was too much. Greg was forced to one knee, the stage beneath him cracking from the impact. The crowd gasped as they saw the fracture spread across the floor, a testament to the power behind Vincent''s attack. Chapter 28: Fool

Chapter 28: Fool

Chapter 28: Fool N?v(el)B\\jnn Forced onto one knee, Greg pulled his right arm while his left arm was still blocking Vincent''s de. With a loud grunt, his [Fire Gauntlet] suddenly seethed with crimson fire before he hurled it towards Vincent with full force. "Die!" When Vincent saw the me taking the form of a gauntlet hurling straight at him, he skillfully tilted his head to the other side, making the me pass by him. And while his feet were still covered with origin power, he quickly gave Greg a roundhouse kick! Which, of course, could not be blocked by Greg at all, andnded straight in his guts! "Urgh!" Once more, Greg was sted backwards, struggling to stand up, agony evident on his face. He felt one of his ribs had been fractured, causing him to cough out blood. After brushing off the blood seeping out of the corner of his lips, he furiously roared, "Vincent Magnus!" "I WANT YOU DEAD! I''M GOING TO KILL YOU!" The pain he was feeling began to cloud his mind, as though he could not see the difference in power between them. Staring at his raging opponent, Vincent suddenly caught Greg''s action, taking out a crimson-orange vial and quickly drinking it in one gulp. Vincent frowned, wondering what Greg had just drank. Soon, Greg began to roar, his muscles bulged, his skin began to tear, and mes slowly rose out of his body, making him grunt in pain and excitement as he felt his aura slowly increase. From Tier 1 - 3 stars, it began to climb. 4 stars... It then reached the peak of Tier 1. However, it still did not show any sign of stopping. Realizing that his situation might turn bad if he did not stop him, Vincent no longer held back and used his armament''s second skill while keeping his Origin Power Enhancement talent to increase his force attribute. "Duskedge Wave!" A crescent-shaped dark-purple energy immediately projected out of his de, fiercely flying straight at Greg, leaving a dark trail of cracks on the arena floors. Boom! A loud explosion urred when his attacknded, and a thick cloud of purple smoke instantly devoured Greg''s figure. Vianne, who could not understand what was happening with Greg, continued her enthusiastic hosting, "Another direct hit to Greg Malcolm! Is this the end of the fight?" While the people who had understood what was happening, especially the influential figures at the high podium, were keeping their silence. And when the cloud of smoke slowly cleared, Greg''s standing figure appeared before hisughter reverberated. "Haha. That''s all you can do? Then you''re pathetic, Vincent Magnus!" Greg was now standing almost 3 meters tall with bulging muscles and torn skin while mes asionally seeped out of his body. His physique became stronger, but his looks turned grotesque. And as Vincent expected, Greg''s power had reached Tier 2. The crowd and Vianne were stunned, wondering, "Is that Greg Malcolm?" One of the audience members who had keen sense suddenly muttered, "He broke through to Tier 2?!" Hearing him, someone close to him immediately questioned, "What are you saying? Did Greg really break through to Tier 2? Just by drinking that unknown potion?" While the crowd was in shock and heated conversation, Vincent wasn''t bothered at all. He was not stupid; although Greg broke through to Tier 2 and the gap between them hugely increased, he still had an option. The rules stated that he only needed to win 3 times in 5 battles. Therefore, even if he forfeited this round and lost his spot, he still had a chance to challenge another top contender to take their spot and secure his slot in the finals. "This Greg is really stupid..." he thought and felt slight pity for the idiotic Greg. His hate had definitely clouded his decision. Now the question is, should I test my strength against a Tier 2 Origin Warrior, reveal my strength, and risk my life? Ah... what a stupid question. I love life... This is not the right time or ce to risk my life for a simple tournament. While he was having his thoughts, Greg''s voice once again reverberated, "Vincent Magnus! Now, prepare for my wrath!" Greg, who had already started imagining beating Vincent with his upgraded power and was about to attack, suddenly halted, frozen by Vincent''s following words. "Ah, no. I forfeit this round, have fun on your own. I''m good." He did not wait for Greg''s or the referee''s response and jumped off the arena. When Greg came back to his senses, he hysterically bellowed, "No! No! I don''t ept this! Come back here and fight me! VINCENT MAGNUS~" Shocked by the sudden twist of the situation, Vianne uncertainly announced, "V-Vincent Magnus, forfeited? Victory for Greg Malcolm..." Although she had already announced who the winner was, the crowd was still in shock and silence. "Did he just quit like that?" "What would you do if you were in his position? Would you fight against that grotesque human? I''m not even sure if you can still call that appearance human." While at the high podium, Dean Thorne and the influential figures were also caught in subtle surprise and could not help but let out uncharacteristic giggles. On the other hand, Arnold, who was getting bored of watching the battle below, burst out inughter. "Hahaha. Good, good. I like that kid! Having the knowledge of his limits and knowing when to retreat and advance is very rare to find nowadays." Dean Thorne''s lips broke into a subtle smile when he heard Arnoldplimenting one of the students from his school. Chapter 29: Upgrade

Chapter 29: Upgrade

While the crowd burst intoughter, Vincent noticed Elric Baelius, who was chuckling at his decision as he walked to a corner. The other students quickly made way for him. He settled into the corner, his gaze fixed on the ongoing battles across the various tforms. Elric Baelius seemed unchallenged, securing his position for the final stage with ease. The other top contenders were either resting or still fighting. Apart from the original nine contenders, there was only one new face ¡ª a student who had taken Greg''s previous spot. Otherwise, nothing had changed. As time passed, the top students defending their stages earned their second victories, though not all of them emerged unscathed. Ana ckwings, Sara Chen, and Dmitri Volkov bore visible signs of battle. Meanwhile, Greg remained fuming, his re fixed in Vincent''s direction. No one dared to challenge the grotesque-looking man, despite him still retaining the strength of a Tier 2 warrior. However, Vincent knew that Greg''s temporary surge in power wouldn''tst long. He may make it to the finals, Vincent mused, but once his power is drained, he''ll be vulnerable... Shaking away those thoughts, Vincent turned his attention to his umted experience points. Exp: 700,000/1,000,000 "What should I do with this?" he thought, uncertain about which path to take. Deciding he needed more time to think, Vincent took out a few Origin Crystals to replenish his energy. This would be the first time he''d use them for this purpose, and he was curious about the oue. He started consuming the crystals and was immediately surprised by the result. +1 Origin Energy Talent Activated! +10,000 Origin Energy! In an instant, his Origin Energy was restored to its full capacity. "Wow, it can do that too?" he marveled at the unexpected boost. Now, with his energy fully restored, Vincent contemted his next move. He had three potential upgrades in mind, each requiring a significant amount of experience points. Basic Origin Meditation ¡ª focused solely on cultivating mental attributes. Basic Origin Movement Speed ¡ª improved agility and speed through the consumption of Origin Energy. Basic Offensive and Defensive Martial Techniques ¡ª a set of basicbat fundamentals learned in school. The first two were solid long-term investments, but Vincent believed that upgrading hisbat skills would offer immediate benefits in the uing battles. With that in mind, he made his choice. Without hesitation, Vincent selected the Basic Offensive and Defensive Martial Techniques, which cost 50,000 experience points. Upgrade Complete! Name: Bnced Origin Stance Quality: Common Effect: Offensive: Enhances basic strikes and kicks, increasing power by 15%. Defensive: Increases block efficiency by 10%, reducing iing damage. Special: Grants a 5% chance to deflect an enemy''s attack, dealing half of the original damage back to the attacker. Consumption: 50 Origin Energy per minute of continuous use. Pleased with the improvement, Vincent realized he still had enough experience points to further enhance the technique. He spent another 100,000 experience points, upgrading the skill again. Upgrade Complete! Name: Flowing Origin Technique Quality: Umon Effect: Offensive: Increases attack power by 25% and adds fluidity tobos. Grants a 10% chance to deliver an additional strike after a sessful hit. Defensive: Reduces iing damage by 15% when blocking. A small parry window allows Vincent to reflect 20% of the damage back at the attacker if timed correctly. Special: Unlocks the ability to redirect force, staggering the enemy upon blocking an attack and creating an opening for a counterattack. Consumption: 45 Origin Energy per minute. Satisfied with the technique''s evolution, Vincent decided not to push further. He feared higher upgrades might consume too much Origin Energy, potentially limiting hisbat ability. With a significant amount of experience points still avable, he turned his attention to his movement speed. To Vincent, speed equaled power, and he believed this upgrade would be equally valuable in the short term. Another 50,000 experience points were consumed. Upgrade Complete! Name: Swift Origin Step Quality: Common Effect: Consumes 90 Origin Energy to instantly move 7 meters. Movement speed is temporarily increased by 20%, and precision improves, allowing for agile direction changes mid-step. Consumption: Reduces with proficiency; at max proficiency, consumption decreases to 75 Origin Energy. Encouraged by the result, Vincent upgraded the skill once more. Upgrade Complete! N?v(el)B\\jnn Name: Blink of Origin Quality: Umon Effect: Consumes 85 Origin Energy to instantly move 12 meters in any direction. Grants a brief moment of heightened perception, allowing precise movement through obstacles or rough terrain. Movement speed temporarily increases by 30%. Consumption: At max proficiency, consumption can drop to 65 Origin Energy. "Nice! I still have experience points left," Vincent thought, "I should improve my proficiency next." Over the next few minutes, he invested 150,000 experience points into each of his newly upgraded techniques, raising their proficiency from Novice to Adept. Feeling the surge of newfound power, Vincent stood up and stretched. He needed to test these upgraded abilities and secure his spot in the finals. After all, he had his eye on the grand prize. Without overthinking, he picked the nearest stage and jumped up. Vianne, as the active and enthusiastic host, immediately announced, "Vincent Magnus is on the move! He seems eager to get his third victory to secure his spot in the finals!" The 10th stage was held by Michael Archons, who was visibly exhausted after a hard-fought second victory. The moment he saw Vincentnd on his tform, his expression darkened. He cursed his luck, having hoped to avoid a confrontation with the dark horse of thepetition. "Vincent Magnus... Can you give me a break and let me keep my spot?" Michael asked, desperation evident in his voice. Vincent remained silent, his face betraying no emotion. On the neighboring tform, Loy Mesins overheard Michael''s plea and couldn''t help butugh nervously, imagining Vincent might target him next. "Are you really going to beg like that, Michael? You''re an Origin Warrior! Where''s your warrior spirit?" Loy taunted. Frustrated, Michael retorted, "Warrior spirit? My foot! If you''re so brave, why don''t you challenge him instead?!" Chapter 30: Finals

Chapter 30: Finals

The atmosphere around the podium was tense, as Dean Thorne stood nked by a collection of influential figures and esteemed guests, all of them silent, their attention focused on the events unfolding below. Conversations between smaller guild recruiters filled the air as they murmured about thetest developments. "Student Greg''s actions are reckless..." "I agree. His anger clouded his judgment." "The Fury Potion he used is certainly powerful¡ªit provides a temporary surge in strength but at a dangerous cost. The potential loss of power is a price too high." "The damage will be difficult, if not impossible, to fully recover from." The observers shook their heads, their disapproval evident. Even Dean Thorne, despite his typically calm demeanor, frowned slightly. He couldn''t help but agree. "What a waste of potential," he muttered. "The difference between Greg and Vincent Magnus is like night and day." On the stage, Michael Archons wore a dark expression as he watched Vincent Magnus, whose face remained utterly indifferent, as if unaffected by the mounting tension. Michael found himself hesitating. His thoughts swirled. Should he risk a fight with Vincent, knowing he might emerge injured? Or should he y it safe, forfeit the round, and conserve his energy to fight another opponent¡ªone he felt more confident in defeating? After a long, contemtive pause, Michael exhaled a heavy sigh. "I surrender," he dered. His voice cut through the tension, but the audience remained mostly unfazed. For many, this wasn''t a surprise. By now, Vincent''s reputation preceded him, and no one doubted his capability. Vianne, the announcer, had been eagerly awaiting the fight but now stood disappointed. Still, she did her job, her voice ringing out clearly, "Michael Archons has surrendered! That marks the third victory for Vincent Magnus!" Apuse broke out, the crowd cheering Vincent''s continued dominance. Yet, despite the noise, Vincent''s face betrayed a subtle hint of frustration. He''d been looking forward to testing his new strength, but with his opponent surrendering so quickly, that opportunity had slipped away. Smiling wryly to himself, he resigned to the fact that he would have to wait until the final stage to push his limits. With nothing else to do, Vincent sat down in the center of the stage, arms folded across his chest, as he patiently awaited the oue of the other matches. After some time, the Top 10 finalists were revealed. Unsurprisingly, they were the same contenders who had been leading their teams throughout thepetition¡ªparty leaders who had proven their strength and tactical skills. As the fighters rested, Dean Thorne stepped forward,manding the attention of the entire crowd with a wave of his hand. "First, I would like to extend my congrattions to everyone who showcased their talents and bravery in front of their families, friends, and fellow students. I would also like to apud the Top 10 student warriors of No. 3 High School for their incredible performance!" His voice boomed through the arena, drawing cheers and apuse from the audience. He paused, allowing the noise to settle before continuing. "Tonight marks the final stage of our Annual Battle Ceremony, and it will be unlike anything you''ve seen before." His words caused a ripple of excitement and confusion to spread through the crowd. The ceremony had always followed a simple elimination format. What could possibly be different this time? Before Dean Thorne could exin further, loud, boisterousughter erupted, filling the air as a shadowed figure soared high above the crowd,nding with a thunderous impact in the middle of the stage. The Top 10 contenders, including Vincent, leaped back, eyes widening in surprise as a cloud of dust swirled around the figure. When the dust finally cleared, their shock deepened. Standing before them was none other than Arnold Mazels, an Alpha warrior of unparalleled strength. Dean Thorne''s voice echoed again, "For the final stage, the Top 10 will not face each other as expected. Instead, they will face amon foe, The Alpha ¡ª Arnold Mazels!" The crowd buzzed with disbelief. Whispers of shock and confusion filled the arena. "What''s going on?" "Why the sudden change?" n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Before anyone could question further, Arnold''s booming voice cut through the noise, dripping with arrogance. "Rx, everyone. I won''t be bullying you. I''ll restrict my strength to the peak of Tier 1." For most, this might have sounded reassuring. But to Greg, whose anger had already begun to boil over, it was nothing short of an insult. "You''re underestimating me!" Greg''s voice was hoarse, his Fury Potion still coursing through his veins, amplifying his rage. "You think you can defeat my Tier 2 strength with just your Tier 1 power? You''re out of your mind!" Without waiting for a response, Gregunched himself at Arnold with blistering speed, his gauntlet-d fists ame with raw power. He aimed a crushing blow directly at Arnold''s face. Bang! The sound of impact reverberated through the arena, but it wasn''t the sound of a sessful hit. Instead, it was the sound of Arnold catching Greg''s punch with his bare hand, stopping the attack cold. "What?!" Gasps erupted from the crowd. Greg''s eyes widened in disbelief, his mouth hanging open in shock. "H-How?" Greg stammered, trying to pull his hand back, but it was no use. Arnold had him locked in ce. Before Greg could react, Arnold delivered a devastating punch to his face, sending him flying across the stage. Greg''s body skidded to a halt several meters away, unconscious. Arnold dusted off his hands, his expression serious now. "Abominations like you have no ce in this battle," he muttered disdainfully. Vincent, having watched the entire exchange, furrowed his brow. He''d known Arnold was strong, but seeing him handle Greg so easily was a stark reminder of just how wide the gap between them truly was. "He''s powerful," Vincent thought, his mind already strategizing for the battle toe. The rest of the Top 10 watched in stunned silence, realizing that the final stage would be far more challenging than any of them had anticipated. Chapter 31: Battle Against The Alpha

Chapter 31: Battle Against The Alpha

With Greg knocked out cold, only nine students remained to face ''The Alpha''. Vincent had no clue how their rankings would be decided simply by fighting Arnold. However, instead of feeling anxious, he was filled with excitement at the prospect of battling such a powerful Origin Warrior. Despite his eagerness, Vincent didn''t rush to attack. Hecked information on Arnold''s abilities and fighting style. He discreetly moved to the back of the group, unnoticed by the others. The tension hung in the air. Vincent and the other students stood still, watching as Arnold smiled confidently, his gaze fixed on them. "No one''s making a move?" Arnold''s voice broke the silence. In response, the students tightened their grips on their weapons, bracing themselves for what was toe. Arnold''s expression shifted slightly, a hint of disappointment crossing his face before his eyes hardened. "Since no one''s stepping up, I guess I''ll start." Still smiling, he took a single step forward and seemed to disappear, reappearing in front of Dmitri Volkov. Dmitri, a muscr, tan-skinned student with crew-cut hair and advanced technological armor, barely had time to react. Before he could raise his arms to block, Arnold''s fist connected with his face, sending him flying. The others, now fully alert,unched a series of counterattacks. Leading the charge was Elric Baelius. His wild red hair blew in the wind as his arms, covered in crimson serpent scales up to his elbows, swung toward Arnold''s back. He shouted as he threw a heavy punch. "Ha!" The others followed suit, attacking simultaneously. But before any of their blows couldnd, Arnold vanished again, this time reappearing behind Sara Chen, a tall, lean girl with tanned skin. He whispered in her ear, "Why aren''t you joining the fun?" Sara shivered, goosebumps rising all over her body. She swung her heavy steel club in panic, but it met only empty air. Arnold disappeared once more, materializing several meters away, unharmed. While Vincent carefully observed Arnold''s movements, Dmitri, who had been knocked down earlier, got back to his feet. He frowned as he stared at Arnold, but despite the direct hit, he appeared unscathed. His Physical Enhancement Talent was clearly no joke. Arnold smirked, pleased with himself. "Is this really the best the top students of this school have to offer? Pathetic!" The words sent a wave of anger through the crowd of students watching from their seats. Their faces darkened as they began shouting. "Come on, Senior Elric! Beat that bastard!" "Kick his ass!" "Make sure his own mother won''t recognize him!" Even Dean Thorne, seated at the high podium, was visibly displeased. Although he kept his face neutral, it was clear he wasn''t happy about the disrespect shown toward his school. Sara, her fury barely contained, turned to Elric. "Elric, what''s the n? I''m ready to crush that old man!" Her casual tone suggested the two shared a close rtionship. Dmitri chimed in, massaging his cheek where Arnold had punched him. "Elric, we can''t fight him one by one. We need to work together. What do you have in mind? I owe him a punch." Elric kept his gaze locked on Arnold. His face was serious as he responded, not bothering to look at the others. "He''s fast, and his punches are no joke, but..." He paused, ncing at Dmitri, "You took his hit pretty well." "So, what''s the n?" Dmitri asked. Elric didn''t answer immediately. His eyes shifted to Ana ckwings, another student whose abilities he wasn''t fully aware of, and then to Vincent, who seemed stronger than his known talent suggested. "Are we doing this together?" Elric finally asked. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Vincent exchanged a nce with Ana, who nodded, and then gave Elric a curt nod in agreement. After a brief discussion, the group had a n. Arnold, who had been watching them in silence, finally spoke. "Done talking? Ready to fight?" Dmitri cracked his knuckles and shot back, "Are ''you'' ready to get your ass kicked, old dog?" At the insult, Arnold''s smile didn''t waver, but the pressure he exuded intensified. "Show me what you''ve got, then," he sneered. "Let''s see just how pathetic you all are." "Now!" Elric shouted, and the group sprang into action. Dmitri led the charge, activating his talent. His muscles bulged as his body swelled, growing from a well-built man into a towering giant. His height shot up from 180 centimeters to over seven feet, towering above Arnold, who stood at 6''6". His feet mmed into the floor, leaving deep imprints as he charged at Arnold with a menacing grin. "Take this, old dog!" Dmitri''s massive fist swung through the air toward Arnold, and the sound of their fists colliding echoed across the tform. But before Arnold could follow up, thick tree branches burst from the ground, wrapping around his legs and pinning him in ce. "Nice one, Loy!" Franco Bullocks called, standing beside Loy Mesins, who had used his Nature Affinity Talent. "My turn!" Franco dered, raising a rifle. "Time to die!" Azure energy gathered at the barrel of his gun, and with a thunderous crack, the shot was fired, its destructive power clear as it hurtled toward Arnold. Arnold frowned as the deafening st hit, engulfing him in a thick cloud of smoke. "Got him!" Loy eximed. But Elric wasn''t so quick to celebrate. "Don''t celebrate yet!" As the smoke cleared, Arnold emerged unharmed, but his body had changed. His arms were now covered in fur, ending in sharp, wolf-like ws. He bared his fangs in a wide grin. "Not bad, but you''ll have to do better than that!" With both his arms and legs now resembling those of a wolf, Arnold lunged toward Franco, eager for revenge. But once again, Loy''s tree branches shot up, halting his advance. Sharp stones followed, piercing his body. "Yes!" Luke Collins cheered internally as his attack seemed tond. But before a drop of blood could fall, Arnold''s wounds healed instantly, leaving the group stunned. And just as they recovered from their shock, a silver streak of light zipped toward Arnold ¡ª Ana ckwings'' signature attack. Arnold broke free from Loy''s bindings just in time, dodging the silver light with ease. Before Arnold could recover, Vincent, who had been waiting for his moment, appeared like a ghost behind him, ready to strike. Chapter 32: Showcasing Abilities

Chapter 32: Showcasing Abilities

The moment Vincent appeared behind ''The Alpha ¡ª Arnold Mazels'' ¡ª he didn''t hesitate. His Venomstrike Lash infused the Duskedge de with a menacing purple glow as he swung it toward Arnold''s back. However, instead of the satisfying sound of his de cutting through flesh, a metallic ng echoed through the air. Vincent''s brow furrowed as Arnold slowly turned to face him. His torn garment revealed his transformed, muscr torso, covered in thick, furry werewolf-like skin. "Sneaky brat..." Arnold uttered with a pissed expression, clearly wasn''t expecting someone to make him use his talent to this extent. Initially, he assumed that transforming his limbs to his werewolf talent was already bullying them, but he did not expect someone who had the strength to push him to this extent, using almost 50% of his talent''s full transformation. Before he could retaliate, Vincent vanished using his newly upgraded movement skill, Blink of Origin, instantly putting distance between them. Arnold was caught by surprise. "That kid can use a high-level movement skill?!" But before he could process Vincent''s speed, a powerful, fiery strike was aimed at his nk. It was Elric Baelius! Elric''s appearance also had few changes. His face had a hint of crimson serpent scales, his arms were still covered in simr scales, while his school uniform was reced and turned to armor-like coating with simr crimson snake-like scales! It was his awakened talent: ming Python! Which could bebeled as simr to Arnold''s talent Demon Werewolf. A talent that could transform his physique to a ming python and having ess to its innate abilities. Barehanded, he swung his bulging right arm which was covered with serpent scales and infused with fire energy to Arnold''s nk. Upon seeing the unavoidable attack, Arnold made a quick decision, grinning, before swinging his wolf-like fist in counter. "Let''s see what you got!" He countered Elric''s punch with his own, and their fists collided with a deafening ''boom'', sending shockwaves through the arena. Both fighters took a single step back from the impact. With a determined grunt, Elric lunged forward and threw another punch, which was once again met by Arnold''s. The air trembled with the force of their blows. Boom! Shockwaves urred as the two of them exchanged blows simultaneously. And soon enough, Elric''s inexperience shows itself, making a small mistake with his rhythm and timing, giving Arnold a smallest gap for his attack tonded straight to Elric''s abdomen, sting him several meters away! As Elric struggled to stand, a soft, emerald light enveloped him, soothing his wounds and easing the pain. The blood dripping from the corner of his mouth disappeared. "Thanks, Sara," Elric muttered as he looked up at Sara Chen, who was already standing beside him. "Stop." She interrupted him before continuing, "What are you doing? Are we just gonna ept that stupid old man''s insult? Take your stupid ass and beat that old man!" Just as she said that, Elric saw Arnold''s gaze locked at Sara before his figure vanished into thin air, rushing towards them. "Watch out!" Elric called out, wanting to move in front of Sara to block Arnold, however, his speed was obviously nowhere near Arnold''s speed. Arnold, who suddenly reappeared before Sara Chen uttered, "A lesson for everyone of you. In battle, you must take out the healers first!" He then revealed his sharp ws and was about to sh to Sara when a destructive dark-purple crescent energy, shed straight at him, forcing him to pull back his attack and retreat. Elric immediately stands between Arnold and Sara. "Are you alright?" He asked with an obvious hint of concern in his voice. Sara confusedly nodded as she answered, "Y-Yes..." She was unable to understand what happened because everything had happened too fast for her. Arnold, clearly frustrated at being interrupted again, turned his attention to the source of the attack. "You''re really fond of sneak attacks, aren''t you, kid?" N?v(el)B\\jnn Facing Arnold''s question, Vincent simply responded with a subtle smile before disappearing once again, blinking himself away in the distance. "Don''t dream that I will let you go again this time!" Arnold snarled and quickly rushed to Vincent, evidently irritated by his way of fighting. However, once again, he was interrupted as thick tree branches burst from the ground, momentarily immobilizing him before he tore them apart with ease. Loy, who had summoned the branches, couldn''t hide his shock. "No way... he broke free that easily?" His only way to immobilize Arnold had failed miserably. Arnold continued his pursuit, but Vincent remained elusive, using Blink of Origin to keep just out of reach. Each time Arnold closed in, Vincent blinked several meters away, maintaining a frustrating distance. At one point, Vincent blinked beside Ana ckwings, who stared at him with her usual cold expression. "Is that silver light your only method of attack?" Vincent asked, almost teasingly. Ana furrowed her brows, somehow displeased by his question. "That ''silver light'' is not an attack," she replied, her voice soft butced with anger. "Her name is Little Winter." His eyebrows rose in confusion, not even wondering about her uncharacteristic tone of voice, "Little Winter?" His eyes then fell on the small creature perched on Ana''s shoulder ¡ª a rabbit-like being with translucent wings and tiny horns. "She''s a summoner?" He thought in realization as he saw her whisper something to the winged-creature who stared at him for a moment before swiftly flew in the sky. And when the winged-creature, ''Little Winter'' reached a certain height, he heard Ana''s small and softmand. "Now!" As if responding to his initial assumption, he saw Little Winter suddenly pping its wings before unleashing a twin whirlwinds materializing out of thin air, hurtling toward Arnold, who was still fixated on chasing Vincent. The audience, who had no idea what Ana''s abilities were, looked on in shock as the powerful winds tore through the arena. "What''s happening?" one of them asked, bewildered. "Where did these whirlwindse from?" another murmured in disbelief. Caught in the middle of the whirling storm, Arnold''s face darkened. "These kids think they can make a fool out of me..." He slowly turn around and saw the other kids aside from Vincent and Ana fully preparing to unleash abo of charged attack. Chapter 33: Turn of Events

Chapter 33: Turn of Events

The moment Arnold turned around, he saw the other kids, aside from Vincent and Ana, standing together, their talents fully charged and ready to be unleashed at him. Loy Mesins, wielding his Nature Affinity talent, had crafted a 3-meter-tall hand made of thick tree branches. Michael Archons, who had been silent all this time, clutching his spear glowing with an azure light, now stood prepared. Franco Bullocks, one eye closed, had his rifle raised, looking through the scope, ready to fire. Luke Collins had summoned a massive spike of earth with his Earth Affinity talent. Dmitri Volkov, his bulging arms straining, had dug into the ground and lifted arge chunk of it. Sara Chen clenched her steel club, glowing with a pale emerald light, while Elric Baelius had grown almost three feet taller, his form shifting further into that of a ming Python. With a loud bellow, Elric gave themand that echoed through the air. "Attack!" Excited responses rang out at his signal. "I''ve been waiting for this!" "Go, beat the crap out of him!" Whirlwinds formed behind Arnold as the students''bined attacks rushed towards him. His lips curled into a wide smile, excitement dancing in his eyes at the unfolding scene. After a briefugh, Arnold muttered, "Good, good. This is exactly what I''ve been waiting for. Now, let me show you the real difference between talent ranks and experience!" "Haaa!" With a loud grunt, Arnold''s werewolf form began to bulge, his fangs extending, his eyes sharpening, until he fully transformed into a 3-meter-tall werewolf with nearly ck skin. Roar! Letting out a bone-chilling roar, he dodged the iing whirlwinds from behind and rushed toward Elric and the others. Growling like a beast, Arnold balled his fist and met the giant wooden hand Loy had summoned with a deafening ''bam'', shockwaves rippling through the air from the impact. Instead of being pushed back, Arnold overpowered the massive tree-hand, forcing it backward before whipping around, kicking therge chunk of earth Dmitri had hurled at him, shattering it into pieces. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Tilting his body slightly, he caught the glowing spear thrown by Michael and hurled it into the giant earth spike Luke had summoned, causing an explosion of dust and debris that filled the air. Franco, fully locked in with his Sharpshooter Talent, saw his moment. His Talent gave him a holographic crosshair in his vision. He squeezed the trigger of his rifle, unleashing a blinding azure energy beam that shot straight at Arnold. With no space or time to evade, Arnold growled, his arms emanating a dark, ominous aura as he shed at the energy beam, cutting through it with a loud ''boom'' that echoed across the battlefield. The explosion cleared the whirlwinds that had been pursuing him. Loy and the others, whose attacks had either failed or been deflected, couldn''t contain their shock. "What?!" "Is he even human?!" "That''s impossible!" Despite their disbelief, Elric didn''t falter. He rushed forward with Sara, both determined to take down the fully transformed Alpha¡ªArnold Mazels. Elric, his right arm brimming with me energy, threw his strongest punch at Arnold, who seemed to possess limitless Origin Energy and stamina. For the first time, an attacknded. Elric''s punch connected with Arnold''s chest, and the crowd, along with Elric''srades, cheered in unison. "Yes! A direct hit¡ª!" But before they could celebrate, Arnold''s cold, detached voice shattered their joy. "Is that all you''ve got? Pathetic." Elric''s eyes widened in disbelief. He, too, had awakened an A-rank talent, yet the gap in strength was unimaginable. While he questioned himself, Sara''s voice broke through his thoughts. "Take this, old man!" Appearing behind Arnold, she swung her glowing steel club with all her might. But before the blow could connect, Arnold swatted her away like a fly with a sh of his werewolf arm. "Ugh!" Sara let out a groan as she tumbled across the ground before falling unconscious. "Sara!" Elric called out in rm, his voice filled with worry. Seeing his childhood friend struck down so easily, rage ignited within him. The mes of his innate ming Python ability began to spread over his entire body. Clenching his hands together, he gathered pure fire energy, forming a ball of mes between his palms. This was his ultimate move, one that would drain all his remaining Origin Energy. It was a risky move, one he had hoped to avoid using, as it could damage his potential. But seeing Sara in such a state filled his mind with fury. All he wanted now was revenge. At point-nk range, he thrust his hands forward, releasing the beam of fire energy with a shout. "Fiery Beam!" Boom! A deafening explosion followed as the fiery beam engulfed Arnold, and thick smoke filled the air. Loy, Dmitri, and the others watched anxiously. Loy, unable to control his curiosity, asked, "Did it work?" But before anyone could answer, that familiar, prideful voice echoed through the battlefield. "Unfortunately, that wasn''t enough to defeat me." Gasps filled the crowd as the thick smoke cleared, revealing Arnold,pletely unscathed, standing behind Elric''s unconscious form. "No way... even Senior Elric''s ultimate attack didn''t work?!" One of the students in the crowd couldn''t believe it. Loy and the others stared, dumbfounded, unable toprehend the massive difference in power between themselves and Arnold, the Alpha. As though the battle was over, an ominous purple crescent of energy suddenly flew toward Arnold. He recognized the attack immediately. With a furious roar, his werewolf arms, now cloaked in ck mist, countered with a powerful punch. Bam! Another attack followed, whirlwinds surging toward him. Arnold''s ws tore through the whirlwinds as though they were nothing but paper, dispersing them into gentle breezes. "He... broke a whirlwind with his bare hands?! That''s impossible!" Someone in the crowd eximed, their voice full of disbelief. At that moment, Vincent''s figure vanished, reappearing behind Arnold with his Duskedge de in hand. Activating his Origin Power Enhancement talent, he boosted his strength by 30%. Simultaneously, he unleashed his newly upgraded Flowing Origin Technique, increasing his attack power by an additional 25%. With his de glowing a deep purple, Vincent shed at Arnold with his Venomstrike Lash and Duskedge shbination. This time, Arnold had no chance to dodge at such close range. Boom! Vincent felt it¡ªhis attack had pierced through Arnold''s defense. The crowd watched in stunned silence as a deep wound appeared on Arnold''s shoulder, extending down his back. Even Dean Thorne, seated with the other guests, looked surprised. "He managed to injure that mad dog?" Dean Thorne thought to himself. Verno, initially bored, revealed a slight reaction, surprised that Arnold had been wounded. "Did he let that kid hit him?" Verno mused. Back on the stage, Arnold, bleeding from his shoulder to his back, was stunned. "I-I got injured... again?! And by that damn kid?!" he thought, disbelief clouding his mind. Even though he had fully transformed, unleashed his Talent, and restricted his cultivation, someone had still managed to wound him. "Am I really being beaten by these kids?!" With rage boiling inside him, Arnold''s expression darkened. "I won''t ept this!" Arnold''s roar was followed by a burst of overwhelming pressure that flooded the entire arena, affecting both the audience and the participants on the stage. Vincent and the others, closest to the source of the pressure, copsed to their knees, struggling to breathe. Instinctively, Vincent summoned his chaos energy to shield himself from the crushing force. He took several deep breaths as the protection took effect. Arnold, noticing the ominous energy surrounding Vincent, widened his eyes in shock. "H-How do you possess that aura?" Arnold muttered, his voice tinged with disbelief. Dean Thorne and the other guests, equally shocked, quickly took action. "That mad dog''s lost it again! Someone stop him!" a weaker guest cried out. Without hesitation, Dean Thorne leapt from the podium andnded on the stage. "Mister Mazels, cease this immediately!" He released his own aura, shielding the crowd from Arnold''s oppressive pressure. But his attention quickly shifted to the dark energy surrounding Vincent. "That aura..." Dean Thorne murmured, his voice trailing off. Chapter 34: Problem Arise

Chapter 34: Problem Arise

Just as Vincent instinctively covered himself with chaos energy and struggled to his feet, he heard a familiar voice. It was Arnold''s, and it carried a tone of disbelief. "H-How do you have that aura...?!" In that moment, Vincent realized his grave mistake. He had been so preupied with the Annual Battle Ceremony that he hadpletely forgotten about the trouble he caused when he merged with the ck cosmic marble. Now, even Arnold had recognized his chaos energy. His expression immediately darkened. A flurry of thoughts raced through his mind, as he carefully considered his next move. Should I run? Could I even escape? Even if he managed to flee, what would happen to his sister and Amara? Would they be safe? It was then that the full weight of his situation hit him. One small misstep had the potential to unravel everything he had built in this world. His new life¡ªfragile and precarious¡ªcould fall apart in an instant. How foolish I''ve been, thinking I could handle everything just because of my talent. I need to be stronger. I want to be stronger! "But first," he muttered to himself, "I need to figure out how to survive..." Before he could finish that thought, Arnold''s voice cut through his musings once more. "You... You''re a bearer of cmity!" Cmity? Vincent had no idea what Arnold was referring to, but the seriousness in his tone made it clear that this was not a minor issue. Despite his growing sense of dread, a different emotion stirred deep within him. It wasn''t fear¡ªit was something primal, a feeling that he wasn''t the one who should be afraid. They should fear him. Yet, Vincent couldn''t understand why he felt this way. "I''ve already exposed this damn chaos energy," he muttered, clenching his fists. "Might as well use it to my advantage..." With a steely resolve, he channeled the chaos energy into his eyes, which turned abyssal ck. In an instant, different scenes shed through his mind, and his initial calm gave way to horror as his face paled. "Am I... going to die?" he whispered, terror creeping into his voice as the visions yed out before him. Arnold, sensing the change, ignored Vincent''s words and instead took a step forward, his own voice tinged with panic. "You demon! What did you just do?!" Dean Thorne, who had been standing silently behind Vincent, hadn''t witnessed the full extent of what had transpired. Nevertheless, he quickly stepped between the two, positioning himself as a barrier between Arnold and his student. Though the ominous energy emanating from Vincent didn''t escape his notice, Dean Thorne was more concerned with his duty to protect the honor of his school. "Mr. Mazels," the dean said firmly, "I must ask you to stop this at once!" Arnold''s expression twisted into a frown. "Dean Thorne, do you have any idea what you''re doing? You''re protecting a demon!" At the mention of the word "demon," a wave of confusion spread through the others¡ªLoy Mesins and others, who had only just regained theirposure after being shielded by the dean''s aura. "A demon?" "What''s happening?" Their bewilderment only grew as Verno and the Ice Princess, Sylthana, arrived on the scene, standing behind the dean. Verno, who had no knowledge of what was happening, spoke in his usual emotionless tone. "Just because you''ve been let off your leash doesn''t mean you can act like a rabid dog in front of these students." Sylthana, her aura cold and frigid, stepped forward to stand beside her uncle. Her eyes narrowed as she addressed Arnold in a chilling tone. "Senior Mazels, please control your anger. This is simply a ceremonial event at my uncle''s school. While you were the one who proposed this event, we''re willing to overlook that andpensate you for your injury. So, please¡ªcalm down and make a wise decision." Though her words were polite, the threat behind them was clear, and Arnold''s face darkened in displeasure. "You''re all insane!" he shouted, jabbing a finger in Vincent''s direction. "Don''t you see that aura? It''s pure evil!" However, neither Verno nor Sylthana detected anything unusual about Vincent, aside from his paleplexion. They assumed the pressure from Arnold was responsible for his appearance. Dean Thorne, on the other hand, had sensed something strange earlier, but he remained silent, choosing not to reveal his suspicions. "You''re just a senile, old fool," Verno said, shaking his head in disbelief. "I can''t believe you''d stoop this low¡ªto the point of framing a student." Sylthana, meanwhile, continued to fix Arnold with her icy stare, saying nothing. Arnold, rendered speechless by their dismissal, could do nothing but fume in frustration. As the situation unfolded in his favor, Vincent found no relief. His face remained ghostly pale as the images of his vision reyed in his mind. Without a moment''s hesitation, he gathered his strength and sprinted out of the arena, fleeing the school grounds. "He''s running away!" Arnold roared. "He''s guilty!" Just as Arnold moved to chase him, a sharp, crystalline barrier of ice appeared out of thin air, blocking his path. Furious, he spun around to face Sylthana. "You''re going to cross me for that boy?!" he bellowed. Her voice was calm but firm as she replied, "I''m merely fulfilling my duty as the protector of our citizens and Bronzehaven Arc." Arnold let out a hollowugh, seething with rage. "Fine... I''ll remember this." Vincent, now outside the school, donned his Morphic Mask, altering his appearance into that of an elderly man. He moved stealthily through the districts, heading toward the Central Bazaar. He needed answers. Alex, the mysterious old man, had to know something about the other ck marble. He must know... The sky had darkened, the moon casting its silver light over the city. As Vincent turned into a shadowed alley, a suffocating aura suddenly locked him in ce, immobilizing him. A cold, arrogant voice cut through the night. "I''ve finally found you." Vincent''s eyes widened as the figure revealed itself¡ªfloating in midair. It was a blonde-haired man, d in sleek ck armor, almost identical to Dmitri''s but far more refined. This was one of the men from his vision. The leader of District 11, Arman Matthews. The man who would kill him. Vincent, his heart pounding, quickly adopted the role of the old man and rasped, "W-Who are you? Why are you doing this to me?" Arman smirked. "Drop the act, boy. Your tricks won''t work on someone like me. I can see right through that illusion." "You cmity bearers must die." Though Vincent maintained his disguise, he stammered, "W-What are you talking about? What cmity bearer?" Arman sighed. "Since you''re about to die, I might as well tell you. A cmity bearer is cursed¡ªdoomed to destroy everything around them. It''s a force of destruction with only one purpose: to annihte everything. Luckily for us, we found you early enough to prevent that." Despite Arman''s exnation, Vincent''s mind raced. How can I escape? "What... what makes you so sure I''m a cmity bearer?" Vincent asked, desperate to stall for time. Arman''s eyes burned with hatred. "I know that aura. I''ve seen it before. It''s the same power that killed countless innocents¡ªmyrades, my family." His gaze hardened. "That''s why you must die." Arman stretched out his hand, closing his fist slowly as if crushing something. In that instant, Vincent felt an unbearable pressure pushing him to the ground. He gasped in pain, barely able to move. With a grunt, Vincent muttered through clenched teeth, "I won''t die here." With a roar, he unleashed all of his chaos energy, his body groaning under the strain but slowly pushing back against the overwhelming pressure. Dark, ominous energy swirled around him as a singr thought filled his mind: Kill. Kill. Kill. "Shut up!" he screamed, trying to silence the voices echoing in his head. Arman''s expression didn''t waver. "That''s it. Show your true self. You''re nothing but a mindless killing machine. And now... you die." Before Arman could make a move, Vincent''s fury boiled over. His right arm transformed into a demon-like appendage, and without thinking, he lunged at Arman with all his might. "Die!" Though Vincent''s chaos-empowered eyes could foresee Arman''s counter, his body couldn''t react fast enough. Arman''s punchnded squarely in his abdomen, sending him crashing through several walls. "Urgh...!" Vincent coughed, blood spraying from his lips. The pain was excruciating, but like a machine, he forced himself back to his feet. Wiping the blood from his mouth, he charged at Arman once more. Arman, still standing in the same spot, didn''t move. He waited for Vincent''s attack, only to counter each time, sending him flying again and again. "You''re persistent," Arman mocked. "But you''re no match for me. Just die already." As Arman raised his hand, preparing to deliver the final blow. His voice was filled with deadly intent as he said, "Just die." But before he could strike, a sharp feminine voice echoed through the night, cutting through the tension like a de. "That''s enough." Arman froze, his eyes darting to the source of the voice. He hadn''t sensed her presence at all, which left him momentarily stunned. Slowly, he turned, scanning the shadows. "Who?!" Arman demanded, his voice tinged with disbelief. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Stepping into the moonlight was a woman, her cold beauty unmistakable. She floated effortlessly in the air, her long, pink-blossom hair swaying gently in the breeze. Her eyes glowed with an ethereal light, sharp and piercing. Arman recognized her immediately. His expression shifted from rage to astonishment as he processed the sight before him. "Why is she here?" he muttered under his breath, clearly unsettled. The woman, unperturbed by his shock, regarded him with a gaze as cold as ice. Her presence radiated power and authority, the kind that made even seasoned warriors like Arman cautious. She stood tall, her aura dominating the space around her as she addressed him with a chilling calm. Chapter 35: Vice Commander Arman¡¯s astonishment quickly shifted into a respectful expression as he straightened up, offering a formal salute. "Greetings, Vice Commander Iris." The woman before him, a striking figure known for both her beauty and formidable reputation, was one of the vicemanders serving under the Arc¡¯s current leader. Her reputation preceded her¡ªfamed for her cold, calcting demeanor and ruthlessness on the battlefield. Her moniker, the "Floral Witch," stemmed from her ability to decimate Primals and invaders alike with her unique talents. Despite this, Arman found it hard to believe that the current threat¡ªa cmity¡ªcould justify the personal involvement of someone of her stature. Vice Commander Iris made no attempt to acknowledge his greeting. Instead, she descended gracefully, her attention immediately drawn to the wild, near-unrecognizable Vincent below. His figure had warped, barely human now, struggling to remain upright under the weight of his own primal instincts. A flicker of panic crossed Arman¡¯s face before he spoke up again, his voice tense. "Vice Commander, please allow me to handle this abomination." Behind his words, fury simmered, but there was more than anger at y here¡ªthere was greed, well-concealed but no less potent. Ending a cmity like Vincent would not only satiate his thirst for revenge but also earn him significant merit. The rewards would be substantial. But once again, Vice Commander Iris offered him no response. Her gaze remained fixed on Vincent, whose awareness seemed to have long since slipped away, leaving only a mindless shell, struggling purely on instinct. Why does Master want me to protect this man? Iris wondered silently. Her mind teemed with questions, but she knew better than to question her orders, especially since her master seldom requested anything from her. Curious as she was, she pushed her thoughts aside, having already conducted a background check on Vincent. Apart from his rathermon backstory¡ªa child of missing parents, a situation not unusual in these turbulent times¡ªthere was nothing particrly remarkable about him. Yet now, watching him in this state, Iris found her intrigue growing. Could her master be indebted to this man? She had no answers. Arman¡¯s voice interrupted her musings once more. "Vice Commander!" Her eyes narrowed slightly, and she finally deigned to speak. "I can hear you, District Leader Arman." Her tone was as cold as the reputation that preceded her, tinged with unmistakable irritation. "My apologies, Vice Commander. You seemed preupied. But... may I be given the honor of eliminating that demon?" Without a hint of emotion, Iris responded, "No, I will handle him myself." "But¡ª" Before he could finish, a wave of icy killing intent washed over him, smothering the words in his throat and forcing him to drop any further protests. "District Leader Arman," she said, her voice dangerously calm. Arman swallowed hard, stiffening under the weight of her presence. "Y-Yes, Vice Commander?" "I want all recordings of today¡¯s events deleted from your data." "But, Vice Commander¡ª" "District Leader Arman," she interrupted, her voice colder than ever, "this will be thest time you interrupt me when I¡¯m speaking." His heart raced as he hastily lowered his head. "I understand." Her gaze lingered on him for a moment longer before she continued. "Furthermore, I don¡¯t want to hear so much as a whisper about my involvement here. If I do..." She paused, her eyes gleaming with a dangerous promise, "...you will not like the consequences. Understood?" Arman barely managed to nod, his voice trembling. "I-I understand, Vice Commander." Satisfied, Iris turned her attention back to Vincent. His transformation had worsened¡ªhis human form barely holding together as his left arm morphed into a twisted, abyssal limb. His eyes glowed an unnatural red, blood seeping from the corners of his mouth. When he lunged toward her in a final, primal rush, Iris responded with a mere flick of her wrist. Instantly, Vincent copsed, unconscious before he even hit the ground. Iris caught his limp body with ease, cradling him in her arms as if he weighed nothing. Without so much as a nce at Arman, she looked over her shoulder and gave her finalmand. "Clean this area before you leave." And with that, she shot into the night sky, vanishing from Arman¡¯s sight, Vincent in tow. Arman could only re at her receding figure, his face twisted in anger. "Fucking bitch!" he cursed, fury overtaking him as he mmed his fist into the nearby wall. The force of his punch caused yet more damage to the already devastated area, only to realize with a groan that he had just added to his own workload. "Argh! Fuck!" --- The Next Day While rumors about Alpha Arnold Mazels causing a stir at the Annual Battle Ceremony of a certain school circted through the district, Vincent, oblivious to the events of the previous day, slowly began to regain consciousness. "Ugh¡­" he groaned, wincing in pain as he rubbed his eyes. His body felt heavy, disoriented, as he pushed himself into a sitting position, scanning the unfamiliar surroundings. "Where am I?" he muttered, eyes narrowing at the opulent space around him. The room was spacious, far too luxurious for someone like him¡ªits decor akin to a VIP suite in an extravagant hotel. Before he could piece things together, a soft knock came from the door. It opened slowly, revealing a woman in her thirties, dressed in a professional maid¡¯s uniform. She pushed a cart into the room, her expression calm andposed, as if entirely unsurprised by his awakening. "Good morning, young master," she greeted politely, her voice gentle. "Your breakfast has been prepared by the youngdy." "Young master¡­?" Vincent repeated, blinking in confusion. His hand instinctively rose to his face, where he realized his Morphic Mask was gone. "It¡¯s missing?" he murmured. Strangely, he didn¡¯t feel panic¡ªonly a vague curiosity. He looked at the woman, trying to make sense of the situation. "Uh, miss¡­?" "Victoria," she replied smoothly, not missing a beat. "What?" "Please, call me Victoria." "Oh, okay." Vincent shook his head slightly, still trying to clear the fog in his mind. "Miss Victoria, could you tell me where I am?" "You may simply call me Victoria, young master. As for your location, you are currently a guest at Lady Sophie¡¯s vi." "Sophie?" Vincent echoed, the name drawing a nk in his mind. "I¡¯m sorry, but... who¡¯s Sophie?" Victoria gave him a look of mild surprise, almost as if she were speaking to a clueless child, but she answered without hesitation. "Sophie Iris." n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om The name still didn¡¯t ring any bells for Vincent. He paused, frowning slightly in confusion, before offering an awkward, "Oh." Not wanting to dwell on his ignorance, he pressed on with another question. "How did I end up here?" "I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t answer that," Victoria replied, her tone apologetic but firm. "It would be best if you spoke to the youngdy herself after you¡¯ve finished your breakfast." Vincent sighed but nodded in understanding. As she moved toward the door, something else crossed his mind. "Wait¡ªdid you happen to see a in emerald-colored mask?" Victoria gestured toward the bedside table, where his belongings had been ced. Relieved, Vincent gave her a small smile. "Thank you, Victoria." "You¡¯re wee, young master. Please enjoy your breakfast. The youngdy will await you in the living room." With that, she left the room, leaving Vincent to turn his attention to the cart she had brought in. His eyes widened in surprise. The cart was filled with an array of expensive dishes, the kind of food he had only seen onmercials or online. As if on cue, his stomach growled. --- Having thoroughly enjoyed the meal, Vincent changed into a set of freshlyundered ck clothes. His usual armor was nowhere to be found, but he didn¡¯t mind. It had been cheap anyway, and now that he had the means, he could afford to rece it with something better. Victoria soon guided him to the vi¡¯svish living room, where the opulence of the ce was on full disy. Chandeliers sparkled overhead, and the interior d¨¦cor screamed wealth and extravagance as he descended the spiral ss staircase. Chapter 36: Chaos Energy Secret ? As Vincent entered the opulent living room of the vi, his eyes finally settled on Sophie Iris, the youngdy whom Victoria had mentioned. Sophie sat gracefully in a red armchair, her figure entuated by a skin-tight dress that matched the soft hue of her pink hair. The dress clung to her curves, highlighting her ample figure as she absentmindedly swiped through a holographic screen. ¡¯She¡¯s beautiful... but why do I feel like I¡¯ve seen her before?¡¯ he thought. Despite the curiosity bubbling up within him, Vincent maintained aposed exterior, offering only a faint, polite smile. Victoria, after offering Sophie a respectful bow, excused herself from the room. Standing just a few feet away from Sophie, Vincent waited, his expression neutral. After ncing at him, Sophie parted her lips and asked, "It seems you managed to recover on your own. How are you feeling now?" "I¡¯m alright," he responded curtly, still perplexed as to how he had ended up in this ce. Sophie gave a slight nod, swiping once more at the screen before her. "I imagine you have questions. Please, take a seat." "Thank you." He epted her offer, lowering himself into a nearby armchair. Though unsure of how to address her formally, he kept his tone steady and calm, as always. "Miss Iris, first, I must thank you for saving my life," he said, his gaze unwavering. Though he didn¡¯t fully understand what had transpired, Vincent assumed that Sophie had yed a key role in his survival. He had unleashed his chaos energy fully, and when he lost consciousness, he was almost certain he would die. Sophie closed the hologram screen, her attention now entirely on him. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om "I was merely doing my master a favor," she replied, shaking her head slightly. "Your master?" Vincent echoed, his curiosity piqued. But it seemed Sophie wasn¡¯t inclined to discuss her master. She smoothly shifted the conversation. "Do you have any idea about the power you possess?" Her question caused Vincent to fall silent. He had no clear understanding of the origin of his chaos energy, nor why it wasbeled as an evil or demonic force. The only insight he had received came from Arman, who had branded him a ¡¯cmity bearer,¡¯ but even then, the exnation had been vague at best. Eventually, Vincent shook his head, signaling hisck of knowledge. "That¡¯s understandable," Sophie said calmly. "But have you heard of the event that urred several hundred years ago? The one before the continents of Astralis fragmented into the smaller Arcs?" Vincent nodded. Every citizen was required to study their world¡¯s history, and even those who hadn¡¯t formally studied would have heard of the event at some point. Nearly nine centuries ago, before their had be partially digital and fallen under the Starmark System¡ªlong before Origin Warriors existed¡ªAstralis had been invaded by legions of powerful Primals. "And how does that rte to my power?" Vincent asked, his curiosity deepening. Sophie studied him closely, as though assessing whether he was truly unaware or simply pretending. Seeing only genuine confusion in his eyes, she continued. "Those Primals emitted the same energy you now possess." Vincent¡¯s eyes widened in shock. Until this moment, he had believed that Primals wielded Origin Energy like the warriors of today. But the revtion that they had once channeled something far more dangerous left him momentarily speechless. Noting his surprise, Sophie rified further. "The Primals we know today are vastly different from the ones that invaded Astralis nine hundred years ago. Those ancient Primals were not only more intelligent and savage but also far more powerful. Some were even more intelligent than humans." She paused briefly before adding, "It is known as Primal Energy." Primal Energy? Isn¡¯t my power called Chaos Energy? Vincent¡¯s brow furrowed in confusion. Reading his expression, Sophie borated. "Though many of those ancient Primals were either driven back to their home worlds or killed over the centuries, there have been rare anomalies like yourself¡ªhumans who somehow awakened and gained control over Primal Energy. But because Primal Energy is inherently wild and destructive, most of these individuals caused widespread chaos, leading to their branding as ¡¯cmity bearers.¡¯" Vincent fell silent once again, pondering her words. The energy she described shared striking simrities with his own Chaos Energy, making him fear that he might one day be a mindless force of destruction. Yet, there was an undeniable feeling that there was more to this mystery¡ªsomething he needed to uncover. Masking his unease, Vincent asked, "So, what happens to me now? And why did your master ask you to save me?" Sophie paused, seemingly weighing her words before responding. "My master¡¯s only instruction was to protect you¡ªnot to take care of you." Vincent¡¯s curiosity deepened. "Is there a chance I could meet your master and thank him personally?" "I don¡¯t believe my master has any desire to meet you," Sophie replied. "If my master had wanted to, they would have saved you themselves, rather than sending me." Vincent had to admit, her reasoning made sense. Still, his curiosity about her mysterious master lingered, but he decided not to press the issue. Noticing his silence, Sophie¡¯s brow furrowed slightly. After a moment of contemtion, she said, "If you truly wish to learn more about Primal Energy, I would suggest you consider enrolling in Bronzehaven Academy." Bronzehaven Academy¡­ The name immediately struck a chord with Vincent. It was one of the three most prestigious and influential academies in their Arc, alongside Magic Trinity Institute and Beastial Academy. Bronzehaven was renowned not only for its excellent curriculum but also for its notoriously difficult entrance exams, which only the most gifted students from prominent guilds, organizations, and sects could pass. Vincent, however, didn¡¯t feel intimidated. He had confidence in his own abilities. Not only could Bronzehaven hold the key to understanding his Chaos Energy, but it might also provide clues about his parents¡¯ whereabouts. If no traces of them existed within the Bronzehaven Arc, he would continue his search in other Arcs. Regardless, applying to the academy seemed like the best path forward. Chapter 37: It’s Not Mine... Resolved, he nodded and epted Sophie¡¯s advice. "Before that¡­ why don¡¯t you check your phone first?" At those words, his expression faltered for the first time as he quickly grabbed his phone. Though he had found it earlier when changing clothes, the thought of checking it hadn¡¯t crossed his mind, preupied as he was with his current situation. When he tapped the screen, multiple holographic windows popped open. Ding! Ding! Most of the messages were from his younger sister, Marina, and Amara. There was also one from his school, but he chose to ignore it, focusing instead on the ones from Marina and Amara. Both were worried because he hadn¡¯t returned to the hotel and hadn¡¯t responded to their calls. As soon as he replied to them, his phone rang. Marina was calling. He nced at Sophie before answering. Shortly after, Marina¡¯s anxious face appeared on the holographic screen from the hotel room. "Brother! Where are you? Are you alright?" Vincent could only offer a sheepish smile as Marina bombarded him with a series of frantic questions. He patiently waited for her to settle down before assuring her that everything was fine. "I¡¯m okay, stop worrying. Just let sister Amara know I¡¯m alright and that I¡¯ll be backter, alright?" "I understand, but pleasee back as soon as possible, okay?" "As you wish, your highness." He teased. Marina giggled at her brother¡¯s yful tone before suddenly noticing something behind him. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om "But, brother, where are you? That ce looks fancy. Wait¡­ is that the limited edition Lone Leveler - Sang Jenwoo figurine?" Her words made him nce over his shoulder, where he saw a figurine, encased in ss, resting on a table. He turned toward Sophie, who remained impassive, though she averted her eyes. Facing the screen again, he offered a casual excuse, "I¡¯m at a friend¡¯s ce, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll let you know when I¡¯m on my way. Bye~" He ended the call before she could respond. A tense silence followed, broken only by Sophie¡¯s quiet voice, which contrasted with her usualposed tone. "That¡¯s not mine¡­" "What?" "That figurine¡ªit¡¯s my younger brother¡¯s¡­" "Oh, no worries. I understand." --- At the vi¡¯s gate. Vincent cast onest nce at the vi before stepping into the backseat of a sleek, ck hover car. Sophie¡¯s personal driver was already waiting inside. Though the car had an advanced AI driving system, Sophie insisted that her driver apany him for the journey. At the wheel sat a stern, white-haired man¡ªGordon, middle-aged but clearly not an ordinary driver. Without needing to use his Heaven Eyes ability, Vincent could sense Gordon¡¯s formidable presence. Catching his gaze in the rearview mirror, Gordon¡¯s tone was calm yet firm. "Shall we depart, Young Master?" Vincent no longer contested the way they addressed him, so he simply replied, "Yes, let¡¯s go." As the cityscape blurred past them, Vincent¡¯s curiosity grew, and he decided to learn more about Sophie. "Mister Gordon, could you tell me a bit about Miss Sophie¡¯s background?" Gordon, much like Victoria had earlier, gave him a strange look, as if questioning how he could be so uninformed. "I believe it would be faster if you searched for her online, Young Master, rather than me exining," Gordon replied. Raising a brow, Vincent took his advice and began searching the inte, his interest piqued. Before he could even finish typing her name, the search bar auto-filled, revealing Sophie Iris¡¯s renowned title. "She¡¯s the Floral Witch?!" he eximed inwardly. From the corner of his eye, he caught Gordon¡¯s brief smirk before his expression returned to its usual seriousness. "I was saved by the Floral Witch herself?" Vincent muttered, his brow furrowing in confusion. His curiosity deepened. What sort of master did Sophie have, and why had they gone to such lengths to protect him? For what purpose? Despite his desire to figure it out, he found himself at a loss. He couldn¡¯t yet unravel the mystery of his missing parents, and now there was another enigma to solve. Unable to grasp any clear answers, he resolved to focus on something he could control¡ªhis strength. He needed to strategize further, to be prepared for whatever mighte his way. Still in transit, Vincent asked, "Mister Gordon, which district are we in right now?" Without ncing back, Gordon answered impassively, "We¡¯ve just left District 2. We¡¯re now entering District 3." "District 2¡­?" She brought me all the way from District 12 to District 2? Vincent wondered, astonished at the distance they had traveled. Although the speed of the journey surprised him, he chose not toment, keeping his thoughts to himself and waiting until they reached their destination. Several hourster, they arrived near the Origin Warrior Association branch in District 12. Vincent decided it was time to leave. "Mister Gordon, I¡¯ll be fine from here." "Young Master, I¡¯ve been instructed by the Young Lady to see you safely home." With a resigned sigh, Vincent nodded in agreement. "Alright, just drop me off at the Ster za Hotel." A few minutester, they arrived. After expressing his gratitude, Vincent exited the hover car and exchanged contact details with Gordon. "If you ever need assistance, Young Master, just call. As long as I¡¯m nearby, I¡¯lle immediately." "Thank you, Mister Gordon. Have a safe trip back." --- Finally, back at the hotel, the door swung open after just a single knock, and a figure rushed to embrace him. "Brother~" "Marina¡­" "I¡¯m so d you¡¯re safe. I heard about what happened at your school from a ssmate¡­" "I¡¯m sorry for making you worry¡­" As he gently stroked her hair, Vincent noticed Amara standing at the doorway, offering a rare smile. He spent some time exining what had happened to him the previous day, careful to omit anything that might rm them further. "Alright, little Rina, let your brother get some rest," Amara said gently. Marina hugged him onest time before finally letting go. And Amara¡¯s soft gaze lingered at him for a few moments before he entered his room. --- Finally alone, Vincent began to rey his conversation with Sophie before he left. "If I want to pass the entrance exam next month, I need to raise my strength. It¡¯s wishful thinking to expect to pass the Bronzehaven Academy examination with just a Tier 1 cultivation level." He sighed and nced at the three itemsid out on his bed. The first was a box containing the Sunspire Lily he had acquired during his encounter with the Mutated Lake Serpent during the Primal Hunt. The second was a wooden token intricately carved with the letters B and H. The third item was a blue book. The second and third items were gifts from Sophie. She hadn¡¯t specifically mentioned the use of the token, but she had clearly exined the purpose of the third and most important item¡ªa Tier 2 cultivation technique manual. Sophie had exined that breaking through to Tier 2 wasn¡¯t as simple as umting experience points. One had to cultivate their Origin Energy by following specific techniques to strengthen themselves and advance. She gave him only a general overview before handing him the manual. Flow of Origin Energy Level: Tier 2 Quality: Rare Effects: Purifies Origin Energy, enhancing overall attributes by a factor of two¡­ "Flow of Origin¡­" The basic information felt vague, but Vincent decided to start learning the technique immediately. As soon as the book vanished into thin air and entered his consciousness, he instantly absorbed its fundamental concepts and methods. "So¡­ I need to gather experience points and cultivate by following this process¡­ purifying Origin Energy to enhance my basic attributes and break through Tier 2." Setting aside the other items, Vincent sat cross-legged on the bed. He closed his eyes, focused, and began to follow the guidance he had just learned. He still had 250,000 experience points left, and his Origin Energy was fully replenished. He started by channeling the energy from his Origin Core to specific acupoints in his body, circting it in a pyramid-like formation. As the energy flowed smoothly through him, a notification echoed in his mind three minutester. 10,000 experience points and 100 Origin Energy have been consumed! +1 purified Origin Energy! He was a bit surprised at first, expecting another notification in three minutes, but it didn¡¯te. Confused, he dismissed the thought and cleared his mind, focusing only on the process. As soon as he let go of any expectation, the next notification sounded. 10,000 experience points and 100 origin energy have been consumed! +1 purified Origin Energy! This time, he wasn¡¯t distracted and remained focused. The notifications starteding regrly, every minute, as he purified more energy without losing concentration. He continued until he had consumed all his experience points and umted 250 units of purified Origin Energy. "The conversion speed definitely stabilized when I kept my focus¡­" He summoned his interface with a thought and noticed the "+" symbol next to his attributes. Without hesitation, he tapped the plus sign next to his Force attribute. Would you like to consume 100 purified Origin Energy? As soon as he confirmed, his remaining purified energy dropped to 150, and he felt a warm sensation surge through his body and muscles as his Force attribute increased slightly¡ªfrom 7.5 to 7.6. "That¡¯s it?" he muttered, frowning at the slight increase. Realizing that improving his attributes would take much more effort, Vincent shifted his thoughts, his gaze hardening with determination. "I think it¡¯s time for me to return to the Origin World." Chapter 38: Please, Carry On The next day, as soon as he woke up, Vincent went to the small kitchen area of their hotel room and started preparing breakfast. Though they could order from the hotel, Marina and Sister Amara always preferred his cooking. However, since he had forgotten to buy ingredients, he could only make some fried rice, sunny-side-up eggs, bacon, and hotdogs. He also prepared coffee and hot chocte for Sister Amara and Marina. Just as he was about to set the table, the two girls woke up and sat down for breakfast. "Good morning, brother¡­" Marina, still in her pajamas and with bed hair, greeted him with a yawn, rubbing her eyes. Amara, as usual, asked, "M¡¯rning, do we have any beer left?" Vincent just shook his head. "I¡¯ll be heading back to the Origin World today," he said as he ced the food on the table. The two girls were suddenly wide awake and exchanged concerned looks. Marina was the first to speak, sipping her hot chocte. "Then be careful, brother." Her tone was casual, though her eyes betrayed her worry. Amara gave him a brief nce, nodding. "I know you can handle yourself, but... be extra careful." "I understand." Vincent didn¡¯t argue or make any promises. He just focused on doing his best toe back to them safely, knowing that was the most important thing. After finishing breakfast, they all prepared for the day. Marina donned her school uniform, and Sister Amara was dressed in a fitted ck office suit, while Vincent wore his new ck armor, a gift from Sophie. Though he had initially wanted to refuse it, he epted the armor, knowing he needed all the help he could get to grow stronger. Sophie hadn¡¯t asked for anything in return, but Vincent silently promised himself that he would repay her one day. The armor was a rare Tier 1 quality body armament, which was a significant upgrade for him. "I¡¯m heading out now," he said. Marina hugged him tightly before heading off to school. "Take care, brother," she said, determinedly leaving the room. As she walked out of the hotel, her resolve strengthened. "I have to be stronger... I must be an Origin Warrior too, to help my brother!" she thought. Back in the hotel room, Vincent was left alone with Amara. She stepped forward, handing him a white scroll. "Take this," she said. "Don¡¯t ask any questions. Just...e back to us. Marina needs you and..." Vincent raised an eyebrow. "And what?" Amara looked away. "Nothing. Juste back safely." Though he was curious about what she had almost said, he didn¡¯t press her. Instead, he nodded and, with a thought, he turned into particles of lights, leaving Amara alone in the room. "Little Vince¡­" she murmured. ¡ª¡ª¡ª Vincent reappeared in the room he had rented at the Neer¡¯s Lodge in No.3 Novice Sanctuary. As soon as he arrived, he suddenly heard a woman moaning in pleasure behind him. He spun around in reflex and was shocked by the sight before him: two green-skinned, sharp-eared humanoids with ck spots¡ªVyrmins¡ªengaged in an intimate moment. N?v(el)B\\jnn "Ugh, harder!" the naked female Vyrmin moaned, lying on her belly as the male pressed against her. The male Vyrmin quickened his pace, eliciting another moan of pleasure from the female. Vincent grimaced in disgust. "What the hell?! Ew!" He was not disgusted by the sex since he was not a virgin, he was disgusted because the female Vyrmin was drenched in green sticky liquid. His shout startled the Vyrmins, who immediately stopped their activity and stared at him. For a moment, there was nothing but awkward silence. Then, the female let out a deafening scream. "Kyaaaaah!" The male Vyrmin angrily covered himself with a nket. "Who are you?! What are you doing here?!" Since he was wearing his Morphic Mask albeit not using its effect, they were only able to see his purple eyes beneath the in-emerald mask and nothing. The female Vyrmin quickly demanded, "Honey, cover me too!" Still not fully familiar with the social customs of the Origin World, Vincent hadn¡¯t anticipated this awkward scenario when returning. Scratching the back of his head with an awkward smile, he apologized, "Uh, sorry about this. Please... carry on." He hurried out of the room and rushed downstairs. As he descended the stairs, he checked the item Amara had given him earlier, and was surprised when he read the information. Name: Instant Escape Scroll Type: Special Effect: Instantly allows escape from the Origin World without dy. Vincent¡¯s eyes widened. "An Instant Escape Scroll? I¡¯ve never heard of this before..." Normally, escape scrolls had a three-second dy before they could be activated. "Just where did Sister Amara get this?" he wondered, slipping the scroll into his storage ring. His curiosity about Amara¡¯s mysterious background deepened. Pushing the thought aside for now, he reached the bar area of the Neer¡¯s Lodge, where the usual bartender was waiting, eyeing him curiously. "It seems you¡¯ve had an... interesting morning," the bartendermented. Vincent replied with a wry smile, tossing a few Origin Crystals onto the counter. "Any news while I was away?" It had been two days in the outside world, which equated to four days in the Origin World. He had to catch up. The bartender pocketed the crystals and leaned in. "The Thrygians have been getting more aggressive. They¡¯ve been openly hunting humans, especially the young master of the ckthorn n, Grarik. He¡¯s been looking for a human specifically. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening but I¡¯ll advise you to be careful outside." Vincent grinned beneath his mask. Grarik, huh? Looks like he¡¯s pissed that I killed his men. "Anything else?" Vincent asked. The bartender thought for a moment before replying. "I also heard that there¡¯s a new Tier 2byrinth that has appeared in the west of Verdant Wilds, where the ckbite Rats usually roam. You might want to check it out." A newbyrinth? And ckbite Rats? Vincent recalled fighting a few of those creatures during his previous visit to the Verdant Wilds. He then remembered the event he decided to passst time. "When¡¯s the next Outer District Battle?" he inquired. "In four days," the bartender answered. Vincent nodded. "Thanks. Also, I¡¯ll need a new room for two days." "That¡¯ll be 20 Origin Crystals," the bartender said, handing him a thin ck, rectangr key. Vincent paid, stored the key in his ring, and headed to the Novice Center. His goal was simple: take on some missions, explore the newly discoveredbyrinth, and check if it was a good ce to efficiently gain experience. For now, he decided to hold off on breaking through. He wanted to focus on upgrading his abilities and equipment first before any major breakthroughs. He wasn¡¯t reckless enough to push forward with cultivation at the cost of his other skills. Vincent had already reached the peak of Tier 1 but believed that between a one-star and a five-star primal, there wasn¡¯t a significant difference in abilities and intelligence. So he was confident he could still hone his skills. He had proven that already, having faced and defeated several peak Tier 1 enemies during a primal hunt. With his upgraded skills and equipment, he was now ready to hunt them with ease. Chapter 39: Invitation When Vincent arrived at the Novice Center, the ce was already packed with Novice Origin Warriors epting missions from the mission board. The air buzzed with excitement and nervous energy as warriors from various races crowded around the boards, their voices creating a constant murmur throughout the hall. Aside from the regr board, he noticed a smaller one titled ckbite Rat Labyrinth, marked with ¡¯New¡¯ beside it, indicating it was the mission board for the newly discoveredbyrinth. As expected, there were plenty of missions listed, their reward amounts catching the eye of every passing warrior. Next to the mission board stood a group of novice warriors from various races, holding arge que that read ¡¯recruiting party members,¡¯ with several Novice Origin Warriors queuing up to form teams. The line stretched across the floor, each warrior hoping to findpatible teammates. He spotted a Vyrmin male, about the height of a middle schooler, d in bronze armor that gleamed under the center¡¯s lights, shouting, "We need someone who can deal area damage! We¡¯ve already got someone with healing talent! Join us!" His high-pitched voice carried across the room, drawing curious nces from passing warriors. Surprisingly, there was also a group of humans. Although they wore masks, he could tell from their fair skin and long, delicate fingernails that some were women. Their masks ranged from borate designs to simple coverings, each hiding their true identities from the world. As Vincent walked closer to inspect the avable missions, he overheard a young woman¡¯s voice from behind a clown-faced mask, her words carrying a hint of worry. "Have you still not contacted Dmitri?" she asked, fidgeting with the edge of her sleeve. "Shh. It¡¯s Macho. Call him by his alias," a male voice beneath a half-smiling joker mask corrected, ncing around nervously to ensure no one had overheard the slip. "Oh, right. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m still getting used to it." Her shoulders slumped slightly in embarrassment. "It¡¯s fine. Just be careful next time. The Origin World is nothing like our own. We have to stay cautious; this ce is full of uncertainty. If Macho doesn¡¯t show up in five minutes, we should just recruit someone from here." The man¡¯s voice carried the weight of experience, despite his obvious youth. Dmitri? Even though the name reminded him of his schoolmate, he doubted they were the same person. The Origin World was vast, after all, and names could be coincidental. Vincent epted five Tier 1 (5 stars) missions, his fingers moving efficiently across the board. Since the newbyrinth wasbeled Tier 2, he knew it would be filled with peak Tier 1 primals. Just as he finished, he heard heavy footsteps approaching from behind, followed by a hoarse voice that grated on his nerves. "Hey, you with the ugly emerald mask!" Vincent didn¡¯t turn around right away but nced around, looking for anyone else wearing a simr mask. When he saw no one, he realized the voice was directed at him. Before he could react, the voice called out again, more aggressive this time. "Hey, are you deaf?!" A hand reached for his shoulder, but before it could make contact, Vincent spun around with practiced ease, grabbed the arm, twisted it slightly, and pulled, forcing the figure to stumble forward, yelping in surprise. The movement was fluid, almost casual, but contained unmistakable power. "Ow, ow! My hand! Let go of my hand!" The figure demanding release turned out to be a Boarman¡ªbipedal, covered in thick brown fur, with sharp tusks that gleamed dangerously. This one was smaller than the two other Boarmen standing nearby, including one towering almost 7-ft tall in height and wearing heavy armor that clinked with each movement. The Boarman whose arm Vincent held yelled again, his voice rising in pitch, "Let go of my arm! Brother, help me!" Therger Boarman, his voice tinged with anger and threat,manded, "Kid, let go of my little brother now!" His massive frame tensed, ready for conflict. "You want me to let him go?" Vincent thought, grinning beneath his mask. Then, with a casual push that belied its force, he sent the smaller Boarman stumbling and rolling across the floor, drawing the attention of those nearby. The spectacle caused a ripple of whispers through the crowd. "Ugh!" "Buhik!" the muscr Boarman cried out, rushing to help his younger brother stand. "Are you alright?" His concerned tone contrasted sharply with his intimidating appearance. With his brother¡¯s help, Buhik stood up and red at Vincent, hatred burning in his small eyes. Vincent, still grinning behind his mask, raised his hands in mock apology. "Oops. Your brother told me to let him go, so I did. Don¡¯t me me." His voice dripped with sarcasm. "You!" the two brothers growled, ring at him with undisguised fury. Unperturbed, Vincent asked, "What do you guys want from me, anyway?" He maintained his rxed posture, though his senses remained alert. From the way Buhik had addressed him, Vincent knew they had no good intentions. He wasn¡¯t one to look for trouble, but he also wouldn¡¯t shy away from it when it found him. Therger Boarman, Burak, spoke with a sneer that twisted his tusked face. "I was going to be nice, but I¡¯ve changed my mind. Hand over the missions you just epted." Vincent finally understood their motive¡ªthe rewards from the missions he took must have attracted their greed. He might have considered negotiating if they¡¯d shown any respect, but their hostile approach left no room for that. "What if I refuse?" Vincent asked calmly, his voice carrying an edge of steel. Burak snorted, his nostrils ring. "Then I¡¯ll tell you you¡¯re stupid if you think you can survive in this world after offending me!" He revealed his peak Tier 1 strength, trying to intimidate Vincent with mental pressure, the air growing thick with tension. But before Burak could fully exert his influence, a sharp snort pierced the air, disrupting his focus. He staggered back, coughing up blood, his face contorting in shock and pain. "Cough!" "Brother!" "Leader!" Burak¡¯spanions rushed to his side, supporting him as they stared at Vincent, who remained calm and unmoved. Fear and anger churned in their hearts, their eyes wide with disbelief. Who is this guy? They wondered, their thoughts practically visible on their faces. Vincent stayed silent, merely watching them. He had spent the previous night experimenting with his irvoyance skill and discovered that channeling chaos energy into a mental pressure attack greatly boosted his mental attributes. The discovery had opened new possibilities for hisbat style. Among all his attributes, his mental capacity was the highest. Bybining this with his chaos energy, he could exert a Tier 2 (1 star) mental pressure, though it consumed a significant amount of energy. He hadn¡¯t even tapped into his C-rank talent, Origin Enhancement, which could potentially make his attacks even stronger. Though impressed by his own abilities, Vincent heeded Sophie¡¯s advice: "Avoid using your Primal Energy as much as possible. If you must, be discreet." The words echoed in his mind like a constant reminder. Thanks to her, he had developed a technique where no one could detect that he was using chaos energy in his mental pressure attacks. The subtlety of his power made it all the more effective. Burak, now pale and shaking slightly, asked, "W-Who are you?" "You don¡¯t have the right to know my name. Get lost." Vincent¡¯s dismissal was absolute. As much as they hated him, Burak and his group realized they were no match for him. "This isn¡¯t over. We¡¯ll meet again!" Burak snarled, though his voice trembled slightly. "Let¡¯s go!" they hurried off, tails between their legs, their retreat watched by curious onlookers. I just got back¡­ and I¡¯m already dealing with idiots. I need to get stronger and leave this ce. These third-rate viins are getting old, Vincent thought, leaving the Novice Center to head to the newbyrinth. The encounter had barely raised his heart rate. Before he could get far, a woman¡¯s voice called out to him, clear and determined. "Wait, mister!" N?v(el)B\\jnn Great¡­ another one. Can¡¯t I have a peaceful day? He suppressed a sigh of frustration. He turned to see the woman with the clown-faced mask from earlier, nked by herpanions. Their masks caught the light, creating an almost theatrical scene. Curious, but weary, he responded, "Yes?" Without hesitation, the woman asked, "Would you like to join our party? We¡¯re also heading to the ckbite Rat Labyrinth." Her voice carried a note of hope, though her mask hid her expression. Chapter 40: Blackbite Rat Labyrinth Vincent silently observed the woman in the clown-faced mask and herpanions. Aside from the man with the half-smiling joker mask, who had the strength of a Peak Tier 1, the others were only Tier 1, with 3-star and 4-star rankings. He had already made up his mind, but before he could voice his decision, the man in the joker mask stepped forward. "Ah, sorry for approaching you so suddenly. We¡¯re actually short of one person. One of our party members couldn¡¯t make it, so we won¡¯t be able to enter without the minimum of five." "Oh, and I apologize if you already have a party. This youngdy here was just eager to have you join ours," he said, patting the woman in the clown mask on the head. She didn¡¯t protest, her gaze fixed on Vincent. She had witnessed his earlier encounter¡ªhow he defeated the man with just a snort. That convinced her he was stronger than them, so she decided to recruit him. Vincent, on the other hand, was taken aback. There¡¯s a party requirement to enter abyrinth? He mused. The bartender hadn¡¯t mentioned that. His n was to investigate thebyrinth on his own, but now it seemed he needed to be part of a group to enter. With no other option and the opportunity in front of him, he tossed aside his initial refusal. He figured he might as well ept the invitation and observe their talents. His farming might slowed down, but he had nothing to lose. "How about it?" the man in the half-smiling joker mask asked. Vincent nodded, smiling behind his own mask. "Sure." The woman in the clown mask reacted first. "Nice! I¡¯m uny!" She introduced herself, shaking his hand forcefully. The joker-masked manughed, pulling her back. "You¡¯re getting too close, uny. By the way, you can call me Jokyr." Vincent shook his hand, introducing himself as ¡¯Shroud¡¯. It was clear they were using aliases. Well, anyone would do in their case. After all, this world was a survival of the fittest. A little conflict could start a war. The other twopanions introduced themselves as well¡ªSwordy and Rossy, a man and woman whose masks matched their names, a golden sword and thorny red roses, intricately designed. A few minutester, they reached the newly formedbyrinth. The dense forest around the entrance had been cleared, leaving space for several tents and stalls on either side. Thebyrinth itself had three cave-like entrances, each with a line of novice origin warrior groups waiting to enter. Vincent scanned the area, noticing many Tier 1 origin warriors and a few Tier 2s, but no sign of any Tier 3s. It seemed that this low-tierbyrinth didn¡¯t attract the attention of higher-ranking warriors. It¡¯s understandable¡­ if I¡¯m a Tier 3 warrior, I also won¡¯t waste my time here. After waiting for a while, it was finally their turn. Standing before the three-meter-tall entrance, a digital screen appeared in front of them. Would you like to enter the ckbite Rat Labyrinth? Vincent wasn¡¯t surprised. His temporarypanions also had the same screen pop up. Once he epted, the counter appeared: 1 of 5. It quickly filled to 5 of 5 as the others agreed. You may now enter thebyrinth! Good luck! They exchanged nces, nodded, and stepped forward, passing through the liquid-like surface of the entrance. It felt just like the sensation he had experienced during the Primal Hunt field event. "Let¡¯s go!" Soon, they found themselves in a narrow passage that could only fit two adults walking side by side. Jokyr, as the acting party leader, took the lead. Vincent noticed that hispanions didn¡¯t seem surprised by the surroundings. He nced back at the entrance, curious as to why no other groups were entering behind them. Plenty of people had been waiting, so why wasn¡¯t anyone following? Strange¡­ Noticing his confusion, Jokyr spoke up. "Is this your first time here?" Vincent nodded, seeing no reason to hide the fact that he was new to thisbyrinth. "I thought so. You¡¯re probably wondering why no one else ising in, right?" "Yeah, that¡¯s right." A chuckle cut in their conversation. "Haha, don¡¯t worry about it. There are a lot of entrance and exit points in this ce. It¡¯s rare to spawn with another group in the same location," Swordy chimed in. "You all seem pretty familiar with this ce," Vincent remarked. Jokyr chuckled. "Kind of. We started grinding here on the first day thisbyrinth appeared. Last time, we made it to the third underground level. I¡¯m not sure how deep it goes, but we n to conquer it." From that, Vincent gleaned a lot of information. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om So, it¡¯s an undergroundbyrinth¡­ They¡¯ve made it to the third level, and it goes even deeper. "All right, team, let¡¯s move. Same formation. Shroud, you stay at the back with uny and observe. Jump in if you see an opportunity, okay?" Vincent nodded, finding nothing wrong with the arrangement. They were still on the first floor, where only Tier 1, 1- to 2-star primals roamed. Most of the creatures were ckbite Rats, which traveled in packs. Before Jokyr could give anymands, Swordy lunged forward, shing his thin but sharp sword through a group of rats. Squeak! The rats stood no chance against Swordy¡¯s swift attack. The group continued moving through familiar territory, as they had been there before. Half an hourter, they arrived at the second underground level. Despite the vastness of the first floor, they had easily found the entrance to the next. They had only encountered a few groups of novice warriors, all of whom were at the early stages of Tier 1. On the second floor, the cave-like pathway widened but grew darker. The first floor had been lit by glowing stones embedded in the walls, but down here, the light was sparse. As soon as they reached the second floor, Rossy pulled out a fist-sized white gem. It was an Illuminary Stone. With a tap, it emitted a steady, bright light, hovering above them and illuminating their path. Jokyr stepped forward again. "Let¡¯s keep up the pace and stay alert. We might start running into other parties now." The group nodded in agreement, Vincent included. "So, how do you feel about our pace, Shroud?" Jokyr asked, unaware of his real strength. Vincent didn¡¯t feel the need to argue, understanding Jokyr meant no harm with the question. uny, however, thought differently. "Leader, he might be stronger than you," she said with a smirk. Jokyrughed, thinking uny was just trying to boost Vincent¡¯s confidence. But he didn¡¯t take her seriously. "Let¡¯s keep moving," he said, brushing off herment. uny, frustrated by being ignored, nced at Vincent, hoping he¡¯d back her up. But she only met his calm, purple eyes before he followed the others. "Hey! Wait up!" she called, hurrying after them. After nearly an hour of traversing the second level and battling Tier 1, 2- to 3-star primals, they finally reached the entrance to the third floor. The journey had been smooth, though they had used up some of their origin energy and stamina. --- Chapter 41: Blackbite Rat Labyrinth (2) At the entrance to the third underground level¡ªa wide, three-meter hole¡ªJokyr spoke, "Let¡¯s take a quick rest, replenish our origin energy, and then we¡¯ll head in." He removed several bags from his storage ring and distributed them among hispanions. It seemed the group had only one storage ring, and Jokyr was responsible for it. After setting up a simple camp, the group sat down on a mantle, beginning to replenish their energy by absorbing origin crystals. Jokyr stood by, guarding hispanions. Vincent, meanwhile, took a single origin crystal and absorbed it. You recover +1 origin energy! Talent activated! You recover +10,000 origin energy! In an instant, his origin energy was full. A momentter, uny finished recovering her energy and sat beside him, staring up at him curiously. He met her gaze, wondering what she was up to. "What are you doing?" he asked, seeing her openly watching him. "Nothing. Just curious about what you look like behind that mask," she replied, tucking her ck hair behind her ear. Amused by her youthful behavior, he decided to tease her. "Do you want to see?" He kept a serious tone but was grinning behind his mask. uny was taken aback for a moment. Eh? Will he really reveal his face? Why? she wondered, surprised. She had only said it, assuming he wouldn¡¯t take her seriously. But here he was, willing to do it just because she¡¯d asked? Maybe he likes me? she thought, her cheeks warming beneath her clown-faced mask. Slightly flustered but determined, she nodded. Seeing her serious expression, Vincent couldn¡¯t help but grin wider. "Alright," he said, voice serious. "But I¡¯ll only show it to you. No telling anyone, okay?" "I promise," she nodded eagerly. "Then close your eyes first." She closed her eyes without hesitation. Still grinning, he gently touched his emerald mask, slowly morphing it. "Are you ready?" uny nodded, eyes shut. "Alright, on the count of three, open your eyes." "One¡­" "Two¡­" He leaned in close, just inches from her mask, and whispered, "Three." As soon as she heard "three," she opened her eyes¡ªand promptly screamed, "Kyaaaaaah!" Her scream startled the others, especially Jokyr, who was on lookout. He spun around, immediately looking at uny, who was covering her face with her hands. "W-What happened?!" he demanded, hurrying to her side. "What¡¯s wrong, uny?" uny didn¡¯t answer, only pointing in Vincent¡¯s direction. Jokyr and the others turned to look at Vincent, stunned to see a woman¡¯s pale face with long, wet ck hair¡ªan image straight out of a horror film. In the dim surroundings, the effect was chilling. Vincent couldn¡¯t hold it any longer and burst outughing, shifting his mask back to its usual form. "Haha, sorry! I was just messing with her." uny peeked through her fingers, immediately going silent at the sound of hisughter. The others were equally taken aback. "You..." uny managed, speechless. Jokyr swallowed hard, asking cautiously, "H-How did you do that?" He was beginning to wonder if they¡¯d recruited a ghost into their party. "It¡¯s nothing, just one of my simple tricks." Seeing that Vincent didn¡¯t want to exin further, Jokyr sensibly changed the subject. "Alright, five more minutes, then we¡¯ll move." uny red at Vincent and huffed in annoyance, which only made himugh more at how easily she¡¯d been tricked. Just as the group finished resting, a series of hurried footsteps approached from the distance. "Someone¡¯sing. To your positions." Jokyr quickly alerted everyone, taking position shoulder to shoulder with Swordy. Rossy stood in the middle, with Vincent and uny covering the rear. The footsteps grew louder, revealing three Vyrmin warriors in tattered armor, pursued by a towering, two-meter-tall ck rat. It was a Tier 1 (4-star) Thornback Rat. True to its name, spiky bones protruded from its spine to its tail. With a powerful leap, the rat¡¯s sharp incisors sank into one of the male Vyrmin, splitting him in half. Hispanions, wide-eyed with terror, fled toward Vincent¡¯s party, casting ast, horrified nce at their fallenrade as his form dissolved into digital particles. "Get out of the way!" The fastest Vyrmin shouted, panic clouding his mind as he ran, heedless of hispanions¡¯ survival. "Honey! Wait for me!" cried the female Vyrmin running behind him, her tight breastte dress clinking as she struggled to keep up. Vincent raised his brows, recognizing the pair as the same couple he¡¯d caught in a rather intimate moment earlier. "What do we do, leader?" Swordy asked. Jokyr frowned beneath his mask, then gave themand: "Make way!" "Tch!" As much as he wanted to block the Vyrmin who had dragged a Thornback Rat into their path, he bit his tongue and obeyed. The male Vyrmin rushed past them without a word of thanks, forgetting his partner entirely. "Honey¡ª!" the female Vyrmin began, only to trip over a rock and tumble to the ground. "Agh!" she cried, struggling to sit up as the Thornback Rat loomed above her, casting a menacing shadow. Her face went pale as she looked up at the primal, its maw open, ready to strike. Squeak! With a chilling squeal, it prepared to bite when a shadow shot forward, striking the rat¡¯s skull and piercing straight through. A fist-sized hole appeared in its head. The creature was dead. It toppled to the ground beside the frozen Vyrmin. uny¡¯s eyes went wide as she turned to Vincent, shock evident behind her clown-faced mask. "H-How?" she stammered. All she¡¯d seen was Vincent casually picking up a fist-sized rock, coating it in Origin Energy, and tossing it. Although she knew Vincent was powerful¡ªshe¡¯d seen him take down a Peak Tier 1 Boarman in the Novice Center¡ªshe hadn¡¯t expected him to one-hit a primal, especially one known for its speed. As he threw the rock, Vincent finally heard a familiar notification confirming the Thornback Rat¡¯s condition. N?v(el)B\\jnn You have sessfully killed a Tier 1 (4-star) Thornback Rat! +25 experience points! Talent activated! 10,000x! +250,000 experience points! "Yeah, I¡¯ve grown strong enough to one-hit a Tier 1 (4-star) primal now¡­" he thought, feeling the stunned stares of hispanions. "H-How did you do that?" Jokyr asked, disbelief creeping into his voice. He was finally realizing that uny wasn¡¯t exaggerating. Swordy and Rossy were also staring, mouths agape. Chapter 42: Showing Strength "Nothing, I just threw it." Vincent shrugged, then walked over to help the stunned female Vyrmin still seated on the ground. Reaching out his hand, he asked, "Are you okay?" When she finally regained her senses, the female Vyrmin let out a loud scream, realizing how close she hade to dying. Calming down, she took the offered hand, only to freeze again when she recognized the mask. It was the same face she¡¯d seen earlier when caught in a private moment with her partner. "You¡¯re the¡­" Before she could finish, Vincent cut her off. "We¡¯re even now." "Huh?" "I identally saw you two earlier, and then I saved you. So, we¡¯re even." "Oh, right¡­" she replied in a daze, then recalled her partner, who had left her to die. "S¡¯van!!" Jokyr walked up, his eyes glinting with curiosity. "I guess that was the guy who ran the fastest. He¡¯s probably escaped by now," he said, joining the group. Turning to Vincent, Jokyr asked, "Do you know her?" "No, just happened to run into her this morning. I owed her one," Vincent replied casually. "What are you going to do now?" Jokyr asked the female Vyrmin. Still fuming over S¡¯van¡¯s betrayal, the female Vyrmin seemed torn. She sighed, ncing at them with a conflicted expression. She had an escape scroll¡ªone given to her by her boyfriend¡ªbut she felt reluctant to impose on these strangers who had saved her. "I have an escape scroll, so I¡¯ll be going. But first, let me thank you for saving me. What¡¯s your name?" she asked, looking directly at Vincent. "Shroud," he answered curtly. She nodded. "I¡¯m S¡¯hannah. I¡¯ll repay you someday for saving me, Shroud. Goodbye." Without waiting for a response, she tore the escape scroll. Three secondster, her form dissolved into particles of light and disappeared. With S¡¯hannah gone, Jokyr and the others fixed Vincent with sharp gazes, almost making him ufortable. "What?" Seizing the moment, uny spoke up, "I told you guys, Shroud is stronger than the leader. You didn¡¯t believe me." Her tone was triumphant, her hands on her hips as if she¡¯d been the one to take down the Thornback Rat with a single blow. Swordy and Rossy remained silent, but Jokyr eyed Vincent cautiously. Initially, he¡¯d thought Vincent was a mere novice, but now it was clear he was a formidable warrior, perhaps as strong as himself. This realization made Jokyr wary. In the worst-case scenario, if Vincent¡ªor Shroud¡ªbetrayed them, Jokyr wasn¡¯t confident he could protect hispanions. Yet, he trusted his instincts. He felt that Vincent was not a malicious person. They resumed their journey, descending to the third underground level. The third level of the ckbite Rat Labyrinth greeted them with a stench as foul as rotting corpses. The space wasrger and brighter than before, more suited for a big battle, though the nauseating smell lingered in the air. Fortunately, Vincent¡¯s mask filtered out the smell, while the others took out nose plugs and blocked their nostrils. Amused, Vincent asked, "Why are you all plugging your noses? Can¡¯t you use origin energy to block the smell?" uny replied, "We can¡¯t afford to waste origin energy like that. We need to conserve it if we want to reach the next level." The others nodded in agreement. Swordy reached into his pocket and pulled out an extra pair of nose plugs. "Good thing I brought an extra. Here, take these, Shroud." Vincent nced at the plugs but shook his head. "I¡¯m fine. I can handle it." Swordy clicked his tongue, slipping the plugs back into his pocket. "Tch. Don¡¯te asking for themter when you¡¯ve used up all your origin energy." Just as Swordy finished speaking, Vincent sensed a presence approaching from a distance, though the others seemed unaware. "Something¡¯sing." The statement caused everyone¡¯s brows to raise, especially Jokyr, who prided himself on his scouting abilities. "What are you talking about? I don¡¯t sense anything," Jokyr replied, doubting Vincent¡¯s im. His own sensing skill detected presences within a 40-meter range, so he assumed Vincent was being overly sensitive. uny, however, trusted Vincent¡¯s intuition. "How many?" she asked. "At least ten¡­" Vincent wasn¡¯t surprised that uny trusted him¡ªshe¡¯d been his one believer from the start. "And their strength?" uny pressed further. "About four stars." Jokyr still seemed skeptical. He couldn¡¯t detect anything, yet Vincent could pinpoint both the numbers and strength of the approaching enemies? It didn¡¯t add up. More than that, thest time they¡¯d been here, they¡¯d never encountered a group of four-star Tier 1 primals. Mostte and peak Tier 1 creatures roamed solo. "You¡¯re talking nonsense¡ª" Swordy started, but Jokyr interrupted, his expression shifting to disbelief. "Positions! We have iing!" "You can¡¯t be serious!" Swordy eximed, gripping his sword. Soon, severalrge shadows appeared in the distance, kicking up clouds of dust as they advanced. When the figures finally came into view, Jokyr recognized them instantly. "ckbite Rats¡­ Toxic Toads¡­ Razorfang Rats¡­ and even a Poisonous Toad Leader!" "There are so many¡­" Rossy, usually silent, couldn¡¯t hold back. "Leader, what¡¯s the n? Are we fighting?" Swordy asked, his voice tense under the pressure radiating from the Poisonous Toad Leader, which was stronger than him. Jokyr hesitated, torn between retreating and advancing. But retreating would be risky; they¡¯d have to climb or locate one of the rare exit points on this level. He made a decision. "Prepare yourselves! We¡¯re moving forward!" "But how?" someone asked. "Help me handle the other primals. Buy me time to kill the Poisonous Toad Leader," Jokyrmanded. "Rossy, create a barricade around the Poisonous Toad Leader¡ªseparate it from the others!" "On it!" Rossy replied without hesitation. She raised her hand, which glowed with an earthy hue, andmanded, "Sprout!" Instantly, thorny branches erupted from the ground, isting the Toad Leader at the back and immobilizing it. uny suddenly leapt into action. She summoned a wooden staff, raising it as it glowed faintly yellow. "Boost!" she cried. The yellow light fell upon Rossy, who was still summoning the thorny branches. Her speed increased, forming a dense cage around the 2-meter-tall Poisonous Toad Leader. "Great work, Rossy and uny!" Jokyr praised. "Swordy and Shroud, buy me time. I¡¯ll handle the Toad Leader." Swordy met Vincent¡¯s gaze, and they nodded, moving into position. Vincent had no intention of hiding his abilities. He summoned his [Duskedge de], activating Venomstrike Lash along with Duskedge Wave. A dark-purple, crescent-shaped sh flew toward the advancing primals. The attack was also enhanced by his C-rank talent: Origin Power Enhancement. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om A loud explosion shook the ground as a cloud of purple smoke erupted upon impact. Jokyr and the others stood stunned, their jaws dropping as the smoke cleared. At least ten Tier 1 primals, ranging from two to four stars, had been obliterated, reduced to particles of digital light. "Are you kidding me?" Chapter 43: Upgrade Amidst the shocked expressions of Jokyr and the others, Vincent finally heard the satisfying notification of gaining experience points as the defeated primals copsed into shimmering particles, dropping several items. Talent Activated! +250,000 experience points! +125,000¡­ Before anyone could react, Vincent blinked, reappearing near the remaining primals. With precise strikes, he cut through each one, leaving only the Poisonous Toad Leader alive. Talent Activated! +125,000 experience points! +12¡­ Turning to Jokyr, he asked, "You wouldn¡¯t mind if I took care of that toad, right?" Since he had the ability, Vincent saw no reason to hold back on farming experience points. Keeping his strength hidden wouldn¡¯t lead to growth; being cautious was one thing, but holding back was another. He had no intention of slowing his progress¡ªonly a fool would do that. His n to improve his cultivation rested on his assumption that the power gap within Tier 1, from 1-star to 5-stars, wasn¡¯t substantial. Once he reached Tier 2, however, it would be a different story. So, he decided to push everything to its limit at peak Tier 1. Since his experience points were capped at one million, he anticipated that future upgrades might demand over a million points. Still frozen in shock, Jokyr replied subconsciously, "No¡­" With a nod and a quick "thanks," Vincent tightened his grip on his weapon and unleashed Duskedge Wave, slicing through Rossy¡¯s thorny cage. His strike pierced the toad¡¯s head and body, cutting it cleanly in half. You have sessfully killed a Poisonous Toad Leader! +50 experience points! Talent Activated! +500,000 experience points! In an instant, the toad disintegrated into particles of light, leaving behind a green orb and various materials, along with origin crystals on the ground. The sight of his experience points maxing out was immensely satisfying. "This is so fulfilling¡­" he thought, thoroughly pleased with his awakened talent. He couldn¡¯t wait to upgrade his abilities and equipment. However, uny and the others hurried over, their eyes wide with curiosity. "That was amazing, Shroud!" uny eximed, her long brown hair bouncing as she spoke. "That¡¯s...indeed amazing," Rossy murmured, still visibly surprised beneath her mask as she absently twirled a lock of her curly red hair. "Yeah, quite amazing¡­" Even Swordy couldn¡¯t deny it. Jokyr, meanwhile, wore an unreadable expression. He could no longer assume that Vincent was just another Tier 1; he himself was a peak Tier 1 and could have handled the Poisonous Toad Leader, but not without a struggle. "There¡¯s a lot of materials here¡­ and even some umon items," uny said, her eyes sparkling at the loot on the ground. Vincent ignored the other items and focused on the green orb left by the toad leader. Picking it up, it transformed into a ne with a distinctive emerald hue. Name: Ne of Resistance Quality: Umon Effects: Slightly increased poison resistance The item didn¡¯t specify the exact boost to poison resistance, but it was still valuable¡ªand would be even better once he upgraded it. He¡¯d have to test it out, though. Looking at the others, he asked, "You guys wouldn¡¯t mind if I took this item, right?" Everyone turned to Jokyr, the party leader. Seeing the others waiting for his decision, Jokyr considered Vincent¡¯s request. Since Vincent had taken down the toad, with initial assistance from Rossy and uny, Jokyr had no desire to contest it. But he was taken aback by Vincent¡¯s next words. "I¡¯m only taking the toad leader¡¯s drop items. The rest is yours." "What? Are you sure? Some of this stuff would still fetch a decent price!" Vincent shook his head; his storage space was limited, and for some reason, he hadn¡¯t been able to upgrade the storage ring he¡¯d received from Azhara. So he only took what he needed and what was mission-essential. "It¡¯s fine, I can¡¯t carry it all anyway." "Are you sure?" Jokyr asked, still hesitating. Meanwhile, uny had already started looting, clearly not needing any further encouragement. "Stop hesitating and help me pick these up," she called. Imaginary lines of irritation appeared on Jokyr¡¯s forehead as he shook his head in mild exasperation. "Apologies for uny," he said. "I have no idea where she gets this behavior." Vincent couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly behind his mask, reminded of his younger sister, Marina, who had a simr knack for opportunism. As they looted, Vincent considered which skills he should upgrade. Though he¡¯d somewhat expected it, he still felt a pang of frustration upon discovering that it would cost a hefty 500,000 experience points to enhance his rare skills to epic quality. Yet, he reminded himself that very few Tier 1s would possess an epic skill. Now, he just had to decide which two skills to prioritize. There was Flowing Origin Technique, which focused on his fundamentals; Blink of Origin, a movement ability crucial for survival; Venomstrike Lash, a potent debuff skill; and Flow of Origin Energy, a Tier 2 cultivation manual. He ruled out his armaments for now since he couldn¡¯t risk exposing his cheat-like talent. There was also Basic Origin Meditation, which centered on cultivating mental attributes, though he saw no immediate need for it. N?v(el)B\\jnn Why worry about which one to upgrade first? He could farm more experience pointster¡­ nothing¡¯s going to change. With that thought, he decided to upgrade his debuff and movement skills. His current strength was sufficient against any Tier 1 primal, and he had no intention of tackling Tier 2 just yet. Well, for now¡­ While he might consider fighting above his level someday, he wanted more skills¡ªand upgraded ones¡ªbefore attempting anything that dangerous. He wasn¡¯t about to risk his life when he had a safe route to growth. You have sessfully upgraded Venomstrike Lash! You have sessfully upgraded Blink of Origin! Skill Name: Abyssal Venosh Quality: Epic Effect: Releases a wave of venomous energy from the weapon, causing corrosive venom to envelop enemies within a 10-meter radius. The toxic aura inflicts severe poison damage over time, with each pulse amplifying the damage taken by 15%. Affected enemies suffer agonizing wounds, which lead to blood loss, impaired regeneration, and persistent bleeding. Additionally, Abyssal Venosh has a 40% chance to destabilize targets, stunning or slowing their movement and attack speed by 30% for 5 seconds. Skill Duration: 10 seconds Range: 10 meters Poison Duration: 20 seconds Bleed Duration: 15 seconds Stun/Slow Chance: 40% Slow Effect: 30% Cooldown: 60 seconds Consumption: 250 Origin Energy "It¡¯s a ranged attack now¡­" he thought, before moving on to check the upgraded version of his movement skill. Skill Name: One-Step Shift Quality: Epic Effect: Instantly shifts the user 50 meters in any direction, bypassing physical barriers and obstacles. During the shift, the user gains a brief period of heightened perception, allowing for precise control over positioning and navigation in challenging terrain. For 5 seconds after reappearing, movement speed is boosted by 40%, enhancing agility for quick repositioning or escape. Range: 50 meters Movement Speed Boost: 40% for 5 seconds Cooldown: 15 seconds Consumption: 500 (reduced to 75 at max proficiency) "Damn, this is basically teleportation now." Chapter 44: Encounter "Damn, this is practically teleportation now," he thought, marveling at the astonishing leap in his upgraded skills. With an epic skill at hismand, he felt unrivaled. "None of my peers can match me in movement speed now¡­" He was briefly overjoyed, but his excitement faded as he saw the absurd requirements to elevate his epic skill to the next level. Requirements: 1,500,000 experience points and 3 epic skills. "This is insane. That¡¯s an outrageous amount of experience, plus three epic skills, just to reach legendary?" he muttered to himself. Little did he know, most veteran origin warriors had never encountered an epic skill, let alone a legendary one. The task felt overwhelming now, given his novice status, but he knew that as he raised his cultivation, gathering experience would eventually be easier. Just then, uny, who had just finished collecting loot, came closer and waved her small hand in front of his face, breaking him from his thoughts. "Hey, are you okay?" He nodded at her, and Jokyr took onest look at the ravaged surroundings before giving the order: "Let¡¯s go!" What ran through Jokyr¡¯s mind, no one could tell. sh! With a shing crossed sh, Jokyr and Swordy sliced through a massive rat together, killing it instantly. As the creature copsed, disintegrating into shimmering light, Jokyr sheathed his weapon and looked up at the faintly shining gem above, just before its light dimmed. "Slow down," hemanded, raising his fist slightly. Vincent and the others immediately halted. "We¡¯re near thest point we explored. Let¡¯s switch out the illuminary stone before moving forward. Rossy!" Jokyr called. "On it!" Rossy responded quickly. As they took a brief rest, Vincent remained on high alert, scanning their surroundings. He sensed that something unusual lurked further ahead. Based on Jokyr¡¯s remarks and the area they had just explored, it seemed highly abnormal to encounter a group of primals led by a peak Tier 1 leader here. Despite his enhanced senses, courtesy of his chaos energy, Vincent stayed cautious; he was keenly aware he wasn¡¯t invincible. His chaos energy even allowed him glimpses into the future through irvoyance, but he was reluctant to use it unless absolutely necessary. Unleashing it fully would be risky since he couldn¡¯t control it yet. Even a minor use might disrupt his perception, making the ability unpredictable. "It¡¯s done, leader," Rossy reported. "Alright, let¡¯s move out," Jokyr ordered. As they resumed, Jokyr spoke, slowing his pace slightly. "Be ready. This time, we¡¯re fighting the ckbite Rat Leader. Last time, we couldn¡¯t defeat it due to its overwhelming summoning abilities, but we¡¯ve practiced for it now. Plus, we have Shroud¡¯s help this time. Just stay focused and follow my lead. Understood?" "Yes!" they all replied in unison. Soon, Vincent spotted a wide cave entrance in the distance. Focusing his senses, he frowned. "There it is¡ªthe ckbite Rat Leader¡¯s den. Move carefully!" Jokyr announced. They can¡¯t sense it, Vincent thought, his brows furrowing. Before they could step inside, he held up a hand. "Wait." The others halted, turning to him in confusion. "What¡¯s wrong, Shroud?" uny asked, standing beside him. "There¡¯s something inside. Be careful," Vincent warned. Swordy, however, rolled his eyes. "Isn¡¯t that obvious? We¡¯re here to get revenge on that rat leader." He made Vincent¡¯s concern seem unnecessary, but Jokyr wasn¡¯t dismissive. Now that he had seen Vincent¡¯s strength, he took his words seriously. "Enough. Stay close. Moving with caution won¡¯t hurt," Jokyr instructed, and Swordy begrudgingly followed themand. They entered the den, and Jokyr soon sensed something was wrong. Normally, they¡¯d be swarmed by low-level ckbite rats by now. Yet several minutes passed, and they hadn¡¯t encountered a single primal. "Where are all the primals?" uny finally voiced, noticing the unusual silence. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om "The answer might lie behind that light¡­" Rossy murmured, staring at arge, glowing hole in the distance. They approached the source of the light, finding themselves peering into an abyss teeming with countless small ck shapes. Focusing, they realized it was a sea of ckbite rats! In the middle of the swarm, a group of origin warriors¡ªtwo females and three males¡ªstood surrounded, their armor tattered, their masks broken. Their faces were visible now, showing exhaustion and despair. Humans. They were all humans. One warrior, a striking woman with ck hair, was the group¡¯sst line of defense, relentlessly releasing gusts of wind despite her fatigue. Vincent blinked in surprise; he recognized her. She wasn¡¯t just any warrior. "Ana ckwings¡­" he whispered. uny and the others gasped, taken aback by the scene. "Are those¡­ disgusting rats?!" uny eximed. "A group of humans trapped in that sea of rats!" Rossy pointed out, noting Ana¡¯s party¡¯s desperate situation. "They¡¯re as good as dead," Swordy muttered, scowling. "Leader, we have to help them!" uny pleaded, ncing at Jokyr. Jokyr stayed silent, his expression tense. He wanted to help, but as their leader, he couldn¡¯t afford to endanger his own team without weighing the risks. Was it worth it? Could they manage it safely? Seeing him hesitate, uny grew more anxious, shaking his arm in frustration. "What are you doing, leader? They¡¯re going to die. You have to decide!" "uny¡­" Rossy and Swordy murmured, concerned about her agitation. As Jokyr deliberated, Ana took a deep breath below, wiping sweat from her wless face. She nced over at her little translucent-winged, horned rabbit on her shoulder¡ªher summonedpanion, ¡¯Little Winter,¡¯ who looked equally drained. "Are you alright, Little Winter?" she asked softly. The tiny creature blinked its crystal blue eyes, pushing through its exhaustion and nodding in determination. "I¡¯m sorry to ask more of you, but we need your help to create a path," Ana said gently. Little Winter shook its head, signaling her not to worry, then floated above her, preparing to fight. Ana¡¯s hand glowed with a soft white light as she activated an innate skill. "Boost!" shemanded, channeling her energy into the creature. With a faint squeak, Little Winter unleashed twin whirlwinds, ripping through the sea of rats. But as the whirlwinds faded, the tiny creature wobbled in the air, on the verge of copsing. "Winter!" Ana cried, racing to catch her summon. But as she reached for it, rats surged through the gap left by the whirlwinds. "Ana, look out!" one of her femalepanions shouted, warning her of the danger. Ana glimpsed the approaching swarm over her shoulder, her face paling. She closed her eyes, bracing herself for the inevitable. Yet, instead of an attack, she heard the sound of rats squealing in pain¡ªand then, a familiar voice. "Are you alright?" She opened her eyes, astonished, to see a tall figure standing before her, his face hidden by an emerald mask. "You¡­" Her eyes widened. She could recognize the man in front of her despite hiding under a mask. Chapter 45: Strength of Epic Skill "You¡­" Ana was shocked. Though he wore a mask, she recognized his voice without a doubt. Vincent interrupted her after a quick nce. "It seems you¡¯re alright. Go, take a rest. I¡¯ll handle this." Ana was speechless. Unsure of what to do, she walked subconsciously toward herpanions, carrying Little Winter in her arms. Facing the countless ckbite Rats, a normal human would likely despair. But to him, they were weaklings unworthy of experience points. He could, however, gain experience by finding the source of these rats. But he could still not pinpoint its location. He had to do something to let it reveal itself. Gripping his Duskedge de, he considered how to annihte the ckbite Rats most efficiently. Before he could move, several shadows approached and stood around him: Jokyr and the others. "Why did you jump in alone?!" unyined, evidently frustrated. Jokyr stepped closer, giving uny a gentle knock on her head. "You idiot! You saw Shroud jump, and you immediately followed!" Jokyr sounded angry, but his voice held more concern. Rossy and Swordy had also joined, worried about uny. Vincent couldn¡¯t help but smile behind his mask, surprised to see them all jump in. This group seemed odd and a bit reckless, yet he was d for it. They were far better than cold-blooded people. It showed that despite conflicts in human territory, humans in the Origin World werepassionate toward their own kind. Just like when he had received help on his first day in Origin World. Jokyr, though still annoyed, could only sigh before facing Vincent. "You jumped first. It¡¯s your responsibility now. What¡¯s your n?" His gaze was serious and determined, and uny looked at him with anticipation. Rossy and Swordy simply followed Jokyr¡¯smand. A softugh escaped Vincent. Shaking his head briefly, he began. Though it was true he had jumped first, he hadn¡¯t asked them to follow. Even so, he wouldn¡¯t argue over it. He voiced his n: "Rossy, I want you to use the skill you used to iste the Poisonous Toad Leader earlier. Make a simple barricade to protect yourselves." N?v(el)B\\jnn He nced at Jokyr and Swordy. "I need you to keep them safe in the barricade. If you have a way to attract the primals, use it." uny chimed in, "What about me?" Vincent paused. He had only a vague idea of her abilities. Even the others hadn¡¯t revealed their full strength. "What can you do besides buffing Rossy¡¯s casting speed?" he asked. "I can heal and summon a small anti-toxin barrier," she replied. Vincent¡¯s purple eyes glinted for a second before he decided. "How long can itst?" "I can hold it as long as I have enough energy." "How¡¯s your origin energy?" "I still have more than half." "Alright. Once Rossy casts the barricade, I want you to summon the anti-toxin barrier. Keep it up until I tell you otherwise. Understood?" uny nodded with determination. Jokyr then handed him a small pouch. "What¡¯s this?" Vincent asked. "This will help you attract these disgusting rats. Don¡¯t open it now," Jokyr said hastily, stopping Vincent as he began to open it. "Open it when the time is right." Vincent nodded. "Thank you." "Don¡¯t mention it. Do what you need to. Good luck." Holding his Duskedge de, Vincent didn¡¯t hesitate and leaped into the sea of ckbite Rats, shing his sword to clear a ten-meter radius instantly. Seeing this, Jokyr promptlymanded, "Go, Rossy!" Without hesitation, Rossy raised her hands. "Sprout!" Thorny branches sprouted from the ground around them. uny followed up with her staff. "Boost!" Rossy¡¯s casting speed increased rapidly, soon forming a ten-meter circr barrier. uny then stomped her staff on the ground, creating a transparent green barrier. Vincent nced over his shoulder to confirm their setup wasplete. He held out the pouch and pulled the string. "Let¡¯s see what you can do¡­" A nauseating smell wafted out, worse than the foulest stench. The sea of ckbite Rats squeaked, then swarmed toward him as if bewitched. Vincent began to run in a circle, attracting them all. Inside the barrier, uny and the others, now regrouped with Ana¡¯s group, watched him with worry. "Will he be alright?" Ana¡¯s femalepanion asked, her voice filled with concern. Before Ana could answer, uny approached. "He¡¯ll be fine. Let¡¯s trust him. But if you want to help, you need to recover quickly. I¡¯ll treat you all now¡­" As uny worked, Ana could only look at Vincent, being chased by countless rats, with an unreadable expression. Back to Vincent. Seeing the swarm furiously chasing him, he decided to end things swiftly. He leaped, distancing himself from Ana and the others. Standing firm, he raised his Duskedge de with both hands and whispered, "Abyssal Venosh!" The de emitted a toxic aura, and with a loud "ha!" venomous, corrosive energy waves spread out, enveloping the primals within a ten-meter radius. The rats, as if bewitched, halted, coughed blood, turned purple, and dropped dead. The swarm continued to push forward, dying within seconds, as if he had sprayed them with bug repellent. In ten seconds, he killed thousands of ckbite Rats, leaving Jokyr and the others watching in awe. "He¡¯s so strong¡­" Rossy muttered, amazed. Ana, holding Little Winter, reacted as well. "He¡¯s gotten stronger¡­" Though the Abyssal Venosh¡¯s effect ended, he had managed to kill half of them, though thousands still remained. Without hesitation, he activated his C-rank talent, Origin Power Enhancement, and began shing, using his de¡¯s skills, releasing waves of purple energy, killing the rats and turning them into shimmering lights. A minuteter, he unleashed Abyssal Venosh again, killing the remaining rats. But before he could celebrate, a loud squeak sounded from deep within, causing a faint tremor that shocked Ana and the others, still awestruck by Vincent¡¯s strength. Turning at the source of sound, he found a giant and plump rat, it had a height of almost 3-meter tall. It was emitting a nauseating smell and corrosive aura with a hint of familiar energy. It was like his chaos energy but somehow different. It was the same energy he felt before entering the den. Chapter 46: What just happened? "What is that¡­?" "Isn¡¯t that the ckbite Rat Leader we foughtst time? But something¡¯s wrong with it¡­" "It has mutated," Ana interjected, rifying the confusion within Jokyr¡¯s group. Her gaze hardened as she observed the grotesque creature. Jokyr and the others stared tensely at the ckbite Rat Leader, hidden behind their masks. Despite the distance, they could sense its strength. Vincent, closest to it, could feel it had power nearly at Tier 2, making him frown. Although he had fought a mutated primal during the Primal Hunt, this creature was evidently stronger. With a roar-like squeak, the enormous ckbite Rat Leader¡¯s figure suddenly blurred, covering the 40-meter gap in just three strides. It appeared before him, swinging its front paw, ws sharp and glinting. "Shroud!" uny, who had just finished tending to Ana¡¯s injuredpanion, couldn¡¯t help but shout in rm. The others watching grew concerned as well. However, when the creature¡¯s attacknded, Vincent¡¯s figure vanished, its ws shing through an afterimage. Vincent¡¯s voice came from beside uny. "Why are you shouting? I¡¯m right here." A surprised yelp escaped their lips as they looked at him, wide-eyed. "H-How did you get here¡­?" uny was still in shock. It was nearly 40 meters away¡ªthey had no idea how Vincent had suddenly appeared beside them, especially with the thorny branches of Rossy¡¯s skill guarding them. Vincent was inwardly impressed by the effect of his Epic Quality movement skill. Ignoring their shock, he turned to Jokyr. "That thing is dangerous. I¡¯d suggest you fall back. But if you think you can beat it, I won¡¯t stop you. Decide quickly; we don¡¯t have much time." Though he hadn¡¯t tested its strength directly, he had an idea of its power source. Primal Energy¡­ He had heard about it from Sophie, who also warned him to avoid entities emitting Primal Energy, as it could trigger his chaos energy to erupt and lose control. For now, he hadn¡¯t sensed any changes in himself. But he couldn¡¯t risk endangering those around him, so he advised them to retreat. Before Jokyr could respond, uny spoke up. "Wait, what do you mean fall back? How about you? Aren¡¯t you leaving with us?" Vincent didn¡¯t answer and kept his gaze on Jokyr. Seeing this, uny was puzzled and looked between the two. "What¡¯s going on?" Jokyr exined simply, "If Shroud follows us, the ckbite Rat Leader will track us. Shroud just activated the Aggro Scent, which usuallysts for an hour. And that big guy is still drawn to it¡­" Even Ana and the others understood, but uny looked shocked. "Are we just going to let him die?" The mutated ckbite Rat Leader didn¡¯t remain idle and furiously charged toward Vincent and the others. Vincent¡¯s voice interrupted her, "Who said I¡¯m going to die? Didn¡¯t you just see how fast I am? That oversized mouse won¡¯t even touch my shadow. Now go." Without waiting for their response, he broke through Rossy¡¯s barricade, shing at the massive creature. He halted its advance but couldn¡¯t leave any wounds. "Tch, tough defense¡­" he thought, clicking his tongue. Jokyr then decided, resolute as hemanded, "Let¡¯s go. We¡¯d only be a burden to him." uny couldn¡¯t believe it. "What are you talking about? We can¡¯t just leave him!" This time, before Jokyr could respond, Ana interjected, "I know you want to help him, but look around you¡ªask yourself if you have the ability to fight that creature. You¡¯ve seen it; you¡¯d die in a blink of an eye just from its speed." Her face was still cold as ever, but worry flickered in her eyes. Ignoring uny and the others, Ana thought of her own team and her unconsciouspanion, ¡¯Little Winter.¡¯ She had no way to assist, so she could only trust Vincent. "If you want to thank himter, we need to get out safely first. Let¡¯s go." She led her team away without looking back. ¡¯I¡¯ll thank you personally the next time we meet. Don¡¯t die¡­¡¯ she thought as she moved with her team. "H-How can she do that¡­? After Shroud saved her life?" uny muttered, dumbfounded. Jokyr grabbed her wrist. "Remember what happened when we fought that creature before it mutated. Be realistic; we can¡¯t help him. If you want to help him, get stronger. Now, let¡¯s go!" Without hesitating, he dragged her along, following Ana¡¯s group. uny could only watch Vincent¡¯s retreating form, her expression unwilling. "Finally¡­ no more distractions¡­" he murmured, ncing over his shoulder to see them leaving. He then turned to face the three-meter-tall creature. Its eyes glowed a deep blood red, its sharp incisors like spears, and it was surrounded by a misty, dark aura. It stopped, stood on its hind limbs, and red at him. It let out a deafening squeak. Squeak! Several dark auras emerged from the ground, transforming into hundreds of ckbite Rats. Vincent didn¡¯t hesitate and unleashed his full strength. Origin Power Enhancement Activated! Duskedge Wave! Abyssal Venosh! As the venomous aura spread within a 10-meter radius, it killed hundreds of rats instantly. He swung his Duskedge de, releasing a crescent of purple energy toward the ckbite Rat Leader, leaving cracks in the ground. Swoosh! The creature casually pped it away, creating a cloud of dust where itnded. "Seriously? It just pped my attack away?!" The creature squeaked again, summoning more ckbite Rats. "This thing¡¯s got a rat factory!" he muttered, frowning. He could feel his origin energy depleting rapidly. He¡¯d only used his epic skills a few times but had already consumed over 3,000 origin energy¡ªmore than half of his current reserves. He still had 2,300 origin energy. He summoned an origin crystal and quickly consumed it, instantly replenishing his energy. Talent Activated! +10,000 Origin Energy! "Let¡¯s see whosts longer." He chuckled, amused by his talent¡¯s effect. As long as he had origin crystals, he had limitless energy. Without holding back, he vanished, reappearing above the ckbite Rat Leader. He swung his de,bining Duskedge Wave with Abyssal Venosh! Boom! Venomous aura exploded as the crescent energy from his de shed straight at the creature¡¯s head, raising a purple cloud of smoke. An agonized squeak escaped from it, signaling that his attack had hit its mark. But then, hundreds of rats charged at him with furious, ring eyes. "Tch!" He shed at the surviving rats from his venosh, cutting them down. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om After he fell back, the smoke cleared, revealing the ckbite Rat Leader, a huge gash across its face. However, it began healing within seconds. "Damn, it can regenerate too!" "Do I really have to use my chaos energy?" Just as he considered unleashing his chaos energy, the ckbite Rat Leader suddenly froze. It nced in another direction, then back at him with an unwilling expression, before hurrying off as though summoned. "What just happened?" Chapter 47: Tier 2 Armament "What just happened?" n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om He wore a puzzled expression beneath his mask, unsure of what had just urred. He contemted using his chaos energy, but before he could even act, it suddenly vanished. While he pondered the reasons, he decided not to pursue it. As long as it remained within thebyrinth, he was bound to encounter it again. Thus, he refocused on his primary goal: farming experience points and leveling up his remaining skills. Having experienced the strength of Epic-grade skills, he felt even more excited to advance his skills and armaments. Still, with each encounter against stronger opponents, he realized how weak he was. "I¡¯ll definitely get you the next time we meet!" he vowed, gazing toward where the primal creature had disappeared. He then looked at the wrecked surroundings. Unfortunately, none of the summons he had killed dropped any items. "It seems those summons don¡¯t count as living creatures of Origin World¡­ Sigh¡­ Forget about it. This is just my first day; I still have plenty of time!" Now that he had no distractions, he could focus solely on farming. He didn¡¯t follow the path the Mutated ckbite Rat Leader took; instead, he went in another direction to continue hunting, dismissing any thoughts of Jokyr and the others. On the second underground level of the ckbite Rat Labyrinth, Jokyr and Ana¡¯s group stared silently at the entrance to the third underground level, each showing different emotions. Several minutes had passed, yet Vincent, known to them as Shroud, was still nowhere to be seen. uny could no longer keep silent. "He wille back, right?" Her question was met with silence. "He¡¯s going to be safe, right?" Again, no response. Unable to contain her emotions, she turned fiercely, taking off her mask and revealing her youthful, wless face. Her brown hair flowed free as her hair tie came loose, revealing a beautiful maiden who could rival Ana in appearance. While Ana was a cold beauty, uny had an innocent charm that could stir any man¡¯s protective instincts¡ªespecially now, as her beautiful brown eyes shimmered with tears. Ana¡¯s two malepanions, whom uny had healed earlier, were captivated by her beauty. However, Jokyr and his group were stunned. "uny?!" Jokyr eximed. Yet, there was nothing he could do now. They had already seen her face, and he felt he had no right to stop her anymore. The guilt gnawed at him; if Shroud truly died because of their actions, he would never forgive himself. But he believed he had made the right choice, choosing hispanions over a stranger. "What?! Isn¡¯t it your responsibility to care for your party? Shroud is ourpanion too, even if only temporarily." She red at Jokyr before shifting her fierce gaze to Ana. "And you¡ªyou said to trust him. So why didn¡¯t you do anything? Shroud saved your lives! You¡¯re all so ungrateful!" The typicallyposed Ana could only avert her gaze, clenching her fists while herpanions hung their heads in shame. She couldn¡¯t respond, having also been the one to trust Vincent¡¯s idea. As tears continued streaming down uny¡¯s face, Jokyr gently took her by the shoulders tofort her. "uny, I know you¡¯re worried about him, but this was also Shroud¡¯s idea. We have to respect his decision and trust him." "Stop crying. We don¡¯t know what happened in there, but we also don¡¯t know what other resources he might have. There¡¯s a good chance Shroud left in another direction or used an escape scroll. Remember how he didn¡¯t even bother with low-level items? A rich guy like him must have at least one escape scroll, right?" With Jokyr¡¯s reasoning, uny¡¯s eyes showed a hint of rity. It did make sense. Although she was still worried, she held firmly to the thought that Shroud was safe. "Shroud¡­" she murmured, ncing toward the entrance of the third underground level. Elsewhere, deep within the ckbite Rat Labyrinth, a dark humanoid figure sat on a massive stone throne. A ck, serpent-like shadow coiled around his right arm, which he yed with idly. Hiss~ A faint tremor emanated from the dark entrance to the throne room. Soon, the familiar figure of the ckbite Rat Leader appeared, immediately prostrating itself before the throne like a subservient servant. The figure on the throne revealed a pair of blood-red eyes. A deep, raspy voice broke the silence as the dark figure spoke. "My servant, tell me what happened¡­" The ckbite Rat Leader slowly raised its head and spoke in an audible tone, drawing a series of amused exmations from the dark figure. "Hoo¡­ interesting, for one of such a low tier to possess such abnormal abilities. Interesting¡­ quite interesting indeed." The dark figure muttered repeatedly, unable to contain hisughter. As hisughter faded, his eyes gleamed with a sharp intensity. "I want you to find him for me. Report to me immediately once you do. Now, go." The ckbite Rat Leader voiced its affirmation and hastily left, leaving the dark figure alone on his throne. Meanwhile, on the third underground level¡­ Several massive primals copsed to the ground as the venomous purple energy faded. After a tremor, their corpses dissolved into bright digital lights, leaving materials and items scattered on the ground. You have sessfully killed a Digged Leader Tier 1 (5 stars) You have sessfully killed a Digging Servant Tier 1 (4 stars) You have sessfully killed a¡­ Notifications rang continuously in his ears as he swung his Duskedge de, flicking off the remaining blood. With this wave alone, he managed to fill his experience barpletely. One million experience points. Now, he had the opportunity to upgrade his skills or armaments to a higher quality. Although he had several options, his choice was already clear in his mind. With Abyssal Venosh as his AOE skill, his farming speed could increase. With One-Step Shift, he didn¡¯t need to worry about movement abilities. But what he had foundcking in his fight with the Mutated ckbite Leader was firepower. He needed more firepower, so he wouldn¡¯t have to rely on his chaos energy. Without hesitation, he chose to upgrade his Duskedge de. Name: Nightre de Power: Tier 2 Armament Quality: Epic Description: The Nightre de is masterfully crafted from obsidian dusksteel and reinforced with shadowme alloys, giving it a lustrous midnight-gray finish with shimmering veins of crimson and silver. Lightweight yet incredibly resilient, it¡¯s enchanted to deal increased damage with each strike, inflicting deep,sting bleed effects on enemies. The de seems to capture and refract even the faintest light, creating an almost otherworldly gleam that instills fear. Visual: The Nightre de has an elegant hilt wrapped in deep crimson leather. Its polished de is ented by vibrant silver and crimson veins that pulse gently when wielded, emitting a faint red-ck aura that intensifies with each strike. When activating skills, the de ignites with a dark, fiery glow that illuminates every sh with a brilliant radiance. Skill 1: Umbra sh Effect: A single-target sh that channels shadow energy, dealing amplified damage and inflicting a bleed thatsts 15 seconds, progressively reducing the target¡¯s physical and magical defenses. Bleed Duration: 15 seconds Defense Reduction: 2% per tick, stacking up to 4% Skill 2: Shadowme Wave Effect: Releases a shadowme-infused, ranged sh that travels 12 meters, damaging all enemies in its path with a chance to stagger, and inflicting both a burn and bleed effect. Range: 12 meters Bleed Duration: 10 seconds Burn Duration: 10 seconds Stagger Chance: 25% Skill 3: Emberstrike Effect: Channels fire energy, delivering a powerful single-target strike that inflicts a burn for 12 seconds, briefly lowering the target¡¯s resistance to fire-based attacks. Burn Duration: 12 seconds Fire Vulnerability: Reduces target¡¯s fire resistance by 10% for 6 seconds "It¡¯s now Tier 2?" Chapter 48: Tier 2 Armament (2) "It became Tier 2?!" He was astounded. Not only had it upgraded to epic quality, but it had also advanced to Tier 2! Seeing the newly upgraded skill set confirmed that upgrading his armament had been the right decision. It even transformed with fiery characteristics and acquired a new single-target skill, significantly enhancing his firepower. He was confident that if he¡¯d had this upgraded armament while battling the ckbite Rat Leader, victory would havee effortlessly. "Beautiful¡­" he murmured, admiring the de¡¯s new appearance. Its elegant hilt was wrapped in deep crimson leather of high quality. The de was smooth, polished, and streaked with vibrant silver and crimson veins, perfectly suiting its name. "Nightre de¡­ I like it. Whoever named it has good taste," he mused with amusement. He could feel warmth radiating from the de as he softly gripped the hilt. With a slight wave, it left a trail of me energy that lingered in the air momentarily. "Good stuff!" Satisfied, he unsummoned the Nightre de and continued upgrading. "I¡¯ve already got good mobility and just gained more firepower. What Ick most is¡­ defense. Although I don¡¯t have any defensive skills, I¡¯m lucky to have received this¡­" He nced at his current armor, a Tier 1 Rare Quality armament gifted by Sophie. He hadn¡¯t had a chance to use its innate skills. Without hesitation, he chose to upgrade it. A bright light erupted from his armor, and when the blinding glow faded, he stood d in a newly transformed ck armor. He quickly examined its new information. Name: Obsidian Aegis Power: Tier 2 Armament Quality: Epic Details: Forged from midnight-ck dusksteel and infused with shadow quartz, the Obsidian Aegis offers exceptional resilience while remaining surprisingly light. Its sleek, matte finish is adorned with faintly glowing runes along the chestte and gauntlets, providing physical and magical protection, invaluable for intensebat. Base Defense Increase: Grants a 20% boost to physical and magical defense, allowing the wearer to withstand powerful strikes and resist magical effects with greater ease. Visual Appearance: The armor boasts a deep, polished ck finish with dark silver trim along the edges. Subtle runes emit a faint, pulsing crimson glow. Inbat, the runes intensify, ring to life when skills are activated. The pauldrons are reinforced but maintain a sleek, angr design, with a faint aura of shadow around the armor, enhancing its formidable appearance. Skill 1: Veil of Shadows Effect: Envelops the user in a shadowy shroud, reducing iing physical damage by 20% for 10 seconds. While active, it grants a 10% boost in evasion, enhancing the ability to dodge iing attacks. Ideal for withstanding powerful blows and repositioning in close-quartersbat. Damage Reduction: 20% Evasion Boost: 10% Duration: 10 seconds Cooldown: 30 seconds Skill 2: Aegis Ward Effect: Projects a barrier that absorbs substantial iing damage for 8 seconds, significantly enhancing defense in critical moments. While active, it boosts resistance to elemental attacks by 15%, bolstering resilience against magic and elemental effects. Damage Absorption: Moderate to high, based on attack strength Elemental Resistance: +15% Duration: 8 seconds Cooldown: 40 seconds Skill 3: Umbra Retribution Effect: Stores up to 15% of damage received over 5 seconds and releases it as a dark-energy shockwave, dealing umted damage to nearby enemies within a 6-meter radius. It has a moderate chance to stagger foes, creating an opening for counterattacks or retreat. Stored Damage: 15% of damage received Radius: 6 meters Stagger Chance: 20% Cooldown: 35 seconds He wasn¡¯t sure whether to be surprised or unsurprised, but it too had be a Tier 2 armor. "This is insane¡­" he muttered, eyes wide as he read about his new armor. With a single upgrade, he had gained three powerful defensive skills. Trying a small hop, he was amazed by how light it felt, despite its heavy appearance. It was as light as a feather. "The design really suits my Nightre de¡­" The urge to test his upgraded armaments in battle surged within him. Yet, upon scanning his surroundings, he found them empty. He had already cleared out the Primals in the area, leaving behind scattered materials and glowing orbs on the ground. He swept everything up, putting them directly into his storage ring forter examination. It was still afternoon, with only a few hours left before nightfall. He needed to use his time efficiently. "Time to keep farming!" He set out, searching every corner of the third underground level. Thirty minutester, he spotted another peak Tier 1 Primal, one of his targets within thebyrinth. Rock Snake Tier 1 (5¡ï) A few meters away, a rock-type creature shaped like a snake caught his attention. "Another reminder I¡¯m in a fantasy world¡­" he sighed, bemused. Wasting no time, he summoned his Nightre de, gripped it tightly, and took a step forward. His figure blurred, shing straight behind the Rock Snake. Before it could react, me energy burst from its body, and it copsed, sliced cleanly in half. You have sessfully killed a Tier 1 (5¡ï) Rock Snake! +50 experience points! Talent Activated! +500,000 experience points! The effortless victory over a peak Tier 1 Primal made him grin behind his mask as the sweet sound of notifications filled his ears, half-filling his experience bar. Once again, he marveled at the Nightre de¡¯s power. The Rock Snake, known for its defensive prowess, had fallen as easily as slicing butter. With his experience bar now half-filled, he decided to upgrade his umon physicalbat skill, Flowing Origin Technique, to rare quality. He chose it because he anticipated situations where hand-to-handbat might be unavoidable. Without solid physicalbat skills, he would be at a disadvantage. You have sessfully upgraded the Flowing Origin Technique! Name: Torrent of Origin Technique Quality: Rare Effect: Offensive: Increases attack power by 35% and enhancesbo fluidity. Has a 15% chance tond an additional strike after a sessful hit, enabling dynamic and potent follow-ups. Defensive: Reduces iing damage by 20% when blocking. Additionally, a refined parry window allows 30% of the damage to be reflected back at the attacker when timed correctly, making it a formidable defensive maneuver. Special: Unlocks advanced redirection techniques, allowing it to absorb and redirect an attacker¡¯s force. A sessful block causes the enemy to be staggered for a longer duration, creating a prime opening for counterattacks. Consumption: 55 Origin Energy per minute With his remaining experience points insufficient for further upgrades, he paused the series of enhancements and decided to continue hunting, but not before collecting the loot from the Rock Snake. Alongside a rock-shaped nucleus, one of his mission targets, he discovered a glowing white orb. He quickly stored the nucleus and grabbed the orb, which transformed into a familiar white book¡ªa skill book. He nced at its details. Name: Stonebreaker Strike n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Quality: Common Effect: Delivers a focused strike that deals an additional 50% of the user¡¯s base physical damage. Upon impact, it weakens the target¡¯s defenses, reducing physical defense by 3% for 5 seconds. When activated, the user¡¯s arm bes encased in a stone-like surface, increasing physical defense by 5%. This stone form can be sustained for an extended period, though it consumes Origin Energy continuously. Additional Damage: 50% of base physical damage Defense Reduction for Target: 3% for 5 seconds Defense Increase: 5% (can be maintained) Duration of Stone Form: 10 seconds (extendable) Origin Energy Consumption: 20 Origin Energy per minute while maintained "Perfect timing!" he eximed, relieved. Just as he had been concerned about his physical capabilities, he obtained a skill to boost them, and he anticipated it would be even better with a few upgrades. Chapter 49: Emberstrike "Stonebreaker Strike¡­" n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om With a mere thought, he activated the new skill he¡¯d acquired, channeling his origin energy. Instantly, his arm from fist to elbow transformed, taking on a stonelike surface. He clenched his fist, surprised that despite the change, he felt no difort. When he jabbed at the air, a faint shockwave lingered in its wake. Having 200,000 experience points left, he chose to upgrade the skill, consuming 50,000 points and raising it to the umon grade. You have sessfully upgraded Stonebreaker Strike! Name: Stone Crusher Quality: Umon Effect: Delivers a focused strike that deals an additional 100% of the user¡¯s base physical damage. Upon impact, it weakens the target¡¯s defenses, reducing physical defense by 6% for 5 seconds. When activated, the user¡¯s arm bes encased in a stonelike surface, increasing physical defense by 10%. This form can be maintained for an extended period but continuously consumes Origin Energy. Additional Damage: 100% of base physical damage Defense Reduction for Target: 6% for 5 seconds Defense Increase: 10% (maintainable) Duration of Stone Form: 20 seconds (extendable) Origin Energy Consumption: 25 Origin Energy per minute while maintained Skill: Rock Smash Deals 150% attack damage, unleashing explosive earth damage upon impact. Cooldown: 8 seconds Consumption: 20 Origin Energy "Not bad¡­" Vincent nodded, satisfied with the upgrade. With 150,000 experience points remaining¡ªinsufficient for further upgrades¡ªhe continued farming, intent on filling his experience bar before calling it a day. Deep within the third underground level, tremors shook the area, rming various origin warriors. "W-What¡¯s happening?¡¯ "I have no idea¡­" In the distance, ck shapes began moving rapidly. "Look! Something¡¯sing!" "Are those ckbite rats?!" "No way! There¡¯s a whole swarm of them!" "Run if you don¡¯t want to die!" shouted one quickthinking warrior, wasting no time as he sprinted away from the ckbite swarm. However, a shadow shed, and one of the warriors, slower than the rest, found himself ensnared. "Argh! Help me!" Before anyone could react, the ck shadow coiled tighter, squeezing him until blood streamed from his seven orifices. His body vanished into a burst of digital light. Across the third underground level, the sea of ckbite rats swept through, mercilessly hunting down every origin warrior in their path. Meanwhile, Vincent had just defeated hisst mission target, killing a peak Tier 1 primal and filling his experience barpletely. As he gathered his loot, a scream pierced the air from somewhere nearby. He turned in the direction of the noise, frowning behind his mask. Momentster, he spotted a battered group of Vyrmins, covered in injuries, racing toward him. Behind them loomed a massive swarm of shadowy figures. Recognizing the familiar sight, Vincent shed a grin beneath his mask. "I wasn¡¯t looking for you guys, but since you¡¯re here¡­" Ignoring the fleeing Vyrmins, he transformed his hand into an earthtype arm. With a single step, he leaped into the center of the ckbite rat swarm,nding a punch on the nearest rat with his Rock Smash skill. The strike obliterated the target and several others in a five meter radius, scattering rocks around him. He continued, delivering punch after punch, releasing Rock Smash every eight seconds. Boom! Agonized squeaks filled the air as he ughtered the remaining ckbite rats, each one dissolving into digital lights, leaving only emptiness behind. Elsewhere in thebyrinth, the Mutated ckbite Rat Leader swung its long tail, slicing an origin warrior in half. Suddenly, its head jerked up, sensing a signal. Unbeknownst to both, they were moving toward each other. Soon, Vincent spotted the massive rat leader, and with an earthshaking squeak, it lunged at him with astonishing speed, its thick tail whipping toward him. This time, Vincent forwent his de, opting instead to activate his Origin Power Enhancement, increasing his force attribute. He followed up with Stone Crusher, meeting the beast headon with a Rock Smash punch. Boom! A shockwave rippled from the impact, and both Vincent and the rat leader were forced to stagger back. Cracks appeared on his stone arm, fragments falling to the ground. "That thing has some tough defense¡­" he thought, observing the primal, which seemed equally shocked by his strength. Satisfied with his progress, Vincent concluded, "If I want to defeat it, I¡¯ll need to use my Tier 2 Epic Armament." He summoned his Nightre de, which emitted a faint fiery aura. Sensing the weapon¡¯s power, the Mutated ckbite Rat Leader paused, instinctively wary. Yet it recalled its master¡¯smand¡ªto report back if it encountered this target. Emboldened by the prospect of capturing him, it bared its incisors, curling into a tight coil before rolling toward Vincent at high speed. As the rat leader charged, Vincent blurred into motion, vanishing and reappearing behind it. Yet, as if guided by instinct, the rat leader veered, redirecting its path toward him. Unperturbed, Vincent smoothly dodged, backflipping to gain distance. Seizing the opening, he shed with his Nightre de, unleashing a wave of crimson ck aura that sliced through the air with remarkable speed, carving a fissure into the ground. A deafening crack resonated as his Umbra sh hit its target. The rat¡¯s pained squeal filled the air, and when the smoke cleared, a deep woundy open on its back, oozing blood andced with lingering dark energy that hindered its recovery. "Umbra sh¡¯s effect is working¡­" Vincent murmured, watching the creature¡¯s wound reopen continuously, spilling more blood. Despite its injuries, the rat leader rose on its hind limbs, its ws glowing with a bloodred light. As it prepared to attack, the reopened wound disrupted its focus, causing it to stagger. Vincent seized the chance, shing above the creature. His Nightre de ignited with a redck glow as he shed downward, releasing a crescentshaped wave of shadowme. The strikended squarely on the rat¡¯s head, trailing a burning dark arc behind it. Bam! The impact shook the ground, sending a thick cloud of smoke into the air. The rat leader shrieked in agony as its massive body was flung against the wall, leaving arge crack. This time, the wound was irreparable, the searing mes prolonging its suffering. Without hesitation, Vincent raised his Nightre de, its fieryorange mes zing. With a slow, sweeping motion, heunched the mes toward the copsed rat leader. As theynded, the mes erupted, filling the air with searing heat. The Mutated ckbite Rat Leader¡¯s pained cries echoed briefly before fading. When the smoke cleared, the rat¡¯s burned corpse remained, slowly transforming into a ck liquid orb. Rather than dispersing into digital lights, the orb suddenly shot toward Vincent, embedding itself within his abdomen, merging with his origin core. You have received +100 Primal Energy! You have received Rat Shadow Summoning! You have received Rolling Bash! You have received Fierce Strike! The notifications flooded his mind, leaving him stunned. "What the¡­?" He was at a loss for words. Elsewhere, in the ckbite Rat Labyrinth¡¯s throne room, a dark figure lounged on a throne, a ck snake coilingzily around his arm. His crimson eyes red suddenly. "How did my servant die? How?!" He snarled, "No matter where or who you are! I will find you!" Chapter 50: Meeting Acquaintance "I got three skills at once¡­?" Vincent was astonished. The thought of acquiring three skills simultaneously hadn¡¯t even crossed his mind. He hardly considered the experience points he¡¯d gained. "Primal Energy¡­" He didn¡¯t fully understand this new power or how it differed from his chaos energy. Surveying the area, he noticed the ckbite rats were all gone, leaving a trail of destruction and silence. The Mutated ck Rat Leader didn¡¯t drop anything since he absorbed its essence directly. It was alreadyte, and his mission wasplete, so he decided to call it a night. Heading back toward the exit he¡¯d noted while hunting primals, he ordered a meal and, after dining, returned to his rented room in the Neer¡¯s Lounge. Seated cross-legged on his bed, free from his Morphic Mask¡¯s effect, he reviewed his spoils from the day¡¯s battles. "Two epic skills¡­" "Two epic-tier armaments¡­" "I also found an umon-quality ne that I haven¡¯t upgraded¡­" "I upgraded mybat skill to rare¡­ Plus, I obtained a new skill, Stonebreaker Strike, which I¡¯ve enhanced to umon grade¡­" "Then there¡¯s the drop from the Mutated ckbite Rat Leader¡­" He checked the skills he¡¯d obtained. Skill Name: Shadow Rat Summoning Grade: Umon Initial Summon Cost: 10 Origin Energy per Shadow Rat Sustained Cost: 1 Origin Energy per rat every 10 minutes Summon Limit: Up to 25 Shadow Rats at once Duration: Unlimited¡ªpersists until dismissed, destroyed, or the summoner depletes Origin Energy Strength: Tier 1 (1¡ï) Basic Functions and Effects: 1. Shadow Form: Shadow Rats possess a semi-ethereal nature, blending seamlessly in dim environments and bing nearly invisible in shadows. 2. Physical Attributes: Each rat has the strength, speed, and agility of a Tier 1 (1¡ï) creature, suitable for quick attacks and scouting, though fragile inbat. 3. Basic Stealth: Naturally stealthy, they are hard to detect by lower-tier foes, especially in low-light conditions. 4. Combat Abilities: Bite: Minor damage, enough to distract and irritate opponents. w Scratch: Inflicts light wounds on unarmored targets. 5. Limited Command and Feedback: Follows simplemands like "scout," "attack," or "retreat." Limited mental link provides brief sensory impressions, such as nearby sights or sounds. Skill Name: Rolling Bash Grade: Umon Description: A powerful, spinning dash attack, shing everything in its path. The user advances while inflicting consistent, moderate damage to enemies. Effective against clustered foes or agile opponents, as the rotation disrupts their movements. Effects: Damage: Deals 150% of the user¡¯s base attack as continuous physical damage per second. Stagger Effect: 50% chance to stagger enemies, interrupting weaker attacks or momentarily disorienting them. Knockback: The final spin ends in a powerful horizontal sh, knocking enemies back by 1 meter. Consumption: 35 Origin Energy per use. Duration: 3 secondsmitted movement; early cancetion is impossible once initiated. Travel Distance: Up to 5 meters forward in a straight line. N?v(el)B\\jnn Cooldown: 15 seconds. Skill Name: Fierce Strike Grade: Umon Effects: Direct Impact: Channels condensed Origin Energy into a swift, powerful strike. Upon impact, the target endures an additional 25% of the user¡¯s base attack as pure physical force, bypassing conventional defenses. Shockwave: Releases a concussive wave outward in a cone from the impact point, dealing 10% of the user¡¯s base attack to all within range. Causes minor knockback (up to 2 meters) and staggers enemies for 0.5 seconds. Primary Strike Range: 2 meters in front of the user¡ªideal for closebat. Shockwave Cone Radius: Expands to 5 meters from the impact. Consumption: 40 Origin Energy. Cooldown: 6 seconds. "Damn, all these are pretty useful skills. But Rolling Bash seems risky¡­" Satisfied with his skills¡¯ effects, Vincent looked forward to upgrading them. He next searched for information on Primal Energy. Opening his system interface, he clicked on it. Primal Energy: A unique energy usable only by primals or those with an affinity for it. Temporarily enhances specific attributes of the user or primal summons. Warning: Energy can cause temporary loss of awareness. Use cautiously. Effects: Grants +10 attribute points per 100 Primal Energy. "This¡­" Vincent was speechless. He couldn¡¯t decide if he was pleased or dismayed. He was intrigued by the contrast with his chaos energy, whose mechanics remained mysterious. However, he was unsatisfied with the limitations. First, it didn¡¯t exin how energy would regenerate. Second, it gave no detail on how long he¡¯d lose awareness or its exact effects. He decided to set it aside for now and n his next move. "I could keep upgrading my skills, but¡­ If I max out my Tier 1 attributes, my hunting speed should improve¡­ then upgrade my skills to epic grade before attempting a breakthrough." It might take time, but he was determined to seed. "So, the n: when I¡¯m out, focus on skill upgrades. While resting, cultivate my Origin Energy into purified energy and boost my basic attributes¡­" Without hesitation, he began meditating, surrounding himself with Origin Crystals. 1,000 experience points and 100 Origin Energy consumed! +1 Purified Energy He stayed awake the entire night, purifying his Origin Energy. By dawn, he¡¯d umted 1,150 purified energy, adding to what he had purified previously. The next morning, as he went downstairs, he noticed an unusually busy scene. Crowds of people were armed, and whispers filled the air. He made his way to the counter where the bartender stood. Vincent casually left a few Origin Crystals on the counter, which the bartender took without a word. "Tell me¡­" he asked, nodding. "I heard there was an incident yesterday in the newbyrinth¡­" The bartender paused, looking directly into Vincent¡¯s eyes despite his mask. Vincent remained unfazed, having experienced it himself. Seeing no reaction, the bartender continued, "A swarm of ckbite rats wreaked havoc from the third floor to the upper floors, killing hundreds of novice warriors. This alerted several guilds and organizations. Even the Novice Center¡¯s higher-ups sent a team of Tier 2 investigators. But, just this morning, I heard that almost the entire team was annihted, with only one survivor." The bartender nced over Vincent¡¯s shoulder at the groups of armed warriors. "That¡¯s why you see these armed groups. The Novice Center posted a mission and raised thebyrinth¡¯s rank to Tier 3." Vincent remained calm at the news. He¡¯d anticipated trouble; it wasn¡¯t usual for a Mutated ckbite Rat Leader to appear without cause. But he hadn¡¯t expected them to increase thebyrinth¡¯s rank to Tier 3. Now, he was more intrigued by the events. Originally, he nned to quietly farm experience in thebyrinth, but that now seemed impossible. "What on earth happened there¡­" he pondered. He considered checking it out. If things turned bad, he was confident he could escape with his current speed. After breakfast, he went to the Novice Center to report. "I¡¯ve verified the report. Everything checks out. Here¡¯s your reward forpleting five peak Tier 1 missions. Please verify." The attendant handed him a silk pouch, which he nced at before storing it in his ring. 5,000 Origin Crystals¡ªjust like that! He then asked, "I heard about the newbyrinth incident. Are there new mission requirements?" The attendant nodded. "Yes, there are a few changes. Besides the minimum strength of Peak Tier 1, each group must include one Tier 2 member." Her words made him frown. While he met the minimum requirement, where would he find a group with a Tier 2 warrior? Then he heard light footsteps approach behind him¡ªso quiet a normal Tier 1 warrior wouldn¡¯t notice. As the figure reached his shoulder, he turned, meeting a smiling blonde guy. "Yo, long time no see?" "Caelius¡­" Chapter 51 Back to the Labyrinth "Yo, long time no see¡­" "Caelius¡­" The familiar, good-looking blonde man waved, wearing his usual proud smile that caught the attention of everyone around the room. Vincent ignored the whispers and wondered how Caelius recognized him, even under his mask. Even the armor he wore was entirely different from their first meeting. Yet somehow, Caelius had recognized him instantly. This is the second time someone''s recognized me¡­ He recalled how Azhara had known he was human. Though he showed no reaction, Vincent sensed that Caelius was dangerous and mysterious. He realized he still hadn''t explored the origin world much, having focused so heavily on hunting that he hadn''t learned about the society here. He had a lot more to do. "I haven''t seen you in a while, but you''ve gotten stronger¡­" Caelius paused, staring at Vincent. Though it hadn''t been a week in the real world, Vincent had jumped from early Tier 1 to peak Tier 1, which surprised Caelius, although not by much. He had his fair share of experience. "Yeah¡­" Vincent replied curtly, finally realizing the strength of the young man in front of him, through his Heaven Eyes. Peak Tier 2, not far from breaking through, he thought, sensing the thick aura Caelius emitted. This person was perhaps his age but already close to Tier 3. This world really is filled with hidden talent, he mused, surprised at meeting someone like Caelius on his first day in the Origin World. "Anyway, what brings you here?" Caelius asked. "Hmm, nothing much. I was just curious about yesterday''s incident." "Oh, about the ckbite Rat Labyrinth? You nning to check it out?" "Kinda¡­" "Got a party already, or want to go with me?" Vincent paused, staring at Caelius''s smile, weighing the risks and whether it was worth it. Amotion broke out behind him as someone entered the Novice Center. "Look! The young master of ckthorn is here, too!" "Oh no, both demons are here. Conflict''s bound to happen!" As expected, Vincent turned to see the person who had humiliated him on his first day. His gaze sharpened. Grarik ckthorn¡­ The muscr, purple-skinned thrygian, d in heavy chestte armor, was apanied by two more thrygians as they walked arrogantly, scoffing at their surroundings. "Yellow dog!" Grarik called out, ring at Caelius, who smirked. "You''re here too, Big Fool." The usually short-tempered Grarik remained unaffected by Caelius''s insult, keeping his arrogant smile. "It seems you''re interested in the mission. Unfortunately, you won''t aplish much with me on it." "Well, if a genius like you says so, then I bet that''s definitely going to happen." Unfazed by the sarcasm in Caelius''s response, Grarikughed before turning serious. "You better not show your face outside the sanctuary, or else¡­" He was interrupted by one of hispanions. "Young master, they''re in the meeting ce now. We should go." Grarik nodded, giving Caelius onest re before leaving,pletely ignoring Vincent as if he didn''t recognize him. Vincent frowned as he watched Grarik leave, curious about the mission they''d mentioned and the rewards the Novice Center had offered to interest these two rivals. Sensing his curiosity, Caelius looked at him. "Curious about what he meant?" Vincent nodded. "Well, the Novice Center posted an investigation mission for the newbyrinth and offered a Tier 3 cultivation technique along with several other rewards." Vincent was shocked by the Novice Center''s generosity. He now understood why Caelius and Grarik were interested. Even he was tempted to try. A Tier 3 technique was essential for any warrior, especially those preparing for a breakthrough, though Vincent knew little about it. He could only imagine the other rewards. Seeing Vincent''s momentary reaction, Caelius smiled. "Interested? Want to join my party?" Vincent''s curiosity grew. "You say ''your party,'' but where are the others?" Caelius simply smiled in response. Momentster, at the entrance of ckbite Rat Labyrinth, Vincent and Caelius arrived. He noticed how different the surroundings were from the day before. Yesterday, Tier 1 (1¡ï - 5¡ï) origin warriors had crowded the entrance, but today was different. Groups of peak Tier 1 and several peak Tier 2 warriors gathered. Vincent still couldn''t sense any Tier 3 in the area. Even the three portal entrances of thebyrinth had merged into a single,rger portal. While observing these groups, three shadows suddenly appeared beside Caelius, surprising and alerting Vincent. "Rx. They''re ourpanions," Caelius said, smiling. Vincent looked at the neers¡ªeach d in a golden cloak and mask, all silent and exuding the aura of Tier 2 origin warriors. They neither spoke nor moved, simply standing behind them. Vincent looked back at Caelius, expecting an exnation, but Caelius only smiled, clearly not intending to borate. Though Vincent didn''t know their true motives¡ªespecially Caelius''s¡ªhe wasn''t afraid. He''d considered the possible oues. If things went badly, he could always use his instant escape scroll. When it was their turn to enter, the interface disyed options for which floor to enter. Vincent realized the choices were avable for those who had already visited certain floors.N?v(el)B\\jnn Though he had options, Caelius and his party hadn''t been to the ckbite Rat Labyrinth before, so they''d need to start from the first floor. Upon entering, one of the golden-cloaked figures pulled out a golden short staff and chanted, creating a bright yellow orb that illuminated the area. With Caelius''smand, "Let''s go," the group moved quickly, reaching the third underground level within an hour of non-stop travel. Once there, Vincent sensed an eerie silence. The surroundings were so still, void of life. He couldn''t feel any primal energy within 50 meters, which he found strange. He understood their goal: investigating the incident that had killed several Tier 2 origin warriors. But he had no idea where or how to begin. Caelius then took out apass, channeling origin energy into it. The arrow began to move, pointing in a direction. "What''s that?" Vincent asked, curious. "Oh, this?" Caelius replied, holding up the device. "It''s a ''sourcepass.'' It points to where someonest died, allowing their soul to transfer back to their world." He held up a vial filled with misty energy. "Oh." Vincent realized he knew next to nothing about the origin world¡ªeven items like this existed here. Once again, he was reminded of the world''s dangers. If someone somehow acquired some of his aura, he''d likely be hunted relentlessly. Luckily, Grarik hadn''t managed to get any trace of his aura; otherwise, he''d be pursued every time he entered the origin world. Caelius uncorked the vial, and the misty energy flowed into thepass, which lit up and whirled, pointing north. Without hesitation, Caelius said, "Let''s go." Momentster, they arrived at a huge portal. None of them knew where it led. They stopped, searching the area but found nothing. "It seems we have only one choice¡ªwe have to enter this portal," Caelius said, turning to Vincent. "I might not be able to protect you once we''re inside. Are you willing to go? I won''t force you." Vincent didn''t hesitate. "Don''t worry. I can take care of myself." "Hoho, I wouldn''t have believed you if you''d said that when we first met." Caelius chuckled, recalling his first encounter with Vincent. Vincent could only smile wryly, feeling slightly embarrassed. He vowed silently to get revenge on Grarik to erase the humiliation he''d felt. "Alright then, let''s go." Caelius said. When they passed through the portal, Vincent''s vision blurred briefly before clearing. They found themselves standing on a red pavement, outside a massive crimson castle. Chapter 52 Crimson Castle (1) "I think that''s where we need to go," Caelius said, staring at the crimson castle in the distance. Vincent also gazed cautiously at it, noticing the fully open crimson gate nearby. Signs of a recent battle were evident around it. "It seems someone reached here before us¡­" he murmured, causing Caelius to frown briefly before shing a confident smile. "It doesn''t matter¡ªlet them clear the path for us," Caelius said, storing the ''sourcepass'' back in his storage ring. He no longer needed it, as their destination was now obvious. With a rxed smile, he stepped forward. "Let''s go." His longsword clinked at his waist as he moved, and his elegant azure garments, worn beneath intricate armor, fluttered lightly. After some time walking past several shattered primal statues, they reached the castle''s main entrance. The doors were already wide open, signaling that someone had entered before them. As Vincent took his first step inside, an ominous energy surged through his body, freezing him in ce. Caelius turned back, puzzled by Vincent''s sudden halt. "What''s wrong? You okay?" Vincent shivered, shaking off the feeling with a frown. "It''s nothing. Let''s go." Though Caelius was slightly skeptical, he didn''t press the issue and resumed moving forward. As they walked, Vincent couldn''t shake off the sensation he had felt. The aura was oppressive, savage, and dangerous¡ªand oddly familiar. He suspected something deep within the Crimson Castle might be connected to him. After several minutes traversing the castle''s halls, their group encountered their first obstacle. A band of five humanoid figures with rat heads, each wielding rusty short swords, blocked their path. ckrat Man - Tier 1 (4¡ï) In the center stood arger ckrat Man wielding a heftier, corroded sword. ckrat Man Leader - Tier 1 (5¡ï) Vincent stepped forward. "Mind if I handle these? I might be less usefulter." He was aware of his limitations. If he allowed Caelius and the others to fight these creatures, he''d lose valuable chances to gain experience points. So, as long as they encountered weaker enemies, he intended to take them on. Caelius gave him an approving nod, curious to observe Vincent''sbat abilities. "Go ahead. Just shout if you need backup." Ignoring Caelius'' words, Vincent activated his C-rank talent: Origin Power Enhancement. This ability amplified his force attribute by 30%, enhancing his physical strength. He then channeled origin energy into his right arm, triggering the Stone Crusher skill, transforming his arm from elbow to fist into rock-like form. He wasn''t done yet. He activated Fierce Strike. A fierce crimson aura enveloped his stone arm. With precise control over his origin energy, he blurred forward, reappearing in front of the ckrat Man Leader in an instant. The creature barely had time to react before Vincent''s powerful punch struck its abdomen, creating a gaping hole and sending a shockwave that sted two ckrat Men behind it into digital sparks. With another swift step, he delivered two more crushing blows to the remaining ckrat Men, dispatching them in seconds. Caelius was momentarily speechless before muttering, "Impressive¡­ quite fierce¡­" His curiosity about Vincent''s background deepened, while his golden-cloakedpanions remained silent. Vincent quickly collected several origin crystals and other loot, storing them in his ring. Talent Activated! +500,000 experience points! +250,000 experience points! +250,000 experience points! +250,000¡­ His experience bar filled rapidly, allowing him to upgrade other skills and items. As they moved forward, he didn''t hesitate to enhance the skills he had just used: Stone Crusher and Fierce Strike. Both were umon-grade skills. Upgrading them to Rare grade required a total of 600,000 experience points. You have sessfully upgraded Stone Crusher! Name: Earthshaker Gauntlet Grade: Rare Effect: Earthshaker Gauntlet unleashes a reinforced strike, dealing an additional 150% of the user''s base physical damage. This blow weakens the target''s defenses, reducing both physical and elemental resistances by 10% for 8 seconds. When active, the user''s arm encases in dense, resilient stone, enhancing physical defense by 15% and granting a 5% chance to block iing attacks. This form can be maintained with moderate Origin Energy. Additional Damage: 150% of base physical damage Defense Reduction: 10% (physical and elemental) for 8 seconds Defense Boost: 15% (maintainable) with a 5% block chance Duration: 30 seconds (extendable) Cost: 35 per minute while active Skill 1: Rock Smash Effect: Rock Smash delivers a reinforced strike, inflicting 200% attack damage and creating an earth-energy shockwave on impact. This AoE damage affects enemies within a 3-meter radius, slowing their movement by 15% for 4 seconds. Damage Multiplier: 200% attack damage AoE Radius: 3 meters Slow Effect: 15% movement speed reduction for 4 seconds Cooldown: 8 seconds Consumption: 30 Origin Energy Skill 2: Stonebound Guard (New) Effect: Stonebound Guard forms a dense rock shield, blocking up to 25% of iing damage for 10 seconds. While active, attackers within a 2-meter radius take 50% of the user''s base physical damage as earth damage and experience a slight knockback. This skill provides effective crowd control, deterring close-range foes while absorbing damage. Damage Reduction: 25% for 10 seconds Counter Damage: 50% of user''s base physical damage Knockback Radius: 2 meters Cooldown: 12 seconds Consumption: 40 Origin Energy Satisfied, Vincent nodded to himself before upgrading his next skill. You have sessfully upgraded Fierce Strike! Name: Severing Blow Grade: Rare Effects: Direct Impact: Channels denser Origin Energy, delivering a powerful cleaving strike. This impact inflicts an additional 40% of the user''s base attack as pure physical force, bypassing typical defenses. This reflects the skill''s upgrade to Rare grade. Enhanced Shockwave: A stronger shockwave radiates from the impact point, dealing 15% of the user''s base attack to nearby enemies. Knockback range increases to 3 meters, staggering foes briefly, improving crowd control. Bleed Effect (New Skill): Inflicts a bleeding effect on the primary target, dealing 10% of the user''s base attack as damage per second for 3 seconds. This bleed effect stacks if the skill is used repeatedly on the same foe, enabling sustained high damage. Primary Strike Range: Extends to 3 meters, improving closebat reach. Shockwave Radius: Expands to 6 meters from impact, increasing AoE. Consumption: 60 Origin Energy Cooldown: 8 seconds "Good¡­" Vincent muttered, nodding in satisfaction. His remark caught Caelius'' attention. "What''s good?" "Oh, just pleased with my new skill''s performance." "That stone arm move? Impressive. Was it an umon-grade skill?" Vincent nodded. He wasn''t lying¡ªthe skill he''d revealed was umon, but he''d since upgraded it to rare grade. He saw no reason to exin further. With 400,000 experience points left, he decided to upgrade his Shadow Rat Summoning skill to rare grade as well. You have sessfully upgraded Shadow Rat Summoning! Name: Umbral Rat Legion Grade: Rare Initial Cost: 20 Origin Energy per rat Sustained Cost: 1 Origin Energy per rat every 5 minutes Summon Limit: Up to 40 Umbral Rats at once Duration: Unlimited until dismissed, destroyed, or summoner''s energy depletes Strength: Tier 2 (1¡ï) Enhanced Functions: 1. Umbral Form: Umbral Rats now have a semi-ethereal form, allowing them to partially phase through solid surfaces and be invisible in deep shadows. This grants advanced stealth, making them nearly undetectable to most Tier 1 creatures and difficult for even Tier 2 (1¡ï) foes to detect.N?v(el)B\\jnn 2. Physical Abilities: Each rat now possesses the strength, speed, and agility of a Tier 2 (1¡ï) creature, allowing for higher damage and increased reflexes inbat while retaining agility for reconnaissance. 3. Advanced Stealth: The Umbral Rats can partially obscure their forms even in daylight, making them faintly transparent. In shadow, they''repletely invisible, undetectable to all but the highest perception skills. 4. Combat Abilities: Venomous Bite: Delivers 5% of the user''s base attack as poison damage over 5 seconds, stacking with repeated bites. Effective for weakeningrger enemies or inflicting group damage. Shadow w: Their ws are now charged with Origin Energy, capable of moderate shing damage. Bleeding wounds deal 2% of the user''s base attack per second for 3 seconds. 5. Improved Command and Feedback: The summoner''s link with the Umbral Rats is now stronger, enablingplex orders like "nk both sides" or "target weak spots." Visual and auditory feedback is sharper, enhancing scouting effectiveness. Additional Skill: Swarm Convergence Effect: By spending 40 more Origin Energy, the summoner can direct all Umbral Rats to focus on a single target, delivering concentrated venom and shing attacks. This attack inflicts 150% of the summoner''s base attack inbined poison and shing damage over 5 seconds. Range: Umbral Rats can converge within a 20-meter radius of the summoner, making it ideal for swift ambushes or overwhelming a target in close quarters. Cooldown: 15 seconds after the swarm disperses. "Oh, Tier 2 strength?!" Vincent thought, surprised as he reviewed the upgraded skill details. Before he could fully process this new information, he sensed a distant battle, a disturbance that Caelius and the others also noticed. "Stay alert; there''s fighting up ahead." Soon, they encountered a group of five armored Vyrmins engaged in battle against ckrat Men. Near them, a group of crimson-skinned reptilian warriors fought against several 1.5-meter-long snakes. At the rear stood an imposing 7-foot-tall ckrat Man in heavy armor. ckrat Soldier - Tier 2 (2¡ï) "A Tier 2 primal¡­" Vincent muttered. Aside from the massive tortoise he''d seen with Azhara, this was his first time encountering a Tier 2 primal face-to-face. Chapter 53 Crimson Castle (2) "A Tier 2 primal¡­" Vincent prepared himself unhesitatingly. From this point on, the enemies would be stronger than any he had encountered. Being careless could cost him his life as an origin warrior. Thus, even without Caelius''mand, he silently channeled his origin energy throughout his body. However, contrary to his expectations, the moment these groups caught sight of Caelius, they all frowned simultaneously.N?v(el)B\\jnn "That demon in human skin is here, too. What should we do?" one of the Vyrmins whispered before shing a ckrat Man in front of him. "If you''re asking me, who should I ask? Don''t bother looking¡ªmake way!"manded the Vyrmins'' acting leader. Meanwhile, the group of crimson-skinned reptilian warriors also made way subconsciously. This party was from a race different from Drakoriis like Azhara''s; they resembled lizards but had reptile scales covering their bodies. They were Lyards, a race with strength simr to humans but more fierce and uncivilized. However, despite their fierce nature, they undoubtedly showed fear when they saw Caelius. Vincent was bing more curious about Caelius'' true background. Despite these groups making way for their party, the group of primals was unbothered. Since the Vyrmins and Lyards had stepped back, their attention fell on Vincent''s party. The imposing seven-foot-tall ckrat Soldier stood fiercely, ring directly at them¡ªmore precisely, at Caelius, who still wore a nonchnt smile. As though angered by Caelius'' attitude, it suddenly emitted a heavy pressure¡ªa mental pressure twice Vincent''s current attributes! However, he felt it only for a brief moment as Caelius flicked his sleeve, brushing away the suffocating pressure with ease. Vincent couldn''t help but frown, realizing the gap between Tier 1 and Tier 2. "There''s still a wide gap between Tier 1 and Tier 2. I need to increase my growth rate," he thought as he saw the ckrat Soldier''s figure suddenly blur and sh next to Caelius, about to strike with its longsword. However, in the next second, a beam of golden light shed, sting the ckrat Soldier away! One of the golden-cloaked figures under Caelius''mand, wielding a short golden staff, had managed to st the ckrat Soldier away. Everything happened in the blink of an eye. Although the attack seemed to havended directly, the ckrat Soldier stood without any visible damage. However, its small round shield bore a noticeable dent and burn marks. At the same time, a group of ckrat Men and Rat Snakes began to rush toward them. In that moment, Caelius'' rxed voice rang out, "Clear the way." Without dy, the three golden-cloaked figures behind him quickly took action, blocking the iing group of primals. One figure brandished a pair of golden gauntlets, fighting head-on against the group of ckrat Men, while another wielded a golden whip studded with sharp metal,shing it at the advancing Rat Snakes. Only hisses and squeaks filled the air before these groups of primals vanished into digital light, leaving several items on the ground. These Tier 1 primals clearly had no chance against the group of Tier 2 origin warriors. All that remained was the ckrat Soldier. It stood motionless, staring at the three golden-cloaked figures, as if the deaths of the primals were insignificant. Before it could react, the three golden-cloaked figures bombarded it simultaneously with various signature skills. shes of light illuminated the area briefly before the ckrat Soldier, too, turned into digital light, dropping its equipment on the ground. Silence prevailed as the three golden-cloaked figures finished off the group of primals, gathered the dropped items, and returned to stand behind Vincent and Caelius. Vincent wasn''t surprised by their performance, as he already knew their strength when he first met them. This trio was made up of Tier 2 (3¡ï) origin warriors! It would have been surprising if they had lost to a single Tier 2 (2¡ï) primal. He was silent, not because of their strength, but because he hadn''t yet witnessed or felt the real power of a Tier 2 primal. However, he had gained a glimpse of the strength of Tier 2 origin warriors. Beyond that, he was quiet because he felt a pang of regret, seeing the amount of experience points that would have shed before his eyes. "What a shame¡­" he thought. It would have surely filled his experience bar if he had acted a little faster. The groups of Vyrmins and Lyards could only suck in a cold breath upon witnessing the strength of Caelius'' escorts. "The Lionfang''s strength is undeniable!" one of the Vyrmins muttered, ament that Vincent overheard. "Lionfang¡­" he murmured. It sounded familiar, but he couldn''t recall exactly where he had heard it. Caelius, still wearing a faint smile, stepped forward. "Let''s go." The groups of Vyrmins and Lyards were silent, watching Vincent''s party retreat. "What are we going to do now? Should we still investigate this ce?" "Hmm. Do you remember the first group that came before us?" "Oh, that party? Why?" "I''m certain there will be a conflict ahead. We can just observe for now, and after they fight? Heh." No one knew which of the two groups had this conversation. Momentster, Vincent''s party reached three different pathways. Once again, Caelius took out the "sourcepass" and activated it. After turning for a moment, the arrow locked onto the middle pathway. Caelius nodded in satisfaction and said, "Let''s go." However, Vincent stopped him. "I think it would be better if we go this way," he said, pointing to the left pathway. Caelius frowned slightly, curious about where Vincent''s confidence came from. "Why do you think we should go that way?" He didn''t answer immediately, pausing to look at the three golden-cloaked figures behind them. "Instinct," he replied simply, as he couldn''t exin the ominous energy he felt emanating from the left pathway. His brief answer made Caelius frown, and before Caelius could respond, one of the golden-cloaked figures could no longer remain silent. A sharp, feminine voice cut through the air. "Are you really going to believe his words, young master?" she asked, removing her hood to reveal long, golden, curly hair. She had clear, crystal eyes and a small face, rating an 8 out of 10 in appearance. "The ''sourcepass'' already pointed us to the middle path. He must have hidden intentions for guiding us that way!" A young man''s sharp voice joined in, "I agree with Fiona, young master." It was the one with the golden gauntlets. He, too, revealed his face¡ªa fierce-looking youth with short golden hair. Another voice joined the conversation, this one with a calm, amiable tone. "Calm down, you two. Fiona, Karl." "But, Uncle Gold¡­" While Vincent''s party was engaged in a heated discussion, elsewhere, a group of Thrygians was surrounded by nearly countless ckrat Soldiers. "Damn! Who told me to keep following thepass?!" Chapter 54 Crimson Castle (3) Standing before the three pathways, Vincent''s party remained locked in a tense debate. Two disagreed with his decision, one tried to calm them, while another wavered. The white-haired elder, known as Uncle Gold, who had wielded a golden whip earlier, nced at Caelius after soothing the two youths. "We are here to support the young master. You, too, should be grateful that the young master allowed you to be here." His words finally silenced Fiona and Karl, though they continued to cast suspicious nces at Vincent. Although skeptical himself, he refrained from voicing his doubts and waited for Caelius''s decision. Caelius'' expression darkened initially when Fiona referred to him as ''young master.'' "I told you not to call me ''young master'' while we''re outside, remember?" His words left them speechless. "But we can''t do that, young master¡­" Fiona replied quietly, causing Caelius to sigh in resignation. "Sigh¡­ forget it. Anyway, it doesn''t matter which path we choose. We''re here to investigate, so we might as well explore every path. As for trusting him, that decision is mine alone." He cast a deep look at Fiona and Karl before turning his gaze to Vincent. Vincent remained silent, avoiding any argument with Fiona and Karl since he, too, would question a stranger''s words. Still, his curiosity about Caelius'' background grew. "Let''s move," Caeliusmanded, following his own suggestion. Despite their caution and suspicion, Caelius''s threepanions respected hismand, trailing behind. The path they chose was a spacious hallway with crimson walls, ck and white checkered floors like a chessboard, and dim lighting from crimsonmps mounted on the walls. Large windows on the left gave them a view of the dark outdoors. Even with their enhanced senses, they could only see a few meters ahead. A few momentster, faint footsteps echoed from a distance. So faint, one might wonder if they were human footsteps. "Prepare yourselves." As Caelius issued the warning, more footsteps approached from all directions. Even without further instruction, Fiona raised her short golden staff, casting a bright light that illuminated the long hallway! As the light spread, several dark figures scurried away as if afraid, squeaking as they disappeared. "Where did they go?" Fiona asked, puzzled. Vincent raised an eyebrow in mild confusion. "It seems they couldn''t see them¡­" he thought, observing the vaguely visible bipedal rats. Each stood nearly 160 centimeters tall. Covered entirely in ck fur, they had thin, elongated limbs. They weren''t quite rats. However, their faces were unmistakably rat-like, with ws sharp as daggers. Thanks to his Heaven Eyes skill, he could clearly see these otherwise invisible primals. ckrat Scief Tier 2 (1¡ï) "There are at least ten of them¡­" he noted after a quick scan. One ckrat Scief crept closer, triggering Caelius''s alertness even without clear sight. "Karl, at your 3 o''clock!" Without questioning his young master, Karl swung a heavy punch into the empty air. Bam! Summoning his golden gauntlet, a ck figure was forced out of stealth mode, squealing in agony as it mmed against the crimson wall, cracking it. Its abdomen was crushed, blood dribbling from its mouth, yet it didn''t die instantly. It slipped back into stealth. "I don''t have time for this." Caelius muttered, irritationcing his voice. With a mere half-step forward, he tapped his elegant shoes against the checkered floor. Tap! A faint light spread across the hallway floor. "Close your eyes." Vincent, though slightly perplexed, shielded his eyes without hesitation. A blinding light burst forth, illuminating everything around them and revealing the ckrat Sciefs, who shrieked, covering their blinded eyes. They were surrounded, with some even clinging to the windows outside. "Open fire!" At Caelius''smand, the trio in golden cloaks unleashed their skills, striking with whips and shes. Vincent joined in, quietly summoning a single Shadow Rat amidst the chaos. He ordered it to lurk in the shadows, targeting ckrat Sciefs close to death. The Shadow Rat looked like an ordinary rat, but stood knee-high, wreathed in a misty ck shadow. "Go, finish off anything on the brink of death." As Caelius''s skill exposed the creatures, Uncle Gold, Fiona, and Karl attacked the twenty-plus ckrat Sciefs with ferocity. One of the ckrat Sciefs, struck by Fiona''s skill, was nearly obliterated before Vincent''s Shadow Rat swiped its ws, ending its life in a flurry of digital particles. Vincent heard the sweet chime of a notification, confirming a surge of experience points. You have sessfully killed a ckrat Scief Tier 2 (1¡ï) +100 experience points! Talent Activated! +1,000,000 experience points! With a single kill, his experience bar overflowed! If he didn''t spend it fast, the excess experience would go to waste. Without a second thought, he upgraded two of his rare-grade skills to epic. You have sessfully upgraded, Earthshaker Gauntlet! Name: Stoneheart Gauntlet Grade: Epic Effect: Delivers a reinforced strike that adds 180% of the user''s base physical damage. Reduces target''s physical and elemental defenses by 15% for 10 seconds. Encases the user''s arm in an unbreakable stone form, enhancing physical defense by 20% and providing an 8% block chance. This form can be sustained with a moderate Origin Energy cost for prolonged encounters. Damage: +180% of base physical damage Defense Reduction: 15% for 10 seconds (physical and elemental) Defense Increase: 20% (maintainable) with 8% block chance Duration: 40 seconds (extendable) Consumption: 45 Origin Energy per minute Skill 1: Rock Smash Effect: Delivers a 220% reinforced strike, creating a shockwave of earth energy that deals AoE damage within a 10-meter radius. Staggers enemies, slowing them by 20% for 5 seconds. Damage Multiplier: 220% AoE Radius: 10 meters Slow Effect: 20% for 5 seconds Cooldown: 8 seconds Consumption: 35 Origin Energy Skill 2: Stonebound Guard Effect: Summons a dense rock barrier, reducing iing damage by 50% for 12 seconds. Strikes trigger a shockwave dealing 60% base physical damage within a 2.5-meter radius, with a slight knockback. Damage Reduction: 50% for 12 seconds Counter Damage: 60% as earth damage Cooldown: 14 seconds Consumption: 45 Origin Energy Skill 3: Earth''s Resilience (New) Effect: Fortifies the user''s body with stone armor, granting additional attack and defense Attack and Defense Boost: 50% Duration: - - Consumption: 10 origin energy per 120 seconds. "Another insane upgrade!" he thought, exhrated. You have sessfully upgraded Severing Blow! Name: Rending Strike Grade: Epic Direct Impact: Cleaves armor and shields, adding 60% of base attack as pure physical damage, bypassing defenses. Shockwave: Deals 50% base attack in a 5-meter radius, knocking back enemies and staggering them for 2 seconds. Hemorrhage: Causes the target to bleed, taking 15% base attack every second for 5 seconds. Skill 1: Earthsplitter Cleave Effect: Unleashes a 10-meter fissure, dealing 80% base attack as earth damage and reducing affected enemies'' movement by 20% for 6 seconds. Consumption: 80 Origin Energy Cooldown: 10 seconds "These skills are out of control!" he marveled, quickly spending his experience. His Shadow Rat killed another ckrat Scief before the trio finished off the rest. "My experience bar is full again!" He dismissed his Shadow Rat. "Clean up and move on." No one noticed the Shadow Rat as Caelius ordered the group forward after collecting the loot.N?v(el)B\\jnn After several minutes, they reached the end of the hallway without encountering another primal. At the end of the hallway stood a towering, open iron door. Sounds of battle echoed from beyond. ng! Boom! "Kill them!" "Behind you!" "Look out!" "Argh!" Voices filled with pain and struggle resounded. Caelius didn''t rush in. "Uncle Gold, scout ahead." "As you wish, young master." Vincent watched as Uncle Gold stepped forward, eyes closed, sending a wave of faint energy toward the battle beyond. A momentter, he opened his eyes and reported to Caelius. "What did you see?" Caelius asked. "I saw groups surrounded by ckrat Men. --- Among them are Birdmen, Lyards, Vyrmins, and Thrygians." Caelius paused, processing the information. "Did you spot anyone familiar or suspicious?" Uncle Gold shook his head slightly, a hint of disappointment shadowing his face. "No, young master. None of them stood out in that way." "It''s fine. Let''s stay alert. We''re going in." Caelius nodded firmly before turning to Vincent. "And you? Are you ready?" Vincent gave a calm nod, his expression unwavering. "Don''t worry about me. I''m prepared." "Good to hear." Caelius''s reply was brief, reflecting his confidence in Vincent''s capability. "Move out!" Without further dy, they advanced through the doorway, emerging into a vast chamber where the chaotic battle unfolded. Various groups were locked inbat, their desperate cries echoing through the grand, dimly lit space. Around them, ckrat Men swarmed with relentless ferocity, their dark forms weaving through the crowd like shadows. Beasts with feathered wings, known as Birdmen, fought alongside the Lyards, Vyrmins, and Thrygians, each species using their unique abilities to fend off the wave of attackers. Chapter 55 Attracting Attention As soon as they entered the chamber, Vincent saw various groups of different races, each surrounded by an almost countless number of ckrat Men. Though some of these origin warriors had Tier 2 strength, they were still overwhelmed by the sheer number of ckrat Men and Leaders filling the chamber''s vastness. The sight of so many primals might have spelled trouble for others, but to Vincent, they were all shimmering amounts of experience points. He couldn''t help but drool in his mind. "What a feast!" he thought, eyes shining, unbothered by the situation.N?v(el)B\\jnn Even though he was excited to farm experience points, Vincent wasn''t a reckless brute. He quickly scanned the surroundings for anything suspicious. Although his Heaven Eyes skill was special, he couldn''t filter everything at once due to their sheer number. Still, he sensed a strange feeling within the chamber but couldn''t pinpoint it. He prepared himself regardless. After all, this was the path they chose, now blocked by these ckrat Men, and they''d have to break through to go deeper. As expected, Uncle Gold, the wise elder, voiced his thoughts, "We have to pass through them. Young master, yourmand?" While Uncle Gold remained calm, the two youths, Fiona and Karl, were already eager to fight. "Please,mand us to kill our way through, young master!" Fiona requested, followed by Karl. "Yes, please, young master!" Caelius showed no reaction this time, as though he was already familiar with their behavior. "Do whatever you want, just make it quick." His reply made the two youths exim in joy. "Yes! You''re the best, young master!" Fiona eximed. Karl added, "What about those groups? What do we do with them?" He gestured at the different races being surrounded, looking to Caelius for a decision. However, what met his question was pure silence and a sharp gaze. ''Oh no, I bbed too much!'' Karl thought, recognizing that look¡ªit meant, ''Stop asking questions; I don''t care.'' Fiona saw her young master''s expression too, and it sent chills down her back. ''We''re dead this time!'' she thought, pulling Karl and bowing to Caelius. "We''ll be quick, young master!" She then leaned and whispered in Karl''s ear, "Stop talking and move!" "Yes, Big Sis," Karl replied before ring at the ckrat Men, taking a stance and summoning his golden gauntlet armament. Vincent''s brow rose slightly behind his mask as he overheard their conversation. ''They''re brother and sister?'' he thought, recalling their appearance behind their golden masks. "They don''t look alike, though," he muttered, which Caelius somehow overheard. "Who doesn''t look alike?" Caelius asked, his usual smile apanied by slightly raised golden eyebrows. Vincent simply shook his head. "It''s nothing. I''ll be doing my part this time. I can''t let these experience points pass." Without waiting for Caelius'' response, he followed behind Fiona and Karl. Boom! A loud sound reverberated as Fiona and Karl unleashed their skills, killing dozens of ckrat Men at once, immediately catching the attention of the groups being surrounded. "There''s a new group behind us!" one of the injured Vyrmins eximed. "I know that. I''m not deaf!" hispanion retorted. "What should we do now? Move forward or retreat?" "Do you think we can move forward in our current condition?" Alko Swyz, the party leader of the Vyrmins'' group and a Tier 2 origin warrior, replied before ring in a particr direction. Initially, they had banded with various races and an influential party before entering thebyrinth. However, the moment they activated this trap and got surrounded by ckrat Men, that ''influential party'' abandoned them without hesitation¡ªeven their own kin¡ªmaking him furious. They had promised a lot when they made contact but ended up betraying them. Now, even their lives as origin warriors were at stake. If he were alone, he could st his way out, buy time, and use an escape scroll. Unfortunately, his party members didn''t have escape scrolls like he did. It was his mistake to trust that party, and now he had to take responsibility for his group''s lives. At the same time, the other party leaders among the surrounded groups noticed themotion behind them, each exchanging words within their own teams. Oblivious to their conversations, Vincent didn''t summon his Tier 2 armament; instead, he unleashed his newly upgraded epic skill¡ªStoneheart Gauntlet. His arms, from fists to shoulders, transformed as the previously earthy-colored stone became like silver-colored stone arms, with wolf-head pauldrons on both shoulders. "I feel strong!" he thought, feeling the surge of power in his arms. "Rock Smash!" Thrilled, he punched the nearest ckrat Man, sting it to pieces with a shockwave force that spread five meters forward, shattering several ckrat Men into particles of digital light. "You have sessfully killed a ckrat Man!" "You have sessfully killed¡­" "Talent Activated!" "+250,000 experience points!" "+250,000¡­" The beautiful sounds of killing confirmation filled his experience bar. Naturally, the ckrat Men didn''t just stand idly; they rushed at him, weapons drawn. A ckrat Man Leader wielding a corroded huge sword even joined them. With a simple wave of his stone arm, Vincent summoned a dense silver-rock barrier around himself. "Guard!" ng! Hum! The sound of metal shing against his barrier filled the air, yet it left no cracks. A faint hum followed as his barrier vibrated briefly before unleashing a shockwave, knocking the ckrat Men away. Squeak! They squeaked in pain as theynded, injured. "This is great!" Vincent thought, barely able to contain his satisfaction. Real men should fight like this¡ªbeating everyone by hand! But he only entertained that thought briefly; he wouldn''t hesitate to use everything he had in a real battle. He wasn''t foolish enough to hide his strength and risk his life just to avoid drawing attention. Meanwhile, Caelius and Uncle Gold, who had stayed behind, noticed Vincent''s actions. Uncle Gold couldn''t help but ask, "Young master, what is that person''s background?" Clearly surprised, he noted that what Vincent had unleashed wasn''t a simple umon skill. Not even rare skills produced that level of power. Though Vincent was only at Peak Tier 1, not even half-step to Tier 2, the force he disyed was near Tier 2. Caelius, too, was a bit speechless. "Other than knowing his name, would you believe me if I told you he was just a newbie not even a week ago¡­" Uncle Gold was shocked by Caelius'' response. But he didn''t question his young master''s words; Caelius had no reason to lie. The revtion gave his heart a jolt. "Not even a week, and already at Peak Tier 1 with near Tier 2 strength?" Uncle Gold muttered. "He might already be at Tier 2 strength. I doubt that''s all he''s capable of," Caelius remarked with a serious expression, which soon turned into a mysterious smile. "It doesn''t matter. We''ll just continue building our rtionship with him." Meanwhile, Fiona and Karl created a path by killing dozens of ckrat Men, eventually reaching the surrounded groups. The moment those parties noticed them, they also caught a glimpse of Caelius'' figure in the distance. "We were just abandoned by a demon. We haven''t even fallen back, and now there''s another demon?" "The Lionfang n¡­" "That''s the uniform of the Golden Lion Legion!" someone pointed out, indicating Fiona and Karl''s attire. "They''re a legion of madmen!" another chimed in. Fiona heard them but wasn''t bothered. However, it was different for Karl; he disliked hearing their elite legionbeled as madmen. Fueled by frustration from the unending primals, he growled, "Who are you calling madmen?!" His voice frightened some weaker origin warriors, while party leaders frowned in displeasure. Just as conflict was about to erupt, the chamber floor suddenly shook, surprising everyone. "What''s happening?!" "Look! What is that?!" Chapter 56 A Calamity Blackrat "Look! What is that?!" The loud exmation turned everyone''s attention in the same direction. There, they saw a sea of ckrat Men being pulled together by an unknown force. A closer look would reveal a small orb¡ªa living mass, throbbing like a heartbeat¡ªas it floated in the direction where the ckrat Men were being dragged. Squeak! The ckrat Men squeaked in agony as the chilling sound of bones cracking filled the air, their cries echoing. Slowly, the ck mass convulsed, continuing to consume the ckrat Men, killing them in the process. Vincent, on the far end, finally recognized the strange sensation he''d felt earlier. "This feeling¡­ could it be primal energy?" he wondered, recalling his own experiences absorbing primal energy. That familiarity tugged at his mind. As the ck mass grewrger, its shape began to change, alerting all the surviving parties. "I don''t know what''s happening, but we must stop it from evolving any further!" someone in the group urged. "I agree, but how? Can you even see how many ckrat Men there are?" another responded. "Maybe we can''t do anything¡ªbut they might be able to¡­" The Vyrmin party leader, Alko, who had been on high alert, finally spoke, his gaze fixed on Caelius'' group. Caelius, seemingly ignoring the gaze, frowned slightly, locking his attention on the evolving mass. "Young Master, you recognize that energy, don''t you?" Uncle Gold asked, his old face marked with a serious frown beneath his golden mask, eyes focused on the ck mass in the distance. "That''s a cmity aura¡­" Caelius muttered, recalling the warnings his father and n elders had taught him. He understood the danger it posed to the world. "Could this be the force behind the investigating team''s disappearance from the Novice Center?" he wondered, narrowing his eyes. "What should we do, Young Master?" Without hesitation, Caelius replied, "Try to stop it. Go with the siblings." "As you wish."N?v(el)B\\jnn Uncle Gold bowed respectfully to Caelius before approaching Fiona and Karl. The two siblings immediately noticed his arrival. "Uncle Gold!" "Uncle, do you know what that is?!" Karl asked, hoping for an answer. "I don''t know precisely, but it''s known as a Cmity." "Cmity?!" Karl eximed. "Then it must be dangerous. What are the Young Master''s orders?" Fiona asked. "We''re to attempt to stop it. But there''s no need to go all out. Just don''t cause unnecessary trouble for the Young Master." Uncle Gold''s tone was stern, and the siblings nodded with serious expressions. "Yes." "I understand." Uncle Gold nodded, satisfied. "All right then, just like our usual practice. Let''s take it down!" At this, Karl immediately took his stance, letting out a loud growl as Fiona raised her short golden staff, which glowed with a golden light as she chanted, "Lion''s Boost!" In an instant, a lion-shaped aura appeared above Uncle Gold''s and Karl''s heads, enveloping their bodies and boosting their physical attack and movement speed by 20% for 60 seconds. "Thanks, Big Sis!" Karl said as his golden gauntlets gleamed with a yellow-gold aura. Uncle Gold quickly sprang into action, summoning his golden whip, which extended three meters. It glowed momentarily before splitting into two identical whips. Bam! He cracked the whips, taking down dozens of ckrat Men and Leaders, leaving a deep fissure across the chamber''s floor. Karl followed, kicking off the ground to charge through the path Uncle Gold had cleared, roaring as he delivered a crushing punch. The impact created a powerful shockwave that obliterated the primals in front of him. Boom! Their casual attacks held such power that ordinary Tier 1 primals had no hope of resisting. Fiona then raised her staff and unleashed a golden light beam, further clearing the path Uncle Gold and Karl had forged. Whoosh! Boom! The trio continued their powerful assaults until they reached the ck mass, now partially formed with a thick lower abdomen, still devouring ckrat Men toplete its transformation. "It''s visible now! Shoot it down!" Uncle Goldmanded, spreading his mental force to hold back the ckrat Men from swarming Karl. "Argh! Lion''s Smash!" Karl didn''t hesitate to unleash one of his best skills. His arms bulged, veins and muscles swelling like a titan''s, as a lion''s head and roar appeared above his arm. He swung it down at the half-formed primal abdomen. Boom! A deafening sound filled the chamber, followed by a sh of golden light, a faint tremor, and a cloud of smoke that shrouded the creature''s form. Without waiting for the smoke to clear, Karl quickly retreated. Just then, he heard his sister''s voice cutting through the air. "Light Beam!" A yellow beam shed above him, striking the half-formed creature and causing another loud explosion, sending a more intense tremor through the chamber. "They''re strong!" Vincent thought, watching the trio''s impressive skills from afar. Members of different races were equally astonished, some left speechless. "Are humans really that powerful?" one of the Birdmen party members asked, surprised. "No, humans are generally weaker than us Birdmen, but there are exceptions. The Lionfang n is one of those exceptions," the Birdmen party leader replied with a serious expression. "Their n has considerable influence in the Origin World," he added. "Did they get it?" one of the other origin warriors asked eagerly. "Shut up! Don''t jinx it!" hispanion scolded. The trio¡ªUncle Gold, Karl, and Fiona¡ªremained serious, on high alert. They hadn''t received a kill notification yet, so they knew the threat wasn''t over. As the smoke finally began to clear, they saw the full extent of their attack''s impact. But what they saw next sent a shock through their hearts. Roar! A deep, resounding roar reverberated through the chamber, shaking the hearts of all present. Emerging from the smoke was a towering figure¡ªa gigantic ckrat Man, standing three meters tall, with thick, quivering muscles formed from a ck, pulsing mass. Vincent looked up, his eyes wide. ckrat Man Tier 2 (5¡ï) (Half-Primalized) "Primalized? So it''s because of primal energy!" he thought, feeling a strange tugging sensation within his origin core. Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through his head, and a cold, deep voice echoed repeatedly in his mind. "Kill! Kill! Kill!" "Ugh! Stop!" he shouted, clutching his head, which drew Caelius''s attention. Caelius approached with concern in his voice. "Are you all right?" Vincent raised a hand to stop Caelius froming any closer. In a slightly strained voice, he answered, "I¡ªI''m fine, don''t worry. I just overused my origin energy." But the voice continued to echo relentlessly in his mind. Chapter 57 Caelius Strength While Vincent tried to shake the voice from his mind, Uncle Gold and the two siblings stood agape behind their masks, staring at the transformed three-meter-tall ckrat Man. "What is that...?" Fiona muttered, her eyes wide. After releasing a thunderous roar, the massive ck creature suddenly leaped into the air, vanishing momentarily from their sight. "Look out!" Despite the warning, the Half-Primalized creaturended in the center of the origin warriors, causing a tremor and sweeping its nearly two-meter-long tail, instantly killing several slower, weaker party members. "Argh!" "Dendo!" "Damn! It got Mish!" "Lhika!" "No way..." Alko, the Vyrmins'' party leader, wore a dark expression as he took in the damage inflicted by the ck creature on their makeshift group. ''Damn it!'' he eximed in his mind. Initially, along with the ''influential party,'' there had been a total of fifty origin warriors. Once abandoned, they were left with forty, with each race represented by ten members. Surrounded by countless primals, five of their number had already fallen. Now, after the creature''s single, sweeping attack, only thirty-two warriors remained. Alko''s gaze turned toward the Thrygians'' surviving group. Despite the chaos, the Thrygians were untouched, not a single injury or sign of fatigue among them, which he finds suspicious. Others had noticed, too. The Lyards'' leader, a tall, muscr, crimson-scaled lizard-man named K''vok, thrust his spear toward the Thrygians. "This is all your fault! If we hadn''t trusted Grarik, my people would still be alive!" Spit flew from K''vok''s mouth as he raged. Of the eight fallen warriors, three were his own, fueling his fury. Indeed, Grarik had been part of the ''influential party'' that abandoned them, which he deeply regretted trusting them. The Thrygian leader, Gorak¡ªa muscr figure standing 6''6"¡ªresponded calmly like a matter-of-fact, "My group was abandoned too, as you can see." K''vok''s rage only grew at Gorak''s calmness. "You don''t look abandoned to me. It seems like this is all part of your n! You say you were left behind, yet look at your group¡ªthey''re in perfect condition!" K''vok''s words caused a ripple among the party leaders. It was true; Gorak''s group was oddly calm, given the circumstances. Yet, Gorak''s expression remained unbothered,posed despite the hostile stares. "We''re simply not afraid of dying, unlike all of you," he replied tly. "You''ll only lose your chance to enter the Origin World. You''re not really going to die. So, why do you all act as though this is your end?" he added with a scoff.N?v(el)B\\jnn His words stirred mixed reactions. Some were silent, unsettled by the truth he spoke, while others maintained dark expressions. Bing an Origin Warrior was no easy feat, and losing ess to the Origin World was akin to bing crippled. For them, failure was not an option. But the rampaging ckrat Man continued its assault. With ws shrouded in dark mist, it unleashed powerful shes, cracking the ground and ughtering both its kin and several more origin warriors. Alko, known for his cautious nature and influence within the group, spoke up. "Let''s settle thister. We need to survive first!" "What are we going to do?!" "The door is open, and the Lionfang n has created a path¡ªlet''s escape now!" eximed a Birdman origin warrior. Initially grounded to avoid spear bombardments from above, he now saw an opportunity to flee. He pped his white wings and dashed toward the exit, passing by Vincent and Caelius, who nced briefly at him. The Birdman''s face radiated excitement as he neared the exit, thinking, "I''m going to survive!" But just as he was mere steps away, a dark shadow shed through the air. The Birdman froze mid-flight. In the next instant, his body split in two, his remains dissolving into particles of digital light. A silence hung in the air as those who witnessed the scene turned toward the source of the attack. One of the two statues of hooded ckrat Men, each holding long scimitars, had moved, blood dripping from its de. Crack! Earlier, the warriors had ignored the statues behind the massive door¡ªa grave mistake. Vincent, having finally subdued the voice in his head, had also seen the Birdman''s death. Chamber''s Guardian Tier 2 (4¡ï) The statues were actuallyte-Tier-2 primals. Vincent hadn''t noticed them upon entering the chamber. He then heard Caelius mutter, "Fool. If it were that easy to escape, the Novice Center''s Tier 2 investigation team wouldn''t have died here." Uncle Gold, Fiona, and Karl, who had been battling the ckrat Man, retreated to Caelius. They''d tried to prevent its transformation but failed. Silently, they joined their young master, heads slightly lowered in shame. Caelius noticed their dejection. "Don''t let it bother you. You all did well. The Golden Lion Legion doesn''t fear failure. Stand tall and watch me take this thing down." Karl, clearly a fan, eximed with shining eyes, "Young Master''s finally stepping in?!" Hearing this, Vincent''s curiosity grew as he focused on Caelius. "Be careful, Young Master," Fiona said, her voice and gaze filled with concern. Vincent watched Caelius step forward, releasing a powerful aura that swept through the chamber, causing their hair to whip in the force. "So strong!" Vincent thought, astonished. The rampaging Half-Primalized ckrat Man took immediate notice of Caelius'' approach. As it could sense a dangerous feelinging from him. Vincent saw Caelius rest his hand on his golden longsword''s hilt before smirking. In a blur, he vanished. Vincent frowned. "He''s fast!" He turned his head, trying to locate Caelius. Then, a yellow sh erupted, illuminating the vast chamber for a brief moment, followed by a deafening explosion. Boom! Howl! A pained howl split the air as the massive ck figure was hurled dozens of meters away, crashing into a thick pir and embedding itself there. Vincent''s eyes widened as he finally spotted Caelius, hovering tens of feet above the ground. His body radiated golden energy, and his unsheathed golden longsword glowed with a lingering yellow-gold aura. "That demon''s truly worthy of his rank," someone muttered, awestruck. Chapter 58 Another Surprise Vincent narrowed his eyes as he sensed Caelius'' strength. ''He''s emitting the strength ofte-Tier 2 (5¡ï), but he''s clearly stronger than that...'' he thought, focusing his attention on the cloud of smoke that slowly dissipated, revealing the Half-Primalized ckrat Man embedded in a thick pir. Crack! Rubble fell as the massive creature dug itself out of the pir, exposing a deep wound across its chest. Yet, like something out of a movie, countless thin ck masses writhed like worms, converging and swiftly healing the massive gash. With furrowed brows, Vincent thought, "It has a regeneration ability simr to the Mutated ckrat Leader but far superior." Caelius, now calmly descending, couldn''t help but frown slightly at the regenerating ''cmity''-ss creature. "Quite tough," he mused, while the rest of the crowd, witnessing the scene, was stunned. "No way¡­" "Even with the strength of a Top Ranker?!"N?v(el)B\\jnn "What kind of creature is that?" No one dared to leave the chamber. With the two Chamber Guardians blocking the exit, escaping was not an option. Thus, all eyes remained glued to the spectacle unfolding before them. Even the trio of Uncle Gold, Fiona, and Karl, who had a clear estimate of Caelius'' strength, were surprised. Although their ''young master'' possessed the strength of a Tier 2 (5¡ï), he was far from ordinary. Considered a genius by many, he ranked among the top in the Novice Continent. "Should we help the young master?" Fiona asked in a worried tone, her gaze fixed on Caelius with concern. "Don''t doubt the young master''s strength, Big Sis!" Karl replied, though visibly shocked. His belief in Caelius'' abilities was unwavering. "You two needn''t worry¡ªjust watch," Uncle Gold said calmly, a hidden smile behind his mask. As he spoke, the fully recovered ck-mass creature crouched beforeunching itself at Caelius with astonishing speed. Despite the oing attack, Caelius remained motionless, his golden-lion longsword pointed at the ground. Slowly, it began releasing a me-like golden aura. With its ws shrouded in a dark aura, the Half-Primalized ckrat Man swung ferociously at Caelius. A split second before impact, Caelius raised his weapon and thrust forward. Lionfang''s Sword Technique Tier 2 ¡ª Lion''s Strike!!! The image of a lion mid-attack materialized briefly before colliding with the Half-Primalized creature. A deafening sound rang out, followed by a shockwave that sent dozens of ckrat Men and the surviving origin warriors sprawling. Rumble! Vincent instinctively shielded his eyes, his focus still on the battle. The simplicity of Caelius'' strike belied its immense power. For Vincent, this marked the first time witnessing Caelius in action. That single strike was enough to highlight the gulf in strength between Caelius and the trio of Uncle Gold. Despite the force behind the collision, bothbatants merely staggered back before resuming their attacks. The Half-Primalized ckrat Man, despite its speed and size, failed to evade several of Caelius'' strikes. Conversely, Caelius effortlessly dodged its attacks. The creature''s massive frame made its movements predictable, and Caelius countered with precision. Yet, despite the relentless damage inflicted, the creature showed no signs of pain or fatigue. Its ck mass continuously healed every wound. "This will take forever if I don''t get serious. Let''s end this¡ª" Caelius'' thought was interrupted as the creature suddenly withdrew, releasing a dark aura that surged across hundreds of ckrat Men. The moment the aura touched them, the ckrat Men transformed. Their squeaks turned frenzied, their eyes bloodshot as they charged mindlessly. "Damn it! They''ve gone berserk!" "Kill them! Don''t hold back if you want to live!" "Watch it! Are you trying to kill me?" "Idiot! You''re the one who got in my way!" "Stop fighting, you morons! If you''ve got the energy to bicker, use it to kill these rats!" Chaos erupted as the crazed ckrat Men attacked indiscriminately. Even Vincent and the trio weren''t spared. However, they dealt with the onught effortlessly, and Vincent''s experience bar began to fill once more. Observing the pandemonium, Caelius'' golden eyes narrowed in displeasure. "Enough," he muttered, stomping softly on the ground. A golden light spread across the floor, bursting into a blinding radiance that illuminated the vast chamber, momentarily stunning everyone. An overwhelming aura surged through the air, suffocating the ckrat Men while immobilizing the surviving origin warriors. Exempt from the effects, Vincent watched intently as Caelius lifted his sword and stabbed it into the ground. Lionfang''s Sword Technique Tier 2 ¡ª Lion''s Tail Strike!!! Boom! Countless yellow crystals erupted from the floor, skewering the bodies of countless primals. Blood dripped from the dazzling crystals as they impaled the creatures. The surviving warriors instinctively jumped back, startled by the sudden spikes. Like a grand fireworks disy, the corpses of the ckrat Men disintegrated into particles of digital light. With a single strike, Caelius wiped out the remaining ckrat Men, leaving the chamber eerily silent. Even the massive creature paused, seemingly stunned. Seizing the moment, Caelius'' sword ignited with golden mes once more. Leaping into the air, he descended upon the creature, weapon raised high. Lionfang''s Sword Technique Tier 2 ¡ª Golden Lion sh!!! A three-meter crescent of golden energy surged from his de, mming into the creature''s thick arms as it attempted to defend itself. The moment the attack connected, the immense force sted the creature''s arms aside. Boom! A deafening sound echoed as the golden sh carved through the chamber, leaving destruction in its wake. With a heavy thud, the massive creature copsed, causing the ground to tremble faintly. Although the creature''s body remained intact, Caelius'' confident voice rang out, "Stop dawdling. We''re moving!" The surviving warriors hesitated, stunned and filled with doubt. "Is it really over?" Before their questions could be answered, the creature''s body suddenly burst into a massive sphere of light particles. As the light dissipated, a single ck orb of energy remained. "What? No drop?" a shocked voice eximed. Vincent, recognizing the energy emanating from the orb, furrowed his brows beneath his mask. "They can''t see it?" he wondered. Suddenly, the orb shot forward, entering Vincent''s body at lightning speed. You have received +500 Primal Energy! You have received Primal Regen! You have received Primal Boost! You have received Primal Strength! "What the¡ª?" Chapter 59 Primal Skills "What the¡ª" Vincent eximed, his voice filled with surprise as a notification echoed in his ears. Violent, dark energy surged into his body, causing him to groan softly at the strange sensation. "Are you alright, young man?" Uncle Gold''s voice sounded from behind. Vincent nodded once he calmed himself, though his mind was still reeling from the unexpected experience. "Let''s move, then," Uncle Gold said. Not noticing anything unusual about Vincent, he led the way, guiding him and the siblings forward. The stunned Origin Warriors around them instinctively parted, making way for the group. No one dared to block their path. The very presence of Caelius, with his striking golden hair andmanding aura, was enough to instill fear and awe. But just as they advanced, a calm, deep voice interrupted them. "I apologize, but no one is allowed to leave this ce!" All eyes turned toward the speaker¡ªGorak, the current leader of the Thrygians. The other party leaders exchanged confused and displeased nces. Before anyone could voice their concerns, Caelius'' voice cut through the air, cold andced with irritation. "Too noisy." Three shadows moved in an instant, and the next moment, Gorak found himself surrounded by three figures, weapons drawn and pointed at him. A nervous gulp broke the tense silence as all eyes focused on the trio cloaked in gold. Uncle Gold and the siblings stood poised to strike, their weapons gleaming with a deadly light. Gorak, despite his size and presence, couldn''t mask the fear in his expression as he stared at the cold, threatening stares of his assants. "Leader!" his party members shouted in rm. The scene had unfolded too quickly for anyone to react. Gorak had barely spoken a sentence before being surrounded. The killing intent radiating from the trio was suffocating. Caelius'' voice echoed again, calm yetmanding, "What did you mean by that?" Gorak hesitated, his eyes darting nervously between the gleaming weapons pointed at him. He could feel the power emanating from them, each one capable of ending his life. Caelius'' fan, Karl, barked aggressively, "The young master asked you a question. Answer!" Gorak''s face twisted with indecision. His young master had ordered him to prevent anyone from leaving the chamber, but now he was caught between his master''s wrath and the deadly trio before him. ''Damn it! Better to face my master''s punishment than die at the hands of these lunatics,'' he thought bitterly. "I-I apologize. I misspoke," Gorak stammered, gesturing toward a group of mixed-race warriors. He added hastily, scratching the back of his head, "We''re in a temporary party. We need to rest before deciding whether to continue or retreat." "I see. That makes sense," Caelius replied simply, prompting Uncle Gold and the siblings to lower their weapons. Gorak immediately bowed his head in gratitude. "Thank you for understanding, young master Caelius." But even as he spoke, his mind was racing. He was already nning how to report the presence of Caelius'' group and how to deal with them. His scheming thoughts were abruptly interrupted by Caelius'' next words. "Do you think I''m stupid enough to believe that?" "Wha¡ª" Before Gorak could finish, a sharp golden light shed, slicing through him and his party members. In the blink of an eye, purple blood sprayed into the air as their bodies were cleanly severed, copsing to the ground. Gorak''s expression froze in shock as his vision darkened. ''Demon¡­'' was his final thought. Thud! Vincent, who had watched the entire scene, remained silent, his expression cold. He had been shaken the first time he killed the Thrygians who had targeted him, but he was now fully aware that their deaths weren''t real. This was a digital world. His emotions had numbed, and he viewed it simply as the strong dominating the weak. As silence filled the chamber, the corpses of the Thrygians dissolved into particles of digital light, leaving behind several loot items. The other Origin Warriors stared at Caelius, their thoughts unanimous: He''s a demon. A murmur broke the silence. "Will he kill us next?" Fortunately for them, Caelius'' next words were a reprieve. "Collect the loot. We''re leaving." The tension in the room eased as Caelius and his group departed. "Sigh¡­ That demon is finally gone. He''s even scarier than that massive ckrat man," someone muttered. "Check the surroundings! There''s no way that monster didn''t leave any drops!" "Forget the loot. How are we supposed to leave this ce now?" another voice cried. "Oh, we''re doomed!" ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª Vincent''s party ascended a spiral staircase, heading upward. Now that they had a moment of calm, Vincent focused on the new skills he had somehow acquired. Name: Primal Regen Quality: Rare Effect: Recovers any physical injury for a short amount of time. Consumption: Primal Energy¡ªdepends on the severity of the injury. Name: Primal Boost Quality: Rare Effect: Increases all attributes by 50% for 90 seconds. Consumption: Primal Energy¡ª10. Name: Primal Strength Quality: Rare Effect: Increases strength by 50% for 5 minutes. Consumption: Primal Energy¡ª50. "This is amazing, but¡­" Vincent thought, frowning as he reviewed the details. "I still don''t know how to recover Primal Energy or use it effectively without consequences." As he pondered, Caelius sidled up beside him. "Yo, you really surprised me back there. Aren''t you a genius like me?" Caelius said with his usual smile. Though suspicious of Caelius'' intentions, Vincent replied casually, shaking his head. "I''m not a genius. I only awakened a C-rank talent. I''m far from someone like you."N?v(el)B\\jnn His response made Caelius and Uncle Gold pause, both giving him a doubtful look. Their expressions seemed to say, Who are you trying to fool? Caelius chuckled, shaking his head. "It doesn''t matter. I know a genius when I see one." He then added, "Why don''t we meet in the real world next time?" Vincent halted, curiosity and suspicion shing in his eyes. Why would Caelius suggest such a thing? "If I''m not busy," he replied nomittally. Fiona, who had overheard their conversation from behind, bristled. "You should be grateful the young master is inviting you¡ª" "Fiona!" Caelius cut her off sharply. She immediately lowered her head, chastened. "Don''t mind her," Caelius said to Vincent, his tone warm. "Just let me know whenever you''re free." Vincent nodded curtly and resumed climbing the staircase. ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª In the throne room of the Crimson Castle, a dark figure sat upon a shadowy throne, its crimson eyes glowing ominously. A ck snake coiled around its shadowy arm, hissing in pain as the figure clenched it tightly. The figure''s voice, deep and hoarse, echoed through the chamber. "I don''t know what''s happening out there, but whoever killed my minions will die by my hands." It suddenly sensed several presences beyond the throne room door. "So, I finally have visitors after all this time," it murmured with a hint of dark amusement. Outside the door stood a group of ten individuals. At the center was a towering purple giant¡ªGrarik ckthorn¡ªnked by four more Thrygians. Opposite them stood five cloaked figures, their features obscured. Grarik spoke first. "This is the boss room. Follow the n, and I''ll give you what I promised." One of the hooded figures stepped forward, his voice old and rasping. "Hehe, I believe you. After all, you know the consequences of displeasing our organization." Chapter 60 Execution Organization Vincent''s party finally reached a crimson hallway after ascending the spiral staircase for quite some time. The journey had been surprisingly uneventful. They hadn''t encountered any trouble along the way, which Vincent found peculiar. Ever since they left the chamber, he had be more attuned to the familiar energy emanating from the depths of the Crimson Castle. At the end of the hallway stood a massive crimson metal door, firmly shut. "Is this the boss room?" Fiona murmured softly. "It''s still closed. Are we the first ones to get here?!" Karl''s voice carried a note of excitement, thrilled by the idea that they might be the first team to reach the boss'' room. "Don''t get toofortable. Who knows what lies behind that door? We just encountered a cmity-grade primal in a low-tierbyrinth," Uncle Gold said, his eyes narrowing slightly. Ever since they had faced the Half-Primalized ckrat Man, Uncle Gold had been on edge. He was convinced that thisbyrinth was far from ordinary, and he refused to let the two siblings lower their guard. "Take a quick rest," Caelius ordered, echoing Uncle Gold''s vignce. He also suspected Grarik''s party had reached this ce first. Yet, he couldn''t sense their presence or find any traces of them. He surmised that whatever properties this door held, it could block mental energy. Upon hearing themand, the trio sat down promptly to replenish their energy. Vincent, however, merely feigned exhaustion. In truth, his origin energy remained full, as he only had to consumed a single origin crystal. Once their energy was fully restored, the group prepared to enter the room. Caelius stepped forward, turning to face the group, though his gaze settled beyond them. "How long are you going to hide? Aren''t you tired of waiting?" His words were met by an old, raspy voice echoing down the hallway. Slowly, five figures materialized out of stealth. "Heh, the Lion''s Cub¡ªtruly deserving of your title." The voice dripped with sarcasm.N?v(el)B\\jnn Fiona and Karl spun around, startled by the sudden appearance of the hooded figures. In contrast, Uncle Gold and Vincent turned with casualposure. With his scout ability, Uncle Gold had already detected them, while Vincent''s Heaven Eyes skill kept him informed. "One peak Tier 2 and four Tier 2 (3¡ï)..." Vincent frowned slightly behind his mask. In normal circumstances, he might have been a burden to Caelius and the others. Of course, that would only hold true if he were an average Tier 1 origin warrior. With his unique skills and trump cards, Vincent could potentially contend with Tier 2 warriors. As he steeled himself mentally, Caelius addressed the five hooded figures. "You were sent by that Big Fool, weren''t you?" Simultaneously, Uncle Gold and the siblings unsheathed their weapons without hesitation. In response, the four hooded figures behind the raspy voice also revealed their armaments. "You''re perceptive," the old voice replied. "But you won''t get anything from me." "Young Master, let''s deal with them already. Viins will only talk when they are about to die," Karl grumbled, his tone betraying his irritation. "Youngsters truly know no fear," the same old voice chuckled in amusement. "And you must be truly cowardly, hiding under that hood," Caelius retorted, stepping forward. As he did, golden light radiated across the hallway floor. Before the hooded figures could react, brilliant shes of light erupted, apanied by gusts of wind that stripped away their cloaks. When the figures were revealed, Vincent''s eyes widened in surprise. Though humanoid in shape, their bodies were emaciated, resembling skeletons with rotting flesh. Their hollow eyes and skeletal masks gave them an eerie appearance. On each mask was the symbol of a white-inked eye. Caelius''s expression darkened the moment he recognized the symbol. "To think Grarik would go so far as to hire the Executor Organization... He must have promised them something significant." The Executor Organization was infamous for its deadly assassins, whose services came at a steep price. Caelius couldn''t help but wonder what Grarik had offered to secure their loyalty. His smile returned, though, as he dered, "It''s time for you three to show me the results of your training. Leave the old man to me." "Yes, Young Master!" Uncle Gold and the siblings responded in unison. The old man from the Executor Organization, code-named Old Bone, issued his orders calmly. "As usual¡ªyour kill, your loot." "Heh, we''ve been waiting for you to say that, Old Bone." "Don''t you dare hog all the kills this time!" "Hah, not my fault you''re as slow as a snail!" Uncle Gold, usuallyposed, finally showed a hint of irritation. "Did you hear these skeletons? They talk like we''re already dead. Don''t hold back¡ªbreak them so badly even their bones won''t remain intact!" "Yes!" "Wasn''t nning on doing anything less!" the siblings replied enthusiastically. At this point, Caelius turned to Vincent. "Will you be alright?" Instead of answering, Vincent waved his hand. In an instant, five Tier 2 (1¡ï) Shadow Rats materialized around him, leaving Caelius and the others visibly stunned. "Is he... a summoner? But how can a summoner fight like him and summon higher-tier creatures?!" "Is that even possible?" Uncle Gold and the siblings, their expressions hidden beneath their masks, were nheless baffled. Even Caelius momentarily questioned his assumptions. It had already been shocking that Vincent could physically contend with Tier 2 warriors, but now he had revealed summoning capabilities exceeding his tier. Suppressing his surprise, Caelius chuckled. "You never fail to amaze me. I suppose I was wrong to think of you as a rookie." Vincent merely shook his head. If Caelius knew he possessed more than one epic skill, his shock would only deepen. Meanwhile, Old Bone and his party regarded Vincent with a mix of curiosity and wariness. "Do you know anything about him?" one of the assassins asked. Old Bone''s silence spoke volumes. He, too, was encountering a summoner like Vincent for the first time. "It doesn''t matter," Old Bone said coldly. "His summons are just initial Tier 2. Kill the summoner quickly¡ªhe''s only a Tier 1." As if in defiance of Old Bone''s words, five more Shadow Rats appeared at Vincent''smand. Now surrounded by ten Shadow Rats, Vincent''s disy left his opponents speechless. The Shadow Rats aligned themselves in formation like disciplined soldiers, further stunning the onlookers. Caelius couldn''t help butugh softly. "You really know how to steal the spotlight." He then turned back to Uncle Gold and the siblings. "Don''t let him outshine you. Show me what you''ve got!" "Yes, Young Master!" Uncle Gold split his golden whip into two, Karl clenched his golden gauntlets, and Fiona aimed her golden staff forward. In response, the four assassins charged with synchronized precision, daggers in hand. Their movements, despite their decrepit appearances, were remarkably swift. "Light Beam!" Fiona cried, sending a burst of golden light from her staff toward them. But before the attack couldnd, the figures blurred and disappeared. Boom! The explosion illuminated the hallway as the assassins reappeared, closing in on Uncle Gold and the siblings. Karl reacted instantly, pulling his arm back andunching a heavy punch, the aura of a lion''s head roaring from his strike. "Back off!" Chapter 61 Fighting Old Bone "Back off!" The executor men, standing like shadows in the dimly lit hallway, did not flinch at the attack. As though they had rehearsed their response a thousand times, they swiftly dispersed, sidestepping with a practiced ease that left Karl''s strike roaring past them. The force of his attack did not dissipate¡ªit continued its path, heading straight for Old Bone. Old Bone, seemingly unbothered, raised a withered hand. With an almostzy wave, faint purple energy materialized in the air, dispersing the strike like a gentle breeze extinguishing a candle me. To him, Karl''s offensive skill was no more than an insignificant disturbance, like a child iling their arms in frustration. "Stop fooling around!" Old Bone''s voice rang out, sharp andmanding, tinged with irritation. His men chuckled, unperturbed by his tone. "My bad, didn''t think it''d reach you. Hehe," one said, his grin audible in his voice. "Hehe, you wouldn''t die from that strike, Old Bone!" another chimed in, his words dripping with mockery. Old Bone''s brow furrowed, his displeasure growing. "If you don''t start taking this mission seriously, you won''t see another reward from me," he snapped, his voice carrying a stern warning. His men exchanged sheepish nces. They knew better than to push him too far. With reluctant nods, they silently agreed to refocus. "Well, we''d better do our share, or Old Bone will cut us off," one muttered, breaking the silence. "Alright, I''ll handle two of them. The rest are up to you," another offered casually. "What did you say? I''m taking two¡ªgo find someone else to fight!" "Enough! I''ll take them all if you two keep arguing!" "Keep dreaming, old fool!" Their voices ovepped in a chaotic symphony of bickering, their camaraderie evident despite the harsh words exchanged. Suddenly, a sharp energy fluctuation cut through their argument. Their chatter ceased as they all froze, sensing a swift iing attack. Without needing to exchange a word, they nodded in unison, their coordination impable. Their figures blurred, vanishing into the shadows as if they had never been there. Yet, the iing strike moved with purpose, like a predator with unyielding focus. It locked onto one executor, striking with snake-like precision. Before he could react, the energyshed out, binding his entire body in an unrelenting grip. The other executors stared in wide-eyed disbelief, momentarily stunned by the scene.N?v(el)B\\jnn A calm, steady voice broke the tension. "Aren''t you taking us a bit too lightly?" It was Uncle Gold. He stood tall, exuding aposed confidence that demanded attention. In his right hand, he held a golden whip, its surface gleaming ominously. With a flick of his wrist, Uncle Gold hoisted the bound executor into the air. The bound man struggled but could not break free. Then, without hesitation, Uncle Gold brought the whip down, mming the executor onto the cold, unyielding floor. The sound of the impact echoed through the hallway, a resounding bang that made the walls tremble. "Fourth Brother!" the other executors cried out, rushing to their fallenrade. One drew his weapon and shed at the whip, but Uncle Gold was quicker. With a deft motion, he retracted it, avoiding the strike effortlessly. They red at him, their fury evident. "Are you alright, Fourth Brother?" the third asked, his voice tinged with worry as he helped the injured man up. "I''m fine. It''s just a minor dislocation," Fourth Brother replied. To prove his point, he raised his twisted arm, showing no signs of pain or difort. Second and Third Brothers let out sighs of relief, reassured by his calm demeanor. Without a moment''s hesitation, Fourth Brother grabbed his dislocated arm and snapped it back into ce with a sickening crack. His expression remained impassive, as if the pain meant nothing to him. "So this is what Ghouls are capable of¡­" Vincent murmured, standing beside Caelius. His brows furrowed slightly as he observed the scene with a mix of intrigue and wariness. Vincent had done his research on the Ghoul race, one of the most notorious in the Origin World. With their rotting, skeletal appearance and inability to feel pain, they were often likened to zombies. However, unlike the slow-moving undead of myths, Ghouls were known for their agility and stealth, making them highly effective assassins. Their infamy was such that most races shunned them, viewing them with disdain and fear. After resetting his arm, Fourth Brother joined his siblings near First Brother, who remained locked in a silent stare with Uncle Gold. "This is our first encounter with a member of the Golden Lion Legion. Let''s give it everything we''ve got," First Brother dered, his voice steady and resolute. "I agree!" Second and Third Brothers echoed in unison. "Let''s go!" On the other side of the hallway, Uncle Gold addressed his team. "We won''t disappoint the young master this time. On my signal, we''ll end this quickly. Understood?" "Yes!" the siblings replied in unison, their voices firm and resolute. Beneath their masks, determination burned brightly in their eyes. "Let''s move!" Vincent, observing from a distance, issued silentmands to his Shadow Rats. They scurried into action, ready to provide support. Keeping a safe distance, Vincent followed, his focus unwavering. The hallway, though spacious, felt charged with tension as the two groups prepared for battle. Meanwhile, Old Bone stepped forward, his gaze fixed on Caelius. "Hehe, I''m eager to see what kind of loot you''ll drop when I kill you," Old Bone said, rubbing his hands together as though savoring the thought. Caelius met his gaze with a calm smile. "I doubt your corpse will yield anything of value." Old Bone chuckled darkly. "Talk all you want. This is the end of the road for you." With those words, dark-purple daggers materialized in his hands. Vicious Fangs¡ªTier 2 Rare Quality Armaments, infamous for their deadly precision. Caelius responded by drawing his golden longsword, its surface gleaming with an otherworldly radiance. It, too, was a Tier 2 Rare Quality Armament, crafted from the remains of a mutated Earth Drake. A faint purple mist began to envelop Old Bone, obscuring his figure. When the mist cleared, he was gone. Yet, Caelius remained unfazed. With a measured step, he illuminated the area around him with golden energy. Within the light, he spotted a faint footprint on the floor. Without hesitation, he struck at the air where the footprinty. But his de met nothing. A mocking voice echoed around him. "Nice try." Caelius pivoted and struck again. "Not even close." Again, he shed. "Wrong direction!" The voice taunted him relentlessly, each word dripping with mockery. Caelius suddenly stopped, a confident smirk ying on his lips. "Who said I was trying to find you?" The taunting ceased. Old Bone felt his back press against something. Turning, he saw a golden string of energy stretched taut behind him. His eyes widened in realization. Golden strings surrounded him, intricately woven like a web. Caelius acted swiftly. The moment Old Bone touched the string, Caelius dashed forward and shed. Poof! Purple smoke erupted as Old Bone stumbled backward, clutching his side. ck blood seeped through his fingers, dripping onto the floor. "Hello there," Caelius greeted, his tone light, as though the battle was a mere game. Old Bone, unfazed by his injury, chuckled. "Impressive. But let''s see how long you can keep that smile, Lion''s Cub!" With those words, purple smoke spread outward, covering a five-meter radius. "Poison Cloud!" Chapter 62 Limit "Poison Cloud!"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om As the poisonous purple mist expanded to cover a five-meter radius, Caelius immediately shielded himself with his origin energy to block the toxins. However, the dense cloud obstructed his vision and dulled his senses, making it impossible to perceive anything around him. Within moments, he felt a presence darting toward him from within the poisonous haze. Suddenly, Old Bone''s dagger pierced out of the cloud, aimed straight for him. With quick reflexes, Caelius tilted his head slightly, letting the de narrowly miss. Without hesitation, he thrust his golden longsword toward the source of the attack, but his de sliced through empty air. Before he could react, another dagger shed toward him, this time from behind. Turning swiftly, he deflected the weapon with his armament. The pattern repeated itself multiple times. "This slippery zombie¡­" Caelius muttered in annoyance. "If I hadn''t already used my Golden Light Steps to expose them earlier, I could locate his position easily." He frowned. "The Golden String won''t work in this poisonous fog¡­" "This poison also drains my origin energy rapidly¡­" Despite the clear disadvantage, a grin tugged at the corners of his lips. He had begun to understand Old Bone''s tactics. Just then, another dagger shot through the smoke. This time, Caelius had to use both hands to lift his sword and block the attack. "Huff¡­" He exhaled sharply, exhaustion evident. Old Bone didn''t let this weakness go unnoticed. Seeing his Caelius''bored movements, he sent a barrage of daggers flying toward him. Summoning every ounce of strength, Caelius parried each strike, his breathing bing increasingly ragged. "Huff¡­" Amid the swirling poison, Old Bone''s mocking voice rang out, followed by his shadowy figure appearing behind Caelius. "Is this the extent of the Lion''s Cub''s strength? Are you truly worthy of that title? Why don''t you smile now?" Caelius didn''t respond. He lunged forward, his sword slicing cleanly through Old Bone¡ªonly for the figure to dissolve into thin air. "Hehe, you can''t defeat me in my domain," Old Bone taunted, his voice echoing ominously. Caelius'' eyes widened in disbelief. "Show yourself!" he demanded. The response came in the form of eerieughter. "Heh, even the Lion''s Cub has a foolish side. Very well, I''ll grant your wish." Suddenly, Caelius sensed multiple presences around him. Eight identical figures of Old Bone emerged from the poisonous fog, each wielding the same weapon. "Hehe, this is the end. Farewell," the eight figures dered in unison. Their armaments glowed with purple light as they charged at him together. Outside the Poison Cloud Meanwhile, the battle between Old Bone''s men and Uncle Gold''s group had erupted. From their positions, the five ghoul brothers watched the purple haze with eager eyes. The Fifth Brother sneered, "Haha, your young master is done for. No one can beat Old Bone in his domain." His words caused Karl and Fiona to exchange worried nces, their focus lingering on the mist concealing Caelius. Uncle Gold, however, remained unfazed. "Don''t lose focus! Do you think the young master will fall to some nobody?" he scolded. "Fiona, buff us. Karl, go wild¡ªI''ll back you up!" Without hesitation, Fiona cast her spell. "Lion''s Boost!" Both Uncle Gold and Karl felt their strength and speed surge by 20%, the effectsting 60 seconds. "Go, kid!" Uncle Gold urged. Karl roared as he charged at the five ghouls. On the other side, the First Brother barked orders at his siblings. "Don''t let them do as they please! Intercept them!" The four other brothers moved in unison, daggers gleaming in their decayed hands. "Lion''s Smash!" Karl''s right arm bulged as his skill activated, enhanced further by Fiona''s buff. An aura shaped like a lion''s head erupted from his gauntlet, roaring as it surged toward the enemies. In response, the brothers unleashed their own skill. "Five Star Strike!" Their movements blurred as their daggers shone like purple stars. "First Strike!" "Second Strike!" "Third Strike!" "Fourth Strike!" "Fifth Strike!" The synchronized strikes shed against Karl''s attack, neutralizing it. "Tch!" Karl clicked his tongue in frustration. "These damn zombies!" Uncle Gold''s whip cracked through the air, aiming for the group. "Iron Whish!" Sharp, thorny spikes jutted from his golden whip as itshed toward the brothers. Yet, despite the whip''s power, the brothers deflected it with precision. "Hehe, is that all you''ve got? Now it''s our turn! Attack!" Before they could advance, a blinding light engulfed the battlefield. "sh!" It was Fiona''s modified shbang skill, derived from amon shlight ability. "Argh! My eyes!" "Spread out!" The brothers stumbled, covering their faces as the trio seized the opportunity. "Attack!" Uncle Goldmanded. Karl and Fiona unleashed their skills simultaneously, targeting the First Brother. "Golden Tailwhip!" "Lion''s ws!" "Exploding Light!" Theirbined assault struck with devastating force. The First Brother, barely regaining his vision, could only brace himself. "Oh¡­ I''m screwed¡­" he thought as he struggled to defend. Boom! The impact sent a cloud of dust billowing into the air. Vincent''s Umbral Rats darted into the smoke while others remained on guard around him. "Brother!" the remaining siblings cried out in rm. In the chaos, Vincent took the chance to focus on upgrading his abilities. "Do you want to upgrade the Umbral Rat Legion?" "Yes." However, the system''s response left him stunned. "Upgrade process failed. The current skill has already reached its limit." "What?! Upgrades can fail? Does this mean some epic skills can''t advance further?" The revtion startled him. He''d always assumed upgrading was limitless. "So I need to find skills or items with higher potential? But how?" Shaking off the thought, he shifted his attention to the teardrop ne he wore. Name: Ne of Resistance Quality: Umon Effects: Slightly increases poison resistance. "I almost forgot about this¡­" He quickly upgraded it to epic grade. You have sessfully upgraded Ne of Resistance. Name: Venomous Ring of Resistance Quality: Epic Effects: Greatly increases poison resistance. Skill: Poison Immunity ¨C Consumes 100 Origin Energy per 120 seconds. Grants immunity to ten types of poison. "Poison Immunity?! This is perfect!" The ne transformed into a glowing purple ring, which Vincent slid onto his finger. You have sessfully assisted in killing a Tier 2 (3¡ï) Ghoul! You have received +1500 experience points! Talent activated! +15,000,000 experience points! "Fifteen million XP?!" He groaned in frustration. "What a waste¡­ I can''t store more XP than my level allows." Chapter 63 Defeat Assisting in the defeat of a Tier 2(3¡ï) Origin Warrior filled Vincent''s entire experience bar, a sight that made him smile beneath his mask. On the opposite side, the remaining four ghoul brothers stood frozen, their eyes wide in shock. Even with half-masks covering their mouths, their expressions betrayed their disbelief. "F-First Brother¡­" "Did he really¡­ die?" "N-No way!" As the smoke dissipated, the horrifying truth was revealed. Their First Brother''s lifeless body was surrounded by Vincent''s Umbral Rats, which began consuming him. Momentster, the corpse disintegrated into particles of digital light. Two green orbs and the First Brother''s dagger armaments were left behind, marking his defeat. The four brothers gawked at the scene, their shock quickly turning into unbridled rage. "They killed our brother! I want revenge!" "Stop holding back! Destroy them!" "Kill those disgusting rats first!" "Use everything you have!" Fueled by fury, the four brothers charged at Vincent''s Umbral Rats, unleashing a storm of dagger skills. Their swiftness and precision were lethal, and they quickly dispatched five of the creatures. Amid the chaos, the Second Brother pulled out a glowing purple orb and hurled it toward Uncle Gold and the others. "Die!" Uncle Gold''s sharp instincts kicked in as he shouted a warning. "Watch out! It''s a toxic bomb!" Karl and Fiona were already on high alert and reacted immediately, retreating several meters as the bomb exploded into a dense cloud of purple smoke. Bam! The toxic mist spread rapidly, covering a three-meter radius. But the ghouls weren''t done yet¡ªmore bombs followed, raining down near the trio''s position. Despite their quick retreat, the noxious fumes forced them to shield themselves with their Origin Energy. The hallway became a haze of violet, blurring their vision and sense of surroundings. Amid the swirling smoke, Vincent stood still, unfazed and unmoving. Uncle Gold and the siblings noticed his peculiar behavior and stared in confusion. "Are you trying to die? Why aren''t you protecting yourself?!" Fiona eximed, her voice tinged with disbelief. Vincent remained silent, raising a hand as if to touch the poisonous cloud. The faint difort he felt was insignificant¡ªhis natural recovery and the purple ring on his forefinger rendered him nearly immune. "So this is how it works," Vincent mused, studying the ring''s faint glow.N?v(el)B\\jnn His immunity was evident, and Uncle Gold quickly pieced it together. "You''re immune to this poison?" Though he phrased it as a question, the calm on Vincent''s face gave him the answer. Fiona, meanwhile, flushed red behind her mask, embarrassed by her earlier concern. "You¡­" she started but couldn''t finish, her words cut off as the ghouls closed in. "They''reing! Fiona, we need cover!" Uncle Gold barked. "Understood!" Fiona quickly activated her skill. "Light Wall!" A golden, transparent barrier materialized around the group, intercepting the ghouls'' onught. Metal nged against the wall as daggers struck relentlessly, sending sharp echoes through the corridor. However, the strain began to show. Cracks webbed across the barrier as Fiona struggled to maintain it. "Uncle Gold, I can''t hold this much longer!" "Just a few more seconds. Karl, replenish your energy!" Karl didn''t hesitate. He grabbed several Origin Crystals and began absorbing their energy, while Uncle Gold followed suit. Vincent, observing quietly, spoke up. "Can this barrier block poison too?" Fiona blinked, puzzled. "Why does that even matter? Can''t you see for yourself?" Vincent nodded, noting how the toxic smoke failed to prate the barrier. But he pressed further. "Can it withstand a more potent poison?" Her pride stung, Fiona retorted through gritted teeth, "Nothing can breach my Light Wall, no matter how strong the poison!" "Good," Vincent replied with a soft smirk as he summoned his Tier 2 Armament, the Nightre de. Fiona frowned. "What are you trying to do?" Ignoring her question, Vincent simply said, "Just ensure no poison enters your barrier." "What¡ª" Before she could finish, Vincent vanished. "Where did he go?" Fiona gasped, her confusion mirrored by the others. In the blink of an eye, Vincent reappeared amidst the four ghoul brothers. His sudden arrival startled them. "Hey! That weakling human came out!" "What are you waiting for? Kill him!" Before they could act, Vincent raised his Nightre de. Channeling Origin Energy, the de red with dark emerald mes. "Abyssal Venosh!" The venomous energy erupted from his weapon in a mist-like wave, enveloping a ten-meter radius. The attack''s shockwave sent the ghouls stumbling, the poison infiltrating their bodies. From inside the barrier, Fiona and the others felt the tremor. As the green mist spread, Fiona''s confusion deepened. "What''s happening?" Continue reading at empire Her question was answered by the ghouls'' anguished screams. "What kind of poison is this?!" "We''re immune to poison¡ªhow is this affecting us?!" "I¡­ I can''t breathe¡­ someone help!" "I''m bleeding! Why won''t it stop?!" The venom corroded their flesh, their faces melting as though doused in acid. Their agony was evident as they looked at Vincent in terror. "What kind of monster are you?" "You''re not human¡­!" Vincent remained silent, his de glowing menacingly as he activated his Origin Power Enhancement Talent. His force attribute surged by thirty percent as he prepared his next move. Channeling his energy into the Nightre de, it red with an intense red-ck glow. "Shadowme Wave!" With a horizontal sh, a crescent-shaped wave of shadowme tore through the air, striking the incapacitated ghouls. "You demon!" one of them managed to cry before¡ª Boom! The explosion rocked the corridor, startling Fiona and alerting Uncle Gold and Karl. "What''s happening?" Uncle Gold demanded. Fiona was too stunned to reply. In the poisonous mist, Vincent''s powerful abilities had unleashed consecutive bursts of destruction. Uncle Gold scanned the area, his sharp eyes narrowing. "Where''s the young master''s friend?" The green mist began to dissipate, and as Fiona''s Light Wall faded, the battlefield was revealed. Their eyes widened in disbelief. "What the hell happened here?" Karl muttered, his voice trembling. Vincent stood amidst the carnage. The four ghoul brothersy in pools of their own blood, their bodies dismembered and corroded beyond recognition. Though still alive, they were barely clinging to life. Before anyone could speak, another figure emerged from the smoke where Caelius and Old Bone had been fighting. The figure tumbled across the ground,nding near the fallen ghouls. Uncle Gold and the others instinctively turned toward themotion. It was Old Bone. A deep gash stretched across his torso, and his shattered mask revealed jagged, yellowed teeth. Caelius followed, stepping out of the mist with a calm smile. ncing at the defeated ghouls, he turned to Uncle Gold and the siblings. "It seems you didn''t disappoint me this time." Chapter 64 Entering The Boss Room "It seems you didn''t disappoint me this time." Caelius''s words hung in the air, but instead of celebration, they were met with awkward silence. Uncle Gold and the two siblings, Karl and Fiona, exchanged uneasy nces. None of them couldprehend what had just transpired. If there was one thing they could be absolutely sure of, it was that they had contributed next to nothing in the fight against the four ghouls. As this tense moment lingered, Caelius, oblivious to the awkward atmosphere, stood tall. Old Bone, on the other hand, had just managed to get back on his feet, his hollow eyes widening in bafflement as he surveyed the battlefield. His gaze fell on the mutted forms of his men, now reduced to broken, defeated shadows of their former selves. "What¡­ what happened here?!" Old Bone demanded, his voice filled with disbelief and fury. He turned to his men, expecting some exnation, but none came. Their mouths, now melted and useless, could not form a single word. The silence only enraged him further. His hollow sockets burned with fury as his gaze shifted between Vincent, Uncle Gold, and the others. "You''re going to pay for this!" he roared, his skeletal figure trembling with rage. Caelius, unbothered, responded with a scoff. "So this is how the Executors Guild operates? You can kill us, but we aren''t allowed to kill you? Pathetic." Old Bone harrumphed angrily, his bony fingers twitching with suppressed rage. "You''re just lucky today! This won''t be thest time we meet!" As his words echoed, he hurled a toxic bomb toward Caelius and the group. Poof! The bomb detonated, releasing a dense cloud of purple mist. Reacting swiftly, Caelius and the others retreated, narrowly avoiding the worst of the attack. Old Bone seized the opportunity. He retrieved a white scroll¡ªan escape scroll¡ªand tore it apart without hesitation. As he activated the scroll, circr particles of light began to form around him, signaling his imminent escape. His remaining men, trapped and wounded, red at him with hate-filled eyes, their expressions screaming betrayal. Their silent usations seemed to shout: "You''re leaving us?! How dare you!" Amid the purple haze, Uncle Gold, his vision partially obscured, sensed the shift. "He''s trying to escape!" he warned. Caelius reacted instantly. He swung his sword, releasing a surge of golden energy that sliced through the mist, aiming directly for Old Bone. sh! But it was toote. The strike passed harmlessly through Old Bone''s afterimage as he vanished from the Origin World. Before his departure, Old Bone cast onest nce at Vincent. The young man stood motionless, staring into the distance as though the chaos around him didn''t concern him. Old Bone''s hollow gaze narrowed, his mind etching Vincent''s aura into memory. He was certain that this "neer" would be a force to reckon with in the Origin World. As the tension began to settle, Uncle Gold and the siblings clicked their tongues in frustration. Caelius remained impassive, his expression unreadable, leaving everyone to wonder what was going through his mind. Moments after Old Bone''s escape, the mutted bodies of the four ghouls dissolved into particles of digital light. System notifications rang out in everyone''s minds. You have sessfully killed a Tier 2 (3¡ï) Ghoul!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om You have sessfully killed a Tier 2 (3¡ï) Ghoul! You have sessfully killed¡­ You have sess¡­ The notifications continued, apanied by an influx of experience points. You have received +1500 experience points! x4 Talent Activated! +15,000,000 experience points! x4 Vincent let out a long sigh of relief as the system''s voice faded. "Luckily, I managed to spend my XP before they died," he thought. Earlier, when he noticed how severely the ghouls were affected by his Abyssal Venosh, he had been taken aback. What he had intended as a distraction to buy time for Uncle Gold and Karl had far surpassed his expectations. The venom had decimated the ghouls. Realizing they were on the brink of death, Vincent had quickly spent one million experience points to upgrade two of his skills: The first was the Torrent of Origin Technique, a physicalbat skill he hadn''t upgraded since the Academy''s Annual Ceremony. Using 300,000 experience points, he advanced it to epic grade, renaming it Cascade of Origin Flow. Name: Cascade of Origin Flow Grade: Epic Effect: Explore more at empire Offensive: Boosts attack power by 50% and enhancesbo fluidity. Grants a 40% chance to trigger an Origin Echo Strike after a sessful hit, bypassing a portion of the target''s defense. Defensive: Reduces iing damage by 50% during blocks. A precise parry reflects 40% of mitigated damage back at the attacker. Special: Unlocks Forceflow Maniption, allowing energy absorption and redirection. Sessful blocks unleash a shockwave that staggers nearby enemies. Utility: Grants minor regeneration of 5 Origin Energy per second during sustained defensive streaks. Consumption: 80 Origin Energy per minute. The second skill was his umon ability, Rolling Bash, which he had acquired from the mutated ck rat. Using the remaining points, he upgraded it to epic grade. Name: Cyclone Breaker Grade: Epic Effect: Damage: Inflicts 200% of base attack damage per second during the spin, weakening enemy defenses. Stagger: High chance to stagger opponents. Knockback: Ends with a powerful sh, creating a shockwave that hurls enemies backward. Special: Grants a speed burst for repositioning after the attack. Consumption: 50 Origin Energy Duration: 4 seconds Cooldown: 20 seconds Although Vincent was satisfied with the upgrades, he couldn''t help but feel a twinge of regret as millions of experience points vanished. "What a waste," he thought bitterly. Turning his attention to the glowing orbs and items dropped by the ghouls, his excitement grew. Before he could move, Caelius approached him. His expression calm yet inquisitive. "Are you alright?" Vincent quicklyposed himself and nodded. Then, noticing Caelius''s battered armor, he added, "What about you? Looks like you had a rough fight." Before Caelius could respond, Uncle Gold and the siblings rushed over. "Young Master, are you okay? What happened to you in there?" Fiona asked, concerncing her voice. Recalling the recent battle, Caelius suppressed a smile. In truth, he had feigned exhaustion to lure Old Bone out of his domain. The ploy worked perfectly, catching the skeleton off guard and allowing Caelius to deliver a decisive strike. Still, he offered no exnation, simply smiling. "You surprised me this time. I didn''t expect the four of you to take down those ghouls so quickly. Go collect the loot and replenish your energy. It''s time to meet thisbyrinth''s master." Despite his encouragement, none of them moved. Uncle Gold, Karl, and Fiona exchanged uneasy looks. "What''s wrong?" Caelius asked, his sharp gaze narrowing on them. After a moment of hesitation, Uncle Gold stepped forward. With a wry smile, he exined, "Actually, young master, it wasn''t us. Vincent killed the remaining four ghouls on his own." Caelius''s eyes widened in disbelief. "He killed them? All four?" Vincent scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Somehow¡­" Caelius didn''t press further, nodding in understanding. "Then the drops from those four are yours. The others can share the remaining loot." Vincent had no objections and gratefully began collecting the items. Chapter 65 Glimpse Vincent worked quickly, collecting the items dropped by the enemies while Caelius and the others rested to recover their origin energy. After securing the loot, Vincent directed his five remaining umbral rats to stay hidden in the shadows, tasked with keeping an eye on the area and warning him of any approaching threats. Confident in their vignce, he pulled out several origin crystals, though he knew he would only need one to fully replenish his origin core. Once his energy was fully restored, Vincent began reviewing the spoils of their battle, neatly sorted before him: 12,000 Origin Crystals Tier 2 Common-Grade Daggers Experience tales at empire Executor Mask White Orb Green Orb Blue Orb His first focus was the Executor Mask, which was mostly intact but bore minor damage. Name: Executor Mask Grade: Umon Details: A mask used by low-ranking members of the Executor organization. Effects: Slightly reduces the wearer''s presence. Next, Vincent examined the Silver-Iron Dagger, which immediately disappointed him. Name: Silver-Iron Dagger Power: Tier 2 Grade: Common Details: Forged from Tier 2 Silver-Horned Beast antlers. "This is nothing but trash," he thought with a grimace, cing it aside. It wasn''t even an armament, though a fleeting curiosity struck him: would upgrading it transform it into one? He shelved the idea forter exploration.N?v(el)B\\jnn Turning to the White Orb, he observed as it emitted a soft glow, eventually morphing into a small white book. Name: Daggers Technique Grade: Common Effects: Slightly increases damage dealt with daggers. The book presented him with an option to learn the technique, but Vincent decided against it for now. "I already have enough armament and sword skills," he reasoned, storing the item in his ring for future consideration. Next, he reached for the Green Orb, which transformed into a pair of leather boots as it activated. Name: Fierce Crow Boots Grade: Umon Effects: Slightly boosts mobility. Skill: Light Steps: Temporarily increases movement speed by 5% for three minutes and reduces fall impact for three seconds. Consumption: 50 Origin Energy. "Finally, something to rece my worn-out boots," Vincent mused. He wasted no time donning the Fierce Crow Boots, pleased with the upgrade. The final item, the Blue Orb, immediately drew his attention. It radiated a faint azure glow before solidifying into a skill book. "A skill book?" Vincent''s eyes gleamed with anticipation. Name: Stealth Grade: Rare Effects: Grants the ability to turn invisible, muffling footsteps and boosting movement speed to avoid detection. Consumption: 10 Origin Energy per 60 seconds. "Stealth¡­ exactly what I needed!" Vincent''s heart raced. He had long envied the innate stealth abilities of monsters and especially Ghoul''s natural talent. Without hesitation, he chose to learn the skill. "With this, my arsenal grows even stronger," he thought, his excitement palpable. Now, Vincent shifted his focus to his umted experience points. Many of his items and skills required exorbitant resources to upgrade. For instance, the Tier 2 cultivation manual he received from Sophie Iris demanded over a million experience points, while his primal skills necessitated primal energy. Simrly, several of his epic-grade skills also required over a million experience points to enhance further. The new items he had acquired seemed more feasible to upgrade, particrly the Daggers Technique and the recently learned Stealth Skill. Among his equipment, potential candidates for enhancement included his Morphic Mask, Silver-Iron Dagger, and Fierce Crow Boots. However, Vincent quickly ruled out the Executor Mask, as his current Morphic Mask was clearly superior. "I''ll prioritize upgrading my skills first," Vincent decided. He selected the Stealth Skill, initiating its enhancement. You have sessfully upgraded Stealth! Name: Phantom Veil Grade: Epic Effects: Upgraded from Stealth, this skill renders the userpletely invisible, bypassing even enhanced detection abilities. It significantly increases movement speed, nullifies sound, and grants Shadow Blink, allowing teleportation up to 15 meters while remaining invisible. Consumption: 15 Origin Energy per 60 seconds. "An epic-grade skill¡­ perfect!" Vincent thought, feeling a surge of satisfaction. With 500,000 experience points remaining, Vincent turned his attention to his Morphic Mask, which was still at umon grade. He activated the upgrade process, watching as the emerald mask glowed brightly, shifting into a vivid azure hue. The mask now bore an elegant, ever-changing design that seemed alive. Name: Shifting Visage Grade: Rare Effect: Allows the wearer to perfectly mimic the appearance, voice, and minor mannerisms of any humanoid they have observed. The transformation is convincing enough to deceive mid-tier Origin Warriors and evade basic detection techniques, though it is less effective against high-tier opponents or advanced methods. While the upgrade wasn''t revolutionary, Vincent appreciated the improved functionality. With just 200,000 experience points left, he resolved to replenish his reserves. "I''ll need to hunt more," he muttered, determination hardening his resolve. Quietly, so as not to disturb hispanions still recovering their energy, Vincent approached the door to what he suspected was the boss''s chamber. Activating his Heaven Eyes, his purple irises glimmered with azure light, allowing him to pierce through the door and glimpse the room beyond. The throne room was vast, bathed in crimson light. Inside, Vincent immediately recognized a familiar figure¡ªGrarik¡ªnked by four Thrygians. They were encircled by a horde of ck-armored ratmen wielding various weapons: swords, spears, cudgels, and shields. Despite the tense standoff, neither side made a move to attack. As Vincent''s awareness extended deeper into the room, a sudden wave of oppressive energy washed over him. An icy chill ran down his spine, and beads of cold sweat formed on his forehead. At the far end of the chamber, seated upon a massive crimson throne, was a shadowy figure. Its presence exuded overwhelming power, and for a fleeting moment, its icy gaze shifted toward Vincent. The sheer pressure of its attention caused his breath to hitch. His heart raced as he fought to steady himself. "What... what was that?" Vincent''s thoughts spiraled in confusion. The creature''s aura radiated a level of danger far beyond anything he had encountered before¡ªeven the Half-Primalized ckrat Man paled inparison to this mysterious entity. Chapter 66 Labyrinths Heart Huff! Vincent gasped for air, struggling topose himself. The image of those crimson eyes seared vividly into his memory. Before he could process his thoughts, a hand abruptly rested on his shoulder. Jolting, he instinctively grabbed it. "!!" "Yo, chill. It''s me. Are you alright?" It was Caelius, looking at him with a puzzled expression. Realizing who it was, Vincent released his grip. Shaking his head, he took a deep breath and finally regained hisposure. His gaze wandered to the others, still resting and recovering their energy, before turning back to Caelius. "I''m fine. But I need to ask you something." Caelius frowned slightly, noticing the seriousness in Vincent''s tone and the intensity in his eyes. "What''s wrong?" "What''s your real reason foring here?" For a moment, Caelius fell silent, seemingly debating whether to reveal the truth. Soon, a calm smile broke across his face. "I suppose it''s fine to tell you. While it''s true that I''m interested in the rewards promised by the Novice Center, our main goal is to track Grarik''s movements. My n has been monitoring the ckthorn n from the shadows for some time. We suspect they''re nning something that could lead to another disaster for my family." Vincent frowned deeply as Caelius shared his reasoning. Inside the Throne Room¡ªBoss''s ChamberGrarik and hispanions stood tense, their fierce gazes locked on the dark figure seated atop an imposing throne. Hundreds of armored ckrat Men surrounded them, weapons drawn and ready. "Thrygians¡­ I didn''t expect your race to be my first visitors after all these years of imprisonment¡­" The dark figure''s voice was raspy, cold, and unsettling as it broke the silence. "I''ll give you one chance to exin why you''re here before I kill you all," it added, its toneced with a quiet menace. Grarik masked his displeasure, maintaining a respectful demeanor. "We didn''te to fight. We''re here to offer you an opportunity." No sooner had he spoken than an overwhelming pressure descended on them, forcing them to their knees. "Y-Young Master! Your tone!" one of Grarik''spanions stammered, gritting his teeth in rm. Realizing his misstep, Grarik''s expression tightened, beads of cold sweat forming on his brow. "F-Forgive my rudeness, Senior. I was wrong," he said, teeth clenched. "We''vee to ask for your favor!" The suffocating pressure lifted, allowing them to catch their breath. "Hoh, a favor, you say? Exin," the dark figure said, amusement flickering in its voice. "Please help us kill someone!" Grarik finally admitted, his tone steady as he masked his inner turmoil. Though outwardly calm, his thoughts burned with anger. ''If I were stronger, I''d kill him myself,'' he seethed silently, though he dared not voice his resentment. "Hoh¡­ So, you im you can free me from this prison?" The figure''s question was casual, but its interest was undeniable. Years of confinement had dulled its patience, and the recent transformation of its prison into abyrinth had only heightened its frustration. In the origin world,byrinths typically formed naturally from concentrated origin energy, creating primals and eventually the maze itself. However, unique cases like this urred when sealed entities evolved into powerful beings, forcing the world''s system to create abyrinth around them. This transformation took countless years, making the figure''s predicament particrly unusual. Grarik nodded, showing deference. "You''re wise, Senior." The crimson eyes of the figure narrowed briefly before regaining theirposure. Grarik then produced a fist-sized ruby crystal, holding it aloft. The moment the figure''s gaze fell upon it, a flicker of excitement betrayed its otherwise impassive demeanor. "Is that¡­ a Labyrinth''s Heart?" Grarik''s lips curled into a confident smile. "Yes, this is indeed a Labyrinth''s Heart." The Labyrinth''s Heart was a rare and sought-after artifact, created over decades as abyrinth''s energies condensed in its deepest recesses. Typically, abyrinth''s master guarded it, as the heart granted immense power, freedom from thebyrinth, and even the ability to construct a new one elsewhere. For creatures like the dark figure, it was a treasure of unparalleled value. Despite its inward excitement, the figure maintained its stoic facade. "State your terms." "It''s simple, Senior. We want you to¡­" As Grarik borated, Vincent and his party prepared themselves on the other side of thebyrinth. Caelius, usually rxed, wore a grave expression. He recalled Vincent''s earlier warning: a presence more powerful than the Cmity-rank ckrat Man awaited them. Though skeptical at first, he had chosen to trust Vincent''s words. "Are you all ready?" he asked his team. "Yes, Young Master," they replied in unison. "Good. Be prepared to retreat if necessary." "Retreat? What''s wrong, Young Master?" Fiona asked, her curiosity piqued. "We may encounter a dangerous individual beyond this door. No, I''m certain of it." Caelius''s tone left no room for argument. Though confused, Fiona and the others nodded solemnly, trusting their leader''s judgment. "Let''s go," Caelius ordered, pushing open the heavy metal door. Its creak echoed ominously, and the resounding thud as it fully opened sent a chill through the air. The moment they stepped inside, a crushing re and oppressive aura halted them in their tracks. Their gazes snapped to the throne, where a dark figure sat holding the Labyrinth''s Heart. Vincent instinctively activated his Heaven Eyes, scanning the entity before them. Vash Volcane (Primalized) Race: Demi-human Power: Tier 3 Vincent''s eyes widened in shock. "A demi-human? And primalized!" he thought, stunned. Demi-humans, rare in Astralis, were born from human and primal unions. Despite their unique heritage, they faced severe discrimination. Grarik''sughter broke the tense silence. "Haha! You''re toote, Caelius!" Caelius ignored him, his focus solely on Vash Volcane. ''He''s dangerous,'' Caelius thought, steeling himself as he countered the oppressive aura suffocating his team. Vash''s grin widened, his gaze lingering on the Labyrinth''s Heart in his hand. Grarik turned to Vash. "Senior, will you help me eliminate them?" Caelius tensed, knowing the dire consequences if the two forces joined. But to his surprise, Vash rejected the request outright. "Though I despise humans, our contract doesn''t include them. They''re your problem. Do not seek me again¡ªI''ll appear when the time is right." With that, Vash conjured a ck, misty serpent that coiled around Grarik''s wrist. "Do not lose it." "Wha¡ª" Before Grarik could respond, Vash''s aura red, and the Labyrinth''s Heart zed with crimson light. The throne room trembled as rubble fell from above. "Senior, what is the meaning of this?!" Grarik demanded, his voice quaking. Vash''s sharp re silenced him instantly.N?v(el)B\\jnn "Are you questioning me?" Grarik gulped, bowing his head. "I-I wouldn''t dare." A massive crimson portal, five meters tall, materialized before Vash. Vincent stood frozen, his gaze locked on the dark figure. As Vash stepped toward the portal, its crimson eyes flicked toward Vincent, sending a shiver down his spine. Then, without another word, Vash disappeared. Chapter 67 Back As soon as Vash Volcane disappeared, thebyrinth began to tremble violently. Momentster, the hundreds of armored ckrat Men vanished into thin air. Caelius grinned at Grarik, whose dumbfounded expression was fixed on the portal through which Vash had left. "It seems you''ve been abandoned, Big Fool," Caelius remarked, his tone dripping with mockery. Grarik''s attention snapped to Caelius, his teeth grinding in frustration. Vash''s dismissive attitude had already irritated him, and now he was being mocked by the person he despised the most. One of Grarik''spanions intervened, reminding him, "Young Master, thebyrinth is copsing. We''vepleted the Master''s mission¡ªwe need to leave now." Grarik clenched his fists, his desire to fight Caelius evident. But he knew the location and timing were far from ideal. Shooting a sharp re at Caelius, he reluctantly jumped through the portal. Caelius made no move to stop them. Even if he''d wanted to, he knew he couldn''t prevent their escape. Likewise, he was certain they couldn''t stop him if he decided to leave. Once Grarik''s group had departed, Caelius turned to his own party. "We''re done here. Let''s leave." Obeying hismand, they all followed him through the portal. When Vincent stepped through, he felt the surroundings distort momentarily before stabilizing. Momentster, he realized they were now outside the entrance to the ckrat Labyrinth. Though the sky was dark, the stalls in the area illuminated the surroundings, creating a lively atmosphere. Not long after, several figures began to appear outside thebyrinth. "What just happened?" one person asked. "I don''t know. I was fighting ckrats when the wholebyrinth suddenly started shaking," another responded. "Same here. We barely made it out. A massive piece of rubble nearly crushed us, but we managed to find an exit point in time," a third added. Various parties that had been inside thebyrinth were now emerging, all sharing simr tales of narrow escapes. Vincent scanned the area but couldn''t spot Vash or Grarik''s group. "They must have already left," he thought, just as Caelius approached him. "Are you looking for them?" Caelius asked. Vincent gave a curt nod. "They''ve gone. You can stop worrying," Caelius assured him. Despite the reassurance, Vincent remained cautious, unwilling to let his guard down. Who knew if they might be lying in wait? "Let''s go back," Caelius said. After some time, they reached the No. 3 Sanctuary. Following brief pleasantries, the group parted ways, agreeing to report to the Novice Center the next day on their own since Vincent wouldn''t be able to apany them. Tomorrow would be his final day in the Origin World, as his two-day limit as a Tier 1 Origin Warrior was nearing its end. Back at the Neer''s Lounge, Vincent extended his room reservation to avoid a repeat of his previous awkward encounter¡ªwhen he had materialized mid-rental, interrupting a couple engaged in... intimate activities. Once inside his room, Vincent prepared to cultivate while waiting for his remaining time in the Origin World to run out. Converting his remaining 200,000 experience points into purified energy, heid out several Origin Crystals around him. 1,000 experience points and 100 Origin Energy consumed. +1 Purified Energy. He repeated the process. 1,000 experience points and 100 Origin Energy consumed. +1 Purified Energy. By the time he was done, Vincent had converted 200 purified energy points, bringing his total to 1,350. A tugging force enveloped him, and within moments, digital lights surrounded his body, signaling his return to the real world. --- Vincent reappeared in his hotel room, the morning sunlight streaming through the windows. It was Thursday. Changing into casual clothes, he left his room and entered the living area, where he found his younger sister, Marina, and hisndlord, Amara, seated on the couch. Both stared nkly ahead as if they''d just woken up. Vincent smirked. "You two look so lifeless when I''m not around." His voice jolted them back to life, their eyes snapping to him simultaneously. Marina''s face lit up. "Brother! You''re back!" she eximed, springing forward to hug him. Vincent caught her with ease, ruffling her hair affectionately. "How''s my princess?" he asked, tapping her nose yfully. "I missed you so much, brother!" "You little rascal, I was only gone for a day. You probably just missed my cooking," he teased. "No!" Marina pulled back, pouting. "Well¡­ maybe a little. But I missed you, not just your food!" Vincent chuckled, messing up her hair again. "I''m kidding. Of course, I missed you too. Who knows what you''d do to my search history if I said otherwise." Marina''s expression darkened despite her innocent smile. "Are you saying something, brother?" Vincent shivered. Her aura in that moment was more menacing than the ckrat Primals he''d faced. "N-Nothing! Just talking to myself," he stammered. Turning his attention to Amara, who was lounging in her usual white tank top and shorts, he nodded. "I''m back." Amara offered a small smile before reverting to her usual indifferent expression. "Good. Now, make us breakfast and do theundry today." Vincent sighed butplied, heading to the kitchen. Soon, the enticing aroma of freshly prepared breakfast filled the air. Breakfast consisted of burrito bowls¡ªfluffy scrambled eggs nestled amidst a colorful array of vegetables and topped with tangy salsa. The intoxicating aroma had Marina and Amara practically drooling as they waited at the table. "Lil Vince, grab me a beer!" Amara ordered. "Brother, hot chocte for me!" Marina chimed in. Shaking his head with a wry smile, Vincent fetched a cold beer from the fridge for Amara and prepared a steaming mug of hot chocte for Marina. Once their drinks were served, the two eagerly dug into their meals. Amara took a hearty gulp of beer between bites. "Don''t you have work today, Sis Amara?" Vincent asked. Amara shot him an annoyed side nce. "Tch. Don''t worry about me. I can handle my job, even if I down a dozen beers." Vincent could only sigh, turning his gaze to Marina, who noticed his attention almost immediately. "What''s wrong, brother?" she asked through a mouthful of food.N?v(el)B\\jnn Vincent stayed silent for a moment, making her fidget under his scrutiny. Finally, she nced at Amara and caught on to his meaning. "You don''t need to worry, brother. I won''t be like Big Sis Amara," she said, grinning mischievously. Amara rolled her eyes and ignored the siblings, focusing on her meal. After breakfast, Vincent handled theundry, loading it into the washer-dryer before plopping down on the couch. As he scrolled through his phone, he came across several emails. Most were from his instructors and even the dean, inquiring about his well-being and avability. He decided to set those aside for now, focusing instead on messages from various guilds and organizations inviting him to join their ranks. There was no reply yet from Alex regarding the item he had sent for auction. Vincent frowned; he was counting on the proceeds to buy a new house for his family. After dealing with his emails, Vincent browsed the inte to check for news rted to the aftermath of the Academy''s Annual Ceremony. Unsurprisingly, there was no mention of him. With Sophie Iris''s authority and influence, it made sense that any information linking him to the event had been thoroughly suppressed. He suddenly remembered he hadn''t received any prizes from the academy or even checked his final ranking. Deciding to clear this up, he resolved to visit his school. "Marina, you have ss today, right?" he asked. She nodded. "Mmh, why?" "I''m heading to my school. Let''s go together," Vincent suggested. Her face lit up instantly. "Okay! Just give me a minute¡ªI''ll take a quick shower!" she eximed, rushing to her room. Left alone with Amara, Vincent turned to her. "Aren''t you heading to work?" Amara ignored the question, instead sitting upright and fixing him with a casual yet probing gaze. "How''s life over there? Are you doing anything dangerous?" Vincent immediately understood she was referring to his time in the Origin World. Smiling softly, he reassured her, "You don''t have to worry about me. I''m managing fine. And even if I do encounter danger, I still have the item you gave me." He was referring to the instant escape scroll Amara had gifted him. "By the way, where did you get it? Isn''t something like that really expensive?" At his question, Amara abruptly stood up. "Alright, I''m off to work. Don''t forget to finish theundry and get some rest," she said nonchntly, evading his inquiry as she retreated to her room. Vincent watched her leave, curiosity gnawing at him. Still, he chose not to press her. If she wanted to tell him, she would do so in her own time. Chapter 68 Meeting with Dean Thorne Vincent and Marina shared a hover cab, dropping her off at her school before heading to District 12''s No. 3 High School. When he arrived outside the school, Vincent paid the hover cab and stepped out. Almost instantly, he drew the attention of passing students. Whispers filled the air. "Isn''t that him?" "Who''s ''him''?" "The one who almost fought The Alpha¡­" "That''s Vincent Magnus!" someone eximed. Hearing the murmurs, Vincent furrowed his brows slightly. "It seems I''ve gained some fame after the Annual Ceremony," he mused with mild irritation. Though he had anticipated notoriety as part of the path he''d chosen, the reality of it annoyed him. Fame wasn''t something he craved. Vincent sought to grow as quietly as possible, even if he knew such anonymity was unrealistic. He had no choice but to adapt, as rising through the ranks of origin warriors would inevitably bring attention. As he walked to his ssroom, the crowd thickened. Among them, he noticed Lin Feng¡ªthe opponent he had defeated during the Primal Hunt stage of the Annual Ceremony. Vincent felt the sharpness of Lin Feng''s re but ignored it. He wasn''t one to shy away from trouble, but he never actively sought it. If trouble left him alone, he would leave it alone. Unsurprisingly, Lin Feng did nothing but continue ring until Vincent reached his ssroom. The moment he stepped inside, all eyes turned to him. "Vincent Magnus!" "He''s here?!" The exmations echoed through the room. Vincent scanned the ssroom but didn''t see Instructor Pen anywhere. Strangely, even Greg Malcolm, the ss bully, was absent. "Well, after what happened during the ceremony, he probably doesn''t have the guts to show up to school," Vincent thought. Just as he was about to leave and head directly to Dean Thorne''s office, a familiar voice called out to him. "W-Wait!" He instantly recognized the owner of the voice. Turning around, he saw his ssmate, udia Blonde. Her usual twin-tailed hairstyle was loose today, her blonde hair flowing freely. Her tannedplexion glowed faintly, and her cheeks were tinged with a subtle blush. "Miss Blonde, what''s wrong?" Vincent asked, his stoic expression softening into a faint smile. udia blinked, startled by his formal address. "Miss Blonde¡­" she murmured, then quickly shook her head. "Don''t call me that. Just call me udia." Vincent didn''t respond to her request, maintaining his faint smile. Seeing no reaction from him, udia''s disappointment was evident. She hesitated but finally mustered her courage. "Do you remember the promise you madest time?" she asked. Vincent tilted his head slightly, confused. "Promise?" udia frowned, realizing he had forgotten. "Yes, you promised to walk with me after school." At her reminder, the memory resurfaced. He had agreed to her invitation back then to annoy Greg Malcolm. The promise, however, hadpletely slipped his mind. "I see¡­ My apologies, Miss Blonde," Vincent said, scratching the back of his head. "I''ve been very busy with matters rted to the Origin World." "udia," she corrected him, her voice quieter now. Vincent gave a small nod. "udia." "Are you free after ss, then?" she asked hopefully. Vincent paused for a moment, considering. "I''m sorry, but I''m not free today. I''ll let you know when I have time. For now, I need to head to a meeting with the dean." Before she could respond, he turned and walked away, leaving udia standing there, stunned. "Did he just reject me?" she murmured, watching his retreating figure. Vincent, naturally, didn''t hear her words. Even if he had, rtionships were far from his priorities. His primary focus was growing stronger and uncovering any clues about his parents'' whereabouts. For now, though, his goal was to visit Dean Thorne and collect his rewards. While unsure of his ranking, he knew he''d earned a top-10 cement and was curious about the dean''s request to meet.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Standing before Dean Thorne''s office, Vincent could sense two presences inside, even without using his Heaven Eyes. He hesitated, wondering whether to wait until the other person left, when Dean Thorne''s voice rang out. "Come in." Themand caught Vincent off guard, but he quickly realized that with the dean''s strength, it was only natural he''d sense his presence. Opening the door, Vincent saw Dean Augustus Thorne¡ªa white-haired, amicable-looking old man¡ªsitting calmly at his desk. Vincent nodded respectfully before ncing at the other person in the room. It was a man with long ck hair, parted down the middle and falling to his shoulders. He wore elegant ck attire and had a stern expression, his eyes closed as if lost in thought. Dean Thorne gestured for Vincent to sit on the opposite chair. As soon as Vincent was seated, the dean spoke. "How have you been, student Magnus?" "I''ve been doing well, Dean. Thank you for asking," Vincent replied, rising to his feet and bowing respectfully. "And thank you for protecting mest time." He referred to the incident involving The Alpha, Arnold Mazels. Dean Thorne waved his hand dismissively. "Think nothing of it. You''re a student of my school. It''s my responsibility to protect you." Vincent''s respect for the dean deepened at his words. Though he harbored some doubts about the man''s true intentions, he remained genuinely grateful. Once seated again, Vincent asked curiously, "May I ask why you wanted to meet me?" The dean smiled. "You left the Annual Ceremony early, so you missed your rewards. I wanted to personally give them to you and introduce you to someone." Dean Thorne gestured toward the man in ck, who had remained silent. "This gentleman here is Arthur Aviss. He will be your special instructor for the uing school district tournament." Vincent''s eyes narrowed slightly at the mention of the tournament, confusion shing across his face. "What tournament, Dean? I''ve never heard of it." "You didn''t read my email?" the dean asked, raising an eyebrow. "I read it," Vincent replied. "But there was no mention of a tournament." Dean Thorne frowned thoughtfully. "Really? I could''ve sworn I included it." After a brief pause, he waved a hand dismissively. "No matter. I''ll exin now." He leaned back in his chair. "The School District Tournament is a battlepetition between the high schools of Districts 7 through 12. Initially, we nned for Elric Baelius to represent our school, but he''s unavable. In his absence, we''ve chosen you as our representative. In exchange, the rewards he got from the annual battle ceremony will be given to you." Vincent was speechless. "Can''t I just hand over my rewards and let someone else do it?" Honestly, he really did not care about the tournament. It would hinder his growth speed. He would better farm experience points rather than attend tournaments. Dean could only wryly smile at him. "Unfortunately, everyone else is either injured or recovering. You''re ourst hope." "But¡ª" Before Vincent could protest further, the dean clutched his back dramatically. "Ah, my back! Arnold hit me so hard when I was protecting someone who vanished without a word¡­" Vincent sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "So, I''m being ckmailed." Reluctantly, he gave in. "Fine. When does it start?" "Next weekend," the dean said with a smile. "You have just over a week to prepare." Chapter 69 Behind the Wall "You have just over a week to prepare." Upon hearing this, Vincent furrowed his brow but quickly rxed it, realizing there was no point in worrying about something that had yet to happen. If he only had just over a week to prepare, so be it. He then inquired about what he needed to do next. "What should I do now?" "All you need to do is listen and follow the guidance of your special instructor. But before that..." Dean Thorne gently waved his hand and held out a leather pouch. However, it wasn''t an ordinary pouch¡ªit was a storage pouch, a spatial storage item with very limited space. It had a smaller capacity than his current storage ring. Vincent epted it calmly, though he was curious about its contents. Dean Thorne continued, "The rewards from the recent Annual Battle Ceremony are inside. You can check them yourself." "Thank you," Vincent replied. "Don''t mention it. Everything in that pouch is rightfully yours." Vincent didn''t check it immediately, opting instead to store it in his storage ring. "Well, there''s no time to waste. Sir Arthur, I leave my student in your care." The moment Dean Thorne addressed the silent gentleman, he opened his previously shut eyes, nodded meaningfully, and stood. Vincent also stood, ncing curiously at the mysterious instructor. Dean Thorne then spoke again, grabbing Vincent''s attention. "Student Magnus, I trust you will respect and follow Sir Arthur''s guidance." Vincent nodded firmly, assuring the dean, which made the kind old man smile. "Good. Now go and follow your instructor." Sir Arthur immediately left without a word, giving the dean one final nod. After bowing to the dean, Vincent quickly followed. He trailed in silence, wondering about the mysterious instructor''s background. "Where are we going?" he thought but refrained from asking. Just one nce told him that his instructor wasn''t a talkative person. Therefore, he resolved not to initiate any conversation unless spoken to. After a while, they arrived at the campus parking area. Vincent was curious about their purpose here until Instructor Arthur approached a nearby cerulean hover car, opened it, and got inside. The passenger seat''s door then opened, and a clear, melodic voice followed: "Hop in!" Vincent''s eyebrows rose slightly as he stared at Instructor Arthur''s stern expression. He was inwardly stunned¡ªArthur''s voice was entirely different from what he''d expected. The instructor had a stern face and amanding demeanor, but his voice was almost feminine. Instructor Arthur furrowed his brows. "What are you doing? Get in the car!" Shaking off his thoughts, Vincent got into the hover car. Once the door closed, Instructor Arthur immediately drove off. As they traveled, the surroundings blurred, and Vincent watched in silence for almost thirty minutes, still wondering about their destination. Before long, a towering iron wall loomed in the distance.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om It was the wall of District 12. Behind ity the wild region, where primal beasts still roamed freely. From the direction they were heading, Vincent became almost certain they were going outside the district. After a brief inspection, they exited the district, and Vincent finally saw whaty beyond the iron wall. It resembled an abandoned civilization engulfed by wilderness. This was his first time venturing beyond the district walls, and the sight felt strange. Even though it was just the outskirts of District 12, he was already surprised. His curiosity about the world beyond the Bronzehaven Arc grew even stronger. After a while, Sir Arthur drove into an abandoned building, parked in a hidden spot, and stepped out of the hover car. Vincent followed silently. They walked into a nearby forest and stopped by a clear, vibrant stream. The early morning light made the surroundings glow with life. Arthur finally turned to face him. "Let me officially introduce myself. I am Arthur Aviss, and you will be my student for just over a week. Let me remind you now¡ªif you don''t intend to follow my orders, you''d better find another instructor." Vincent met his stern gaze and replied, "I''m willing to listen, but may I know why we''re here?" Arthur''s expression remained unyielding as he answered, "Starting today, you will train here until the District Tournament." Vincent frowned at this. He wondered if he could still visit the origin world during his training. He also hadn''t informed his younger sisters, Marina and Amara, since he hadn''t anticipated this situation. It seemed Arthur noticed his reaction. "I''ll let you inform your family first about your situation. In the meantime, stay here. I need to check something." Without waiting for a response, Arthur left. Vincent was dumbfounded. "My special instructor is truly a man of few words," he thought wryly. Taking out his phone, he quickly informed Amara and Marina of his situation. He didn''t wait for their replies, knowing they were likely busy. "Ha¡­ just what kind of training requires us to be outside the wall?" he muttered to himself. With nothing else to do, he retrieved the storage pouch from Dean Thorne and began inspecting its contents. Inside, he found several items: A green book with a sword engraved on the cover. A green orb. Three vials containing green liquid. 1,000 origin crystals. A ck card. Setting the origin crystals aside, he inspected each item. First, he stored the crystals and picked up the ck card. "A bank card?" he wondered before storing it, as he had no way to check the bnce. Next, he examined the potions. Item Name: Experience Potion (Tier 1) Grade: Low Quality Details: A low-quality experience potion created by a low-tier alchemist. Effects: +1,000 experience points. "What? An experience potion?!" he eximed in surprise. This was the first time he''d heard of such a thing. He hadn''t imagined someone could actually create an experience potion. Realization dawned on him. "So this is one of the reasons children from wealthy families level up so quickly!" He finally understood. He had initially assumed they were being boosted by high-tier warriors. "So, items like this exist..." "If this kind of potion is possible, there must be magical items or other tools that can rapidly increase someone''s level as well." He stored the potions and examined the green book next. Item Name: Moonlight Sword Manual (Tier 2) Type: Skill Book Grade: Umon Prerequisite: Tier 2 "This must be the reward for ranking first," he thought. It wasn''t surprising, as he had anticipated it. Even so, he was pleased to receive it, though he couldn''t learn it just yet. Lastly, he inspected the green orb, which transformed into an old piece of paper with a map drawn on it. Item Name: Hidden Crystal Map Shard Grade: Umon Details: A fragment of the Hidden Crystal Map. Combine it with three other pieces toplete the map. Vincent frowned. "This is useless. Why would the dean think this item would help me?" he wondered, storing it away. Suddenly, a rustling sound behind him caught his attention. Before he could activate his Heaven Eyes, a ck figure lunged at him. Chapter 70 Training Begins A sudden rustling sound behind him caught Vincent''s attention. Before he could activate his Heaven Eyes, a ck figure lunged at him. Reacting instinctively, Vincent sidestepped, causing the ck figure to miss and crash into a nearby tree trunk. The impact made the tree tremble, dislodging several leaves that drifted to the ground. The ck figure became stuck on the trunk, letting out squeals as it struggled in vain to free itself. Vincent recognized it instantly by its appearance It was a Mad Horned Rabbit¡ªtwice the size of a normal rabbit and known for its aggressive nature. Although it was merely a Tier 1 (1-star) primal, it had somehow managed to hide its presence from him. With a casual movement, Vincent grabbed the rabbit by its neck, snapped its horn, and stabbed it through the heart, killing it in a single strike. Despite their excellent sneaking abilities, Mad Horned Rabbits were generally weak. Unlike in the Origin World, where creatures disappeared into particles of light upon death, this one remained intact. Not wanting to leave blood that might attract others, Vincent carried the carcass to a nearby stream to wash it clean. Who knows how many more of them might be lurking around? After amateurishly removing its pelt and cleaning it, he stored the rabbit in his storage ring. With that done, he exhaled calmly, feeling oddly rxed¡ªas if he were on a camping trip. "I guess it''s natural. Back on Earth, I never took a vacation...always juggling multiple jobs," he mused, smiling wryly at the memory of his old life. Suddenly, a sharp presence appeared behind him, and he froze as something cold and metallic pressed against his neck.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om It took him only a moment to realize who it was, and his initial shock faded into a frown. "Special Instructor," he muttered softly. "Lesson number one: never let your guard down in any situation," Instructor Arthur said firmly. Vincent remained still until Arthur withdrew the weapon. Once it was gone, he turned to face him with a sheepish smile, scratching the back of his head. "I apologize, Special Instructor. It won''t happen again," Vincent said earnestly, though the truth was he had sensed Arthur''s presence earlier. He had merely chosen to feign rxation, curious about the instructor''s intentions. Despite this, he was inwardly impressed by Arthur''s speed. Even with Heaven Eyes, he couldn''t gauge his level¡ªit could only mean one thing: Arthur was above Tier 3. Unaware of Vincent''s deception, Arthur maintained his usual stern expression and melodic tone. "In real life, there''s no ''next time.'' No time-outs. Once you die, that''s it," he said before pocketing the knife into a sheath strapped to his leg. Arthur nced at the tree where the Mad Horned Rabbit had been stuck earlier. "You''ve awakened a C-rank Talent: Origin Power Enhancement, haven''t you?" he asked. Vincent nodded. "Tell me¡ªhow do you usually use your talent? What effects does it have, and are there any side effects?" Though puzzled by the question, Vincent respectfully replied, "I usually use it in battle to increase my strength or speed by 30%. As for side effects, I haven''t noticed any yet." "It just means you haven''t faced a deadly situation," Arthur said bluntly. "It''s good to know your limits and avoid fighting stronger opponents. But that mindset has its consequences," he continued. "What would you do if you encountered someone vastly stronger than yourself? If you exhausted all your methods to flee, what then?" Vincent was at a loss for words. Arthur''s point hit home¡ªhis cautious mindset often kept him in hisfort zone. Noticing Vincent''s silence, Arthur stepped closer and swiftly tapped his shoulders, forehead, and abdomen in quick session. Suddenly, Vincent felt as though he had returned to Earth''s gravity¡ªhis body felt much heavier. He quickly realized that his origin energy was no longer essible. "He blocked my origin energy!" Vincent thought, stunned. Arthur confirmed his suspicion. "I sealed your origin energy at its core." Vincent didn''t protest. He understood the purpose behind the action. "It''s for training," he thought¡ªArthur voiced the same sentiment aloud, to which Vincent simply nodded. "From now until sunset, I want you to bring me 1,000 Mad Horned Rabbits. You''re not allowed to use potions to recover health or stamina," Arthur dered. Vincent was about to nod when Arthur added, "And you must bring them alive." "What?! I''m already not allowed to use origin energy, potions, or even items from my storage ring. Now he expects me to bring them alive?" Vincent thought incredulously. "And in exchange," Arthur continued, "I''ll let you use your talent." Wait¡ªuse his talent without origin energy? But his talent enhanced origin energy usage. What did Arthur mean? Though confused, Vincent had no choice but to agree. "If you bring even one less than 1,000 rabbits, you''ll fail. As for the punishment..." Arthur trailed off, refusing to borate. Grinding his teeth, Vincent rushed into the forest, grabbing thick vines and a sturdy stick along the way to prepare for capturing the rabbits. After some time, he encountered his first two targets. Hiding behind a bush, he observed the rabbits hopping around and grazing. "This would be so much easier if I could use stealth," he thought, though he quickly dismissed the notion. Finally, he burst out of the bush, grabbing the nearest rabbit by its horn. It tried to flee, but Vincent, with strength five times that of a normal human, quickly subdued it. He snapped its horn, tied its limbs, and secured it to his stick using the vines. The rabbit squealed in agony. "Alive doesn''t mean unharmed," Vincent muttered with a smirk before turning his attention to the second rabbit, which now stood alert, its ears upright. Instead of fleeing, it squealed ferociously and lunged at him. Vincent swatted it aside, sending it rolling across the ground. Injured and limping, the rabbit hesitated before eventually fleeing. "Run back to your nest," Vincent thought as he silently followed it deeper into the forest. Chapter 71 Am I A Masochist? After tracking the limping Mad Horned Rabbit for what felt like an eternity, Vincent finally spotted their warren. It sprawled at the base of a small hill, with several burrow entrances dotting the slope. His eyes narrowed as he studied the scene. Near one of the holes, a group of Mad Horned Rabbits was dragging a lifeless fawn. "This really is a different world¡­" he muttered, staring at the carnivorous rabbits in disbelief. Despite their differences, the Mad Horned Rabbits shared a few traits with their Earthly counterparts: they were nocturnal, sluggish under sunlight, and territorial. But they also feared the unknown. Vincent knew his actions would need to be swift and precise to avoid startling them¡ªone wrong move, and they might escape. He nced down at the Mad Horned Rabbit tied to the stick he carried. The creature wriggled with a ferocity that would''ve been impressive if it weren''t so pathetic. Its squeals were muffled by a gag he''d fashioned earlier. "Look, buddy," Vincent said, setting the stick down in a bush, "it''s not personal. You''re just the unlucky star of tonight''s show." Satisfied with his hiding spot, he scanned the area for anything useful. His hands itched to dive into his storage for tools, but the rules of his current situation forbade it. After several minutes of searching, Vincent stumbled upon a clearing that seemed ripped from a painting. A field of vibrant flowers stretched out before him, their colors glowing softly in the sunlight. For a moment, he forgot the grim task ahead. "It''s¡­ pretty," he muttered without thinking. The sight reminded him of his younger sister, Marina, who, despite her otaku tendencies, had always adored flowers and beautifulndscapes. "She''d love this," he thought, snapping a quick photo with his phone. A tri-colored beended on a purple flower just as he clicked the picture. "Flower Bee," he muttered, instantly recognizing the creature. Known for their vibrant colors and passive nature, Flower Bees were usually harmless¡ªunless you disturbed their queen. Then they''d chase you with the determination of a caffeine-fueled Karen. As the thought struck him, a dangerous grin spread across Vincent''s face. "I might be crazy," he muttered, "but this just might work." A momentter he reached a massive tree. The Flower Bees'' hive was embedded in the trunk of a massive tree, its branches sprawling out like the arms of a giant. Vincent craned his neck to take in its full height. "Of course it''s enormous," he sighed. "Why can''t anything in this world be normal-sized? Just once, I''d like to see something I can punch without needing a stepdder." Despite his grumbling, he couldn''t deny the opportunity was perfect. He watched the bees buzzing in and out of a hole near the middle of the trunk, waiting for a lull in their activity. When the coast was clear, Vincent began his ascent, muttering as he climbed. "If anyone''s watching this, I swear I''m not insane. Just... resourceful." The climb was grueling, but he finally reached the hive. Inside, rows of honebs gleamed in the dim light, arranged so neatly they looked like the work of a perfectionist librarian. Vincent didn''t linger. His senses, sharpened even without origin energy, quickly located the queen. She stood out immediately¡ªarger, multicolored bee that exuded an aura of authority. "Found you," Vincent whispered, his grin widening. Flower Bee Queen, Tier 1 (3¡ï) Even without using his Heaven Eyes, the queen''s aura made its level clear. While Astralis primals were generally weaker than those on the Origin World, he knew better than to underestimate her. Before the queen could react, Vincent grabbed her, ignoring her furious buzzing and swift attempts to sting him. He yanked out her stinger, effectively disarming her. "Sorry, Your Majesty. Can''t have you poking holes in my ns." The hive erupted in chaos. Worker bees swarmed toward him, their buzzing like the roar of an angry mob. Vincent wasted no time, leaping from the hive with the queen firmly in hand. "Hehe, that''s right! Follow me, you little maniacs!" he thought, sprinting back toward the warren. The n unfolded perfectly. As Vincent approached the Mad Horned Rabbits'' territory, the swarm of Flower Bees followed, their furyser-focused on recovering their queen. When he reached the warren, Vincent hurled the injured queen into one of the burrow entrances. The bees, as expected, swarmed inside without a second thought. "Time for Act Two," Vincent muttered, grinning as he grabbed the rocks he''d prepared earlier. He sealed most of the entrances, leaving only one open as an escape route. The first Mad Horned Rabbit burst out of the hole, its body riddled with stingers. Vincent moved quickly, disabling it with a sharp jab to its limbs. "Sorry, buddy. You''re not going anywhere." More rabbits followed, each one panicked and disoriented. Vincent worked methodically, crippling them one by one. "499¡­ and 500," he counted, finally stabbing thest rabbit''s limb to immobilize it. His muscles ached, and his stomach growled loudly in protest. Vincent nced at the growing pile of captives beside him. "I wonder what they taste like¡­" he muttered absently, but his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of retreating bees. He watched as they dragged their injured queen away, buzzing furiously. Just as he rxed, a loud squeal pierced the air. Emerging from the warren was a massive red-skinned rabbit with two horns. "Well, that''s new," Vincent thought, frowning. The creature''s size and demeanor marked it as a leader¡ªor perhaps the "big boss" of the warren. The Red-Skinned Mad Horned Rabbit squealed angrily at the carnage, scanning its surroundings. It didn''t take long for it to notice the mountain of its fallen kin.N?v(el)B\\jnn Seizing the moment, Vincent charged from the bushes, wielding two horn-shaped weapons. But just as he was about to strike, the rabbit''s ears twitched, and it spun to deflect his attack with a powerful kick. "Fast!" Vincent muttered, backflipping to create distance. The creature''s sharp ws glowed crimson, and it lunged at him with rming speed. sh! The rabbit''s ws sliced through his weapons, leaving a small cut on his arm. Vincent retreated, inspecting the wound. "This¡­ is the first time I''ve been injured sinceing to this world," he thought, his lips curving into a smile. He should''ve been angry. Instead, he felt energized. "Am I enjoying this?" he wondered,ughing softly. "Wait¡­ am I a masochist?" The rabbit red at him, its crimson ws gleaming dangerously. "Well," Vincent muttered, raising his fists. "Let''s find out." Chapter 72 New Method "Let''s see if I am a masochist or battle maniac!" With that thought in his mind, he took a fighting stance, raising his fist. The Red-Skinned Mad Horned Rabbit''s ws were still dangerously glowing with crimson light, a menacing reminder of its lethal capabilities. Its expression was still painted with killing intent, a bloodthirsty aura emanating from its small but deadly form. It clearly had no intention of letting him go. Therefore, upon seeing him disregarding his injuries and even smiling, it was infuriated. With glinting eyes, it pounced at him with the same speed as before, a blur of red and shadow. Compared to his initial surprise, there were no changes in his expression¡ªhe just kept his grin, unwavering as though mocking the creature''s effort. And just as its ws were about to sh at him, he finally made his move. The moment it shed its ws, he took a single step backward, making its strike miss his chest by mere inches. "I''ll be stupid if I get hit by the same strike again," he thought, a flicker of amusement shing in his eyes. He then threw a heavy punch straight at the head of the Red-Skinned Mad Horned Rabbit, which was still in mid-air. It could not dodge, even if it wanted to. While it possessed astonishing speed, without its feet on the ground, that advantage was nullified. Hence, his punchnded directly on its face, making it squeal in pain as its small body was sted against a nearby tree before smacking down onto the ground with a soft thud. It stood back on its feet almost immediately, a testament to its resilience. However, its right eye was already bleeding profusely. The damage was severe, and it was natural¡ªVincent''s current physique was powerful enough to explode the head of an average human with such a strike. The Red-Skinned Mad Horned Rabbit touched the blood dripping from its wounded eye, staring at its paw for a brief moment before ring at him. Squeal! The sharp, enraged sound rang out like a curse. "Sorry, bro, but I don''t speak aliennguage!" he quipped with a much wider smile, the provocation in his tone deliberate. With his response, the squealing sound of the creature turned almost into a growl. Its entire body vibrated with rage, and its killing intent intensified further, suffocating the air around them. It lowered its head, the tips of its horns catching a sinister glow, before its figure suddenly blurred and vanished from sight. Whoosh! Vincent did not flinch despite the sudden disappearance. His grin remained, though his eyes carefully scanned his surroundings, his instincts sharp. Suddenly, he felt a presence behind him. Without hesitation, he spun around, crossing his arms in time to block. Bang! The impact was powerful enough to force him a half-step backward. The Red-Skinned Mad Horned Rabbit''s feet had struck his arms with forceparable to a sledgehammer. "Haha, that''s right! Give me your everything!" Vincentughed, his voice wild with excitement. Quickly regaining his bnce, he stepped forward andunched a counterpunch. However, his strike met nothing but an afterimage as the creature disappeared again. He immediately sensed its presence reappearing behind him. This time, instead of blocking, he ducked his head smoothly, avoiding its iing kick by a hair''s breadth. While it was still in mid-air, he spun on his heel, channeling all his momentum into a roundhouse kick. As he did, he instinctively thought of activating his C-rank Talent: Origin Power Enhancement. For a brief moment, he felt a surge of energy from his origin core. But just as quickly, it was blocked, the flow ceasing abruptly. The interruption caused his kick to falter for a second¡ªjust enough time for the Red-Skinned Mad Horned Rabbit to vanish once more, its movements like a ghost flitting through shadows. When it reappeared several meters away, its crimson ws glowed even brighter, and now, its horns began to crackle with an ominous electric light. Crackling~ Soon, an electrifying crimson orb materialized between its horns.N?v(el)B\\jnn With a sharp squeal, the orb shot toward him at a terrifying speed. Vincent did not hesitate. He dove to the side, narrowly avoiding the projectile. Boom! The explosion that followed sent shockwaves through the area, splintering a tree into burning fragments. "Damn! That looks kinda painful if it hits me," Vincent muttered, his eyes darting to the smoldering wreckage before shifting back to the furious creature. The Red-Skinned Mad Horned Rabbit was undeterred. Despite having just unleashed a devastating attack, it was already charging another orb. "Oi, oi. Calm down!" Vincent called out, though he knew his words were meaningless to the creature. Another crimson orb hurtled toward him, faster this time. Boom! The st sent Vincent flying back, though the projectile itself had missed him. He skidded across the ground, dirt and debris flying in his wake. And with this strike, he finally assessed its level. Tier 1 (5¡ï). "Hoh, so this was his n all along," he thought, pieces of the puzzle clicking together. He recalled Special Instructor Arthur''s cryptic behavior: leaving him here, demanding he collect 1,000 Mad Horned Rabbits despite having already captured 500 in the warren, and allowing him to use his Origin Power Enhancement Talent. "I have to defeat this guy without using origin energy¡­" The realization made him frown. What was Arthur trying to prove? Was there really a way to use Origin Power Enhancement without relying on origin energy? Or was this some twisted test? There was no time to dwell. The Red-Skinned Mad Horned Rabbit resumed its relentless assault, unleashing another electrifying orb. "There''s no other choice. I have to get closer andnd a decisive strike to defeat it," Vincent resolved, determination shing in his eyes. Dodging the crimson orbs with precise movements, he surged forward, closing the distance between them. Boom! Boom! Each explosion grew closer, singeing the air around him as he weaved through the barrage. Finally, he reached a pile of immobilized Mad Horned Rabbits, grabbing a pair of broken horns from the ground. The boss creature paused, its crimson glow dimming slightly as it hesitated. Vincent grinned. "Hoh¡­ you beasts actually havepassion?" Without shame, he grabbed one of the crippled Mad Horned Rabbits by its ears, holding it up like a shield. "Why don''t you attack me now, huh? Another crimson ball, maybe?" he taunted, poking at the smaller rabbit''s face. The Red-Skinned Mad Horned Rabbit narrowed its eyes, its hesitation clear. But after a moment, it let out a sharp squeal andunched another electrifying orb. Vincent''s eyes widened. "Oi, oi! Where was yourpassion?!" The crimson orb struck his makeshift shield with deadly force. Boom! The smaller rabbit disintegrated instantly, leaving only smoke and charred remains. "Damn it! If I''m short one rabbit, I''ll barbecue you forpensation!" Vincent snarled, his irritation masking the satisfaction of surviving. Realizing he needed to act fast, he tried activating his talent again¡ªthis time focusing solely on his physical body. To his astonishment, he felt a surge of strength course through his arms. "It worked?!" But the sensation was fleeting, fading as quickly as it came. Worse, he felt his hunger intensify, his stomach growling audibly. "It''s draining my stamina¡­" The realization hit him like a thunderbolt. Using Origin Power Enhancement without origin energy came at the cost of his physical endurance. The Red-Skinned Mad Horned Rabbit gave him no time to rest, disappearing from view once more. Sensing its presence above, Vincent reacted instinctively. "He''s above!" With a reflex born of desperation, he activated the enhanced strength in his legs, blurring out of the crimson orb''s path just in time. Boom! The ground where he had stood erupted in a fiery st, but Vincent was already preparing his counterattack. Chapter 73 End of 1st Day of Training Boom! The ground where he had stood exploded in a fiery st, but Vincent was already poised to strike back. The Red-Skinned Mad Horned Rabbit, afterunching that crimson ball, finally showed signs of exhaustion. It had been relentlessly hurling skills. With its energy waning, it staggered and dropped to the ground. In that instant, despite his own fatigue and gnawing hunger, Vincent forced his legs to brace and pushed himself forward. Breathing raggedly, the crimson beast raised its sharp ws in a desperate attempt to block him. Puchi! Vincent''s weapon pierced its abdomen. Just as its ws were about to sh him, his figure blurred and reappeared behind it. The creature barely turned halfway before he drove the remaining horn into the back of its head. It froze, then copsed lifelessly onto the ground. The system notification rang: You have sessfully killed an Infernal Horned Hare Tier 1 (5¡ï)! +50 Experience Points earned! Talent Activated! +500,000 Experience Points! The confirmation of its death gave Vincent a fleeting sense of relief before his body gave out, and he fell onto his back, legs cramping painfully. "Ugh¡­" Even with his enhanced physique, using his talent took a severe toll. He needed to rest before the pain subsided. The sun zed high in the sky, making his aching body feel the midday heat more acutely. Growl~ His stomach''s protest reminded him of the Hare''s corpse lying nearby. "This has to be the hardest I''ve fought just to kill one beast¡­" he muttered, realizing how much he''d struggled. Things had been rtively smooth for him up until now. Yet instead of frustration, a grin spread across his face. He liked the thrill of struggle, the fight for survival. Still, his pragmatic side remained. If a task could be done with less risk, why gamble his life? "Now, the question is... how do I get these Mad Horned Rabbits to him?" After pondering, he managed to haul the Mad Horned Rabbits and the Infernal Hare''s corpse back to the stream. Exhausted, he copsed beside the pile. At the edge of his vision, he noticed someone approaching. Looking up, he saw the stern face of his Special Instructor, Arthur Aviss. "Your parcel, sir¡­" Vincent said with a strained grin before his vision faded to ck. Arthur stood silently, his eyes shifting between the unconscious Vincent and the pile of crippled rabbits alongside the Hare''s corpse. No one knew what he was thinking. After a moment, he carried Vincent to the shade of nearby trees and left him to rest. Several hourster, Vincent stirred awake, the sky above painted in shades of crimson and amber. The sun had already set. Realizing the time, he shot to his feet, only for pain tonce through his legs. "Ugh!" He groaned, clutching at his limbs. Arthur''s cold yet melodic voice broke the silence. "You''re awake¡­" Vincent turned to see his instructor approaching, holding a stick of barbecued meat. His stomach growled loudly at the sight. Arthur wordlessly tossed the skewer toward him. Vincent caught it instinctively, momentarily forgetting the pain in his hands. "Ah! H-hot!" He yelped, hurriedly blowing on his palms and the steaming barbecue. After some effort, he took a bite, the savory juices flooding his mouth with intense vor. Warm energy coursed through him, slightly alleviating his fatigue. His eyes sparkled as he eximed, "Delicious!" It was his first taste of primal beast meat, and its effect was unexpectedly rejuvenating. Arthur, seated by the campfire, asked without looking at him, "How is it?" Vincent blinked and replied, "It''s amazing!" Arthur nced over his shoulder briefly. "I wasn''t asking about that," he muttered before returning his attention to the fire. "Forget it."N?v(el)B\\jnn Confused, Vincent finished the barbecue quickly. Without turning, Arthur tossed him another stick, which he caught with a grin. "Thanks, Instructor!" The second serving left him full and energized, though his legs still felt unsteady. Arthur stood, gazing up at the star-strewn sky. "Done eating?" "Yes, Instructor." "Good. Then it''s time for your punishment." Vincent''s smile froze, confusion quickly giving way to frustration. "Why? Didn''t I deliver 500 Mad Horned Rabbits and their leader''s corpse?" Arthur''s expression remained neutral as he lowered his gaze. "What did I ask you to bring?" "A thousand Mad Horned Rabbits," Vincent replied, exasperated. "But there weren''t that many! Only around 500!" Arthur smirked. "Not my problem. I said a thousand. You should''ve found a way." Vincent furrowed his brow, unsure if Arthur had deliberately set him up. Before he could argue, Arthur''s voice cut through his thoughts. "For the rest of the night, you''ll use your talent until you can''t move a finger." His heart sank. "Is he trying to kill me?" Vincent thought but wisely kept silent, ring at Arthur with narrowed eyes. Arthur noticed. "Why? Want me to increase the difficulty?" Vincent quickly forced a smile. "N-no, Instructor! I think your idea is perfect! Let''s do it!" He struggled to his feet, ignoring the pain. Recalling his earlier battle, he decided to start by activating his talent in his right arm. To his surprise, strength surged through both arms instead. "What? I only meant to enhance my right arm¡­" he muttered, confused. He tried again, focusing intently on isting the effect. But once more, both arms were enhanced. "What am I doing wrong?" Arthur, watching closely, noticed his hesitation. "What''s the issue?" Vincent exined his confusion briefly. Arthur was silent for a moment, then replied, "I see. Instead of wasting time standing there like an idiot, give me ten sets of 100 pushups. Use your talent on both arms." Vincent''s frustration spiked. "Why does asking a question result in punishment?" But he dared notin aloud. He dropped into position, activated his talent, and began. With enhanced arms, hepleted the first set swiftly. "First set done!" Vincent announced. "Second set!" "399¡­ 400! Fourth set!" "999¡­ 1,000!" By the time he finished, sweat drenched him, and his arms throbbed with fatigue. Arthur''s voice interrupted the brief silence. "Now, ten sets of the school''s basicbat routine. Every movement must be precise. One mistake equals another set." Vincent wanted to groan but immediately began the routine, his body moving mechanically despite his exhaustion. The drills stretchedte into the night, his energy reserves dwindling. Finally, his body gave out, and he copsed, consciousness fading once more. Arthur stared at him for a long moment, the flickering firelight casting shadows across his face. With a slight shake of his head, he muttered, "Still too soft." The silent forest bore witness as the stars wheeled above, marking the end of Vincent''s grueling first day of training. Chapter 74 Valyn The next day. Morning. Vincent woke up, his entire body aching in pain, especially his arms. He could see them, but he couldn''t feel them¡ªno strength left to lift them. He let out a tired sigh, which didn''t go unnoticed by the already wide-awake Instructor Arthur. "You just woke up and you''re already tired? Wanna quit?" Vincent didn''t react to the taunt. He was getting ustomed to his instructor''s demeanor. "He''s heartless... this guy''s pure evil..." Of course, he only dared to think about it. Saying it aloud? Who knew what kind of twisted punishment Arthur might devise? While entertaining such thoughts, Arthur approached him. "Don''t tell me he can hear my thoughts?" Vincent thought, instinctively retreating¡ªonly to back into a tree. "I-Instructor?" he stammered. Arthur ignored his words. Before Vincent could react, the instructor''s fingers moved with precision, tapping his forehead, shoulders, and abdomen in swift session. What followed was a surge of Origin Energy coursing through his entire body, forcing him to let out a soft groan. Arthur had lifted the seal on his energy. "Take a quick breakfast and replenish your stamina." Vincent, though full of questions, chose not to ask. Instead, he grabbed the same meal he''d had the night before by the campfire. Afterward, he downed a recovery potion in one gulp. Once finished, Instructor Arthur, who had been resting in the shade of a tree, opened his eyes and asked, "Which Sanctuary are you in right now?" Vincent, curious about the question, still answered truthfully. "I''m currently in No. 3 Novice Sanctuary." The usually stoic instructor frowned for a second before his expression reverted to neutrality.. "I see. For your next training, I''ll assign someone for you to meet in the Origin World." Vincent didn''t question him. He''d wondered if he''d be allowed to return to the Origin World. It would be foolish to waste such an advantage. He quickly realized why Arthur decided to continue his training there. "Now, go. She''ll meet you at the north entrance of your sanctuary." She? A girl? Curious but unwilling to pry, Vincent saluted respectfully. "Alright, Instructor. I''m going then." His surroundings blurred for a brief moment before he arrived in his rented room at the Neer''s Lounge. First, he donned his Shifting Visage mask before heading downstairs. With no interest in inquiries today, he walked straight to the north entrance to wait for her. After some time, he noticed someone approaching from a distance. Despite the mask concealing her features, her figure made it clear she was a woman. As she neared, her attire became visible¡ªlight armor beneath a tight pink robe. Her long jet-ck hair was tied in a ponytail, and a pink fox mask covered her face. "She''s strong¡­" he thought, sensing the pressure she emitted unconsciously. "Excuse me, but are you Student Magnus?" she asked, her voice soft and slightly high-pitched. Vincent nodded. Since she was sent by his special instructor, there was no need to hide his identity. Keeping his alias secret outside the Origin World was more important. "I''m Valyn," she introduced herself. "You can call me Big Sis Valyn. I''m already 21, after all!" Her ample chest jiggled slightly as she spoke energetically. Vincent couldn''t help but nce before shifting his focus back to her face. Though much older in soul and mind, heplied with her wishes. "Okay, Big Sis Valyn." Her bright, lively jet-ck eyes sparkled with delight as she pounced and hugged his arm. "Haha, good, good. From now on, you''re my little brother." Vincent, unfazed by her sudden action, closed his eyes to enjoy the softness of her embrace. "I guess this is what heaven feels like¡­" he muttered without thinking. "What heaven?" Valyn asked, tilting her head. Vincent snapped back,ughing awkwardly. "Haha, it''s nothing, Big Sis Valyn. By the way, what''s your rtionship with Special Instructor Arthur?" "He didn''t tell you?" Vincent froze for a moment. Of course, he didn''t tell me. Would I ask you if he had? he thought but kept silent. "I figured. He''s a man of few words," Valyn said. "In that case, I''ll leave it to your imagination." Vincent resisted the urge to facepalm. "I seem destined to meet strange people." Dropping the topic, he asked, "So, what are we doing today, Big Sis?" "Right. My task today is to take you somewhere." "Somewhere?" "Yes," Valyn nodded. "Where is it?" She giggled, cing a finger over her mask''s mouth. "It''s a secret!" "Come on, let''s go. I''m sure you''ll like it!" "Okay," he replied with a nod. As he just took a step, Valyn stopped him.N?v(el)B\\jnn "Oh, we''re not walking. I only walked earlier for exercise. The ce we''re headed is far, and walking would take too long." "How are we getting there, then?" "Hehe, don''t be surprised." With that, she let out a piercing whistle that echoed through the forest. Momentster, a white figure dashed through the greenery, stopping before Valyn. It was a massive, two-meter-tall, three-meter-long fox with silvery-white fur. Silverwood Fox, Tier 2 (5¡ï). "A peak Tier 2 Silverwood Fox?!" he thought, stunned. The creature lowered its head, letting Valyn pet it affectionately. She turned to Vincent, chuckling. "Hehe, surprised?" Vincent nodded. "This is my mount, Fenro, a Silverwood Fox. I found him as a cub a few years ago," she said, smiling warmly while stroking the fox''s fur. "Anyway, let''s go." Valyn mounted Fenro, then patted him gently. "Fenro, this is Vincent Magnus. He''ll be joining us today, okay?" Fenro growled softly in acknowledgment. Valyn patted the fox again, urging Vincent. "Come on, hop on. We''re leaving." Vincent didn''t hesitate, climbing onto Fenro''s back and settling behind Valyn. Valyn grabbed his hands, cing them around her waist. "You''ll need to hold on. Fenro''s fast, you know." Needless to say, Vincent didn''t refuse. Who would decline to hold a stunning woman like Valyn? Once he wasfortably seated and holding her waist, Valyn gave themand. "Okay, Fenro. Let''s go!" With her cue, their surroundings immediately blurred as Fenro began running with amazing speed. Chapter 75 Garga While riding with Valyn on her mount, the Silverwood Fox, Ferno, Vincent still had no idea where they were heading. He also noticed that despite Ferno''s speed, he believed that if he continuously used his movement skill, One Step Shift, he would be much faster. With Ferno''s strength and speed, no primals dared to stop them. The journey was nearly three hours long and could be considered quite lengthy. In the distance, Vincent noticed groups of origin warriors assembling near a massive, ancient tower. Their expressions mirrored mutual hostility, heightening the tension in the air. "What is that?" he asked after hopping off Ferno. He couldn''t recall any information about the tower. After dismounting, Valyn responded while gazing at the structure, "That is the Tower of Combat." "Tower of Combat?" "Yes," Valyn nodded and continued, "Once you go inside, your Origin Energy will be sealed, and you''ll have to defeat the challengers assigned to you. "The more wins you get without losing, the better the rewards!" "Of course, you will only be fighting challengers of the same tier as you." Vincent nodded in understanding before asking curiously, "Is there a maximum number of wins one can achieve?" Valyn fell silent for a moment, her gazending on arge board with numerous names listed on it ¡ª the ranking board. "Yes. Once you reach a certain number of wins, the tower will increase the strength of your opponents. However, only geniuses and top rankers have been able to achieve this." Following her gaze, Vincent found the names listed on the ranking board. There were three categories corresponding to the levels of strength: Novice Origin Warriors, Tier 1 to Tier 3. At the Tier 1 Ranking, there were dozens of names listed. At the top of the list, one name and its battle record stood out: 1st ¡ª Criocliz Chrystals (Tier 1, 5¡ï) 49 Wins 2 Loss 2nd ¡ª Drakoth Asher (Tier 1, 5¡ï) 47 Wins 5 Losses 3rd ¡ª Shylvia Torn (Tier 1, 5¡ï) 46 Wins 6 Losses The list went on. He also checked the rankings of other tiers. However, one name in the Tier 2 list caught his attention: 1st ¡ª Elvi Rolud (Tier 1, 5¡ï) 49 Wins 1 Loss He couldn''t help but raise his eyebrows when he saw it. A Tier 1 Origin Warriorpeting against Tier 2 Origin Warriors? It seemed this person had defeated most Tier 2 warriors, with only Tier 3 warriors managing to best him. "Elvi Rolud¡­" Vincent muttered, as though engraving the name in his mind. Valyn, standing beside him, overheard. "Are you curious about him?" Vincent simply nodded. "Legend has it that Elvi Rolud was a nobody ¡ª a timid guy with weak talent who was often bullied. But one day, during the Novice Ranking Battle, he reappeared as if reborn, dominating the rankings. Despite being Tier 1, he defeated Origin Warriors far above his level. Even though he eventually lost to a higher-tier opponent, his performance was enough to make his name known throughout the Origin World. "He didn''t stop after the Novice Ranking Battle. He began challenging all the Fundamental Towers, including the Tower of Combat, revealing overwhelming power that dominated the rankings and shocked the Novice Continent. But one day, he vanished without a trace. Some say he was killed, but no one has ever proven it. To this day, his fate remains a mystery." "He didn''t ascend to the higher continent?" Vincent asked. Valyn shook her head softly. "There''s a rumor that he might have already ascended, but it''s never been confirmed." As she spoke, they walked closer to the Tower of Combat. Their presence began to attract attention, likely due to Ferno, the Silverwood Fox, and its master, Valyn. Whispers filled the air. "That''s a Silverwood Fox, right? So that must be Valyn Aviss?" "Yes, you''re right. One of the Silver Rankers¡ªValyn Aviss, the Witch Fox." Valyn Aviss? Silver Rankers? Witch Fox? Vincent''s mind raced with questions as he overheard the whispers. She''s rted to Special Instructor Arthur? What are Silver Rankers? And Witch Fox must be her title¡­ At that moment, a purple-haired Thrygian woman approached them. She was a head shorter than male Thrygians but still taller than a human, with a bulky build. Vincent frowned behind his mask, his impression of the Thrygian race soured by his earlier encounter with Grarik. He now assumed the entire race to be enemies of humanity. Valyn, however, seemed familiar with the woman. "What do you want, Garga?" she asked coldly, her usual high-pitched voice reced with an emotionless tone. Garga, the female Thrygian, nked by two male Thrygians, crossed her arms over her chest and smirked. "Nothing. I just wanted to confirm if the stinky smell I noticed was indeed yours. And I was right¡ªnothingpares to your slutty scent." The two male Thrygians burst intoughter as Garga smiled provocatively. "It''s alright to be jealous. You don''t have to hide it. If I were ugly and had a face like yours, I''d be jealous of me too," Valyn retorted, shaking her head. Her response left Garga fuming, and the two red at each other, creating a suffocating tension in the air that Vincent immediately felt. Fortunately, it didn''tst long. The two women broke their staring contest with cold harrumphs. "Just pray I don''t meet you in the towerter!" Garga threatened before turning away. "Hmph, I''m not sure who needs the prayer more, considering some purple fool has a lower ranking than me," Valyn said softly, her tone mocking. Garga heard the jab and faltered briefly but chose to ignore it. Her malepanions, however, were lessposed. They turned and faced Vincent, ring at him instead of Valyn, which left him baffled. "What?" he muttered. I didn''t even say anything! I was ignored the whole time, and now they''re mad at me for doing nothing? Valyn noticed the situation and nced at Vincent, their confused expressions mirroring each other. Suddenly, she broke into soft giggles, which escted intoughter. "Haha!" Vincent could only shake his head with a wry smile. The brief exchange between Valyn and Garga had caught the attention of many, but both of them seemed unbothered by the stares. Valyn was clearly ustomed to it, while Vincent simply didn''t care. Curious, he asked a question that had been on his mind. "Who was that?" "Her? She''s Garga ckthorn." Upon hearing the name, Vincent''s eyebrows rose in recognition. "ckthorn? Is she rted to Grarik?" "Oh? You know Grarik?" Vincent nodded. "She''s Grarik''s older sister," Valyn revealed. "I see¡­ but how are you rted to her?"N?v(el)B\\jnn "I encountered her three years ago when I found Ferno," Valyn exined, her gaze falling on the Silverwood Fox resting under the shade of a massive tree. "She tried to snatch Ferno from me. Fortunately, I wasn''t any weaker than her, so I managed to retreat safely with Ferno." Seeing her willingness to answer, Vincent didn''t hold back and asked several more questions that had been bothering him. Through their conversation, he learned a lot of valuable information. The first was about the "Silver Rankers" mentioned earlier. Rankers were those on the leaderboard of the Novice Ranking Battle. The ranks included Bronze, Silver, Gold, and tinum. Valyn didn''t borate further, saying he would learn more soon enough. The second revtion was about experience points and the leveling speed of other Origin Warriors. Vincent had always wondered how others managed to increase their levels so quickly, especially those who didn''te from wealthy backgrounds. If he calcted based on the experience points he needed to level up, it seemed absurd¡ªordinary Origin Warriors would require decades to increase their strength by even one level. Valyn exined that the required experience points varied based on the rank of one''s awakened talent. Those with lower-ranked talents needed fewer experience points to level up. Additionally, there were special talents like Alchemist, which allowed the creation of potions that could directly grant experience points or temporarily boost experience gain. However, such items were incredibly expensive. With her exnation, Vincent''s doubts were finally resolved. "Do you still have questions?" Valyn asked. "Not for now." "Alright then. In that case, it''s time for you to challenge the Tower of Combat." Chapter 76 Challenging the Tower of Combat "Do you still have questions?" Valyn asked. "Not for now." "Alright then. In that case, it''s time for you to challenge the Tower of Combat." Vincent once again shifted his attention to the massive ancient tower. He wondered what was inside it and who had created it. He nodded at her and asked, "I understand. Is there anything I should keep in mind?" "You must remember that dying inside the Tower of Combat is the same as dying outside. This means you''ll be transported back to our and lose the ability to return to the Origin World." "Well, you don''t have to worry too much about that. You''re allowed to concede defeat if you feel like you''re about to lose or are certain you can''t win against your opponent." Vincent nodded in understanding. "Anything else?" Valyn faintly shook her head before reaching for Vincent''s face and embracing him against her bosom. Vincent was surprised, but he didn''t react as he felt her softness. "This is your good luck charm. Now go, beat the crap out of them!" After saying that, she let go of Vincent and pushed him forward. Vincent was still lost in thought, recalling the softness of Valyn, as he joined the line at one of the three entrances to the tower. The left entrance was for Tier 1 challengers. He queued behind the others. After a while, it was his turn. An interface appeared before him, asking for his handprint and name. Once he ced his hand on it, his body was immediately surrounded by digital lights before vanishing into the Tower of Combat. [Wee to the Tower of Combat, dear challenger, Magnus!] An archaic voice rang out as soon as he found himself in a dimly lit ancient chamber where the end and roof were out of sight. [As per the tower''s rules, your Origin Core will be sealed for the duration of the challenge.] He felt his Origin Core being sealed once again. Though he was already aware of it, he still felt a little bitter. He had just regained his Origin Energy after a rough training sessionst night, and now it was sealed again. [In this tower, you will fight a random opponent of the same tier. Each victory earns you 100 Tower Points, which can be exchanged for items at the tower''s exchange. Since you currently have no Tower Points, you cannot visit the exchange.] Vincent nodded in understanding as the archaic voice continued. [After each fight, you will have 30 minutes of rest. If you lose and admit defeat, you won''t be able to challenge the Tower of Combat again for two weeks.] He nodded once more. [Additionally, you cannot use any weapons or items that aren''t from the tower.] Vincent showed no reaction, as he had already expected this. [Are you ready to begin your challenge?] Vincent nodded. "Yes." As soon as he answered, several digital lights appeared in front of him, materializing into various types of weapons: swords, rapiers, bows, axes, and more. [Please pick your weapon of choice.] Without hesitation, he grabbed a in sword. It wasn''t particrly long or heavy, measuring approximately 150 centimeters and weighing only a few kilograms. As soon as he picked it up, the other weapons vanished. [Your opponent will be assigned shortly. Please wait patiently...] [Match Found!] Vincent then saw his opponent''s record. Bjor Palku Tier 1 (5¡ï) 4 Wins - 5 Losses His opponent had more losses than victories. [Please select your Battle Map!] Several screens appeared in his vision, showcasing maps of different terrains. He chose a simple t arena named the Cliff of Death Arena. Once he made his choice, his vision and surroundings blurred. On the other side, when Bjor Palku saw his opponent''s record, he couldn''t suppress a grin. "Finally, a newbie! This is going to be my fifth win!" After a short moment, the two appeared in the t, elevated arena. Despite its in appearance, the arena was surrounded by an endless pit, making falling off a fatal mistake. As soon as he appeared, Vincent caught sight of his opponent: Bjor Palku, a Birdman. The battle map was clearly in Bjor Palku''s favor. "Haha," Bjor Palkuughed when he saw the map. "To think you chose this map against me? It seems you''re giving me a free win. I''ll be kind and let you concede defeat." Vincent simply took a fighting stance and raised his sword in response. Bjor Palku frowned, displeased by Vincent''s reaction. "You really don''t want to surrender?" Vincent ignored him. "Hmph, don''t say I didn''t warn you!" With that, Bjor Palku pped his jade-colored wings, taking to the air. He nocked an arrow and aimed at Vincent. With a strong pull, he released the bowstring, and the arrow flew swiftly toward Vincent. Whoosh! Vincent didn''t react until the arrow was within two meters of him. Then, he turned his sword and used the width of the de to block it. Bjor Palku wasn''t disappointed. Instead of shooting a single arrow, he nocked three at once and released them. Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! The arrows whistled through the air as they sped toward Vincent. Vincent narrowed his eyes and shed the arrows as they neared him. ng! Bjor Palku didn''t relent. He continuously fired three arrows simultaneously. Whoosh! This time, instead of a direct attack, several arrows curved mid-air, passing around Vincent and targeting him from behind like homing missiles. Whoosh!n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om One arrow arrived too quickly, forcing Vincent to dodge by jumping backward. Thud! The arrow missed and embedded itself deeply in the ground. Two more arrows followed in quick session as Vincent rapidly retreated. Just as he moved back, he heard another whistling sound behind him¡ªa new volley of arrows had been fired. Vincent quickly spun around and performed a series of backflips, narrowly dodging the arrows as they struck the ground. Whoosh! Another whistle sounded, this time from three more arrows curving through the air. However, Vincent was more prepared now and anticipated their path. He avoided them effortlessly and, as soon as thest arrow passed, he grabbed the nearest arrow stuck in the ground. With a full spin, he hurled it forcefully at the airborne Birdman. The arrow tore through the air with a piercing whistle, reaching Bjor Palku almost instantly. Despite seeing iting, Bjor Palku had no time to react. He managed to tilt his body and p his wings but was still struck in the left shoulder. "Ugh!" Bjor Palku groaned as the arrow pierced his shoulder. He lost bnce, swaying in the air before plummeting headfirst toward the ground. Seeing this, Vincent grabbed another arrow from the ground and threw it over his shoulder with precision. Whoosh! Bjor Palku, still falling, noticed the iing arrow. Clutching his injured shoulder, he gritted his teeth and pped his wings desperately to dodge. While he seeded in avoiding the arrow, he crashed onto the arena floor, leaving traces of blood behind. Vincent wasn''t one to show mercy. As soon as his opponent hit the ground, he charged forward, aiming to end the battle. However, a weak but forceful voice stopped him. "I¡­ I concede!" The moment Bjor Palku announced his surrender, his body was enveloped in digital lights before vanishing from the arena. [Congrattions! Victory for Challenger Magnus!] [You have received 100 Tower Points!] [You now have a 30-minute resting period.] Chapter 77 Isnt This Basically Cheating? [Congrattions! Victory for Challenger Magnus!] [You have received 100 Tower Points!] [You now have a 30-minute resting period.] Talent Activated! +1,000,000 Tower Points! "Wait, what?" He eximed, unsure if he had heard it correctly. The multiplication effect when absorbing Origin Energy from Origin Crystals was understandable because it came from primal creatures. However, this time was entirely unnatural and made no sense. Oblivious to his shock, the tower''s archaic voice continued. [You are now eligible to check the items you can exchange for Tower Points.] An interface appeared before his eyes. [Tower Exchange] Skills Weapons Equipment Misceneous It had four categories under it. When he checked the skills category, a long list of skills appeared, ranging frommon to rare quality. He also noticed that there were no cultivation techniques, which made sense since cultivation techniques were generally Tier 2 items. The other three categories followed a simr pattern, offering only Tier 1 items ranging frommon to rare quality. He confirmed the amount of Tower Points he had: 1,000,000 Tower Points. He was speechless. "Isn''t this basically cheating?" he muttered to himself, grinning beneath his Shifting Visage mask. "Who cares? The world is never fair." With that in mind, Vincent began using his rest period to browse the avable items and buy whatever he wanted. He had a million points to spend, after all¡ªhe might as well buy everything worthwhile in the store. Needless to say, he already had his eyes on the top items he had seen. Particrly the skills. Dragon''s Might - 10,000 Tower Points Grade: Rare Details: A passive skill. The user emits a Dragon''s Aura that can immobilize targets of the same or lower level based on the user''s Force and Mental attributes. The weaker the race, the greater the effect. Sterling Silver Body - 10,000 Tower Points Grade: Rare Details: A passive skill. Permanently enhances overall physical strength by 30%. Five Wave Strike - 10,000 Tower Points Grade: Rare Details: A rare martial technique that increases physical attack power by up to five times when mastered. Sixth Sense - 10,000 Tower Points Grade: Rare Details: Permanently enhances perception by 30%. Physical Regeneration - 10,000 Tower Points Grade: Rare Details: A passive skill. Increases base physical regeneration by 20%. The list of intriguing skills went on. However, most of the skills revolved around physical strength and Force attributes. Even so, there were severalbat skills suited for different fighting styles. His curiosity didn''t stop him from purchasing them. He began by buying the ten top skills on the list. Afterward, he had 900,000 Tower Points remaining¡ªstill an enormous amount. Next, he checked the weapons category and purchased ten Tier 1 rare armaments. Even though he already possessed an epic-grade Tier 2 armament, having more wouldn''t hurt. -100,000 Tower Points. Remaining Tower Points: 800,000. The skill books he had bought went into his storage ring, but the armaments piled up in front of him, startling him. "It seems my storage can no longer hold more items." With that realization, he quickly opened the Misceneous tab, which listed items like potions, scrolls, and more. He purchased the first item that caught his eye. Storage Ring - 10,000 Tower Points Grade: Rare Details: 500 cubic meters of storage space. A five-hundred-cubic-meter space wasparable to 15 standard shipping containers¡ªspacious enough to store a vast number of items for a long time. He wondered if it could be upgraded, unlike the storage item he''d acquired from Azhara, which was not eligible for upgrades for some unknown reason. For now, he shelved the thought. -100,000 Tower Points. Remaining Tower Points: 700,000. He collected the armaments and stored them in his newly purchased storage ring, which had a white-gold appearance. Naturally, he bought ten more of them until the stock sold out and disappeared from the list. Unlike skill books, which vanished from the list as soon as purchased, misceneous items disyed their avable stock. Since he was already in the Misceneous tab, he browsed further and found several fascinating items. Tier 1 Capture Ball - 20,000 Tower Points Grade: Rare Details: A rare item used to capture a Tier 1 primal. Once captured, users can initiate a taming process. Capture Chances: Tier 1 (1¡ï) - 100% Tier 1 (2¡ï) - 80% Tier 1 (3¡ï) - 60% Tier 1 (4¡ï) - 40% Tier 1 (5¡ï) - 20% Curious, he purchased five of them. -100,000 Tower Points. He also found Escape Scrolls, priced at 10,000 each, with ten currently in stock. Though he didn''t fully understand how they were made, he bought all ten. -100,000 Tower Points. Remaining Tower Points: 500,000. He discovered even more intriguing items: Force Potion - 10,000 Tower PointsN?v(el)B\\jnn Grade: Rare Details: Increases Force attribute by 5 points for five minutes without side effects. Experience Booster - 10,000 Tower Points Grade: Rare Details: Doubles experience gain for five minutes. Stamina Booster - 10,000 Tower Points Grade: Rare Details: Boosts stamina for five minutes. Drop Chance Booster - 10,000 Tower Points Grade: Rare Details: Increases drop chances by 30% for five minutes. Tier 1 Experience Potion - 10,000 Tower Points Grade: Rare Details: Grants experience points ranging from 1,000 to 3,000. The list continued. Vincent''s eyes gleamed as he saw the experience-rted items. Excitedly, he bought ten of each item he found appealing, exhausting his remaining Tower Points. Unfortunately, he no longer had points to buy anything from the equipment tab. However, he wasn''t concerned. After another victory, he''d have plenty of points to spend. Afterward, he retrieved four of the ten skills he had bought and immediately learned them. Dragon''s Might Learned! Sterling Silver Body Learned! Sixth Sense Learned! Physical Regeneration Learned! Waves of strength and information surged through his mind and body. He spent the remainder of his rest period adapting to his newfound strength and skills. Unsurprisingly, Vincent''s spree of hoarding top items from the Tower Exchange didn''t go unnoticed by the current challengers. "What? How did this happen?!" "Oh no! My Dragon''s Might is gone! Who bought it?!" "The top items are all gone, except for the equipment?" "There must be a glitch in the tower!" "This must be a bug! There''s no way those items could disappear like that!" While the challengers within the tower were in an uproar, those outside the Tower of Combat remained unaware of the chaos unfolding. After some time, Vincent was finally prepared to continue his challenge. "I''m ready to continue the challenge!" he announced confidently. The tower''s archaic voice responded. [Looking for a match¡­ Please wait patiently.] Soon, the voice dered: [Match Found!] The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!