Awakened Talent: 10,000 Exp Converter!

Chapter 172 172

"Stop! Take one more step, and we will kill her!"

Vincent snapped around and looked behind him. He immediately saw the trio holding Clauny.

One of them was covering her mouth, while another held her arms. The third was holding Mochi, whose head was covered by a sack.

Vincent frowned as soon as he saw this. He wondered what had happened to his umbral rats—he hadn't received any alarm indicating he had lost connection with them.

He scanned behind the trio and saw his umbral rats staring dazed at the sky. What had happened?

On the other hand, Lin Baxi's expression brightened.

"Haha. What now, little bastard? We've got your girlfriend! Why don't you take another step and see her die? I dare you! Heh!"

However, just as he said that, Vincent's figure blurred, disappeared, and reappeared in front of the trio in an instant.

Before they could react, a powerful pressure pressed down on them, forcing them to their knees with a heavy thud.

"Urghk!"

They could only groan in pain as they clutched their necks, unable to breathe.

The pressure was suffocating them!

"B-Boss..!"

Bam!

One of the trio's heads, who had managed to utter a word, suddenly exploded, splattering blood everywhere.

The remaining two were stunned in deep shock as they reached out toward Lin Baxi, pleading for help.

However, to their surprise, the moment one of the trio died, Lin Baxi pulled out a scroll.

"W-We will meet again, Vincent Magnus! I will take everything from you!"

As soon as he said this, he tore the scroll in his hand and vanished, leaving the shocked Yasmine alone.

Even the remaining two of the trio could only watch in utter disbelief.

Vincent couldn't help but frown.

"Isn't it prohibited to use an escape scroll in this labyrinth?" he thought in confusion.

Vincent was right—it was impossible to use an escape scroll in the labyrinth. What Lin Baxi had used was a random labyrinth teleport scroll, a special type of scroll designed for labyrinth exploration.

Unfortunately, Vincent had no idea about this, and he had no time to care as he quickly beheaded the remaining two men who were crawling on the ground.

"Shroud!" Clauny exclaimed as she dashed into Vincent's arms.

Vincent softly patted her back to comfort her.

"How are you? Are you hurt?"

Clauny looked up at him with teary eyes before shaking her head softly.

"I'm fine..." she whispered, "thank you."

Vincent gave a simple nod, his sharp eyes scanning her to confirm she was unharmed.

Satisfied, he turned his attention to Yasmine, who stood frozen, her face a mask of shock and disbelief after being abandoned by Lin Baxi.

"Now, what should I do with you…?"

Vincent's voice was low, almost contemplative, but laced with an undercurrent of menace that sent a shiver down Yasmine's spine.

Yasmine's wide eyes met his, her expression a tangled web of fear, anger, and betrayal.

Her lips parted, but no coherent words came out—only a stuttered, "A-Ah…"

She was torn. On one hand, the chilling fear of Vincent's potential wrath gripped her, threatening to crush her resolve.

On the other, the searing fury of being discarded by her own leader burned in her chest, leaving her feeling hollow and used.

The weight of these conflicting emotions proved too much. Her body swayed, her vision blurred, and with a soft thud, she collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

Vincent and Clauny exchanged a brief, incredulous glance.

Clauny raised an eyebrow, her lips twitching as if suppressing a laugh, while Vincent simply sighed, running a hand through his hair in mild exasperation.

"What are you going to do with her now?" Clauny asked, her tone a mix of curiosity and amusement.

Vincent's gaze lingered on Yasmine's crumpled form for a moment before he gestured to his umbral rats, who had now regained their senses.

With a flick of his wrist, the shadowy creatures scurried forward, their glowing eyes glinting with eerie intelligence.

They seized Yasmine with surprising gentleness, dragging her toward a nearby area teeming with primal creatures.

The dense foliage rustled as they disappeared into the shadows, leaving Clauny to watch with a mixture of awe and unease.

After that, Vincent ignored it and they marched forward. He could already sense that they were closed at the core area of the Corrupted Jungle Labyrinth.

"Let's go."

But just as he took a step forward, a high-pitched, indignant voice screeched in his mind, "Stupid Master!"

Vincent paused, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. 'Oh, right…' he thought, his gaze sweeping the area until it landed on a small, tightly bound sack.

Inside, Mochi squirmed, his tiny form wriggling furiously as he glared up at Vincent with all the indignation a small creature could muster.

"Did you just forget about me?!"

"No, I didn't." He responded without a beat but in reality he really forgot about her.

"Yes you did!"

"No…"

On the side, Clauny couldn't help but let out a soft giggle as she watched the cute, fat rabbit making furious noises at Vincent.

"Hehehe…"

Vincent and Clauny encountered only a few Primals before arriving at a towering dark tree, its massive trunk emanating a sinister aura.

"Is this the boss room?" Clauny murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

Vincent didn't respond.

His gaze remained locked on the enormous wooden double doors embedded within the trunk of the dark tree. His brows furrowed deeply as an unsettling yet familiar sensation stirred within him, emanating from beyond the doors.

Even Mochi sensed it.

"Stupid master, there's something good in there! Let's go!" she exclaimed excitedly in his mind.

Vincent could only shake his head wryly.

"Let's go. Stay behind me," he said, stepping forward to push open the doors.

Clauny, holding Mochi in her arms, followed silently without question.

As soon as the doors creaked open, a chilling wind billowed out from the darkness, carrying an eerie stillness. A deep thud echoed as the doors abruptly shut behind them, sealing them inside.

Clauny instinctively stepped closer to Vincent, her wariness growing.

The chamber was shrouded in darkness, the only illumination coming from flickering jade-fire lamps affixed to the walls, casting eerie, dancing shadows.

"Shroud…" Clauny whispered, tugging lightly at the corner of his clothes. A suffocating pressure filled the air, an oppressive force weighing down on her, making her legs tremble.

A voice suddenly broke the silence.

"Aren't you a little too old to be picking up women? Hmph!"

Vincent's expression turned cold. His gaze remained fixed in the same direction he had been looking all this time before he let out a sharp snort. Without hesitation, he released a surge of mental energy, instantly dispelling the oppressive force suffocating Clauny.

"Haaa~"

Clauny let out a shaky breath, her body finally freed from the crushing pressure.

A deep, reverberating laughter echoed through the chamber, and in an instant, the surrounding darkness retreated, revealing the chamber's full grandeur.

The space was far more extravagant than the exterior suggested. The polished marble floor gleamed with a deep, dark purple hue, and massive stone pillars lined the chamber, their intricate carvings exuding an aura of ancient power.

At the far end, a grand staircase led up to a throne. Seated upon it was a figure Vincent recognized instantly.

A familiar, shadowed silhouette.

The same entity he had encountered in the Blackbite Rat Labyrinth.

The very individual Grarik had released.

Vash Volcane (Primalized)

Race: Demi-human

Power: Peak Tier 3

The last time Vincent had faced him, Vash had only been at the early stage of Tier 3. But now… he had reached the peak.

Vincent's expression darkened, his gaze sharpening.

He had never expected to meet this monster here.

And despite his current strength, he could feel the immense pressure radiating from Vash—an entirely different kind of power compared to Valyn or any other Tier 3 Origin Warriors he had encountered.

His instincts screamed at him.

This… would be his most difficult battle since becoming an Origin Warrior.

Yet, despite Vincent's tense posture, Vash remained relaxed, a subtle, knowing smile playing on his lips.

"You're quite an interesting human," he mused. "It's been a while."

Vincent ignored his words, remaining silent.

Vash, unfazed, let out a smirk.

"You don't have to be so tense," he said, leaning back against his throne. "Do you think I can't feel it?"

His words sent a flicker of confusion through Vincent's mind.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Vincent replied coldly.

But Vash only chuckled, his expression filled with amusement—as if he saw through the lie.

"There's no need to hide it from me. I was born from that energy too."

His smirk deepened.

"We are the same."

Vincent's fingers twitched, but he remained silent.

Vash continued, his voice laced with a dangerous edge.

"I don't understand you. Despite having that power, why do you still side with humans? Aren't they full of hypocrisy?"

His golden eyes gleamed with a mixture of amusement and bitterness.

"They act so kind at first… but once they learn your secret?" His voice dropped lower, almost a growl. "You'll find yourself losing everything."

"They're good when they need you. But once they don't?" He scoffed. "They'll toss you away like garbage."

He leaned forward slightly, his expression darkening.

"So, I'll ask you once again…"

His voice was firm, resonating through the chamber like a challenge.

"Why are you still siding with humans?" Continue reading on empire