Awakened Talent: 10,000 Exp Converter!

Assisting in the defeat of a Tier 2(3★) 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.

Moments later, 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—more 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 exclaimed, her voice tinged with disbelief.

Vincent remained silent, raising a hand as if to touch the poisonous cloud. The faint discomfort he felt was insignificant—his 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.

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're coming! 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' onslaught. Metal clanged 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 penetrate 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 Nightflare Blade.

Fiona frowned. "What are you trying to do?"

Ignoring her question, Vincent simply said, "Just ensure no poison enters your barrier."

"What—"

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 Nightflare Blade. Channeling Origin Energy, the blade flared with dark emerald flames.

"Abyssal Venomlash!"

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?"

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Her question was answered by the ghouls' anguished screams.

"What kind of poison is this?!"

"We're immune to poison—how 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 blade 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 Nightflare Blade, it flared with an intense red-black glow.

"Shadowflame Wave!"

With a horizontal slash, a crescent-shaped wave of shadowflame tore through the air, striking the incapacitated ghouls.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"You demon!" one of them managed to cry before—

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 brothers lay 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, landing near the fallen ghouls.

Uncle Gold and the others instinctively turned toward the commotion.

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.

Glancing at the defeated ghouls, he turned to Uncle Gold and the siblings.

"It seems you didn't disappoint me this time."