Awakened Talent: 10,000 Exp Converter!-Chapter 210 Aftermath

Hearing his words, Vincent could not help but shift his attention to Ara, but Ara simply ignored him.

He wondered in his mind, "She's definitely trying to hide the truth. But why is she helping me?"

He could not think of a good reason why she would help him. He didn't even know her, or perhaps he knows her?

However, seeing that she didn't intend to talk about it, he set it aside for now and responded to Dio, "That's right. I was cursed."

He could only ride along with Ara's story.

"Damn, to think that curse was that scary. I don't think I'll be able to survive for a day if I have that curse…" Anur commented.

The others went silent and looked at him.

Anur felt uncomfortable with their gaze, "W-What? I'm just telling the truth. Shroud was lucky that he has a pet that could absorb curse, but I don't have one. I will certainly die!"

The others just shook their heads.

Why was the difference between Dio and Anur so huge?

When they were both Crystallians.

Vincent ignored the comment and pressed on, "How's your investigation? Did you find anything?"

Dio sighed, his expression a mix of frustration and confusion. "We checked the area where it might have come from, but aside from a massive crater, there's nothing. No traces, no clues... nothing."

Vincent's frown deepened beneath the cracked mask that revealed the lower half of his face.

And Dio was more than just disappointed—he was unsettled.

The golem they had encountered was unlike anything he had ever faced.

A creature immune to Origin Energy?

It defied everything he knew. He had traveled this path multiple times before, and never had he stumbled upon such a monstrosity.

I need to ask my uncle about this, he thought. If anyone had a chance of knowing what that thing was, it would be his uncle.

And if even his uncle was clueless, then there was only one other person he could turn to... but that was a last resort.

For now, he pushed the thought aside.

"Can you bring me there?" Vincent asked, his voice steady but laced with urgency.

Before Dio could respond, Ara stepped in, her tone firm. "You can't. You just woke up. You need to rest."

Dio glanced at Ara, his curiosity piqued. Why is she so concerned about Shroud? Does she know him?

But he didn't voice his thoughts.

Instead, he nodded in agreement. "Listen to her. You need to recover. Don't worry, we'll pass by that place later."

Vincent hesitated but eventually relented. They were right—he was pushing himself too hard. He gave a curt nod and leaned back, his body still heavy with exhaustion.

Dio clapped his hands, signaling the group. "Alright, let's take a few hours to rest, and then we'll move out."

The others nodded in unison, settling into meditative positions to regain their strength. Vincent, however, didn't sleep.

Instead, he pulled out a few Origin Crystals and a stamina potion, replenishing his energy bit by bit.

Thanks to the chaos energy, his injuries had healed completely, but the toll it had taken on his body was immense.

Though there were no visible wounds, every muscle felt like lead. He knew he had to find a way to recover his chaos energy.

Before, he hadn't prioritized it, thinking it was unnecessary for his daily life.

But now, after what had happened, he couldn't afford to neglect it any longer.

Mochi was his responsibility.

Despite her spoiled demeanor, she had saved him.

If she hadn't absorbed the chaos energy, he might have lost control and killed everyone around him—or worse, been killed himself, losing his access to the Origin World.

Vincent's gaze fell to his damaged equipment.

His Shifting Visage Mask was partially broken, and while it could still block observing skills, its mimic function was gone.

His Obsidian Aegis was also damaged, but at least it could be repaired with some experience points.

He let out a bitter sigh.

If only I hadn't been so arrogant, if I hadn't rushed into things, believing I could handle anything...

This experience had been a harsh wake-up call. There were always variables, always things beyond his control that could endanger him and those he cared about. His strength was still insufficient.

But he wouldn't stop. He couldn't.

Several hours later, Dio stood up, stretching his limbs. "Alright, I think everyone's had enough rest." His eyes lingered on Vincent. "How about you? Still up for joining us?"

Vincent nodded, his voice calm but resolute. "I'm fine. Let's go."

Dio gave a satisfied nod. "Then let's move out."

As they began their trek, Vincent scanned the group, noticing the absence of Zarrok and Korvath.

He leaned slightly toward Ara, who was walking beside him, and asked in a low voice, "Where are those purple giants? Don't tell me I killed them."

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Ara glanced at him briefly before looking away. "It would've been better if you had."

Vincent raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"They fled when you were fighting the golem. It was about to self-destruct, and they didn't stick around to see what would happen."

Vincent's expression shifted to one of faint surprise, but he quickly dismissed the thought. Still, he couldn't help but ask, "Why didn't you escape with them?"

Though their conversation was quiet, the others could still hear them. Diriko, walking ahead, chuckled and answered before Ara could. "It's not that we didn't want to leave. It's just that someone here was adamant about saving you."

"Diriko!" Ara exclaimed, her face flushing beneath her mask, whether from embarrassment or anger, it was hard to tell.

Diriko only laughed, clearly enjoying Ara's reaction.

Vincent turned to Ara, his gaze lingering on her. "Do I know you?"

Ara avoided his eyes, her voice barely above a whisper. "I... I don't know you."

Vincent studied her for a moment longer but decided not to press further. If she didn't want to talk, he wouldn't force her.

Soon, they arrived at the site of the battle. The golem still lay on the ground, its massive form unmoving. Unlike other creatures, it hadn't disintegrated into particles of light. It was as if it were waiting for something.

"Why is it still here?" Vincent asked, his voice tinged with unease.

Dio shrugged, his expression equally puzzled. "We've been wondering the same thing. We waited for over an hour, expecting it to vanish like a primal's corpse. But it didn't."

Vincent hadn't had the chance to examine the golem during the fight—it had attacked too suddenly. Now, he activated his Heaven Eyes skill, scanning the creature.

Origin Guardian — Tier 1

"Tier 1?!" Vincent's mind reeled with disbelief.

That thing was only a Tier 1?

The realization hit him like a punch to the gut. If a Tier 1 golem could cause this much destruction, what would a higher tier be like?

Ara noticed his reaction, her eyes flickering toward him for a brief moment, but she said nothing. The group stood in silence.

At this moment, Vincent noticed a faint, blinking red light emanating from within the remains of the Origin Guardian's corpse.

The light pulsed rhythmically, almost as if it were alive, yet no one else seemed to notice it.

He glanced around, confirming that Dio and the others were oblivious to the strange phenomenon.

Intrigued, Vincent approached the corpse and turned to Dio.

"Would you mind if I take this?" Vincent asked, his voice calm but laced with curiosity.

Dio gave him a puzzled look, his brow furrowing slightly. "Why would you need it? That thing is useless now," he replied, his tone dismissive.

Vincent didn't offer an explanation. He simply stood there, waiting for Dio's response, his expression unreadable beneath his mask. Dio studied him for a moment, then shrugged, realizing Vincent wasn't going to back down.

"Fine, it's yours. You're the one who defeated it, after all," Dio said, though his tone suggested he still didn't understand Vincent's interest.

"Thanks," Vincent replied curtly, storing the golem's body in his spatial storage. The red light flickered one last time before disappearing as the corpse vanished.

The group continued their journey, eventually arriving at a massive crater. Vincent stepped forward, scanning the area with a keen eye.

The crater was vast, its edges jagged and uneven, but it was empty—completely devoid of anything of note.

Vincent frowned beneath his mask, his disappointment palpable.