Awakened Talent: 10,000 Exp Converter!

"We will meet again soon…"

Frowning, Vincent turned back—only to find that Thystian had vanished without a trace.

Scanning the surroundings, he found no sign of the Sanctuary Head. He could only wonder what Thystian had meant.

By the time the sun had set, the Weekly Outer District Battle had officially concluded.

Nato's voice rang out across the battlefield. "Congratulations to all the winners who have secured a slot to enter the Lost Grove. And special thanks to everyone who participated in this week's battle! Alright, we'll meet again next week! As for the winners, be at the spawn field by 6 AM sharp tomorrow. If you're late, no one will wait for you!"

With that, Nato vanished from his position.

Vincent, too, wasted no time lingering. With Mochi nestled comfortably on his shoulders, he turned and disappeared into the night.

Vincent didn't return to his territory but instead ventured outside the sanctuary, only to make his way back before midnight and rent a room at the Newcomer's Lounge Inn.

The Next Day

Vincent woke early, though he felt no need to partake in breakfast. Instead, he scooped up Mochi, who blinked sleepily before settling in his arms, and headed toward the designated meeting point.

The spawn field was still bustling with activity, just as it had been when he first arrived in the Origin World. After scanning the area for a moment, he immediately spotted the other winners from yesterday. They stood beside a large pillar, their presences distinct.

Anur, a Crystallian young man with Peak Tier 1 strength, was among them. Besides Vincent, another Tier 2 participant had secured a victory—Bern, a male Drakorii with sharp rouge eyes.

The other two winners, however, were in a different league. Both were at the initial stage of Tier 3. They were Thrygians. Zarrok and Korvath—towering figures, each standing at an imposing seven feet tall.

They were the reason Vincent had stayed behind after the tournament concluded. He had been curious. Were they, too, from the Blackthorn Clan? From the very first day, every Thrygian he encountered had been under Blackthorn's influence. He wondered if their race was so unified that they consolidated their power under a single clan.

At that moment, the four of them took notice of his presence. Anur greeted him with a subtle nod.

Bern simply cast a sharp glance his way, assessing him for a brief second before dismissing him entirely.

Meanwhile, the two Thrygians—Zarrok and Korvath—openly scrutinized him. They made no attempt to hide their gazes as they raked over his figure from head to toe, as though investigating every inch of him.

Despite their blatant actions, Vincent remained unfazed. Instead, he returned their stare, mimicking their actions as he took his time to scan their appearances with his own eyes.

The two Thrygians frowned, evidently displeased with his audacity.

"Hah. A mere ant dares to look at me with such impudence?" Zarrok sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. The notion seemed absurd to him—laughable, even—that someone of Vincent's stature had the audacity to match their gaze without a hint of intimidation.

Beside him, Korvath's frown deepened, though he remained silent. He simply glared at Vincent, letting his oppressive aura do the talking.

Beneath his mask, Vincent smirked. "Heh, I let you take a good look at me, but when I do the same, you don't like it? I'm starting to think Thrygians have brains made of stone."

His words hit a nerve. Zarrok's expression twisted in irritation. "What did you just say?! Hah! Just because you earned a spot in the Lost Grove doesn't mean you have the same strength as us!"

Anur stood to the side, merely observing. As a mere Tier 1, it wasn't in his best interest to involve himself in this brewing confrontation.

Not far away, Bern cast a brief glance at Vincent and Zarrok. Whatever thoughts passed through his mind remained a mystery, but soon enough, he lost interest, turning away as though the matter was beneath him.

The way Zarrok had just spoken, Bern believed that Zarrok did not witness Vincent's battles. Because if he knew, he wouldn't have probably worded it that way. He had witnessed Vincent's battles and was certain that Vincent could also defeat him in one strike like his opponents. He was just lucky that he hadn't matched with Vincent and safely acquired a spot for the Lost Grove.

Annoyed by Vincent, Zarrok released the mental pressure of an initial-stage Tier 3 Origin Warrior, making Bern quite uncomfortable and Anur slightly struggling to catch his breath.

Korvath was a bit surprised due to Zarrok's action. He exclaimed, "Zarrok! Calm down!"

Yet, he soon realized that Vincent didn't even flinch. He remained motionless, his gaze locked onto Zarrok's.

Before he could voice his confusion, the masked man before him suddenly let out a mocking chuckle before unleashing a stronger pressure, effortlessly dispersing the mental force Zarrok had been exerting.

Shock was evident in both Zarrok and Korvath's eyes.

"How?!" Zarrok exclaimed while Korvath remained silent, but his mind echoed the same question.

On the side, Anur breathed a sigh of relief when the oppressing pressure had finally lifted by Vincent.

Just as Zarrok was about to open his mouth again, a man's voice from a distance interrupted them.

"Heh, it seems you guys are already having a good time."

It was followed by another man's voice, "Oh, we have two from Thrygians this time…"

Another voice followed up, it was a woman's voice this time, with a hint of impatience, "Can you both stop these idiots? I wanna end this expedition as soon as possible."

Upon hearing those, Vincent and others snapped to the source of the voices. It was a group of five. Three men and two women.

One of the three men was a Crystallian, while the other two men were both wearing masks, hiding their appearance. However, he could tell that one of them was a Drakorii as he could notice the crimson reptile scales on the area of his neck.

On the other hand, one of the two women was also a Crystallian. The other one was clad in a red robe and an exquisite flaming mask, but with her figure, anyone could easily tell that it was a woman.

For some reason, Vincent noticed that the woman in the flaming-design mask was looking at him. Not just out of curiosity—she was deliberately staring. Like she wanted to say something.

However, when he looked closely into her crimson reptile eyes, he noticed that she wasn't exactly looking at him. To be more precise, she was staring intently at Mochi, who was coiled on his shoulder.

Mochi, sensing the woman's gaze, lifted her head and met her stare. The moment their eyes locked, the woman averted her gaze.

Mochi tilted her head in wonder before closing her eyes again.

At this moment, the Crystallian man who was walking at the front of the group opened his mouth and said, "You're all here early. I hope we didn't keep you waiting too long."

Hearing his words, Anur, who clearly recognized the Crystallian in front of them, hurriedly waved his hand, "No, no. We just got here, Young Master Dio."

Dio? Vincent thought in wonder. He felt the name was familiar but could not remember where he had heard it.

Soon, to his surprise, the arrogant Thrygians actually slightly lowered their heads and cupped their fists, respectfully greeting the almost 8-feet-tall Crystallian.

"It's our pleasure to meet you, Young Master Veylshard."

Dio lightly chuckled, "Haha, come on. Just call me Dio. We're going to be a temporary team on this expedition, so let's get familiar with each other already."

Veylshard? Vincent noted the way Zarrok and Korvath addressed Dio. Recognition dawned—Thystian, the current Head of the South Novice Sanctuary, shared the same surname. Is he related to Thystian?

He wondered about his connection with Sanctuary Head Thystian.

Anur, standing not far from Vincent, noticed his silence and whispered urgently, "What are you doing? Why aren't you greeting Young Master Dio?"

Vincent glanced at him, expression unreadable. "Who is he?"

Though his voice was low, everyone present had keen perception. They clearly heard his words.

They were stunned, especially Anur.

A stunned silence followed. Anur's jaw nearly dropped.
Experience tales with My Virtual Library Empire

A light chuckle soon broke the tension.

Dio laughed. "Haha, it's fine. Why are you all so shocked? The Novice Continent is vast—it's only natural that not everyone knows who I am."

His gaze settled on Vincent, his expression still carrying a relaxed smile.

"Let me formally introduce myself. I am Dio Veylshard, and I will be leading this expedition. And yes, I am connected to the current Sanctuary Head—he is my uncle."