Awakened Talent: 10,000 Exp Converter!

The dull thud of Zhang Chen's lifeless body echoed as it hit the ground. Vincent's expression remained impassive, but the monotony was broken by the system's unfeeling notification ringing in his ears.

You have successfully assisted in killing Zhang Chen — Tier 2 (1★)!

You have received +100 Experience Points!

You have recovered +100 Primal Energy!

Talent Activated!

+1,000,000 Experience Points!

You have fully restored your Primal Energy!

Each line of notification felt both distant and mechanical to Vincent, as if they didn't fully register in his mind. His eyes lingered on Zhang Chen's lifeless form—blood pooling, limbs sprawled unnaturally. Though indirect, this was the first time Vincent had caused someone's death.

A real death!

This wasn't like the Origin World, where one could still respawn once dead.

This was real.

Zhang Chen wouldn't respawn. His existence had been erased.

Forever.

For Vincent, the weight of the realization struck with unexpected subtlety. A part of him had anticipated guilt or regret—a flood of emotion from taking a life. Yet, as he stood motionless, an eerie calmness blanketed him instead. There was no shame, no pang of remorse in his chest.

"It's as if my common sense has been… twisted," he muttered internally, fingers twitching in slight unease. Origin World had changed him, warped his morality. The detachment he felt now was unnerving.

And that revelation scared him.

What frightened him most was not that he killed someone, but the possibility that someday he might lose all semblance of humanity. Would there come a day when even hurting someone precious to him evoked no feelings at all? Was he destined to become a soulless machine of destruction, a creature indifferent to the suffering it caused?

"I won't let that happen," he vowed silently, his hands curling into fists. "I can't become that…"

Before despair could overtake him, a soothing, melodious voice resonated in his mind, breaking the tension.

"It's fine. You'll be fine," Mochi assured him.

Vincent blinked, staring at his faithful companion. The tiny creature's calm tone acted like a lifeline, pulling him out of his spiraling thoughts. It was as though she could hear the storm in his heart.

He wanted to ask her how she always knew. Instead, he exhaled deeply, letting go of the tension in his body.

"This is the path I've chosen," he reminded himself resolutely. His gaze hardened with determination. "I'll do whatever it takes to become the strongest."

The moment of introspection was fleeting. Vincent's sharp eyes now turned toward Xu Zheng, who stood frozen in shock and disbelief.

"Y-You… you really killed him?" Xu Zheng stammered, his voice quaking with fear.

"No. You killed him," Vincent corrected, his tone unnervingly steady.

Xu Zheng's face twisted with desperation as he vehemently shook his head.

"No! Don't pin this on me! You used him as a meat shield! You're the one who got him killed! Argh! Damn it!"

The reality of Zhang Chen's death was sinking in, and with it, a wave of panic surged through Xu Zheng's mind. Zhang Chen's grandfather—a powerful and vengeful elder—would undoubtedly blame him. Xu Zheng's own life now hung by a thread.

He needed a scapegoat.

Xu Zheng's gaze flitted wildly until it landed on Jiang Hao and his group. A sinister idea sparked in his mind, lighting up his expression like a glimmer of hope in the dark.

Jiang Hao and his two junior sisters, Fu Xingxing and Lu Mengmeng, flinched as Xu Zheng's predatory gaze fell upon them. Before they could react, Xu Zheng's figure blurred into motion. In a flash, he appeared behind Fu Xingxing and Lu Mengmeng, gripping their delicate necks in his vice-like hands.

"Arghh!"

"Hmmph!"

Their strangled cries sent a jolt of panic through Jiang Hao.

"Xingxing! Mengmeng!" he shouted, his face twisting in rage as his fists clenched. "Let them go, you bastard!"

Xu Zheng sneered, tightening his grip. "Don't move! If any of you try anything, I'll kill them!"n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

His eyes darted to Vincent, radiating warning and intent. Xu Zheng gambled on Vincent's possible morality, assuming the masked figure wouldn't dare endanger innocents.

Unfortunately for him, Vincent wasn't the righteous type Xu Zheng was counting on.

Vincent's nonchalant demeanor remained unshaken as he began walking forward, each step deliberate.

Xu Zheng's grip tightened reflexively, causing the two women to whimper and struggle for breath. Their eyes widened in terror as they kicked helplessly in the air.

"I said don't move! I mean it—I'll kill them!" Xu Zheng's voice was shrill, panic creeping in as Vincent ignored his threats.

From his position, Jiang Hao felt despair clawing at him. "Please!" he yelled at Vincent. "Don't move, Senior! You're going to get my junior sisters killed!"

Despite his protest, Vincent didn't stop.

Desperation etched itself across Lu Mengmeng's pale face. Through her labored breaths, she choked out, "S-Senior Brother… d-don't mind us. P-Please, escape…"

"No!" Jiang Hao's voice cracked as he shouted. "I'm not going to leave both of you!"

The determination in Jiang Hao's words made Vincent pause for a brief moment. Xu Zheng noticed and seized the opportunity to press further.

"That's right," Xu Zheng jeered, smirking smugly. "If you listen to me, they'll live."

Jiang Hao's jaw tightened as he weighed his options. There wasn't much choice. Steeling himself, he offered a grim compromise.

"Let them go, old man," he said in a low, trembling voice. "You're after me, right? Take me instead, but let them go!"

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Xu Zheng raised an eyebrow, feigning thoughtfulness. In truth, he was already scheming. If he captured all three of them, he might have something valuable to bargain with. But first, he needed to manipulate Jiang Hao further.

"I'll consider it," Xu Zheng lied smoothly. "But only if you seal your origin core. Do that, and I'll let your girlfriends go."

Jiang Hao hesitated, his heart warring against his pride and survival instinct. His junior sisters gasped and squirmed weakly in Xu Zheng's grip, their lives slipping away with every second. Clenching his teeth, he finally nodded.

"I'll do it," he muttered, his voice laden with sorrow. "Just… let them go."

A victorious grin stretched across Xu Zheng's face. "Good boy. Do as I say…"

But just as he was about to savor his triumph, a violent gust of wind erupted around him. His body lifted off the ground as a powerful force slammed into his chest, sending him hurtling backward. His grip on Lu Mengmeng and Fu Xingxing faltered, releasing them as he crashed heavily into the ground dozens of meters away.

Jiang Hao's breath hitched in his throat as he stared at the masked figure now holding his junior sisters safely in his arms.

"Senior…" he whispered, awe and relief mingling in his voice.

Vincent set the two girls down gently, his eyes not even glancing back at them as he approached Xu Zheng. The older man groaned, coughing up blood as his body ached from the impact.

Before Xu Zheng could gather his wits, Vincent appeared beside him, moving with almost unnatural speed. Xu Zheng's trembling gaze met Vincent's piercing eyes before he felt a claw-like grip tighten around his neck.

"Urgh… L-Let me go!" Xu Zheng rasped, but his demands fell on deaf ears.

Vincent's origin energy coursed through his palm as he thrust his hand forward, piercing through Xu Zheng's abdomen.

Crack!

The sound of the shattered origin core rang loud in the silent battlefield.

"Y-You destroyed my origin core…" Xu Zheng stammered, his voice filled with despair.

With his life force rapidly depleting, wrinkles etched themselves into his face as he visibly aged. Vincent, unbothered, tossed the broken man aside like discarded trash.

He did not immediately kill him; instead, he retrieved the remaining Life Fruit to upgrade it to an epic grade.

Earlier, he had used the experience points gained from killing the Stone Arm Ape to upgrade one of the Life Fruits. Now he used the experience points gained from Zhang Chen's death.

THIS CHAPTER UPLOAD FIRST AT NOVELBIN.COM