Chapter 55: Attracting Attention
As soon as they entered the chamber, Vincent saw various groups of different races, each surrounded by an almost countless number of Blackrat Men. Though some of these origin warriors had Tier 2 strength, they were still overwhelmed by the sheer number of Blackrat Men and Leaders filling the chamber’s vastness.
The sight of so many primals might have spelled trouble for others, but to Vincent, they were all shimmering amounts of experience points. He couldn’t help but drool in his mind.
“What a feast!” he thought, eyes shining, unbothered by the situation.
Even though he was excited to farm experience points, Vincent wasn’t a reckless brute. He quickly scanned the surroundings for anything suspicious. Although his Heaven Eyes skill was special, he couldn’t filter everything at once due to their sheer number. Still, he sensed a strange feeling within the chamber but couldn’t pinpoint it.
He prepared himself regardless. After all, this was the path they chose, now blocked by these Blackrat Men, and they’d have to break through to go deeper.
As expected, Uncle Gold, the wise elder, voiced his thoughts, “We have to pass through them. Young master, your command?”
While Uncle Gold remained calm, the two youths, Fiona and Karl, were already eager to fight.
“Please, command us to kill our way through, young master!” Fiona requested, followed by Karl.
“Yes, please, young master!”
Caelius showed no reaction this time, as though he was already familiar with their behavior.
“Do whatever you want, just make it quick.”
His reply made the two youths exclaim in joy.
“Yes! You’re the best, young master!” Fiona exclaimed.
Karl added, “What about those groups? What do we do with them?” He gestured at the different races being surrounded, looking to Caelius for a decision.
However, what met his question was pure silence and a sharp gaze.
‘Oh no, I blabbed too much!’ Karl thought, recognizing that look—it meant, ‘Stop asking questions; I don’t care.’
Fiona saw her young master’s expression too, and it sent chills down her back.
‘We’re dead this time!’ she thought, pulling Karl and bowing to Caelius. “We’ll be quick, young master!”
She then leaned and whispered in Karl’s ear, “Stop talking and move!”
“Yes, Big Sis,” Karl replied before glaring at the Blackrat Men, taking a stance and summoning his golden gauntlet armament.
Vincent’s brow rose slightly behind his mask as he overheard their conversation.
‘They’re brother and sister?’ he thought, recalling their appearance behind their golden masks.
“They don’t look alike, though,” he muttered, which Caelius somehow overheard.
“Who doesn’t look alike?” Caelius asked, his usual smile accompanied by slightly raised golden eyebrows.
Vincent simply shook his head.
“It’s nothing. I’ll be doing my part this time. I can’t let these experience points pass.”
Without waiting for Caelius’ response, he followed behind Fiona and Karl.
Boom!
A loud sound reverberated as Fiona and Karl unleashed their skills, killing dozens of Blackrat Men at once, immediately catching the attention of the groups being surrounded.
“There’s a new group behind us!” one of the injured Vyrmins exclaimed.
“I know that. I’m not deaf!” his companion retorted.
“What should we do now? Move forward or retreat?”
“Do you think we can move forward in our current condition?”
Alko Swyz, the party leader of the Vyrmins’ group and a Tier 2 origin warrior, replied before glaring in a particular direction.
Initially, they had banded with various races and an influential party before entering the labyrinth. However, the moment they activated this trap and got surrounded by Blackrat Men, that ‘influential party’ abandoned them without hesitation—even their own kin—making him furious.
They had promised a lot when they made contact but ended up betraying them. Now, even their lives as origin warriors were at stake.
If he were alone, he could blast his way out, buy time, and use an escape scroll. Unfortunately, his party members didn’t have escape scrolls like he did. It was his mistake to trust that party, and now he had to take responsibility for his group’s lives.
At the same time, the other party leaders among the surrounded groups noticed the commotion behind them, each exchanging words within their own teams.
Oblivious to their conversations, Vincent didn’t summon his Tier 2 armament; instead, he unleashed his newly upgraded epic skill—Stoneheart Gauntlet. His arms, from fists to shoulders, transformed as the previously earthy-colored stone became like silver-colored stone arms, with wolf-head pauldrons on both shoulders.
“I feel strong!” he thought, feeling the surge of power in his arms.
“Rock Smash!”
Thrilled, he punched the nearest Blackrat Man, blasting it to pieces with a shockwave force that spread five meters forward, shattering several Blackrat Men into particles of digital light.
“You have successfully killed a Blackrat Man!”
“You have successfully killed…”
“Talent Activated!”
“+250,000 experience points!”
“+250,000…”
The beautiful sounds of killing confirmation filled his experience bar. Naturally, the Blackrat Men didn’t just stand idly; they rushed at him, weapons drawn. A Blackrat Man Leader wielding a corroded huge sword even joined them.
With a simple wave of his stone arm, Vincent summoned a dense silver-rock barrier around himself. “Guard!”
Clang!
Hum!
The sound of metal clashing against his barrier filled the air, yet it left no cracks. A faint hum followed as his barrier vibrated briefly before unleashing a shockwave, knocking the Blackrat Men away.
Squeak!
They squeaked in pain as they landed, injured.
“This is great!” Vincent thought, barely able to contain his satisfaction. Real men should fight like this—beating everyone by hand!
But he only entertained that thought briefly; he wouldn’t hesitate to use everything he had in a real battle. He wasn’t foolish enough to hide his strength and risk his life just to avoid drawing attention.
Meanwhile, Caelius and Uncle Gold, who had stayed behind, noticed Vincent’s actions.
Uncle Gold couldn’t help but ask, “Young master, what is that person’s background?”
Clearly surprised, he noted that what Vincent had unleashed wasn’t a simple uncommon skill. Not even rare skills produced that level of power. Though Vincent was only at Peak Tier 1, not even half-step to Tier 2, the force he displayed was near Tier 2.
Caelius, too, was a bit speechless.
“Other than knowing his name, would you believe me if I told you he was just a newbie not even a week ago…”
Uncle Gold was shocked by Caelius’ response. But he didn’t question his young master’s words; Caelius had no reason to lie. The revelation gave his heart a jolt.
“Not even a week, and already at Peak Tier 1 with near Tier 2 strength?” Uncle Gold muttered.
“He might already be at Tier 2 strength. I doubt that’s all he’s capable of,” Caelius remarked with a serious expression, which soon turned into a mysterious smile. “It doesn’t matter. We’ll just continue building our relationship with him.”
Meanwhile, Fiona and Karl created a path by killing dozens of Blackrat Men, eventually reaching the surrounded groups.
The moment those parties noticed them, they also caught a glimpse of Caelius’ figure in the distance.
“We were just abandoned by a demon. We haven’t even fallen back, and now there’s another demon?”
“The Lionfang Clan…”
“That’s the uniform of the Golden Lion Legion!” someone pointed out, indicating Fiona and Karl’s attire.
“They’re a legion of madmen!” another chimed in.
Fiona heard them but wasn’t bothered. However, it was different for Karl; he disliked hearing their elite legion labeled as madmen.
Fueled by frustration from the unending primals, he growled, “Who are you calling madmen?!”
His voice frightened some weaker origin warriors, while party leaders frowned in displeasure.
Just as conflict was about to erupt, the chamber floor suddenly shook, surprising everyone.
“What’s happening?!”
“Look! What is that?!”
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