Awakened Talent: 10,000 Exp Converter!

"Fine. You can stay outside," Vincent relented, his voice laced with a mix of resignation and authority. "But you'd better behave yourself, understood?"

Mochi's earlier distress vanished as she nodded eagerly, puffing out her chest with an exaggerated sense of pride.

"Of course! I'm the Great Mochi, after all! Such a simple task is nothing for someone of my stature!"

No sooner had she declared her greatness than the birds in the surrounding trees erupted into startled chirps, scattering in every direction as though a storm had rolled in. Their sudden departure set the atmosphere on edge.

The silence that followed was broken by a distant explosion.

Boom!

The sound was faint but unmistakable, accompanied by a subtle tremor beneath their feet.

"Hiic!" Mochi squeaked, startled, and launched herself onto Vincent's shoulder with surprising agility. Her fur bristled as she clung to him, wide-eyed and trembling.

With a piercing gaze, Vincent's expression hardened as he stared fixedly toward the source of the explosion.

"W-What's happening?" Mochi's voice rang in his mind as she wondered.

Soon, the tremor grew stronger as a massive figure began approaching from a distance. With his current Mental Attribute, his perception was heightened through his skill Sixth Sense, combined with the permanent slight enhancement from the chaos energy he had absorbed. His perception could extend to a maximum of half a mile.

Hence, even without fully exerting his senses, he could already discern the appearance of the approaching figure.

It was enormous—a hulking, green-skinned primal standing nearly nine meters tall. Its thick, powerful back legs were built for raw strength, while its comparatively smaller forelimbs gave it an unmistakable appearance.

Vincent's mind clicked in recognition.

"A Tyrannosaurus Rex," he murmured, his voice tinged with a mix of awe and disbelief.

For a man who had lived on modern Earth, the sight of such a creature felt surreal. He had read about them in books, seen them in films, and even dreamed of what they might have looked like in their prime. Yet now, standing before him, was a living, breathing Tyrannosaurus—something he had never expected to witness.

But this was the Origin World, and things here were rarely what they seemed. Every primal, no matter how familiar its appearance, was far more dangerous than any creature that had existed on Earth.

Vincent's eyes narrowed as he assessed the creature's strength.

Leafscorcher Tyrannosaurus — Tier 2 (1★)

"A Tier 2 (1★) primal… I guess this is enough for me to test out my current strength," he thought before turning his attention to the black-furred rabbit perched on his shoulder, Vincent raised an eyebrow.

"You're Tier 2 as well, aren't you? Shouldn't you be able to take care of that thing?"

Mochi bristled, her ears twitching as she responded with a haughty tone that wavered slightly under scrutiny.

"Hmph! Of course, I could handle that oversized lizard! But… well, I just reached Tier 2, you see. My strength hasn't fully stabilized yet."

Her gaze darted nervously to the side, refusing to meet his.

Vincent smirked beneath his mask, his expression hidden but his amusement clear in his tone. He saw through her excuse instantly but chose not to press the matter. Calling her out would only result in another dramatic display of tears, and he wasn't in the mood for it.

"Are you planning to stay on my shoulder while I fight it, then?"

Mochi's ears perked up at his question.

"You want to fight that? No, you might die!"

Vincent didn't repeat his words, instead maintaining a steady stare. Mochi twitched her nose in subtle annoyance before leaping off his shoulder.

"Hmph, do what you want!"

Vincent ignored her protest and focused his attention back on the approaching primal.

By now, the Leafscorcher Tyrannosaurus had locked onto their position. Its movements, initially random, grew deliberate as it charged with an earth-shaking roar.

Despite its massive size, the creature moved with surprising speed, closing the distance with alarming efficiency.

Vincent stood his ground, deciding not to summon his armament. This was a rare opportunity to test the raw power of his 50 Force Points, bolstered further by the additional three points from the Ruby Ape Earring.

"100 meters… 90… 80…" Vincent counted silently, his body coiling like a spring as he calculated his timing.

The moment the primal reached 50 meters, he launched himself into action.

With a single, explosive kick, Vincent disappeared from sight, leaving behind only a faint gust of wind.

"Where did he go?" Mochi muttered, her wide eyes darting around in confusion.

Her search ended when she spotted him high above the Leafscorcher Tyrannosaurus, suspended 12 meters in the air like a shadow looming over its prey.

The massive creature, unaware of Vincent's sudden appearance, continued its charge with unrelenting momentum.

Hovering above, Vincent clenched his right fist, muscles rippling with raw power. With a sharp exhale, he brought his arm down in a devastating punch aimed directly at the creature's skull.

"Ha!"

The sound of his fist cutting through the air was followed by an earth-shattering impact.

Boom!

The Leafscorcher Tyrannosaurus crumpled under the force of the blow, its massive body smashing into the ground with a deafening crash. The impact sent shockwaves rippling outward, uprooting trees and leaving a massive crater in its wake.

As the dust settled, Vincent landed gracefully, his gaze fixed on the lifeless body of the primal. Moments later, the massive creature dissolved into particles of shimmering digital light, its form dissipating like an elaborate fireworks display.

A notification appeared in his vision.

You have successfully killed a Tier 2 (1★) Leafscorcher Tyrannosaurus!

You have received 200 experience points!

Talent Activated!

+2,000,000 experience points!

"Am I truly this powerful?" Vincent murmured, staring at his fist as if it belonged to someone else.

From her hiding spot behind a nearby tree, Mochi peered out cautiously, her expression frozen in utter disbelief.

Unbeknownst to Vincent, Mochi possessed an ability that allowed her to see an individual's level. When he had declared his intent to fight, she had been certain he was throwing his life away. Yet the scene before her contradicted everything she had anticipated.

Vincent, oblivious to her turmoil, turned his attention to the loot left behind by the tyrannosaurus.

+1,000 Origin Crystals

1 Green Orb

2 White Orbs

He stored the crystals in his ring before inspecting the white orbs.

You have received 4 Leafscorcher's Tendons!

You have received 1 Leafscorcher's Serrated Tooth!

A quick scan revealed these to be common-grade forging materials. He stored them without hesitation and shifted his focus to the Green Orb.

The orb glowed faintly before revealing its prize: a crystal-shaped emerald.

Item Name: Leafscorcher's CoreNôv(el)B\\jnn

Grade: Uncommon

Details: A Tier 2 Leafscorcher Tyrannosaurus' Origin Core, containing residual energy. An item capable of enhancing a primal's strength.

"How convenient," Vincent mused, raising an eyebrow. The timing was almost suspicious, considering he had recently acquired primal pets. Still, he dismissed the thought, storing the core in his ring.

"What's a Tier 2 primal doing here on the outskirts of Verdant Wild Forest?" he muttered softly in wonder. It was an anomaly that demanded investigation, though he lacked the information to form a concrete theory.

His thoughts turned to Mochi, who still stood frozen, her wide eyes locked onto him.

"Just what kind of creature is Mochi?" he pondered. The question had been plaguing him for some time. He had no comprehensive understanding of his own chaos energy, yet this small creature had absorbed it without issue. Now, she radiated a faint aura of chaos energy herself.

For now, however, his priority was to leave. The commotion from the battle was sure to attract either a powerful figure or more primals, neither of which he wished to encounter.

"We need to move," he said firmly.

Mochi snapped out of her stupor, scrambling to his side. The earlier bravado in her demeanor had vanished, replaced by quiet obedience.

After a few moments, just as he got back into the Novice Sanctuary, he noticed several groups of origin warriors moving in a hurry.

He narrowed his eyes in wonder before picking up his pace, heading to Novice Center.

Continue reading on empire

And before he could enter the establishment he could already sense the commotion inside.