"You…"
Ana was shocked. Though he wore a mask, she recognized his voice without a doubt.
Vincent interrupted her after a quick glance. "It seems you’re alright. Go, take a rest. I’ll handle this."
Ana was speechless. Unsure of what to do, she walked subconsciously toward her companions, carrying Little Winter in her arms.
Facing the countless Blackbite Rats, a normal human would likely despair. But to him, they were weaklings unworthy of experience points. He could, however, gain experience by finding the source of these rats. But he could still not pinpoint its location. He had to do something to let it reveal itself.
Gripping his Duskedge Blade, he considered how to annihilate the Blackbite Rats most efficiently.
Before he could move, several shadows approached and stood around him: Jokyr and the others.
"Why did you jump in alone?!" Clauny complained, evidently frustrated.
Jokyr stepped closer, giving Clauny a gentle knock on her head.
"You idiot! You saw Shroud jump, and you immediately followed!" Jokyr sounded angry, but his voice held more concern.
Rossy and Swordy had also joined, worried about Clauny.
Vincent couldn’t help but smile behind his mask, surprised to see them all jump in. This group seemed odd and a bit reckless, yet he was glad for it. They were far better than cold-blooded people.
It showed that despite conflicts in human territory, humans in the Origin World were compassionate toward their own kind. Just like when he had received help on his first day in Origin World.
Jokyr, though still annoyed, could only sigh before facing Vincent.
"You jumped first. It’s your responsibility now. What’s your plan?"
His gaze was serious and determined, and Clauny looked at him with anticipation. Rossy and Swordy simply followed Jokyr’s command.
A soft laugh escaped Vincent. Shaking his head briefly, he began.
Though it was true he had jumped first, he hadn’t asked them to follow. Even so, he wouldn’t argue over it.
He voiced his plan: "Rossy, I want you to use the skill you used to isolate the Poisonous Toad Leader earlier. Make a simple barricade to protect yourselves."
He glanced at Jokyr and Swordy. "I need you to keep them safe in the barricade. If you have a way to attract the primals, use it."
Clauny chimed in, "What about me?"
Vincent paused. He had only a vague idea of her abilities. Even the others hadn’t revealed their full strength.
"What can you do besides buffing Rossy’s casting speed?" he asked.
"I can heal and summon a small anti-toxin barrier," she replied.
Vincent’s purple eyes glinted for a second before he decided.
"How long can it last?"
"I can hold it as long as I have enough energy."
"How’s your origin energy?"
"I still have more than half."
"Alright. Once Rossy casts the barricade, I want you to summon the anti-toxin barrier. Keep it up until I tell you otherwise. Understood?"
Clauny nodded with determination.
Jokyr then handed him a small pouch.
"What’s this?" Vincent asked.
"This will help you attract these disgusting rats. Don’t open it now," Jokyr said hastily, stopping Vincent as he began to open it. "Open it when the time is right."
Vincent nodded. "Thank you."
"Don’t mention it. Do what you need to. Good luck."
Holding his Duskedge Blade, Vincent didn’t hesitate and leaped into the sea of Blackbite Rats, slashing his sword to clear a ten-meter radius instantly.
Seeing this, Jokyr promptly commanded, "Go, Rossy!"
Without hesitation, Rossy raised her hands. "Sprout!"
Thorny branches sprouted from the ground around them.
Clauny followed up with her staff. "Boost!"
Rossy’s casting speed increased rapidly, soon forming a ten-meter circular barrier. Clauny then stomped her staff on the ground, creating a transparent green barrier.
Vincent glanced over his shoulder to confirm their setup was complete. He held out the pouch and pulled the string.
"Let’s see what you can do…"
A nauseating smell wafted out, worse than the foulest stench. The sea of Blackbite Rats squeaked, then swarmed toward him as if bewitched. Vincent began to run in a circle, attracting them all.
Inside the barrier, Clauny and the others, now regrouped with Ana’s group, watched him with worry.
"Will he be alright?" Ana’s female companion asked, her voice filled with concern.
Before Ana could answer, Clauny approached. "He’ll be fine. Let’s trust him. But if you want to help, you need to recover quickly. I’ll treat you all now…"
As Clauny worked, Ana could only look at Vincent, being chased by countless rats, with an unreadable expression.
Back to Vincent. Seeing the swarm furiously chasing him, he decided to end things swiftly. He leaped, distancing himself from Ana and the others.
Standing firm, he raised his Duskedge Blade with both hands and whispered, "Abyssal Venomlash!"
The blade emitted a toxic aura, and with a loud "ha!" venomous, corrosive energy waves spread out, enveloping the primals within a ten-meter radius.
The rats, as if bewitched, halted, coughed blood, turned purple, and dropped dead. The swarm continued to push forward, dying within seconds, as if he had sprayed them with bug repellent.
In ten seconds, he killed thousands of Blackbite Rats, leaving Jokyr and the others watching in awe.
"He’s so strong…" Rossy muttered, amazed.
Ana, holding Little Winter, reacted as well. "He’s gotten stronger…"
Though the Abyssal Venomlash’s effect ended, he had managed to kill half of them, though thousands still remained.
Without hesitation, he activated his C-rank talent, Origin Power Enhancement, and began slashing, using his blade’s skills, releasing waves of purple energy, killing the rats and turning them into shimmering lights.
A minute later, he unleashed Abyssal Venomlash again, killing the remaining rats.
But before he could celebrate, a loud squeak sounded from deep within, causing a faint tremor that shocked Ana and the others, still awestruck by Vincent’s strength.
Turning at the source of sound, he found a giant and plump rat, it had a height of almost 3-meter tall. It was emitting a nauseating smell and corrosive aura with a hint of familiar energy. It was like his chaos energy but somehow different.
It was the same energy he felt before entering the den.