Despite his thoughts, he couldn't stop grinning from ear to ear. The sense of improvement coursing through him was undeniable. This wasn't just a slight enhancement—it was a monumental leap forward.
Unable to contain his excitement, he clenched his fist in triumph, inadvertently causing his bed to creak ominously. Moments later, the wood gave way with a resounding crack, sending him tumbling headfirst to the floor.
Bang!
The loud crash echoed through the Newcomer's Lounge, causing the entire structure to tremble. The noise jolted everyone below and the occupants of the adjacent rooms.
Bang! Bang!
Angry pounding on the wall soon followed, accompanied by the irate voice of his next-door neighbor.
"You're too loud! I've tolerated you long enough! Do you think this is your personal playground? Go find somewhere else to stay!" the man roared.
Vincent scratched his head and let out a wry smile as he stood amidst the wreckage of his rented room.
"I suppose I'll have to pay for this…"
Though he thought about switching rooms, he didn't act on it immediately. Instead, he moved his belongings into a corner, stored the broken bed in his storage ring, and cleared out the central space.
Once everything was settled, he resumed his cross-legged position and arranged several origin crystals around him. His work wasn't done yet.
There were still two attributes left to upgrade, and luckily, he had a couple of experience potions remaining.
Without hesitation, he drank the second Tier 1 experience potion he had received from Dean Thorne.
+100 Experience Points!
Talent Activated!
+100,000 Experience Points!
As the points accumulated, Vincent began converting them into purified energy.
1,000 experience points and 100 origin energy consumed!
+1 Purified Energy.
After some time, he amassed another 50,000 purified energy. His remaining attribute points, combined with this newfound energy, brought his total to 59.2 points.
"Fifty-nine points… Let's see what I can do with this," he thought aloud. After a brief moment of deliberation, he decided to focus on his Speed Attribute. At the time, it sat at 7.5 points.
He added 2.5 points to reach 10, encountering no resistance as expected. With another 10 points, his Speed attribute reached 20.
This time, he was puzzled. When his Force attribute had hit 20, he'd encountered an invisible barrier preventing further upgrades. Yet now, with his Speed attribute at the same threshold, there was no such obstruction.
"Could it be due to the Chaos Energy's influence?"
That seemed the only plausible explanation. Somehow, the Chaos Energy inside him had expanded his potential, though he couldn't confirm it. Still, that was his assumption.
With this realization, he continued adding points to his Speed attribute until it hit the known limit of 50 points. As anticipated, an invisible barrier within his mind and soul halted any further improvement.
He examined his body but noticed no visible changes, aside from a slight sense of lightness.
Perplexed, he decided to stand. However, as he did, he felt as though he were floating. Suddenly, his body surged upward at an incredible speed, startling him. Just before colliding with the ceiling, the world seemed to slow, as if he were moving in slow motion.
Even so, he couldn't stop his momentum. Reflexively, he adjusted his body and spread his limbs, anchoring himself to the ceiling with his arms and legs like a certain superhero, before landing back on the floor.
In that brief moment, he understood the transformation his enhanced Speed attribute had brought. His physical speed had surged, and what seemed like slow motion was actually his perception accelerating drastically.
"This is incredible!" he exclaimed. His strength had already improved, and now his speed had too. Just these two enhancements alone were enough to thrill him.
Yet, he was even more eager to enhance his Mental attributes, curious about the surprises they might bring.
He once again sat in a lotus position and consumed the last Tier 1 experience potion from the Dean.
+100 Experience Points!
Talent Activated!
+100,000 Experience Points!
Without delay, he began another session of conversion into purified energy.
A while later, the potion's effects subsided, and he had gained another 50,000 purified energy points.
Adding this to the 16.7 attribute points left from the prior session, his total rose to 66.7 points.
His current Mental attribute stood at 8.5.
He didn't hesitate, upgrading it directly to 20, which he believed was the natural limit for a Tier 1 Origin Warrior. As he had anticipated, further confirming his theory about Chaos Energy's influence, there was no resistance.
With another 30 points, he raised his Mental attribute to 50.
The moment it reached 50, the world around him seemed to freeze. His vision extended beyond the walls of his rented room.
He saw the people in the adjacent rooms, some silently cultivating and others engaged in intimate activities.
His vision didn't stop there. It moved beyond the Newcomer's Lounge, traversing the Novice Sanctuary to its outskirts.
It was as though he were physically present wherever he looked.
Suddenly, he sensed a powerful presence emanating from the tallest building in the core of the Novice Sanctuary. Focusing his gaze, his vision zoomed through an open window, revealing a humanoid figure with a crystalline body.
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It was a Crystallian, a well-known race and the rulers of this sanctuary.
Vincent frowned, feeling an odd familiarity with the figure.
"Wait! He's the—" Before he could complete his thought, the Crystallian abruptly opened his eyes, staring directly in Vincent's direction.
"Who's there?!"
The Crystallian frowned, then tilted his head in confusion upon finding no one.
"I must be paranoid…" he muttered, returning to his meditation after glancing at the moonlit sky.
Back in his room, Vincent took a deep breath, regaining his composure.
He recognized that Crystallian. It was the same being who had battled the massive tortoise when he was with Azhara.
Vincent knew how powerful and dangerous this entity was. Thankfully, he had escaped before being noticed. If caught, he couldn't imagine what might happen.
"I'm still not strong enough…" Though he had felt confident after his recent improvements, this encounter reminded him of his vulnerability. There were still many far stronger than him.
He resolved not to settle for his current strength.
With renewed determination, he began crafting plans for his future. Only after that did he finally head to bed.