Kapitel 22: Mutated Lake Serpent

As the crowd gasped with excitement, all eyes turned toward the small floating screen showing Vincent. Even the Dean and other influential figures at the podium shifted their attention.

Snake Verno and Mad Dog Arnold, who had been in the middle of a heated argument, suddenly stopped.

Dean Augustus Thorne inwardly sighed in relief, glad that the tension between the two powerful Origin Warriors didn't escalate further. His eyes then focused on the live screen, silently thanking the person who had unknowingly diffused the situation. As his gaze settled on the screen, his eyes briefly flashed with recognition.

"Him?"

The Ice Princess, Sylthana Glacienne, seated beside her uncle Augustus, noticed the change in his expression.

"What's wrong, Uncle? Do you know that student?" she asked.

Augustus didn't immediately reply, seeming to carefully consider his response. But Verno Alieus, nearby, interrupted.

"Mr. Thorne, why have I heard nothing about this student? Are you hiding a talent from us?"

Verno's voice was cold as he referred to Vincent.

Even Mad Dog Arnold joined in, questioning Augustus.

"Mr. Thorne, what's the meaning of this?"

Though Augustus was grateful to Vincent for defusing the situation earlier, he now regretted it. The student was causing him more problems than he could have anticipated, and he felt like crying under the pressure.

"Mr. Alieus and Mr. Mazels, please allow me to explain," Augustus began.

"I didn't reveal anything about the student, Vincent Magnus, because he only awakened last month."

"Last month?!" both Verno and Arnold exclaimed in low voices.

Sylthana's eyes flashed briefly, but she remained silent.

"Yes," Augustus confirmed with a nod.

The other recruiters from lower-level guilds and organizations began murmuring among themselves, wondering if a true genius had appeared in this school. Arnold's eyes sparkled with excitement at the revelation, though he quickly masked it.

"So, tell us. What's his talent?" Arnold asked, trying to contain his enthusiasm.

Augustus hesitated for a moment, unsure if he should reveal Vincent's talent. Ultimately, he decided that since it was public knowledge and easy to discover, it was better to be upfront.

"His talent is... C-rank: Origin Power Enhancement."

As expected, Verno and Arnold immediately lost interest. Even Sylthana's initial curiosity faded. Verno fell silent, while Arnold clicked his tongue in disappointment.

Augustus could only manage a wry smile, having already anticipated their reaction, though he was still surprised at how quickly Vincent had advanced. He couldn't help but wonder how Vincent managed to grow so fast.

---

Meanwhile, back at the battle, Vincent stood silently, eyeing the Mutated Lake Serpent that had now slithered fully out of the lake.

The serpent's scales gleamed like molten gold in the dim cave light, a result of its mutation from the Sunspire Lily, which had given it radiant power.

Vincent could feel the heat radiating from the creature's body, now pulsing with sun-infused energy. Its fury was palpable—after months of guarding the flower, the beast was ready to unleash its rage on Vincent for stealing its treasure.

"I need to keep my distance until I understand its full strength," Vincent thought, his gaze locked on the serpent. He shifted his stance, bracing himself for the battle.

His recent encounters with low-tier Primals over the past two days had taught him that brute strength wasn't everything. Cunning and patience were just as important.

The serpent coiled its massive body, its yellow eyes fixated on him. Without warning, it lunged forward—faster than he had anticipated.

Vincent barely managed to sidestep, his muscles tense as he spun out of the way. The ground where he had been standing exploded as the serpent's head slammed into it with terrifying force, sending rocks flying in every direction.

"Fast, but predictable," Vincent observed, keeping his composure as the serpent recovered quickly, its tail whipping toward him.

Anticipating the follow-up attack, Vincent ducked low, feeling the wind from the serpent's tail pass just above him. He rolled forward, closing the distance between them and swung his [Darksteel Sword] at the beast's underbelly.

The sword connected with a satisfying hiss, leaving a gash in the serpent's softer scales. It wasn't deep, but it was enough to make the creature rear back in pain.

The serpent thrashed violently, its body twisting as it let out a loud, piercing screech. Vincent watched as its golden scales glowed brighter, energy building within its body—the mutation feeding it with even more power.

"It's absorbing sunlight..." Vincent realized, his brow furrowing. If this fight dragged on, the serpent would only grow stronger. He needed to finish it quickly.

Just as that thought crossed his mind, the serpent reared back, its mouth wide open, gathering energy for a powerful attack. A brilliant flash of light burst from its body—a Radiant Pulse.

Vincent's eyes widened as he threw his arm up to shield his face. The pulse exploded outward, momentarily blinding him and knocking him back several feet. He hit the ground hard, skidding across the rocky surface before managing to flip back onto his feet.

His vision blurred, the afterimage of the blinding light still burning in his eyes.

"Too strong to face head-on..." he thought, quickly assessing his options. But the serpent wasn't giving him time to recover. It lunged again, more ferocious this time.

Vincent sidestepped, but the serpent anticipated his movement. Its tail crashed down from above, forcing him to roll out of the way. The ground beneath him cracked, leaving a deep crater where the tail had struck.

"I can't let this continue," Vincent thought. The serpent was growing stronger with each passing second, and the faint sunlight filtering into the cave only fueled its power.

Vincent took a deep breath, centering himself. His Heaven's Eye had already given him insight into the serpent's fighting patterns. It favored brute force, relying on its size and power to overwhelm opponents. But Vincent had no intention of being overwhelmed.

As the serpent lunged once more, Vincent didn't dodge. Instead, he charged forward, closing the gap between them in a blink. His [Darksteel Sword] gleamed as he slashed upward, aiming for the serpent's exposed neck.

The blade connected, but the serpent's scales were tougher than expected. It hissed in pain, but quickly retaliated, coiling its massive body around Vincent in an attempt to crush him.

Vincent barely managed to twist out of its grasp, feeling the pressure from its tightening coils as he slipped free. Darting to the side, his mind raced, strategizing his next move. The poison from his earlier strike was starting to take effect, slowing the serpent's movements, but it wasn't enough. He needed to land a decisive blow.

The serpent reared back, preparing to unleash another Radiant Pulse.

Vincent's eyes flickered as he calculated the timing. He couldn't afford to be hit by that attack again.

The light began gathering in the serpent's mouth, its body glowing with an intense golden aura.

Now!

Vincent activated his Origin Movement Speed, his body becoming a blur as he dashed toward the serpent. Just before the Radiant Pulse was released, he slid under the serpent's massive body, his sword glowing faintly as he activated Virulent Stinger.

His blade sliced deep into the serpent's soft underbelly, injecting a potent poison directly into its bloodstream.

The serpent let out a blood-curdling screech, thrashing violently as the poison spread through its body. Vincent rolled out from beneath it, narrowly avoiding the serpent's tail as it slammed into the ground with terrifying force.

He could see the pain in the creature's movements now. Its attacks were becoming more erratic, less precise.

"It's working," Vincent thought, keeping his breathing steady despite the intensity of the fight.

But he couldn't let his guard down. Even in its weakened state, the serpent was still dangerous. Its massive body coiled again, eyes burning with hatred, as it lunged with its fangs bared, intent on tearing Vincent apart.

This time, Vincent was faster. He sidestepped the attack, his [Darksteel Sword] flashing as he delivered a precise slash across the serpent's neck. The creature recoiled, dark blood pouring from the wound.

Vincent didn't stop. He pressed the advantage, slashing again and again, each strike more accurate than the last. The serpent's movements slowed further, its body weakening under the combined effects of the poison and blood loss.

Finally, with one last effort, Vincent leapt onto the serpent's back, raising his sword high. He drove the blade deep into the creature's neck, sinking it into its flesh.

The serpent let out one final, agonized screech before collapsing to the ground, its body twitching violently before going still.

You have successfully killed a Mutated Lake Serpent!

You have received +50 Experience Points!

Talent Activated!

+500,000 Experience Points!

Vincent stood over the disintegrating body of the serpent, his chest heaving from the exertion. His mind remained sharp as he assessed the situation. He had won, but the battle had pushed him to his limits.

"I can't afford to take risks like that again," he thought, wiping the blood from his sword.

This was the first time he had fought against something nearly stronger than him, without even using his chaos energy. Although he knew the power that energy could provide, he was still uncertain about the potential negative effects it might have on him.

Shaking off those thoughts, Vincent noticed that his primal points had increased by 100, doubling what he would normally gain from killing a normal peak Tier 1 Primal.

With the additional 100 points, his primal points were now close to 300.

He glanced at his communication device, checking the remaining time.

"There's still more than an hour left. I can hunt a bit more, but before that..." Vincent muttered to himself, falling into deep thought as he observed his personal interface.

---

Back at the school's arena, the crowd was still glued to the screen, watching Vincent's performance. Their expressions were a mix of awe and disbelief.

They had just witnessed Vincent defeat a Mutated Peak Tier 1 Primal without taking a serious injury.

"Wow!"

"Vincent! Vincent! Vincent!" the crowd cheered.

"I can't believe it! He actually beat that mutated lake serpent! But does that mean he can defeat our top student, Elric Baelius?" one spectator asked.

"Are you crazy? Senior Elric would easily beat that mutated Primal! He has an A-rank talent! A-rank! And Vincent only awakened a C-rank talent. He's nothing compared to Senior Elric!" another argued.

Once again, the crowd fell into heated debate, arguing passionately over Vincent's abilities compared to the school's elite.