Awakened Talent: 10,000 Exp Converter!

"Do you still have questions?" Valyn asked.

"Not for now."

"Alright then. In that case, it's time for you to challenge the Tower of Combat."

Vincent once again shifted his attention to the massive ancient tower.

He wondered what was inside it and who had created it.

He nodded at her and asked, "I understand. Is there anything I should keep in mind?"

"You must remember that dying inside the Tower of Combat is the same as dying outside. This means you'll be transported back to our planet and lose the ability to return to the Origin World."

"Well, you don't have to worry too much about that. You're allowed to concede defeat if you feel like you're about to lose or are certain you can't win against your opponent."

Vincent nodded in understanding.

"Anything else?"

Valyn faintly shook her head before reaching for Vincent's face and embracing him against her bosom. Vincent was surprised, but he didn't react as he felt her softness.

"This is your good luck charm. Now go, beat the crap out of them!"

After saying that, she let go of Vincent and pushed him forward.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Vincent was still lost in thought, recalling the softness of Valyn, as he joined the line at one of the three entrances to the tower.

The left entrance was for Tier 1 challengers. He queued behind the others.

After a while, it was his turn. An interface appeared before him, asking for his handprint and name.

Once he placed his hand on it, his body was immediately surrounded by digital lights before vanishing into the Tower of Combat.

[Welcome to the Tower of Combat, dear challenger, Magnus!]

An archaic voice rang out as soon as he found himself in a dimly lit ancient chamber where the end and roof were out of sight.

[As per the tower's rules, your Origin Core will be sealed for the duration of the challenge.]

He felt his Origin Core being sealed once again. Though he was already aware of it, he still felt a little bitter. He had just regained his Origin Energy after a rough training session last night, and now it was sealed again.

[In this tower, you will fight a random opponent of the same tier. Each victory earns you 100 Tower Points, which can be exchanged for items at the tower's exchange. Since you currently have no Tower Points, you cannot visit the exchange.]

Vincent nodded in understanding as the archaic voice continued.

[After each fight, you will have 30 minutes of rest. If you lose and admit defeat, you won't be able to challenge the Tower of Combat again for two weeks.]

He nodded once more.

[Additionally, you cannot use any weapons or items that aren't from the tower.]

Vincent showed no reaction, as he had already expected this.

[Are you ready to begin your challenge?]

Vincent nodded.

"Yes."

As soon as he answered, several digital lights appeared in front of him, materializing into various types of weapons: swords, rapiers, bows, axes, and more.

[Please pick your weapon of choice.]

Without hesitation, he grabbed a plain sword. It wasn't particularly long or heavy, measuring approximately 150 centimeters and weighing only a few kilograms.

As soon as he picked it up, the other weapons vanished.

[Your opponent will be assigned shortly. Please wait patiently...]

[Match Found!]

Vincent then saw his opponent's record.

Bjor Palku

Tier 1 (5★)

4 Wins - 5 Losses

His opponent had more losses than victories.

[Please select your Battle Map!]

Several screens appeared in his vision, showcasing maps of different terrains. He chose a simple flat arena named the Cliff of Death Arena.

Once he made his choice, his vision and surroundings blurred.

On the other side, when Bjor Palku saw his opponent's record, he couldn't suppress a grin.

"Finally, a newbie! This is going to be my fifth win!"

After a short moment, the two appeared in the flat, elevated arena. Despite its plain appearance, the arena was surrounded by an endless pit, making falling off a fatal mistake.

As soon as he appeared, Vincent caught sight of his opponent: Bjor Palku, a Birdman.

The battle map was clearly in Bjor Palku's favor.

"Haha," Bjor Palku laughed when he saw the map. "To think you chose this map against me? It seems you're giving me a free win. I'll be kind and let you concede defeat."

Vincent simply took a fighting stance and raised his sword in response.

Bjor Palku frowned, displeased by Vincent's reaction.

"You really don't want to surrender?"

Vincent ignored him.

"Hmph, don't say I didn't warn you!"

With that, Bjor Palku flapped his jade-colored wings, taking to the air. He nocked an arrow and aimed at Vincent.

With a strong pull, he released the bowstring, and the arrow flew swiftly toward Vincent.

Whoosh!

Vincent didn't react until the arrow was within two meters of him. Then, he turned his sword and used the width of the blade to block it.

Bjor Palku wasn't disappointed. Instead of shooting a single arrow, he nocked three at once and released them.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The arrows whistled through the air as they sped toward Vincent.

Vincent narrowed his eyes and slashed the arrows as they neared him.

Clang!

Bjor Palku didn't relent. He continuously fired three arrows simultaneously.

Whoosh!

This time, instead of a direct attack, several arrows curved mid-air, passing around Vincent and targeting him from behind like homing missiles.

Whoosh!

One arrow arrived too quickly, forcing Vincent to dodge by jumping backward.

Thud!

The arrow missed and embedded itself deeply in the ground.

Two more arrows followed in quick succession as Vincent rapidly retreated.

Just as he moved back, he heard another whistling sound behind him—a new volley of arrows had been fired.

Vincent quickly spun around and performed a series of backflips, narrowly dodging the arrows as they struck the ground.

Whoosh!

Another whistle sounded, this time from three more arrows curving through the air. However, Vincent was more prepared now and anticipated their path.

He avoided them effortlessly and, as soon as the last arrow passed, he grabbed the nearest arrow stuck in the ground. With a full spin, he hurled it forcefully at the airborne Birdman.

The arrow tore through the air with a piercing whistle, reaching Bjor Palku almost instantly.

Despite seeing it coming, Bjor Palku had no time to react. He managed to tilt his body and flap his wings but was still struck in the left shoulder.

"Ugh!"

Bjor Palku groaned as the arrow pierced his shoulder. He lost balance, swaying in the air before plummeting headfirst toward the ground.

Seeing this, Vincent grabbed another arrow from the ground and threw it over his shoulder with precision.

Whoosh!

Bjor Palku, still falling, noticed the incoming arrow. Clutching his injured shoulder, he gritted his teeth and flapped his wings desperately to dodge.

While he succeeded in avoiding the arrow, he crashed onto the arena floor, leaving traces of blood behind.

Vincent wasn't one to show mercy. As soon as his opponent hit the ground, he charged forward, aiming to end the battle.

However, a weak but forceful voice stopped him.

"I… I concede!"

The moment Bjor Palku announced his surrender, his body was enveloped in digital lights before vanishing from the arena.

[Congratulations! Victory for Challenger Magnus!]

[You have received 100 Tower Points!]

[You now have a 30-minute resting period.]