Awakened Talent: 10,000 Exp Converter! - Chapter 202

Chapter 202: Cheater?
Chapter 202: Cheater?

“Open your eyes, everyone! It’s the final round for the last four participants! The winners of these battles will enter the Lost Grove alongside the other victors!” Nato announced, his voice brimming with excitement.

The crowd roared in anticipation, eager to see if Vincent—Shroud—would continue his unstoppable streak.

“The first battle will be between one of our veterans and the dark horse!”

“Finn and Shroud!”

The voice of the crowd erupted in unison, utterly excited!

Vincent looked at his opponent. Finn was naturally at the Peak of Tier 2 stage, a tall and slender man from a race called the Fishmen, commonly seen in the western part of the Novice Continent.

This would be Vincent’s first time fighting against a Fishman.

Based on Finn’s prior battles, Vincent could tell that Finn was a strong Origin Warrior—but not an average one. He possessed an SSS-rank talent!

At this moment, Finn was clad in light armor covering his vital parts, holding a copper trident. His emerald-green fish scales glistened under the sunlight, and his spiky, fiery hairstyle added to his intimidating presence.

His lime-green eyes sent a dangerous glint, emitting the pressure of a Peak Tier 2 Origin Warrior.

Vincent, however, looked at him unimpressed, which Finn immediately noticed, causing the latter to frown in displeasure.

With a resonant and deep voice, Finn said, “I don’t know why you’re faking your own strength. Do you enjoy bullying Origin Warriors weaker than you?”

Finn refused to believe that Vincent—Shroud—was only at the initial stage of Tier 2. He chose to believe that Shroud was using a concealing technique to hide his real strength. It was even possible that he was already at Tier 3, but it didn’t matter. Finn firmly believed he could defeat Shroud.

Despite Finn’s question, Vincent simply stared at him without uttering a word, causing Finn’s expression to darken further.

The referee stepped between them.

“Same rules. Anything is allowed except intentional killing. Once your opponent concedes defeat, immediately stop at all costs. Failing to comply, you will not only be banned from joining the weekly tournament but will also never be allowed to step into the sanctuary again. Understood?”

Both of them nodded, their gazes locked on each other.

The referee raised his arm and exclaimed, “Fight!”

In the next second, Finn disappeared from his spot.

Nato promptly followed through his mic, “It has begun! Will the veteran Finn continue his win and secure one of the two spots for the Lost Grove, or will the dark horse—Shroud, shrouded in mystery—continue his win streak and steal the first spot for the secret realm?”

At the same moment, Vincent stood still while Finn’s blurring figure moved rapidly around the platform.

Finn smirked inwardly, thinking, *Heh, you might be strong, but there’s no way you can match my speed! What a letdown. I was expecting you to make this a little challenging.*

With that thought, Finn reappeared a few steps behind Vincent.

“Behind you!” someone from the crowd exclaimed in worry, likely one of Vincent’s supporters.

Finn naturally heard the shout but smirked. “Too late!” he said before hurling his copper trident at Vincent’s back.

However…

The smile on his face vanished as the trident pierced through Vincent’s body without any resistance. Finn’s eyes widened in shock as he realized the shout wasn’t meant for Vincent. The figure in front of him dissolved into particles of bright light.

Vincent’s calm, mocking voice rang out behind him, “Yeah, it’s too late…”

In the next moment, a powerful force crashed into Finn’s back, sending him flying out of the battle arena.

Bang!

The sound of impact echoed as Finn crashed outside the arena, causing a faint tremor and a thick cloud of dust.

Silence filled the air for a brief moment before the crowd erupted into cheers.

“Shroud! Shroud! Shroud!”

“What a fucking sigma! Another veteran one-hit KO!”

“Has anyone ever heard of him?”

“Is that really what you should be asking? Aren’t you curious if he’s actually a Tier 2 Origin Warrior?”

“Yeah, now that you mention it, I’m skeptical too. Nato mentioned he’s only at the initial stage of Tier 2, but with his performance, there’s no way he’s only at that level!”

Nato, too, was growing confused. According to the registered information handed to him, Shroud was only at the initial stage of Tier 2. But how could an initial-stage Tier 2 defeat a Peak Tier 2 in a single hit?

If defeating an average Peak Tier 2 would only result in amazement, defeating Finn was downright questionable.

As the dust cleared, Finn struggled to stand up, clearly in pain but glaring at Vincent with hatred.

“That’s right! You fucking cheater! I’m absolutely sure you’re already Tier 3! I don’t know how you managed to fool the registry officer, but you can’t fool this crowd!”

Hearing Finn’s words, the crowd nodded in agreement.

“That’s right! You can’t fool us! Fraud!”

“Fraud! Fraud! Fraud!”

“Disqualify him! Disqualify him!”

Despite the pain, Finn couldn’t help but smile inwardly. *That’s right. There’s no way I’ll surrender my spot for the Lost Grove!*

Nato found himself in an awkward position and could only say, “Alright, alright! Let’s all calm down first. I understand your doubts, but we have to prove first that Participant 25—Shroud—did indeed lie about his information.”

Nato then looked at Vincent. “Do you have any problem with that?”

Although he asked, he knew Vincent had no choice but to agree.

Vincent didn’t immediately answer. He looked at Nato for a second before shifting his attention to Finn below.

“I have no problem with that. However, if I prove to all of you that I did not cheat, I want him to apologize, with all of you as witnesses.”

Before Nato could respond, Finn interjected, “Ha! If that’s all you want, I’ll even kowtow in front of you and ask for your forgiveness!”

Finn smirked subtly, confident that Vincent had cheated and lied about his information.

Vincent shifted his attention back to Nato and nodded.

Nato scanned the crowd. “In that case, is there any respectable master who would like to do it for us?”

Murmurs filled the surroundings, and no one volunteered for a moment.

However, soon, a deep and calm voice responded, “It seems no one wants to do it. Then, let this old man have the honor.”

All eyes turned to the owner of the voice as the crowd parted, making way for the old man.

Vincent and the others immediately recognized the figure.

It was a tall man clad in a coffee-brown cloak, hiding his appearance. However, just by his figure, one could tell he had a muscular physique.

Vincent and the crowd wondered who the cloaked figure was.

Nato hesitated before asking, “I apologize for my ignorance, but can you let us know your respectable name?”

The figure laughed lightly. “Hoho, forgive me. I’m really old now. I even forgot to take off this cloak.”

After saying that, he removed his cloak, revealing his appearance.

A collective gasp filled the air.

Even Nato couldn’t hide his surprise.

Vincent was also faintly caught off guard. He recognized the man—not because of his identity, but because he had seen him before!

It was the same Crystallian he had seen fighting a giant tortoise back on his first day in Origin World when he was with Azhara. He was also the same man Vincent had seen when he upgraded his mental energy and used his mental perception to scan the Novice Sanctuary.

Nato exclaimed, “Sanctuary Head?!”

It was Thystian Veylshard, the current Sanctuary Head of the South Novice Sanctuary!

“Hoho… You won’t mind if I do it, right?” Thystian said to Vincent as he walked up to the stage.

Vincent silently observed the most influential and famous individual in the South Novice Sanctuary.

Despite claiming to be an old man, Thystian was in peak physical condition. Even without intentionally releasing his aura, he emitted an invisible pressure that made it difficult for others to look directly at him.

Vincent simply nodded, earning a mysterious smile from Thystian.

Sanctuary Head Thystian flicked his hand, and a palm-sized white crystal appeared in his palm.

“This is the Origin Scanning Crystal. It can scan someone’s strength without any fabrication. If it emits green, it means you’re Tier 2. If it releases a blue light, it means you’re Tier 3…”

The crowd held its breath as Thystian approached Vincent, the crystal glowing faintly in his hand. The tension in the air was palpable, every eye fixed on the two figures standing at the center of the arena.

Vincent remained calm, his expression unreadable as Thystian raised the crystal. The old man’s eyes narrowed slightly, studying Vincent with a gaze that seemed to pierce through any facade.

“Let’s see the truth,” Thystian murmured, his voice carrying a weight of authority that silenced the murmurs of the crowd.

The crystal began to hum softly, its light growing brighter as it scanned Vincent’s energy. For a moment, nothing happened, and the crowd leaned forward, their anticipation reaching a fever pitch.

Then, the crystal emitted a soft, steady green light.

The crowd erupted into gasps and murmurs. “Green! It’s green! He’s really Tier 2!”

Finn’s face twisted in disbelief. “No! That’s impossible! He must have tampered with the crystal!”

Thystian’s expression remained calm, but his eyes flickered with something akin to amusement. “The Origin Scanning Crystal cannot be tampered with, young one. Its results are absolute.”

Finn’s fists clenched, his body trembling with a mix of anger and humiliation. “This… this can’t be!”

Vincent’s voice cut through the noise, calm and unwavering. “Do you have any more to say?”

Finn’s face turned ashen, but he had no choice. With the entire crowd watching, he dropped to his knees and kowtowed before Vincent, his voice trembling with barely contained rage. “I… apologize.”

The crowd fell silent, the weight of the moment settling over them. Vincent had not only proven his innocence but had also humbled a veteran warrior in front of everyone.

Nato stepped forward, his voice breaking the silence. “It seems the matter is settled. Shroud has proven his strength and integrity. Let us move forward with the tournament!”

The crowd erupted into cheers once more, but this time, the name they chanted was filled with newfound respect.

“Shroud! Shroud! Shroud!”

Vincent stood tall, his expression as calm as ever.