Awakened Talent: 10,000 Exp Converter!-Chapter 220: To the Ruined Temple

"May heaven bless you with the best life, my dear Aevara…"

At that moment, Aevara—traveling with Vincent and Ara—suddenly halted and glanced back with a puzzled expression.

An inexplicable ache seized her heart; a profound sadness washed over her, as if she had lost something dear.

She assumed it was her grandmother she would miss, for this was the first time they were to be apart for an extended period.

Meanwhile, Vincent noticed Aevara's sudden pause. He, who had understood everything, felt quite conflicted. As much as he wanted to tell her everything, it was Tayma's decision not to tell her anything, and he could only respect the old woman's decision.

After a while, they resumed their journey.

Since they still have some time before the Tomb of Eternal Echoes opens, he decided it best to secure the keys first.

They now headed toward a ruined temple west of Stonebridge Town.

Several moments later, after crossing tens of miles, it was already afternoon when they arrived at a forest known as Veilwood which was filled with ancient glowing trees.

"Is this the location of the Shardspire Sanctum?" Ara, who had remained silent throughout the journey, murmured in wonder.

Hearing her, Aevara replied promptly, "That's right, my lady. This is where the Shardspire Sanctum lies."

Both Vincent and Ara paused at Aevara's address. Perhaps she assumed that, traveling together, they shared a deeper bond.

When their gazes met, Ara quickly averted her eyes and coughed awkwardly.

"Ahem, there's no need to address me that way."

Tilting her head in puzzlement, Aevara regarded her.

Noticing the confusion, Ara stammered, "W–we aren't in that kind of relationship."

Aevara's confusion deepened.

"Aren't you and the Divine Lordship together?" she inquired.

Instantly, Ara waved her both hands in panic and embarrassed gesture.

"N–no, we're not like that. We're just…" Her voice trailed off as she glanced at Vincent—who remained impassive. Disappointed, she simply shook her head. With a sigh, she continued, "It doesn't matter—just call me sister, or Big Sister Ara."

Aevara was still puzzled but she just eventually nodded her head. If that's what the lady wanted, then there was no reason to object.

"Alright, Big Sister Ara," she acknowledged.

Ara returned a sweet smile beneath her mask.

Meanwhile, Vincent quietly observed the Veilwood Forest as they advanced.

The Veilwood Forest was a hauntingly beautiful forest with tall, ancient trees, their bark shimmering with faint, ghostly light.

Upon closer inspection, one could discern temporal rifts occasionally tearing through the air, reminiscent of static on a television.

As they walked through it, they could even hear faint whispers and faint images of events that once occurred here.

At this moment, they suddenly heard a commotion in the distance, halting their step. Voices could be heard in the distance, distinctly different from the whispers of the Veilwood Forest.

"Get away! We found it first!"

"Heh! Is there a rule that whoever finds it first owns it? Nothing! Hand it over or we'll kill you!"

Vincent and Ara frowned slightly and exchanged glances.

"Origin Warriors…" Ara muttered, and Vincent nodded.

Although they knew other Origin Warriors had entered the Lost Grove, encountering them now was far from ideal,

For the reasons that they could be possibly outnumbered and they were in an unfamiliar place.

"What should we do? Should we avoid them?" Ara asked.

Vincent hesitated, glancing at Aevara, who was also watching him.

"Do we continue this way, or is there an alternate path to reach the ruined temple?" he asked.

Aevara fell silent for a moment, then produced an old sheepskin scroll bearing a detailed map of the Lost Grove.

After a brief inspection, she replied, "There is an alternate path to the ruined temple, my lord. However…"

"However?"

"However, it could take an entire day," she explained.

Vincent frowned; it wasn't that no alternative existed, but it would consume too much time. Had they leisure, he wouldn't hesitate to choose the longer route.

But given their circumstances—and if only he could bring Goldie along, as no primal mounts or pets were allowed inside the Lost Grove—time was of the essence.

Ara understood this instinctively. Thus, Vincent dismissed the alternate route.

"Nevermind, let's check it out first," he declared, and both Ara and Aevara nodded in agreement.

Soon, they discovered the source of the disturbance.

At a glance, they were certain that the two groups were Origin Warriors. They were not phantolisk or simply, not in a semi-transparent form.

At this moment, a group of bipedal dogs clad in leather cloaks were standing in between another group of bipedal wolves and a golden flower that was emitting a golden aura, behind them.

Ara's eyes lit up. "White Temporalis!"

'White Temporalis? It doesn't even appear white to me,' Vincent mused, dismissing the thought; to him, it resembled a golden lily.

"We Puparans discovered this White Temporalis first!" declared the dog-headed warrior at the front.

The wolf-headed fighter retorted angrily, "I don't care about your Puparan race! We Wolfarans will seize whatever we desire!"

Ignoring their bickering, Vincent asked, "You know about that flower?"

Ara nodded. "Yes. White Temporalis is an epic-grade item—it can shorten the time needed to master a skill."

"Oh…" Vincent replied, disappointed.

Though he recognized its quality, his SSS-rank talent rendered it virtually useless to him.

Yet Ara appeared unimpressed by his reaction. "Oh? That's your answer? It's an epic-grade item! Many Origin Warriors would kill for it!"

At her words, Vincent's reaction shifted instantly. "Oh! Wow!"

But his exclamation rang insincerely, prompting Ara to click her tongue in mild annoyance.

"No, we will not give it to you!" roared the Puparan warrior, his stance firm and defiant.

"Then, prepare to die!" the Wolfarans retorted, their voices rising in a menacing chorus.

Just as they were on the brink of clashing, a sudden sound from afar captured their attention.

Vincent and Ara naturally heard it as well.

And when they looked at the source of the sound, they witnessed Aevara, plucking the White Temporalis.

At that moment, black lines appeared on Vincent's forehead.