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No. 3 Novice Sanctuary.

After organizing his plans, Vincent returned to Novice Sanctuary with Goldie. He was wearing his usual 'Shroud' outfit, complete with his Shifting Visage Mask, which was set as a plain emerald mask.

His goal was to meet someone he had been supposed to meet before Valyn brought him to the Tower of Fundamentals.

Novice Center.

It was 12 noon, and the Novice Center was relatively empty, with only a few people inside.

Vincent approached one of the staff members at the counter, a female Almaurian. Before he could even speak, she softly exclaimed, "Mr. Shroud!"

Vincent raised an eyebrow. "Hmm? Do you know me?"

The staff member quickly composed herself. "Oh, excuse my reaction. We were told to inform you that Vice Leader Maggie wanted to have a meeting with you."

Ah, yes. Vincent was supposed to meet with Maggie after the Howling Spire event.

However, he had left for a few days due to his training and hadn't been able to inform her. His primary reason for visiting the Novice Center was to ask her about how she controlled her Primal Energy.

Vincent nodded. "Where is she?"

The staff member hesitated. "Unfortunately, Vice Leader Maggie isn't here at the moment. She left for a mission. If you'd like, I can let her know and set up a meeting appointment."

"When will she return?"

"I apologize, but I'm not certain. It could be later today or tomorrow at the latest."

Vincent considered this for a moment. "Then just tell her to contact me when she returns. She has my contact."

The female staff nodded in understanding. "I understand. Is there anything else I can help you with?"

Vincent thought for a moment. "Hmm... How's the situation with the outbreaks? How many new labyrinths have appeared around the Sanctuary?"

The staff member replied cautiously, "All I can give you is general public information. Is that alright with you?"

Vincent simply nodded.

"As per recent reports, there have been at least four more labyrinths that have experienced outbreaks since the issue with the Howling Spire Labyrinth. Fortunately, many active Origin Warriors have been on the lookout and have managed to prevent the outbreaks from causing further damage."

She continued, "Regarding newly spawned labyrinths, there have been five reported. Three of them are Tier 1 labyrinths, one is Tier 2, and one is Tier 3."

Vincent's interest piqued at the mention of a Tier 3 labyrinth. "Hmm, Tier 3? Where is it?"

"It's 200 kilometers southeast of the Sanctuary, near the Blackthorn Clan Territory and the Green Sharp-eared Guild Territory."

Vincent frowned at the mention of the Blackthorn Clan. He wasn't familiar with the Green Sharp-eared Guild, but the Blackthorn Clan was another matter entirely.

"It seems like heaven wants us to meet," he thought, though he set the thought aside for now. They would meet at the right time. For now, he had more pressing matters to focus on.

"Alright. Thank you for the information."

Just as Vincent was about to leave, a familiar voice called out from behind. "Yo! I haven't seen you in a while."

Vincent turned to see the always carefree blonde-haired young master of the Lionfang Clan, Caelius.

He was surprised to see Caelius, especially since he had heard that the Lionfang Clan was in a full-blown war with the Blackthorn Clan.

He had expected Caelius to be busy with the conflict, but the young master seemed as carefree as ever.

However, when Caelius met Vincent's gaze, he was momentarily stunned. He felt as if a powerful creature was staring him down.

The sensation was so intense that he nervously looked around, but he couldn't find the source of the pressure.

"What was that?!" he thought, furrowing his brows. The feeling was so strange—he felt as if any sudden move could result in his death.

The chill on his spine lingered even after he shifted his attention back to Vincent.

Vincent, unaware of the effect his gaze had on Caelius, simply nodded. "It's been a while."
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Curious, Vincent asked, "How come you still have time to roam around? Aren't you afraid that Grarik will send another assassin after you?"

Caelius chuckled. "That big fool won't have the guts to do it. He must be dying to see me die by his own hands. He wouldn't let anyone else get the chance to kill me."

Vincent was confused. "Hmm. What did you do?"

Caelius waved his hand dismissively. "Haha. Forget about it. My mind has been filled with fighting these days. I want to relax for now. Forget about me—how about you? Where have you been? Did Grarik send people after you?"

Before Vincent could answer, Caelius continued, "Hold on to that. Have you had lunch yet?"

Vincent shook his head. "No."

"Then, let's talk over lunch." Caelius hooked his arm around Vincent's shoulder. "Come on, I'll take you somewhere good."

Vincent could only agree and followed him.

Novice Sanctuary – Inner District.

It was Vincent's first time entering the Inner District of Novice Sanctuary. The area wasn't drastically different from the Outer District, though the presence of Tier 2 Origin Warriors was more apparent.

Caelius led him to a four-story building called Warrior Cuisine. The structure was a blend of medieval and modern architectural styles, giving it a unique charm. As they opened the door, a bell rang, signaling their arrival.

The first floor had a few tables and seats near the bar. Despite the time, there were only a few customers. Vincent wondered why the place wasn't busier but decided not to voice his thoughts.

A middle-aged man of the human race noticed them as they entered. Vincent was surprised to see someone from the human race in the Inner District, as it was rare to encounter human Origin Warriors in No. 3 Novice Sanctuary.

"Oh, Young Master Caelius, you're here... and you've brought a friend, perhaps?" the man greeted.

Caelius glanced at Vincent, wisely choosing not to reveal his identity without permission.

"This is…"

"...Shroud," Vincent answered. Although he trusted Caelius to some extent, he was still cautious about revealing his real name to others.

The bartender, Old Fang, didn't press further about Vincent's identity and simply nodded in understanding. "So, it's Young Master Shroud."

Caelius then asked, "Is Young Master Kryx here?"

Old Fang shook his head. "Apologies, Young Master Kryx is currently outside. He will be back later tonight."

"Oh, it's alright…" Caelius stood up and glanced at the other customers, who were sneakily glancing in their direction. "Old Fang, I'll be at my usual spot. Bring me whatever is on the menu today."

"Understood, Young Master Caelius. I'll be there in a minute."

"Alright. Let's go."

Caelius led Vincent to the third floor, where they waited for a short moment before Old Fang arrived with several dishes. The delicious aroma filled the room, and Vincent couldn't help but drool. He recognized the scent immediately—it was fried Horned-Rabbit!

The last time he had tasted it was during his training with Special Instructor Arthur. He had missed it dearly.

Vincent was surprised to see the dish here.

"How?" he wondered. He had defeated many primals, but none of them had dropped any meat. Most of the drops were items and materials.

Caelius chuckled at Vincent's reaction.

"Are you surprised?" he asked.

Vincent nodded. Although he had eaten meals at the Novice Lounge Inn, the food there was mostly vegetable soup and bread.

"Do primals drop meat and edible parts?" Vincent asked.

Caelius nodded as he picked up a fried Horned-Rabbit on a stick. "That's right. Primals do drop meat. However, the chance is only 0.01%..."