After eating, Vincent showered and laid on his bed, ready for a good night's rest. It was only then that he finally had the opportunity to go through his phone—and that's when he saw a series of missed calls.
"It's Sarah, Archie's daughter. She's been calling nonstop…"
He quickly returned the call, wondering what could be so urgent.
"Hello?"
The voice that answered made his blood run cold.
"W-who is this?" Vincent asked.
"I have a feeling you already know," came the reply,
Vincent clenched his fist. It really was her. The woman they called Madame Freya.
"Where is Sarah? And why do you have her phone?"
"If you really want to find out, come to the location I sent you. And come alone," she said, then ended the call.
"They got Sarah?!"
Vincent didn't even know how to react. His first instinct was to jump up and rush over. He knew that if he didn't go, they'd definitely hurt Sarah. Yet, he remained seated on the bed.
Since his intelligence increased, decisions like this came with far more thought, just like during his fight with Alen.
"When I got this system, I thought everything would get easier. But it hasn't. Things are only getting more complicated."
"The enemies I have to face are still incredibly strong. And now I've managed to get an innocent girl caught in all this… Maybe I should've just died with Archie. Maybe that would've been better…"
But that's not what happened. He survived. Why?
He remembered Don Angel's words. What was the price for his survival, and Archie's death?
"I don't know about all that... but right now, Sarah needs me."
With that, he got up and headed to the location he was sent.
"Where are you going?" Emily asked just as he was about to leave. "You shouldn't be moving around too much."
"Don't worry. I'll be back. I just have to see someone," he replied casually.
The location Madame Freya sent him to was an abandoned building in a secluded part of the city, the kind of place where people vanished without a trace.
Vincent knew it was a trap. His instincts screamed for self-preservation, but if he wanted to save Sarah, he had no choice.
"System, how many points do I have?"
[Well, you accumulated quite a number after getting beat up.]
"Just answer the question," he sighed.
[310 points were extracted.]
"Alright, show me my current stats."
[[Upgraded Stats]]
Strength: +454
Endurance: +193
Speed: +354
Stamina: +99
Regeneration: +41
Intelligence: +500
'Even with this, I could barely do anything against Alen' he sighed.
He wondered what kind of monsters were waiting for him inside. Did he even stand a chance?
"Let's not think like that… Put half of my available points in speed, then fifty in stamina and regeneration."
Right. The only thing that matters is saving Sarah. With that, he reinforced his resolve and walked into the building.
It was pitch dark—so dark he could barely see.
"System, can I use my points to increase my eyesight?"
[Of course. I told you, you can change anything.]
"Then do that with all my remaining points."
[Okay. Eyesight +60.]
Suddenly, the place wasn't so dark anymore. He could see almost as clearly as if it were daylight. It felt like magic.
He walked around the building, but there was no one in sight. That's when he decided to call.
"Hello? I'm at the location you sent. Where's Sarah?"
"You're there? Good. Just wait," Madame Freya replied, then ended the call.
A few minutes later, he heard cars pulling up outside. Doors slammed. Voices echoed.
"They're here," he said, rushing to the entrance.
"Is this the guy?" one of the men asked.
"Has to be. He's the only one here," another replied.
"Alright, let's get this shit over with," one of them grumbled.
There were two vans, and everyone inside had stepped out. All of them were men. No sign of Madame Freya. No sign of Sarah.
"Where's Sarah?" Vincent asked, even though it was obvious she wasn't there.
The men, armed with iron pipes and metal bats, looked at him, confused.
"Who the fuck is Sarah?" one of them asked.
"I don't know, man. I just want to be done with this and go home," another replied.
"Why are you so moody? We basically got paid to do nothing."
"I was watching my series before this. It's my day off," the man sighed. "Don't worry, you all stay back. I'll handle him."
"I need someone to pour all my frustrations on." The guy with the steel pipe stepped forward.
Vincent understood. This was a trap, Just as he'd expected.
There's no way out but to fight.
He clenched his fist and rushed forward.
"I wish you wouldn't struggle too much. I don't like being stressed," the man said, swinging the pipe at Vincent's head with full force.
Vincent blocked it with his bare hand and countered with a punch to the chin—knocking the man out instantly.
[Severe pain extracted +52 points]
Vincent, and the rest of the men, stood in stunned silence. The fight had lasted less than a second. If you could even call it a fight.
Both sides now realized they may have been wrong about their opponent.
"These guys… aren't that strong," Vincent realized.
"He knocked Fred out with one hit?!" someone shouted. "Let's fuck him up!"
They all charged him at once. But Vincent wasn't fazed—instead, he grinned.
Within seconds, more than half were down. The rest hesitated, fear in their eyes.
Then the van door creaked open behind them.
"That's enough," a deep, dark voice called out.
"You guys clearly can't handle him. I'll take it from here," the man said, stepping out.
And just from the way he moved… Vincent knew. This man was different.