Awakened Talent: 10,000 Exp Converter!

"It's still fat..."

Vincent muttered under his breath, his tone laced with amusement, as he studied the newly evolved black rabbit. Its long, thin ears, which reached its back, perked up sharply.

The plump creature spun around and fixed him with a sharp glare, its small eyes gleaming with indignation.

Suddenly, Vincent felt an odd tug in his mind, like an invisible thread had connected him to something. Moments later, a young girl's voice—childlike yet firm—rang in his ears.

"I'm not fat!"

Startled, Vincent instinctively tensed, almost flinching as he processed the impossibility of the moment.

"You... you can talk? Telepathically?!" he exclaimed, unable to hide his astonishment.

The rabbit crossed her stubby arms over her rounded form and snorted, the sound both comical and indignant.

"Hmph! I can do more than that!"

"Oh, really?" Vincent replied, an eyebrow raised in mock challenge. The faint smirk tugging at his lips betrayed his disbelief.

"Like what—eating everything in sight?"

Her already irritated expression deepened into frustration.

"I can do many things besides eating!" she snapped, jabbing a tiny, furry finger in his direction. Her round cheeks puffed up, and she resembled an animated balloon, moments away from popping.

The sight was too much for Vincent, who suppressed a laugh, though his shoulders betrayed his mirth.

"Alright then," he drawled lazily, his tone oozing playful condescension. "Why don't you show me? Come on, impress me, fat rabbit."

The rabbit stomped her tiny feet against the ground, her frustration bubbling over into a full-blown tantrum.

"I'm NOT a fat rabbit! I have a name!" she huffed, her voice trembling with barely restrained anger.

Vincent's intrigue piqued at the mention of a name. He leaned forward slightly, his gaze narrowing.

"Oh? A name, huh?" he prompted. "Alright, then. What is it?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

The rabbit's bravado faltered. Her mouth opened as if she were about to declare something grand, but no sound emerged. Her ears drooped slightly, and her expression turned sheepish as she scratched her head in visible embarrassment.

"I... I forgot," she finally admitted, her voice barely audible.

Her wide eyes glistened with unshed tears as she looked up at Vincent, her vulnerable demeanor a stark contrast to her earlier bravado.

"D-Do you know my name?" she asked, her voice trembling with desperation, as though clinging to a fragile thread of hope.

Vincent froze, momentarily caught off guard by the abrupt shift in mood. Her tearful gaze struck a chord he hadn't expected, leaving him at a loss for words.

"I... have no idea," he admitted truthfully, his voice softer than before.

The rabbit's eyes brimmed with tears, and her small frame shook as she burst into loud, pitiful sobs.

"Waaaah!"

"Whoa, whoa, calm down!" Vincent panicked, his hands flailing slightly in an awkward attempt to console her. Despite his usual composure, dealing with crying companions—especially small, furry ones—was clearly not his forte.

"It's just a name! We can always come up with a new one for you!"

His desperate attempt at reassurance seemed to work, as the rabbit sniffled and wiped at her tear-streaked face with her tiny paws. Her gaze turned hopeful.

"Really?" she asked, her voice tinged with cautious optimism.

"Of course," Vincent replied with an emphatic nod, determined to avoid another outburst.

"Then..." she sniffled again, her tone soft yet expectant.

"Can you give me one?"

"A name..." Vincent echoed thoughtfully, scanning the rabbit's appearance. After a moment, he offered, "How about Fudge?"

"Fudge? What's that mean?" she asked, tilting her head.

"It's from my favorite chocolate snack, Fudgee Bar. Soft, sweet, and—"

"No!" The rabbit interrupted, scrunching her nose in disgust. "I don't like it!"

Vincent sighed, already regretting offering to name her. Still, he crossed his arms and pondered for a moment before suggesting again.

"Alright, how about Bean?"

The rabbit's eyes narrowed into a glare. "Bean? Do I look like a tiny vegetable to you?"

He held back a smirk, enjoying her indignation more than he should.

"Okay, okay, not Bean. How about... Lumpy?"

"Lumpy?!" she squawked, her cheeks puffing up again.

"Are you even trying?!"

"Alright, alright!" Vincent waved a hand to calm her, though his lips twitched with amusement.

"How about Pudgy?"

Her entire body bristled with indignation.

"No way! Absolutely not!"

"Fatty?" he offered with a sly grin, unable to resist teasing her.

The rabbit practically exploded.

"STOP CALLING ME FAT! It's fur! FUR, I tell you!" she screeched, stomping her little feet with so much force that Vincent half-expected the ground to shake.

"Okay, okay!" Vincent laughed, raising his hands in mock surrender.

"You've made your point. No more fat jokes."

He sighed dramatically, running a hand through his hair. Naming this rabbit was proving more challenging than expected. After a long pause, inspiration struck.

"Alright," he began thoughtfully, his tone more serious now. "How about Mochi?"

The rabbit blinked up at him, tilting her head slightly.

"Mochi? What does that mean?"

Vincent's expression softened, a rare trace of sincerity in his voice.

"It's the name of the most beautiful girl in my world."

Her eyes widened, her cheeks faintly tinged with pink.

"Really?"

"Really," he affirmed without hesitation, his gaze steady.

She studied him closely, her golden eyes narrowing as though trying to discern whether he was joking. But his face remained serious, devoid of the mischief she had grown accustomed to.

After a moment, her lips curled into a small, shy smile. "Okay," she said proudly, puffing out her chest.

"From now on, I'm Mochi!"

"Yes, you're Mochi now," Vincent replied, his tone light, though his lips twitched as if suppressing a laugh.

The rabbit's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Why are you laughing?!"

"Nothing, nothing," he said quickly, though the corner of his mouth betrayed him.

"I'm just... happy for you."

"Hmph!" Mochi huffed, but her expression softened.

Vincent seized the moment to steer the conversation in a different direction.

Experience more tales on empire

"Now that you've got a name, why don't you show me what you can do? You said you could do more than talk."

Mochi's ears perked up, her golden eyes gleaming with determination.

"Hmph! Prepare to be amazed!"

With that, she closed her eyes, her tiny body radiating a faint ripple of Origin Energy. The air around her shimmered briefly, and her long ears twitched before her eyes snapped open.

"Found it!" she declared triumphantly before dashing off toward the forest.

"Found what?" Vincent asked, his curiosity piqued as he followed her.

Mochi darted under the towering canopy, her movements surprisingly agile despite her plump frame. She stopped beneath a massive tree and began scaling its trunk with an ease that left Vincent momentarily stunned.

Once she reached a high branch, she plucked a yellow, apple-shaped fruit and leaped down, landing lightly on Vincent's shoulder.

"Here!" she chirped, holding the fruit out to him with a smug grin.

Vincent took it, his brows furrowing as he inspected the peculiar fruit.

Name: Experius Fruit

Grade: Uncommon

Effect: Grants +1000 experience points upon consumption.

"A fruit that grants experience points?!" Vincent's eyes widened in shock as he processed the item's description. It was yet another reminder of how little he truly knew about the Origin World and its unique resources.

Mochi smirked, clearly basking in his astonishment.

"You have some kind of fruit-hunting ability?" he asked, still marveling at the fruit.

"Not just fruits," Mochi replied with a flick of her ears.

"I have a treasure-hunting ability. I can sense the most valuable items in my surroundings!"

"Only the valuable ones?" Vincent probed, his mind already calculating the potential uses of such an ability.

"Of course not! But why would I bother with trash? Are you some kind of garbage collector?" she asked bluntly.

Vincent's lips twitched as he fought the urge to retort. 'Money is money,' he thought indignantly but decided not to say it aloud.

Instead, he pressed further.

"Is that all you can do? Because, honestly, a single trick won't justify the food you're going to eat."

"Hmph! I'm the Great Mochi! I can do everything!" she declared grandly. Then, after a moment's hesitation, she added sheepishly, "...but I don't remember how."

Vincent sighed, shaking his head.

"Fine. Just tell me what you do remember."

Mochi's ears twitched as she thought.

"Well... I can sense an individual's fate!"

"Fate?"

Vincent frowned deeply. He'd always been skeptical of abstract concepts like fate or destiny. Prophecies, astrology, and anything similar had always seemed like nonsense to him.

Still, his curiosity got the better of him.

"Alright, what can you tell me about my fate?"

Mochi stared at him intently, her golden eyes glowing faintly before dimming again. Her expression turned baffled, and she tilted her head in confusion.

"Eh?"

"What do you mean, 'eh'?" Vincent asked, his voice wary.

"I... I can't sense your fate," she admitted, her tone laced with puzzlement.

"It's like you don't have one."

Vincent chuckled, more amused than concerned.

"See? Fate isn't real."

"No! Fate is real!" Mochi protested, her cheeks puffing up again. "You're just... strange!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm strange," Vincent said dismissively, pulling out a crystal-like ball. "Now, get in here."

Mochi's eyes widened in alarm.

"No! Don't imprison me!" she yelped, leaping off his shoulder and retreating several steps. Her expression teetered on the verge of tears once more.

Vincent sighed in exasperation, realizing that forcing her would likely result in another dramatic episode.

"Fine. You can stay outside," he relented. "But you'd better behave yourself."

Mochi nodded eagerly, her earlier distress forgotten as she puffed out her chest with pride.

"Of course! I'm the Great Mochi, after all!"