As Vicente weakened, he couldn't help but think of Annie's face and how the complete amulet could help him and his family.",

One of the significant advantages of a powerful magical artifact was that it could be easily transferred to others. Unlike a power that could only belong to one person and then be lost upon their death, an artifact could keep the power within a family.

'I have to hold on! I'm very close to achieving my goals here,' he thought as he struggled, his knees only an inch from touching the ground.

The last grain of sand found its way into the lower compartment of the hourglass.

Along with the last grain of sand, all the dragon's powers against Vicente ceased, as the beast was still in the same position he had been when he had started to deal with the group.

Elmo and Victor felt the pressure on them ease, and even though they were extremely injured, they couldn't help but look ahead and see the dragon's hind legs hadn't even left their position during the entire challenge.

Vicente had won the challenge, but the dragon had barely moved against them!

'That's the difference between our powers...' Elmo sighed softly, feeling a bit of what it would be like to face the superior vampires.

According to the Leshy, Demien Bloodthorne should be even stronger than the dragon in front of them.

If they faced that creature today, they'd be wiped out without a chance to fight back!

Victor thought something similar when he thought about this challenge. He thought he was already at a high level of cultivation, but today he felt a shock of reality.

'The only way I'll be able to travel this land peacefully is to become Advanced Archmages... But that's completely impossible for me in this millennium.'

The man sighed as he realized that, at least in the current crisis, he would have to deal with the threats at the level of an Intermediate Archmage, which was inferior to the strongest on the continent.

Vicente fell to the ground after all the pressure from the dragon and felt his necklace with the dragon amulet leave his neck and go to the dragon in front of him.

"Well done. You truly are an impressive prodigy. Withstanding my powers like this is enough for me to give you my inheritance."

After saying these words, the dragon's body became transparent, causing the three individuals to open their mouths in shock as they realized who they were dealing with.

"A soul fragment?" Elmo opened his mouth in deep shock.

Who on the continent could form a soul fragment as powerful as the dragon that had defeated them without even trying?

As the dragon disappeared, the dragon amulet's restrictions were completely erased, and it radiated with power as it returned to Vicente's neck.

'Remember my name, Vicente Fuller. Myndentan. One day we will meet in person. Until then, stand firm. Your journey will not be easy.'

Vicente heard the dragon's voice in his mind as he felt his aura and injuries improving rapidly.

Torne didn't hear Myndentan's message to Vicente, but after the dragon soul fragment disappeared, he couldn't help but call out to his master.

'Master, hurry and start cultivating! You can break through to the last level of the 5th stage now!' The ghost's voice echoed in Vicente's mind while he was still thinking about the dragon's words.

The most important thing for him now was to become stronger. After a second of thinking about what Myndentan might have in mind, the young Fuller sat down in a lotus position and began to meditate.

By channeling the mana from his surroundings into his soul while the Dragon Amulet worked on his body, Vicente reached the absolute peak of his level.

By also attaining the understanding required for level progression, his cultivation broke through the Mid-level and High-level barriers, ballooning his powers to the ultimate level of the 5th stage!

Elmo and Victor turned their shocked gazes in the direction where the dragon had disappeared, turning their attention to their ally, who was rapidly solidifying his powers at a higher level than before.

"He advanced?" Victor asked in surprise.

"What luck. He reached the peak while passing the test, and Senior Dragon probably helped him take the last step to move up a level."

"Is that really possible?" The human asked the Leshy beside him.

"For someone who can leave a soul fragment like the one we're facing, anything is possible." Elmo sighed in admiration.

"Impressive! Who could this Dragon Elder be? Can you imagine his level?"

Elmo shook his head in denial as he felt Vicente's powers stabilizing and causing his and Victor's bodies to self-

regenerate.

Vicente was already so strong that even without trying, he made everything around him increase in vitality. The plants on the ground grew and blossomed, and Elmo and Victor recovered from their injuries.

"Someone like him is probably at the end of the 6th stage. Maybe he's not even in our world anymore!"

Victor clenched his fists and thought about the legendary figure they had met today.

Meanwhile, Vicente was finishing his progress, with his cultivation at the beginning of the High-level of the 5th stage, a level he honestly hadn't expected to reach so quickly.

At around 30, Vicente was about to reach the peak of cultivation on the continent, about to become an Archmage!

As he stood up from where he was and thought about how far he had come, he couldn't help but smile and clench his fists in satisfaction, feeling fulfilled after all his hard work.

It had only been about 15 years of mana cultivation, but he had faced many enemies, challenges, overwhelming emotions, and almost died several times.

'With my current strength, my chances of surviving the first vampires to hunt me have increased by 20%! If I can get my next pentagrams in the remaining months of peace, I may solve this crisis!'

He was excited by the possibilities before him, seeing a clear path ahead of him to become an Archmage and fight the strongest of the vampires.

As he thought this, he and his companions, now recovered, heard the voice of another being nearby.

"Challengers, please follow me to the tribe." Near to them, a 5th stage purple dragon appeared there.