The Journey Continues

"I didn't use this o revive you to keep your soul balance," Asher spoke, his voice steady and resolute, his words carrying a weight that resonated in the chamber. "This dark orb contains the soul of a fallen monster. Though tainted, it possesses great power. By absorbing it, you will grow stronger."

Maya nodded, her expression firm and unwavering. "I understand, Master."

With a steady hand, Asher extended the dark orb toward Maya. As she reached out, a surge of energy coursed through her body, electrifying her senses. The room seemed to tremble with the intensity of the moment.

Maya took the dark orb into her hand, feeling its ominous energy flow through her veins. As she held it, her form shimmered momentarily, as if her very being was merging with the dark energy. The intertwining of her essence with the malevolent soul created a mesmerizing display of otherworldly light, pulsating from within her.

Shadow, Asher's enigmatic ally, observed Maya with an amused look. "She has become strong. Even we will find it difficult to fight her now."

Asher nodded, his gaze fixed upon Maya. "Indeed, it seems the monster's soul was stronger than anticipated. I wonder how much stronger she will become after absorbing all the special monsters in this facility."

Maya, momentarily confused, looked around the room. "Were you talking to me, sir?"

"No, Maya, I'm not talking to you," Asher replied, his voice clear. He directed his attention to Simon, who lay unconscious on the ground. "Heal him."

"By my understanding of your Title, you can also absorb these souls to make yourself stronger," Shadow said.

" Yes, but absorbing a lot of souls in a short period will have side effects on the original soul, I already absorb the soul of the monster you killed on the 34th floor, I won't absorb any souls for a while" Asher

" Oh, I didn't know that it can affect the soul, wait in that case " Shadow mumbled before he look at Maya who was making Simon drink a green elixir, the smile on his face grew " Oh, I like that, I like what you have become "

Maya quickly moved to Simon's side, administering a green elixir that pulsed with healing energy. Simon's eyes fluttered open, filled with confusion as he looked at Maya's face, which seemed subtly different. 'She's... beautiful,' he thought, momentarily taken aback by her transformed appearance.

But as Simon's eyes scanned the room, they widened in shock as he took in the sight of lifeless bodies strewn across the floor. His voice trembled as he addressed Maya, seeking answers to the scene before him. "What... what happened here?"

As Simon waited for Maya's response, a cold voice cut through the silence. "They tried to kill me, so I did what needed to be done," Asher stated, devoid of remorse.

Simon's shock deepened as he turned his gaze toward Asher. "It was you!? How could you do that? You..."

Before he can finish his words an icy resolve emanated from Asher, a cold aura that silenced Simon's protest. Fear etched across Simon's face as he locked eyes with Asher, realizing that something is changed in Asher, ' this look, I'm sure he will kill me' Simon thought, then as he turned his eyes towards the bodies of the fallen women, his eyes teared ' I-I'm sorry once again I couldn't save you '

With a mutual understanding, Asher, Maya and Simon, took the firearms and the belongings of the women then left the room leaving the women's dead bodies behind them. Their next destination lay in the computer panel room, where they intended to awaken BOI-TEK.

Traversing the dimly lit corridors, shadows danced and flickered around them. Finally arriving at the computer panel room, Asher inserted the ID card into the slot, activating the dormant AI. Monitors flickered to life, casting an eerie glow upon their faces as the room came alive with a soft hum.

BOI-TEK's digital voice echoed through the chamber, devoid of emotion yet tinged with artificial intelligence. "An A rank Acess has been detected. Welcome, I'm BOI-TEL. How may I be of service?"

-----The 25th floor

As Asher and Maya cautiously navigated through the room, the silence was shattered by a low, guttural growl. A group of zombies emerged from the shadows, their decaying limbs dragging along the floor as they lunged toward Asher and Maya with an insatiable hunger.

Reacting swiftly, Maya raised her hand, her eyes glowing with emotionless coldness. Two circular portals materialized before her, pulsating with ethereal energy. From each portal, a massive, gleaming white blade emerged, spinning rapidly through the air. The blades hummed with power as they sailed toward the approaching zombies.

With precise aim, the spinning blades tore through the horde, cleaving through decaying flesh and brittle bones. The air crackled with energy as the blades carved a path of destruction, reducing the zombies to lifeless husks. Limbs flew through the air, and blood splattered across the room in a grotesque display.

-----The 23th floor

Asher tightened his grip on his trusty battle ax, its polished blade gleaming in the dim light. With a swift and powerful swing, he brought the ax down upon the nearest zombie, cleaving through its rotting flesh and bone with brutal efficiency. The impact reverberated through the air, accompanied by a sickening thud.

Undeterred, more zombies closed in, their outstretched arms and gnashing teeth aiming to tear into Asher's flesh. With each swing of his ax, he carved a path through the relentless horde. The weapon danced through the air, swift and deadly, as he deftly sidestepped the grasping hands and lunging jaws of the undead.

-------The 21th floor

There in the midst of the dark corridor, a fallen zombie with the semblance of a twisted, frog-like creature. Its decomposing body lay motionless on the ground, emitting an eerie aura.

Asher as he approached the fallen monster. He knelt down beside the lifeless body, his eyes drawn to a small, black orb that seemed to materialize from within the creature's decaying form. The orb pulsated with ominous energy, calling out to him.

Without hesitation, Asher reached out and gripped the black orb in his hand. As soon as his fingers made contact, a surge of dark energy coursed through his veins, intertwining with his essence. The orb dissolved into his being, its power becoming a part of him.

A moment of silence followed as Asher stood up, his eyes glowing with an otherworldly light. The newfound power surged through his body, enhancing his physical abilities.

-----The 20th floor

In one of the rooms Asher, Simon, and Maya stood before a shelf against the wall, adorned with rows of gleaming golden elixirs. The vials seemed to emit a soft, ethereal glow, beckoning them closer. The labels on the elixirs read "Vitaforce 0.3,".