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For two days, Jaq had been silently observing Vell.

"This mortal, his methods are barbaric, reckless, but effective. There's something off about him though, something deeper. His body is not like the others—there's the scent of a reaper wolf about him. And yet, he hasn't awakened. What is this? If he's this powerful now, I wonder… is he like 'them'?"

Vell had just gathered his ninth core. The final one, though, had eluded him. If it were up to him, he'd have just scavenged the cores from the dead monsters that littered the streets. But Jaq insisted on making him hunt for them directly. The admin seemed curious about his fighting style, as if he were studying him.

The town was a wasteland, with monsters roving its abandoned streets, corpses of both beasts and humans strewn about. Yet, despite the chaos, he couldn't find any more monsters. He'd been searching for hours, walking through the crumbling remains of what was once a thriving place.

"Damn it! What the hell is going on?! Where are the monsters?"

 He threw a punch into a nearby building. The structure shook, and a section collapsed in on itself, sending debris flying.

Jaq, still hidden in the shadows, frowned.

'This world should be swarming with them. I knew it was strange that so many monsters were killed by the humans. Even if they fought valiantly, they should've been wiped out by now. Could it be…'

His thoughts trailed off, and Jaq slipped away into the tower, disappearing without a trace. He had to confirm his suspicions.

While Vell scoured the town for monsters, Maya sat off to the side, engrossed in a book she'd scavenged. She looked calm, even peaceful. But behind that exterior, her mind was racing.

'Why is he so afraid of letting me help?' she thought, remembering the argument they'd had earlier. Vell had insisted she stay out of the fighting. She recalled his voice, rough with frustration.

"I know you want to help, but it's too dangerous," he had said. "These monsters are at least three times bigger than you, and you don't have my abilities."

"But…" she had hesitated, unsure if she should even suggest what she was about to. "What if I went through the same process as you? What if I... changed too?"

His face darkened instantly.

"No! I was lucky. You might not be. It's way too risky."

His words had cut through her like a knife, and she had stared at him, her jaw clenched. He started to walk away, but her voice followed him, shaky but defiant.

"You can't keep protecting me forever! I need to learn. I need to survive!"

For a moment, he paused. Then, without a word, he continued walking, leaving her standing there, her fists clenched in frustration. Since then, things had been tense between them, and Maya had barely spoken a word to him. Whenever he tried to break the ice, she ignored him or walked away, leaving him to wrestle with the pain of the growing distance between them.

'She's never been this rebellious.' 

He thought, his mind wandering as he wandered the streets.

 'What should I do? I just want to keep her safe…'

His frustration fueled him. He began absorbing the cores of the monster corpses all over the town, every core he absorbed was a way to vent the anger gnawing at him. But something felt wrong. He wasn't growing as fast as he did with the first core. Something had changed, and it bothered him, though he couldn't figure out why.

After a while, he found another monster—sleeping this time. It was a weaker one, nothing that could challenge him in his current state. Letting out a yell, he woke it, watching it charge blindly at him. With one swift punch, he sent it crashing into a nearby wall, leaving it immobile.

But this time, he didn't stop there.

He walked up to it, his face blank, his fists clenched. Then he began wailing on the creature, over and over. His mind emptied as each punch connected with its flesh, his rage taking over. The more he hit, the more satisfying it became. He wasn't even thinking about the core anymore. All he wanted was to destroy.

That was when he heard her.

"VELLL!"

Maya's voice ripped through his haze, and the blood drained from his face. Something was wrong. His heart hammered in his chest, and his mind snapped back into focus. He'd wandered too far. Too damn far.

He sprinted back, the world around him blurring as he pushed his body beyond its limits. He didn't care about the pain. All that mattered was getting to her.

As he turned the corner, his world collapsed.

There she was, leaning against a wall, a weak smile on her lips. Blood streamed from her mouth, and her lower body—her legs—were gone, ripped away by the hulking monster that loomed over her, its teeth drenched in her blood.

"Y-you came," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "A bit late, don't you think?"

He felt like he was suffocating. His vision blurred, his knees went weak. His entire body screamed at him to move, but all he could do was stand there, frozen in horror.

"Why do you have that look on your face?" she asked weakly. "It's not your fault…"

Her words barely registered in his mind. All he could see was the blood, the monster towering over her. And the smile on her face—so warm, so forgiving. She was dying, and she was still smiling.

His mind went blank. Every coherent thought vanished. All that was left was rage.

Pure, unadulterated rage.

Without a second thought, he sprang into action, launching himself at the monster. His legs gave out mid-leap, the muscles tearing under the pressure, but he didn't feel it. The pain was nothing compared to the fury roaring inside him.

The creature was massive, far larger than any he'd faced before. But it didn't matter. It could've been ten times bigger, and he wouldn't have cared.

With a single kick, he knocked the monster off its feet. His body screamed in pain, but he ignored it. Using the momentum, he flipped off the wall, using it as leverage to deliver a vicious punch directly into the creature's mouth, tearing its jaw clean off. Blood sprayed everywhere, but he didn't stop.

He couldn't stop.

Maya watched through tear-blurred eyes as Vell savagely tore the beast apart. Punch after punch, kick after kick. His hands were shattered, his legs were ruined, but he kept going. The way he moved wasn't human anymore—it was more animalistic, feral, driven by an emotion so primal it terrified her.

'Please… Vell, stop…' she thought, though she didn't have the strength to say the words. She couldn't do anything but watch. She was losing him, and the fear of that loss was worse than her own fear of death.

When the monster was finally dead, its body a mangled heap of flesh and bone, he stood over it, panting, his blood-soaked fists trembling. His legs gave out, and he collapsed next to Maya, cradling her limp body in his arms.

"I'm here," he whispered, his voice cracking. "I'm here now… it's okay… I'm here…"

The tears came then, hot and unstoppable. His chest felt like it was caving in, the weight of his guilt too much to bear.

She smiled weakly, her life slipping away with each passing second. She couldn't speak anymore, but her eyes said everything. She was telling him it was okay. That she wasn't afraid. That he didn't need to feel guilty.

But he did. More than anything.

"Please, no… not her…" he sobbed, clutching her closer.

 "Anyone… anyone but her… someone, please, help! Jaq! Where the hell are you?!"

Suddenly, Jaq appeared, his face tight with concern as he took in the scene before him.

"Open the shop! Now!" 

His voice was desperate, raw with emotion.

"Vell—" 

"OPEN THE FUCKING SHOP!" 

His scream echoed through the empty streets, filled with pain, anger, and fear.

The shop interface blinked into existence, and Vell frantically scrolled through the medicine section. His hands were shaking so badly he could barely select anything. But every potion he found wasn't strong enough to heal her. He scrolled faster, panic clawing at his insides.

"Damn it! None of this is enough!" 

He slammed his foot into the ground, cracking the concrete beneath him.

"Vell, listen—"

"You! This is your fault! You and your fucking towers! If it wasn't for you, this wouldn't have happened!"

Jaq felt a cold sensation grip his spine as the tower issued a warning.

[Admin in danger!]

'In danger? But the tower—'

Before Jaq could process what was happening, Vell's hand tightened around his throat, lifting him effortlessly into the air.

"Would you look at that? So much for your tower's protection," he snarled, his voice dripping with venom.

Jaq gasped, his eyes wide with disbelief. "M-Mortal... this is against tower rules. Release me, or there will be... consequences..." His voice was strangled, each word barely a whisper as Vell's grip cut off his air supply.

"Does this look like the tower to you?" 

His eyes burned with rage, the darkness inside him spiraling out of control. His voice was low, but filled with menace.

 "Now listen carefully. You're going to heal her. I don't care what it takes. You will heal her, or I'll tear you apart."

Jaq's eyes darted around, panic setting in as Vell's grip tightened even more. 

'This mortal... no, he's no longer just a mortal. His eyes, his body... it's changing. Something is very wrong here.'

"I... I can't... I don't have that kind of power! I'm the lowest-ranked admin! I can only sell items! Please—kugh!" Jaq was cut off as Vell slammed him into the ground, cracking the earth beneath him, before lifting him again as though he weighed nothing.

"You don't seem to understand," he said slowly, his voice colder than death. "If she dies, you die."

Jaq's mind raced. 'Damn it! He's serious. He'll kill me!' His throat burned as he struggled to breathe. With no other options left, Jaq raised a trembling hand in surrender. 

"F-fine... I... I can't heal her body, it's too far gone... but I can save her soul..."

Vell's eyes flickered. "What do you mean, 'save her soul'?"

"We can extract her soul... and store it. But her body is beyond repair. You'll need to find a compatible vessel—another body to transfer her soul into. It's the only way."

He stared at him for a moment, then finally made his decision.

"Hurry up," he growled, his patience worn thin. "Tell me what to do."

Jaq coughed violently, he knew better than to delay. He could feel Vell's gaze burning into him. 

"Scroll to the potions section," he rasped. "Look for the 'Vez Potion.' It's black. It'll extract her soul."

He did as he was told, finding the dark, swirling potion amidst the other items in the shop interface. He selected it.

"Now what?"

Jaq pointed weakly. "You... need to pour it over her. It will extract her soul. Once that's done, her soul will form into a sphere. You can store it in the bottle. After that, you'll have time. But remember.... you need to find a compatible body. The soul can only survive so long outside of a vessel."

He stared at the potion in his hand, then back at Maya. Her breath was shallow now, her life slipping away. His heart clenched, but he had no choice. He knelt beside her, his hand trembling as he uncorked the bottle.

"Maya," he whispered, his voice shaking. "I'm going to save you, I promise."

He gently poured the potion over her body. The liquid spread across her skin, glowing faintly. Slowly, her body was enveloped in a soft, blue light. The light gathered around her chest, then began to coalesce into a sphere that hovered just above her. It was warm, glowing with a soft, comforting light.

Her soul.

He reached out and touched the sphere, feeling its warmth. Tears streamed down his face as he realized what he was holding. Maya's essence, her very being, was in his hands.

He held up the empty potion bottle, and the soul was gently pulled inside, sealed away in its new container. He stared at the bottle, relief and sorrow swirling inside him like a storm. He had saved her, but at what cost?

The silence was deafening. The world felt hollow, empty without her presence. He clutched the bottle to his chest, breathing heavily, trying to push back the crushing grief threatening to overtake him.

Jaq coughed weakly as Vell's hand was still wrapped around his throat. 

"S-so, the deal... is done, right?" He looked at Vell, fear still evident in his eyes. "Y-you'll keep your end of the bargain now?"

He turned slowly, his eyes bloodshot and filled with a rage that hadn't faded. He looked at Jaq, and the admin felt a cold, sinking feeling in his gut.

"Right," He said softly. "The deal."

He tightened his grip and lifted Jaq even higher. The admin barely had time to plead before Vell snapped his neck with a brutal twist.

Jaq's body crumpled lifelessly to the ground, his eyes wide in permanent shock.

He didn't even glance at the corpse. He walked back to Maya's body, gently laying it down, his fingers brushing her hair from her face. He placed the potion bottle containing her soul in his pocket, his mind a swirling mess of emotions. Grief, anger, exhaustion.

But one thing burned above all else.

He needed to find her a new body. He needed to save her.

He knelt over Jaq's body, searching it with cold efficiency. His hands stopped when he felt it—a faint thrum of energy. His eyes narrowed, and he concentrated. Beneath Jaq's chest, he could feel it.

"I knew it," he muttered darkly. "You had a core, too."

Without hesitation, he drove his hand into Jaq's chest, breaking through bone and flesh until he reached the pulsing core buried inside. He ripped it out, feeling the surge of power flood into his body. It was cold, dark—different from the cores of the monsters. But he didn't care. He needed strength.

Strength to save her.

He absorbed the core, feeling his body change again. The pain from his broken bones, his torn muscles, began to fade as his body healed. But something else stirred inside him, something strange, he could just feel it.

[error, error, error, error, error. Admin has been consumed, assigning system to new host.]

Time left until earth destruction: 7 days…error..error… 1 day.