With a heart full of fear, Zane launched himself at me, but it was futile.

To me, he was slow, too slow.

The new power coursing through my veins and rampaging through my body made it easy for me to catch him by the neck. The adrenaline surged through me, heightening my senses as I lifted him up, the weight of his body no match for my newfound strength.

I looked him in the eyes, my voice filled with a mix of anger and determination.

"You not only dared to inflict pain on those whom I cherish, but you also dared to try to sexually assault them. It's UNFORGIVABLE. For all the people you killed for your own satisfaction, for all the families you've destroyed, for all the souls you've taken, RETRIBUTION."

With those words, I ripped Zane's head off, the sound of tearing flesh and snapping bones echoing in the room. His head and spine remained in my hands, a gruesome trophy of revenge, while his lifeless body slumped to the ground.

Blood sprayed everywhere, showering me in a gruesome cascade, and the metallic smell of rusted iron filled the room, mingling with the stench of death.

Yet, amidst the gruesome scene, I remained unaffected. The power coursing through me had numbed my emotions, leaving only a cold determination in its wake.

I stood there, my body covered in blood, a chilling calmness settling over me.

One might expect a flicker of remorse or a pang of guilt upon taking a human life, but I felt none.

Instead, an unsettling sensation crept into the depths of my soul, a euphoria that twisted and contorted within me.

What was this feeling?

It was not happiness derived from vanquishing such a malevolent being.

No, it was something else entirely.

My thoughts were abruptly interrupted by Eve, her voice filled with the weight of tears shed long before.

"Young master, I am relieved to see you alive," she said.

" I was on the brink of vanishing alongside you, but something extraordinary occurred. I sensed data being inserted into your mind, and I managed to record it. The information was vast, even for an AI like myself, making decryption and analysis a challenge. It will take time to complete, but I can offer you some hints gleaned from the data.”

” The sensation you just experienced was the soul of the individual named Zane being absorbed by you. The power you've awakened has three stages, with the first stage having two phases. The second phase is connected to souls, although its specifics remain unknown. What I do know is that your awakened power is currently unstable and must be stabilized and mastered to access the second phase of the first stage. Furthermore, any soul absorbed by you will forever remain imprisoned within you, unable to return to the cycle of life and death, until its purpose is served.

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” As for that purpose, I still have no answers. With further analysis, I hope to provide you with more information. Please be patient, young master."

Eve's words left me bewildered. It meant that everything I witnessed in the depths of darkness, the questions asked, the answers given, and the events that unfolded were all undeniably real.

I was no longer merely human; I had become a fusion of man and monster, a humanoid.

According to Eve, the power I awakened had a connection to souls, particularly in its second phase.

Did this mean I had taken on a role akin to a player in an RPG game? What was my purpose? Considering the aspect of the soul I had absorbed, did that make me a soul reaper, a soul master, or perhaps a soul-mancer?

Before I could delve deeper into these thoughts, the piercing screams of the twins shattered the silence. Their faces contorted with fear and disgust as they beheld me, drenched in blood and dark gunk, clutching Zane's lifeless head and spine.

Their cries echoed in my ears, a painful reminder of the horrors they had endured.

Startled by their cries, the head slipped from my grasp, landing on the ground with a sickening splat.

I turned my gaze toward the twins, their eyes wide with a mix of fear, awe, and confusion. Without uttering a word to them, I called out to Ryuji, the person standing behind the cell door, his expression one of utter disbelief and recognition of the power he had witnessed.

"Hey, Ryuji. Are you planning to stand there, gawking at me, or will you clean up this mess?" I demanded.

Shaking off his stupor, Ryuji shook his head and slapped his face, as if rousing himself from a nightmare or dream.

He replied: "I'll clean up, but give me some time to figure out how to explain this to the chief and the others without revealing what I just witnessed. So, Xeno, what happened to you? What was that aura that surrounded you before you took Zane's life?"

Cutting him off, I interjected: "Now is not the time for explanations, Ryuji. Remember, we have prying eyes and ears here. As for an excuse, tell the chief that the twins acted in defense, stabbing Zane in the neck while he was choking the life out of me. Say that my condition is critical, but somehow, I managed to survive. Also, ensure this place is thoroughly cleaned, and discreetly dispose of Zane's body so no one discovers it."

Pausing for a moment, I turned back to Ryuji, a malicious smile playing on my lips. "Oh, I almost forgot. If possible, bring me a wheelchair and some bandages for this cell. I must play the role of the victim convincingly, don't you think?"

Understanding my intentions, Ryuji burst into laughter, startling me with its volume.

He regarded me with a newfound respect and said: "It seems I placed my trust in someone truly deserving. You possess intelligence, swiftness, caution, and a ruthless nature. I'll fetch a body bag and the necessary supplies to clean up. However, I advise you, Xeno, to take a shower. Not only do you look terrifying, but you also emit a rather unpleasant odor. Come on, Xeno, even from here, I can smell you."

Dumbfounded and embarrassed by Zane’s words I just nodded my head and headed towards the bathroom ending my conversation with him.

As the water cascaded down my body, washing away the blood and grime, I couldn't help but reflect on the events that had led me to this point.

The power that surged through me, the ability to absorb souls and use them, was both exhilarating and terrifying.

I had become a vessel for the lost, a collector of the departed.

As I stood there, the weight of my actions and the mysteries that lay ahead weighed heavily on my mind.