Humid air and hard floors. The light was scarce. The cold concrete hurt his glutes. Oxygen seeped into the cell through the same opening food was delivered, prolonging his suffering. That small crevice served as his only connection to the outside.

Occasionally, somebody snapped, succumbing to the loneliness and sensory deprivation, and their final, muted outburst made its way through that thin gap. Only during those moments did sound seem to travel from one crevice to the next.

This time, a mighty explosion, like a small earthquake, shook the lightless cell, vibrating his chest. That was unusual. He waited expectantly, anticipating a cascade of sounds, but instead, he heard the friction of a rotating door.

"That's close," he thought.

When the brilliance of the dawning sun blinded him, he understood that it was much closer than he'd thought.

He released a sigh of appreciation. "The warmth, I've missed this."

"You have absorbed the essence of nine level 0 Humans-[Common]. +0.1 Strength, +0.2, Vitality, +0.3 Wisdom, + 0.3 Willpower"

"You have absorbed too much essence from this type of creature. No additional attribute can be gained"

"You have leveled up. +1 Free Attribute Point"

"You are the first being to gain a level on this planet. Title gained: {He who walks the Path of Evolution}-[Common]: Essence assimilation is marginally more efficient."

Without a second thought, Soren assigned his free point to durability. Every essence he absorbed, nourished him, made him more. A single status point represented a major upgrade, particularly for a stat with a maximum value of 0.2. His skin ached, his bones shifted, his heart beat smoother. It felt like he could endure a direct collision with a bull.

In his current state, the goblins' stone knives should encounter trouble penetrating his skin.

Name: Soren

Species: Vakus Human

Rank: Common

Titles: {Manatouched}-[Epic], {Belligerent}-[Uncommon], {Uncommon Executioner}-[Uncommon], {He who walks the Path of Evolution}-[Common]

Level: 1

Health: 28.3/92

Mana: 5.1/5.1

Vitality: 0.4 (0.9)

Durability: 1.1 (1.2)

Strength: 0.4 (0.8)

Agility: 1 (1.5)

Dexterity: 0.4 (1.1)

Intelligence: 5.2

Wisdom: 1.3

Perception: 3

Willpower: 1.6

Charisma: 0.1

Flames materialized on his palm, their mesmerizing dance captivating his gaze. His hair stood on end and his skin tingled with excitement. A single thought—sharp and precise—snuffed out the blaze, revealing an intact key card.

Soren placed the key inside a port, and a series of clicks echoed down the hallway. One by one, the cell doors groaned open. Yet, as the light rushed inside, nobody stirred. Most of them had been victims of the guards' cruelty. They knew not to get their hopes up.

Seconds ticked by without movement. No one came to drag them out. A hesitant figure inched forward. Cautiously, she peered into the corridor. It was an empty, white expanse, but every few meters, a metal slab jutted from the wall. Her eyes widened, and a squeal escaped her lips. She quickly clamped her hands over her mouth, but the sound had already broken the silence. Soon, the corridor was filled with people. Every one of them was a long-held prisoner here, so they looked much alike—skeletons disguised as humans by wearing a cloak of flesh, moving by means of hope and enthusiasm.

Soren's voice cut through the murmurs like steel. "We are escaping this place."

A man pushed through the crowd, barking, "Who the fuck are you? And why aren't you wearing any cloth-"

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His speech was cut off by a flaming bolt. A headless body crumpled to the ground, while an essence crystal skittered across the floor, its glow fading as it rolled to a stop.

Soren's footsteps sliced through the deafening silence. "You must be very confused right now," he spoke as he picked up the essence crystal.

"There is no point in asking questions. You only need to know one thing. The voice in your head," he rapped his temple, "It signifies a different reality. Say your name, and you will see."

Nobody questioned the naked, bloodied man. Some spoke out loud, others used their inner voice, but their reaction was the same: eyes widening in disbelief.

A short woman was about to ask something when a sudden manifestation of a fireball shut her up.

"What it is, is irrelevant. What matters is that it's real." The flames vanished. "And it can grant you abilities like mine," Soren

added, pinching the small crystal between his fingertips.

"You," he gestured the short woman to approach. The attention of thirty-two pairs of eyes shifted to her.

"Absorb it," Soren commanded, handing her the crystal. The woman hesitated.

"It was not a question," Soren emphasized, pressing his gun against her temple.

Reluctantly, the woman touched the grey crustal. The gem burst into smoke and vanished into her flesh. As she convulsed, the crowd shrunk back, but their attention never left her spasming form.

When she finally calmed down, Soren addressed her. "Speak what you read."

His impatient frown spurred her hesitation. It was already difficult to restrain his thirst for essence as it was.

"The voice said that I've absorbed the essence of a level 0 Human and gained 0.1 Intelligence."

The woman's explanation sent the crowd into an uproar, which was quickly silenced by a gunshot. Blood splashed on their clothes as the first person to make a sound fell dead on the ground. Thirty-one remained.

"You can have it," Soren said to a person ogling the grey crystal. He didn't wait for the man to finish ingesting the essence before he continued.

"As you can see, every human—probably every living being—has an essence crystal inside them," he explained, panning his gaze over every individual present. Flames ignited again. His gun never lowered.

"You have two choices. Either I kill all of you and collect your essences…" he declared with certainty, palpable bloodlust denoting the truth of his words.

"… or we can all fight our way out of here together." The response was tepid at best. Few showed any eagerness to follow his lead. Most wore impassive faces, betraying no emotion. A handful, outright opposed his suggestion. He needed to dangle a few carrots.

"Imagine how much power you'll get when we kill every guard in this facility, every single one of those who imprisoned us here, and steal their essences before escaping this goddamn hellhole," he declared passionately.

"And who's going to lead this suicidal charge?" interrupted a rather brave blond man. He started off strong but wilted under Soren's irritated gaze. "Don't get me wrong. I'm all for leaving the island, but a couple dozen malnourished criminals cannot beat the firepower of hundreds of armed guards. Even if some of us wield magic," he argued.

"What's the alternative then? Wait until they realize all the prisoners have been freed and mow us down? I say we follow Mr. Soren over here," countered a woman whose raven hair brushed the floor. Her mention of the name Soren seemed to ring a few bells.

"Wait, you're the Demon?" the short woman gasped amid hushed whispers. "The appearance fits the nickname."

Soren was unamused. He had no patience for idle chatter. He had to urge them to decide while fear and confusion still gripped them.

"There won't be much longer before the guards realize something's wrong. Divide yourselves into two groups. The left one's coming with me. The right one can decide for themselves." The crowd remained motionless.

"Now!" Soren bellowed, waving his gun impatiently.

The crowd shuffled into two groups with surprising speed. A courageous few opted to join the right faction, drawing a mix of curious and skeptical glances. Eight individuals that stood resolutely against the self-appointed tyrant. Though, he appeared undaunted by their defiance.

"Let's begin," Soren said, striding purposefully through the crowd.