He tilted his head back and forth, stretching his neck as he processed the newfound power coursing through his veins. After a deep breath, he spoke, his voice carrying a mix of satisfaction and caution.

"This power rush... it's something else," he said, flexing his fingers. The air around him seemed to ripple with each movement responding to his increased strength. "Still, I can't afford to take this for granted."

His eyes narrowed, determination etched into every line of his face. "I need to level up to at least 20, but that's not all. I want a chance to loot rare items, especially weapons." The memory of his wooden sword shattering against the Infernal Black Os' body flashed through his mind, reinforcing his resolve.

Ai paused, her calculating eyes gleaming brightly against the backdrop of the void.

Leo could almost see the gears turning in her digital mind as she processed his request. After a few moments, she replied, her voice carrying its usual hint of superiority.

"The World Tower is where the adventurers test their limits, Leo," Ai said, her voice carrying the weight of the forgotten souls. "Countless floors, each harder than the last, and legendary artifacts lie within. It offers everything you seek—power, experience, loot—but it’s not for the unprepared."

Determination set his jaw as he prepared for the challenge ahead.

"The World Tower it is, then. Amanda mentioned it before... seems like it's time to see what all the fuss is about."

They had just decided on their course of action when Leo felt a nagging thought at the back of his mind. He was about to ask the mask how they could return to the outside world, when suddenly the void around them trembled.

The vibration began as a barely perceptible hum but quickly escalated into a tangible tremor. Leo's enhanced senses tingled—not with fear, but with a peculiar sense of déjà vu. His mimic instincts, honed through centuries of Silva's memories, recognized something in the approaching presence.

From the depths of the void, a colossal silhouette emerged, its form undulating and distorting as if the darkness itself had come alive. Leo's eyes narrowed, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. He could almost taste the creature's essence - ancient, powerful, but not entirely unfamiliar.

"This isn't the time for delays," Leo muttered, his patience thinning. He wasn’t scared—just aware of how little time he had left to waste.

"Every second here is a second longer Amanda and Roxanne remain in danger. I can’t waste time."

As the words left his lips, the void seemed to ripple, the approaching entity picking up speed. His limbs twitched in anticipation, ready to face whatever emerged from the endless black. This wasn't just a threat—it was an opportunity, a crucible to forge his strength for the battles to come.

He focused, feeling the strange new appendages that slowly sprouting from his back. The extra arms - dark, fibrous extensions of his body - moved with fluid grace. Each limb tensed, poised to strike or defend, their tips quivering with barely contained power. As he braced for the impending collision, Leo marveled at how natural this felt, how seamlessly these monstrous additions had become a part of him.

Amanda, Roxanne,

I failed you before, but not this time. I'll cross any abyss, face any monster, to bring you both back.

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Gone were the days of helplessness and indecision. This time, with newfound power surging through him, he was ready to make a difference.

As the void trembled with increasing intensity, Leo's newfound mimic instincts screamed a warning. The approaching presence grew more palpable with each passing second, its sheer size defying comprehension. What had initially appeared as a vague outline in the darkness now took on a monstrous form that dwarfed anything Leo had ever encountered.

A behemoth that made killer whales look like minnows, materialized from the inky blackness. Its massive form, stretching over 40 feet in length, rippled with raw power. The creature's most terrifying feature, a monstrous angler-like mouth lined with rows upon rows of jagged, inward-curving teeth, gaped wide enough to swallow Leo whole.

Leo's eyes widened—awe flashing across his face. "So this is what swims in the deepest parts of the void," he muttered, his voice steady despite the impending danger.

"Level 1000—Void Predator."

As the monster bore down on them, Leo's body reacted instinctively. Two more pairs of limbs burst forth from his back, dark and fibrous, unfurling with an otherworldly grace. In one swift motion, he used these new appendages to wrap around Ai and the cats, securing them safely against his back.

"Hold on tight," he commanded, his gaze locked unwaveringly on the advancing behemoth.

The Void Predator's massive maw opened wider, revealing a cavernous interior that seemed to stretch endlessly. It was like staring into a living cave, ready to devour anything in its path.

Bioelectric tentacles writhed from its lower jaw, pulsing with eerie energy that sent a cold shiver coursing through Leo's spine.

But he was ready. As the monster lunged forward, its paddle-like fins propelling it through the void with surprising speed, his extra limbs stretched out, growing larger and more robust. Just as the monster's teeth were about to close around them, Leo's limbs shot forward, wedging themselves between the creature's jaws.

The impact was tremendous.

The emptiness around them seemed to ripple as he and the Void Predator grappled, its acidic breath searing his nostrils, its monstrous form distorting the very fabric of the void.

Even with his enhanced abilities, Leo felt like an ant grappling with a giant; the creature's might was nearly overwhelming. They were dragged through the darkness, the monster's momentum carrying them along like leaves caught in a hurricane.

As they were dragged through the endless void, Leo grunted not from the strain of holding back the monster's jaws, but from the sheer frustration of having nothing to brace against. In this lightless expanse, there was no ground, no solid anchor to resist the Void Predator's relentless pull. They were adrift in a sea of nothingness, at the mercy of the beast's tremendous strength.

Suddenly, Leo felt a new sensation. The monster's biotentacles, hidden within its cavernous mouth, began to latch onto his body. A tingling sensation spread across his skin where they made contact, and his eyes widened as he instantly understood the danger.

"Damn it," he muttered, his mind racing to find a solution.

Without hesitation, Leo's focus shifted to Ai and the cats. The limbs that held them securely against his back began to move with startling speed and precision. They expanded, weaving together in a complex pattern that formed a protective dome around his companions. Within seconds, Ai and the cats were completely encased in a living shield of Leo's own creation.

"Stay put," Leo commanded, his voice tense but controlled. "This might get rough."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a blinding surge of electric current erupted from the Void Predator. The biotentacles pulsed with an ancient glow, channeling a torrent of energy directly towards Leo and his companions.

The void itself seemed to crackle and warp as the electric onslaught raced towards them. Brilliant arcs of energy danced across the darkness, illuminating the Void Predator's monstrous form in flashes of eerie light.