He tilted his head side to side. He stretched his neck and felt the new power flowing through him. The sensation was electric. Raw. Like lightning trapped beneath his skin.
After a deep breath, he spoke.
"This power rush is something else," he said, flexing his fingers. The surrounding air rippled with each movement, responding to his increased strength.
His eyes narrowed.
"I need to level up to at least 20, but that's not all. I want a chance to loot rare items, especially weapons."
Memory of his wooden sword shattering against the Infernal Black Os' hide flashed in his mind. The sound of splintering wood. The helplessness. Never again.
Ai paused; her calculating eyes gleamed against the backdrop of the void.
Leo could almost see the gears turning in her digital mind as she processed his request. The silence stretched. Tightened. After a few moments, she replied, her voice carrying its usual hint of superiority.
"The World Tower is where adventurers test their limits, Leo," Ai said.
"Everything an adventurer needs is there."
His jaw firmed.
"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 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 to get back outside when the void shook.
The vibration began as a hum that was difficult to notice. Then it escalated. Quick. Violent. A tangible tremor that set his teeth on edge.
Leo's enhanced senses tingled. Not with fear, but with a peculiar sense of déjà vu. His mimic instincts, built from centuries of Silva's memories, sensed something nearby.
From the depths of the void, a colossal silhouette emerged. Its form undulated and distorted 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 and powerful, yet somewhat familiar.
"This isn't the time for delays," Leo muttered, his patience thinning. Impatient.
"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 rippled. The approaching entity picked up speed. His limbs twitched, ready to face whatever emerged from the endless black. It was an opportunity. A crucible to forge his strength for the battles to come.
He focused on the strange new growths sprouting from his back. The extra arms—dark, fibrous extensions of his body—moved with fluid grace. Each limb tensed, ready to strike or defend. Their tips quivered, revealing a latent power.
As he braced for the impending collision, Leo marveled at how natural this felt. How effortlessly these monstrous additions had integrated into his being.
Amanda, Roxanne.
I failed you before, but not this time. I'll cross any abyss, face any monster, to bring you both back.
Gone were the days of helplessness and indecision. This time, with newfound power surging through him, he was ready to make a difference.
The void shook harder. Leo's new mimic instincts shouted a warning. The presence nearby felt stronger with each second. Its enormous size was hard to grasp.
A behemoth materialized from the inky blackness. Its massive form, stretching over 40 feet in length, rippled with raw power. The creature had a terrifying mouth. It was angler-like and filled with rows of jagged teeth that curved inward. It gaped wide enough to swallow a town whole.
Then the void churned again; another section of the creature moved. And another. What Leo had first thought was the entire beast was merely its head. With its full body stretching into the dark, possibly over a thousand feet.
The stench hit him first. Ancient. Putrid. Like rotting fish and sulfur.
Leo's eyes widened. Awe flashed across his face. "So this is what hides in the deep void," he said, his voice calm even with the danger ahead.
Void Predator.
There was no level indicator. Before he realized it, the monster charged at them. Leo's body reacted on instinct. Two more pairs of limbs sprouted from his back. They were dark and fibrous, moving 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 on the advancing behemoth.
The Void Predator's huge mouth opened wide, showing a deep interior that looked endless. It was like staring into a living cave, ready to devour anything in its path.
Bioelectric tentacles twisted from its lower jaw. They pulsed with a strange energy that sent a chill down Leo's spine. The air around them crackled. It tasted metallic.
But he was ready. The monster lunged forward. Its paddle-like fins pushed it through the void fast. Its extra limbs stretched out, getting larger and stronger. As the monster's teeth came close, Leo shot his limbs forward. They wedged between the creature's jaws.
The impact was tremendous.
The emptiness around them rippled as he and the Void Predator grappled. Its acidic breath seared his nostrils; its monstrous form distorted 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 pulled through the dark. The monster's speed swept them away like leaves in a storm.
Leo grunted. Not from holding back the monster's jaws, but from the frustration of having no resistance. In this dark space, there was no ground. No solid surface could stop the Void Predator's constant push. 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 bio-tentacles hid in its big mouth. They started to grab onto his body. A tingling sensation spread across his skin where they made contact. His eyes widened as he instantly understood the danger.
"Damn it," he muttered, his mind racing.
Without hesitation, Leo's focus shifted to Ai and the cats. The limbs that held them against his back moved quickly and accurately. They grew, intertwining in a complex pattern. This formed a protective dome around his partners. Within seconds, Ai and the cats were completely encased in a living shield of Leo's own creation.
"Stay put," Leo commanded.
"This might get rough."
As soon as he spoke, a blinding surge of electric current burst from the Void Predator. The bio-tentacles glowed with an ancient light. They sent a rush of energy to Leo.
The void itself crackled and warped as the electric onslaught raced toward them. Bright energy arcs lit up the dark, revealing the Void Predator's huge shape in quick flashes.
The first bolt hit Leo like a sledgehammer.
His vision went white.
Every nerve screamed.
But he held on.