A fraction of a second later, a feminine voice, similar to the one he had heard in the Trial, sounded again in his ears, accompanying the Rune.
[ "What do you intend to do with their Souls?" ]
Ethan remembered that he could manipulate their Souls, healing their wounds, enslaving them, or taking their power for himself. Right now, he wanted to acquire their power.
'Lets see what I got.'
He extended his consciousness outward, reaching into the very souls of his fallen enemies and intending in his mind that he wanted to take their power and attributes for himself.
Ethan felt the Souls of the fallen enemies merging with his own, their attributes starting to become his own.
His muscles tensed with newfound strength, his movements becoming more agile and precise, and his energy reserves expanding to new heights. The sensation was exhilarating, like a rush of power coursing through his veins.
Lines of Runes appeared again.
[ The Soul of Meadow Specter (Common Rank) have been absorbed! ]
Gained Attribute: Strength: 10, Agility: 15, Energy: 10
Gained Abbility: Stealth.
[ The Soul of Meadow Specter (Common Rank) have been absorbed! ]
Gained Attribute: Strength: 10, Agility: 15, Energy: 10
He could feel the pulse of energy within him, resonating with the Soul of the fallen enemies. With a sense of satisfaction he knew that he had grown stronger. His Attributes has been enhanced by the souls he had absorbed, and he even gained an abbility.
All of that unfolded in just a fraction of seconds. Irene, who was watching Ethan, didn't even realize what had happened.
"You alright?" Irene asked.
Ethan looked up with a crooked smile on his face. "Yeah, I'm fine."
Irene noticed a dangerous glint in Ethan's eyes, something that made her flinch slightly. But then, Ethan's face returned to normal. The dangerous glint disappeared.
"Lets keep moving. I'm sure they won't stop," Ethan said, then walked past Irene.
Irene looked back again. There were more than 5 Invited who had now fallen to the invisible attackers. A few others were still oblivious, but she also noticed that some of them had begun to wake up and fight back.
She pushed the matter to the back of her mind. She had to think about herself now, associating herself with someone strong. Someone who could help her climb higher. Not people who were weak and couldn't even handle the danger on the First floor.
She followed Ethan as they entered the forest beside the vast plain.
Ethan knew that this place would surely be more dangerous than the plain. But that was his goal. By doing so, he would be able to absorb more Souls and get stronger faster than everybody else here.
He hid his grin from Irene to avoid making her suspicious. But deep inside his mind, Ethan pondered something.
'What if I were to kill her? Would her Attributes and abilities also become mine?'
"This forest looks more dangerous. Do you have a plan?" Irene asks.
"We need to find the Floor Guardian as quickly as possible and defeat it," Ethan replied.
"That's it?" Irene looked at him in disbelief.
"Yeah," Ethan nodded.
Irene glanced at him from the side. He seemed so confident to the point of seeming unnatural. It made her suspicious.
"Are you from one of the Conqueror Houses?" Irene asked.
"No. I'm just a construction worker."
That only made Irene more confused. "So you don't know who I am?"
Ethan turned to her and looked at her. "Not really. Who are you exactly?"
He had a feeling that Irene was a girl from one of the Conqueror Houses. Maybe his intuition was right after all.
"My name is Irene Evernight."
"Evernight?!"
Irene nodded. Ethan realized he had just hit the jackpot. Initially, he didn't want to deal with a Conqueror House because they would only exploit him and discard him later.
But now that he had saved one of the heir from that house, he was sure to gain her favor. He could gain a lot of advantages from Irene if he stayed close to her.
Ethan couldn't help but let a smile creep onto his face. "I see. That's why you seem calmer than the others."
'I guess I don't have to kill her,' Ethan thought.
Irene nodded and smiled. "But if it weren't for you, I'd probably be dead by now."
Just as he thought. This girl even considered him her savior. He would surely be able to gain advantages from her family later.
"Sure. I expect the same from you to help me later."
The sky was still bright despite the absence of the sun. They continued their journey and encountered the same invisible humanoid creatures – Meadow Specters – and killed them.
Ethan felt his fists getting stronger. The addition to his Attributes made his physique two to three times stronger than his old self.
He decided to save the remaining chance to use his Soul Manipulation again. The day was still long, and maybe he would encounter stronger monsters than these Meadow Specters.
They kept going, unaware that someone was watching them from a distant place.
---
Inside a room made of black rock, a woman was sitting. She looked comfortable in her high seat, staring at the screen where the figures of Ethan and Irene were walking side by side in the forest.
Her red lips parted, forming a wide smile. On her face, the smile appeared seductive yet terrifying.
"That boy, who is he?" she asked.
From somewhere, a voice answered her question. It sounded mechanical as if coming from a machine. Moreover, that voice could only be heard in her head.
[ "His name is Ethan Holmes." ]
The woman sighed, annoyed. "Can't you provide other information?"
[ "No. Maybe if you can ascend to higher Floors, I can give you more than that." ]
She sighed again. It couldn't be helped since she was just a Guardian on the First Floor. Her access to the Nexus was limited.
But that boy named Ethan intrigued her. His skill and ability to survive, and how he acted coldly towards the other survivors made the woman want to make him hers.
"I will go and greet them."
She stood up from her chair and left the room.
---