3 3: Soul Snatch!

'Alright. Shall I start on checking the abilities my system has?' Azekiel stood up and started advancing towards the farthest end of Floor Zero.

He was really curious about the abilities he possessed, especially after seeing the abilities of the King of Pride. If he could have an ability and fighting skills like those, he was going to be all set with achieving his goal. The King of Pride was one of the best when it came to offensive skills, after all.

He went back to the screen with many options and tapped on [Abilities]

Another screen opened before him. There were only two words written on the new screen this time, signifying that he only had one ability so far.

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{Abilities}

• Soul Snatch

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Azekiel was not, however, disappointed. He'd learned a lot about such things in the last five years. He was aware that a King of Sin could gain more abilities as they grew stronger. He even remembered seeing the King of Pride use only one skill when he was younger, but when he was on the ninth floor, he had used a couple more.

Azekiel pressed on the name of the skill, wondering what it was. He really prayed it was something amazing. Also, fortunately, the screen was semi-transparent, so he could still walk without hitting someone along the way.

A new screen opened.

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{Soul Snatch}

• Hunger of the Soul is as agonizing as the Hunger of the Body and the Hunger of the Mind. Soul Snatch allows you to absorb the soul energy of the dead in order to become stronger.

[Skill Advantage: The user's stats increase accordingly with every Soul Energy that they've collected. They can also use the Soul Energy to Summon a Soul Servant and bind it to them once their Soul Bar is full]

|---Warning: Can not be used if the person's death occurred over twenty-four hours ago---|

===

"Soul Snatch?" Azekiel repeated. Even though it didn't appear to be a fighting skill, it was an exceptional skill nonetheless. Particularly since it improved his stats. That meant he could simply steal souls to grow stronger. There were no limitations to the utility of this skill! It was like his own personal cheat!

Moreover, the skill didn't say anything like it only worked on people he killed. So it meant that he could use it against anyone by going to war zones.

A smirk formed across Azekiel's lips as he thought about what it implied.

He returned his gaze to the massive screen in the back; he could see that the Porters were collecting the dead bodies of the killed monsters. They were going to carry half of them with the King of Pride, while the other half was going to be sent to Floor Zero. The meat they were transporting would be sold at a high price.

In fact, it was one of the reasons Azekiel had agreed to become a porter in his previous life. He wanted to taste it as well, after living on the bare minimum for a long time, but he couldn't afford it. So he had applied in the selection to become a porter since the pay was good.

'The bodies of those Powerful Beasts will be here soon. If I can get to them and use Soul Snatch, I would be able to increase my strength by a lot. What perfect timing!' Azekiel let out a bright smile.

The skill he had received wasn't a fighting skill like the flashy skills of the King of Pride, but his' was very practical. It didn't need him to do anything. He was just like a vulture who could take advantage of others' hunts, which was good.

He needed strength urgently if he wanted to catch up to the King of Pride and get his revenge. And with what better skill than this?

"You sentenced me to death for eating such a simple thing. Right?" With a crazy grin, Azekiel gazed at the handsome man on the screen. "Now, I'll use that same excruciating hunger that you've let me experience to my advantage! I'll use something that belongs to you to become stronger, and I'll use that same strength to kill you! Just wait for me, my dear friend, Michael..."

That's right... the King of Pride was none other than a close friend of Azekiel... or rather, a former close friend. His name was Michael. The two of them used to go to school together when they were young. Both of them belonged to a middle-class household when they were fourteen years old.

Unfortunately, it was around that same time that Michael's family won the lottery. They suddenly became wealthy and only increased their wealth with multiple smart investments. They shifted to a more affluent neighborhood.

Azekiel thought that a lot of money couldn't have such an impact on a person. However, Michael proved him wrong. Michael transformed into a completely different person. He became more arrogant and self-centered. As he began hanging out with the rich kids, he didn't want to be seen with someone like Azekiel…

Things only got worse over time until they were both seventeen. It was the time when the Apocalypse had also arrived. Monsters appeared and destroyed the cities. They slaughtered people and destroyed everything in their path. But Just as all hope was lost, that was when the Tower of Sins appeared.

Azekiel remembered that day vividly. Three years had passed since that day in the current timeline, while it had been eight years when it was in his previous life.

Three years ago, Azekiel also lost his mother... the only family he had. He still remembered watching a monster tear her apart. The only thing she said at that time was for Azekiel to run and save himself.

He wasn't the only one who had lost someone close to him. Almost everyone in the Tower of Sin, including Michael, they all lost their loved ones. Both of Michael's parents had died.

Azekiel recalled meeting Michael inside the tower. He had gone to console him, thinking he might be depressed after losing his family and his fortune. He thought the two of them were equal once again and that they could be friends again, but all he saw was a proud Michael with no regret on his face. Instead of sadness, he was smiling…

And instead of shrinking, the gap between the two of them had grown as Michael was chosen as one of the Six Kings of Sin. At the same time, a Hundred Lord of Sins was also selected to rule over Minor Sins, as opposed to the King of Sins, who ruled over Major Sins. Meanwhile, Azekiel was once again left in the dust, receiving nothing.

He'd been left behind, but he didn't mind. He was still overjoyed for Michael. He didn't feel bad about working as a porter for Michael. Azekiel didn't mind that Michael refused to recognize him and treated him like a servant, despite his embarrassment. He continued working.

Azekiel didn't understand until the day his punishment was announced... In the Tower of Sin, no one was a friend! Nobody was kind! The man he thought was his friend not only forgot about him but also sentenced him to death without hesitation! Everyone had been changed by the Tower! Or did the tower simply bring out their true selves? Their heinous selves!

On the other hand, the people who were just like him, living on Floor Zero, cheered Michael on, asking for Azekiel's death.

"You were right... friendships are meaningless; what matters is strength! I will gather all the strength I need to bring you down; that will be my last gift to you, my old friend..." Azekiel declared, clenching his fist. His expression filled with rage.

He now possessed the Soul Snatch! He was very excited about this epic ability. The best part was that this was only the first of many abilities. He couldn't wait to see what else was in store in his system! But first, he needed to eat something…

His hunger grew stronger with each passing second. For a brief moment, he felt like a beast about to starve if he didn't eat something soon.