"Let's check the abilities," 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 set. King of Pride was one of the best when it came to offensive skills, after all.
He went back to the screen with options and tapped on [Abilities]
Another screen opened before him. There was only one word written on the new screen this time, signifying that he only had one ability so far.
[Soul Snatch]
He wasn't disappointed though. In his last five years, he had understood a lot about such things. He knew that a King of Sin could unlock more abilities as they got stronger. He still remembered seeing the King of Pride using only one skill in his younger days, but when he was on the ninth floor, he had a couple more skills that he used.
Azekiel pressed on the name of the skill, wondering what it was. He really prayed it was something worthy. Fortunately, the screen was semi-transparent, so he could still walk without hitting someone along the way.
A new screen opened.
[Soul Snatch: Hunger of Soul is just as excruciating as the Hunger of Body and Hunger of Mind. Soul Snatch helps you absorb the soul energy of the dead to make you stronger.]
[Warning: Can not be used if death occurred over twenty-four hours ago]
[Skill Advantage: Your stats increase accordingly with Soul Energy collected. You can also use the Soul Energy to Summon a Soul Servant and bind it to you once your Soul Bar is full]
"Soul Snatch?" Azekiel repeated. Even though it didn't seem like a fighting skill, it was an outstanding skill nonetheless. Especially since it increased his stats. That meant he could just steal souls and get stronger. There were no limits to the usefulness of this skill! It was like his very own cheat!
Moreover, the skill didn't say anything like it only worked on people he killed. So he could use anybody by going to war zones.
A smirk formed across the lips of Azekiel as he thought about what it implied.
He glanced back at the massive screen in the back, on the bodies that were being collected by the Porters. Half of them were going to be carried by them with King of Pride, while the other half of them were going to be sent to Floor Zero. Their meat was going to be sold for a very expensive price.
In fact, it was one of the reasons Azekiel had agreed to be a porter in his last 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 to be a porter in the selection 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!" he let out a bright smile.
The skill he had received wasn't a fighting skill like the flashy skills of 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 revenge. And what better skill than this?
"You put me to death for eating something? Right?" With a crazy grin, Azekiel gazed at the handsome man on the screen. "Now, I'll use that same hunger to my advantage! I'll use something that belongs to you to get 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.
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 had never thought that money could change a person so much, but Michael proved him wrong. Michael became an entirely different person. He became more arrogant and prideful. He didn't even want to be seen with someone like Azekiel as he started hanging out with the rich kids.
With time, things only got worse until both of them were seventeen. The Apocalypse arrived. Monsters appeared and razed the cities to the ground. They killed people left and right and destroyed everything in their path. It seemed like the end of humanity was near when their last hope appeared... The Tower of Sin.
Azekiel still remembered that day. It was three years ago from the current day and eight years ago from the time he had died in his original timeline.
Azekiel had 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 lost someone dear either. Almost everyone in the tower of Sin lost people dear to them, including Michael. Both his parents were dead.
Azekiel remembered the day he met Michael inside the tower. He had gone to him to console him, thinking he might be sad after losing his family and wealth. He thought that the two of them were equal once again and they could be friends again, but he only saw the prideful Michael, who had no regret on his face. Instead, he had a smile.
Instead of the difference between the two of them decreasing, it had only increased as Michael was selected as one of the Six King of Sins. At the same time, around a Hundred Lord of Sins were chosen as well, who ruled over Minor Sins, unlike the King of Sins who ruled over Major Sins. Meanwhile, Azekial was left in the dust once again, getting nothing.
He was left behind, yet he didn't feel bad about it. He was still happy for Michael. Even as he worked for Michael as a porter, he didn't feel bad. Even though he was somewhat embarrassed when Michael refused to recognize him and treated him like a servant, Azekiel didn't mind much. He kept working.
It was only on the day when his punishment was declared that he understood... No one was a friend in the Tower of Sin! No one was kind! The man he thought to be his friend not only forgot him but didn't even hesitate once when sentencing him to death. The Tower had changed everyone! Or maybe the tower just brought out their real selves? The bastardly 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 useless. What matters is strength! I will collect all the strength I need to take you down. That will be my last gift to you, my old friend." Azekiel declared, clenching his fist.
Now he had the Soul Snatch! The epic ability, which he was really excited about. And the best part was that this was only the first ability. He couldn't wait to see what more was to come, but first, he needed to eat something.
With each passing second, his hunger was only increasing. For a moment, he even felt like he was a beast who was going to lose himself if he didn't eat anything soon.
