NOVPUB
Chapter 42: Soul Extraction
Zayn stepped into his room and shut the door behind him with a quiet click.
The air inside was still slightly warm from when Elisse had been there earlier, but now, the room felt empty.
He exhaled softly, running a hand through his blonde hair as he moved toward the bed.
Three glowing orbs rested on the mattress, pulsing faintly in the dim light.
The monster cores. no𝚟𝚙u𝚋.c𝚘m
He sat down on the edge of the bed, his crimson eyes locked onto them.
These weren’t just any cores — these were from the creatures that had nearly killed him tonight.
The large octopus-like monsters and, most importantly, the B-rank Boss that had driven him to the brink of death.
Zayn reached out, fingers hovering just above them.
For some reason, he could see the energy radiating from them, something he had never been able to do before.
The two lesser cores from the octopus monsters glowed with a dull, greenish hue.
Their soul energy wasn’t particularly powerful — it swirled lazily around them, barely rising into the air.
But the B-rank Boss core?
It was different.
The moment his eyes landed on it, his breath hitched slightly.
Thick, almost liquid-like soul energy surged out of it, writhing in the air like living mist.
The green and black essence didn’t just swirl around the core — it stretched upward, reaching toward the ceiling like smoke from a fire.
Zayn swallowed.
This one was powerful.
It pulsed, almost like a heartbeat, and he could feel it deep in his chest.
’There’s no way this is normal...’
A thought struck him.
If soul energy still existed inside these cores — if he could see it lingering — then did that mean the monsters’ souls were still trapped inside?
If so, he would be grateful — he had forgot to absorb those souls into the Forge.
As if answering him directly, the System’s translucent screen flickered into view.
[ Yes. ]
Zayn’s breath slowed.
His fingers curled slightly, the room’s dim light reflecting in his crimson eyes.
Zayn licked his lips.
A shiver ran down his spine.
Was it hunger? Excitement?
Maybe both.
His fingers clenched into a fist.
Then, in a quiet, almost reverent voice —
"Devour."
The moment the word left his lips, the room reacted.
The soul energies lurched.
A violent pull, like a sudden shift in gravity, dragged the swirling mist toward him.
Zayn’s chest burned.
The soul energy from the lesser cores rushed forward first, green tendrils slithering into his body.
It felt warm —almost soothing, like dipping into a hot spring after a long day.
But the Boss core?
That was different.
The dark energy pulsed violently, resisting as it was torn from the core.
It lashed outward, writhing, refusing to be taken easily.
Zayn gritted his teeth as the burning sensation intensified.
It was trying to fight him.
His breath came in short bursts. His vision blurred at the edges. The sheer density of the Boss’s soul energy was unlike anything he had absorbed before.
It wasn’t just flowing into him, it was pushing against him and trying to overpower him.
’Shit!’
His body tensed. His heart raced.
For a moment, it felt like his insides were boiling.
Like something inside him was breaking.
And then —
Crack.
A noise, not quite audible, but felt inside his very core.
Then — release.
Zayn gasped.
The energy collapsed into him, flooding his body in an instant.
The burning sensation vanished, replaced by an overwhelming sense of power.
As the last remnants of the soul energy settled inside him, a new notification flickered across his vision.
[ You have obtained B-rank skill Abyssal Pressure ]
[ You have obtained C-rank skill Sharp Tentacles ]
[Soulforge is active — Monster souls have been claimed]
Zayn’s lips curled into a smirk.
His fingers twitched.
Curious about the first skill, he extended a hand upward, his fingers flexing.
"So how does this sharp tentacle thing work?" he murmured under his breath.
The moment the thought crossed his mind, a strange sensation rippled through him.
A shudder ran down his spine, not from pain, but from something moving.
His back wriggled — no, something was sprouting.
With a slight tearing sensation, four golden tentacles burst forth from just below his shoulder blades, moving fluidly as if they had always been a part of him.
"Whoa — " Zayn tensed, his entire body stiffening at the sudden change.
The tentacles gleamed under the dim light of his room, their sharp edges catching the glow.
Unlike the disgusting, slimy purple ones he had seen on the monster they fought, these looked more refined, almost regal.
Each one shimmered with an ethereal golden hue, glowing faintly as if infused with raw mana.
At the same time, a sharp drain hit his chest.
His mana.
Zayn winced as he immediately felt his reserves drop — a lot.
The tentacles weren’t just cosmetic; they were an extension of his body that actively drained his energy.
"Shit... okay, noted," he muttered.
But despite the sudden depletion, he couldn’t help but grin.
He moved one of the tentacles, making it coil and twist like a serpent.
The response was instant, as if he had been born with them. Another one flicked toward the air, slicing through it so fast that it let out a faint whistle.
He could control them individually.
Individually.
In battle, these would be devastating.
He could attack multiple enemies at once, hold weapons in his tentacles while keeping his hands free, or — hell, he could fly with enough practice if they were strong enough to support his weight.
He flexed them again, making them spread outward like golden wings before retracting them back slightly.
’Thank the Gods these don’t come out of my ass or something.’
He shuddered.
That would have been a nightmare.
Still, his curiosity wasn’t fully satisfied. He wanted to test Abyssal Pressure next, but...
He hesitated.
That was a B-rank skill. A high-level ability that came directly from absorbing the soul of a B-rank Boss.
Certainly not something he should activate inside a small, enclosed room.
He wasn’t stupid.
Even though every fiber of his being itched to know what it could do, he had no plans of accidentally destroying his own room just for the sake of curiosity.
