[Soul Charge – Active]

  Joe took a single step forward.

  The golem staggered back.

  Joe blinked in surprise as the massive construct retreated, its movements awkward and defensive, as if it were trying to create distance between them. Its face showed no expression, yet Joe sensed fear with absolute clarity. The emotion bled from the creature, thick and undeniable, washing over him as he advanced.

  The sensation was familiar. It reminded him of the moment he had read Jerry’s intentions before the guard had finished speaking. Joe was certain this was another latent ability, one only now surfacing after he gained access to soul energy.

  The power coursing through him was unlike anything he had ever experienced. When he first arrived in this realm, he believed his body was already at its peak. That illusion had been reinforced by his endurance, by the strength that had allowed him to wound the golem earlier in the fight. What he felt now eclipsed all of that.

  It was overwhelming.

  Joe felt as though he were standing above the world, gazing down upon it from an unreachable height. He knew the energy flooding his body was distorting his thoughts and perceptions, that he was nowhere near as powerful as he currently felt. Even so, the sensation was absolute. In that moment, invincibility wrapped around him like truth.

  He stepped forward again. The golem flinched.

  That was when the screams began.

  Voices erupted inside his head, raw and agonized. He did not know who they belonged to, yet he felt an intimate connection to them, as though they were bound to his very existence. Their cries grew louder, more desperate, and with each surge of agony, Joe felt his energy swell.

  Understanding dawned as he focused on the name of his ability.

  Soul Charge.

  The voices were souls.

  He had no idea where they came from, but he was certain of one thing. They were the source of his power. As his aura intensified and the light in his eyes burned brighter, the screams began to fade, one by one, as if they were being erased.

  Joe thought grimly.

  He looked back to the golem and smiled.

  It was true that he lacked real combat experience, but he had something close enough. In his previous life, he had devoured countless action stories, memorized techniques, and visualized battles a thousand times over. Now, with a body capable of executing those movements, he had no doubt he could make full use of the energy flooding him.

  Joe vanished.

  He reappeared directly in front of the golem in the blink of an eye.

  Startled, the construct threw a panicked punch. Joe met it head on. Their fists collided with a thunderous impact that sent shockwaves rippling through the void. A deep creak echoed through the emptiness as fractures raced up the golem’s hand and arm. Light spilled from the cracks before the limb detonated, exploding into thousands of fragments.

  The golem shrieked and reeled back.

  Joe stepped in and drove his fist into its stomach.

  The blow punched a massive hole through the construct’s midsection and launched it across the void. It tumbled before skidding to a halt twenty meters away. Joe glanced down at his fist, momentarily impressed by the sheer force behind the strike.

  The golem groaned and dropped to one knee. Joe watched as its shattered arm began to reform and its hollowed torso slowly closed. The regeneration was sluggish, accompanied by heavy leaks of soul energy. Snarling, the construct raised its remaining arm, clenched its fist, and fired it like a projectile as the hand tore free from its wrist.

  Joe smiled.

  He extended his arm, palm open. The flying fist slammed into it, releasing a booming shockwave that rippled through the void. Joe did not move. Instead, cracks spread across the golem’s hand before it disintegrated into a hundred pieces.

  Shock and terror poured from the construct as Joe advanced again.

  Desperate, the golem surged unleashed twin beams of light from its eyes. Joe did not dodge. He walked straight into the attack, allowing the blast to engulf him completely.

  Moments later, he emerged unharmed.

  Not a single burn marked his skin. Every wound he had suffered earlier had vanished the instant Soul Charge activated. Joe continued forward at an unhurried pace, savoring the panic radiating from the creature.

  The golem roared and charged, delivering a powerful kick with its right leg. Joe blocked it with his forearm. The impact failed to shift him even slightly. He seized the leg, twisted, and hurled the construct away.

  Its body smashed into the massive gate in the distance, half its head shattering on impact. The gate responded by releasing a surge of energy that flooded into the golem. The construct screamed and collapsed at the base of the structure.

  Joe approached calmly. Even in its ruined state, the creature clung to life. Its head, torso, and limbs were already regenerating.

  Originally, Joe intended to simply batter it until its spirit energy ran dry. Then a memory surfaced. The golem romance story he had once read. In it, the golem could only be killed by destroying its core, hidden within its chest.

  Joe focused his senses.

  He found it instantly.

  A tiny orb pulsed within the left side of the creature’s chest, where its soul energy was most concentrated.

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  Joe grinned.

  He closed the remaining distance and delivered a single kick. The impact crushed the golem’s chest and shattered the orb. The moment it broke, the construct collapsed into a thousand lifeless fragments.

  Joe collapsed.

  He hit the surface a second later, his legs giving out as if they no longer belonged to him. A heavy breath tore from his chest as the power empowering his body dwindled and vanished in seconds. The sensation of overwhelming strength evaporated, replaced by crushing weight. It felt as though every ounce of fatigue he had accumulated since arriving in this realm crashed down on him all at once.

  Worse still, the burning in his chest did not fade.

  It intensified.

  Moments ago, the sensation had accompanied surges of spirit energy and growing strength. Now it felt as though something inside him was being set ablaze. Fire clawed through his chest, searing him from the inside out, and Joe could not stop himself from screaming.

  That was not the end of it.

  The voices in his mind grew louder, sharper, filled with rage. Their screams blended together into a chaotic roar that shattered his focus and left him reeling. Joe could feel their hatred pressing against him from all sides. He clutched his head and covered his ears as he cried out, fighting to endure both the pain in his chest and the torment in his mind.

  If Soul Charge had made him feel like a god gazing down from heaven, then this was its price.

  He felt like a lone soul trapped in the deepest pit of hell.

  Joe did not know how long it lasted. Minutes stretched into what felt like hours before the agony finally began to ebb. The fire in his chest dulled, and the voices faded one by one until only silence remained.

  By the end of it, he was utterly spent.

  Joe heaved and forced himself upright, afraid that if he lay flat on his back he might lose consciousness. The thought sent a chill through him. He had no idea what passing out here would mean for his original body, and he did not want to find out.

  Joe reached out his hand ans touched a fragment of the Golem's corpse as he activated his skill.

  [Congratulations! You have absorbed the soul of the Early Stage Grade 1 Guardian Golem Spirit]

  A rush of power surged through his body. Joe’s eyes widened as the energy flooded every corner of his consciousness before gathering in his chest. The sensation was nearly identical to what he had felt when he absorbed the soul of the Twin Tailed Wolf, despite the wolf being of a higher grade.

  Joe attributed that to [Starving Spirit], the title that granted additional power when he absorbed a soul above his rank. He was confident that if he ever consumed another Grade 2 soul, the power gained would exceed what he had received from the Twin Tailed Wolf.

  His body felt stronger. His senses sharpened. The fatigue clinging to him faded significantly, leaving him feeling more energized than before. Joe hoped the effects would carry over to his original body as well.

  One thing still puzzled him.

  How did the golem even possess a soul?

  It was supposed to be a construct formed from his mind, yet it clearly housed a spirit of its own. The idea made little sense, but Joe chose not to dwell on it. Whatever the explanation, it had made him stronger.

  With the soul fully extracted, the golem’s shattered remains dissolved. In their place floated a white crystal, standing out clearly against the endless white background. Joe picked it up without hesitation and immediately sensed the energy stored within.

  It resembled the beast cores he had collected in Evergreen, but instead of mana, it was filled with spirit energy.

  When he focused on it, a notification appeared.

  [Spirit Crystal (Celestial Grade)]

  A gem saturated with potent soul energy. It is a powerful mineral that can be used to replenish essence reserves or forge a spirit tool.

  The message was brief, yet it carried significant implications.

  The first thing that stood out was the mention of a grade. With monsters and adventurers classified by ranks, it made sense that items would follow a similar system, but it still caught Joe off guard. He did not know how high Celestial Grade ranked, but judging by the name alone, it had to be near the top.

  That surprised him. While the golem had been strong, Joe had not expected such a valuable item to remain after its defeat. Combined with the fact that he still did not understand how the golem had been created in the first place, his curiosity about this dimension only deepened.

  The system referred to soul energy as essence, which led Joe to believe the two terms were interchangeable. It also stated that the crystal could be consumed to replenish essence reserves.

  Joe had no intention of doing that.

  He could already feel his energy recovering naturally, and absorbing the golem’s soul had restored a significant portion of his reserves. His essence pool was no longer empty. At this rate, he believed he would return to peak condition within minutes.

  What truly interested him was the other option.

  Forging a spirit tool.

  That implied the crystal could be used to create a weapon or piece of equipment. Joe immediately favored that idea. If he intended to challenge the Lord of the Woods, he would need something powerful.

  He decided to store the crystal for now, hoping he would encounter someone in the real world capable of forging it into a proper weapon. With a thought, the crystal vanished from sight. Though he could no longer see it, Joe instinctively knew he could summon it back at any time.

  It was remarkably convenient. Not much different from how Olivia and Rina made their staffs disappear when they were not in use.

  Joe’s attention shifted as another notification appeared.

  [Skill Acquired: Inspect (Copper)]

  There was no description, yet Joe immediately understood its function. It allowed him to view information about objects he focused on. How he knew this was unclear, but he assumed the system imparted basic knowledge upon acquiring a skill.

  That was a relief. At least it did not leave him completely clueless.

  Unfortunately, that only applied to skills he actively unlocked. Hidden abilities remained a mystery until they surfaced. [Soul Charge] was the perfect example. He had only gained a vague understanding of it after unlocking the skill.

  Still, Joe was pleased. [Inspect] was a valuable addition to his arsenal.

  Another message appeared.

  [Title Acquired: Underdog]

  ?? Condition: Defeat a creature above your rank alone.

  ?? Reward: When battling a foe above your rank, all attacks deal double damage.

  Joe grinned.

  This was his second title, and its effect was undeniably powerful. While it served a different purpose from his first title, he found himself more drawn to this one. It would play a critical role in his survival against stronger opponents.

  It would be one of his key weapons when facing the Lord of the Woods.

  With all notifications reviewed, Joe dismissed them. By then, more than ten minutes had passed, and he was back to full health. There was no trace left on his body to suggest he had just fought a golem. He felt refreshed, almost reborn.

  Joe stood and turned his attention to the towering white gate blocking his path.

  The structure had no handles and stretched so high he could not see its top. Compared to it, Joe looked like an insect. He doubted brute force would be enough to open it, but that did not stop him from trying.

  He braced himself for the inevitable discharge of energy and steeled his nerves. Drawing on the soul energy flowing through him, he reinforced his body. Notably, he did not activate [Soul Charge]. Instead, he relied on the excess essence provided by this realm. The last thing he wanted was to endure that agonizing backlash again.

  A faint white aura surrounded him as he placed his hands on the gate and pushed with all his strength.

  To his surprise, nothing happened.

  There was no surge of energy. Even more shocking, the gate opened with ease despite its massive size. It made no sense. The structure had withstood a giant goblin smashing against it without issue.

  Joe chose not to question it. This realm was already full of things that defied logic.

  As he stepped through the opening, he felt oddly at ease, like returning to his apartment back on Earth. The gate slammed shut behind him. When Joe turned, it was gone. In its place was a vast white void.

  His attention snapped forward as he sensed another presence.

  Sixty meters away, a figure floated in the emptiness.

  Joe approached cautiously, prepared for hostility. When he closed the distance to ten meters, he finally saw the figure clearly.

  A woman sat suspended in the void. She wore a flowing white dress. One of her arms was bound by chains connected to a massive sphere of glowing energy. She had a petite frame and hair as white as the world around her.

  Joe was awestruck.

  Without question, she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

  Before he could stop himself, he spoke.

  “Who are you?”

  The woman opened her eyes and met his gaze. She smiled, her blue eyes brimming with life.

  “Who am I?” she repeated.

  She rose to her feet, chains rattling softly, and spoke with absolute confidence.

  “I am God.”