"Probably should have asked that before, but you alone, kid? It's best if no one overhears what I'm about to tell you," Naz'Tor said, his voice dropping.

  "Give me a sec," Leo answered, peeking out of his room and into the tunnel.

  He looked left, looked right, but just like Lily told him, there was no one around those parts. Just to be certain, he released a low-powered Hunter's Pulse. It confirmed what he already knew, he was alone. Satisfied, he returned to his room.

  "I'm good. Go on."

  "Excellent. Listen carefully then, kid. The Divine Realm I found? It is in Wales—Dinas Emrys, to be precise, if I got the name right," Naz'Tor informed. "According to the readings that didn't fail, it's quite a small realm, so hopefully, there is only one godling inside. Perfect place for you to start."

  Leo nodded, filling the information away. While he had no idea where exactly this so-called Dinas Emrys was in Wales, a map should be able to fix that. And if that didn't work out, Naz'Tor definitely had a backup plan.

  Sounds simp—

  He stiffened as suddenly the merchant's final words registered in his mind.

  "Hold up!" he exclaimed. "You're saying there can be multiple godlings inside one realm?"

  Naz'Tor snorted. "Of course there can. I thought that was obvious."

  "No, no, it wasn't." Leo pinched his nose. "But fine, whatever… I know now, so it doesn't matter."

  "Kid…" A deep sigh came from the transmitter. "Just look at myths of your own planet. Plenty of pantheons, right? Sure, some of them might have faded a long time ago or never existed in the first place, but those that survived? Those gods usually occupy a single Divine Realm. That's one of the many reasons why hunting godlings is dangerous for someone like you."

  Leo grimaced. "Okay, okay, I get it."

  "No, I don't think you do, but you will," Naz'Tor retorted. "As soon as we move onto the other Divine Realms, you'll realize what you've gotten yourself into. And that's not even the worst of it."

  Okay, now you've lost me. He frowned. "What do you mean?"

  "Remember those god slayers I mentioned? Assuming nothing goes wrong during your hunt, they are the biggest threat to your life."

  It didn't take a genius to understand what Naz'Tor meant by that. "They dislike competition?"

  "Dislike?" The merchant let out a bark of laughter. "They hate it. Despise anyone who gets in the way of their stupid competitions. Fuckers even created a league"—he spat that word like poison—"to regulate the hunts during every Outbreak."

  Leo's frown deepened. "And everybody just goes along with that?"

  "Hell no!" Naz'Tor exclaimed. "Bigger factions couldn't care less about them, but the smaller ones or lone individuals? They can either join the league or forget about ever getting a Seed of Divinity on their own."

  Harsh but not much different from how things worked in the past. Only now, everybody has superpowers.

  Still, something didn't add up. "But how's this league a threat to me?"

  "Kid, those people specialize in hunting godlings; they have been doing this for ages," Naz'Tor explained slowly as if talking to a child. "Even if they haven't placed a foot in your universe yet, I have no doubt in my mind that they have already mapped every single Divine Realm there is. They will know if you touch their prey."

  "They would still have to find me when they finally get here," he said, feeling like he had to point out the obvious here.

  "Indeed, and that's your only advantage—time. Not anonymity, just time. Because trust me, kid, they will find you if you give them the chance. It's only a matter of when and where."

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  Leo wanted to ask how in the world they could find him days or maybe even weeks after the deed was done. Yet, he didn't. His trip into the Void—Sazim in particular—had taught him a lot. Somewhere out there lived beings with abilities so powerful he probably couldn't even imagine it.

  Locating an ex-human from the latest Outbreak would probably be child's play for them.

  Leo sighed. "So what do you propose? You agreed to help me, so there must be a way to deal with those slayers."

  "Hmmm, let me see," Naz'Tor hummed. "Option one, you could join a major faction. They wouldn't dare touch you then, but you'd also be handing over who and what you are on a silver platter."

  "So that's a no."

  "Pretty much," the merchant agreed. "Option two, you could try to convince Tarak to help you. The league won't mess with him."

  "Noted, but let's leave that as a backup plan."

  "Fair enough. That leaves one final option—one that isn't completely insane or suicidal."

  "Which is?"

  "You run," Naz'Tor replied firmly. "And keep running. All while getting stronger until you can either fight back or they lose interest."

  Leo furrowed his brow. "Didn't you just say they'd find me anyway? You made it sound like I wouldn't have much time—definitely not enough to catch up to them in strength."

  "True, I said that, but that's only the case if you remain in this universe when they finally step through the gates."

  "And you lost me again," Leo admitted.

  Naz'Tor chuckled. "Let me put it this way. Finding someone in an open universe? That's not a problem for an experienced and fairly powerful hunter. Now, doing the same in the Void—a vast realm where infinite dimensions are stacked on top of each other? That takes real skill, immense power, and a lot of time. Especially if the one you're hunting is actively hiding."

  Silence. Leo simply stared at the wall in front of him as his mind raced. After getting back from the Void, he honestly didn't expect to have to go back so soon. Yet here he was, with little choice in the matter.

  He needed Ruination—giving up on the hunt wasn't an option.

  "Kid?" Naz'Tor broke the silence, his voice coming out softer than ever. "You okay there?"

  "Yeah," Leo muttered. "Just processing. Even if the way forward seems obvious."

  "Maybe it is," the merchant agreed after a moment. "But never forget—how you deal with that decision is entirely up to you. Will you grab it by the neck or let it control you."

  He chuckled quietly. "Another choice?"

  "Is it really?"

  "No," he shook his head. "So, how much time do I have until the slayers can come here?"

  "A few weeks. No more than five, no less than three. Aside from that, it's hard to tell. I will have to run more tests or ask around."

  "All right," Leo muttered and headed for his room's exit. "Guess it's time to get back to work. No rest for the wicked indeed."

  "At least you aren't bored," Naz'Tor chuckled. "Anyway, kid… That's it from me. Finish up the cube I gave you, and let me know. I will hear from you then."

  "Got it. Thanks, Naz'Tor, really. I appreciate all the help you're giving me."

  The alien laughed again. "It's nothing. Gotta keep myself entertained somehow."

  Leo snorted.

  Despite the brand new timer hanging over his head and counting the seconds left until Leo had to leave Earth, he didn't jump into the cube right away. Instead, he continued with his previous plan and left the tunnel under the cover of his cloak and sealed form.

  He wandered the safe zone like a tourist, observing the scenery and the people hard at work. A few tried to take a peek underneath his hood, but as soon as they used Identify, their gazes quickly snapped away. Even if he appeared smaller, everyone here knew who was the one person they couldn't scan.

  Lily and Malcolm must have spread the word. Good, Leo mused, stepping onto a wooden bridge that allowed passage over the former Supercluster. He had no idea how the workers managed to make it stable.

  'Leo?' Nyx's sleepy voice entered his mind. 'Where are you?'

  Outside. Went for a walk. Slept well?

  'Decently. Should I join you?'

  Leo reflexively shook his head. Not yet. Look into my memories first. Check my call with Naz'Tor.

  'On it.'

  As the feline delved into his memories, Leo stepped off the bridge and headed toward a large cleared out area where people were training. He didn't plan to join, but he had spotted some familiar faces there while passing by.

  'We are going back into the Void, huh?' Nyx spoke again. 'Figures some bastards would try to hunt us for taking what they think is theirs.'

  At least we have a few weeks to prepare this time. I think Lily would kill me if I had to leave tomorrow.

  The feline snorted. 'No doubt about that… So what's the plan? Figured something out?'

  Leo shrugged. Not much changes. We finish the cube, hunt as many godlings as we can, fix Ruination, and hopefully evolve along the way. Besides that? We help the survivors here as much as possible. And when Naz'Tor calls, we run.

  'No hesitation?'

  He nodded. No hesitation.

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