"If you take away its close distao the Supercluster, this pce isn't anything special," Leo noted as they stepped into the undergrouro station.

  While the Void already made itself at home here, it didn't create anything incredible. Vetilim just tio slither along the walls, and pieces of Corcera shohrough here and there. Hell, even normal Voidlings didn't e down here, which maybe should have been a bit discerting in hindsight.

  Not that we are alone anyway. He clicked his tongue as another pebble flew at him. Instead of dodging like he usually did, he just raised his hand a take the burn of the attack.

  The rock hit his skin and shattered into smaller fragments upon impact. He grimaced just a bit, but apart from that, he didn't even feel a thing. His st choiutation definitely paid off.

  Not bad, not bad at all. Leo mused, gng at the point of impa his arm. Aside from a tiny bruise, the stone barely left a sign on his new snake-like skin. And ain't that weird? Of all things, I definitely didn't expect to bee part snake. What's ? Dragon scales?

  However, there was really nothing to pin about. He had already run multiple tests on his improved skin, and just like the description said, it became at least two times harder to damage. This, for a human, may not have been that much of an improvement, but as a Prime Night Hunter, his skin was already harder to pierce. With this mutation, this durability just jumped to another level.

  Mutation: Basiatural Armamma Tier)On the field of battle, sometimes you just have to take a hit head-on and tinue fighting. Natural Armor is here to help you survive and make your life a bit easier.Effects:Basic tier of this mutation will improve the durability of your skin, making it at least twice as tough to pierce. Additionally, it will heal all previous skin injuries upon acquisition.

  Makes you wonder what it do on higher tiers. Leo had already tried to check that, but the System decided to block his ability to upgrade mutations for now. Why? It didn't say. Maybe I o evolve again? We will see soon enough.

  'Leo... For the love of god, focus. I'm bored too after all this running around the city, but you don't see me with my head in the clouds,' Nyx grumbled suddenly, breaking his thought process.

  Sorry. He sighed, leaning away from another pebble sent in his dire. I just had to occupy myself with something. Those bloody Rock Eaters won't even e out to eain us.

  The feline snorted. 'They aren't that stupid. The moment they show their heads, they are dead. Maybe if they were as strong as the Voidlings outside...' She shook her head. 'Doesn't matter. We came here for a reason. Focus orail. I 't feel it any longer.'

  This time, Leo frowned as he stopped and kneeled with one hand ing to touch the ground. Essehered around his fingers, only to leave them a moment ter in a wide pulse that ed the eunnel.

  Instantly, a few spots on the flnited in a blolow, showing him the same tracks they had followed for the st few hours. The trail tinued deeper into the undergrouro, and so he stood up, motioning for Nyx to follow.

  It's getting stronger. We must be close. He called over the link, his body tensing as he sped up a bit. Rock Eaters stopped attag, too. If this ain't it, I give up. We've wasted enough time on this.

  'Agreed. I would like to hit the in the ruined hospital if you don't mind.'

  He furrowed his brow. The oh the two-headed lizards?

  'Exactly,' Nyx nodded.

  Sure, why not. Let's finish here quickly then.

  Determio put this mess behind them, they picked up the pace. The further they went, the trail illuminated by his Hunter's Pulse grew brighter. And it wasn't until a few mier that they finally had to stop.

  A cave-in? Leo frowned, iing the mass of rocks bined with Vetilim blog their path. To make it more iing, the trail was also scattered all along the blockade. Do you see anything?

  Nyx, still sitting a distance away from the cave-in, narrowed her eyes. 'See? No, not really. But I feel quite a bit of Essen this thing. Try it for yourself.'

  Nodding, he extended his senses as well as he could while firing off another Hunter's Pulse at the same time. The feedback was instantaneous, and just like the feline said, the amount of Essen this blockade was unnatural.

  Stay bad be ready to pull me out. I will see if I cut through. Leo ordered as he stepped closer, his bdes snapping out. Let's start with only Kiss of Death for now.

  He raised his arms, and just as he was about to swing them at the barrier, a muffled shout came from within. At the same time, a small part of the middle of the cave-in shifted as if an illusion had been lifted from it. In its pce appeared a tunnel, blocked by a rge metal door.

  "Please stop! That won't be necessary! You passed. Just give me a moment," a male voinounced.

  Right away, Leo jumped away, ndio Nyx as his body tensed. Essend bloodlust stirred underh his skin, ready to e out at a moment's notice.

  I passed? He frowned just as the door slid open, illuminating the rest of the runnel in low light. A moment ter, a figure stepped out, earning a raised eyebrow from him. Okay, now it's getting iing.

  Apex Abyss Walker | LVL. 26

  The man walking towards them was unlike anyone else Leo had ever seeill had the standard build of a human, but that was where the simirities ended.

  For one, just like him, the man had cws on his hands a, and they all gave off an eerie crimson glow. Ahing they shared was their skin color, although the Abbys Walker's was a bit lighter with flecks of red thrown into it.

  Then there was the man's head, which, while staying mostly human, possessed some features of vampires straight out of horror movies. The crimson-eyed gaze only added to the image.

  And is that a wing? Leo blinked, spotting the single leathery appeugged to the man's back. That's got to be unfortable. Where is the other one?

  He didn't get any more time to wonder about that as the man stopped and spoke up again. "o be all tense. We didn't lead you here just to fight," the man grinned. "I don't have a death wish."

  Leo frowned. "We? Lead us? What the hell are you talking about? Expin fast." At the same time, he tacted Nyx. One wrong move, aake him out. No killing though. I want information.

  'Got it.'

  "Like I said, I'm not here to fight. I just want to talk," the Abyss Walker repeated.

  "I heard that somewhere before," Leo snorted, rexing his stance just a bit. "So I ask again. Who are you? How and why did you lead us here?"

  "Ah yes, your enter with the Holy Morons. Bastards 't eveheir word," the man spat. "This won't be a problem here... But yes, introdus... I'm Mal Dale, a humble ex-barker if you believe me. I'm one of the leaders of the Wildborn, as we like to call ourselves. What about you and your... friend here?"

  "Leo and Nyx," he answered before his eyes narrowed. "You saw me fight the Emissaries and then baited me here. What do you want?"

  Mal raised his hands. "Woah, woah, woah. Calm down, mate. Yeah, one of mine saw your scuffle with the Treant and those idiots. Holy, it was hard not to with all the explosions, but we didn't bait you here. I prefer to call it an invitation with an attached test."

  This time, Leo shot the man a bnk stare. "You literally had me following an unknown trail for over two hours. I still want to know how you mahat."

  The Walker shrugged. "Beats me. I have a hunter with real-life experience who figured this out. I just gave him the green light to go along with his pn."

  This guy. Leo shook his head, feeling that they were getting nowhere. "Whatever... Tell me what you want, or we're leaving."

  Mal shot him anrin. "Oh? Isn't it obvious? I would like for you two to join my group. And if not that, I will be happy with an alliance."

  Is he serious? Either he is even more desperate than Holden, or they have been us for lohan we know. Leo observed, not showing his surprise oside.

  Instead, he just asked while crossing his arms. "Why would you give an offer like that to someone you've just met? To someone who is strohan you? Aren't you worried? Where’s your survival instinct?"

  "Worried?" Mal snorted. "Of course I am, but I have my reasons. One of which is you pletely destroying the Holy Morons and cutting off that bitch's arm. Personally, I would have gone for the head, but still, I'm a big fan of your work... So what do you say? Want to go inside?"

  Leo and Nyx shared a look at that. You know, I think we just met Frank 2.0, only a bit more mad. Don't you agree?

  The feline only snorted.

  Chaos65