"No matter where it came from, the System gave us a ce. A ce to grow and evolve into something more than the weak creatures we were before. Most of the survivo with the most simple evolutions, just enough to get stronger ahe st remains of their old identity alive… This is a weakness, and Narzak will have none of those."

  ~ Current ander of Narzak, 57th Outbreak

  When Leo evolved his stealth, he wao do something more as he traveled toward Wolford. After all, if he mao evolve a skill in just a day, he could learn more about Essence or at least gain more trol over the mysterious energy with some experimentation.

  And that was exactly what Leo did. Although perhaps using the Crystallized Esseo practice wasn't the brightest of his ideas.

  He didn't have as much time to practice as he would have liked, but Leo k had to be enough. Especially now as he stood before the opened doors, dozens of ruby eyes gring at him, the loud bang alerting almost every Voidling at the petrol station.

  The monsters screeched and moved; Leo joihem as he bolted towards the office. He jumped ihe room, leaving the door wide open so the Voidlings could follow.

  With no time to waste, Leo’s eyes sowards a wooden desk in the er, an excellent addition to his pn. Grabbing the desk's side, Leed it to the metal backdoor, heavy thumps reverberating through the ground as the hot closer and closer.

  Leo pushed the door wide open and stepped outside, using the desk to barricade the lower half of the exit. When the first Cursed Human attempted to ehe office, it ushed to the ground by another Voidling who crashed into its back. A moment ter, another came, creating an avanonsters as they spilled into the room, none remaining on foot for more than a sed.

  e on, just a little bit more.

  Leo's cws gripped the backdhtly, ready to close it at a moment's notice as his human hand squeezed the Crystalized Essen his pocket. The power of Leo's soul thrummed as he slowly transferred more of it towards his hand.

  At this point, the screeches became the only thing arouhe monstrous sounds pulling at his mind, telling him to run away as fast as he could. But Leo held on, watg as yet another Voidling ran into the office, this one remaining standing as it stepped over the backs of its howling kin.

  That's my cue.

  As Leo took the crystal from his pocket, the accumuted Essence moved. The energy ropelled out of his body and towards the object, just as he had trained. Only now, when the crystal gleamed a little brighter, Leo didn't stop but iook it as a good sign, f even more Esseo his hand.

  This is taking too long. Leo growled as he stepped back when one of the Voidlings finally took its first ce to attack him. The monster was still blocked by the desk, but Leo had no doubt that in a few seds, it would not be a problem anymore.

  The Voidling struck again, and this time Leo was ready. He snatched the offending limb with his cushed the Cursed Human back, right into another monster who was finally attempting to stand.

  This strategy would have never succeeded if it hadn't been for their foolishness. The teamwork the beasts showed on the first road disappeared in the face of a fresh meal. Hell, even now, most of the Voidlings were lying on the ground.

  Leo hissed as something almost burned his hand, eyes widening when he looked down at the miniature sun in his hand.

  If that's not a sign of destabilization, then I don't know what is. Leo gave the crystal a final push and chucked it into the office, the backdoor snapping shut as the st part of the pn was almost pleted.

  The crystal's description didn't give muformation on the power of the explosion. So Leo bolted away from the petrol station as quickly as his legs could carry him. No reason to remain in a danger zone when he wasn't even sure what would happe.

  Leo ehe farmnd once more, True Stealth gathering around his body. e on, work! Leo yelled internally as he awaited the clusion of his scheme.

  'Boom!'

  The earth shook, and even though the sound was muted by the shop's walls, the echo still carried through the air. It quickly reached Leo, who was getting bombarded by lines of notifications as he tumbled to the ground.

  Multiple enemies sin | Bonus experience awarded | 16 Ether gained

  Level 5 reached. Css attributes added. Please assign your 2 free attributes.

  Level 6 reached. Css attributes added. Please assign your 2 free attributes.

  Due to achieving the first mile…

  Two levels, nice, but now is really not the time. Just assign two points to Mind and one eaight and Soul. Leo groaned, pig himself off the ground; the rest of the notifications faded to the back of his mind, waiting for his call.

  Just whehought he was slowly getting used to the surge of power, the double level-up was quick to prove him wrong. It pulled at every single muscle in his body, every sense, almost blinding Leo. He released a silent scream, colpsing to his knees once again.

  "I'll never get used to this," Leo gasped, his gaze finally settling on the back of the gas station, the image clearer than ever.

  Even if the explosion killed several Voidlings, the backdoor remained, albeit slightly bent outwards. From this point of view, Leo had already mao spot at least two Voidlings in the area, so the explosion definitely didn't kill every monster.

  Once again, Leo was at a crossroads. He could either go bad kill the few Voidlings that survived, et the hell away from here before something stronger noticed the explosion. I'm getting greedy. Leo furrowed his brow. But it doesn't mean I 't just hide for a few minutes and wait out any possible dangers.

  Deade, Leo moved through the farmnd to gain a better visual of the front of the shop.

  Stopping a reasonable distance from the end of the field, Leo cast his gaze over the erol station, searg for every Voidling that survived. Owo, three, plus two more in the back. Doable if nothing else shows up.

  And so Leo waited, his body tense as he hid behind the remains of the wheat. His sight, hearing, and ried to pick up something that wasn't the natural screed growl of a Voidling or a howl of the wind.

  At first, nothing came, but Leo khe residential area was at least five minutes away. As such, he waited, not moving even an inch as mier minute passed. I guess the explosion wasn't as loud as I thought.

  Slowly, Leed towards the edge of the field, dagger in hand, as he tracked the two Voidlings standing by the shop entranot once did they try to step ihey looked almost scared to enter a building that had killed so many of their kin.

  Leo snorted. Iing.

  Whehird Voidling that stood he pumps turned away, Leo shot towards the side of the shop. He hugged the wall with his back as soon as he got there before moving to the edge.

  The two fuckers still loomed by the entrance, unmoving; Leo cursed. He khat with all the new levels, a two-on-one fight against weak Cursed Humans shouldn't be that much of a problem. But Leo didn't fancy the third one joining if he couldn't eliminate one of them quickly enough.

  Yeah, no thanks. Leo thought as he he sed er leading to the shop's back.

  One of the Cursed Humans still stood by the backdoor, but the other retreated to the edge of the farmnd, its sharp fingers weaving through the remains of uncut wheat. Leo shook his head, gazing back at the Voidling at the door. I won't even ask.

  He knocked lightly oal wall with one finger, creating a quiet ting. It was close enough for the Voidling to hear as it growled, already running towards the er.

  Leo hid, and when the monster came, his cws shot forward, stabbing its ned stopping any sound from ing out. The dagger followed, ending the creature's short life.

  The body dropped to the ground, and Leo left his spot by the wall and ran towards the sed Voidling. The monster met him halfway, alerted by the fall of its kin.

  Leo ducked under a clumsy swipe, his boosted Grace giving him more than enough time to react. The moried to follow with its other hand, but Leo jerked away and struck with his cws, the deadly fingers creating five long cuts on the Voidlings face.

  It howled, bag a step as half of its face was rendered useless. Leo grimaced and quickly followed with a finishing strike, knowing what would e .

  The Voidling colpsed as three screeches answered its st howl. "Fuck."

  Leo ran to the backdoor and twisted the handle as quickly as possible. The entire droaned but didn't budge. Leo cursed again and ran to the edge of the wall, taking a deep breath.

  Please, one or two, not all of them. Just as this thought went through Leo's head, two Cursed Humans ran from around the er. her noticed Leo when he pounced on the seonster, cws already entering its unprotected side, draining its Essence.

  Leo hissed as they rolled on the hard paving, the bag once again digging into his wounded back. Fighting through the paiabbed the monster a few more times food measure before jumping off the dead Voidling.

  The other Cursed Human had already turned around, attempting to jump ohe tter only leaned out of the way, a level one monster being too slow to surprise Leo's improved senses.

  Just when he wao unch a ter-attack, Leo again had to jump out of the way as the third Voidling finally caught up after choosing the wrong side of the building.

  Cursing, Leo turned around and bolted, leaving the monsters behind. He ran straight for the shop entrand barreled ihe stench of blood immediately assaulting his nostrils.

  Should have expected that. Leo grimaced, dug behind one of the shelves as the screeches followed his trail.

  The first Voidling came around the shelf, aruck the back of its legs. The creature fell on its back, its howl silenced by a dagger to its head. One down, and if Leo's hearing wasn't wrong, then he had an idea how to deal with the sed.

  Jumping to his feet, Leo gri the monster oher side of the shelf and pushed the barrier separating them with all his might.

  With all of its products, the shelf fell onto the unsuspeg monster, sending it to the ground, half crushed uhe object's weight. It screeched, flinging its arms at Leo, but he just sighed and vaulted over the shelf. A simple stab ehe Voidling's life.

  "That could have goer," Leo frowaking a seat o the monster, his cws already draining its Essence.

  He dealt with the two first Voidlings pretty well, even if he had to fight head-on with the seonster. When it came to the other three, Leo still tried to outsmart them as he just wasn't sure about his ces against more than two enemies.

  It wasn't bad per se, but like with the fight against the Runner or Seekers, one day, Leo might meet monsters he couldn't outrun or outsmart. For them, he o get a bit more fident and skilled at close-quarters bat. Until then, Leo had to pick his battles wisely because today could have gone very badly if it wasn't for his quick thinking and high level.

  Sighing, Leo draihe other Voidling before finally heading to the office. He closed his eyes momentarily and took a deep breath, knowing that the sight inside couldn't be pretty. The puddle of bck blood at the entraold him as much.

  With a nod, Leo took a step forward, his gaze falling on the age inside.

  Once white, the walls were now painted bck, blood still dripping, putting the final touches on the painting of sughter. The floor wasn't aer, soaking in the fluids that oozed from what remained of the Voidlings. Leo tried not to look at the severed legs and arms or the headless bodies. Instead, he focused his gaze on the only thing providing light for the room.

  Now, that's something new. Leo's eyebrow rose as his gaze settled on a swirling mass of violet energy that floated in the middle of the office.

  It wasn't rger than Leo's fist, yet it excluded enough light to illumihe entire room. Leo moved forward, his boots squelg as he weaved through the age.

  He stopped a foot or two away, almost reag for the orb, only to yank his hand away. Identify first.

  Install: Touch of age (Rare):An install-type item created as the result of the aftermath of an Essence explosion that intermingled with the souls and blood of multiple Voidlings. The ensuing age directed the overflow of Esseowards the formation of the first Install item oh.Limit Break: +6 Might and Vision, +2 Grace. Passive: First Circle - Blood is the answer (0%).

  Warning: Install-type items weigh heavily on your soul. Use only as many as you handle.

  The moment Leo finished reading, his eyebrows couldn't go any higher.

  What?