"You think you have seen it all? Bah, you couldn't be more wrong. Void, the System, the fas, and so much more. I have lived for more cycles than most, yet even I know that there is so much more for me to see. After all, with every new Universe crushed, we get a new one, just waiting to be explored."

  ~Loraveler to his audience, 52nd Outbreak

  Touch of age. Doesn't sound ominous at all. Leo thought, staring at the floating orb, and the object stared back as if alive. The violet energy still swirled around the item, but now that Leo stood close to it, the orb seemed calmer, waiting for him to act.

  And so Leo did, his hand moving forward. Hopeful that Identify didn't fet to add some vital information on how the orb could kill him with a touch. It certainly would be ironisidering the item's name…

  Leo's hand was not even an inch away when the orb moved. It spasmed, shrinking as it slowly nded istretched hand. Leo gasped, the power of the sphere tingling across his skin.

  Almost instinctively, he guided his own Esseo his palm, slowly f it into the object. A sed, ten, passed as Leo stood there transfixed, his energy mixing with the orb's own.

  And then it happened.

  Do you wish to Install Touch of age into your soul? Install-Type items be removed any time you want.

  The System and growing amounts of Essence waited for Leo's and. He gulped as the final choice fshed before his eyes. Did he use the item and endure any potential sequences, or take it with him without installing the mysterious object?

  Leo's gaze went to the bes gained from the orb, a sigh leaving his lips. Too much to gain and nothing really to lose, even if the passive is discerting... Besides, I remove it if anything goes wrong.

  Leo gave the and and groaned as Essence reversed its flow. The energy stopped flowing out of his body and was dragged baside along with the orb's power. The violet glow covered Leo's entire hand as he gritted his teeth, fighting the scream that wao leave his throat.

  The new power spread all over his body before the majority of the energy settled ihe pond of Essehat made Leo's soul. He gasped as his senses sharpened again, his body burning as small bits of the orb's energy melded with his every muscle.

  It was pletely different from when Leo leveled up. With every level, he felt his body and senses being strohanks to some alien force that the System's provided, but now? Now it was all thanks to the Essehin the small orb that somehow affected Limit Break.

  There was also something more to the item's power, probably the passive, but for the love of god, Leo couldn't figure out what even 'Blood is the answer' meant.

  Apart from the positive effects, the System wasn't lying with the warning. As Leo closed his eyes and touched his small pond of Essence, he felt the additional force weighing down his soul. And even if it didn't hinder him now, Leo wasn't sure what would happen if he installed aem.

  Eyes opening, Leo grimaced. With his focus entirely on the object, he almost fot the state of the room he was in.

  Leo backed off a few steps ahe offio matter how much Essence he could still drain from the remains of Voidlings, Leo had no pns to step that low yet. Outside he had more than enough Esseo drain, and it didn't require him to bath in the blood and gore of monsters.

  Wait a sed... Stopping outside the office, Leo scooped a tiny bit of Voidling's blood off the door's frame. Almost instantly, a dim violet sheen covered the bck substance, only to vanish a moment ter, along with all of the blood. Well, blood certainly is an answer, but to what?

  He didn't feel any different after abs the blood, and the description of the item — which he apparently could bring out whenever he wanted — didn't ge o. Maybe it needs more? Something to check ter on. I really o get out of here.

  With that in mind, Leo moved to the shop's entrand quickly looked outside.

  The rest of the station was devoid of Voidlings, as expected; they were all sin in the explosion or the flict that followed. Leo only mao spot a few monsters moving dowreet. However, none even tried to approach his location, apparently happy with their position on the road.

  I still have a few notifications to check out... They will o wait.

  The area seemed safe, but Leo didn't want to risk being caught off guard. Especially sidering the sheer number of notifications waiting for Leo's attention. And so, no matter how hard his curiosity burned, Leo decided to wait a few more minutes.

  He only had to get to the small neighborhood he industrial area and find ay house. It had been over half a day since Leo began his journey, and he needed some time to rest a. Besides, his back deserved to rest a few hours without any additional abuse. There was no way Leo was going any deeper into the city unless he was pletely healthy, or close to it.

  Nodding, Leo left the shop with True Stealth activating as he ducked behind one of the cars he statio.

  Two Voidlings blocked his path to the other side of the road. While Leo could move a bit further to the right and probably pass without aig, what was the sense of leaving level one monsters alone?

  Dagger in hand, Leo used his paterid baited both moo his position with a small pebble. The two almost mindless beasts rushed towards Leo's cover, ready to tear apart their offender.

  Only Leo moved first. The moment the Voidlings passed by him, he jumped at the monster a his cws slice through the back of its neck. The additional strength pushed Leo's cws deeper, almost leaving the Cursed Human without its head.

  Before the body eveo the ground, Leo spun in pce, dug under a slow swipe from the sed Voidling. The dagger sailed forward, creating a long and deep gash across the monster's stomach, blood and insides spilling out.

  The creature bent forward, screeg in pain, and Leo followed with an uppercut, cws digging into the monster's ned . It gurgled but didn't give out any other sound as its movements grew weaker and weaker.

  The body stilled and colpsed to the ground with a thump as Leo turned around and looked at another level one Voidling that probably heard the cry of its kind and followed. The monster didn't even try to approach Leo; instead, its eyes darted between its fallen kin and the human that killed them.

  Then its gaze drifted to Leo's bloodied cws, and it hissed, baring its teeth. Leo stiffened, his tainted arm raised, ready for anht. Only it never came as the Voidling turned around and ran away.

  What? Leo gaped, watg the back of the retreating monster. It was still running on the road in the dire from which Leo came.

  Did a Voidling really run away from me? Even thinking about it seemed wrong, a made some sense when Leo looked down at the massacred bodies and his unnatural arm. Despite the monster's desire to e Leo's Essehe beast watched him sy two of its kind in seds.

  Maybe they have some sort of survival instinct. Though shouldn't it disappear in the face of a meal? Leo mused as he draihe bodies, his mind fshing back to the ses where Voidlings worked on freeing another one from a car. Then, there was the Cursed Human that, no matter what, tried to get ihe trunk. Maybe it is just the level difference or ck of any support. No way to find out for sure. Weird...

  Sighing, Leo dashed across the street and jumped into se bushes. The pnts grew along the entire length of the road and should give him enough cover to reach the neighborhood. Furthermore, the other side of the shrubs provided Leo with a clear view of other farmnds. Those, though, were devoid of both crops and Voidlings.

  Leo weaved between the branches and half-turned leaves that sought to sp him in the face with every step as he traveled. For the entire length of the walk, Leo's mind stretched to find more reasons for why the Voidling escaped. Yet, he stantly arrived at the same clusions as before.

  I need more information.

  He stopped at a crossroad where a small square neighborhood began. It sisted of a bunch of tiached houses and one long block of fts that separated this residential area from the industrial one.

  Looking to his left, Leo abahe cover of the bushes. He walked o a wooden fehat separated the farmnds from the houses. Not that the fence offered any security or even privacy with all the holes and broken boards. However, it allowed Leo to peek into the gardens or evereet oher side.

  From experience, Leo didn't expect to find a lot of Voidlings in this area. One only o look at the broken or boarded windows, rge parts of the roofs missing or destroyed walls to know that not many people could have lived here.

  And that was the truth. Most of the people in this neighborhood had already relocated into the lengthy block of fts. The massive building looked like a peak of architecture pared to the small houses.

  Indeed a sad fate for one of the oldest areas iy, even if a necessary one. If it weren't for the Outbreak, those houses would have been repced by more blocks for people w in the nearby factories or warehouses in a few years.

  Let's get it over with. Leo grunted as he jumped over the fend walked to the backdoor of a house that seemed in good ditioe all the boarded windows.

  He broke the lock with a sharp tug and stepped into the darkness. Taking a whiff of the air, Leo smiled a bit when he didn't register any stench of blood or death. He also didn't notiy anomalies when he swept his glowing arm across the living area. Well, apart from some damaged furniture that was most likely left by the previous owners of the house.

  To be sure, Leo checked every room on the ground floor and theic, where he found the only window without any cover, even gss.

  Good, another source of light. Leo smiled, sittio the broken window. He pulled some dry food and water from his backpad sighed. Now, let's see what's going on with those notifications.

  Due to achieving the first milestone on your journey, your e with the System has improved from "Weak" to "Average". Evolution and Job menu unlocked.

  Huh. It was Leo's only thought as he read the first notification.

  During the introdu with the e, Leo didn't receive a lot of information about the e. Still, he thought it was a done deal. Guess I was wrong. He shrugged, looking at the sed part of the message.

  Since Leo woke up, he had only received small ss of information about evolution and nothing about the Job. Apparently, now he had an answer why. Although it also raised a question of what else would be unlocked if Lethened his e with the System even more.

  A thought for another day. Give me the ne- Argh!

  Assassin level five skill granted: Kiss of Death

  Kiss of Death (Unon):Bread and butter of every assassin. Stealth may lead you to the target. Sharp senses might let you spot their weakness. But the Kiss of Death will allow you to strike with the deadly strength required to end your target.Effects:Allows you to coat any on in your possession with finely refined Esseo strike with overp strength. Provides a oime boost to armor peion and the overall sharpness of your bde. The efficy of this skill is depe on your Mind and Soul.

  The knowledge of the new skill smmed into Leo's head with the subtlety of a jackhammer. He gritted his teeth as the instrus on how to form the ability step by step were forcefully burned into his mind.

  "Fuck!" Leo gasped as the System fis job, leaving him panting. No matter how was to know how to use a skill from the beginning, Leo didn't fancy a headache like this the ime he received a skill.

  As for the Kiss of Death? Not as helpful as Leo had hoped when he heard the ill, after some tweaking, he could see the potential. Only for now, he doubted that he had the required trol to mess with this skill.

  I hope I won't regret it, but .

  Title Received: Adaptable

  Adaptable: Even in the face of the end of the world, you pushed through, adapting to every obstacle you faced. May your new path lead you to greatness. Effects:The System will take your adaptability under sideration. Soul Effectiveness: +10%

  The System will take your adaptability under sideration. Okay? Should I be worried? Leo raised his eyebrows. The description didn't fill him with much hope, but until now, the System was mostly helpful. Besides, it was o know that even some mysterious entity aowledged Leo's progress.

  Whatever. Leo sighed. I don't know what it means, and the additional ten pert is a wele surprise. ?

  Nothing appeared, and Leo frowned. He thought more notifications were waiting for him. Guess not. Perhaps it has something to do with the new menus... Let's see.

  gratutions. The Evolution menu is now avaible. After reag the necessary requirements, you may force the evolution of your race. Warning: Evolution is non-reversible.

  Stage II:

  Minimal Requirements: 50 Ether (33/50), 25 Voidlings Killed (36/25), 12 Hours of Sated Status (16/12)Evolution Unlocked: ?

  Reended Requirements: 75 Ether (33/75), 50 Voidlings Killed (36/50), 24 hours of Sated Status (16/24), 2 Crystalized EssenceEvolution Unlocked: ?

  Apex Requirements: 150 Ether (33/150), 100 Voidlings Killed (36/100), 48 hours of Sated Status (16/48), 2 Hearts of the TaintedEvolution Unlocked: ?

  That's a lot of killing. Leo grimaced. If he wao go for anything other than the — going by the requirements — weakest evolution, he only o gather a bit more of this mysterious Ether. The reended evolution seemed possible after some work, but the Apex?

  Two Hearts of the Tainted? Where would I evehose? Do they wao hunt other people like me just to steal their hearts? That's beyond fucked. Although... No, Leo, don't even think of it.

  Leo dismissed the menu and leaned against the wall, eyes closed. Until now, he hadn't even thought about evolution, but now the e's words echoed very clearly in his head.

  e and evolve. Use this ability or die.