"Evolution is something truly fasating. There are thousands of different races in the vast Multiverse and even more variants and mutations. The System offers us plenty of choices; we just o take them, use them to survive, and bee something more. With time, you will uand what I mean, and then you will be ready to create your own path. A path that no one ever walked."

  ~ An old warrior to his grandson, 25th Outbreak

  A rustle echoed through the empty attic as Leo hid the leftovers of his meal. Nothing could go to waste when the apocalypse surrounded him from every side. While finding more nourishment wasn't too much of a problem now, all could ge in another week or two. Who knew how much of the world would eveanding anymore?

  Leo once again leaned against the brick wall, sighing as his mind was still going through different sariarding evolution. It was way too important to just fet about it in a few minutes, especially when it could ge Leo's entire being.

  His tainted arm rose to Leo's eyes, the cwed hand flexing and turning as he took in the mass of deformed flesh and glowing veins. Scars upon scars still covered the entire skin. Only now, Leo saw the few new additions he gained during his jourhey were different, more noticeable, bathing in the inhuman veiernal crimson sheen.

  Maybe I get rid of you. Leo thought, his gaze falling upon the long cws. But is it the right choice?

  The first time Leo saw the tainted arm, he wao rip it off, to get rid of something so hideous. Then the limb quickly proved its usefulness against Edward's husk. Leo's new abilities might have been the oo guide him, but without the cws, Leo could have died anyway.

  After that fight, he tried not to think too much about the transformation. Instead, Leo used the limb as a tool to survive, be it as a on to kill Voidlings lorified mp in this world without aricity.

  And now that Leo realized that the option of evolution was ing, he didn't know what his choice should be. If evolution allowed him to get rid of the arm and beore human again, should he take it?

  Leo shook his head. Once again, w about something that might not even be an option. First, I o meet the requirements, and then… then I worry about my humanity.

  Taking a peek through the small window, Leo frowned as he noticed the sun was already on its way toward the west. Still have a few hours before the night. He thought, returning to his previous position.

  Leo wao give his back a bit more time to rest before moving again, but lying here for the five or four hours, waiting for the night, just didn't sit right with him. Especially not when with every hour, the monsters outside were being stronger.

  Kill some stragglers, scout the area and then e back. Leo nodded, moving to stand up, only to stop as ahought crossed his mind. Hold up. There was one more menu for me to check. Job?

  Catg the and, the System answered, lines of notifications fshing ien front of Leo.

  Wele to the Job Menu. Please select your first job. This list is made up of any profession that you have seen, experienced, or heard about. With time, this list might bee longer, and you will be able to ge your job at the price of Ether and progress in your previous job.

  Jobs avaible:

  -Cook

  -Builder

  -Alchemist

  -Smith

  -Hunter

  -...

  The list went on and on. It mentioned almost every mundane job of the old world, with a few additions that existed only in fi. From soldier and guard to leader and butcher, the System had it all.

  y pert or more of those jobs had no p the new world, so Leo trated on the ohat might provide him with some bes.

  When he used Identify on any of those jobs, the System answered, giving Leo a short description and the advantages gained. In most cases, it was a unique skill or two. Still, a few jobs also provided the User with access to particur funs of the System reted to the profession.

  Leo checked almost every crafting job that could prove helpful in his journey. While some of them had potential, they all came with one critical problem specified by the job's description.

  The ck of tools required for the job.

  Guess I won't be crafting potions or ons anytime soon… Leo sighed and gave the list another look. Without tools and a pce to settle down, he didn't know how anyone could ever use most of the valuable jobs.

  Minutes passed as Leo identified job after job, searg for anything supp his survival style. It wasn't until he returo the top of the list ahe description of a profession he had dismissed previously that he found something useful.

  Hunter:In old times, those hard-w people were the oo provide food and materials for their families to survive another year. In the world ied by the Void, the Hunters rise once more. Both to supply the new world with rare materials and to hunt mohat refuse to die.Bes:Skill: Hunter's Pulse and access to the Bestiary.

  Bestiary… A fun like that could be useful depending on how it worked. And Hunter's Pulse, the first rare skill, I wonder. A scowl formed on Leo's face wheify refused to give more information about either of the bes.

  I guess I take it and ge it ter. Some Ether shouldn't hurt too much... Hu is.

  Your job has beeo Hunter. Access to bestiary and tasks granted. Guided access to Hunter's Pulse granted.

  Hunter's Pulse (Rare):The first skill any respectable Hunter has to learn. Guided by i and Essehe pulse helps them through the hunt in search of their targets or anything valuable.Effects:Send a pulse of Essehrough the surrounding area in search of anything alive or valuable. The pulse range depends on the amount of Essence used, while its effectiveness is guided by your Vision. Warning: Any being with sharp senses might be able to feel the pulse.

  The knowledge once again crashed into Leo's mind. Only this time, he was somewhat ready, grinding his teeth as he processed the information. Uh any skill before, Leo now knew perfectly how to utilize the ability even if its inner ws evaded him. Useful, very useful. It will be o know what is inside before I barge into a building.

  Although during the information transfer, Leo caught one very curious detail that he just had to check out.

  Closing his eyes, Leo pced a hand on the floor and reached into his Essence reserves. The energy, guided by his will, formed a tiny ball inside his hand and waited for Leo's final and.

  A and he gave immediately as he released the energy into the floor.

  Eyes snapping open, Leo watched a as the crimson Esseraveled through the eic, toug everything in the room. Then his gaze went to the backpack, which started to glow faintly. So that was what it meant by ‘guided by i’.

  When it came to items, the pulse apparently required i from the User. The more precise the and, the easier it would be for the skill to find the requested objects. Quite advanced, but very, very useful. And what about the bestiary?

  Wele to your bestiary. Currently, it is empty, but after every identified creature, you will be able to access the System's information about your target.

  Expected. Even if I already Identified plenty of Voidlings…

  Sighing, Leo stood up, slinging his bag over his back. He grimaced slightly as his wounds fred, but another hour or so of rest at least allowed the injuries to heal even more. His back should be almost healed after the night with this speed of recovery.

  Leo rolled his shoulders a few times to get used to the pain again and moved towards the stairs. In the meantime, his mind called out one final part of the System he had to iigate.

  Job Menu:

  -Start a task

  -Pay for a task

  -ge your job

  Eyebrows raised, Leo selected the first option, his eyes widening as another list appeared. Hunt: Cursed Humans. Find the ir of Collectors. Kill a Prime and harvest its heart. Gather two Crystallized Essence. All issioned by the System.

  Leo returo the job menu without seleg any tasks and chose the sed option. His eyebrows climbed even higher wheiced the extensive menu.

  He could request pretty muything he wanted. Of course, he had to provide a reward for the task — be it Ether or items — but then the System would register it for the users with the proper job.

  It seemed nid valuable for the future, but as Leo looked at the job request again, he frowned. Range: Current p. Somehow I doubt anyone is doing much better than me... There is no eople out there have time to finish a task I created… It would also expin why all avaible ones are issioned by the System.

  Shrugging, Leo returo his tasks aed the only one he could plete as of this moment.

  Hunt: Cursed HumansSy at least 10 Cursed Humans of level 3+. issioned by: System. Time Limit: 2 Earth days.Rewards:20 Ether

  Do you wish to accept?

  Yes. The window disappeared, leavianding before the closed backdoor. His cws pushed the door ajar and he slipped out, going bato the world painted in red.

  Leo went around the er of the house and hid behind one of the bushes, giving him the perfect view of the empty street. True Stealth formed around his body, and Leo sprinted along the pnts he sidewalk, jumping into the yard of another house a moment ter.

  Like almost every building in the neighborhood, the house was barely standing. Pieces of gss glinted in the sunlight while parts of bricks id scattered all over the yard. If Leo didn't know aer, he would have thought that the previous night had caused all that.

  Croug in front of a boarded entrance door, Leo reached into himself and touched the building. A much rger ball of Essence seeped into the wall. Leo momentarily closed his eyes as he processed the feedback.

  No ons, no food, and no one alive.

  Leaving the yard, Leo traveled to almost every house oreet, his pulse sing for anything useful or any indications of life. Not even one Voidling was found, and he had to accept that it was time to move to the other street that led to a road that the block of fts stood by.

  Leo jumped over another fend sowards the backdoor. Hunter's Pulse thrummed through the entire building, and Leo's eyes widened just a bit when the skill gave him a positive for the first time.

  Somewhere on the ground floor. Leo thought as he yahe board pced across the door.

  The pnk didn't even fight against Leo's inhuman strength and the long rusty nails slid out in just a sed. The door followed without help, opening wide open, groaning after years of unuse.

  A familiar screeswered from somewhere in the house, and Leo grinned. He knocked on the door's frame food measure, waiting for the Voidling to e out.

  The Cursed Human almost crashed into the hallway's wall as it dashed towards the entrance door. In response, Leo backed a few steps, identified the monster, and gripped the nailed pnk in his hands. Ready to deal with the Voiding as fast as he could.

  Cursed Human (Voidling) | Rank: F- | LVL: 1

  The moment the Voidling came inte, Leo swung his makeshift on, the ping the creature's head. The wood snapped, splinters raining down upon the ground as the Voidling screeched, the metal nails digging into its head.

  Sn, Leo grabbed his dagger and fihe monster. His cws sank into the beast's body, and he frowned when a deep violet sheen once again covered the blood on his limb.

  So it wasn't a oime thing... I really o figure out what that Passive does. Leo shook his head. Later, now let's see. Bestiary.

  Race: Voidling | Subspecies: Cursed Humaed Potential: F- to Fon of choice: Sharpened fingernails, Jaeaknesses: HeadCursed Humans are the main variants of Voidlings created due to the Outbreak. Their plete ck of intelligence makes them easy prey as solets. When in fear of a stronger predator, Cursed Humaroups that overwhelm even experienced warriors. Any cursed variant be instinctively anded by a stronger variant.

  Not bad...