“Shit,” Leo groaned. Waking up for the sed time this day didn’t seem much better than the previous one. He rolled onto his bad opened his eyes in one ght light instantly filled Leo’s vision, earning a string of curses and closed eyelids from him.

  Where the hell am I? Just as the thought went through his head, the memories hit him like a speeding train. The red light, screaming and the pain… oh man the pain, he shuddered. There had to be some expnation for all of this. Maybe he slipped, knocked himself out and his mind decided to make up excuses for those events.

  No, Leo shook his head. It was too real.

  “It indeed was, human,” A voice echoed through… well, something. Inch by inch, Leo slowly opened his eyes again, this time letting them get used to the stabbing brightness. He had to see and find out who mao address his thoughts. Thoughts, for fuck sake!

  “Here,” The voice that sounded almost like Leo's — Just more dead? Indifferent? Calm? Something like that — came from behind.

  Climbing to his feet, Leo’s gaze first fell on the wall in front of him. Bright like a star, but covered in crimson glowing stains that somehow slowly grew, ing more and more of the wall.

  Leo gulped and turo face the rest of the small square room. All of the walls were the same a, in the ter of the closed chamber, a lone silver table stood, two chairs on each side with one already cimed by a very familiar figure.

  Eyes wide, Leo took a few steps back, his hands ing up. “Who are you?! Why do you look like me?” He shouted, gray eg with gray as the two inhabitants of the room locked gaze.

  Leo’s exact e, as that was literally what the person was, just motioo the other empty chair, all the while maintaining his — its? — pletely stone-cold expression.

  “Take a seat, human. We have much to discuss and your soul withstand my presence for only so long,” The e spoke again, his voiever wavering.

  Shakily, Leo moved forward, more out of the fusion and curiosity of whatever was happening. He even pinched himself repeatedly, hoping that it was just another of his new dreams.

  Mild pain shot through Leo’s arm a he never woke up. Something is wrong. I never had any trol over my dreams and this is way too realistic. Maybe it really is some kind of a new virus and it’s just mutating?

  Eyes still on the e, Leo took a seat, quickly scooting a few feet away from the table.

  The e sighed in the first show of emotion. “I mean you no harm, User… Now, I don’t even need you to believe that what you see is real. What I need from you, is to listen carefully to everything I say, like it’s the st thing yoing to hear... Time for believing will e once you leave this pce.”

  Leo narrowed his eyes. The e didn’t make much sense, but its tone alone made him wary. As much as Leo wao believe this to be just another dream, there was also no harm in hum the being in front of him. Not that he had another option as waking up seemed impossible.

  “This pce?” Leo decided to ask. They had to start from somewhere.

  The e nodded and spread his arms, “We are inside of your soul as it’s going through its awakening process. Although to be more specific this is the maion of the System, ay I’m a part of, that is currently adjusting to the Essence flowing inside your soul. And before you ask, I took this form to lessen the pressure on your entire being so we have just a little more time to talk.”

  Leo bli the terms used in an unfamiliar setting. “Hold on for a damn minute. Soul? Essehe System? The hell are you talking about?”

  As if the e didn’t hear Leo, it just tinued, “Approximately two ho, the First Cataclysm of the 64th Outbreak happehis single event ged your entire Universe, the release of Void Essewisted everything in its path while the System, like always, attempted to save as many as it could. You, User, are one of the roughly ten pert of beings of this Universe that mao st long enough for the System to reach them and force their Awakening. A small number, I know and it will only get lower and lower.”

  Leo stiffened, his mouth suddenly going dry. “W-what?” He stammered out, the thoughts of everything being a dream momentarily fotten. “Ten pert? What about the rest?”

  When the e hung his head low, Leo had a sudden urge to vomit. “I’m truly sorry, User,” it said, the stone-cold tone vanishing.

  “The remaining popution will suffer a fate worse thah. They will bee twisted by the Void Esseransformed into creatures straight out of your darkest nightmares. From now on their only goal is to evolve by hunting and growing stronger from the Essehat fills the air. Voidlings, the System calls them, one of the main threats you will enter once you go back.”

  Leo just sat there frozen, barely registering the e’s words beyond the first sentence. A fate worse thah. Those words echoed through Leo’s mind like a never-ending t.

  Lily, Nick, Adam, Mom, Dad, Edward. Hell, even Ava… Leo swallowed, still trapped in his own head. They are fihis is just a stupid dream or a halluation. There is nothing to worry about. A despite those thoughts running through his head, Leo could do nothing to stop the deep-seated terror from settling in his gut.

  At once Leo reeled back, his cheek stinging. Snapping his gaze towards the e, he watched as it lowered its glowing hand. “You have to calm down, human! Nothing is certain, your friends and family might still be alive, it happened many times in the past."

  Might. Might be alive, Leo repeated like a mantra. The word ‘might’ just barely calmed his ragiions that threateo burst like a waking volo. Suddenly the matter of this being a dream or not didn’t seem too important, not when there was even a sliver of a ce that something happeo his family.

  Leo took a deep breath and gave the e a nod. “Okay. Okay, you tinue, but please tell me first what is this Essence you keep talking about.”

  The doppelganger gave him a hard stare before raising his palm. “That’s agreeable as it’s essential knowledge,” he replied, voice again turning cold. “Essence had many names before and after the System. Mana, Chi, Ki, and Chakra are just a few among them. It’s the energy of the whole Multiverse. Everything has it, be it inanimate or animate. Although, those with a soul store Essenside it. The thing is that non-awakened beings ee their Essence, and when it ends, so does their life.”

  Lights swirled above the e’s palm, slowly f an image of a human body. The ade a few more movements with its hand and instantly a crimson light — The same color as the stains on the wall — ehe image.

  Looking at the mass of crimson, the e spoke, “Soul stores and strengthens your Essence.” Nodding towards the image’s head, it tinued, “Mind is responsible for trol, including regeion.” The crimson light pulsed as it covered the entire image, “Essehen flows through the entire body, where it’s utilized to perform feats you only dream of.”

  The e waved its hand, snapping the image out of existehe System just calls it Essence Manipution, but throughout the Multiverse, many call it Magic, Sorcery, or the Arts of Soul. The secrets of Essenow no limits and I could spend years expining only a small part of them… However that is not a subject for today, let us move on to your Interface.”

  So pretty much a weird energy that makes you a superhuman. Wonderful… Leo sighed and shot the e a bnk look.

  “Just focus ing it out.”

  Right, just focus on it, Leo scowled, only for his eyes to widen as a wall of text appeared in front of his vision. “What the fu...”

  Name: Leonardo BrownTitle: N/AEvolution Stage: I - Tainted HumanCss: N/AJob: N/ARank: N/A

  Might Tier I (5) | LB: 0Grace: Tier I (8) | LB: 0Vision: Tier I (6) | LB: 0Mind: Tier I (7) | LB: 0Soul: Tier I (4) | LB: 0

  Ether: 0

  Traits: Tainted (Unon)

  Racial Skills: Universal Linguist (Unique), Identify (Unique), Essence Manipution (on), Drain (Unon)

  General Skills: N/A

  Leonardo Brown… Been a while sinyone called me that, Leo grimaced as he sed the wall of text. It definitely resembled some of the rolepying games he pyed in the past, although he was by no means a specialist in gaming that could uand everything the status provided.

  Title, css, and rank seemed somewhat self-expnatory, or so Leo hoped. The two st attributes also made some sehanks to the e’s expnation about Essence, even if the tiers didn't make much sehe rest though? Leo had only some inkling of what they did, same with skills and the orait. And what in the flying fuck is the ‘LB’ o the attributes. More bloody questions…

  Leo raised a hopeful eyebrow. “ you expin what some of this means?”

  The e shook his head before nodding to his side. “The System gave you enough tools to do that on your own and we don’t have much time left. The process is over halfway done.”

  Wait. rocess? Brow furrowing, Leo followed the e’s gaze not really sure what he was looking for. The walls were still there, no surprises there, although the crimson — My Essence, Soul? — now covered over half of the previously bright surface. “What? You mean the walls?”

  “The Awakening process,” the e corrected. “As soon as your Essenes every surface of this room, I o depart. Now…” Leo’s eyebrows raised slightly wheiced the small grima the doppelganger’s face, “We have two st matters to discuss before my time runs out. Your rad css sele.”

  Reading iween the lines, Leo murmured, “Great. What’s wrong now? Weren’t the news of my family’s possible demise enough?”

  Once again the e ignored Leo, though its gaze was ba him. “You’re a part of a small pertage of the remaining survivors that were unfortuo absorb too much Void Essence before the System could reach them and jumpstart the Awakening process. As a result, your evolution stage isn’t listed as an ‘Awakened’ variant, but a ‘Tainted’ one.”

  Leo’s gaze fell to the table. “T-that doesn’t sound too good,” he whispered before once again fag the e. “Am I going to die? Just like that?” Leo refused to accept that. He still had so much to do, family that was waiting out there.

  “No, you won’t,” Leo released a breath he didn’t know he had been holding while he waited for the e’s reply. “At least not if you py your cards right. Think of your rad then bring out the description of your ‘Tairait. Those two things should expin almost everything.”

  Nodding, Leo did just that.

  Tainted Human (Stage: I)A variant of Awakened Human cursed by the power of the Void. Due to abs too much of Void Essence before your awakening, the corrupted power couldn’t be fully sed from your being. It will fight and e you if you don’t satiate its hunger.Effects:Causes some physical ges. Grants Tairait. Soul Effectiveness: +5%. +2 Free Attribute points per css level. Mutations: Locked.

  Your time is limited.

  Because that doesn’t sound ominous at all… And physical ges? What does that even mean? Leo grimaced as a shiver ran down his spihe streak of bad news was slowly making him feel just like after that night ten years ago.

  Trying to repress those thoughts, Leo pulled up his trait’s description.

  Tainted (Unon):For some, it's a curse, for others a blessing. You are the Tainted One. Fight and e or be ed. In the Void, only the strong survive… you adapt?Effects:Requires a stant supply of Pure Void Esseo stop the taint from spreading. Limit Break: +1 Soul, Might and Grace per level when satiated. Various ive effects applied if the taint begins to spread. Grants Drain skill.

  Somehow this doesn’t make me feel aer, Leo thought as his fists ched uhe table. The tairait only firmed how fucked Leo really was. At least now I know what the ‘LB’ stands for, although that just adds another question.

  “How do I survive?” Leo snarled instead. Limit Break, whatever that was, could wait.

  “Exactly like your trait expined. Adapt,” the e stated coldly. “Or in other words, e and evolve. The System gave you the ability to extract Pure Void Essence from every Voidling you've killed. The rest is up to you.”

  “e and evolve...” Leo murmured slowly, head hung low.

  Not that long ago Leo mao put the worst of his past away, years of therapy and the support of his foster family finally helped him accept what happened. A here he was, with the possibility of his world and his family being gone, hanging above his head.

  “No,” he whispered. Even if the world ged, Leo had to go out there and survive. His situation might look quite bleak, but he had to use this d at least try. For his family. For his own sake. Leo owed himself and the people that supported him that much.

  Gritting his teeth, he nodded, “Alright then. What’s left?”

  The doppelganger gave a nod of its own, lips dipping into an almost unnoticeable grin. “Css sele. Probably one of your most important decisions. After all, a css will be the main tool in your journey. Just remember that csses are here to guide you, not limit your learning capabilities. Almost anything is possible as long as you try.”

  With a flick of its wrist, letters began to form between Leo and the doppelganger. “Here, have a look and decide. We barely have any time left.”

  The letters stopped moving, f a straight list of csses and their very short descriptions.

  WarriorWay of the Blood. Show your enemies no fear and face them head-ohe unmovable shield and the deadliest bde for your foes.Effects:Grants the necessary skills and knowledge to begin your path as a warrior. Offers Warrior’s Body trait. +3 MIGHT, +1 SOUL per level.

  MageWay of the Essence. Show your ehe trol you possess and decimate them with the power of your soul. Grind them all to dust.Effects:Grants the necessary skills and knowledge to begin your path as a mage. Offers Enlightened Mind trait. +2 MIND and SOUL, per level.

  AssassinWay of the Shadows. Show nothing and leave nothing behind. No one is safe from your bde. The shadows wele you.Effects:Grants the necessary skills and knowledge to begin your path as an assassin. Offers Assassin's Grace trait. +2 GRACE, +1 VISION and MIND per level.

  RangerWay of the Arrow. Show your enemies your skill and blow them apart with your aim. Your eyes see everything. Well, almost.Effects:Grants the necessary skills and knowledge to begin your path as a ranger. Offers Ranger’s Eyes trait. +2 VISION, +1 GRAd MIND per level.

  To be ho, Leo expected more plicated choices, especially with everything that had been going on. Instead, he received a list of four pretty straightforward csses. Well, almost straightforward.

  The descriptions only gave the most basiformation and some clues as to what Leo could expect from each css, no more, no less. He could make assumptions going by the hough he still felt like it wasn’t enough to make su important decision. Although now I have some ideas about the purpose of the three remaining attributes.

  “I take you won’t tell me what the ‘necessary skills’ are, hmm?” Wishful thinking at this point, but it couldn’t hurt to ask.

  As the doppelganger shook his head, Leo scoffed. “Right…” He murmured a back to the list.

  He had to make a decision. Leo just hoped that it would be the right one…

  Warrior was instantly out in Leo’s opinion. Rushing head-on toward an unknown enemy in an unknown situatio against the prime principle that the e was stantly hinting at.

  Survival.

  So yeah, no suicidal charges for Leo. Or so he hoped...

  With oion out, Leo’s mind traveled to the Mage css. It certainly could be iing to bee a Sorcerer, but then again, how did this css help him survive? With no knowledge about Essence Manipution, he couldn't just go and predict what abilities he would gain.

  No, too many unknowns, Leo shook his head. Besides, the e just told me that a css doesn’t limit my ability to learn other skills. Magic, or whatever it is, will still be within my grasp.

  Nodding, Leo looked at his st two choices. Assassin and Ranger.

  Both options were good when it came to helping him survive in a dark world. One should grahe ability to stealthily make his way around the world, while the other offered him the capabilities of le bat.

  Unfortunately, as Leo read the description er css once again, he grimaced.

  Way of the Arrow. Yeah, no thanks.

  A few years back, Lily tried to introduce Leo to a few unique sports disciplines and archery was one of them. This special tryout didn’t really go well. Leo could remember perfectly how he failed every attempt at even replig the prrasp of the bow, and the less said about aiming the better.

  After that experience, Leo hated anything that could shoot arrows with heated passion. His face always turned sour when anyoio. No amount of persuading could ever make him grab a bow again.

  Even now Leo could recall his sister’s ughter when they left the archery range…

  As a nasty frown began to spread on Leo’s face, he quickly shook his head. Don’t go there, not yet. She’s fine, she must be.

  Closing his eyes, Leo released a deep breath, “I choose Assassin.”

  “Are you sure? There’s no going back.”

  Leo nodded and opened his eyes. “I am. If the System has a simir definition of Assassin as my world then it is my best bet on survival.”

  Besides, where the hell would I find a bow and arrows...

  “So be it,” The e responded and the list of csses disappeared only to be repced by a few new lines of text.

  Assassin css gained.

  Trait: Assassin’s Grace received. Skills: Vital Strike, Stealth, Dagger Mastery received.

  Leo expected more information or even some rush of knowledge like the css’ descriptioioned, but there was no such thing. Nothing ged.

  Frowning, Leo addressed the e, “Wasn’t I supposed to gain the ‘knowledge of how to begin my path?’”

  The doppelganger nodded, “The gift of knowledge will arrive once you leave this pce, just like any other ge you are required to gh.”

  Suddenly the entire room shook, the chairs and table disappearing. Leo took a quick look around the chamber as he just barely mao stay upright.

  It’s done. A soft gasp left his lips. There is no more light left, only the crimson, my Essence. Spinning around, Leo faced the e, whose form began to shimmer, the ends of its fingers slowly turning into specks of light.

  The e gave a small bow. “Do not worry, User. The time has e for me to depart. You made your choices and the Awakening process is finished. I wish you luck, Leonardo Brown…”

  “No, wait! There is still so much I o know!” Leo shouted, trying to reach out, only for his hand to pass through the e.

  “True, there is much more you should know, so much more every survivor should know,” the fadiy whispered. “But there is no time left. I only offer you a piece of advice that saved many in the past.”

  “The world you know is dead,” The e tinued. “Voidlings will get stronger with every night and hunt everything unique in their sight. If you ever hesitate, you will be left behind, ed by the never-ending Void. Only the strong survive and you better realize this quickly or you will die like many before you. Use the time you have left here and adapt, User… Adapt or die.”

  Frozen in pce, Leo gulped and gave a slight nod as the entity faded out of existenever during their versation did the e use su oppressive tone. And thus as Leo’s mind repyed the entity’s advice, the fme that held the hope of this being just a dream almost flickered out.

  Adapt or die, Leo repeated as he slid down against the wall and closed his eyes.

  Despite listening to Lily’s various spiracy theories, Leo never expected shit like this to happen. In movies and games? Definitely, but in real life? Leo shook his head. This euatio against everything he ever believed in.

  I have to be ready, Leo opened his eyes. Even if this is just another dream, I have to be ready. I have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

  Nodding, Leo summoned his status once again. It was high time to find out what everything there meant.

  Just like the e instructed about css and traits, Leo thought about the other attributes, hoping to find out their full roles.

  It didn’t work, well not really.

  Leo only mao firm what the ra — his roughly estimated power level, currently sitting at F- — and how the evolution stage and css worked. Apparently, he had to achieve some sort of milestones or plete tasks to evolve, while his css required a certain level to advance.

  Iing, but it didn’t expin much.

  Leo also attempted to iigate the mysterious, half-grayed-out Ether, but the System refused to give away any information about it.

  Just great, Leo groaned. Let’s just see what all the skills and traits do. No way the System keep this knowledge away from me.

  Thankfully, it didn’t.

  Universal Linguist (Unique):With a vast Universe es a wide array of nguages. To help achieve unicatioween different civilizations, the System created this skill for each survivor.Effects:Grants the ability to uand almost every spoken nguage in the Universe. Be wary that any written form of a fn nguage is still mostly beyond you.

  Vast Universe? The ability to uand almost everything? Okay, it certainly could be useful, Leo admitted. Though he had to pity all those people that worked hard to learn multiple nguages.

  Shaking his head, Leo moved on to another skill.

  Identify (Uhe most on tool of every system user. Created by the System to help the users find their way along the journey.Effects:Allows you to discover details about certain parts of this new world. The efficy of this skill improves with your Vision and Level.

  Is this the tool the e spoke of? The ohat the System provided to learhing I needed?

  Almost instantly Leo attempted to use this ability, though without success. No amount of forceful thinking and shouting worked, it was like the ability wasn’t avaible to him yet.

  Maybe it isn’t, Leo frowned, and as to answer his question, everything around him shook.

  Climbing to his feet, Leo’s eyes widened as the crimson glow of the room dimmed. In a matter of seds, the cave way to darkness.

  Leo’s back hugged the wall behind him as aremor shook the room. He tried to move again, to maybe escape whatever was happening, but to no avail. His body refused to listen to his ands, leaving Leo as a passenger in his own body.

  Then, out of nowhere, an unknown force smmed into him, g a weak groan from his mouth. Leo had nth to fight the strike and just let the darkness cim what was left of his sciousness, the e’s st words suddenly ringing in his head.

  Adapt or die.