“Maybe I went too far... They left me and that hurt, it still does. But does it justify my attitude towards Hales? Or really anyone who tries to talk to me? After my first entry here, I had a lot of time te and think about my as. And now that I think of it, Lily, as annoying as she is, maybe she was right all along. Maybe I am really throwing my life away.”

  ~ Sed entry, Leo’s journal

  The three Seekers didn’t attack straight away as Leo predicted. If anything the goddamned monster just tio fly around in circles once Leo hid behind one of the many trees. The g stopped as well, leaving the rustling of leaves as the only stant sound in the forest.

  Once agaiook a few steps away from his hiding spot and just like before, the fury of the monsters came ba full force. Evidently, the Voidilings didn’t like it wheried to move away from them.

  Nothing be too easy, right? He scowled, taking cover behind ahick tree. The song of death died out instantly and Leo’s grip on the shovel tightened as his gaze followed the three lurking figures above him.

  Esseirred within him and the familiar barrier formed, the st drops of his soul energy fighting to help its user. Despite that, it didn’t stop the Voidlings from tinuing their onsught on Leo’s ears the momeepped a few feet away from the tree.

  So being an assassin won’t help here. Leo’s scowl deepened, stealth colpsing instantly to save the meager energy he still possessed. There is no way I outrun them and I don’t pn to wait for aire army of moo show up. Just great…

  For a moment his eyes sought the wooden shed, but just as quickly, Leo averted his gaze, head shaking. This wasn't an option here, not when just a few minutes ago he promised himself to ge his ways in this new world. Let’s do this.

  Almost crushing the shovel’s shaft in his grip, Leo stepped a few feet away from the safety of his cover. His shoulders tensed as the birds aowledged his challenge, a caw more resembling a screech pierg the air.

  The smallest of the monsters dived, wings hugging its serpentine body as it neared Leo’s position.

  Fast. Leo blinked, jerking away as the monster missed his body by an inch. Goosebumps spread on Leo’s uncovered skin as the bst of air hit him. Another bird followed its predecessor’s a a Leo with barely any time to act.

  His fingers slipped to the handle of his shovel, while his cws gripped the shaft tightly. The monster came closer with every millised and the moment it spread its wings, Leo whipped the shovel upwards.

  His entire frame shook as the shovel’s bde met the creature’s body, a loud crack eg through the area. The added force from Leo’s blow and the Voidling’s natural speed earned a long squeak from the Seeker as its body sailed through the air, straight towards the ground.

  The monster's wings became twisted in ways that couldn’t be healthy, yet the Seeker still tried to move them, determio return the favor. Not bloody likely, bito getting up after this.

  Ready to finish the beast, Leo ran forward, cws poised to tear the Seeker apart. The two remaining Voidlings obviously had a different pn as they finally rejoihe fight, spearing the air where Leo’s head was just a sed ago.

  Narrowing his eyes, Leo watched as one of the birds — the rgest one — put itself between him and the fallen Seeker. The other creature also wasn’t idle. The monster flew higher and higher, tinuing its hit-and-run tactic. A sound strategy if Leo wasn’t capable of dodging the attacks. The birds might be fast, but his increased Grace had given Leo an edge. More than that, those idiots weren’t even trying to be stealthy, their stant g acted like a perfect warning bell.

  His trusty shovel in hand, Leo rushed forward, the rger bird squawking as it avoided the wild swings of the on. Not once did the mory to attad only tio dance around the area, hoping to guide Leo away from its fallen rade.

  Smarter than it looks. Not that it will help you.

  The third bird desded once again, another caw alertio the danger as he threw his body to the side. He winced when a particurly sharp rock tried to burrow itself into Leo’s kidney. It didn’t help that the backpa his baly made him heavier.

  A particurly loud noise forced Leo to push the pain away and roll away when the rgest moook his sorry state as an invitation.

  By ce, Leo mao gain enough distand the Voidling finally backed off, returning to its fallen rade.

  Oh no, you don’t. Leo growled, throwing his backpa the ground and dashing toward the duo. He ducked uhe rger bird, his shovel f it away. It cawed in protest, but Leo paid it no mind.

  Cws ready, they sailed at the wounded bird, spilling blood on the forest floor as half of its wio the ground. The four ruby eyes gred at him as the monster squeaked, trying t itself away from Leo with the other broken wing.

  Maybe if it was bigger than an average crow and had more than two limbs, then stepping on its head would have been more of a problem. Instead, Leo pressed harder, a loud crag of bones ing from underh his boot.

  The small smirk that formed on Leo’s lips was quickly wiped off as the other two birds sang their story of revenge, both rushing at him with abandon. Their small beaks tried to cmp down on any exposed skin and Leo was hard-pressed to knock them away or avoid their onsught. Their small size had finally bee useful in a grouped close-quarters attack.

  Leo waved his shovel like a maniac as the damned birds mao peel away a small bit of the tainted skin on his hand. He hissed, blood dripping on the ground.

  “Fuck it.”

  When one of the birds came clain, Leo didn’t just wave it away like before and instead chucked the metal shovel straight at the bird. A snort almost escaped his lips at the surprised squawk the monster let out when the shaft of the shovel hit it right in the beak.

  Got you. The Voidling fpped its wings, trying tain its bearing, only it wasn't fast enough. Leo jumped forward, his hand grabbing onto the bird's tail while his cws sunk into its body. The Seeker struggled, filing in his grasp, trying to free itself from the hungry cws. It was all for naught and its body slowly turned into dust.

  Fuck, Leo hissed whe bird decided to py out its st act of revehe Seeker nded on his back, its cws sinking deep into his shoulder bdes. In the moment, the creature’s beak desded onto his neck, drilling small holes with every peck.

  For fuck's sake! Leo screamed through the haze of pain as he threw one of his arms over his shoulder.

  Cws gripped one of the Voidling’s wings and yanked, ripping the bird away. Leo almost fell to the ground and lost his grip as the Seeker’s cws tore his back open. Every single move ignited a volo iorn muscles while his body screamed at him to stop, to get some rest.

  He bit his lip, drawing blood. Not yet, Leo growled, gritting his teeth as the bloody bird bit his hand, hoping to free itself from his grasp. Not to be outdone, Leo’s normal arm also came to help, fiightening where the bird’s neck should be.

  The Seeker cawed, in pain er, Leo didn’t care.

  Instead, he swung the bird towards the ground where a thick root pierced the skin of Earth. He smashed the creature ohen again and again and again. Blood exploded over his hands, staining everything in range, even the remnants of Leo’s clothes weren't safe. Not that he cared as his eyes were glued to the bloody mess in his hands

  When Leo finally let go, his bleeding bao longer able to support such a, he couldn’t even reize the bird. The beak was missing, probably spttered somewhere on the root. Its head and tail could be the same thing at this point thanks to the damage made to the creature’s skin. Even its eyes probably got crushed during the first swing and nothing more than remnants of bones were left of the bird’s wings.

  Seeker (LVL: 2) X3 sin | Experience awarded | 3 Ether gained

  “Fuck you,” Leo spat, a mix of blood and saliva dripping on the ground.

  He left the corpse there, dragging himself towards the abandoned bag, his back still burning with the heat of a thousand stars. Hell, even the blood that covered his eorso and back felt like flowing va. It drenched more and more of his clothes, even his pants weren’t saved.

  Need new clothes again. Leo snorted as he gradually lowered himself to the ground. With every move, his face twisted, breathing being even more shallow. I’m killing every Seeker I find on my way. I won’t let even one of those fuckers escape from me.

  His hand dived into the backpack, pulling out a bottle of water, some scraps of clothing, and a big roll of bandage. Alright, now how to do this, Leo winced as he looked down at his hoodie. Rip it off all at ohat for sure won’t hurt.

  Fingers and cws gripped the hem of his shirt and pulled up. The swift a spread the still-prese across his entire body, even though only his bad arms were injured.

  “Shit!” Leo roared, his upper clothes falling to the ground. He gasped as the weak breeze hit his unprotected back, soothing the pain ever so slightly.

  Putting a piece of cloth into his mouth, Leo watered another one and once again reached over his shoulder, the cloth hanging just above the stinging injuries. This is gonna suck, Leo closed his eyes, and just when he wa his hand down, his entire body froze.

  An almost inaudible growl followed by a squee reached Leo’s ears, the sound chilling even the burning in his back. His eyes immediately so the bundle of bushes in the distand then to the rifle attached to his bag.

  I just had to pin about the disappearance of animals from the forest… Leo growled as he ripped the bindings holding the firearm and slowly climbed to his feet, leaning on the rifle in his hand. I doubt some more noise will matter at this point.

  Hurt he might be, but it didn’t mean Leo was done. After all, I am not alone, eh? Leo smirked, his bloody teeth bared as he raised his rifle, two pairs of ruby eyes glinting behind the bushes.

  System. ‘Limit Break’ to full power. I’m not dying here…