"Not uhe basic Cursed variant, Seekers is the favored starting point for the majority of small flying creatures. While the pack mentality may be a new cept for most, it is a choice that reat potential. Hehe skies are often teeming with these vexing creatures in the early stages of an Outbreak.

  Fortunately, unless entered in rge numbers or subjected to a coorditack, a group of three Seekers should pose little challenge for even an inexperienced survivor. However, it is crucial to remain vigint and watch your surroundings, as these creatures often like to strike their oppos in the back."

  ~Creatures of the Void, 42ion

  The darkness might have cimed Leo, but not even for a sed did he lose sciousness. The transition from the shadowy depths of his soulscape to the boundless expanse of darkness was seamless; only now, his sight — and most likely his body — was lost to him.

  That's unfortable... Thank the Void that Nikra saved me from spending the entire evolution here. I would go mad... Well, that is, if I didn't go mad already. I'm talking to myself, after all... Damn. It does make me wonder if this is how it always will be.

  Leo hoped it wouldn't... Only a moment had passed since his arrival in the infinite space, and already he didn't like it, talking to himself notwithstanding. While there was no pain, unlike what Nikra mentiohere was also nothing familiar about this pce. He couldn't move or see, and to make matters worse, Leo could stantly feel weird energies floating all around.

  It wasn't Essence, or at least not fully. Leo's limited senses could barely catto the surges of energy that passed through him, and even then, he could tell there was more to it, so much more.

  Is it Ether? Maybe some energy uo the System? Damn, I could use some of that limited knowledge of yours right about now, Nikra.

  It was rather ironiere moments after parting ways with Nikra, Leo found himself seeking her assistance again. He really shouldn't bee too reliant on her presence. She was still a major unknown, and sidering all the issues that could arise between them, developing any kind of dependen Nikra was a disaster in the making.

  Guess I shouldn't be surprised that I tched onto the first person who was forthing with information. Didn't really have enough time to do that with the Traveler... Besides, there was something wrong with him, and Nikra's reas to him only proved that…

  Shit…

  Giveate of the world, hell, the entire Universe, Leo really shouldn't have to himself with all-powerful beings and the plex history of the Multiverse. Survival, being stronger, and finding his family should be his primary worries, a here he was.

  Man, I am really overplig this, aren't I? Should just stick to adapt or die and worry about all the other shit when it will matter. Or at least when I will finally have the eory…

  Noddie not having a body, Leo pushed all thing thoughts into the deepest pits of his mind. There would e a time to uhem all, but that time was not today.

  Okay, so now what?

  For quite some time, Leo was left without an answer. He drifted in the boundless darkness, enveloped by unseen energies of mysterious ins. Fortunately, even he couldn't be unlucky enough to remain in the dark indefinitely. So, when a light suddenly burst forth in all dires, Leo sighed. Or he would have if only such a physical act were possible in his current state.

  In a shower of sparks, the particles of light coalesced into shimmering goldeers, swirling and rearranging themselves to form words. Before long, lines of text, bearing a striking familiarity, remained suspended in front of Leo.

  Oh, wow…

  Stage II Evolution pleted successfully. Cooling stage initiation in progress. During this time, please take a moment to acquaint yourself with the previously unlisted ges brought about by your evolution. It is important to hat detailed descriptions will only be accessible once you have emerged from the protective co.

  Leo blinked — and it actually worked. Cooling stage? Ah whatever, let's see.

  The description of your Prime Night Hunter evolution has been updated.

  For some reason, I'm not surprised at all. Leo snorted internally. Though it was a bit discerting, the one you gave me was mostly ckluster, System…

  Due to the Fusion nature of your evolution, your Job has advao the stage. As a result, you ow access Type information wheifying Void-borures, and your Hunter's Pulse ability has been upgraded to Epic quality.

  Type information? Job adva? Leo raised an imaginary eyebrow. Guess I will find out soon.

  gratutions, former human, on joining the esteemed ranks of Akirians, the elite of the Void. As a result of your evolution, you have beeowed with the Low-end Akirian Physiology trait. May your jourhrough the Void be fruitful.

  Okay, you didn't have to throw it in my face... I'm well aware that I abandoned my humanity with this choice... Leo grumbled just before a thought struck him. Although it really makes me wonder why you didn't mention this trait before. It 't be anythiive, right?

  Natural mutations unlocked. You might now access the Mutation menu at any point in time. Please be careful with your choices.

  Well, that I already knew, but thanks for the warning, I guess?

  Css skill Dagger Mastery has bee a Racial skill and evolved into Night Hunter's Bde Mastery. Abilities gained from the lesser version of this skill are still avaible.

  What the hell is Night Hunter's bde? Leo reread the notification again and again, hoping it would uncover more informatio, nothing happened, and Identify also didn't answer his call.

  I have a bad feeling about this...

  Title Prime gained. Dispying description now due to its importaitle will be assimited into Nikra's Legacy.

  Prime:You have transded beyond the limits of your sub-species, reag heights never cimed. op in your path; push forward. You are the first and the st of your kind, so make it t.Effects:Freshly-born Akirians reize your power. If they exist, ht Hunters will refrain from attag you and may even be open to obeying your ands.

  Holy shit... Leo gaped. I uood that Apex Voidlings were something special, but man, this is something else. And the first and the st? That got to be wrong.

  Yet, the longer Leo thought about it, the more se made. His evolution retty unique, and if he was the only Night Hunter, it wouldn't surprise him in the slightest.

  And there goes the possibility of anding more Night Hunters... Oh well, not that I expected even that much. Though, 'Freshly-born Akirians reize your power' might e in handy one day…

  Leo nodded, and the notifications disappeared suddenly, only to be repced by another, shorter one.

  Cooling stage ready.

  Please be informed that Evolution menu will be unavaible until level 35. From now on, your future path depends only on you, User. Your choices, battles, experiences, and many other factors will decide aths you might find when the menu opens once more. Until then, we wish you success in your hunts.

  Level 35?! That's a long fug way to go. Leo frowned, making sure to reread the notification. Although maybe my block just came a bit too early, or Tainted Humans follow different rules? Fuck, I have to ask Dyn and the others what their race gives per level.

  Despite the sudden turmoil in Leo's head, the System quickly reminded him that it wasn't the end of the road.

  Beginning cooling stage. Warning! Detected multiple Void-borns in the moderate area and two survivors close by. Please be careful upon awakening.

  Survivors close by? Fuck! I really don't need any guests when I am bleeding out and have just finished evolving. Please, just stay away. For both our sakes...

  Three…

  Two…

  One…

  Co cooling in progress. Time to release: 1 minute.

  At the exact time that the text faded away, Leo's body snapped bato his possession, apanied by a scorg pain that he had fotten about during the evolution. It surged through his limbs, some of which he didn't reize as his own. However, he had no time to dwell on that realization as every bruise, cut, and broken boacked Leo's senses, almost overwhelming him.

  Yet, the pain was far from the only thing that decided to make a eback.

  Exhaustion permeated his entire being, infiltrating every muscle, whether wounded or unharmed. A dense fog followed, desding upon his mind, momentarily numbing the pain but stantly reminding Leo of its existehen, deep within his soul, an insatiable hunger for Essence ignited, a huhat had been suppressed itle for survival. It demao be sated, and he could do nothing to quell the overwhelming thirst that ed him.

  What... the... fuck! Leo screamed through the haze. Shit!

  The timer ting down towards the release was somewhere in the er of Leo's vision, but no matter how ily he tried to focus, the numbers eluded his gaze. They always slipped away, just out of reach, whether due to the surges of pain or the stant hunger and ahat raged within his mind.

  Then there were the voices, two of them, distant and just barely reag Leo's ears through what he uood was his co.

  "...moving. e... Wait! Prote still..." Was all Leo heard from the first one, even as pain assaulted his every sense. He tried to wiggle his body, hardly notig that it seemed wrong and unnatural.

  "Fuck if... know... Shht... We don't... the time! Bloody scouts... near... Frank will... us... !"

  There were more words, more shat barely meant anything, yet Leo caught a mention of a timer and seds, of a co and release. bihose with the s about shooting, and it painted a grim picture for him.

  They don't eveo be hostile towards survivors. Leo forced his thoughts through, gritting his teeth. One look at my evolved self will probably be enough to brand me as a Voidling. Heavy physical evolution, my ass…

  Amidst the haze of pain, hunger, and exhaustion, Leo's attempts to formute a pn for the uping enter proved futile. His thoughts were fleeting and scattered, refusing to form into anything coherent. Hell, he scarcely registered the abrupt movement of his body as it jolted forward, slipping through an opening that wasn't there before.

  Fuck! Leo growled as he nded on his knees, hands supp his weight as he stared at the floor. Despite the fog and rage ing his mind, he couldn't help but notice a slightly wider range of vision and a subtle increase iails. However, what truly captured his plete attentiohe ued words that echoed in the air.

  "Bloody hell! You're an ugly fucker, ain't ya?" A gruff voice spoke with a chuckle. "Mason, you fat fuck, e 'ere. Look at this poor sod. Free experience just..."

  Whatever the man wao say tly silenced by a low, rumbling growl that emanated from deep within Leo's throat. The sound filled the entire room, resonating with the primal iy of the rage that burned deep inside his mind.

  Without warning, Leo's head — which definitely wasn't the same as before — sowards the man. His eyes, which just a moment before saw with perfect crity, locked onto the humanoid blur in the doorway. It was like something snapped within Leo, igniting a surge of instincts, and without hesitation, his body lunged forward.

  The blur tried to raise his hand — probably a guhought through the pain that exploded thanks to the sudden movement — but he was way too slow. Somehow, his body, guided purely by something inhuman and full e, closed the distaween them within a blink of an eye.

  Bck as night cws desded upon the man's neck, and in one sharp tug, they tore it into shreds. The man gurgled, but Leo just drove the cws of his other hand deep into the lifeless body's stomad forcefully dragged it into the corridor.

  A shot followed by another rang through the entire building, yet no more pain came. Instead, a sense of crity washed over Leo, and his vision sharpened, allowing him to see details once again. With each passing moment, the rage slowly calmed, relieving him of some of the earlier turmoil.

  Despite that, Leo's body, along with the meatshield, still pushed onward, straight into the sean at the end of the corridor.

  "Stay the fuck away!" He shouted, unloading the st few bullets in his magaziraight into his friend's body.

  However, Leo, now fully aware yet still not in trol of his as, could only watch as his body closed the remaining distance. In one move he could barely follow, the man lost his head to a dark bde that ran along the edge of his forearm and suddee least a foot past his pinkie finger.

  The eercation, or rather a massacre, sted no more than a few seds. And Leo was left there standing, his gaze bnk as he stared at the lifeless bodies suspended from his cws. Their Essence flowed into him, rejuvenating his battered frame, while the trol of his body finally returo his rightful hands.

  What. The. Fuck. Just. Happened?!

  Chaos65