"herum - ral tavering in a secluded Ever-Darkness dimension ihe Void. Owned and protected by a group of Furies, it is the best pce to stop at if one is looking for a safe pce to rest or meet with other denizens of the Void. herum follows a few simple rules, and anyone caught breaking them is swiftly disposed of."

  ~ Void's Geography by Dardon of Tariem

  Warning! Powerful external influeected. Be careful.

  Warning! Powerful external influeected. Be careful.

  Warning! Body intrusioed, forced mutation is immi. Brace yourself, User!

  Warning! Soul intrusioed, forced mutation is immi. Brace yourself, User!

  Warning! Body intrusioed, forced mutation is immi. Brace yourself, User!

  Warning! Soul intrusioed, forced mutation is immi. Brace yourself, User!

  Warning! Your forced mutation will start sooed cause of the mutation: N/A. Estimated power of the mutation: N/A.

  Warning! The User's current form might not be able to hahe immi mutation. Stop the process at all costs! Death is a possible oute.

  ....

  ....

  ....

  A slew of notifications rained down onto his mind, b Leo with the same lines of text over and ain. They all said ohing. To stop the process at all costs. Leo really had to wonder if he survived only due to his luck or the Traveler's interference.

  You think about it ter, focus! Leo ched his eyes shut, f his mind to process the messages a rid of them as fast as possible. Esseill burned under his ski didn't attack or try to escape even as the st warning filtered past Leo's mind.

  There were still over a dozen new notifications remaining. Still, after Leo read the first one, he was gd he didn't dismiss them. This kind of information could prove vital for what was ing.

  You are noable of surviving in your current enviro. Ether life support deactivated.

  gratutions! You survived your first forced mutatioier mutation gained: Heart of the Void. Mutation menu has been partially unlocked. Dispying the summary of your mutation.

  Mutatio of the Void (Beta Tier)With your heart carved out, First Born's shard took its pd ged the base of your being. Follow the steps of the Void, the path of the Akirians, and bee the true Legacy of the Void. Effeikra's Essence has adapted to your blood. Your body is noable of withstanding the Void's harsh ditions. Healing speed slightly improved. Soul effectiveness: +15%. Might effectiveness: +20%.

  Great... Shard instead of heart. Also, shouldn't a beta tier be weaker, or am I missing something? Leo mused after he finished gaping at the notification.

  "You were right, you know. And now I have even more questions..." Leo murmured and turned his head towards the other man.

  The Traveler quirked an eyebrow. "Oh?"

  "It affected my body and soul. Made me resistant to the Void. And..." Leo trailed off as his gaze fell to his naked chest.

  "And the shard became your heart." The man chuckled when Leo's eyes widened. "Don't be surprised. It is pretty obvious where the shard went; besides, I was here when it happened. And please don't worry about tellioo much. Details about your existence are for you and only you. If you decide to share some of them, then fine. If you don't, I won't mind... Now, you have questions."

  Leo shook his head lightly. While he didn't really trust the guy, the Traveler was the only person here who could help him. Leo just hated how vulnerable he was at the moment. I doubt I'd have as much luck with any other being from the Void. Call it a hunch.

  Sighing, Leo looked at his panion again. "Mutations. How do they work ihe System? Also, what are Akirians?"

  "Good questions," The Traveler nodded, scratg his . "One of my acquaintances calls Mutations a cheat code for those who embraced the Void. Partially they are correct. And I say partially because while only those who choose to evolve into a Void-borne use natural mutations, others also gain them, just not the natural ones. Apart from that, the System will expihing. There is no point in me saying more when you will get a better expnation ter."

  Leo frowned; he really didn't want to wait. Oh well, beggars 't be choosers. He is still hum me, so I 't pin.

  "And Akirians?"

  The Traveler visibly grimaced. "Here is where it gets plicated... Akirians are... well, they are a race that inates from the Void. If I had to describe them shortly, I would say they are an evolved version of Voidlings. They are more powerful, intelligent, and dangerous than y-nine pert of their predecessors."

  "There is the fa from which they inate. How they and the Voidling rateract with the System, and so much more. Way too mue to expin with our limited time..." He sighed, gng at the infinite Void. "Full expnation will o wait for our meeting. Now, you really should gh the rest of the notifications. I know this couldn't be everything."

  Leo opened his mouth to protest, but he quickly closed it. Teically he got his ahe Traveler didn't o promise more, yet he still did, so that was something.

  Right... Let's see what else I got.

  e to the Main System core partially established. Standard e strengthened. Links absorbed: 1 of 9

  What the fuck? Core? Links? Leo grumbled, and his eyes darted to the man sitting in front of him after a moment. Ahing to ask...

  'Don't!'

  "What?" Leo almost shouted as the familiar feminine voice echoed around him.

  "Something's wrong?" The Traveler asked, his violet gaze glued on Leo. "We might not have time for full expnations, but you still ask questions if something doesn't make sense."

  It doesn't make sense, alright... Leo grumbled. Hello? Voi my head? Nikra, or whoever you are? You 't just say 'don't' and leave.

  Shaking his head, Leo turned his attention to the Traveler. "I..."

  'Please.'

  For fucks sake... Leo scowled, cutting off the question that almost left his lips. I am going mad. That must be it...

  "Everything's fine." Leed, not uanding why he was listening to some random voice. "Just surprised by the numbers." I hope you are happy.

  'Thank you.' The voice whispered faintly into Leo's ear, the words almost nistering in his mind.

  Tell me who you are, and we call it even. Leo shot baot really expeg an ahat's what I thought... Whatever. I always ask the Traveler ter if you 't speak up. Anyway...

  Title: Nikra's Legacy gained. Previous titles assimited. Dispying new description.

  Nikra's Legacy:The legacy of the first daughter has been born. Darkness follows your every step and the Void weles you in its domain. Will you do the same and embrace this new path?Stacked Effeew evolutionary path avaible. Your soul is now partially synized with Nikra's Essence. Soul effectiveness: +10%. Might effectiveness: +10%.

  New evolution option avaible. Please check your Evolution menu for more information.

  Dramatic much? Leo quirked an eyebrow. Only five more pert to Might, but I won't say no to another evolution. And that synization... This might expin the voice's ins if it was indeed Nikra. Although I heard it even before that. Shit...

  With every new notifiore questions appeared in Leo's mind. As much as he wao let them out and hear what the Traveler had to say, something held him back, tying his tongue in a knot. It is all your fault, voice. Leo groaned internally.

  Mutatio of the Void, forced a sudden evolution of your Esserue Affinity: Shadow, trait gained.

  True Affinity: Shadow (Rare)Minor affinity born from the Darkness. What Shadow cks in raw power, it makes up for in utility. Only imagination now stands in your way, don't let it stop you.Effects:Grants the ability to el shadow affinity into your Essenatural evolution of affinity avaible due to its True form.

  Warning! You are close to reag the raw potential of your current race. sider evolving soon.

  A limit... Damn, how mue event ge. Although I probably shouldn't be surprised if Nikra was really some kind of a goddess.

  And then there was the affinity. While Leo's Essence felt wilder, stronger, and more untrolble than before, he didn't notiy other ges. el shadow affinity into your Essence... Alright, but how?

  Raising his gaze to meet the Traveler's glowing eyes, Leo nodded. "I think that's everything. Still have to check the new evolution I received, but it wait for ter. I could use a few answers first."

  "New evolution?" The Traveler repeated before a smirk grew on his face. "That's good. While I doubt it is directly reted to Nikra, your strengthened e to the Void should grant you a better path. Something to definitely sider wheime to evolve es."

  Leo sighed, the st notification fshing in front of his eyes. "Yeah, that might happen faster than I expected..."

  "Oh?"

  "The System gave me a message that I'm close to the maximum raw potential of my race. What does it exactly mean?"

  The Traveler tsked and murmured under his breath. "Should've thought of that... Anyway, to make a long story short. Reag raw potential isn't as bad as it sounds, but it also isn't something good."

  "Once you hit that point, you won't be able to level up anymore or improve your attributes. Skills are still fair game, but anything that has a proving your attributes will be held back by the System. Harsh, I know, but still better than exploding from within because your form couldn't hahe strain." He shrugged.

  Well shit. Leo grimaced at the image. "So I probably should evolve as soon as I ."

  "Definitely," the man nodded. "There is no reason to wait if you have a good option avaible. Even then, sometimes it is worth choosing a weaker path instead of wasting too much time."

  "Now," the Traveler tinued as he produced a bck metal rod out of nowhere. "Anything else to ask, or are we done here? They are getting pretty desperate."

  Leo furrowed his brow. "They?"

  The man scowled. "Different fas that also felt what happened here. None of them know about you or even Nikra's shard. Still, they definitely know that something powerful resides here. My barrier around this dimension is quite durable, but even I 't hold them off forever." The Traveler gave him a pointed look, "So... Questions."

  Leo hesitated only for a moment. "Affinity. How do I access it?"

  "Imagination, young Legacy," he grinned. "Use your mind. Think about the element you possess a enpass you. It is noart of you, so if you call, it will answer."

  For some reason, I doubt it is that easy... Leo scowled before quickly raising his hands to catch the metal rod and his backpack. "Huh?"

  The Traveler the two items. "Your things and a way back to your p. Also, a quick tip. Work on your soul. It is incredible what you do when you master your own core. It will make carrying things easier for you."

  Leo frowned as he ied the rod. "You mean I create something like a ste inside my soul?"

  The man snorted. "When you put it like that, then yes. Now, as for the item you are holding. You only o el as much Esseo it as possible and stab it into the ground. The rod will follow the trail of your energy and take you back to your st location in the current Universe. It may be off by a small distance, but usually, it is pretty precise."

  Leo again g the rod a just a bit of Essenside the item. The bck metal sucked it in a sed, much faster than Leo could eve. Okay, that's quite handy.

  Suddenly, the entire dimension shook, the infinite space exploding in various colors. Leo cursed as he fell to the ground, the rod almost slipping away.

  "Fuck!" The Traveler growled. "I guess I overestimated my strength, and our time is finally up." His glowing orbs so Leo. "Listen carefully, boy. Many beings out there would like nothing more than to rip that shard out of you and use it themselves. If they find out what has occurred here, that's exactly what will happen."

  He o the rod in Leo's hands. "Use it now, and don't return to the Void until you are ready. And when yo to herum and find Tom. Tell him you o meet Tarak. He will know what to do. Uood?

  Leo nodded somewhat shakily, a steady stream of Essence already entering the rod.

  The Traveler smirked and turned away. "Good. Until then, farewell, my friend. I o ehat no one will suspect that a shard of an Old One was here. This is gonna be so fun, I already feel it..."

  Without another word, the Traveler walked away, and immediately a glow began to build around his form. Leo quickly averted his gaze, and just when the world around shook agaiabbed the rod into the ground, letting oblivion cim him.

  This better work.