"You would think that with monsters crawling out of every possible hole, people would stop the needless fighting… I couldn't be more wrong. Survivors will always find a reason for flict regardless of their race or p. We call ourselves the Awakened, a we ot even unite in the face of extin. After all, flict is in our blood, no matter how bad the situatios."

  ~ New survivor of 26th Outbreak

  No matter how much Leo feared closing his eyes wheed outside, he had to get some rest before the big day. The house opped shuddering, and Leo khat the moment he succumbed to darkness, everything could go to shit at any sed.

  And so he fought the urges of his body and mind for another few hours. He just sat ihroom er ahe Esseo his wishes. It flowed steadily, giving Leo more and more fiden wielding this mythical energy.

  Leo did everything from simply pushing Essehrough his body t shapes of light in his hand. Yet, not even the stant practice could stop the drowsiness building within him. His eyelids grew heavy, and yawns threateo break his jaw, so Leo finally gave iing his eyes close as his head fell on the rge backpack.

  Not even an hour passed before Leo rawled on the floor, covered in a cold sweat. He thrashed on the broken tiles, watg tless images pass through his mind. Some gave Leo momentary hope, only for the nightmares to crush it as he became an unwilling wito his family's sughter.

  Lily, Nick, Adam, his parents, and Ava. Leo saw them all. Massacred by the mohat now pgued the world. With their remains in the maws of creatures he hoped to never meet outside his dreams. Dreams that Leo couldn't wake up from.

  And so he slept, writhing on the floor as quiet sobs wrecked his body every on a while...

  Shit. Leo groaned, his head in his palm, as he looked at the shattered mirror on the floor. The same grey eyes stared back, but after a night filled with unwele nightmares, they were now apanied by dark circles.

  Leo might have gotten his mueeded rest, the ck of pain in his baly attested to that, but his mental health only degraded with every hour of sleep. Even when he woke up, Leo had trouble reizing his surroundings for a moment.

  Going by the ck of stant tapping against the roof, the r thunder in the distance, and the System's notification, the night had ended some time ago. heless, Leo lingered in the restroom, staring at his refle for far lohan he should have.

  Not that he was even focused on the image looking back at him. Instead, his mi repying what he had seen in his nightmares. The bloodied faces of his family, their broken bodies. They all begged him for help, and Leo could do nothing but watch as the final light left their eyes.

  Slowly, Leo's gaze shifted from the broken mirror to the fighting knife on the side. It would be so easy. One quick move. His hand touched the cold steel, and Leo shook his head. No, I 't. Whatever brought those nightmares fuck off. I'm so close now and won't give up because of a stupid dream. They might be alive, and I will find them.

  Sheathing the knife, Leo climbed to his feet and slowly slid the door open. Like a cat, he shrough the dark house into the attid removed the makeshift cover on the small window.

  "Holy fuck." The words left Leo's mouth without a thought as his gaze fell on the visible part of the neighborhood, his eyes widening more and more with every sed.

  In most cases, the houses stood firm, almost untouched by the previous night. It was the flora that mao earn such a stroion from Leo with its transformation in the span of a few hours.

  Before Leo ehe house, most of the pnts in the area still possessed their natural color, but now everything had ged. Even without the light of the red sun, somehow, the entire flora evolved, going from a myriad of colors to a mix of crimson, violet, and bck.

  The solid brown bark of trees shifted into an intimidating bck that ed the light from the area. While the leaves and flowers went in a pletely opposite dire, glowing with eternal crimson or deep violet light. Truly a magnifit yet scary sight. It gave Leo even more proof of how the world ged every hour. Eventually, nothing would remain of the old world.

  Not good. Leo shook his head ahe attic. He quickly ed the leftovers of yesterday's meal and unbarricaded the backdoor with a heavy sigh. Only a thirty-minute walk separated Leo from Nick's ft. Although with Voidlings lurking around every er, this short journey could easily take three or four times as long.

  Just as Leo was about to leave the house through the backdoor, an arm bred in his head, stopping him mid-step. What the fuck?! System?

  Warning! Tremors in the Void detected. The sed Cataclysm might arrive soon. Take care of yourself, survivor.

  That's all you have to say? Really?! Leo took a deep breath, trying to calm his raging he st time he heard the word Cataclysm, he y sprawled on his kit floor as the Void ed the world.

  I just 't catch a break, eh?

  The only positive about this notification was the word 'might'. As the System didn't offer any further expnation, Leo just had to hope that the Cataclysm either wouldn't happen or would e after he arrived at Nick's apartment.

  Right... Better get moving.

  Opening the backdoor, Leo stepped into the palette of the new world. With the bck shirt and pants, he blended perfectly into the evolved flora, and so, with a flicker of True Stealth, Leo quickly moved to the front of the house.

  Just like the day before, the street was pletely empty. If it weren’t for the screeches in the distance, Leo would have thought that even the Voidlings from the dead woman's house had left. Maybe there is a way to get inside now. He mused, sprinting across the street and jumping over the first fence.

  Leo had no clue what css the woman had chosen, but he wao know what tool or on the System gave her. Even if she was an assassin like him, Leo wouldn't say no to anger. Broken it might have been, but it still served him well.

  Let's see. Leo peered around the fend frowned. Still here. Two Cursed Humans and a single Hound still guarded the woman's house, and Leo didn't fancy his ces against the horde of monsters waiting inside.

  He was all for free loot, but with the System's warning, Leo didn't have much time to spare. Besides, a series of Identify told Leo all he o know about the monster's growth during the night.

  All of them gained a level. Great…

  Turning on his heel, Leo raced through the neighborhood using the same path from yesterday. Today though, he didn't even try to go for the block's entrances and just dashed into the parking lot behind the building. He weaved between the cars, bowie knife in hand, ready to take down any Voidling in his path.

  There were a few of those, all of them at least level three. Leo only killed two on his way to the end of the lot. There, areet waited for him to cross while rows of warehouses and different factories stood beyond it. The rgest industrial area of Wolford and probably the best way into the city.

  After a quick s of the area, Leo dashed forward, his feet kig up the dirt. The Voidlings around him never got a ce to eve a sneak peek at Leo as he jumped over a stone fence as tall as him. A gru his lips, his knees bug ever so slightly as he nded on the hard paving oher side.

  I really need somethier to carry all this shit. Leo grimaced as he crouched behind one of the delivery trucks and looked at the parking lot attached to one of the rgest warehouses iy.

  Thanks to the Outbreak happening in the evening, fewer workers should be here than during the day. This was firmed by the small number of personal cars i. Although it didn't stop Voidlings from iing the area, or rather one monster in particur.

  Just when you thought you had seen it all.

  By the gate stood a monstrosity Leo had never seen before. With a human-like body but no head. Every inch of its flesh was covered in gleaming violet bubbles, some smaller, ser, almost breaking from their sheer magnitude. The creature the forward, and Leo was thankful for his stealth when a quiet gasp left his lips.

  Even though the monster cked a head, it had a massive round maw in pce of a neck. The jaw opened, revealing rows of vicious teeth ready to devour anything in the Voidling's way.

  Maniac (Voidling) | Rank: F+ | LVL: 4

  Bestiary?

  Race: Voidling | Subspecies: ManiacExpected Potential: F+ to E-on of choice: Maw, BombsKnown weakoxine tainers, DexterityMonstrosities that evolved from numerous humanoid creatures, a perfect definition of a gss aniac hits hard but die after a single good strike. The bubbles on their bodies grow stronger with age and be used as offensive and defensive ons. Maniaever froups, but it is advised to deal with them from a safe distance.

  So not for me. Got it. Leo's long-distance capability was currently very limited. If the System thought that he shouldn't fight the Mania close quarters, then who was he to disagree?

  Although sooner or ter, Leo o find something fe bat, especially if creatures like this o popping up every now and then.

  Sighing, Leo gave the Voidling a wide berth and just walked by the warehouse's side, leaving the parking lot behind. A moment ter, he jumped over another fehus tinuing his journey between the endless buildings.

  The industrial sector, as Leo predicted, was mostly devoid of Voidlings, be it oreets or even in the yards of numerous panies. Most of the people w there either stayed ihe buildings or went bae before the Outbreak even began.

  Of course, that didn't mean that Leo could just walk straight through the streets without dirtying his hands. Numerous Cursed Humans were sughtered by his new knife and the power of the Kiss of Death. Not even the sudden growth in levels could help the weakest Cursed variant.

  Thanks to the few kills, Leo easily reached the requirements of the first evolution. As such, the moment he spotted a rge tainer after a particurly tiring passage through one of the factory yards, Leo jumped in, curiosity almost killing him.

  Risen Human (Stage: II)You pushed past every hardship that came your revailed. The taint upon your soul was sed, and now you join the rest of humanity that will rise from the Awakened Ones. Embrace your atus and join humankind on its path to greatness.Effects:Removes Tairait. Grants Awakerait. Mind Effectiveness: +15%. +5 Free Attribute points per css level. Natural Mutations: Unavaible.

  I expected... more? Though maybe I shouldn't have. After all, it's an evolution with minimal requirements...

  Apart from the three more attribute points and the juicy fifteen pert to mind, the Risen evolution was straight-up worse than Leo's current ohe taiatus might not be the best thing, but after draining enough monsters, it gave him plenty of points in Limit Break. In parison, the Awakerait would give him only half of Leo's current attributes.

  No, definitely out. Being fully human again might be nice, but I want to at least see the other options. Too much to lose and almost nothing to gain.

  Dismissing the evolution menu, Leo slid through the slight gap in the tainer's doors and made his way to the end of the current yard. The gate in front of him opeo areet, and Leo dashed across it before jumping over a fence again.

  Almost instantly, a notification fshed ience, elig a curse from Leo. Falling to the ground in a heap, he grunted as a wave of energy settled over his shoulders. It was far from the powerful aura that came crashing during the night. However, Leo could still feel it without even fog on his senses.

  The hell? He scowled, taking a look at the notification.

  Warning! You are nearing the of Shadow Tails. Threat asserted and ra level F+. Good Luck.

  Of course, there are fug s. It is just ohing after aoday...