"Evolutions, csses, skills, and much more. The System offers us so much, yet nothing is as important as Ether. Remember, without it, none of this would be possible. For us survivors, Ether is the promised light at the end of the tunnel, and nothing will ever ge that."

  ~ tral Academy, Ger

  In a fsh, Leo dashed behind a loruck's trailer. The notification only mentioned nearing a , but one could never be too careful in this twisted world. Besides, the oppressing aura stu like glue, stantly pressing against the power of true stealth.

  Instinctively, Leo pushed more Esseo the skill a a firm hold on the energy. He really didn't want stealth to fail just because he couldn't hold it against the first potential dao his masking ability. Leo might have also sent Essence all over his body, letting reinfort activate. Just in case.

  Now I take a look. It shouldn't take more than a few minutes, and at this point, every bit of knowledge is essential. Even if I'm on a timer...

  Leaning over the trailer's side, Leo examihe small white building ected to a simirly sized warehouse. The entire area appeared to be ued by the Outbreak. The warehouse may have been built yesterday, given the ck of fissures in the walls and missing roof ses. Only the entryway seemed off; its doors were knocked off the hinges and lying on the ground.

  No other Voidlings, and it's too quiet. Leo frowned as even the stant whistling of the wi him. The steel gate to the building's yard was wide ope no Voidling dared to enter, leaving the entire area empty.

  Returning to his cover, Leo rummaged through his memory for any information about the pany that owhis warehouse. It was undoubtedly one of the smaller ones in Wolford, and the logo hanging over the building's entrance was the first one for him. The pany must have beeo the area as not that long ago, Leo and a few of his co-workers had to do some research about all of the corporations here.

  And you just had to give the pany a pletely random name. Not helpful at all...

  While the information about the pany didn't seem necessary in this new world, Leo had already learhat having some knowledge about a potentially hostile area could be very useful. Who knew? Maybe the creatures ihe had a reason to choose this particur pce as their territory.

  Not that Leo had to go any closer to the . Hell, probably the best idea was to take another jump over the fend never look back. But just like with the Void Gate, Leo uood the importance of this pce. This was yet ahreat to the tinued survival of the lucky ones, and it couldn't be just ignored. Especially when the System once again refused to give more information about s in general.

  A small look is all I his pce is only ranked F+, and I reached rank F a while ago. I should be close to a breakthrough. At least I hope so…

  Just to give himself some peaind and maybe find firmation of his thoughts, Leo pulled up his status page.

  Name: Leonardo Brown

  Title: Adaptable

  Evolution Stage: I - Tainted Human

  Css: Assassin | LVL. 7

  Job: Hunter

  Rank: F

  Might Tier I (9) | LB: 13

  Grace: Tier I (21) | LB: 9

  Vision: Tier I (12) | LB: 6

  Mind: Tier I (17) | LB: 0

  Soul: Tier I (9) | LB: 7

  Ether: 51

  Traits: Assassin's Grace (on), Tainted (Unon)

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

  General Skills: Dagger Mastery (on), True Stealth (Unon), Vital Strike (on), Reinfort (Unon), Kiss of Death (Unon), Hunter's Pulse (Rare)

  The fifteen and five pert in Soul and Grace are finally showing. Leo noted wheiced the one additional point in both of those attributes. The five pert from Assassin's Grace might not have been much, but with twenty regur points, it was finally showing.

  Still F though. Leo massaged his temple, a scowl painted on his face. Whatever, I don't pn to fight anyway. Shadow Tail doesn't sound normal at all.

  Leo uhed the bowie knife and sprio the side of the building, where a loal dder waited. It didn't move an inch when he gave the dder a sharp tug; who knew if the Outbreak and the two nights didn't destroy the metal from within.

  Throwing a final look behind him, Leo climbed to the top of the building and instantly crouched low. Stealth blocked sound, smell, and Esse barely helped with visual dete, and thanks to the new height, Leo noticed plenty of Voidlings in the distance. Ourn was all they o catch a glimpse of his body.

  Step after step, Leo approached the e between the main building and the warehouse. Here the roof shifted from a ft gray surface to a slight slope made of metal sheets. It was also Leo's target as the sloped surface possessed a few rows of small windows that should give him some insight ihe warehouse.

  Like with the dder, Leo performed a small pressure test oal sheet before crawling onto the thin surfad moving toward the window.

  Nothing be simple after this fug Outbreak. Leo narrowed his eyes as he sed the area.

  Rows of warehouse racks filled the enormous hall underh Leo, but it was far from the only thiiced. Despite the limited lighting flowing through the numerous windows, Leo couldn't miss the dozens of small cat-like creatures moving inside. Alternatively, the racks and walls were coated in a bck substaertwined with thousands of glowing red lines. It seemed like a less-developed material of a Void Gate.

  Hell, the far-off part of the warehouse was shielded entirely from Leo's sight by a massive wall of this dark material. He scurried to the windows that should have let him see beyond the wall, only to be blocked by the same substance. A substahat twitched as it stayed glued to the window's gss. The red lines pulsed, and Leo backed off, Identify activating.

  Vetilim (Unon):A living matter. Fed by the Essence of the creatures of the Void. It is used to cim territories by Voidlings. It grow into various structs and even evolve tates to unique dimensions ihe Void. The seed of Vetilim possesses multiple properties used in a wide array of Jobs.

  Leo let out a long-suffering sigh. An alien living matter capable of creating the of dozens of weird cat creatures. And it make even more portals. At least this thing didn't say anything about requiring A users to destroy this shit.

  Shaking his head, Leo moved to another window, whice again gave him a view of the numerous creatures walking or sleeping i first ghe creature looked like a typical cat, with fur as bck as night. But when Leo squinted a bit and shifted his gaze to the tail, something quickly became evident.

  Shadowy mist flowed out of the monster's body, creating an imitation of fur. At the same time, the tail was entirely made of a long shadow. Shadow Tail, fitting.

  Race: Voidling | Subspecies: Shadow TailExpected Potential: F- to F+on of choice: Cws, Jaws, ShadowsKnown weaknesses: Overall defenseOne of the feline Void evolutions. With speed and agility outg most low-ranked Voidlings, they scour the world in search of the perfect prey. Being one of the few F-ranked Voidlings attuo a, they possess abilities capable of surprising even stronger oppos. They hunt alone, yet in most cases, they work for the betterment of their s.

  So not something I should fight that close to a . Got it. Leo nodded and closed the bestiary. Maybe iure. For now, I have something more important to do.

  Throwing a final look ihe warehouse, Leo frowned wheiced more and more Shadow Tails ing into the open part of the building. They all gathered in a single spot, f one big bungle of shadows and fur.

  Okay? Are they preparing for the Cataclysm, or is it some weird part of their routine?

  As if to answer Leo's questions, everything around him shook. The sun above him dimmed in a matter of seds, its falling rays transitioning from red to deep violet.

  Leo barely mao hold on to the edges of one of the roof's windows as one more arm bred in his head. Another notification was quick to follow, and he read it instantly, trying to ighe trembling of the Earth.

  Sed Cataclysm in progression. Brace yourself, survivor.

  No shit, you fug asshole! Leo shouted internally, his heart thundering in his chest as the oppressive aura of the attacked him with rerength. Fantastic timing, as always, Leo... Oh, Fuck!

  Every insult towards the System that Leo came up with i few seds died on his lips when the gss panes around him shattered, and hundreds of tendrils of Vetilim broke through the metal roof.

  Even as the world was almost ed by darkness and horrifioises exploded from every dire, Leo paid it all no mind. He only had eyes on the alien matter that turned on him when it broke free, its glow providing more than enough light.

  The living matter was relentless, ref almost faster than Leo could cut it as he danced around the tendrils. He sshed them with his cws and knife as he tried to find a way off this roof. Yet, he could do nothing to escape as the Vetilim was everywhere, ing more and more of the rooftop with each sed.

  Alright, fuck it! Leo growled as he pushed a little more Esseo Reinfort. Limit Break at 100%, now!

  Power surged through his body as a gentle golden sheen covered his skin. For some reason, the tendrils surrounding him flinched, aook this ce to dash forward, his cws slig the air.

  Ever so slowly, he fought through the unending waves of Vatilim. However, when only a few rows of those accursed tendrils separated him from the end of the roof, the metal beh him broke, the living matter spilling out through the cracks in an instant.

  Despite the additional strength, Leo had no ce to dodge as multiple tendrils tched themselves onto his legs. He hissed as the Vetilim smashed him into the roof, the onsught opping.

  Leo tried to free himself; he really did, but it was all for naught. He sshed and cwed at everything that came close; however, he was outnumbered and outcssed as the dark matter covered him from head to toe.

  It didn't hurt, but all Leo could feel was the stalessness as he fell and fell, opping. Yet, despite sciousness slowly leaving his mind, Leo's vision was filled with the image of glinting stars and vast pnes of buzzing violet gaxies. I’m sorry.

  'Find me…'

  Leo gasped as a faint murmur flooded his ears. It was unmistakably feminine and somehow familiar, though he had no clue how. Leo just knew, and that was the end of it. Not that it mattered, for he instantly remembered what had transpired before he had lost sciousness.

  How am I still alive?

  Leo opened his eyes instantly, only to be greeted by darkness filled with a few red glowing spots. His arm rose instinctively, and Leo directed Esseo his palm, a small glowing ball f above it.

  Better question. Where the fuck am I?

  Bck rocks covered in tiny red glowing spots surrounded him from almost every side. Only one area en, f a tuhat led to God knew where. Leo sloroached the opening and shuddered when a symphony of hisses and screeches suddenly echoed through the tunnel.

  Am I ihe ? Wait, two notifications. Bag into his small chamber, Leo picked up the bowie knife from the ground and brought out the notifications.

  As a result of the Cataclysm and the formation of a ing Gate, you were pulled into a Rift Passage. Like every passage, this one also has a. Find it if you want to survive.

  Warning! This Rift Passage is uo support the life of a Tainted Humaher life support was activated automatically. Remaining time: approximately twenty hours.

  Dread filled Leo's veins as he read the System's messages over and over. This wasn't Wolford anymore. It most likely wasn't eveh if the notification was anything to go by.

  Fuck! Leo screamed as he puhe cave's wall, the pain never eveering in his mind.

  He was so damn close to Nick's home, and now all his progress was lost. If only he had more information about the Cataclysm. If only he hadn't gohat damned ...

  No! Leo shook his head as guilt and anger began to e his entire being. This isn't the e. Somewhere out there, a is waiting. If I came from Earth, then it should lead back to it. It must...

  Gritting his teeth, Leo once again stopped in front of the tunnel's opening. Instantly, his arms lit up in a soft crimson glow, and the bowie knife's bde fshed briefly.

  I will be back soon. Leo vowed. Twenty hours is more than enough to find a in this rabbit hole.

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