"During the first Outbreaks, Cursed Screamers weren't that popur. You could find one or two every on a while, but that retty much it. Now Cursed Sprinters were airely different case. The moment the Runners reached their evolution threshold, over y pert of them would go with this option.

  What has ged sihen? Why did the Runners decide to shift towards the Screamer evolution slowly? That we don't really know, but we have our assumptions sidering how dangerous a Screamer's sound bst be in a poputed area. We highly advise you to steer clear of those creatures, especially when traveling in a rge group."

  ~Creatures of the Void, 42ion

  Leo didn't give the Runner another and until he scrambled up the same tree, hiding in its foliage. The initial activation of Minor Takeht have overwhelmed him a bit, but now he realized that maybe testing its capabilities while standing on the side of a street wasn't the best idea.

  No reason to test my luck. Leo shook his head, settling on one of the many branches. His gaze went back to his minion. Act as you normally would, but make sure not to stray too far from the tree.

  The moiffe once as if digesting the and, but Leo didn't o wait long for the Voidling to listen. Its body slumped just a bit, and the Runner began its slow trek around the immediate area, an occasional growl esg its throat.

  Good, that's one problem solved, at least for the time being. Leo noted before closing his eyes and diving right into his soul. Instantly, his mind submerged into the deep pool of his Essence, or rather, what remained of it.

  Well fuck. Leo grimaced. Almost half of my reserves gone in a blink of an eye. I mean, I felt the drain, but it wasn't strong enough to take this much that fast. At least, I think so... Shit, I'm gono pay more attentioime. Have to figure out how it works step by step.

  The first use of Minor Takeover defiook him by surprise. Leo had thought that he had gotteo the feeling of True Void when he drained Voidlings, but that process had nothing on what he experienced just now.

  Speaking of. I swear I felt some pull on the Pure Void Essenside my arm. Giving the cursed appendage a gnce, Leo summohe stated status once more. His eyes narrowed. Almost three hone. Not a lot, but if I could take over more Voidlings, this might have been a problem... Although it makes me wonder how this teique will even be fuelled after I evolve.

  Drain allowed Leo to store Pure Void Essence because Tainted . Would it still work the same when Leo received an upgraded version of this ability?

  Devour apparently replenish my reserves, so maybe the nature of my Essence will ge again? Leo snorted. Fuck if I know... Doesn't matter anyway, for now at least. I got better things to worry about.

  At this point, the Ruook an i iwo bodies Leo left lying in the grass. Slowly, the Voidling devoured its kin k by k, its hands digging deeper and deeper into the flesh.

  Leo grimaced as the Runner snapped a finger away from the fallen monster, a ch filling the air. I guess my bad for telling it to aaturally... But yeah, I don't o see it.

  Giving the now-familiar presence a nudge, Leo sent another and. Leave the bodies and approach the group of Cursed Humans further dowreet. Aaturally and only run away if they attack you.

  The Runner rose slowly, its gaze still glued to the two bodies. The Voidling even whined pathetically as it walked away.

  Leo stared dumbfounded. Did it really just do that? What's ? Pyich?

  Even now, as the Runner came closer to the rger group of Voidlings, it still sometimes shot a look over its shoulder. Leo had half a mind to give the beast another and, but in the end, he didn't. Despite the monster's longing looks, it more or less acted naturally.

  Eventually, the Runner reached the group, and Leo had it move among the Voidlings and even shoulder-check the weakest of them. The assaulted Cursed Human screeched at his minion but did nothing else, probably reizing its position in the food .

  So it walk among other Voidlings without a problem. Leo noted before a frown slowly found a way onto his face. Doubt it will work the same on the Wastend. There was nothing in the info package about them being aggressive to outsiders, but that's almost a given in cases like that…

  Not that Leo he Ruo shrough the Tainted Wastend. No, all the beast had to do was take attention away from him. And if it so happeo run straight into the Screamer, it wasn't Leo's fault.

  This work if I find suitable targets... I o take them down instantly, or at least almost instantly. Anything else won't give me time to rip their hearts out and escape. I bet they will be ohe moment I step into the Wastend.

  Nodding, Leo asded higher, stepping onto another Vetilim ptform and then onto the building. The Runner also received its order, to ght to the road ected to the town square and wait there. For now, Leo had his own task to finish.

  Fortunately, the house Leo climbed onto provided a straightforathway to the buildings that lihe remaining side of the triangle-shaped Wastend, which he had yet to explore. It essentially pced him on the opposite side of his initial position, where he had first observed the area.

  Still there. Leo narrowed his eyes, watg the Screamer scramble in the distance.

  With all the time that had passed, the Voidlings that had been knocked down by the Screamer's bst had already risen from the ground, seemingly ued by the previous i. Leo just hoped their hearing also recovered; it would be a disaster if they didn't evehe Screamer wheruck.

  Sighing, Leo crawled along the edge once more, eyes darting from oainted Voidling to another. While there were several entig targets, he khat no matter how fast he moved, the entire Wastend would desd upon him before he could even reach them.

  No, they won't do.

  Leo massaged his brow as he sat down at the edge of the Wastend where the two walls of buildings met. This was the farthest point from the road oher side, yet the e to the Runner was still there.

  At least something is w... Leo grumbled. You know what, let's already move you into position. Void knows how much time I will have one Voidlings move into a better spot.

  In the distahe Runner obediently followed its orders, steadily advang towards its designated location. At the same time, Leo also rose; even if he somehow found two proper targets to assassinate from above, he didn't fancy jumping from a three-story building. , he was not.

  Swiftly, Leo jumped inside one of the many holes scattered across the rooftops. The bowie knife slid into his hand, the bde sliding right into the top of a Cursed Human's skull that stuck out of a pile of debris.

  Unlucky. Leed and quickly draihe beast.

  While the building seemed to be just barely standing — no doubt, thanks to the influence of the Wastend, as proved by the ck of Vetilim and Corcera inside —, Leo still maneuvered through the gaps in the walls and the debris strewn across the interior. He might not be an Olympic gymnast yet, but he was getting pretty damn close.

  Within seds, Leo positioned himself in front of two wide-open windows on the first floor. From this vantage point, he had a clear view of the Wastend close below. However, there were no Voidlings in immediate proximity, or at least none close enough for him to simply jump down and eliminate upon nding.

  Sometimes you just gotta improvise.

  Snatg a bunch of debris off the floor, Leo pced it all on the windowsill. He worked like that until a nice pile waited for him, ready to be hurled off the other side.

  Leo did just that and ducked low.

  Dozens of tiny crete pieces rained down upon the Wastend's edge like an angry waterfall. Their ctter echoed through the area, reag Leo's ears, if just barely. He just hoped it was enough to get some attention.

  Finally, a few screeches louder than before answered the ctter. Hugging the wall, Leo stood up and took a tiny peek.

  Bingo.

  Three Cursed Humans, their curiosity piqued by the falling debris, cautiously approached the se. Though they remained beyond the reach of Leo's bde, at least now he had a small group separated from the others. All he needed was to get them just a bit closer.

  Once more, Leo grabbed two slightly bigger pieces of crete. System, Limit brake to full power for ten seds.

  Instantly, power surged through his body, and Leo didn't waste a sed. In quick successiohrew the two projectiles, aiming straight for their head with a precision granted by the Limit Break.

  Leo hid again, only an inch of his head stig out.

  The two hit Voidlings howled, dark blood p down their foreheads. However, despite getting a rock straight in the face, those monsters didn't care. Instead, they rushed straight towards the building Leo occupied, g at its outside wall.

  Now, Leo should, by all means, be happy about this course of a. Unfortunately, there was oiny problem.

  The third Voidling.

  I of camaraderie, the third Cursed Human followed its kin, attag the building with the same vigor. The worst part was that those monsters seemed to be slowly getting through if the amount of rubble and dust starting to fill the area below was anything to go by.

  Alright, either I aow, or I have to fug run. Those might only be Cursed Humans, but I ain't fighting against three level-nine fuckers in a closed spao way in hell.

  Before Leo could even give the problem any more thought, the barely standing building decided for him. Creak after crack echoed all around him as spider web patterns spread across the building's walls. The eructure groaned, and Leo made the decision.

  Ah fuck... Leo scowled, tying a cloth he had prepared around his head, c the ears. Runner, ght for the Screamer. Don't stop no matter what until that bastard screams. After that, run away if you . If not, then good luck.

  In the er of his vision, Leo noticed something run straight into the Wastend, but he paid it no mind. As the cracks in the building spread farther and farther with each sed, he uhed both of his khe bck glow of the Kiss c them instantly.

  Essend the System answered Leo's silent plea, almost doubling the power he usually had under his call. Instantly, veins all over his body exploded in the light of thousands of stars, and so he jumped through the window.

  As Leo fell, a muffled scream reverberated through the Wastend, drowning every other sound. He barely flinched, but the creatures below weren't that lucky. All three bowed their heads, hands already c their ears.

  Thank you for an easy target.

  Like a fallieor, Leo crashed straight into the two closest Voidlings, his knives already buried deep in their skulls. With a squelch, he ripped his ons out and stabbed the third monster right in the eyes. It went dht away.

  System notifications tried to snap into sight, but Leo forced them away. His attention remained solely on his cws and knives as they viciously tore apart the chests of the Voidlings. Whether it was skin, muscles, or bones, nothing could withstand the relentless onsught he unleashed.

  When almost nothing stood between him and the dyis, Leo plunged his hands in and ripped out the twans. More notifications attempted to fill his vision instantly, but Leo had only ohought in mind.

  Run. And so he did.

  Leo ran like a man possessed, two bck hearts bleeding out in his hands. He ran as the earth shook, the wall of buildings behind him colpsing like a house of cards. And he ran as every single eye in the Wastend turowards him, seeking prey.

  How the fuck did it escate so quickly? Ah, right, I wanted a distra. Well, here you go, you fug idiot!

  Chaos65