Any idea, Hunter? Leo asked his only panion as he stood in front of the entrao the mall. Or at least it was aran the past. Now, nothing but the Void's living matter remained, hiding the rge doors from sight.

  Hunter hissed lowly, and while Leo could hear a bit of fear in its respo also didn't want to leave. Just like him, the beast was curious despite all their senses screaming at them against ing closer to the vast building.

  I have to check it anyway. 't exactly go back to Holden and tell him that the pce just felt wrong. Leo paused suddenly at the thought. Well, I , but then I would probably have to answer some questions I don't want to answer. At least not yet...

  With a sigh, Leo turned away. Whether he liked it or not, he couldn't just leave this pce without at least cheg it out. What he and Hunter felt had to e from somewhere. And so, if this mall was hidi another dao survivors, his job was to u. Just as he did with the Tainted Wastend.

  No rushing in like an idiot this time, though. Leo grimaced, the wounds he suffered that day still fresh on his mind. No more half-assed pns because I couldn't care less about anything anymore. I have people waiting for me, people who t on me.

  Leo took a deep breath, a small smile on his face. Let's find arance first, shall we?

  As Hunter roared in answer, Leo jumped onto the mall's wall, stig his cws deep into Vetilim. They had a problem to solve, and just like his mother oold him, it was best to start from the top and slowly make his way down until nothing remained.

  Shit... This just proves something is wrong with this pce. Leo frowned, following the sptters of blood with his eyes.

  It took some climbing and running, but in the end, he found a hole in the er of the roof leading right into an offi ihe mall. Of course, the world would be way too simple if that was all he had discovered. Thus Leo's current predit.

  The blood sptters were almost everywhere in sight, c parts of the nearby roof and the hole. Most of the liquid seemed old, dried by the stant warmth of the red su, here and there, Leo could still see puddles of the half-fresh crimson liquid.

  And all of the trails lead right inside. Leo narrowed his eyes, trying to glimpse into the building through the rge hole. Darkness attempted to obscure his vision the farther he tried to see, but that didn't stop him, especially not with the violet and red veins of Vetilim and Corcera supp his task...

  Not moving from the hole's edge, Leo sed the entire offi using the pranted by twenty-five points in the Vision attribute. Blood was ohing, but it was far from the only thing he spotted there.

  Remnants of torn-off limbs hid in the shadows. Some of them most likely beloo humans, others not so much. However, worse were the pieces of internal ans scattered along the room, with an occasional bone lying here and there.

  I hate this pce more with each sed. Leo admitted, and Hunter agreed right away. Bloodlust already spiked, trying to ighe fury hiding inside him. Not now. Not yet.

  Leo took a step back, running a hand across the smooth skin of his head. What he had seen inside should have been more than enough of a reason to turn around aurn to the Safe Zone. Yet the question still remained: What exactly happened here?

  It couldn't be a or a Tainted Wastend. Leo had experienced both before, and each time, the System gave him a warning once he came close enough. But now, the powerful entity did no such thing.

  So either some people were unlucky after the Outbreak and died here... An unlikely sario with how fresh some of those parts are. Leo noted, once more looking through the hole. Or something really fishy is going on here.

  Hunter growled suddenly, ailled, processing the new information. You think the System 't or doesn't want to tell me yet? Why? The beast just sent him an equivalent of a shrug a silent.

  Great... Leo sighed. So it seems we are going in anyway... I will need more than just you in that case. Remember, no more half-assed pns.

  Simir to what he did when cheg on the police station, Leo wandered around the area, searg for Voidlings to apany him into the jaws of death. However, this time, the search took a bit longer as he wanted more than just some average Cursed Crawlers. Not that he had much success in this endeavor.

  Hell, as Leo looked at the small group gathered before him, even Hunter had something to say. And instead of just grunts and growls, the beast once more resorted to words, or rather a single word.

  'Weak.'

  That's a bit harsh, but yeah. You’re right. Leo curred with the beast. Though it's not like I get anything higher than level seven here. We don't have time to search for Brutes or Harpies... We do that tomorrow. Who knows, maybe with a few strong Voidlings by my side, I will be able to clear out a small part of Wolford.

  Hunter just snorted, refusing to say more. Although, from the surge of bloodlust, Leo khe beast liked the idea. Not surprising in the slightest.

  Anyway... Let's do this. Turning to his three subordinates, Leo sent a and over the link. Jump in and secure the office's entrahen wait for me.

  Two Cursed Runners and one Inferior Crawler acted right away, diving into the opening. They rushed straight to the other side of the office where another hole waited, this one a bit smaller yet still rge enough to fit a Brute.

  Ohe Voidlings paused there, Leo nodded, his own Essence flowing out of his soul. True Stealth activated within the blink of an eye, but it was far from enough. He had been w on a special tri his way here, and the time had e to use it.

  Slowly, more Essence moved, but not of the pure kind. Instead, shadows poured out of Leo's body, the thin yer settliween his skin and True Stealth. With his mastery, the tter skill never wavered, so he put all his focus on the shadow armor, as imperfect as it was.

  At first, Leo wao create a perfect blend of his affinity and skill. However, no matter how hard he tried, True Stealth never accepted shadow Essehout colpsing. As such, he settled for a workaround... for now.

  The teique was far from perfect, as shown by the ck of the System's notifications, but it still performed quite well. Shadows all around the world were his allies now, hiding Leo from anyone who couldn't peer through the darko some degree.

  Let's do this. Falling forward, Leo dropped to the floor below on all fours. He grimaced as the stench of decay assaulted his nostrils immediately. Shit... I don't think I have ever smelled something so bad.

  With a shake of his head, Leo ighe smell and moved toward the hole in the wall. Until now, nothing had ged, but once he stepped through the entrance, joining his minions oher side, the System's message fshed in front of his eyes.

  Warniering Wolford's Graveyard. No additional information avaible currently.

  So you were right, Leo said to Hunter. But why no information? Wasn't the System supposed to be all-knowing? I don't like it... I don't like it at all...

  Hunter growled, and Leo had to agree. Now was not the time for this. They just entered a new, potentially dangerous area. He had to be alert at all times.

  Okay, you three. Lead the way, slowly and silently. If you see anything, anything at all, stop instantly. Do not attack without my word.

  With the and received, the trio moved forward, navigating the few offices and small corridors in this part of the mall. Gore still awaited them at each turn, but just like at the entrano Voidlings showed themselves.

  What the hell is going on here? Leo muttered as they finally left the office area aered the highest floor of the mall.

  Despite Vetilim and Corcera pletely g the area, the yout didn't ge much. The shoppier was still just a three-story, long hall with shops on all sides and floors. Of course, not much remained of them, but the building at least still seemed somewhat familiar.

  Well, almost familiar... Leo swallowed, gazing at all of the massacred bodies hanging from the ceiling oilim webs. Blood dripped from most corpses while the few heads that remained whole stared bnkly ahead, an expression of fear etched onto their face.

  Humans, animals, and Voidlings... Graveyard indeed. Leo balled his fists, averting his gaze from a corpse that seemed to look him right in the eyes. There must be hundreds of them here... So many survivone... Fuck!

  Before Leo could go on a downward spiral, Hunter's roar echoed in his mind.

  I know... I know. Leo took a deep breath and reached within his soul, searg for a particur pile of items. Grabbing it firmly, he pulled it out, a familiar weight nding in his hand.

  Ether Fre. I just hope we are wrong, Hunter...

  With a final look behind, Leo gripped the fre tighter and anded his group to resume the march. He had his suspis regarding this pow. It just wasn't enough, not yet. Besides, if anything happened, he knew how to quickly get out...

  Nothing, have to go lower... I wish Hunter Pulse tion here...

  Leo scowled as they finished walking the entire length of the mall. Nothing but more corpses greeted him here. Hell, he didn't see even a single Sger scurrying around.

  As such, only the two floors below remaio be explored now. Let's go...

  His three subordiepped first into a tuhat seemed to have repced the stairs to the lower floor. Leo followed shortly after, ready to open the fre's lid at any moment.

  The dest didn't st long, barely a few seds, yet wheunnel gave way to the floor, Leo and his minions froze, blood chilling in their veins. No one dared to move a single muscle, and even Hunter remained silent, like it was here.

  Leo had his fears about this pce, and they got worse with each sed ihe mall. However, not even having plete knowledge about this pce could have prepared him for the sight before him.

  Hunter... We were right...