It was me.

  Inhale.

  Always me.

  Exhale.

  I was in full trol.

  Inhale.

  I could have stopped it whenever I wanted.

  Exhale.

  I... I e. The plete focus. The undying will to hunt ahem. The ck of fear. The knowledge that nothing here could have killed me.

  Leo had felt all of that and more during the battle, hter maybe was the correct word. He had always carried the fear of Voidlings deep inside him, because why wouldn't he? They were everywhere, could overwhelm ah numbers, and grew in strength with each day.

  Yet, the moment Focused Bloodlust activated and Leo ected with his inner beast like he had never before, that fear faded away, like it was here. There was, after all, no reason to be scared of creatures that were so beh him, so weak that he could massacre them in tens. He just didn't realize that before.

  Well, maybe not Brutes and Harpies, but the normies, along with a few Runners? Leo almost burst into ughter. Now I know I take on three groups like those before head-on and still win... At least with Focused Bloodlust active, that is. Though maybe iure…

  And just like that, Leo sobered as the truth of what happened began to really sink in. With the bloodlust gone, he knew something ged, something important. The increased trol of his new body was an obvious sign. However, now that he really took notice, the presence of the inner beast also shifted.

  It was closer than before, more iwined with his mind, maybe even his soul. While before Leo knew he could still ultimately push the beast out, seal it away, he wasn't too sure if that was the case any longer. Now, the presence didn't feel like just a passenger in his mind, sometimes giving input, but a perma fixture.

  Is this why I uand you now? Fuck... It's happening way too fast. I thought I had more time. Leo took another deep breath, ign the soft growling that now had a true meaning. But life waits for no one, right?

  Focused Bloodlust was ohing, terrifying, but still something Leo could accept as he had plete trol of the skill. However, the fact that in a matter of not even a day, he grew so much closer to the beast he now represented was so more than just a tiny ge.

  So much for rolling with the punches, eh? Leo sighed, his shoulders dropping slightly as the Brute colpsed into dust. Not like I do anything about this... Like I told Dyn. I made my choices; I have to live with them…

  With such a unique evolution, this was the pn all along. Leo had even given it some thought during the st night. Still, the fact stood that even after the System's first message about Synization, he had hoped to have more time to adapt. Obviously, the Universe had different pns for him.

  The inner beast suddenly growled louder, and Leo frowned. I'm not brooding... Anrowl. 'My humans' wouldn't have died if you didn't unlock Focused Bloodlust. I had it under trol. The beast howled. Fuck you. I preferred when I couldn't uand you.

  It sniggered loudly, and for a moment, Leo sidered attempting to push the beast back deeper into his mind. Yet, he quickly abahe idea, knowing it would be futile. With their strengthened e, there was no point in giving himself a headache.

  And I have other, more important problems anyway. Leo grimaced, momentarily dismissing the onsught of notifications. Even the inner beast quietened as he finally let the voices of the outside world register in his mind. This is gonna be fun... again.

  Slowly rising from the ground, Leo sighed and turned, his violet gaze falling orio that had probably been waiting for quite some time. To no one's surprise, they all had their firearms aimed straight at him, and Dyn's left hand glinted with a blue spark.

  Hell, even the shy Laura stood with shoulders squared, her rifle gripped tightly, never even l from her target... As for Tyler? Well, Leo hardly o look at him to know his rea. The warriht have tolerated him and was most likely grateful for healing his cousin, but the younger man couldn't hide his distrust towards him to save his life.

  At least they didn't attack yet... Closing his eyes for a moment, Leo turo Dyn. "Good job with the remaining Voidlings. How about a short break?"

  The mage grimaced visibly, his eyes flickering to the cws still dripping with fresh blood. "Thanks, Leo? I'm not too sure..."

  Before the man could say more, Tyler cut in, taking a small step forward, the gun poiraight at Leo's head. "Yeah, no. We're not ag like nothing just happened. What the fuck was that?"

  For someone who just saw me massacre a bunch of Voidlings alone, he sure is brave... or stupid. Still, for now, they’re useful. Leo's inner beast promptly disagreed with a growl, but he paid it no mind. Those three were his only remaining links to other human survivors. Leaving them now was a definite no. They still had their uses.

  There is no ce for Tyler to trust me anymore, not that he ever really did, but going by the fact that bullets aren't flyihis is still salvageable, at least for the time of the trip.

  Very slowly raising his hands above his head, Leo spoke up. "Listen, I know this probably looked bad... alright, very bad, but this is still me. Besides, we are all alive, and the path is clear, right? Wasn't that the goal?"

  Tyler scowled, the grip upon his gun tightening, "Doesn't expin what in the bloody hell just happened. You went fug bonkers and took an unnecessary risk! Dyn told you to hide."

  Leo narrowed his eyes as the beast inside him growled lowly, the bloodlust hidden deep underh stirring slightly. "Okay, first, we’ve never agreed to any of and, just the pn of a. Sed, there was no risk after I killed most of the Voidlings with my first attack. And finally, third, I didn't go mad. That was an ability that helped me focus better so I could kill those two bastards faster. Which I clearly did."

  And Leo wasn't even lying. Dyn might lead the other two, but it didn't mean that he would suddenly follow everything the man said. As for there not being any risk... Well, it certainly would have been harder, but the single Harpy and Brute was still something he could have handled, even without the new skill. Not that they were supposed to be here in the first pce

  Should have listeo my gut... Could have avoided this fug mess.

  Before Tyler could open his mouth again and add more fuel to the fire, Dyn stepped in, l his on. "Alright, cut it out, you two. Bloody hell, we're not here to fight among ourselves. We're in the middle of the fug road."

  "You 't be serious, Dyn," Tyler said through gritted teeth. "This fug idiot almost killed us because he 't think before ag."

  Fug idiot? Leo almost growled, the bloodlust slowly seeping bato his mind. If it wasn't for me, your cousin would be dead. If it wasn't for me, you would never get this far, this fast, moron.

  Leo's hands already fell at this point, and he even instinctively took a step towards the warrior. Yet, before things could escate even more, Dyn acted again.

  "Enough, Tyler!" he hissed, gring at the younger man. "What's done is done. We're all pletely fine and only wasted a bit of ammo. So drop it." The mage turo Laura. "Lass, take him and wait ahead; take a breather. We'll join you in a sec."

  The girl's eyes flickered between them, and even though her rifle lowered just a bit, she didn't move. "Are you sur..."

  "Just go!" Dyn growled, the man finally losing some of his temper.

  Laura flinched a bit but gave a nod and grabbed her cousin's arm, trying to pull him away. "e on, Ty. Let it be. Dyn is right. We are fine, and the trainyard is close."

  The warrior threw Leo anre and finally moved along. However, that didn't stop him from leaving without a few st words. "Just be careful, Dyn."

  Fug humans. Leo scoffed befrimag, the bloodlust draining out of him all at once. Calling his defiemproup a bunch of humans during Focused Bloodlust was ohing but outside it?

  No, just no. That's too much, too fast. At least give me some fug time. Leo shook his head lightly, still watg the duo walk slowly on the side of the street.

  "Leo," Dyn called, still wearing a frown. "I know what Tyler said was out of line, and I know you don't o listen to us, but he artially right. For you, this might not have been risky, but mate, we're not you. We're just three people barely survivin', so please, before you try to pull somethin' like this again, at least warn us, alright?"

  Ah, whatever...

  Leo nodded. No point in arguing the fact that he couldn't have known about the Brute and Harpy. Gut feelings, or whatever the hell that was, weren't something he ever believed in. Though now, maybe even that would ge. You felt that tht? Maybe it's my e to the Void?

  Yet his inner beast had no answer, only a pitful whine…

  Sighing, Leo finally gave the mage his full attention. "Yeah, I will make sure to do that... Sorry for ag like that. I'm sure it didn't look pretty."

  Dyn snorted, some tension disappearing from his body. "Pretty? Lad, the way you went off and then fought was bloody terrifyin'. Effit, but terrifying. Not gonna lie, betweeher Voidlings and you, for a moment, I really wasn't sure if we were gettin' out of this alive."

  Uandable, even if I fought to protect them... partially. Leed and motioo the duo in the distahere was no point in tinuing this versation. "You go a with them. I will follow in a moment. Have to gh the notifications first."

  Dyn's gaze went to his two charges and then back to Leo. "I will do that," he nodded before hesitating for a moment. "And d, no hard feelings, right?"

  There it is. Leo wao sigh but instead just waved the man off. "Tyler said what he felt. I respect that much. Besides, it's not like I don't know how disturbing it must be for you all to travel with a monster who acts like a human. So yeah, no hard feelings."

  "Gd to hear that..." Dyn nodded and walked off without another word.

  And that's how our brittle alliance slowly shatters... Leo chuckled, marg to the side of the street. Not that he expected their group to st long. There was no way he could find friends among humans, at least not yet. Soon people would probably realize that being one of the monsters was just a step to surviving. But that's still way off.

  The fear of the unknown was always strong among humanity, and seven days of apocalypse couldn't ge that, at least not for most people. Not that Leo particurly cared. Hell, as much as his foster family loved him, he khere was a ce they wouldn't ht accept what he had bee.

  But did it really matter?

  No, it didn't. As long as they lived and tio survive in this godforsaken world, it would be enough. They were the reason Leo didn't give up in the past, and now came the time to repay them. And if it meant giving up on humanity and defending his family from the shadows, then so be it.

  How mud nothing ge in a single week at the same time. Leo mused, watg the trio whisper between each other. With a snort, he averted his gaze. I will help you reach the others, take my favor and go on my own again.

  He nodded. Yeah, no reason to overplicate this. Being in a group with other people would never work anyway…

  So, System. Show me what you got for me.

  Chaos65

  [colpse]