Alo again. Leo sighed, looking over the old trainyard and the neighb area. Well, almost alone. He corrected himself as the beast inside his head grumbled. I really need a name for you. What do ya think?

  The beast scoffed, retreating into the deeper recesses of his mind. This simple a pretty much trao: 'Do whatever you want. I don't care.' Which, in hindsight, was fair; after all, why would it care about a name when in the end, they were one and the same.

  If you don't care, then I'm just gonna call you Bob. Like it? Leo prodded, and the growl he got iurn was like music to his ears. Yeah, don't care, my ass... What if we take a single part from the name of my new species? It's the reason why we're even having this versation to begin with, so I think it's fitting.

  As the beast didn't dignify him with an answer, Leo just tinued with this train of thought.

  'Night' was out, it just didn't sound right in his mind, and the word probably represented his inner beast the least of all. Prime had potential, but when Leo prese to the monster, it just sent him the mental equivalent of a shrug, pletely dismissing the option.

  So Hunter? I mean, it fits, and it is an actual still feels weird trying to name something that's a part of me, but it is much better than just calling you an 'inner beast.' Leo reasoned. So, what's the verdict? I try finding a different name, but I wouldn't t on it being good. There's a reason why no one has ever allowed me to name anything...

  The beast's snigger filled his mind, and Leo smirked as no objes came his way. Either the now-christened Hunter really didn't care as long as his name wasn't something like Bob, or it decided to take what was being given before the options got much worse.

  Well then... Until the System hopefully presents a way for us to bee one unit forever, you're Hunter. gratutions. Leo reached out to the beast, almost dryly. It mimicked his enthusiasm and huffed, diving even deeper into his mind.

  Yet, before it retreated pletely, Hunter left him with a simple message.

  ‘Remember. Prepare.’

  Yeah, I didn't fet. How could I..? Leo snorted, his eyes glued to the trees in the distaheir leaves swaying in the soft breeze. But you're right... Time to get down and start being productive. I still have a lot of time to kill until nighttime.

  Stabbing his cws into the tree's trunk, Leo slid to the ground in one go and dashed away from the Safe Zone. Holy, he was getting much better at trolling his body with each passing hour. The three tails were still a handful, but in the end, at least they stopped trying to trip him every damned minute.

  Progress, and that's all that matters…

  Thankfully, Leo didn't have to go far to find a pce for a emporary base. He could've used the house he'd cleared for the trio, but hiding in a pown to others didn't seem like a smart idea. The bigger group was still an unknown, aing caught off guard by them could end poorly, both for him and the survivors.

  With that in mind, Leo dived right into another wrecked house, his Hunter's Pulse staying put for now. While he doubted more Ameists were near — or at least within range of his ability — there was no reason to push his luck. His bdes would bathe in their blood again, just not now. There were still a few things to be done before that…

  "Nothing... That just fuels my theory," Leo muttered as he settled onto the st standing chair in the ruined kit. He probably shouldn't have been surprised about the house being so empty. However, after nearly a week of stant fighting, with Voidlings appearing anywhere he turned, it felt almost eerie for ao be so devoid of activity.

  Gives you hope that it might be possible to clear aire city and make it somewhat livable again... Leo shook his head at the thought. W about what-ifs never helped anyone. Right... System, give me the task reward.

  Leo didn't even have to reach out for the task notification for the powerful entity to act. A bright golden light immediately desded upoire room, coalesg into a familiar orb on the floor.

  For a moment, Leo fought to keep his eyes open, to experiehe entire process. But it burned. It burned with the power of a thousand suns, stabbing needles into his eyeballs without any remorse. And so he had to turn away and shield his body fully with the dark cloak; there was no other way.

  Yeah, it's definitely onized, either that, or I'm just too weak to take this in. Leo grimaced, repeatedly blinking as the tiny golden sun faded away. The scorched floor, devoid of Vetilim, and the four items were the only remnants left in its wake.

  Croug before the new arrivals, Leo pletely ighe three fres, his gaze fully focused on a small yellow badge. The thing in as almost any rock, only this item had a more rounded shape and a big letter H engraved on its front.

  Let's see.

  Free Honing Token (Unon):A simple and low-grade token. It allows the User to upgrade or repair an item below Rare grade for free. Please hat a Token awarded from a task works only for the User who received them.

  Huh, iing. It pretty much screams in my face that I get those things outside tasks. Crimson Mirages, maybe? Or s? Leo hummed, rolling the tokeween his fingers. The item was just as rough to the touch as any other rock.

  And I use it to repair stuff. Good. Bringing his left arm into the open, Leo sent a single spark of Esseo the spectral that enveloped the limb. The ever-impossible-to-read green symbols fred to life, pulsing with power.

  Let's fix you up.

  Item critically damaged. Honing locked. Do you wish to repair Spectral Inscription: Valron Ce (on) for the price of 90 Ether? One upgrade charge will be used for this process.

  Free Honing Tokeed. Do you wish to use it in pce of Ether?

  y Ether?! The knife only took five... Which, I mean, is uandable, but still. Eyes a bit wide, Leo g the token and then at the notification once more.

  He had been pnning to use the item, but in the back of his mind, the thoughts of saving it for the future existed. Not any lohough. Not with what he had just learned. He didn't have other items to upgrade anyway, and saving y Ether seemed like a great idea no matter how he looked at it.

  Repair it, System. Use the token.

  At ohe token crumbled into dust, the particles diving straight toward Leo's left arm. The flying cloud swirled around the limb, a bright golden glow growing underh it, slowly coalesg around the arm. Just like with the khe radiant energy — Ether — tio spread until nothing but it remained in sight.

  Leo gritted his teeth as the inferno id waste across his skin. It was nothing like the pain when his Install Item advanced, but it didn't mean he enjoyed having his arm cooked by the honing system.

  It's starting to look like any kind of Ether harm me. That, or the System is a sadist. I really don't know which is worse...

  Gradually, the golden veil lost its luster, revealing unblemished skin underh. Leo let out a long sigh of relief. The fact that the process didn't harm his skin was a good sign. A very good one. Being physically hurt by Ether or only experieng some painful disfort was a big difference. Big enough to ge quite a few sarios he'd been worried about.

  As long as a Safe Zone is safe, I don't care. I'll haruly oher... somehow.

  Nodding, Leo's gaze agaio his arm, which, thanks to another flicker of Essence, erupted in a dark green, almost bck glow. The symbols were still there, but with the repair, their plexity only grew. While before, each character was separate, now they all became a part of something bigger, blending together to create an image that belonged in an art gallery.

  "Beautiful," Leo murmured, dev the sight with his eyes. It took a growl from Huo break him from this self-indulgence. "Shit. Sorry."

  Hunter harrumphed before retreating once more, leavio finally ihe item iail.

  Let's see if it was really worth it.

  Valron Ce (Unon):A Spectral Inscription item made by a skilled craftsman. Created using Valron ore and Runic Essehanks to its new wielder, Valron Ce has returo its prime.Effect: Chosen body part bees signifitly more resilient, almost doubling its toughness.Active: Valron Prote - el Esseo create a protective yer of spectral skihe chosehis ability be maintained indefinitely as long as the User possesses Essence.Area of Use: Any single p the User's body

  Huh. Definitely worth it. Leo snorted as he read about the effed active ability again. He now pretty much possessed an arm that could possibly withstand a direct hit from a Brute, or maybe even a Cursed Juggernaut. Though he really doubted the tter.

  And the tinuous use of the shielding ability be useful for projectiles and those fug ants... Overall a very well-spent token.

  Dismissing Valron Prote, Leo quickly summoned his Job menu. He had some expl to do, and from what he remembered, plenty of tasks were waiting to be picked up.

  Thirty-five Voidlings above level five for a huher. Sure, why not. Leed, accepting the task. Just then, another one caught his eye, ae already having an active one, he still brought it up.

  Hunt: Ant QueenHunt down a Queen in one of the s close by. issioned by: System. Time Limit: 10 Earth days.Rewards:150 Ether, Random raw item of at least Unon rarity, Random Survivor rewardDo you wish to accept?

  Raw item and Survivor reward. Wonder what that means. Identify, of course, didn't provide any answers. Oh well, I always take it ... Hold on. I have two tasks active at once?

  Deg that it couldn't hurt to try, Leo accepted the job, his eyes widening just a bit when no error message appeared. Immediately, he chose aask, an easy one, but this time there no option to accept appeared.

  So two is the limit, at least for now... Fuck, I really should've checked this before. With a sigh, Leo dismissed the menu. Oh well, no use g over spilled milk. Time to get ba the move. I even have something to strive for now.

  Even Hunter returo the forefront of his mind, ready for the oning battles. Leo only smiled and slipped out of his temporary base, True Stealth activating with naught but a thought.

  Alright then. e to me. With almost every step toward the y, Leo fired off a Hunter's Pulse.

  It wasn't until he ehe massive rowth that the pulse returned something. Leo grinned and stopped, listening for the slightest shifts in the wind.

  Here they e.

  Two Ameists broke through the grass, speeding right towards Leo. Yet, when their eyes fell on him, the duo froze and almost immediately tried to back off.

  That's new. Leo noted, a nce of shadows f in his hands as he sped forward. The two Minios ood a ce as he reached them in the blink of ahe shadoon desding upon the Voidling.

  It died the moment the nce ected with its head, but Leo barely paid the monster any attention. Instead, he jumped to the other ant, yet he didn't bare his cws or extend his bdes. No, for this spe, he had something much better prepared.

  Minor Takeover. Leo called out, a burst of Essence leaving his body as he touched the Ameist.

  Uhe st time, barely a fifth of his energy left his body, diving into the Ameist's form like a hungry dog toward its meal. There was nle, no exge of Essence. Only the dark Void remained, perfectly blending with his own power and ing the ant in one go.

  Leo blinked, and the Ameist blinked back, its new violet eyes meeting his own.

  Lead me to the least guarded entrance of your .

  Chaos65