Leo shook his head, raising his hand before anyone could move. "There is no need for that," he said, getting the trio's attention again. "I stay up the whole night... The same ability I used to heal Laura apparently makes it hard for me to tire. So I might as well miss some sleep and take care of shit I have been putting off for ter."

  At their looks, he quickly added, "System stuff."

  The trio once, and Dyn was quick to follow, "If you're certain about keepin' watch, I won't argue. But maybe one of us should join you as well. It's always good to have more eyes lookin' out for any dangers. Plus, at least you will have some pany for the night, Leo."

  Tyler immediately chimed in. "We should do that. Just in case something goes down, we ha better with two people up."

  Leo sighed, knowing well what they were doing. He might have gained some goodwill for healing Laura, but evidently, that wasn't enough for them to sleep under his watch.

  't evehem for this... Void knows I would do the same.

  "Have it your way then," Leo grumbled anyway before reag behind him and untying his backpack. "One more thing. On my way here, I gathered some stuff you might find useful tomorrow. I don't really anymore, so enjoy."

  With that said Leo slowly pced item after item on the floor. His old knives and the one from the System went first. The trio took one each without mupining, with the upgraded one going to Tyler.

  He might not have the necessary mastery to wield it properly, but that shouldn't stop him from stabbing monsters with the pointy end. And who knew, maybe the System would give the warrior Leo's old on mastery after some time.

  Three of the five fres we, and when Leo pced them in front of the trio, Laura blurted out. "How did you get those? They literally save our lives in a pinch. Are you sure you should give them to us?"

  Leo chuckled at the speed of her speech. "I have two more here," he patted his backpack. "Besides, once you hit level ten and unlock the System shop, you buy one of these for teher."

  "One for ten?" Dyn spluttered, eyes wide. "Bloody hell. What is with those prices?"

  Shrugging, Leo didn't ent. In the long ruher was almost nothing; sooner or ter, Dyn would realize that.

  Thank the Void, he doesn't know the prices of a basic pack of clothes or some mutations. He almost snorted.

  Moving on, Leo removed his st gifts, which he initially couldn't decide whether to give away for various reasons. In the end, though, there was no sense in holding onto them. With his neearance, he could barely grip them properly, so their use was quite limited to him.

  If this doesn't prove I'm at least somewhat trustworthy, I don't know what will. Leo huffed as he put the two pistols, along with ammo and one harness, on the floor. The other had to stay and hold his backpa pce for now. I really o find an alternative…

  "Standard issue handguns carried by police," Tyler muttered, flipping the gun in his hands. "Where did you find them? I don't remember anything about these from your story."

  "Because I didn't mention them," Leo answered lightly, returning his backpack to its proper pce. "I got them on my way back here from turned officers. Would be stupid to just leave them alone."

  Tyler hummed, but from the slightly narrowed eyes, Leo khe man didn't believe him fully or at least suspected something was wrong. Not really surprising, as what ordinary police officers carried so much ammo with them.

  The answer was simple. Not a one, but leaving the ammo in the backpack was a no-go. They were going out tomorrow, and holding ba resources was a dumb idea.

  "Lad, you sure you want us to take both? You've already given us the rifle," Dyn voiced out, breaking the somewhat temosphere. At this point, Leo was sure that man was a therapist in the past.

  "You see these?" He chuckled and raised both of his hands, fshing his cws. "Those ain't gonna hold any ons anytime soon. So take the guns. They are useless for me."

  On the couch, Laura giggled lightly, but the moment all the eyes in the room fell on her, she blushed and ducked her head. Leo held in a snort. At least someone was having fun.

  "Well, it's been a fair while since I shot anythin', but if you really don't want 'em, I'll take one," Dyn said, diverting the attention away from the young girl as he picked up the sed gun and a spare magazine. "Lass, do you know 'ow to use this bloody thing? If not, you should take the other one anyway, Leo."

  "She never fired a pistol, but I know she's used a hunting rifle before. Right, Lu?" The girl nodded, giving her cousin a slight gre. "Then we s. A rifle is better for le anyway."

  The younger man was utterly correct; a pistol would be much better for him at cle. Although Tyler should probably stop answering for his cousin. The girl might seem shy, but if Leo was reading the signs right, then she probably had quite the temper. Lily was simir, though his sister's fuse was much shorter, and that woman had almost no shame pared to Laura…

  Ohe cousins sed the ons, Dyn rose from the floor and cpped his hands lightly. "Alright then," he decred, his gaze fixed on Leo. "Mate, if you don't 'ave any more surprises up your sleeve, I re it's time we get some shut-eye."

  Leo nodded as he also stood up, wing at the pops his body produced. "Nah. That's it from me."

  Dyn snorted as if barely believing his words. "Well then, I'll stay up with you for now," he said, turning to the pair on the couch. "Tyler, I'll wake you up ."

  The younger man nodded, and Leo paid them no more attention as they settled for the night. Instead, he walked to a far-off er, almost pletely shrouded in darkness, and once more dropped to the floor.

  However, this time, he made sure to settle without bending his limbs in all the wrong ways. He really didn't need his entire body ag the day because Akirian physiology apparently didn't help with that.

  Alright, let's start with the simplest one. Leo sighed, summoning his teique menu. The corrupted Runner might have died the moment it reached the Screamer — its presence flickering out like a fme —, but the teique responsible might have ged since his evolution.

  And I fot to check it before…

  Void: Minor Takeover (Novice)

  A teique that allows for a plete takeover of a Void-borure. The success of this ability depends on the user's e to the Void affinity, level, and overall strength. Creatures stronger or of simir power will resist an attempt at trolling them, and special types of Voidlings will pletely resist this minor teique. Please hat physical tact is required to begin a takeover.

  Estimated maximum number of trolled Void-borns: 2

  And I was right. Leo grinned, swiping the description away. Evolution and a single level already raised the potential of this teique. Give it a few more levels, and he might be able to create his own small army.

  Though it really depends on how multiple takeovers work in a row. It might as well leave me without any Essence... Ahing to check ter, maybe even tomorrow.

  Shaking his head lightly, Leo raised one hand, and with a siug of Essehe gleaming bde along his forearm extended. He had already seen it at work two times, but there were still things left to check.

  Slowly, his other hand came to grip the bde tightly, avoiding the sharp edge and the tip. Knowing it would probably hurt at least a bit, Leo ched his teeth and began applying more pressure on the on.

  Yet, no matter how hard he tried and how much force he applied, the bde didn't even bend an inch. Hell, he didn't evehe slightest bit of pain from the on. Really, at this point, the hand pressing on the bde ached more, which was saying a lot.

  Okay, probably not iructible, but if I 't even bend it with my own strength, it should be fine for the time being. Now for the sed test. Leo nodded, letting even more Essence flow into the on.

  Like a huimes before, the mystiergy slowly escaped outside his body aled against the bde. The Void Essence Leo now wielded tried to slip between his phantom fingers and escape into the wind, but Kiss of Death was an ability he had mastered some time ago. Slightly decreased trol over the wilful energy couldn't ge that…

  Barely a few seds into the skill formation, the familiar bck glow embraced the bde tightly, fshing brightly.

  Leo narrowed his eyes, sing the ability with all of his senses. It's stronger, he noted. 't be sure by how much, but it's definitely strohough it took more Esseo form it. Fug trol…

  Kiss of Death faded away with a single and, and Leo set himself to repeat the process. Again and again, time after time, he formed and dismissed the ability. With each attempt, the time and necessary Esse took to form the kiss slightly decreased, but it was still a bit off.

  Not that he could do much more about it.

  Increased power for a bit more Essend time. Leo frowned, dismissing the bck glow for the st time. In the end not that bad of a deal. And I fix even that with some more practid points in Mind. Now, if I could only get to keep it up indefinitely.

  He had an inkling of how to go about that, but it was only an idea. Both Reinfort and True Stealth, the former more thaer, needed a stant supply of Essece to not colpse. If Leo could figure out how to take this part of those abilities and add it to Kiss of Death, everything would be perfect.

  Of course, he had already tried to give the kiss stant supply, but it only mao destabilize the skill.

  Gono experiment more with Reinfort and finally uand it better... Now that I think of it, I might have an idea of how to improve it too. If that's even possible…

  Leo shook his head with a sigh. Fug hell. So much shit to do. But I won't say that it isn't o see the improvement... Which brings me to ahing.

  Palm up, Leo reached into his reserves and once more let the Essence free. Only this time, it wasn't pure and unged but filled with the power of shadows. It rushed straight to his palm, spilling out to form a hook it created many times before.

  Still too slow. Dyn's lightning appears almost immediately. Sg his brow, Leo repeated the process, but with his mind wholly focused on the flow of Essence.

  One could argue that after his evolution, Leo didn't need shadoons. Yet, it was also uiohat the utility his structs could provide riceless. So if there was a ake them stronger, better, then he would take it…

  Time passed as Leo slowly corrected each stage of the creation of his structs. He carefully guided Essehrough every step in his body and outside it. The images of his creations grew clear in his mind, and with time, the structs in the real world started to reflect this.

  At some point, Leo's eyes closed. However, despite the hyperfocused state he ehe System still cut through it. Instantly his gaze so the dark hook in his hand and then to the notification waiting to be aowledged.

  "Finally," Leo whispered, a monstrous grin f on his face.

  Chaos65