The instant rush of knowledge expined everything about Leo's new ability. It wasn't simple, far from it. Processing all the information he had just received, he could even admit that Decoy didn't hold a dle to Phantom Erasure. At least when it came to the execution, the former could be prepared before battle, while the tter not as much.

  Phantom Erasure had to be perfectly executed the momeru enemy and not a moment earlier or ter. Maybe iure, that could ge, but sidering what the ability did, the proving it soon were close to zero. He would need a much better uanding and trol of Essence for that.

  First, I o improve Kiss of Death if I want to use both simultaneously... Leo sighed, his gaze traveling over the new skill's description.

  Phantom Erasure (Rare)To kill, you o strike fast, strike hard. Each direct hit matters and decide the oute of each fight. So what if your every attack suddenly gained more power? Say twice as much? Ask no longer, as Phantom Erasure is here for you.Effects:Upon each direct hit, you ow leave a sliver of your Essence upon your target. This tiny load of energy will iger a moment of dey and mimic your previous atta the already affected area. This phantom strike ot be strohan the inal attack.

  Overall, Phantom Erasure had the potential to bee one of, if not the stro ability Leo possessed. After all, if he could nd o that would bring ao their khen a follow-up with the same amount of pht as well finish them. Now, he just o figure out how to execute it properly while keeping his other skills active.

  Maybe tomorrow. I have enough stuff pnned for this night... Leo noted, swiping through the description and summoning the st package of System notifications. After that, he could get to work.

  Well, almost. He paused, gng at the Queen's eyes o him as the System delivered the final messages.

  gratutions! Tasks, Exterminatioh and Hunt: Ant Queen finished successfully. Do you wish to receive your rewards now?

  Yes.

  Instantly, light filled the room, the usual dome of Ether spawning on the floor in front of Leo. He averted his gaze, only looking back when the darkness ed the house once again. He learned enough about the System's deliveries at this point...

  Okay, that's new. Leo grimaced, studying the small pulsing obje the ground. It might have been pletely bd more malformed than what he had seen in images, but there was no mistaking what the item was.

  A heart. A bleeding, still beati.

  Leo had no clue how it ossible, but he hoped Identify could expin. All he knew was that this should be the random raw item the task spoke of.

  Raw indeed. A snort almost escaped Leo as Identify got to work.

  Inferior Eternal Heart (Unon):Some creatures aies of the Void don't require much to survive; sometimes, a heart is all they need. All Eternal Hearts are highly sought by all kinds of alchemists and cooks. Despite that, this item be eaten raw for a ce of gaining a small perma increase in base attributes.

  Yeah, no... Leo shook his head. There's no way I'm eating this raw. I might be a monster now, but it doesn't mean I o always act like a wild beast. Besides, it only says about a ce. Might be better to save it for ter when I finally find someone who use it. Or at least cook it...

  Hunter sniggered within his mind, giving Leo a mental oward the beati. No. If you want to eat it, get a body first. Taking it as a challehe beast, along with some bloodlust, surged forward.

  Leo froze as, just for a tiny moment, the heart before him looked like the most delicious steak in the try. He blinked ohen twice, scowling as Hunter's howling filled his head again.

  Not funny. The beats growled. No, I'm ing this... It growled again, and Leo let out a long sigh. Okay, listen. If I don't figure out a way to carry it safely by tomorrow, then I will... I will try to eat it.

  Taking Hunter's retreat as an agreement, Leo quickly picked up the wet heart and dropped it into his ruined backpack. At least now, he had another iive to figure out how to store stuff inside his soul.

  't believe I made a bet with another part of myself. Leo sank into the couch. I'm definitely mad. There is no denying it now...

  With a weak chuckle, Leo let the System e out with a notification that appeared along with the rewards. Anything to get his mind off the thought of ing the heart of some random creature from the Void.

  Survivor rewards unlocked. User, you oerma increases to your Limit Break. Survivor rewards be obtained via tasks or feats that the System judges worthy. You always check your current Survivor Boost in your Job menu.

  Hunt: Ant Queen Survivor Reward: +1 Grace

  Huh, nice... Leo admitted, summoning the mentioned menu and firming the System's words. He had been w about other ways to improve Limit Break, but until now, it seemed like only traits and Install items could make it stronger.

  Guess not. At least this way, everyone has a ce to get some use out of Limit Break. Though, I won't say oribute point is a lot... Maybe it gets better ter?

  Shaking his head, Leo rose, snatched his items, and stepped deeper into the house. The bathroom was just like he left it. Isoted, closed off, and with plenty of destroyed furniture strewn around. Perfect stuff to block the entrah.

  To think I was in a simir position not even a week ago. Feels like a lifetime with everything that has been going on. Leo chuckled as he finished barrig the door. Oh well, this is life now.

  He dropped to the floor, the System's message about the approag night appearing at the same moment. Leo dismissed it with a thought, ready to ighe entire world until the day. With the prospect of eating an alie in mind, searg for a way to store items inside his soul seemed like a more important matter than anything else.

  Alright, let's start wi... Leo paused as his gaze dropped to his backpack. Almost fot. The eyes...

  A single and was all it took for the System to summoly what Leo wanted. Right away, he sed the menu and smiled just a bit.

  Almost there.

  Mutation: Enhanced Vision (Gamma Tier)For many, vision is the most essential sense. So why not make it stronger? Let nothing hide from you with this mutation. Follow your prey where the light doesn't shine.Effects:Grants slightly improved eyesight along with strong night vision. In the event of vision loss in the past, this mutation will repair all damages and make your eyes slightly more resistant to damage.

  Requirements: 750 Ether, Eyes from a level 15+ beasts, 2 Crystalized Essence.

  This siation was the only reason why Leo bothered to pluck the Queen's eyeballs out. While Mineion would have been o get, Enhanced Vision was essential. Also, it helped that, uher mutations, this one didn't require thousands of Ether.

  If Dy e baorrow, then I easily get it. Leo noted, sparing his Ether reserves a look.

  Ether: 678

  Without a doubt, the trip to the y was worth it. While the two tasks gave Leo a good k of this amount, the hordes of Ameist and the Queen awarded him the rest. Not even the fact that most of those ants gave him only oher mattered at this point.

  Though, Leo frowned. With another level up, I wouldn't be surprised if they stopped giving even that much... Ah, whatever, I have work to do. I see about the ants when the pce opens up again.

  pletely shutting off the System, he took a deep breath and reached within himself for the huh time. He had a skill to create ao win. No way in hell he was eating that damned heart.

  And so, with Huill sniggering in his mind, Leo got to work.

  e on! e on! Fuck! Leo hissed as the Essence around a small piece of wood evaporated. He had felt it, the pull of something trying to enter his soul. Yet, just when it seemed like the process worked, the eeique shattered into pieces.

  Okay... Don't let the anger e you, Leo. You are close now... Must be close after all those hours.

  With a firm nod, Leo calmed his breathing and picked up the wooden piece again. Essence rushed out, enveloping the thing in a crimson co. With another sharp tug, the energy tightened around the object.

  Step one. Done. .

  The Essence of the co slowly slipped into the wooden surface. Deep enough to create aronger hold, yet not deep enough to destroy the object. Making a mistake here could lead to a disaster. A fact Leo had learned about when another piece of wood exploded into splinters in his hands.

  Good that I'm not practig with Crystalized Essence. Leo grimaced. Now, for the third and final step... Please work. I'm really running out of ideas.

  The base of this particur pn came from Devour, or rather the st step of it. A step that Leo now had to execute to perfe.

  Owo. Three.

  At once, every si of Essence filling his body pulled at the energy enveloping the wooden object. Just like Devour did, Leo led it bato his soul even as the glow around the item grew brighter and brighter.

  The strohe pull got, the harder the sea of Essence was to trol. It begged to be unleashed back, to be let out into the world, but Leo didn't let it. He gritted his teeth, keeping one hundred pert of his mind focused oug of war.

  The battle tinued for minutes, maybe even longer, but then, something clicked. All of the Essence Leo possessed dived bato his soul, the glow in his hands fading away. The System also acted, a notification springing ience.

  Leo ig and just looked down at his open palms.

  "It's gone," he muttered. "Holy shit... I did it."

  However, before the euphoria from the success could e Leo, a sihought crossed his mind. Instantly, the smile on his face vanished.

  Wait... How the hell do I get it out? System?! Hello?!

  Right away, Leo summohe System notification back, hoping for the usual rush of knowledge. Only, it never came, and he was left staring at the description of his new skill.

  Shit...

  Soul Weel (Epic)The soul of every living being hides an unlimited potential. Keeping your possessions safe is just the tip of the iceberg of what a soul achieve. Your journey has just begun.Effects:The User is noable of st objects within their soul. Please hat the amount of items you hold depends orength of your soul.

  Despite the initial panic, Leo, with Hunter's help, accepted the new challenge and got to work once more. It took another few hours, but by the time the System's notification about the Night's end came, the piece of wood was ba his hands.

  Overall, pulling an object out wasn't that hard. Leo just had to perform the reverse of what he did t it ihe tricky part came with finding the hidden item inside his soul...

  Hopefully, it will get easier with time. Leo grunted, removing the final parts of the door barricade. While he didn't store the rest of his stuff yet, he also didn't have time for that now.

  Dyn could arrive at their meeting spot soon. What the man possibly learned was ten times more important than anything Leo possessed.

  I will e back for this ter. He g the pile of broken furniture in the er, his own stuff hidih it.

  The hins now...