"This should do it," Leo gasped out, kneeling by the roof's edge. His fingers awitched, fighting the urge to jump down and sughter everything in sight. "Nyx? Good enough? I doubt we will find a better pce."

  The massive feliepped closer, peeking over at the rge parking lot below and the streets surrounding it. Almht away, her tails began to sway wildly as she licked her snout.

  'A worthy feast to begin with,' she pretty much purred. 'My Essence is screaming for their blood. I know you feel the same, Leo. But remember, don't let this hunger trol you. This will be the first time you experiehe heat of battle without Hunter overseeing ye and bloodlust.'

  "I know," Leo growled through his teeth before taking a deep breath. The boiling hunger inside him couldn't be stopped at this point. It came out of nowhere and almost forced him into Ruthless Efficy when he left the new Safe Zone. Hell, it was a real possibility that he could have gone on a rampage if things tinued.

  Not something Leo wanted. Not with Holden and the others close by...

  Thankfully, with her quick thinking, Nyx merged their senses and absorbed a good k of his burden. It cleared his head food few minutes, immediately f some important questions to the forefront of his mind.

  What happened? Why did this relentless hunger appear now, hours after his fight ihe ? Where did it even e from?

  However, even if they wanted answers, her Leo nor Nyx could withstand the overwhelming force pushing at their minds and souls. And so they escaped a block or two away from the Safe Zone, bringing them here.

  The parking lot of the biggest supermarket in Wolford...

  Their first hunting ground...

  As bloodlust spiked at the thought, joining the mindless hunger, Leo released a long sigh. Fug hell... I'm so gd I decided to split from Holden and Cra. They would have seen too much... Did my new instincts protect me again?

  o him, Nyx snorted. 'Probable but doubtful. This was most likely just a happy ce. The feline's grin turned feral. Now e, Leo. Let us bathe in the blood of our prey!

  Leo would have rolled his eyes at Nyx's bloodlust; he really would have if he could. Instead, at that moment, his body and mind decided to betray him. On their own, the bdes upon his arms extended, while at the same time, violet hues slowly spread over his vision.

  Ah fuck it. Let's hunt!

  Yet before he could move, three strong tails ed around his body, f Leo to look in Nyx's dire.

  The feline's eyes were wide, the glint of madness momentarily gone. 'Shit! Leo, listehe hunger feed, but don't release your bloodlust! Do you hear me?!'

  Leo swallowed hard, gritting his teeth as the haze over his mind backed off a step. Y-yeah... Got... got it... H-hurry...

  Instantly, the weight of Nyx's tails disappeared from his shoulders as the feline nodded. 'Alright. Just remember. Hunger. Not Bloodlust. Focus on it. Feed it.' With that, the crimson speck within her eyes expanded, a growl esg from her throat. 'Now... The feast is waiting.'

  Like two dark angels, an Akirian and an Apex desded upon the parking lot, any notions of stealth fotten. Essence rushed through their bodies as the shadows around them moved.

  The moment their feet hit the ground, the duo split, each beast choosing to feed separately. However, even if there was a distaween them in the physical realm, in their minds, they were as close as ever. Not that either of them cared, not when only a single emotion flowed through their heads.

  Hunger.

  The first Cursed Runner fell to Nyx, her long tails cutting the monster's body into three bloody pieces. A normie colpsed , without a head attached to its body as Leo sprinted past it, not even sparing the dead beast a gnce.

  Too weak.

  Vision fully tainted by shades of violet, he snarled, spinning around as the bck fsh of Kiss of Death shrouded his tails. A group of three Voidlings took the hit head-on, their broken and bleeding bodies falling to the ground a few feet away.

  Before tinuing, Leo snatched a part of one of the corpses. Devour activated without a single scious thought, turning the sack of flesh into dust within the blink of an eye. Hell, he didn't even stop to wait for the drain to finish...

  For just a moment, the hutag his mind paused. Yet when no more sustenance came forth, its assault began anew. Instantly, shadows escaped Leo's soul, f into a about a dozen jagged bdes above his head.

  His tainted vision honed on the argets within a sed, and so the projectiles shot forward, leaving dark mist in their wake.

  Even as screeches of pain filled the lot, Leo scowled as a few bdes missed their mark. Essence exploded through his body, Reinfort igniting his muscles with renewed power.

  With speed unmatched by a on the field, Leo barrelled right inte of group of monsters. His cws, bdes, and tails always remained in motion, drawing blood with each strike. The sweet screams of death filled his ears as Voidling after Voidling fell, o wake up again.

  In a matter of seds, only corpses remained around him, ae all of the dead Voidlings being weak, his hunger couldn't wait any longer.

  Dozens of thick shadow tendrils erupted from his arms, pierg all the bodies. Later on, Leo would have no idea how it even happened, but somehow, Devour activated. It ected with the shadows and tugged at the Essence remaining in the corpses, dragging it back to his soul.

  As more and more energy flowed back, the haze of overwhelming huarted to fade, returning bits of crity to Leo's mind. It was enough to wash away some of the wildhat ed his thoughts and as.

  "Fuck!" He hissed as the corpses turo dust, leaving the huo fester once more. "What the hell is going on?!"

  'Focus, Leo. You got a Brute ining,' Nyx warned with a growl. 'e it, and everything should get better. I help if you want."

  Twirling around, Leo spotted the running Brute. Twelve levels of huge naked muscles stomped upon the ground, a roar esg from the beast's throat.

  No... I got it. Leo roared back, firmly grabbing over half of the Essence remaining in his soul. Shadows and the stant rage that came with Ruthless Efficy followed, spiking the gathering energy with even more power.

  Only a few meters separated the Brute from Leo when he plunged his cws into the earth, letting the shadows escape. With every si of focus he could muster, he directed the Esseowards its target, just like Nyx taught him.

  Just overpower it, you say? Well, here you go. Eruption!

  At once, shadows exploded right underh the Brute. Spike after spike grew out of the earth, f a huge cluster. They all speared right through the beast's body, stopping it i not killing it.

  The Brute howled as blood escaped from wounds in liters, its trapped limbs twitg, trying to move. Only it was all for naught as Leo didn't waste another sed and pounced, sinking his cws into the beast's flesh.

  This time, Devour activated with his and; the greedy ability swallowing the offered meal.

  With each passing moment, the all-ing hunger slowly faded away from Leo's mind. Thus, when nothing remained of the Brute, the thirst was still there, but at this point, he could ig.

  Holy shit... Leo shuddered, for a moment fetting he was in the middle of a battlefield.

  Beware! Ruthless Efficy is close to advang to the sed stage.

  Brute (LVL: 12) sin | Experience awarded | 21 Ether gained

  Level 17 reached. Css and Racial attributes have been distributed. Please assign your 3 free attributes.

  Oh hell no! Leo scowled, ign any other message than the first one. I didn't free myself of this fug hunger only to fall into arap.

  With all his mental power, he grabbed the leaking bloodlust and pushed it back to the depths of his mind. Instantly, the violet hues in his vision disappeared as his body rexed, washing away all the power boost from Ruthless Efficy.

  That's ohio worr-

  'Leo!' Nyx's sudden shout interrupted his thoughts as she nded o him, spping away a Voidling that got far too close to him. 'I'm gd you're better now, but focus. Our hunt is far from done!'

  Almost fling at the harsh tone, he nodded. I know, sorry. Just protect me for a moment. o deal with the level-up.

  Nyx hissed at the small army of Cursed Voidlings approag, shadows gathering arouails. 'Uood.'

  As her limbs became a whirlwind of death, Leo ighe sudden notifications about her kills and gave the level-up full attention. Not that it was really needed; he knew well what attribute to choose this time.

  System, you know what to do.

  A shiver traveled through Leo's body when power flooded his soul. It went away just as quickly, but even with only three additional points, he could already feel the boost.

  Now let's this pce up.

  With hunger's remnants and bloodlust trying to force its way to the forefront of his mind, he joined Nyx. Cws, bdes, and shadows answered the waves of monsters, bathing the parking lot in the blood of the Void.

  Sometime during the battle, Leo even spotted a single Maniading its own business in the distance. Curiosity quickly got the better of him, and with a short and, a long shadow spear shot toward the monster.

  The projectile flew true, and at the moment of impact, the Maniac exploded in a shower of gore and violet toxin. The bang from the explosion stilled the etlefield for a sed, but not Leo and Nyx.

  Like the mohey were, they desded upon the frozen Voidlings without mero beast stood a ce against their bined might, and soon, nothing but corpses surrouhem.

  "This was..." Leo grinned, dev another body. "Something else... I kneere on a different level, but a sughter is an apt name for what we just did."

  Close to him, Nyx purred as she feasted on a random corpse. 'They might have been weak, but indeed... this was a good hunt. The beginning could use a bit of work though.'

  The smile fell from Leo's face, a frown repg it instantly. What the hell was that, Nyx? Where the fuck did that hunger even e from? I was fine for hours, and then it came out of nowhere.

  Her meal fotten momentarily, Nyx raised her snout, ears fttening. 'I have a theory. Unfortunately, it doesn't expin much.'

  What is it?

  'Hunger like this should only appear when a Voidborn starves themselves almost to death. And that's nearly impossible with Void Essence flowing in the air, much less in your situation,' Nyx expined, sitting down.

  Yet it happened.

  Nyx nodded. 'Indeed, and sidering that you were fine before, only ohing could have caused that. The Safe Zone's miraculous healing.'

  Leo froze, his eyes widening. You mean? But how? If it caused this, then why were Hunter's instincts so accepting of the healing? That doesn't make sense.

  Nyx sighed, lying down on her paws. 'Your ied instincts are still weak and far from infallible... And I already mentio. This is only a theory. Remember, I was cut off from you during the process.'

  Shit! Leo growled, pag bad forth in the middle of the parking lot. What if something simir or worse happeo the others?

  'Unlikely,' Nyx huffed. 'They are as far as they be from a Voidborn and didn't need healing. At least not as much as you. Besides, even in its current state, the System shouldn't be able to cause harm to survivors directly. What happeo you is most likely just a side effect due to your nature.'

  Leo paused. Sounds... reasoill, we have to head out soon, just in case. We still kill everything along the way.

  'As you wish.'

  Good. Leo nodded and quickly summohe System. Just give me a sed. o check out what it wants.

  The passive of the Install-type item Touch of the Void (Epic): Sed Circle has reached its maximum threshold. Do you wish to proceed with your item's adva? This a is irreversible and might lead to some ued outes.

  Additional assessment: The user's soul should be capable of incorporating the item's increased power. Warning! The user should still be wary of overloading his soul with Install-type items.

  Finally? I almost fot about this...

  Chaos65