Race: Voidling | Subspecies: Wargoed Potential: E- to D-on of choice: Overall Strength, Minround AffinityKnown weaknesses: SpeedA powerful evolution of the Duskboar line. Uheir predecessors, Wargons sacrifice their agility for durability and strength. Their tough hide, bined with bone armor ptes, resist most abilities and ons of E-rank survivors. Usually, identifying a Wargon's ots is the only way to defeat it. Please hough, that those spots vary from beast to beast. Additionally, some Wargons ier stages of this evolution are capable of using ground affinity.~ ry in Leo's Bestiary

  "And it's gone... Dammit," Leo grumbled, sing the road ahead. "Could have been a nice addition to the team for the time being..."

  'It would only slow us down. You read its Bestiary entry after all,' Nyx reasoned, nudging what remained of the bodies that the Wargon and its pack left behind. 'In any case, we find another one iure. o get angry about this.'

  He sighed, pulling his gaze away from the surrounding forest. "Suppose that's true," he shook his head. "At least it wasn't level twenty. Now that would've been a waste..."

  The feline srekking to join his side. 'You really want this mutation, don't you?"

  Leo nodded as they both resumed their run along the road. Why wouldn't I? I'm not dumb enough to think I'm unkilble thanks to my unique evo and high level. If a Cursed Juggernaut or a Collector scores a hit on me, I'm probably dead anyway. My defense is a bit g, and that's putting it lightly.

  Nyx hummed. 'You think a bit stronger skin will fix that?'

  No. He replied bluntly, earning a sharp look from his panion. But you have to start somewhere. I'm hoping this mutation will unlock others with simir capabilities. Aside from that, we should definitely work on some defensive abilities. My shadows barely withstand the weakest attacks.

  'That's... fair. My only real defense is my shadow form," she admitted with a bit of shame entering their link.

  Silence followed right after, leaving them to travel in peace. However, it didn't st long. 'Say... What did you mean ba the Wastend?'

  Leo furrowed his brow, sparing the feline a shnot sure I follow.

  'You said you learned something useful,' Nyx expined. 'I didn't get to ask about it before you ran after the Wargon.'

  Ohhh, that's what you mean... I was talking about the Blood Fire my -scythes gee. Wouldn't you knoarently, the fmes get strohe more blood they e in tact with. It definitely expins the name.

  In the er of his vision, Nyx stumbled, almost crumbling to the ground. 'That's it? With the way you said it, I expected something more.'

  Leed. I mean, it's still important. Ever-growing fmes are nothing to scoff at. I'm just kinda disappoi took me so long to realize this.

  The feline chuckled. 'Happens to the best of us, Leo.'

  With their short detour left in the past, Leo and Nyx sped past all other towns on the way, not even trying to find any more survivors. Sure, they still had enough daylight, but they both agreed that arriving in London just before the night wasn't the best idea. The capital was a rge unknown, and having some time to scout it out could save them a lot of pain ter on.

  Yet, despite that, a good few kilometers away from their destination, something forced them to stop. It wasn't anything really dangerous, but rather way out of pce...

  Leo rubbed his eyes and blinked again. No, still there. He looked at Nyx, who, just like him, couldn't take her eyes from the anomaly in front of them. I take I'm not the only one seeing this?

  Finally, the feline dragged her gaze ba. 'If by this you mean the random winter shack surrounded by a blue barrier in front of us, then yes... Is your Identify w?'

  He shook his head and moved to ihe weird structure once more. As Nyx had described, likening it to a wooden winter shack was quite apt. The fact that it had somehow sprouted right in the middle of the road, and was surrounded by a blue, transparent dome, only added to the strangeness of the situation.

  It's just ohing after another. Leo snorted with a light shake of his head. "e o's take a look."

  Like always, the feline was more hesitant to act at first. 'Do we really o? We're close to London's outskirts.'

  He rolled his eyes. "Don't worry. I didn't say go in guns bzing. Just a look, that's all. Knowledge is power, remember."

  Nyx let out a heavy sigh, but he just ignored her and sloroached the unique barrier. Blue definitely wasn't a color he had seen a lot sihe Outbreak began. It was always red, purple, and bothing less, nothing more.

  Hopefully, this little variety won't try to kill me...

  A few steps away from the dome, Leo released a quick Hunter's Pulse, but just like with Identify, it failed. It was like the entire pce did to his abilities.

  Alright, pn C.

  Bending down, he grabbed a small pebble and, without any further ado, threw it at the barrier. The sto right through and nded harmlessly oher side.

  Okay... Not sure what that really means. Guess it's time for pn D.

  "Alright," Leo cpped his hands, his eyes on the lone Cursed Reaper standing in front of the barrier. "On three, you will step through, uand?"

  The minion nodded, its violet eyes glinting.

  "Great. Let's do it then. Owo. Three!"

  At ohe lone Voidling dashed forward, ready to pierce the mysterious dome. Only it didn't happen. Instead, the moment the beast came in tact with the barrier, it glowed briefly and zapped the monster back, ung it into the forest.

  In the end, the Reaper survived, but going by the loud crack, it could have goer.

  'Iing...'

  Leo blinked. "Yeah... That's one way to put it. I probably should have told it to go slowly and not run into it."

  'Are you giving up?'

  "No," he shook his head. "Time to test it out by myself. I know what to expeow, and you always catch me."

  Before he could move towards the barrier, a shadow tail cut off his path. 'Hold o me try first. I always turn into my shadow form if anything goes wrong.'

  Biting his lip, Leo nodded. "Right. Good idea."

  He could have argued, but betweewo of them, Nyx was really better suited for this task. Besides, he doubted she would let him go first anyway. Her protective instincts were growing stronger with each hour.

  'I swear if it zaps me...' The felitered yet still raised her paw. It slowly came closer and closer to the barrier until...

  'Huh,' Nyx tilted her head as her limb passed through the dome. 'Leo, e here. A System message came up when I touched it. You o see it.'

  With a frown, he followed ieps and grazed the barrier. The effect was instantaneous, and a notification fshed in front of his eyes.

  Warning! You're entering an Expanded Instance belonging to Naz'Tor of the Mert fa. Violehievery, and the use of teleportation abilities will not be tolerated. Please enter and leave yrudges behind. Here, oher and trade matters.

  The System's prote will remain active as long as the user doesn't break this instance's rules.

  Leo blinked again, making sure he read it right. This didn't look like a standard notifiore like someone wrote it themselves and just used the System as the messenger.

  Though, at least the sed part seems normal. He g Nyx. What do you think? Got anything.

  The feline shook her head as she fully stepped through the barrier. 'Unfortunately, no. I'm just as surprised as you are.'

  He snorted, joining her oher side. Well then. We're once more walking into the unknown. I would love to say that it's been a while, but it really hasn't.

  'If the notification didn't lie then we're uhe System's prote, but just in case...' Instantly, Nyx burst into a cloud of shadows and dht at him, hiding under his cloak. 'Let's go in like this. I act as a makeshift armor.'

  Leo stumbled slightly, grimag as the feline's shadows enveloped his entire body. A little warning would have been nice.

  'Stop pining and go.'

  With another eye roll, he did as was told and creaked the door open, quickly sliding in.

  Nothing could have prepared him for what awaited inside.

  Somehow, the small wooden shack appeared much rger on the inside, easily aodating rows of shelves den with all kinds of items. Among them were ons, armor pieces, glowing orbs of unknown in, mysterious ingredients, and much more, all shielded by thin white barriers.

  To make matters more iing, the entire pce was free of the Void. Not a speck of Vetilim or Corcera lingered in sight. Moreover, it stood out as the est building Leo had entered sihe Outbreak began; not even old ReachHope could pare.

  Holy shit... Did I somehow step into a Harry Potter book?

  Chaos65