Leo glanced around the somewhat intact building he and Nyx had decided to use for the night.

  This should be enough, he mused.

  They could have easily stayed outside and still be fine, but having the cover of four walls was still kinda reassuring. Besides, he didn’t want to undergo a mutation in the open. Anyone could die from a knife to the back of their head.

  “How long will this one take?” Nyx asked, her massive body already sprawled out in the corner. He would have teased her for being lazy again, but after an entire day of running, he couldn’t blame her for wanting to rest.

  “Haven’t checked yet,” he replied. “Hopefully, no more than an hour.”

  The feline cracked open a single eye. “Well then? What are you waiting for? Get on with it. I want to sleep.”

  Leo rolled his eyes but still pulled up the mutation menu and selected the Beta tier. Just like before, the list of available options was massive, and it took him a good minute to find the one he wanted.

  Here it is…

  Mutation: Waterflow Poison (Beta Tier)

  Some enemies just refuse to bow down, to collapse despite hundreds of cuts littering their bodies. They hold onto their lives like cockroaches, regenerating and forcing you into a fight that should have ended in the first few seconds. Now, you have a way to fight them.

  Effects:

  With this mutation, you may select a single part of your body that will be infused with Waterflow Poison, an Essence mixture capable of slowing down the healing of your enemies.

  Requirements: 95000 Ether, 10 hearts of a Water-Type level 55+ beast, 2 poison glands of a level 40+ beast.

  Required components detected within the User’s Soulscape. Do you wish to proceed with this mutation? Estimated time to complete: 1 hour.

  Mutation compatibility detected! Do you wish to combine Waterflow Poison with your extendable blades for slightly enhanced effects?

  Leo blinked once, then twice. His mind instantly went to the one detail about his new body he hadn’t figured out even now. At this point, he thought that maybe it was some sort of a cosmetic upgrade that didn’t do anything useful.

  Now way… or is there…

  His blades extended, and his eyes zeroed in on the black specks floating within the sea of crimson. Like always, they drifted toward the edge before being absorbed.

  Could this be it? The compatibility the System mentioned?

  Leo shrugged. One way to find out. Go on, start the mutation.

  Choice acknowledged. Beginning Mutation. Please remain calm and refrain from using your Essence. The process will be over soon.

  The message changed again, he noted just as a weak prickling sensation spread over his arms. It grew stronger and stronger until he almost couldn’t feel his limbs. Still, overall, this was much better than writhing on the floor from pain.

  And so, time flew by with Leo sitting next to Nyx, his arms lying limp at his sides. All the while, he watched his extended blades for any changes. However, even when only ten minutes remained, they still remained the same as before.

  It wasn’t until the whole hour passed and the feeling in his limbs returned that something happened. He had almost missed it, but the black specks became lighter, shifting to a dark blue. In the darkness of the room, the color still appeared almost black, but the change was there, and that was all that mattered.

  Let’s see…

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  Leo focused on the dark blue specks, guiding them to the edge of his blade. It glowed faintly as its serrated parts darkened further. Unlike the last time he did this, he could feel the new power waiting to be unleashed.

  He glanced at his other arm before shaking his head. As much as he wanted to test out the anti-healing properties, cutting himself wasn’t the answer. He could just find a random Brute tomorrow and find out then.

  “You can go to sleep now,” Leo said, scratching Nyx’s ears. “I will take the first watch.

  The feline yawned, settling her head in his lap as a deep purring filled the room. He chuckled quietly and continued to pet her. Not like he had anything better to do—or did he?

  Carefully, he reached for his Essence and activated a weakened version of Reinforcement. Improving this skill was something he had been putting off, but according to Lily, someone had already managed it back in London. His ego wouldn’t allow him to fall behind in an ability he obtained during the first day of the Outbreak.

  Right… First, have to figure out how to get Harden to work… How did she put it?

  In the end, he spent most of the night trying to recreate a basic skill of the Warrior class. Nyx once more scolded him for not waking her up, but in his opinion, it was worth it. He was getting close…

  “Nothing…” Leo mumbled, his head hanging low.

  Nyx nudged his hand. “It’s been weeks. Even if they are alive, there is no way they would have stuck around.”

  “I know, I know…” He sighed, kicking a random rock. “I came here with no expectations, and somehow, I’m still disappointed. Don’t worry, I will be fine.”

  “What about Hunter’s Pulse?”

  Leo shook his head, glancing at the ruins of the large two-story house before them. He had been here a few times in the past, along with the rest of Hales, to visit his foster mother’s family, but now this place looked barely recognizable—the Void made sure of that.

  “No trails that don’t lead to a Voidling,” he said. “B?onie is officially a ghost town. That, or survivors here are really good at hiding.”

  Nyx didn’t say anything, not that Leo let her. He spun around and marched away from the house that held way too many memories.

  “Come on,” he called out to the feline. “Warsaw is just around the corner. If anybody survived, they must be there.”

  “And if they aren’t?”

  Leo offered her a weak smile. “Then this is it. As much as I want to, I can’t waste weeks searching for a needle in a haystack. Give me three days, no more.”

  Nyx nodded, and together, they took to the skies, heading for the capital of Poland.

  The first day was spent exploring the ruins of the once-great city. The Void hadn’t spared anything inside Warsaw, and it had been a challenge to find any building that was at least partially intact. Despite that, the capital was far from empty, whether from Voidlings or survivors.

  In just a few hours, they located a large safe zone, about a dozen nests, and a Nightmare Factory. Leo considered clearing some out, but the monsters here were only a bit stronger than the ones in London before he had left.

  Clearly, the Supercluster had more impact on the surrounding monsters than he thought…

  Not much happened during the remaining two days of their stay in Warsaw. They simply settled close to the safe zone and observed the movement inside and every group that came out. On the second day, they didn’t spot anyone familiar, but then the third day came, and Leo allowed himself to hope again.

  “Uncle Marek?” he muttered, focusing his gaze on the group of three that had just stepped out of the safe zone.

  The man had grown a bit larger and more muscular since Leo last saw him, but he would recognize that scowling face anywhere. The almost bald head with the remnants of gray hair also helped. Apparently, not even the System could save his uncle from hair loss.

  “Your foster mother’s brother, yes?” Nyx asked, following his gaze. “What about the other two?”

  “No idea. Some random people, but that doesn’t matter. This is the lead I needed. After me.”

  With that, Leo stalked the group from the rooftops, waiting for them to get far enough from the safe zone. It took quite some time, as the trio had to fight every Voidling on the way, but it at least allowed him to study their abilities.

  Not that he was worried—what could three, level twenty-nine humans possibly do to him and Nyx if they kept their guard up?

  Nothing, simple as that.

  ‘Leo, what’s the plan?’ the feline asked through their link.

  Stay here. I will deal with this alone. Watch the area and let me know if anything happens.

  Not waiting for another second, Leo dropped from the roof straight onto the street below. Shadows stirred within his soul before exploding outward, swallowing the entire area in a matter of a second.

  Some screams reached his ears, but he ignored those and carefully manipulated the walls created by his affinity to separate the two unknown humans from his uncle. Once that was done, he dismissed the barrier separating him from his remaining family.

  Marek instantly tensed as his gaze fell onto Leo’s monstrous form. Flames swallowed the sword in his right hand while a ball of fire formed above the other.

  Leo raised his hands in the air.

  “Hello, uncle. It’s been a while.”

  Anyway, be sure to check out my new story, "Virus: Origin of Blood." Those of you who enjoy AUOBE will definitely like it, too. Every bit of your support matters in the climb to reach the Rising Star list. So go read and consider leaving a follow and a rating! Thanks!

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