To absolutely no one’s surprise, the night was just as uneventful as Leo had expected. Whether it was his presence alone or the fact that Lily and the others had dealt with some Nightmares the night before, no Voidling dared approach the newcomers’ camp. The whole city was silent, to be honest, and he couldn’t be sure if that was good or bad.

  Probably good, considering that he never had to show himself to the public. Frank might have warned everybody that they had an over-leveled monster as their guardian angel tonight, but seeing was different than believing some words of a guy they just met.

  And so, Leo spent the night doing little more than practicing Resonance. It was far from the most thrilling way to pass the time, but he couldn’t complain. The more he used Stormveil, the clearer it became how poor his control over the affinity was.

  Not as bad as his control over shadows when he first acquired them, but still far from ideal.

  I got a long road ahead of me. Leo sighed as he trudged through the tunnels toward his room.

  Now that the new affinity had consumed all his techniques aside from Manifestation, he couldn’t count on the System to measure his progress. Not that he really needed it, but it was always nice to have proof of his hard work.

  Oh well, nothing to do about it.

  Leo made the final turn and entered his almost bare room. He expected to see Nyx working with the fire cores and crystals, but to his amusement, he found her sprawled in the corner, her chest softly moving up and down.

  A chuckle left his mouth. And then she gets angry when I call her lazy. I swear, she is sleeping more with each passing day.

  Slowly, to not wake up the feline, he gathered the scattered fire crystals and put them aside. Only then did he sit down and allow his head to lean against the cool cave wall. Maybe Nyx was onto something, and he should take a nap, too.

  Of course, the universe had a different idea.

  Frowning, Leo fished out the transmitter out of his soul. The device’s interface flared to life before his eyes, listing the current caller.

  Already? His frown deepened. It hasn’t even been three days. I thought I would have more time…

  Nonetheless, he accepted the call. “Naz’Tor, what’s up? Got more godlings for me to hunt already?”

  A bark of laughter came through the device. “No, not yet, kid. Although, I’ve located three possible locations—just need a few more days to confirm everything.”

  “Got it…” Leo muttered. “So why the call? Not that I mind, of course.”

  “Ah! Right, right, I have some info for you. Nothing too concerning, but I thought you should know.”

  Hard to believe that if you had to call me, but okay… Leo thought. “I’m all ears then.”

  “Like I said, nothing to really worry about—at least not yet,” Naz’Tor tried to reassure. “I’ve been poking around, trying to get one of my contacts in the Slayer League to spill some juicy secrets, and to my surprise, they did.”

  Uh oh. Leo instinctively leaned forward, waiting for the merchant to elaborate.

  “They already know, kid, somehow they already know what you did. Well, not you specifically, but they are aware that a Divine Realm disappeared from Earth. Normally, that wouldn’t be worrying, however! According to my contact, they are now searching for a way to get their people to your universe quicker.”

  Leo’s heart dropped before his mind caught up and forced him to calm down. “They will fail, right? Bypassing the System’s limitations isn’t that easy—you told me that yourself.”

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  “And I stand by that,” Naz’Tor said calmly. “Personally, I doubt anything will come from it—this isn’t the first time they are attempting this. But you should still be careful. I wouldn’t put it past them to send some much weaker scouts ahead just to find you.”

  “How much weaker are we talking about?”

  The merchant hummed. “Nothing higher than low C-rank, and likely even weaker. Unlike the proper god slayers, they won’t have to wait long before the Void Gates let them through. They could interfere in your next hunts.”

  Leo nodded, not seeing the problem. “Then I will just deal with them.”

  “Yes—if you see them first. Otherwise, it won’t be that easy. You’re strong, kid, but remember, give an enemy enough time to prepare, and anyone can die from a knife to the back of their skull. That’s a universal truth.”

  Can’t argue with that. He grimaced. “I will watch out. And if you could keep an ear out—”

  “Don’t even mention it,” Naz’Tor cut in. “The moment they send someone through the gates, I will know. Not much more I can do, though.”

  “That’s more than enough. Thanks for the warning.”

  The merchant chuckled. “Can’t have you dying too soon, kid. You still owe me those Seeds.”

  Leo grinned. “Right. How could I forget? Gotta keep your gambling addiction alive after all.”

  “Oh, for fuck’s sake! I sw—“

  Whatever else Naz’Tor intended to say was cut short as Leo ended the call. A laugh escaped him as, moments later, a series of very colorful messages popped up on the transmitter.

  Oh, I have to remember this one, he mused, reading the final message. I’m probably gonna pay for this the next time we meet… Ah, whatever.

  With a shrug, he stored his transmitter and changed positions, using Nyx’s side as a cushion. An hour or two of rest couldn’t hurt.

  The days following Leo’s return passed in a blur. With Holden’s arrival, they slowly managed to process all the campers, even as more and more people continued to flood into London. Not everyone was accepted, though—which was to be expected.

  Some survivors believed they could waltz in and enjoy the safe zone’s benefits without contributing anything in return. Leo remembered how well that went. He’d almost had to step in when a fight broke out between those denied entry and Frank. Thankfully, Lily arrived just in time to defuse the situation before it escalated.

  Not that it stopped him from accompanying Frank the next day. If only he had a camera to record the reactions of all the poor campers when they saw him.

  Good times. He smiled.

  Other than that, most of his time was spent practicing Stormveil, resting, and sometimes helping around the safe zone when they needed someone for demolition jobs. Pretty nice, all things considered. It had been a while since he could relax and do stuff at a slower pace.

  Nonetheless, after a few days of just sitting around, he began to grow restless. Stormveil was coming along nicely, but there was only so much he could do without putting the element to the test on a battlefield. And no, the Voidlings around London with less than half his level didn’t count.

  Honestly, if not for the regular sparring session he had set up with Nyx and Lily, he would have run off in search of a fight after the second day. His sister had joked about how, before the Outbreak, it had been a struggle to drag him out of the house, and now she could barely convince him to stay put for a single day.

  Leo had nothing to say on that as it was simply the truth, a truth that brought him here.

  “This wasn’t exactly what I had in mind when I said I needed to get out,” he muttered, his gaze glued to the only Void Gate near Wolford. “A diplomatic mission…” He scoffed. “Did Holden forget what I did to those guys last time?”

  Next to him, Nyx shrugged. “I don’t think he cares. We are just supposed to reestablish contact, that’s all.”

  “I guess so…”

  The feline poked him with her tail. “Stop whining. We have two more gates to hit on the way back. There’s bound to be something entertaining there.”

  We will see about that, Leo commented internally. Just like the gate leading to Terlasfor, the other two were also planetary gateways. While the idea of exploring a new planet was appealing, he doubted there’d be anything there that could challenge him.

  First things first, though, gotta talk with the forest centaurs. Identify.

  Current Status:

  This gate is still sealed and won’t activate for another: 2 minutes and 24 seconds.

  “Two minutes…”

  “Are you sure you want me to stay behind?” Nyx asked for what felt like the hundredth time.

  Leo nodded. “Better safe than sorry.”

  “So be it…”

  No more words were said as seconds ticked by, the timer on the gate continuing its journey toward zero. The moment it finished, energy erupted from within the arch, crimson, and violet lights clashing against each other. They settled soon after, forming a familiar portal.

  Leo stepped forward. “Remember, two minutes and you can come through.”

  “Will do. Have fun, Leo.”

  Yeah, fun. He shook his head and touched the portal. Terlasfor, here I come again.

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