"Cursed Voidling line. I think no one will deny it when I say that it is the most famous evolution line amongst Voidlings. No matter the Outbreak, no matter the Cataclysm, you will always be able to find a Cursed Voidborn walking amongst the dead nds. That's just how every Outbreak works.

  Some might call this evolution lihe weakest. And while that's not a particurly wrong thing to say at the beginning of an Outbreak, you o remember that the versatility of Cursed Voidlings is almost limitless. New Cursed variants are born daily. And even if the differeween them is sometimes abysmal, it still proves their potential. A potential to bee the stro."

  ~Creatures of the Void, 42ion

  With a final nod from Dyrode forward, his ears scarcely registering the rasp of the other man c the entrahe brilliant radiance of the red Sued Leo anew, and for a moment, he felt grateful for the sed Cataclysm. Prior to it, the world had barely received any sunlight, but now the giant orb in the sky was granted a sed wind, a fresh will to live.

  Still darker than the old Sun, but it could be way worse. No, it orse... Leo thought with a weak shake of his head. At least the street is still empty. I have wasted enough time here…

  Taking in a deep breath, Leo dashed forward, his strides barely grazing the ground before propelling him forward once more. Within mere moments, he arrived at the ree and leaped, s through the air toward the closest branch.

  The forward momentum from the jump carried Leo even higher as he swung on the branch. For a moment, this ehing made him remember some of the better days, when he was younger and careless. The days when the simplicity of climbing trees brought him joy that only a child could feel.

  However, now it was just another a, a y for survival. A, Leo couldn't deny the slight quiing of his heart at the effortless grace of those movements and the way the wind parted around his body. After all, was there ever a person who didn't fantasize about having superpowers?

  Mike, from middle school, would probably beg to differ. Lazy fucker…

  Shaking himself out of his reverie, Leo grasped the edge of a Vetilim ptform and hoisted himself up. Thoughts like that didn't have a p this new world, at least not now, maybe not ever.

  Way to depress myself further, Leo chuckled wryly, his gaze sweeping over the desote cityscape. Despite his elevated position, he couldn't locate Nick's apartment block amidst the remnants of buildings that had lost parts of their bodies to the sed Cataclysm. Some structures still loomed too high for Leo to reach what he really wanted.

  Only two blocks Leo, only two blocks... If I travel above the streets, I should be able to get there in a matter of minutes. Only then his eyes nded on the bck specks moving through the air in the distance. Gono be careful. If those Seekers see me, I will have the ey after me…

  Leo had already seen those bloody birds a few times on his way into the city. They were not numerous, just a few groups of three or four, but it was enough to vince Leo to keep his feet on the ground. There was no reason to risk it, but now?

  Now Leo wao get to his family as fast as possible.

  Hopefully, I won't regret it. Leo grimaced and uhed the bowie knife, just in case. The bde, once sleek and polished, was now marred by numerous chips and notches, scars from the previous enter with the unnatural Crawler.

  Shit, I almost fot about this. Maybe spending some Ether to improve it isn't the worst idea after all. I have plenty of it at this point…

  Sighing, Leo sped across the Vetilim jungle and nded on the roof. He quickly slid down against a broken ey and hugged it with his back. The ptform was excellent for reaissance, but figuring out System's honing? Not so much.

  Alright, let's get it over quickly.

  With a single and, the System came forth, and with it, the myriad notifications Leo had ignored until now. Most of them only spoke of Ether he had received from his kills, but then there were a few others, much more important ones.

  't believe I fot about those…

  New Bestiary fun unlocked: Mutation Index.

  gratutions! Thanks to your Hunter job, you may now access the Mutation Index within your Bestiary. It is a prehensive list of mutations that you might enter on Voidlings during your lifetime. Just like with the Bestiary, you must first discover a mutation to add it to the Index. Warning! Some creatures might be able to hide their mutations from yht.

  So that was a mutation, huh? Leo mused, reading the message once again. Choosing Hunter as my job robably the best idea I had made sihe beginning of the Outbreak. If it tio give me stuff like this, I doubt I will ever ge it. Now, give me the details…

  The Mutation Index was easy to access. Simir to the Bestiary, a single and from Leo's mind brought up a list of possible mutations. Or it would have been a list if there were more than one record in it…

  Maybe let's keep it this way. Less unnatural shit mearouble for me.

  Infusion:A mutation of varied strength. It permaly infuses a part of a creature's body with indepe and tightly bound Essence. As a result, Infusion grants improved strength, durability, and a slight resistan energy. As a body mutation of Essence in, it is usually entered iures of lower rankings.

  This expins a lot…

  Although the description didn't directly mention anything about cutting through Essence of ahe part about resistan energy practically screamed the same thing. An iing mutation, but a weak one if Leo had to be ho.

  Reinfort did almost the same thing — scratch that, it did much more —, but it also gave Leo plete trol. He could disable the ability whenever he wanted or feed it more Essence if necessary. Much better than a permaly active mutation that probably stantly drained a small amount of Essence from the user.

  Makes me wonder what kind of mutations I will be able to get after evolution. Hopefully, something more useful...

  With the Index out of the way, Leht the bowie knife forward and called upon the System. The entity answered swiftly, and Leo's eyebrows shot up at the menu it summoned.

  Item critically damaged. Honing locked. Do you wish to repair Bowie Knife (on) for the price of 5 Ether? One upgrade charge will be used for this process.

  Huh. Leo blihat's ve. Although I probably shouldn't be that surprised.

  Shrugging, Leo accepted the offer and gasped as a brilliant golden energy surged through his hands and into the knife. A radiant cord of light ed around the bde, strig it tightly until there was no gap between them. Leo nearly dropped the on as the golden energy expanded, enveloping the entire knife.

  He held his breath as the energy pulsed faintly, and for a moment, Leo thought that maybe this was it. Only then a crack appeared on the golden ce, then another and another. Like ice shattering against the ground, the ehing burst apart, scattering particles onto the roof below.

  Wide-eyed, Leo peered at the bowie knife in his grasp. Whole and unblemished, as if it was just bought from the store. Not a sich remained on the bde as it glinted in the sunlight, appearing even sharper than before.

  Holy fuck… I thought that it would just fix the worst damage, but this? This shit looks factory new.

  Flipping the knife in his hands, Leo made a quick decision as he accessed the Honing menu. With all Ether he had collected, he could grant himself some small spending rights.

  Bowie Knife (on) | Upgrades remaining: 2

  Honing Avaible:-General-Durability-Essence ductivity

  One upgrade down. Just like it said. Now feneral upgrade.

  The moment this thought entered Leo's miher once again surged out of his hands. Twenty units of this wonderful energy left his reserves, infusing the on kh its brilliance.

  Unlike during the repair, Ether didn't simply cover the entire bde. Instead, it seeped into the metal, brightening the silvery steel and giving it a barely noticeable glow. Glimmers of gold danced along the bde's edge, elig a grin from Leo.

  Looks nice, but is it better?

  Seizing a fractured brick from the ground, Leo allowed the ko glide over its surface. He didn't push too hard, but with just enough force to pierce a Voidling's skull.

  Leo didn't expect to cut the bri half; only an idiot would expect such a dramatic improvement from a single upgrade. However, as the knife sliced across the brick, it left a surprisingly deep line behind — much deeper than an ordinary knife should be capable of.

  And if the System is to be believed, it should be at least a bit more durable. Might as well check if something has ged. Identify.

  Bowie Knife (on+):A standard-grade bowie khere is nothing special about it. System Upgrades left: 1. Honing applied: General.

  Nothing special, my ass. Leo snorted, sheathing the on as he peeked over the ey. The road is clear. Time to move on.

  Leo ran as fast as his legs would allow, the wind whistling in his ears as he leaped over every obstacle in his path. The Void jungle carried him above the streets, far beyond Voidlings that stalked the streets below, screeg and moaning as they chased after a meal that was here to begin with.

  At times, Leo's ears caught otherworldly caws that sent shivers down his spiil the echoes faded. However, even in the face of those flyis drawing nearer, he did not falter. Instead, he altered his course, desding into the dense foliage and utilizing the natural covers provided by the ever-spreading influence of the Void.

  All of that took time, probably more than Leo had wanted. But in the end, there he stood, only a few meters away from the entrao Nick's apartment block.

  The building, like many others, had succumbed to the frigid grip of the Void. Its once modern and nearly pristine appearance had been reduced to that of a reli a bygone era, now overrun by the glowing, living mass of the Void.

  Vetilim and Corcera had cimed dominiohe crete walls, weaving a plex web of tendrils and vihat sheir way around the building. The few windows that remained uncovered were now shattered, and the walls were deeply fissured. Yet, despite all of that, the building didn't suffer any partial colpse. Or at least it didn't appear so from the outside.

  This is it. For the Void, please let them be fine.

  Like a bolt, Leo jumped from his perd shot forward. The Cursed Human in his path fell to the ground, headless. Esseirred within him as he silenced and yahe door open. And in! He shouted, sliding ihe door shutting behind him.

  Not for the first time, darkness, only stopped by the glow of Leo's curse, threateo e the eaircase. In response, Essence filled his whole arm, yering it with an aura of pure crimson light.

  As the hallway illuminated, it exposed the staircase that was only partially intact, with signs of the Void scattered everywhere. In a er, just below the stairs, a human body y, its innards ripped out and a look of terror frozen on its face.

  Leo averted his gaze.

  Don't even think about it. Leo crouched, Essehering in his hand. I, will, trol. With that mantra pying in his head, Leo released the pulse, probably giving it more energy than necessary.

  The feedback was nearly instantaneous, and Leo felt his heart shattering as his mind processed the newly received information.

  Two living beings, crawling somewhere oairway above him. Leo didn't know how huma when touched by the pulse — a mistake on his part —, but he khose two signatures. And they were far from human.

  A sensation of dread crept into Leo's gut as he gritted his teeth and balled his fists. No. They must be hiding from my pulse. They have to.

  The bowie knife fell into Leo's hand as he stalked forward.

  I didn't e this far to just give up.