'Should I follow them?' Nyx asked when the group of survivors disappeared behind some buildings. 'I highly doubt they will be as quick as that female.'

"No," Leo shook his head. "The four of them should be more than enough. They don't need any more protection... Also, I don't want them spotting you. Clara had too much to worry about to search for someone hiding among the shadows, but now, with three more pairs of eyes..."

Without a need to explain any further, Nyx nodded. 'Understood.' She jumped off her perch in the trees, her body dissolving into shadows. Even upon landing, she did not reform and just slithered across the ground like a snake.

Leo snorted. "Even after experiencing this in your body, I still have no idea how you do that."

'As I already mentioned, it's one of the few perks of my current species.' Nyx noted, the cloud of shadows finally reforming into a body. 'I can try to explain it to you one day. Maybe there is a way to recreate this ability without my trait.'

Maybe... Leo hummed, juggling a ball of shadows in his hand. Probably will need even better Essence control for that. There is a difference between creating spikes and somehow turning my body into a pure mass of shadows.

'Of course, but there is no doubt in my mind that you can achieve it.'

Ah! Positive thinking. He chuckled. You definitely didn't get this from Hunter. He was a part of me, after all, and in the past week I became a grade A pessimist.

'You're exaggerating.'

Leo shrugged, creating another ball to juggle. Maybe I am, maybe I’m not. It doesn't really matter, not anymore... A grin suddenly settled on his face. Besides, if I'm the negative one about everything, you're here now to pick up the slack. Aren't you happy?

'I refuse to answer that,' Nyx huffed. 'I know what you're doing. I think the humans in your memories called this "fucking with someone." Although, I don't understand why anyone would use an expression like this considering its other meaning.'

Thanks to Nyx acting like a grown and somewhat wise adult from the beginning, Leo had forgotten that she was still practically a newborn. Yet, at the moment as she answered him, he could feel her confusion, curiosity, and a bit of smugness brimming through their link.

And so, like struck, Leo froze, his control of shadows slipping. Slowly, he repeated Nyx's words inside his head again, and even when he tried, he couldn't stop the loud snort from escaping his nose. How the hell had he forgotten that he was dealing with a baby that had inherited way too many memories?

You know what?... Let's just forget it and never mention this again, hmm?

On the other side, Nyx blinked. 'Of course... However, I'm still curious.'

"Anyway," Leo spoke up as if he didn't hear her say anything. They really had better things to do than discussing the idiocy of humanity. "When you get back here, please hide outside. I'd rather have you stay out of the tower's range. Who knows how a Safe Zone will affect a creature like you."

'As you wish,' Nyx answered without any complaints. Yet, after a moment of hesitation, she added, 'And what about you? Shouldn't you get away as well?'

"I will be fine," Leo waved her off. "Holden's Safe Zone didn't harm me at all apart from some discomfort, same for weaponized Ether... This can't be much different."

Nyx huffed. 'Correct, but I would prefer if you didn't risk it. Remember, you haven't recovered from your fight yet.'

Grimacing, Leo's hand drifted to his shoulder, which not that long ago housed a large, gaping hole. Despite it healing for the most part, the wound still stung as flesh continued to stitch itself together.

"Okay," he relented. "You proved your point. I will be careful and stay close to the exit just in case."

Warmth surged through their link again as Nyx whispered, 'Thank you.'

Don't mention it...

----------------------------------------

Over an hour flew by as Leo waited for Holden's group to arrive. Once more, he didn't remain idle and continued practicing Shadow Eruption under Nyx's surveillance.

Each attempt brought forth more and more progress, slowly making the technique faster and stronger. It was still far from what Leo experienced during the fight against the Apex Shadow Claw, but at least now, Eruption should be somewhat usable during battle.

Again! Leo growled, summoning another chunk of shadow Essence into his middle tail. Bloodlust and anger followed next to it, melding with the mythical energy as it surged to the limb's tip.

Hold tight.

The tail dove into the concrete floor, unleashing the speeding shadows. Yet, even as the Essence traveled onward, a firm phantom hand held it together, stopping most of the energy from escaping or changing direction.

Partial release.

With a simple order and release from their confinement, the shadows rushed toward the ground, ready to unleash their power. However, before they could get out, a final command, an image, reached the mass of energy, giving it form.

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Eruption.

At once, black-as-night spikes exploded out of the floor a fair distance away from Leo. Two of them pierced right through a piece of a metal shelve, while another burst a fragment of wood into splinters with a bang.

Much better...

Technique Eruption has advanced to Adept mastery. Congratulations!

Shadow: Eruption (Adept)

A technique born out of the User's bloodlust and desire to improve. With Eruption now reaching a new rank, its potential is finally unleashed. From now on, no enemy is safe from you, no matter where they hide. Shadows see everything. Please note that this technique can be made stronger by negative emotions.

Leo snorted. Guess that was enough to advance. Let's see how it works with the System's assistance.

Again, shadows and bloodlust gathered together. Faster than ever, with only a short command to follow, Essence surged into the ground, following the same path as before. Leo still had to hold it together, but it was nothing like what he struggled with during the past hour.

Eruption.

As ordered, new spikes burst out of the earth, creating a small crystalline formation.

"Holy shit," Leo muttered. "That was fast."

'Indeed,' Nyx agreed, speaking up for the first time since she returned and hid in a building close by. 'Faster formation in return for weaker output. Nothing you can't fix by providing more Essence during activation.'

"Not too much though," he grimaced, scanning the reserves inside his soul. "It already took more Essence than I normally use. At best, I have about ten activations in me. And that's only once I fully recover."

'Your soul is still at Mortal tier. You shouldn't expect too much from it, even if you produce Void Essence,' Nyx chided.

"True," Leo admitted with a sigh. "Suppose now I know what to choose when I level up again... Well, whatever, let's see about Creation next. With the two of us, Takeover, and a few shadow golems, we should be unstoppable during the day."

'About that... It will have to wait. The humans are here.'

Instantly, the image in Leo's right eye shifted. The warehouse's interior disappeared, only to be replaced by a high view of the street outside the building. The few Voidlings who were there not even an hour ago lay dead now, their blood invigorating the earth.

Nyx's and Leo's connected gaze followed the path of the corpses, only to stop at the warehouse's parking. There, the four survivors stood right before the building's entrance, evidently engaged in some kind of discussion.

Isn't that Tyler? Leo furrowed his brow as he watched Clara wave her hands around, obviously annoyed. Why the hell did Holden decide to bring him? He must know that guy hates me.

Nyx growled. 'If they try anything, I will tear them to shreds.'

Doubtful, Leo shook his head as he rose to his feet and donned the Cloak of True Night. They would have brought more people if they wanted to attack me. Besides, Holden isn't an idiot... even if his choice of company makes me question that.

'Just say a word, Leo, and he will join the Voidlings on the ground.'

Leo didn't even blink at Nyx's offer. Hopefully, it won't be necessary... but stay on alert just in case. I have been wrong before.

'Understood.'

And so, as Leo's eyesight went back to normal, he stepped behind the Tower of Protection and activated True Stealth. It took over a minute until the first patter of boots reached his ears.

"Here it is, Tony. Fucking huge, right?" Clara's voice suddenly echoed through the warehouse.

"Aye... It's nothing like the short pedestal I used last time," Holden answered in his usual calm and cold tone.

Hearing as they had apparently forgotten about him in the face of the tower, Leo decided to step out. However, before he could do that, another voice joined the conversation.

"Where is Hale?" The person almost spat. "He sho-"

"Allen!" Holden growled lowly. "Keep your mouth shut, boy. Remember what we spoke about."

Allen... So that's Tyler's last name.

With a chuckle, Leo stepped out and dropped True Stealth along with his cowl. "Well, hello there. Thought you people would never arrive. Although now that I see who you brought along, Holden, I'm not surprised it took you so long."

Maybe there was no reason to piss off Tyler even more, but Leo couldn't stop himself. Not with what Holden just said...

On the side, Clara snorted as they all glanced at the group's youngest member. While Tyler refused to say anything under Holden's hard stare, the clenching of his jaw and narrowed eyes told their own story.

"Huh," Leo tsked. "And here I thought you would explode like the last time."

At that moment, Tyler opened his mouth, ready to speak, only for Holden to beat him to it. "Allen! Don't," he growled before turning to Leo. "And you, Hale. Please don't make it harder than it already is."

"That was all from me, so no worries." Leo raised his hands in surrender. "Not like I want to talk to an ungrateful bastard anyway."

'That was intriguing. You don't usually act like this,' Nyx spoke up as they watched Tyler turn an interesting shade of red.

Leo shrugged. Well... people say I can hold a grudge. No clue how they got that idea...

"New cloak?" Clara asked, breaking the tension. Her eyes roamed over him from top to bottom. "It definitely looks different."

"You could say that. A small gift from the System."

Clara grinned. "Nice one, looks good."

Leo snorted. "Thanks, I guess." Turning to the leader of the group, he motioned to the Tower of Protection. "Well Holden, I did my part of the job. Now it's your turn."

"Aye, let's get it over with," the man nodded, approaching the pillar. "Everyone, back off just in case."

As Leo already promised Nyx to be careful, he quickly retreated near the exit, ready to bolt at a moment's notice. Tyler and Evan followed his actions, only leaving Clara near Holden.

"You too, Clara," the leader sighed.

With her traditional salute, the woman moved to join the two other humans. "Roger, Roger."

"Activating in three!" Holden shouted. "Two! One!"

Instantly, the tower ignited, golden fire spreading across its surface. Not a moment later, at the pillar's tip, a transparent orb of light appeared. It grew outwards with each second, consuming more and more area around it.

Once the orb's edges touched the roof above, it too, ignited. Here however, the fire didn't stay. No, it moved with the orb, leaving a pristine, cleansed ceiling behind. All damages were fixed while Vetilim faded into nothingness, like it had never been there...

Soon, the orb reached walls and the floor, cleansing it too. Finally, it passed over Leo, and yet he never felt any pain, quite the opposite in fact.

The dull ache in his shoulder disappeared, replaced by soft tingling as the rest of his flesh healed in an instant. All the other injuries he had sustained also suffered a similar fate, leaving Leo untouched by the horrors of this new world.

Nyx... what the hell just happened?