Leo walked through the misty shadows, uncaring of the time passing outside his soul. He had forgotten how wonderful it felt to be here. Just like Nikra said, there were no barriers inside a soulscape; here he was whole, three pieces of a puzzle becoming one.

I didn't really have time to enjoy this back then, did I? He sighed, eyes closed. Nikra, for all the trouble you've brought me, at least you’ve given me this place... Now, it's time to use it.

His shadow eyes snapped open, narrowing in focus. He felt around his soul, searching for the one sleeping here — for the child who became a monster not so much different from him.

There.

Leo made a sharp turn to the left and surged in that direction, the shadows beneath carrying him faster than his feet ever could. His connection to his affinity had definitely advanced since the last time he was here.

For minutes, maybe more, he flew through the unending plains. He even passed a small area with all the normal items stored within his Soul Well, but in the end, he didn't stop. His true target was close; he could feel it.

And he was right.

There, in a large clearing empty of shadows, a figure lay on the hard, dark ground. Adam looked just like he remembered him from their last meeting, but at least now, the boy-turned-monster seemed peaceful, his eyes closed. The slow rise of his chest was the only indicator that the child still lived.

Is there even oxygen here? How does that work? Leo shook his head. Whatever, I can think about it later. Let's see what's up with you, kiddo.

He kneeled right before the Apex Night Stalker, turning the boy so he would lay on his back. With that done, he once more took in the evolution that was once offered to him. Yet, there was nothing new he could find, no indication that something was wrong with this form.

Would've I ended up the same? Was this evolution cursed from the beginning? He wondered. Or was your state as a Tainted Human the only reason you turned out like this? Shit…

Leo punched the ground in front of him, cracks spreading from the point of impact. Now that he was here, he couldn't help but wonder whether Adam had truly been alive before the storm came. He had entertained this thought in the past, but only now did it hit him how possible it could be.

And I have no real way to find out now, eh? Was it all really for nothing? He chuckled bitterly. No, no, no. It doesn't matter. Remember, no more pitty parties. I will deal with this in any way I can. I started this, and I will be the one to end it.

Of course, thanks to his recent meeting with Naz'Tor, Leo now had access to information he could have only dreamt about before. However, the fact remained that he still didn't trust the merchant. For the time being, he intended to keep the details about Adam to himself. He would contact the shopkeeper only when he ran out of options.

Not that I have many of those to begin with, but well... beggars can't be choosers. Still, I will need you awake soon, kiddo. There is only so much my Hunter's Pulse and Identify can do here.

His eyes narrowed suddenly.

Speaking of.

Apex Night Stalker (Voidling) | LVL: 14

So it's just as I feared. Even with this small bit of Essence you receive to survive, you still somehow manage to level up. Leo shook his head in wonder. I need to change this.

Slowly, he sat down, taking a moment to calm his thoughts. Only then did he reach out with his senses, searching for the connection between his soulscape and Adam. He knew it was there; he had felt it before, after all.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

Interesting.

Even with his eyes closed, Leo saw the multiple strings of Essence surging toward the boy-turned-monster. Instantly, he cut off most of them with a single thought, leaving only two active. His soulscape didn't even think of resisting his order.

And here I thought it would have been harder... This place really is special.

Seeing no changes to Adam, he turned to his second task: finding out if there were any leftovers of Takeover between them. This was probably the part he worried about the most. After all, his technique wasn't too kind to anyone under its control. Moreover, he had never released anyone from its grasp in the past.

Slow and careful. Leo took in a deep breath. Don't miss anything. Search through everything you can.

And so he did. He remained there for longer than he probably should have, diligently looking for any lingering traces of Takeover. Whether it was within his mind, which he now had complete control over, or within his soulscape.

Nothing. Leo sighed, eyes opening. All that's left is your own mind, kiddo. Not much I can do about that.

Once more, he stood up, reaching for the shadows covering almost the entire soulscape. It was time for the final precaution.

Dark mist surged towards him, guided by his thoughts, fuelled by his desire. The ever-growing cloud gathered around Adam, swirling and changing. Four shadow pillars emerged from the ground, arranged in a square formation and linked by bars of the same affinity. Once the construct became high enough, the remaining shadows gathered on the top, forming a roof and closing the cage.

"And that's it," Leo muttered, looking inside through the small holes between the bars. "I'm sorry it had to come to this, but this is the only way we can both stay safe for now." He turned on his heel, finally looking away. "I will be back soon. Sleep well, kiddo."

Absentminded, he trudged across the plains back to the spot where his items waited. He snatched the lone Neuron Shard off the ground and continued onward.

For a moment, he just twirled the small crystal in his hand, but then, with a shrug, he crushed it. The effects were instantaneous.

So that's how it works. Leo clicked his tongue. It gives a small chance to infect the target with Essence after every clean hit. Then, there is even a lower chance that it will find a weak spot in the target's body. He snorted. Interesting. It's a bit like a poison with a specialized Hunter's Pulse tuned into it.

Despite not offering much to work with when it came to improving the skill, at least now, he had one less mystery to solve. The rest would come with time. However, that also wasn't certain. He just had too much stuff to do right now.

"No rest for the wicked, hmm?" Leo chuckled with a light shake of his head. "Now, how do I get out of here... What if..."

Now that he understood the base idea of the soulscape, maybe doing the opposite could get him out. He just had to somehow split the three pillars again.

This might take a while...

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

Leo gasped, his eyes opening to the same dark subway bathroom. In the corner, Nyx still slept, her shadows flowing around her body calmly for the most part. He took in a deep breath and smiled lightly.

Huh, this was easier than I expected.

In the end, instead of forcing his three pillars to split, all he had to do was to give them a mental order. In comparison to getting into the soulscape, this was a welcome change.

All right, System. I know you've been waiting. Hit me with it.

Your Soul Well skill has evolved into Soulscape. Congratulations!

Soulscape (Radiant)

Every soul hides an unlimited potential. Before, you've only scraped the tip of the iceberg. But now, thanks to the Symphony of the Three Pillars, you've achieved perfect balance. Only now can your climb truly begin.

Effects:

Storing items has become easier and will cause less strain on the soul. You may now study your affinities and Essence within the soulscape. You have achieved perfect synchronization; the efficiency of the three pillars has been improved.

Despite what the description said, Leo didn't feel any different. However, considering that this new skill didn't offer any percentage improvement to his attributes, maybe this efficiency was related to something else.

Or I'm too tired to feel it.

A quick glance at the timer of one of his jobs confirmed that he had somehow wasted a few hours inside the soulscape.

Well shit...

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

The next day, when Leo opened his weary eyes to the sight of Nyx hovering above him, he could only sigh.

'Please tell me you didn't stay up the entire night,' she scowled.

Wiping the blurriness from his vision, he stood up and gave the feline a pat on the side. "Not entire, only most."

This time, it was Nyx's turn to sigh. 'Why do I even bother...'