Now I have even more questions. Leo furrowed his brow, his eyes darting around the battlefield. They all have the same evo... and levels. What the hell is a Blessed Emissary anyway? Where did all the other Voidlings go? This just doesn't make sense... Nyx?

The feline wasn't fairing much better than him. She didn't even turn away from the battle when he called out for her. She looked like she was in a trance, and he had to shake her for a few seconds to earn her attention.

'Leo? Tell me you feel this too,' Nyx muttered, ignoring all his previous questions. 'This shouldn't be possible. Not on this scale. Not yet. Not here.'

Unsure if they were on the same page, he asked again. What? The evolution? Voidlings? Levels? The Treant? You need to be a bit more specific. There is too much shit happening here.

'No, that's not it.' The feline shook her head before her gaze went back to the fighters in the distance. 'Their race is indeed troubling. But Leo, focus on their Essence, feel their power. Those weapons are only a small part of it.'

Leo frowned but did as he was told. He squinted at the group, studying their every move, every technique. The bright gold, almost white, Essence caught his attention first. After all, they all used it, and the longer he watched, the more obvious it became that, just like Nyx said, it didn't come from their weapons.

It looks familiar, almost like Ether, but there is no way that it can be it. How the hell do you even get the ability to wield it for the entire group? That seems even less likely than finding another shard of an Old One. Though, what else could be this effective against Voidlings?

Yet, with each attack that hit the Treant, Leo received more and more proof that it couldn't be Ether. Despite doing some damage to the beast’s Vetilim skin, it wasn't enough to even slow it down. Even the few flesh wounds that went deeper looked like they were already healing, and the monster didn't have a regenerator ranking.

No, Ether would cause much more harm. Especially when those people are always trying to hit the same areas. He narrowed his eyes, his mind once more seeking the right answer. So what is it? There is no way in hell I can feel anything from this distance... Wait a second...

A memory that seemed so distant at this point suddenly resurfaced, washing away all the questions in his head. This golden-white Essence, he now understood what it was, or at least he had an idea. Hopefully, Nyx would confirm it.

It's light affinity. Leo stated, pretty sure of his answer. I had seen it before the Outbreak came, in my dreams. Geron, Nikra's brother, wielded it... Shit, does it mean...

'I don't know,' the feline cut him off. 'Thanks to Nikra's memories, I could never forget how his power looks and feels. What we are looking at is definitely light affinity. A much weaker one than the one Geron used, but I have no doubt in my mind this is it. I just... No... This shouldn't be happening. He is supposed to be dead.'

Nyx! He shouted over their link and tugged at her fur. Calm down. Stop overreacting. A few people using a weaker version of light affinity doesn't mean he is involved. Maybe they just got lucky? Maybe the System gave it to them as a reward for surviving in this hellhole. We don't have enough information to jump to conclusions like this.

Yet, even as he said that, a doubt entered his mind. Which was soon followed by Nyx's hollow chuckle.

'Don't you see it, Leo?' She growled. 'A human inherits the first Old One's shard, becoming her legacy. Not that much later, he comes to the nearest major city and encounters people capable of using Geron's main element. The same person who fought a war against Nikra before their tentative alliance. You can't tell me this is a coincidence. Maybe if it was one person, without an unknown evolution, I could believe that, but this in an entire group!'

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When she put it like that, it really became hard to argue. After all, what were the odds of two of the main powers of the Universe finding their way to Earth and then London? Most likely not much larger than a big fat zero.

Still...

Okay, I get your point, but we can't take this for granted. Like you said, Geron should be dead. We need more information, and we won't get it if we don't step in soon.

True to his words, the group of Blessed Emissaries wasn't fairing too well any longer. Somehow, the Treant managed to split a small part of itself and create tiny minions that flowed around the Vetilim environment like the wind. The survivors tried to fight back, but between the massive beast in the middle and its dozen spores, they couldn't do much.

Sooner or later, they would have to run or die.

'So be it. What's the plan then?' Nyx stood up straight, her worries fading from their link for the moment.

Good question. Leo grimaced, his mind going a hundred miles per hour to come up with something reasonable. They are using an affinity that should be naturally stronger against Voidlings. We don't have anything similar, so there is really one way to do this. We need to immobilize the big guy and then pray that the others will cut it down.

'That's a lot of maybes.'

He snorted. Yeah. I know. Unfortunately, this is the only decent idea I have. Devour, or maybe blood fire, could also help, but the former might fail completely while I would need to ramp up the latter. So, let's leave that as plan B.

'Any plan C?'

"Yeah," Leo leveled her with a firm stare. "If everything fails, run. I want answers, but our lives are more important."

Nyx gave him a feline equivalent of a grin. 'Then let's make sure we don't fail. What do you need from me?'

Essence and distraction. He explained as they descended from their perch and ran towards the battlefield. I practiced this a bit during the night, but I will need time and a lot of power to make it work. Help the group with the minions, but be careful. They might… No, they will most likely attack you.

'As you wish. And what are you planning exactly?'

Leo simply smirked. You will see. Just open your Essence to me when I give you the sign.

Without another word, the duo nodded at each other and separated. Nyx continued onto the battlefield, shadows already swirling around her tails, while he sneaked around the rooftops, searching for a good spot. He had to find a place close enough to the Treant but also one where he wouldn't be spotted instantly.

Time and preparation were of the essence here.

Alright, let's get the show started. Leo took a deep breath as he took place inside a building with a view of the battle. He had already managed to spot Nyx, and thankfully, aside from a few shouts, the group hadn't attacked her yet. Let's keep it that way.

He closed his eyes and placed his hands on the floor. Bits of Essence spilled out, connecting with the shadows of the dark room. Instantly, the drain on his energy increased as the link tried to expand to the entire building.

Just like during last night, Leo reigned it in and isolated the connection before directing his power toward the battlefield. Like a spiderweb, they flowed out, covering every surface, seeking all tiny shadows on the street and surrounding buildings. In a matter of seconds, he had a mental image of the entire area, with his affinity lying in wait.

Third of my Essence just for that. Not good. He grimaced but kept the technique active. This was still cheaper than if he used his own shadows to cover the entire battlefield.

No backing off now. Leo swallowed and called out. Nyx! Give me your Essence now, and go hide. Focus on the transfer!

'On it!'

Instantly, the floodgates in their link opened, and waves of energy spilled over. He took it all and channeled it into the spiderweb he had created.

Shadows exploded all over the battlefield, thousands upon thousands of tendrils rushing out of every hidden dark place. They all went straight for the Treant, starting at its limbs before going up, slowly consuming most of its body.

Leo gritted his teeth, sweat covering his entire form as the massive beast outside struggled against his hold. Already, he had used all Essence delivered by Nyx, and now only his own meager reserves remained to keep the Treant in place. He even tried activating Devour with his shadows, but the skill refused to work.

Come on! Do something, you fuckers! I didn't save your asses just so you can watch!