"Are you one hundred percent sure this will work, mate?" Frank asked, his tone more than just a bit skeptical. "I get that this power of yours is bloody strong, but this is a little bit... much? We can just go in like normal people."

Leo snorted, sparing the other man a single glance. "Normal is overrated. You said it yourself... Besides, if my plan doesn't work, we can always do it your way."

They were both standing on a roof, watching the street below—or rather, a certain building on its other side. With Void's influence spreading far and wide, neither of them had any idea what the place was before the Outbreak. Not that it mattered now. It was a nest close to the Supercluster, which was the only fact important to them.

"Fine." Frank crossed his arms. "Do what ya must. How do you even see that thing, I will never know..."

"I have my ways." Leo chuckled. "Other hunters will need to learn it too, but that can wait. We have enough on our plate as it is."

"Aye, that we do... Do you want me to tell everybody to get off the road? Just in case you miss."

Leo glanced at the people fighting on the streets nearby and then back at the Fallen. "Just how bad do you think my aim is? I would really have to try to hit one of ours."

Frank shrugged, grinning. "You can never know, lad. Maybe your hand will slip. Really, anything can happen."

"Yeah... no." He rolled his eyes. "Though you should probably take a few steps back. My new affinity isn't something you want to be nearby."

"No need to tell me twice." The other man quickly retreated to the other side of the roof and gave him a salute. "Fire, soldier! You got one shot!"

This guy... Leo shook his head and focused on the crimson silhouette of a monster inside the nest. It looked somewhat like a Crawler, only bigger. There it goes.

At once, Reinforcement and Limit Break flared to life at full power. Bloodlust awoke next, darkening his vision as Relentless Hunger activated. Another flex of his soul brought forth Ruination Essence onto his palms, preparing his next attack.

Like during his time in the Cursed Nest, Leo gathered his every negative emotion and pushed it into his affinity. Bloodlust slowly followed behind, trickling into the growing technique along with more and more Essence.

A familiar ache spread over his body, burning his insides, muscles, and then scales. However, unlike last time, he didn't let it turn into a mind-numbing pain. Instead, he took aim and freed the technique.

Ruination: Obliterate.

With a blast that sounded similar to a thunderclap, the beam of the pure Void surged toward the building in front of him. It annihilated the walls in its way like they were made out of paper and continued onward. Within a second, it reached the highlighted Voidling.

Leo couldn't see what had happened—not that he needed to. His Hunter's Mark vanished the moment his technique struck. And if that wasn't enough good confirmation, then the System notifications definitely were.

Apex Crawler (LVL: 30) slain | Experience awarded | 213 Ether gained

The Nest of Crawlers has lost connection to its core.

Congratulations, Nest of Crawlers conquered. Do you wish to destroy this instance completely or prepare an Ether tower? Choosing the second option will result in the loss of bonus rewards. However, a Safe Zone may be created later on using the tower.

"And it worked. We got it," he said, observing the dying Vetilim around the nest. He then turned and shot his companion a monstrous grin. "Told you it would work, you of small faith."

Frank scoffed as he came closer and stared at the hole left behind by Obliterate. "Yeah, well... If I knew you could fire literal death rays, I wouldn't have doubted you... Bloody hell, mate, tell me again, why are we worried about that Payne guy and the Supercluster when you can do that?"

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Leo clicked his tongue, already expecting such a reaction. "Because it's far from infallible. This one technique took over a third of my reserves. I also can't control it too well, so it hurts my body when I use it. Just look here."

He raised his arm, where a few scales cracked, leaking small rivers of blood. The other man winced and nodded.

"Aye, I see your point."

Leo snorted, lowering his limb. A bit of pure Essence slithered along the damaged scales, slipping into the cracks and stopping the bleeding. It would have to do for the time being, at least until he devoured a few Voidlings.

But first things first. He reached into his mind and opened the link there. Nyx, please tell Lily she can go inside through the hole I made. The tower will be there soon.

'On it,' the feline answered, and the connection went silent again.

With that done, Leo finally addressed the notifications begging for his attention. System, create the tower.

Acknowledged. Ether tower formation in progress. 1500 Ether gained. Please choose your standard reward: Bonus experience or a random rare item.

I can choose? Huh, nice. He hummed and instantly went for the bonus experience. As nice as items were, he didn't need any more now. Besides, he hated the random factor. Maybe if he could select what he was getting...

Experience awarded. Reward distribution finished.

Despite his high hopes, the level-up notification never came. Which, honestly, was to be expected. His level was just too high for a single nest to push him over the edge.

Well, whatever. Leo shrugged, settling to watch as the nest below trembled. Through the small hole, he could even see the tower forming inside.

"No way, that's another warehouse. Ironic." He chuckled and looked at the man beside him. "Come on. Let's go down and help with the stra—"

Leo froze as his bloodlust spiked. A whisper came from somewhere deep in his mind. He didn't understand the words said, but somehow, their meaning wasn't lost on him.

He spun around, his eyes narrowing at a specific building in the distance. There was nothing there that he could see, and yet something made him act.

"I'll be right back."

Frank screamed after him, but Leo was already on a different roof at that point, speeding towards the building his bloodlust warned him about. Reinforcement activated at full power, pushing him even faster. Hunter's Pulse went out next, enveloping an area wider than ever before.

There you are.

He dismissed the hundreds of trails and jumped, shielding his head as he crashed into a wall. It crumbled against his strength, barely taking away any of his speed.

A shouted curse reached his ears as he continued to run inside the building, destroying more walls on the way. Soon, the source of his hunt appeared in his sight, trying to jump out through an open window.

Blessed Emissary | LVL: 24

Leo didn't let them. With a burst of Essence, he used Blink to appear next to the escaping woman and plunged his extended blade into her chest. She gasped, spitting out blood. She tried to turn, but before she could do that, her head rolled off her shoulders.

Sorry. Wrong place, wrong time...

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

Leo sighed as he joined his sister in watching the sunset. The view could have been better, but at least they were now protected by the safe zone.

"Still nothing, eh?" Lily said.

"Yep." He nodded.

It was the end of yet another day, and thus far, Payne still remained in hiding. While yesterday he and Nyx spent only a few hours hunting—they had to help people settle into the new safe zone and clear the area first—today they had been at it since sunrise.

Sure, they had killed over a dozen of Payne's people, but the man still refused to come out. Not even camping by the Buckingham Palace helped. Either the guy had a stealth skill similar to his, or he had never left the safe zone in the first place.

At least Nyx and I got a level out of all of this bullshit...

"Man... I can't believe Malcolm was right. He is never gonna let us forget it." Lily pouted. "Bloody Michael Payne."

"He's definitely planning something. Now, I'm sure of that. There is no way he would have ignored me otherwise."

"Well, too bad we have no idea what that plan is." Lily huffed, crossing her arms. "Maybe if the guy you brought back to Eden didn't kill himself..."

Leo shook his head. "I doubt he knew anything. The ones I caught today definitely didn't."

"Great..."

"Hey." He nudged his sister and smiled at her. "It's not all bad. We have a secure, safe zone now, and everybody is growing stronger. Dylan and a few others even managed to get a true affinity. Minor they might be, but who cares? Progress is progress."

"I guess," Lily muttered, leaning on him. "I just want Payne to die..."

"He will," Leo vowed. "I have a plan too."