"You would think that with monsters crawling out of every possible hole, people would stop the needless fighting… You couldn't be more wrong. Survivors will always find a reason for conflict regardless of their race or planet. We call ourselves the Awakened, and yet we cannot even unite in the face of extinction. After all, conflict is in our blood, no matter how bad the situation gets."

~ New survivor of 26th Outbreak

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No matter how much Leo feared closing his eyes when the storm raged outside, he had to get some rest before the big day. The house never stopped shuddering, and Leo knew that the moment he succumbed to darkness, everything could go to shit at any second.

And so he fought the urges of his body and mind for another few hours. He just sat in the bathroom corner and bent the Essence to his wishes. It flowed steadily, giving Leo more and more confidence in wielding this mythical energy.

Leo did everything from simply pushing Essence through his body to forming shapes of light in his hand. Yet, not even the constant practice could stop the drowsiness building within him. His eyelids grew heavy, and yawns threatened to break his jaw, so Leo finally gave in, letting his eyes close as his head fell on the large backpack.

Not even an hour passed before Leo was sprawled on the floor, covered in a cold sweat. He thrashed on the broken tiles, watching countless images pass through his mind. Some gave Leo momentary hope, only for the nightmares to crush it as he became an unwilling witness to his family's slaughter.

Lily, Nick, Adam, his parents, and Ava. Leo saw them all. Massacred by the monsters that now plagued the world. With their remains in the maws of creatures he hoped to never meet outside his dreams. Dreams that Leo couldn't wake up from.

And so he slept, writhing on the floor as quiet sobs wrecked his body every once in a while...

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Shit. Leo groaned, his head in his palm, as he looked at the shattered mirror on the floor. The same grey eyes stared back, but after a night filled with unwelcome nightmares, they were now accompanied by dark circles.

Leo might have gotten his much-needed rest, the lack of pain in his back only attested to that, but his mental health only degraded with every hour of sleep. Even when he woke up, Leo had trouble recognizing his surroundings for a moment.

Going by the lack of constant tapping against the roof, the roaring thunder in the distance, and the System's notification, the night had ended some time ago. Nonetheless, Leo lingered in the restroom, staring at his reflection for far longer than he should have.

Not that he was even focused on the image looking back at him. Instead, his mind kept replaying what he had seen in his nightmares. The bloodied faces of his family, their broken bodies. They all begged him for help, and Leo could do nothing but watch as the final light left their eyes.

Slowly, Leo's gaze shifted from the broken mirror to the fighting knife on the side. It would be so easy. One quick move. His hand touched the cold steel, and Leo shook his head. No, I can't. Whatever brought those nightmares can fuck off. I'm so close now and won't give up because of a stupid dream. They might be alive, and I will find them.

Sheathing the knife, Leo climbed to his feet and slowly slid the door open. Like a cat, he sneaked through the dark house into the attic and removed the makeshift cover on the small window.

"Holy fuck." The words left Leo's mouth without a thought as his gaze fell on the visible part of the neighborhood, his eyes widening more and more with every second.

In most cases, the houses stood firm, almost untouched by the previous night. It was the flora that managed to earn such a strong reaction from Leo with its transformation in the span of a few hours.

Before Leo entered the house, most of the plants in the area still possessed their natural color, but now everything had changed. Even without the light of the red sun, somehow, the entire flora evolved, going from a myriad of colors to a mix of crimson, violet, and black.

The solid brown bark of trees shifted into an intimidating black that consumed the light from the nearest area. While the leaves and flowers went in a completely opposite direction, glowing with eternal crimson or deep violet light. Truly a magnificent yet scary sight. It gave Leo even more proof of how the world changed every hour. Eventually, nothing would remain of the old world.

Not good. Leo shook his head and left the attic. He quickly consumed the leftovers of yesterday's meal and unbarricaded the backdoor with a heavy sigh. Only a thirty-minute walk separated Leo from Nick's flat. Although with Voidlings lurking around every corner, this short journey could easily take three or four times as long.

Just as Leo was about to leave the house through the backdoor, an alarm blared in his head, stopping him mid-step. What the fuck?! System?

Warning! Tremors in the Void detected. The second Cataclysm might arrive soon. Take care of yourself, survivor.

That's all you have to say? Really?! Leo took a deep breath, trying to calm his raging nerves. The last time he heard the word Cataclysm, he lay sprawled on his kitchen floor as the Void consumed the world.

I just can't catch a break, eh?

The only positive about this notification was the word 'might'. As the System didn't offer any further explanation, Leo just had to hope that the Cataclysm either wouldn't happen or would come after he arrived at Nick's apartment.

Right... Better get moving.

Opening the backdoor, Leo stepped into the palette of the new world. With the black shirt and pants, he blended perfectly into the evolved flora, and so, with a flicker of True Stealth, Leo quickly moved to the front of the house.

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Just like the day before, the street was completely empty. If it weren’t for the screeches in the distance, Leo would have thought that even the Voidlings from the dead woman's house had left. Maybe there is a way to get inside now. He mused, sprinting across the street and jumping over the first fence.

Leo had no clue what class the woman had chosen, but he wanted to know what tool or weapon the System gave her. If she was an assassin like him, Leo wouldn't say no to another dagger. Broken, it might have been, but it still served him well.

Let's see. Leo peered around the fence and frowned. Still here. Two Cursed Humans and a single Hound still guarded the woman's house, and Leo didn't fancy his chances against the horde of monsters waiting inside.

He was all for free loot, but with the System's warning, Leo didn't have much time to spare. Besides, a series of Identify told Leo all he needed to know about the monster's growth during the night.

All of them gained a level. Great…

Turning on his heel, Leo raced through the neighborhood using the same path from yesterday. Today though, he didn't even try to go for the block's entrances and just dashed into the parking lot behind the building. He weaved between the cars, bowie knife in hand, ready to take down any Voidling in his path.

There were a few of those, all of them at least level three. Leo only killed two on his way to the end of the lot. There, another street waited for him to cross while rows of warehouses and different factories stood beyond it. The largest industrial area of Wolford and probably the best way into the city.

After a quick scan of the area, Leo dashed forward, his feet kicking up the dirt. The Voidlings around him never got a chance to even get a sneak peek at Leo as he jumped over a stone fence as tall as him. A grunt left his lips, his knees buckling ever so slightly as he landed on the hard paving on the other side.

I really need something better to carry all this shit. Leo grimaced as he crouched behind one of the delivery trucks and looked at the parking lot attached to one of the largest warehouses in the city.

Thanks to the Outbreak happening in the evening, fewer workers should be here than during the day. This was confirmed by the small number of personal cars in the lot. Although it didn't stop Voidlings from infecting the area, or rather one monster in particular.

Just when you thought you had seen it all.

By the gate stood a monstrosity Leo had never seen before. With a human-like body but no head. Every inch of its flesh was covered in gleaming violet bubbles, some smaller, some larger, almost breaking from their sheer magnitude. The creature then bent forward, and Leo was thankful for his stealth when a quiet gasp left his lips.

Even though the monster lacked a head, it had a massive round maw in place of a neck. The jaw opened, revealing rows of vicious teeth ready to devour anything in the Voidling's way.

Maniac (Voidling) | Rank: F+ | LVL: 4

Bestiary?

Race: Voidling | Subspecies: Maniac

Expected Potential: F+ to E-

Weapon of choice: Maw, Bombs

Known weaknesses: Toxine containers, Dexterity

Monstrosities that evolved from numerous humanoid creatures, a perfect definition of a glass cannon. Maniac hits hard but can die after a single good strike. The bubbles on their bodies grow stronger with age and can be used as offensive and defensive weapons. Maniacs never form groups, but it is advised to deal with them from a safe distance.

So not for me. Got it. Leo's long-distance capability was currently very limited. If the System thought that he shouldn't fight the Maniac in close quarters, then who was he to disagree?

Although sooner or later, Leo needed to find something for ranged combat, especially if creatures like this one kept popping up every now and then.

Sighing, Leo gave the Voidling a wide berth and just walked by the warehouse's side, leaving the parking lot behind. A moment later, he jumped over another fence, thus continuing his journey between the endless buildings.

The industrial sector, as Leo predicted, was mostly devoid of Voidlings, be it on the streets or even in the yards of numerous companies. Most of the people working there either stayed inside the buildings or went back home before the Outbreak even began.

Of course, that didn't mean that Leo could just walk straight through the streets without dirtying his hands. Numerous Cursed Humans were slaughtered by his new knife and the power of the Kiss of Death. Not even the sudden growth in levels could help the weakest Cursed variant.

Thanks to the few kills, Leo easily reached the requirements of the first evolution. As such, the moment he spotted a large container after a particularly tiring passage through one of the factory yards, Leo jumped in, curiosity almost killing him.

Risen Human (Stage: II)

You pushed past every hardship that came your way and prevailed. The taint upon your soul was cleansed, and now you can join the rest of humanity that will rise from the Awakened Ones. Embrace your new status and join humankind on its path to greatness.

Effects:

Removes Tainted trait. Grants Awakened Trait. Mind Effectiveness: +15%. +5 Free Attribute points per class level. Natural Mutations: Unavailable.

I expected... more? Though maybe I shouldn't have. After all, it's an evolution with minimal requirements...

Apart from the three more attribute points and the juicy fifteen percent to mind, the Risen evolution was straight-up worse than Leo's current one. The tainted status might not be the best thing, but after draining enough monsters, it gave him plenty of points in Limit Break. In comparison, the Awakened trait would give him only half of Leo's current attributes.

No, definitely out. Being fully human again might be nice, but I want to at least see the other options. Too much to lose and almost nothing to gain.

Dismissing the evolution menu, Leo slid through the slight gap in the container's doors and made his way to the end of the current yard. The gate in front of him opened to another street, and Leo dashed across it before jumping over a fence again.

Almost instantly, a notification flashed into existence, eliciting a curse from Leo. Falling to the ground in a heap, he grunted as a wave of energy settled over his shoulders. It was far from the powerful aura that came crashing during the night. However, Leo could still feel it without even focusing on his senses.

The hell? He scowled, taking a look at the notification.

Warning! You are nearing the Nest of Shadow Tails. Threat assessed and ranked at level F+. Good Luck.

Of course, there are fucking nests. It is just one thing after another today...