Toxicity…

Now, that was something Leo didn't think he would need to worry about ever again. At least not when it came to the food he ate. His body was way beyond mortal limits, so to find out that stuff like that could still hurt him was slightly surprising. However, he also blamed the System for not attaching a warning about toxicity to the Eternal Heart's description.

Oh well, it's not like I can complain. He picked up the last black heart. I got more than I expected anyway.

Before he could place it back inside his soul, Nyx stepped into the tunnel, her gaze instantly falling on the Eternal Heart. Her ears perked up as she trotted faster to him.

"You're finally eating them. How are they?" she asked.

Leo shrugged. "Got some attributes, but apparently, those things are toxic for your body. I got a System warning saying I should stop." He motioned to the remaining heart. "You want it? For some reason, they taste very good."

Nyx's tail went up, its three ends waggling excitedly. "Throw it!"

He chuckled but did as was told. The beating heart went flying, and the feline jumped, snatching it mid-air. She chewed it for a moment before swallowing visibly.

"You were right. It's good, much better than any of the Nightmares I had today." She licked her snout. "I want more."

"Sure. I can't consume any more anyway. They are all yours." He patted her head after standing up. "Did you even get any attributes?"

Nyx nodded. "Quite a few. Now I need only one level instead of two for the third ascension."

"Then let's go get it. Our last prey is waiting for us."

With that, they started toward the final chamber in this layer of the Void Rift. They didn't use any stealth abilities, nor did they want to. Even if the Trench Tempest was stronger than the other Nightmares here, it stood no chance against Leo and Nyx—not after they gained so many levels in such a short time.

"There we are." Leo stopped just before they could leave the tunnel. "Let me do it alone, okay? I want to try something."

The feline hesitated but nodded after a moment. "I will step in if necessary."

He shot her a smile. "Of course."

As Nyx stepped back, Leo activated Reinforcement at full power. His bloodlust also spiked, but only just a bit. He didn't need its rage for what he had planned. He wanted to check how he matched up against the Tempest's speed without all his enhancing skills.

Here we go. After taking a deep breath, he stepped into the final chamber. His feet landed in the water, the splash instantly alerting the Nightmare hiding somewhere on the ceiling.

Leo didn't look up, though, and acted as if he was unaware of the danger lurking in the dark. The bait obviously worked, and a moment later, his ears picked up a very silent crackling of lightning. Anyone with a weaker Vision attribute than him would have missed it.

Bingo. He stopped almost in the middle of the chamber. The crackling got a bit louder, and he leaned to the side just in time to avoid a falling star covered in lightning coming right at him. Only this wasn't all he did.

His left hand, covered in shadows, and Valron Protection surged forward, snatching the creature hidden beneath the shroud of lightning mid-air. Despite all of that protection, the scales on his arms still cracked, so he quickly moved on to the next stage of his plan.

The blade on his other arm snapped out and went right for the Nightmare's head. At the same time, the water across the entire chamber moved while the lightning along the beast's body began to burn brighter.

Only it was too late.

Leo's blade found its mark, cutting through flesh and bones without any resistance. The Trench Tempest stilled, slumping in his grasp as the final spark of its affinity flickered out. The water all around also fell silent, reclaiming its previous peace.

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"Now that was anticlimactic," Nyx's voice filled the chamber as she approached his position. "When you said you wanted to try something, I expected more."

Leo shrugged. "What can I say? Apparently, the fastest Nightmare in its rank doesn't mean much—at least not against me."

"You wanted to test who is faster? Really?" The feline gave him an exasperated look. "You could have just asked me. It's obvious nothing here can match your speed. That's your main attribute."

"Who is the one ruining the fun now?"

"I'm just saying."

Leo rolled his eyes. "You spent too much time with Lily. Soon, I won't be able to tell you two apart."

Nyx chuckled but didn't say anything else. He sighed and turned back to the corpse in his hand. Devour activated and quickly turned it into dust. However, the Nightmare decided to leave a final gift for him.

"Another core?" he muttered, snatching the long crystal before it could fall to the ground.

Unlike any other, this one was rough around the edges and unpolished. The only thing pointing toward its value was the blue spark of lightning crackling within the shard. Leo fired off an Identify.

Lightning Core (Rare):

An elemental core of average power harvested from a fledging Trench Tempest. This item can be used in a wide variety of jobs. Its high-quality elemental energy can also be a perfect tool for those seeking to develop Lightning affinity. Please be warned that affinity cores can easily destabilize and lose their value.

Leo glanced at the six floaters on his back and hummed. I just might have a use for you soon.

Once the Lightning Core was safe in his soul, he called for the System notifications. There were quite a few waiting for him.

Trench Tempest (LVL: 72) slain | Experience awarded | 642 Ether gained

Congratulations! You have reached level 69. Class and Racial attributes have been distributed.

Huh. It was weaker than I thought. With an entire room for one Nightmare, I expected at least something close to level eighty. Oh, whatever…

Congratulations! Your Vision has ascended past the Supernatural Tier (500). Fifth Transcended Tier obtained. The effectiveness of all Vision-dependent skills has been greatly enhanced. Passive Void Essence absorption has been enhanced.

For the first time since the Transcended ascensions began, Leo instantly felt the difference in his senses. His night vision improved even more, returning some normal colors to the world despite the lack of a good light source. His ears also started to pick up a thrum of water, and not from this room, but the one located on the other side of the tunnel he had just come from.

His ability to sense the Essence around him also improved. If he focused just a bit, he could now see how the energy of the Void clung to him before getting absorbed by his body.

This will take some getting used to. He grimaced, trying to silence all the unimportant feedback from his senses. There was just a bit too much useless information for his liking. Maybe it could be useful if he was trying to find someone or something, but not now.

Much better. He sighed as the world around him quietened. Now, what else do you have for me?

Due to achieving the second ascension with all your attributes, you have been awarded the Perfect Transcendent title. Effects combined into Void's Heir. Displaying now.

Void's Heir:

You were crowned as the legacy of the first daughter, but now the Void has chosen you as its heir. The time has come to prove if you are worthy of this title. Stand proud, stand strong. Evolve and thrive.

Stacked Effects:

The Void's true power now flows through your soul and veins. Most Voidlings of lower rank won't be outright hostile, and some may even follow your orders. Night Hunters and related evolution paths are for you to command. Hostile Identify will fail if the enemy hasn't ascended to the Transcended Tier at least once. All Effectiveness: +20%.

So, will this happen after every full ascension? Leo shrugged. I'm all for it then.

He dismissed the System and turned his gaze toward the Realm Tear. Unlike the first time he saw it, now the crack in reality became wider, and its blue sparks were much more active. A quick Identify confirmed that it could transport him to the next layer. He just had to step through.

"No time like the present," he muttered and looked at Nyx. "Ready?"

"Stealth?"

Leo nodded. "Good idea. Come on."

As the feline turned into smoke and enveloped his body, he summoned his cloak out of his soul. Then he activated Stealth Shroud and approached the Realm Tear.

Here we go. He thought and took the final step.

The change was instantaneous. One moment, he was in the water caves, and in another, he was standing on another small plateau, once more surrounded by almost complete darkness—not really.

Leo gulped as he scanned the land ahead.

Nyx? We might have a problem.