"Truthfully, the beginning of an Outbreak can be the easiest and the hardest at the same time. Why is that? The answer is quite simple, my dear students. It is the hardest because the survivors must adapt to a completely new reality. They must accept that their families, world, and old life are gone and will never return. That is the actual hard part of the Outbreak.
At the same time, the beginning is the easiest because of the level of fighting. Yes, you heard me right, fighting. The worst the survivors have to worry about are the transformed creatures of their world that they are at least slightly familiar with. It is a much better fate than battling against the monsters that will come from the Gates sooner or later."
~ Central Academy, Ger
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Game-changing.
There were no other words to really describe what Minor Takeover truly was. Alright, that might be an exaggeration. Leo could quickly think of a few different ways to define his first technique. Overpowered, broken, impossible, and more.
However, ultimately, 'game-changing' encompassed everything Minor Takeover was for Leo. It possessed the potential to completely change how he approached this new unforgiving reality, giving him an edge Leo didn't even know he needed.
And yet, here it was, an ability far beyond anything he could have ever anticipated. Moreover, who knew how much more Leo would be able to accomplish with Takeover as both he and the ability grew stronger.
Leo chuckled. And here I thought that Decoy was broken in my current state. Hell, it still is if I combine it with Takeover. Fuck... I guess you have my thanks, Nikra, after all.
Decoy alone was an amazing ability if Leo figured out how to use it correctly. It might only be an illusion incapable of interacting with the real world, but even its visual effects had a lot of potential. Now combine it with Minor Takeover, and Leo had two abilities that could confuse the hell out of any Voidling he fought against.
He only needed to look as far as the fight between the Hounds and the Runner to see how much one Voidling could do against another. With complete control over the Runner and a clone of Leo spreading further confusion on the field, he could only wonder how much easier his encounters with other monsters would get.
Although, Leo grimaced. I'm pretty sure that I won't have much Essence left after using those two skills.
The System gave him enough information about Decoy to understand how taxing the ability was. Which was understandable considering what it did. As for Minor Takeover, Leo didn't get the same amount of information. However, from what he felt during the knowledge rush, his first technique couldn't be much better than Decoy when it came to Essence.
Undoubtedly, Leo could be completely wrong, but the validity of his assumption would remain unanswered until he put the technique to the test.
Still, I need more points in Soul and Mind. Leo reasoned as he finally rose from the messy roof and sat cross legged. And time to practice... Void knows that apart from the experimentation with Stealth and Kiss, I didn't have many more opportunities to mess with Essence. Not for the lack of trying, of course…
Yawning, Leo stretched his arms. Without pulling more attribute points out of my ass with some fucked up event, the only way to get more is leveling up... Yeah, no more delaying when I get back to the others. I just hope they won't change their mind about me in the middle of evolution…
In the end, going through the evolution with other humans on standby was still better than doing it entirely alone. Leo may not have placed full trust in them yet, but if the process took longer than anticipated, he wanted to have someone protecting him while being so vulnerable.
A messily calculated risk, if even that. Leo sighed. Damn, I wish I had more info about evolving, but I'm not risking starting it after making a single choice. I just have to hope that the possibility of healing Laura fully will stop Dylan and Tyler from doing anything stupid.
And that was pretty much it. The path was clear, and now all Leo had to do was follow it.
Might as well…
Standing up, Leo rolled his shoulders to clear the pains that stuck with him after the forced advancement. Only a few minutes had passed since that, but if he gave it a bit more time, everything should go back to normal.
Now, do I go back the same way I came here, or should I take a small de- Leo paused as his gaze swept over the area and came upon a particular sight. What in the flying fuck?
Just to make sure he wasn't hallucinating or the sunlight wasn't playing with his eyes, Leo scanned all the rooftops visible in the distance again. Nope, still there. He frowned, watching as some kind of purple vapor constantly rose just slightly above one of the buildings some distance away.
Isn't that where the town square should be?
Despite Wolford's small size, the city indeed had a town square. It was quite small and definitely not in the shape of a square, but the triangle was still a hub for the community, especially during the weekends. It also helped that it was surrounded from each side by some kind of buildings that housed either shops or restaurants.
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Overall, it was probably the best place to visit in Wolford. As such, Leo shouldn't be even slightly surprised that the Outbreak decided to keep the place as something special.
The question is, what exactly happened there.
Taking a look behind, in the direction leading to his group, Leo sighed. By all means, he should be going back. Even if his trip was almost a complete failure, he still partially discovered what happened to Nick's family.
Yet now, when no more of the System's notifications were here to distract him, the emptiness in Leo's chest returned, ready to remind him of what he had just lost.
I mean, I had an evolution ready since I came back to Earth. What will another hour or two hurt…
Despite the loneliness he faced during most of the Outbreak, Leo didn't want to talk to anybody right now — Nikra not included. So if taking a few hours to uncover another secret about the Void could give him time to settle his thoughts, Leo really had no reason to fight this idea.
That's right. Just quick in and out. I will take a look, find out what the Void is trying to throw at us, and then slowly go back. Might as well try out Minor Takeover while I'm at it.
With the decision made, Leo climbed to his feet and darted to the ledge. Like the wind, he sailed through the air, only to drop onto the nearest Vetilim platform. He grunted as muscles in his legs began to burn ever so slightly.
Yes, he definitely wasn't fully recovered from whatever Nikra inflicted on his body.
Doesn't matter. I had worse. Gritting his teeth, Leo ran along the long alien spider web stretching between the buildings. The living matter wobbled a bit but still held firm, just like any other time he used it for traversal.
Slipping onto another roof, Leo froze mid-step when a hiss reached his ears. He turned slowly, a frown stretching on his face as his gaze landed on a broken chimney. Once more, the scratching hiss echoed out of the structure before a creature crawled out of it and stretched lazily.
Upon first glance, the new Voidling resembled just another cat, nothing that special. Only, unlike a typical feline, this one possessed another pair of hind legs and fur that might as well have been stolen from a hedgehog. However, even that might be an understatement considering how firm and sharp that spiky fur looked.
Neot (Voidling) | Rank: F- | LVL: 4
At the exact moment that Leo identified the creature, the Neot flinched, its crimson eyes snapping right to the only other living being on the roof.
Arching its back, the creature hissed again, fur bristling and now almost fully resembling a scared hedgehog more than ever.
What will you do? Leo tensed, shadow Essence surging to his hand and forming a familiar weapon.
In response, the Neot bared its fangs and slowly backed away from Leo, who followed with a step of his own. The feline hissed and, in a move he never expected to see from a Voidling again, it sprinted to the edge of the roof with its spiky tail tucked.
There the Neot stopped once more, gazing at Leo as if daring him to come closer.
Okay? I will bite. Leo thought with a snort before moving towards the cat again.
Like before, the Voidling gave a warning hiss. But when Leo didn't stop, the creature moved too, only in a completely opposite direction. Without giving a single damn, the Neot jumped off the roof, freefalling toward the ground.
By the time Leo got to the ledge and scanned the area below, he had just a second to spot the cat's tail disappearing under one of the many broken cars on the street. Evidently, the little Voidling either had nine lives or somehow could handle a three-story drop.
My knees would fucking die from this... What a weird guy.
The last time a Voidling — Cursed Human, to be precise — chose to flee instead of confronting Leo, there was at least some rationale behind it. After all, he had just proved himself as an unstoppable force, relentlessly slaughtering the creature's brethren in front of its eyes.
But now? No such thing happened, and from what Leo had seen, the Neot didn't look like a complete pushover.
Is it because of my recent change? He shook his head. Nah, there must be something else. Bestiary? Please be useful for once.
Race: Voidling | Subspecies: Neot
Expected Potential: F- to F
Weapon of choice: Fireablespikes, Fangs
Known weaknesses: Low physical attributes
The most basic feline Void evolution and, in return, the weakest. Neots always live and do everything alone. Creating groups is taboo for those creatures, and to see one in the company of another is almost impossible. Thanks to their highly developed survival instincts, Neots only prey on dead creatures and won't fight unless they have to. However, it is essential to note that their spikes can leave many hunters heavily injured.
Leo nodded. Right, so they are scavengers, and the little guy recognized I was way out of its league. So just like Scavengers... Fuck that's gonna get confusing at some point.
Willing the Bestiary to disappear, Leo shrugged. That was something the future him would have to worry about. For now, he had another task to finish, and he was pretty close already. Even the purple vapor began to glimmer in the distance, now fully visible.
Alright, let's see what you got for me this time, Void.
Leo ran like a man possessed, jumping behind covers only when the cawing of Seekers got too close or taking a detour when a Crimson Mirage got in the way. Getting to the town square fast was one thing; being stupid while doing that was another.
However, the moment only a single line of buildings blocked his vision of the town square, the System announced its presence.
Leo cursed, his foot almost slipping from a particularly thin Vetilim web. Only a few more steps separated him from the last rooftop he needed to reach, but of course, the powerful entity just couldn't wait.
This will get annoying at some point... Leo grumbled as he let the notification appear, his current position high above the street notwithstanding.
Warning! You are nearing Tainted Wasteland: Void. Threat asserted and ranked at level E. Good Luck. More information available thanks to the strengthened connection. Display now?
Well, shit. Apparently, I was right to worry.