"Void Essence as a fuel truly doesn't have any strong competition. Of course, there are various elementally charged Essences that sometimes come close, but in the end, when you have a choice between elemental and Void Essence, make sure to always go for the latter.

Sure, it is hard to control, but what is a life of a true craftsman without some explosions? Boring! This is what your life will become if you turn away from the sweet thing that is pure, highly explosive, Void Essence."

~Rambles of a long-dead Master Artificer

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

Leo slowly rose from the floor, watching Tyler turn to Laura with a frown on his face.

"Are you sure, Lu?" The warrior whispered, giving Leo a side glance. "With him here, we don't need to rush things. Maybe there is a different, safer way to heal you..."

Laura scoffed. "Tyler, stop being stupid," she hissed, throwing her cousin a glare. "I can't travel like this. We both know that... Leo already helped me once, and I trust him to at least try again."

Tyler held her gaze for a moment before sighing. "Alright... If you are sure."

As the girl nodded, Leo stopped just a few steps away from the couch and cleared his throat. Which was something he probably shouldn't do again. At least not that loud. The sounds his body produced nowadays were anything but pleasant.

"Right," Leo muttered under his breath as the two snapped their heads toward him. Tyler's hand even drifted to the rifle now lying against the couch. "You ready?"

After throwing her cousin another sharp look, Laura nodded again and shifted in her seat. With the infected area laid out before him, Leo closed the remaining distance and dipped to his knees, cursing as one of his tails almost made him stumble.

Can you not?

His inner beast sniggered again, but it quickly fell silent, along with the tails going still. Huh... Thanks, I guess. Leo muttered in his head. Who would have thought it could be helpful in a situation like that.

Maybe it knows I will be using Devour?

Noting that particular information for later, Leo faced both Laura and Tyler. "Okay then. Like last time, this will sting, maybe even hurt a bit. However, if, and I repeat, if you start feeling a tug at your own Essence, tell us instantly. I have nothing against draining the infection out of you, but anything else is way out of my pay grade, and I can do more harm than good."

Swallowing visibly, Laura nodded, and Leo grabbed her forearm with one hand, instantly feeling the girl freeze. Slowly, he let the claws of the other hand hover over the infection.

"Three, two, one..."

The moment the last word left his lips, Leo lightly stabbed the sickly skin. Beside him, Laura gasped, gritting her teeth, but for now, he ignored her and got to work.

Don't fail me now.

Devour activated with naught but a thought, the ever-hungry skill rearing its head. Just like with Drain, Leo quickly wrestled it under control. Now was not the time for mindless hunger; here, precision was all that mattered.

Last time, he had guided the lesser ability with intent, will, and control. This time was no different, and so Devour surged forward, seeking its prey like the hunter that Leo now represented.

The hateful and wild Void Essence tried to resist, but just like Leo thought, Devour was leagues above Drain. Maybe if this Essence had the same strength and presence as the one from a Void Gate, it could have fought back, but this tiny infection could never reach that level of power.

And so, second after second, Leo devoured every bit of the cursed energy he could find. Eyes closed, he even expanded his pathetic senses over the infected limb and guided his skill as well as he could.

Sometimes it was a close call, where Devour strayed and almost began to drink Laura's Essence. Yet, in the last second, Leo's inner beast would rush forward, holding the willful ability in place until he could control it once more.

Each time, Leo mentally thanked his representation of instincts. And while the beast seemed to bask in the praise, the growl it sent back had its own meaning.

Apparently, it didn't like that he couldn't fully control an ability he had just gained. Who could have known, really.

Still, at least it's helping.

Slowly, the last bit of Void Essence trickled into Leo's body, and he instantly cut Devour off. With a tug, he ripped his claw out of Laura's skin and opened his eyes.

The blond girl came into sight immediately, gritting her teeth and forehead now fully covered in sweat. It seemed he wasn't the only one hyperfocused on the job.

"Laura," Leo called out, and the girl opened her blue eyes. He nodded. "It's done. Take a look and tell me how you feel."

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Instantly her gaze went to the now pale arm and shoulder. The skin was still malformed, eaten away by the mysterious Voidling's projectile, but the green infection was gone. Now the limb just needed a few days to recover, and it may even regain its full strength. Though Leo couldn't be sure about that.

He was no healer, and the System was all he could count on.

"I can't feel it anymore," Laura mumbled, running a finger over the malformed skin. "I can't feel the constant burning anymore... It still aches, and I can barely lift it, but the burning is gone." She turned her gaze to Leo, eyes shining with unshed tears. "I was so worried, but... Thank you. Thank you so much, Leo."

"No worries," Leo smiled, but not enough to show his teeth and ruin the moment. "It was nothing."

He didn't let Laura answer, and instead, Leo stood up, backing off a few steps. Tyler quickly took his place and embraced his cousin tightly, the girl returning the hug as tears continued to fall from her eyes.

Truly, even if this was only for just this moment, maybe it was worth coming back here. A girl like her didn't deserve to die from some random infection.

"You have my thanks, lad." A hand suddenly clapped him very lightly on the shoulder. "We've been rackin' our brains tryin' to figure out what to do if you didn't show up, but everythin' we came up with relied purely on luck... Maybe you really are our personal messiah after all," Dylan finished with a chuckle, removing his hand.

"Like I said, it was nothing," Leo muttered back, averting his eyes from the hugging duo. Oh, he understood well what his action meant for the three. However, considering his current situation, basking in the glory of their gratitude wouldn't benefit him as much as staying humble. "I'm glad I could help."

"It was nothing, he says," Dylan scoffed. "Lad, I don't think you truly understand how much it means to us to 'ave Laura back in good health again... But fine, 'ave it your way. Bloody hell... Just remember, mate, we are in your debt. We owe you one, whether you like it or not."

And I will be sure to cash in as soon as we reach the other group. Leo noted in his mind while nodding outside. "Not necessary, but sure, I will remember."

"Good," Dylan grumbled out just as a System notification flickered to life along with a familiar presence settling over his shoulders.

And so it begins.

Night is here. Good luck, and may your hunts be fruitful, Prime.

The message changed according to my evolution... interesting. Wonder if there is more to it. Leo mused as he watched the entire trio flinch from the weight that came with the night. For him, it was no longer a problem, apparently.

Well, I'm an Akirian now…

However, despite the almost non-existent effects of the night on his body, Leo could really use high-quality night vision right about now. Sure, he could still see, thanks to the few small candles lighting up the room. Hell, even when he glanced into the dark corridor, his eyes picked up some things, but it would be barely enough to navigate through the night.

Night Hunter without perfect night vision... Ironic, but I can't really complain. Besides, I saw night vision in the mutation menu. Definitely, something to aim for right away.

"As uncomfortable as each night," Dylan's voice finally brought everyone out of their thoughts. "Alright then, gather 'round, folks. I'd love nothin' more than to hit the hay and sleep through this bloody mess, but we still gotta plan for tomorrow. We need to get back on the road."

Nodding to himself, Leo sat down near the couch, with Dylan taking a seat close by. At least someone thought to start this conversation first.

"But didn't we already agree to go to the group near the trainyard?" Laura asked, her fingers still brushing against the healed arm.

Beside him, Dylan let out a sigh. "We had a plan, but that was before we factored Leo into the equation," the older man explained. He turned to Leo. "With Laura injured, our original plan was to avoid the main areas and try to dodge most of the Voidlings. But now, with you here, we might have a chance to make a beeline for the trainyard. What do you think?"

Leo hummed, silently agreeing with the man. Alone he could probably get to the trainyard in a matter of an hour now. With the trio, it would take longer, no avoiding that, but they definitely didn't need to make any bigger detours.

Or at least I don't think so...

Leo's eyes narrowed at the only girl in the room. "Laura, you're a Ranger, yes?" The girl nodded slowly, furrowing her brow. "What weapon do you have? Did the System give you anything?"

The girl's eyes immediately brightened in the shallow light of a candle as she reached behind the couch. Leo's non-existent eyebrows raised as Laura raised a well-crafted bow in his direction.

Instantly firing off an Identify, his mouth opened a bit as he read through the description.

Recurve bow. Well-made. Common rarity. Gifted to the User by the System as a starting item... What the fuck? How is that fair? Every other class only gets a broken item... Wait, I'm stupid.

"And what about arrows?" Leo added quickly. How he had forgotten about something so important, he would never know.

Laura grimaced and once again reached behind the couch, this time returning with two metal arrows. They, just like the bow, were clearly well-made, but the fact remained that there were only two of them.

"The System gives Rangers five arrows like this and the ability to buy five more for twenty Ether," Laura explained, and even Leo flinched a bit.

It wasn't as bad as he feared, but if someone didn't kill a Voidling with one shot or couldn't retrieve the fired arrow, then it was pretty much game over. In a group like this, there was still a chance to recover, but if a survivor was alone?

Yeah, it's a death sentence if you aren't a bow prodigy.

"And you have enough to buy five more now?"

Laura nodded.

"I see..." Leo muttered, letting this matter drop as he addressed Dylan. "Yea, we go straight to the trainyard."

The man grinned. "Glad to hear that, mate. Got any ideas on how you'll fit into our little group? Typically, we move slowly from one Voidling to another, with Tyler leading the way. We tried bein' all sneaky once, but even with that tall grass, those bloody monsters always seem to sense when we're nearby."

"I might be able to help with that, but that's a thought for the future," Leo shook his head, the System's words echoing in his mind. "As for now, I won't break your synergy. I'm an assassin, after all. Sticking to shadows is what I do, so I will just try to kill as many in your path as I can."

"Aye," Dylan nodded. "Might be for the best... Now let's get some shut-eye. We've got a long day ahead of us. I'll take the first watch."