Buildings and trees blurred past Leo as he weaved through the wilderness on all fours. At first, this style of travel didn't really suit him, or rather, it didn't agree with what he was accustomed to before. Now, though — especially after Grace's ascension — running like this seemed natural, an obvious choice even.

The only drawback of using four limbs to move was visibility. Leo's new form might be a bit bigger, but with everything being so overgrown close to the nest, he could barely see the path ahead. He just hoped this wouldn't be that big of a problem in other areas as this way of running was quite faster than anything a human could manage on their own...

Here we are... Leo thought, slowing down as the house he agreed to meet Dylan in came into sight. He didn't come any closer and instead summoned the strongest Hunter Pulse he could muster.

The skill engulfed the nearby area along with the house. Leo hummed as not a single thing came back, just pure silence on the ability's end. Of course, that didn't mean the area was empty — Scavengers and Scuttlejaws taught him as much — but he really doubted other survivors already possessed skills that could let them hide from an Epic quality ability.

At least I hope so... They have some high-quality items, so anything is possible at this point. Leo sighed, ducking into a large bush. Not that it really matters. If anyone is hiding here, I can just wait them out.

Nodding, Leo darted toward the nearest tree that should give him a perfect view of the area and crawled into the thick canopy. With the sun just waking up and providing less light than before the Outbreak, anyone would have to search quite hard to notice him hidden there.

All this walking on eggshells might have seemed excessive after they agreed to meet inside the building, but Leo had to take steps to avoid any unnecessary risks. The other group was a large unknown. He could only guess how they would react once Dylan or Tyler told them about him and their deal.

Tyler will for sure paint me in a favorable light. Leo snorted, imagining the warrior listing compliments about the monster who saved and 'risked' his cousin's life. What a fucking ass...

Leo could only hope that Dylan would be the one talking with whoever mattered in the Safe Zone's group. While the older man still seemed wary, the mage at least didn't act outright antagonistic towards him.

I will find out soon. That's if those people aren't even worse than Tyler... Which might be an unfair thought, but Leo didn't care at all. The encounter with the mad woman in the beginning and those two policemen taught him to be careful when it came to other survivors.

Maybe if I was a pure human since the beginning, I wouldn't be so biased. Leo admitted with a shrug. But who really knows. Better be like this than dead after all...

With a deep sigh, Leo leaned against the tree's trunk and purged his mind of those thoughts. He desperately needed something positive to happen, or soon, he just might revert to his angsty teenage self.

Well, fully revert... I'm sure I'm more than halfway there already. Lily really would be proud. Leo chuckled, a small smile blooming on his face. We will meet again, sister. That I promise, no matter what.

Just like that, time passed as Leo observed the area from above. Nothing could hide from his sight, yet once over forty minutes flew by, he began to question the chance of anyone showing up today. Disappointing but not unexpected. He had given them five days in the end.

Might as well finish my new extermination task and practice Decoy and Phantom Erasure later. Maybe by the end of the day, I will be able to buy Enhanced Vision. Leo mused. He also had an active task to hunt two Brutes, but finding them depended purely on luck...

As more and more possible plans for the rest of the day began to course through Leo's head, something suddenly moved in the corner of his vision.

A group of five spilled into the clearing right behind the house, their eyes searching for anything out of place. They all kept their mouth shut, their steps carefully measured and almost not making a sound.

At the same time, Leo glanced at each of the arrivals, taking in their features.

Dylan, Leo recognized right away, the man now holding a brand new staff and dressed in somewhat cleaner clothes. Then, there were three survivors from the group he had seen fighting against Ameists. Or at least, that was what he thought, as they were all using the same equipment from yesterday.

Yet, out of all the arrivals, none of them held his attention as much as the man in the front.

He was huge, taller than even Dylan, but with a build more comparable to that of a dedicated bodybuilder. Dressed in leather and partial metal-plated armor, he cut quite an imposing figure. Add to that, the hard, almost emotionless expression on his tanned face definitely didn't make the man any more approachable.

However, the longer Leo looked, something finally clicked in his mind. The long, dirty black hair might have been new, but the man's face, expression, and build were unforgettable. After all, he had seen them all a few times before, even once in person.

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Anthony Holden. So you still live... Leo hummed, his gaze never straying from the man. I guess what comes around goes around. Good for you... and for me.

Awakened Human | LVL: 9

While level nine might not mean much to Leo, it was still a strong number for a survivor who probably had been a part of a group for most of the Outbreak. He could only imagine what Holden did to reach it when other survivors also needed to kill Voidlings to get their levels.

Having a nest full of weak ants definitely helped... Leo noted just as a low chatter filled the area.

"Clara, do your thing," Holden spoke to one of the three unknown survivors.

"Roger, roger." The only woman among the group mock saluted and took a knee, placing a hand on the ground.

Leo narrowed his eyes at the same time, muscles tensing just as a flicker of blue energy left the woman's hand. The pulse traveled in all directions, easily encompassing the house due to close distance, yet stopping short of his own hiding spot.

A hunter... This would have reached me if she had the same pulse as me. Dumb luck, I suppose. Leo withheld a snort, focusing again as the woman spoke.

"Nothing, Tony. He either is too far, didn't come, or can hide from my skill."

"Or he is dead," Holden grunted, turning to face Leo's ex-ally. "Dylan, what do you think?"

The mage furrowed his brow. "There's no chance he's done for. You haven't seen him in action, mate. I'd bet only those Nightmares could put him down now... Nah, he must be nearby. Leo's dedication to his family was as clear as the sky."

Holden nodded. "If you say so..." Right away, the man shifted his attention to the trio. "Clara, Evan, Robert, secure the area. Make sure no surprises are waiting for us here. Dylan and I will go inside."

Leo smirked. You can get out of the army, but you can't get the army out of you. Definitely a useful experience to have in this shitty world...

Before the trio could leave, Leo disengaged True Stealth. No point in waiting any longer. While he didn't expect such a big welcoming committee, Dylan at least kept his promise. Now was the time to find out what news the man brought with him.

Leo pulled his cowl up and sent a bit of Essence into his left hand, just in case. Without further ado, he dropped from the tree, landing with an almost silent thud.

"No need to go anywhere," he called out. "Like Dylan said, I'm already here."

Despite his announcement, suddenly, Hunter's roar echoed in his head. Leo raised his hand right away, a dark green glow clashing against a bright arrow. The projectile bounced off, plowing right into the dirt below.

"Good reaction," Leo said to the woman who had another arrow notched, ready to try her luck again. "But I came here to talk, not fight."

This was Leo's only offer. If they attacked again, then evidently, the small group didn't come here to keep Dylan's promise. A shame, yet nothing he wasn't ready for.

The woman seemed to consider if she should listen. However, before she could come to a decision, a voice cut through the silence.

"Clara, stand down," Holden ordered, but the woman's gaze never wavered from Leo's exposed hand.

The other two weren't any better, their bodies tense, weapons raised. Only Dylan didn't react, but considering what the man had already seen, it wasn't a surprise.

"But..." Clara tried.

"I said stand down," Holden growled, finally forcing his subordinates to lower their weapons. Nodding, the obvious leader shifted his gaze back to the new arrival. "Leo Hale, Wolford Insight's head reporter. If that's really you, that is."

So we are doing it like this? Ah whatever, might make it easier to prove who I am. Leo sighed. "Anthony Holden, Site Director for Wolford's branch of ReachHope Foundation. It's been a while."

Holden quirked a single eyebrow. "So you remember that, good. Dylan here told me a lot about you, about your request. I decided to come along and see the anomaly for myself."

Leo chuckled. "Anomaly, hmm? Not a word I would use to describe myself, but I reckon it's better than being called a beast or monster." Motioning to the mage and then at his mostly hidden body, he continued, "Did you warn them about my appearance?"

Upon Dylan's nod, Leo pulled off his cowl, his three tails slithering out of the cloak's cover at the same time. The trio and even Holden stiffened, raising their weapons as they watched him with wide eyes.

Warned my ass... Well, at least I know the cloak works from this distance. And here I thought they were just that accepting. Leo snorted internally. Nothing could be that easy.

"Let's not act too hasty," Leo warned. "Like I said, I'm here to talk, not fight."

"Tony?" One of the two other men shouted to their leader, ignoring Leo's words.

Holden grimaced, his eyes still roaming over the monster before him. His fists had long since whitened from the tight grip on his crimson blade. The man had an important decision to make here, and Leo hoped that he chose the right one. For both of their sakes.

In the end, Holden lowered his sword even if his grip never wavered. Giving his subordinate a sharp glance, he muttered, "Stand down. Hale is right. We didn't come here to fight. Not him."

Yet, even with the order being clear, Leo could easily read the message hidden underneath those words. And Holden's inability to tame his disturbed expression only confirmed that.

Identify is such a useful ability. Leo mused, a smirk threatening to come out at any moment. Took you long enough to use it.

Despite Identify not giving much information when used on a survivor, what the skill provided them about Leo should be more than enough. After all, when Dylan had last seen him, it only showed him at level thirteen, and now, in a matter of not even a day, the number rose twice.

Maybe if more time passed, this wouldn't have been such an issue, but with this, Leo only proved what Dylan had probably already told them. The story of a man transformed into a monster, growing faster than anything they had seen until now...

"So..." Leo began, clearing his throat. "How about we go straight to the crux of this meeting, shall we?"

Stiff as a board, the ex-director nodded. "Aye, let's get this over with."