A Universe of Bloody Evolution

'I see...' Nyx murmured in the wake of Leo's question. 'I wasn't sure about this when I first awoke, but now it's obvious... It seems that our bond connects not only us... The System's instances living inside our souls are also linked, even if only partially.'

Instances? You mean the entity I spoke to during the awakening?

'Indeed,' Nyx instinctively tipped her head as she prepared to jump over another street. 'I can't be sure what it really means for us, but I can feel that our bond will ensure we grow together. Neither of us should be able to leave the other behind too much.'

Leo tsked, not really liking the sound of that. This could be a problem. It already takes a while to level up. Any idea if this will make it even harder?

For a moment, their joined minds went silent. Nyx still continued her trek across the rooftops, following after Clara, but for the first time, the Voidling didn't have an instant answer.

'I'm sorry, Leo, but I have no idea,' Nyx admitted, shame overflowing her thoughts. 'Even if I know a bit more about our bond and the System than you, it is far from enough to understand something as unique as the bond we now share. Things like this will unfortunately require testing.'

Don't sweat it, Leo tried to reassure her. None of us are all-knowing. And besides, you're already helping a lot... Although this makes me wonder. Before, you said that Nikra failed because she thought she knew everything about the System. Now you are admitting to a similar thing. How is that? Didn't Nikra die before the System's first appearance?

Nyx shook her head, coming to a complete stop. 'No... She died a little bit after the System's creation. After all, Nikra and Geron were the two to craft it with their own hands.'

Leo's mind blanked, barely realizing that Nyx just dropped from a roof, leaving the central part of Wolford behind. You mean... How? Why?

Slinking through the shadows, Nyx sighed. 'With most of Nikra's memories fragmented or missing, I only know so much. But one thing always remains clear. The System was meant to become a weapon against the Void, capable of closing it once the entity grew strong enough.'

Leo snorted internally. Seeing where we are, I don't think it worked. This is the sixty-forth Outbreak after all. If that's not enough time for the System to finish its job, then the Multiverse just might be doomed.

'You're right, but that's only because something went wrong during the final part of the System's creation. I'm sure that's what's stopping the System from fulfilling its task.'

Of course... Nothing can be easy, Leo grumbled. Any idea what happened?

'No,' Nyx almost growled, her frustration overflowing their minds. 'It's like Nikra's memories of that time were already fragmented, barely making sense to even her. What happened during my creation didn't help their readability at all.'

If that's really when she died, then I'm not that surprised. She separated into three shards. That had to have an impact on her mind. Leo reasoned, adding all the facts together. Still.. do you think that the Monarch she mentioned could be responsible?

As Nyx dived out of the shadow of a tree and decapitated a group of Voidlings with her tails, she hissed. 'Possible, very possible... Only we don't know anything about this entity. My memories can only confirm what Nikra already told you, nothing more.'

That's what I feared... So, in the end, Nikra's other shared might be our only chance to find out more. Great... Leo would have sighed if he could, yet instead, he had to drown in Nyx's sudden excitement at the idea. Or we can ask around in the Void once we get strong enough. Hell, the Lone Traveler knew about Nikra. He might know about other stuff too.

'No!' Nyx growled, their shared vision darkening. 'The only reason we will ever contact that traitor is to tear him to shreds and consume his soul! He deserves nothing else!'

Leo almost withdrew as her boiling rage attacked from all sides. It filled their link, their minds without a warning. However, before it could advance any further, his own bloodlust sparked, pushing the rage back.

Enough! Leo roared, his command washing away Nyx's overwhelming emotions. Only then did his own bloodlust back off. Calm down for fuck's sake. You are supposed to be the one helping me control my rage, not the other way around... Now explain. What do you mean by the Traveler being a traitor?

'Forgive me...' Nyx mumbled, and Leo felt her tails slump, dragging behind her on the ground. 'Even if you told me to distance myself from Nikra, in this instance, I just can't. Not now, not ever...'

Explain, Leo repeated, not really caring about any apologies.

'The Lone Traveler,' she spat. 'Before you two parted ways, he gave you a name, someone to seek out once you landed in the Void.'

Tarak.

'Exactly... The Traveler's true name. Shared by Nikra's youngest sibling, the same one who betrayed them during the war... Nikra recognized his Essence signature during your conversation and warned you. Do you understand now, Leo? Do you understand why you can't go to him?'

Leo's mind froze and instantly got ejected back into his body. The warehouse came back into sight as he flinched, rolling around to rest on his knees.

Shit... I thought nothing could beat finding out about the System's creators, but this... Fuck! Nyx! He knows about me. Knows where I am, what I am!

His hands trembled; hell, his entire body did as Leo's mind conjured one bloody scenario after another. Death, so much death caused by the single fact that he had stumbled upon Nikra's shard. The Traveler seemed like a friendly fellow, but now that the truth was revealed, his presence only spelled trouble.

'Leo... Leo!' Nyx screamed, piercing through the fog around her partner's mind. 'Calm down. Deep, slow breaths.'

Leo chuckled, the laugh somehow deranged and bitter at the same time. "Calm down? I have a fucking evil Old One waiting for me! An all-powerful entity that could probably kill me with a wave of their hand. He might not be here yet, but now it's obvious he has some kind of a plan prepared for me."

Even as his rant ended, leaving him gasping for air, Nyx didn't say a thing. She retreated from Leo's mind and waited until his breathing subsided. Only then did she speak up.

'I know how it looks. I can feel what you feel after all... But Leo, you have time. No... we have time. I don't know how long it will take Tarak to realize you know who he is, but until then, we can prepare and grow stronger. Maybe it won't be enough. Maybe we will die in the end. But we won't find out until we try... So adapt, Leo. Adapt or die. Together.'

Nyx's presence came back in full force, her warmth enveloping him like a soft blanket. Slowly, Leo watched as the tremble in his hands subdued, the constant shivers fading away. All the worries and what-ifs still drifted through his mind, but at least they didn't try to overwhelm him any longer.

"... Thanks," Leo whispered, rising to his feet. "I needed this."

'That's what I'm here for, Leo. I won't let Hunter's sacrifice go in vain.'

Nodding, he opened his status.

Name: Leonardo Brown
Title: Nikra's Legacy
Evolution Stage: II - Prime Night Hunter
Class: Assassin | LVL. 16
Job: Hunter
Rank: E-

Might Tier I (29) | LB: 27
Grace: Tier II (21) | LB: 24
Vision: Tier I (32) | LB: 26
Mind: Tier II (2) | LB: 0
Soul: Tier I (32) | LB: 16

Ether: 658

Traits: Cloud Walker (Uncommon), Void-borne (Rare), True Affinity: Shadow (Rare), Low-end Akirian Physiology (Rare), True Bond (Unique)
Mutations: Heart of the Void (Beta), Enhanced Vision (Gamma)
Racial Skills: Universal Linguist (Unique), Identify (Unique), Soul Arts (Rare), Devour (Epic), Night Hunter's Blade Mastery (Rare), Ruthless Efficiency (Radiant)
General Skills: True Stealth (Uncommon), Vital Strike (Common), Reinforcement (Uncommon), Kiss of Death (Uncommon), Hunter's Pulse (Epic), Decoy (Uncommon), Soul Well (Epic), Phantom Erasure (Rare)

"For any other survivor, growth like this would have been enough; it should have been enough," Leo snorted, dismissing the window. "But not for me, eh? I need to do better if I want to survive and protect the few I have left. Nothing else matters from now on..."

Within his mind, Nyx roared. At the same time, his bloodlust spiked, filling Leo with energy he had been missing ever since the fight inside the nest ended. Ruthless Efficiency almost activated on its own; however, he pulled back its reins, freezing the incoming cold rage in place.

Not yet. The tower is still the priority... But once it's dealt with. We hunt...

---

Despite Leo's resolution to wait until the tower was claimed, he didn't stay idle when Clara finally reached the trainyard. Instead, he and Nyx focused on their bond and what they could share through it.

They mastered Essence and memory transfer within minutes before trying mind and sense share once more. Unlike the last time, they worked together so that the exchange would be seamless and controlled by them both.

For Leo, the concept of throwing his awareness through an alien link took longer to get used to. After all, even if he now lived in a messed up world, most of it happened on the outside. Only Hunter had affected his mind before, and even then, the beast was just another part of him, a split personality of sorts.

However, with Nyx, Leo was now sharing his headspace with another living and thinking entity. Their bond described it well, 'Two souls that are one.' They both had their own bodies, souls, and minds, but in the end, they were still one being if they wanted.

Thus, despite his reluctance, their practice quickly picked up the pace. And so, in return, they ended up capable of sharing one or all of their senses within seconds...

Not gonna lie. This feels weird as hell. Leo snorted as one of his eyes scanned the warehouse while the other shared Nyx's sight. It certainly took a minute or two to not trip when he tried to take a step. I wonder if it can be useful in a fight...

'Once we grow used to the shared vision and invest more points into said attribute? Most likely,' Nyx reasoned as they switched eyes again. 'For now, we shouldn't attempt it.'

Leo nodded. Agree... Still, now that we have this down, it's time for you to show me how to use Eruption properly.

Nyx chuckled. 'Understood. Watch and listen closely...'

---

Shadow Essence surged into one of Leo's tails, a steady flow of bloodlust following right after. It all gathered at the tip, mixing together until he could hold it no longer.

'Now Leo! And remember, don't just let it escape. Control the shadows!'

With a firm nod, Leo stabbed the tail into the ground, finally letting the bubbling Essence go. However, he didn't wholly release his hold. This time, the shadows followed the path he had given them, traveling through the earth like a worm.

Yet, just as Leo expected, the forever wild technique didn't go out without a fight. It stuttered every once in a while, trying to escape his hold, to burst apart and activate earlier than its wielder wanted.

Nonetheless, despite some Essence escaping, Leo squashed the technique's rebellion.

'Good. Now release it in the shape you want.'

Following Nyx's instructions again, he lessened his hold over the technique even more. Instantly, the shadow Essence surged towards the surface, ready to unleash what remained of its power.

Leo let it. And with the remnants of his phantom grasp, he gave the Essence a form.

Eruption.

Within the blink of an eye, shadows burst out of the ground, growing into three small spikes.

'You did it. Good job.'

"Admit, it's pathetic," Leo snorted, watching the tiny formation fade away. "I missed my original target by at least a meter. This shit wouldn't kill anything. And worst of all, it took me about two minutes to make this. Not even close to usable in battle like your Eruption."

'My technique is at Master tier. Yours hasn't even reached Adept. Give it time, Leo. This is only your second successful attempt. And it's already better than the last one.'

"Time..." He sighed. "Alright, let's do it again. We can try Creation later. I want to learn how to create my own golems."

'Of cour... Leo! They are coming out."

Dismissing the already gathered Essence, Leo focused on the image he saw in his right eye. Instantly, their shared gaze fell on Holden and Clara, along with Evan and one other, running across the empty space before the Safe Zone.

Finally...