A Universe of Bloody Evolution

"I woke up in pieces, broken, barely clinging to the string of life. This mortal body should've never been able to hold the power of an aspect, diminished as it is. Yet, somehow I managed to open my eyes, only to find the world changed, almost dead, just like me. It took me a while to adapt to the new reality, but at least now I have a goal."

~ Peria, 1st incarnation after the collapse

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There was nothing around him. Leo constantly felt a slight pull on his Essence, yet he saw nothing. It was like traveling through the darkness but without the darkness. Like a true void.

This shouldn't be possible. A simple thought, yet one that crossed Leo's mind constantly as he drifted through the nothingness. Am I incapable of comprehending what is happening around me? Is that why I can't even see a single color?

Those were only a few questions from the pile that grew with every second Leo spent in this place. At least back on Earth, the System was somewhat helpful, but now?

Now Leo couldn't even open his status, much less activate Identify or any other functions. Although he wasn't sure if that was because he lost the ability to see or if this place somehow interfered with the System.

And wasn't that a scary thought?

The System was a constant ever since Leo woke up in this new twisted universe for the first time. While not as helpful as he'd have liked, it still offered assistance when Leo truly needed it. And now, without access to the System's base functions, Leo felt almost naked and more alone than ever.

I swear, I will punch this Traveler if I ever meet him again. Fucker could have warned me. Leo grumbled like a little child.

Yet, despite his current situation, Leo couldn't be furious with the mysterious man. The Traveler had saved his life, answered most of his questions, and hopefully provided him with a safe way home.

Definitely not a fast one. Leo sighed, and just then, an invisible string pulled harder on his Essence. An inaudible gasp instantly escaped his lips, and Leo finally saw.

Some distance ahead of him, in the middle of the nothingness, a blue portal hung. It sparked, bulging as it stretched into different forms, never staying still for even a blink of an eye.

This must be it, a way out. A thought that quickly became apparent the moment he noticed a single red strand extending from the portal to his body. Then there was the fact that he was flying like a bullet toward the everchanging exit.

Leo grimaced. This is gonna hurt. Again...

Just then, Leo's body shot right into the portal. A sudden blast of air hit him straight in the face as he exited on the other side, eyes wide. Fuck!

Leo bit back a scream that threatened to escape his throat as he crashed right into the ground. He skidded along the pavement, gritting his teeth as bruises formed all over his body. Leo even heard a crack or two and prayed that whatever he had just broken wasn't too important.

Yeah, I'm definitely punching that fucker. Leo groaned, rolling onto his stomach and trying to pull himself up with his stiff arms. Another array of notifications almost blinded Leo. Yet, only one thing registered in his mind when a familiar oppressive aura settled onto his shoulders.

Shit, it's nighttime. Leo cursed, eyes opening.

In a flash, he sprung to his feet, his eyes darting left and right in hopes of piercing through the surrounding darkness. Leo's corrupted arm provided barely any visibility, and he didn't dare to summon light above his hand.

Ever so slowly, he finally noticed streaks of red and violet piercing through the dark all around him. Minding his steps, Leo activated True Stealth and dashed to the nearest light.

Screams and screeches exploded all around him, only at this point, those sounds were nothing more than background music. Horrifying but familiar and almost soothing in their own weird way...

There! Leo shouted internally as his hand reached toward the blend of red and violet streaks of light. Just as his palm brushed the familiar hard yet soft on surface material, Leo snatched his hand away.

Vetilim? Fuck! I should have realized what it was. But why is it everywhere? Where did the violet parts come from? Shit!

Leo's head snapped in every possible direction, his eyes searching frantically for another way out. Only just like before, he found nothing. And as dangerous as a Nest could be, there was no way anything was worse than staying outside in the middle of the night.

Shit, shit, shit! Where is the fucking entrance! Leo growled as he ran along the Vetilim-covered wall, the pulsing of his new hearth echoing in his ears. Just no Nightmares inside. Please, I really don't ask for much!

With that plea on his mind, Leo sped up, his gaze constantly searching for any signs of entrance or danger. Here! Jumping over a fallen door half consumed by Vetilim, Leo quickly dashed through an opening in the wall.

The veins on Leo's tainted arm instantly shone brighter, bathing a small reception room he had just entered in a soft glow. Well, it used to be a reception room. With Vetilim covering every possible surface and continuing to grow outward, this place now resembled the entrance to a monster's jaws.

I have to find an isolated room and barricade myself there. No way I'm going into the warehouse. No need to stir the nest. Nodding, Leo stepped towards a lone corridor, only to freeze when a sudden hiss filled the small chamber.

I hate my life...

Slowly turning towards the noise, Leo's healthy hand drifted to his belt, ready to draw one of his knives. There was no way in hell that he could get out of this without a fight. A fact that was only reinforced by the sight in front of him.

There, in the corner of this small room, just where the remains of a reception desk laid, a small figure stood. Its ruby eyes glared at Leo with unnerving intensity, while its shadowy fur blended almost perfectly with the chamber's darkness.

Shadow Tail (Voidling) | Rank: F | LVL: 5

The mutated cat bristled as another hiss escaped its throat. Only this time, the sound didn't fade away. Instead, more of the same answered the call of the lonely monster, sending shivers down Leo's spine.

Of course, that has to be more... Nothing can be easy lately. He scowled, one of his knives now tightly gripped in Leo's hand.

Taking it as a sign, the cat jumped off the desk, sailing towards the lone human in the room. Leo didn't respond in kind and stood his ground, green symbols spreading across his tainted arm.

Now!

Taking a single step to the side, Leo slashed at the monster, half-expecting the attack to work. To some degree, it did, as the moment Leo's knife touched the cat, its body burst into a cloud of shadows.

Leo didn't get a chance to ponder this new bit of information as, almost instantly, another hiss came from behind him. He spun on his heel and cut at another incoming ball of fur. The little almost growled mid flight before, just like its predecessor, bursting into shadows.

What th... "Fuck!" Leo growled, almost jumping when something dug into his barely-covered back, scratching and biting like possessed.

Twisting his neck, Leo glared at the monster attached to his back. Thinking quickly, he reached with his claws, ready to tear the cursed furball to shreds. Yet, when his hand got too close, the feline jumped straight into the cloud of shadows, where it faded from sight.

Shadow travel and cloning? Fucking great... This better work, or I might have a problem. Leo backed off, a massive surge of Essence rushing into his taint as it lit up like a Christmas tree.

With the entire room now bathed in soft red light, Leo traced the few barely visible shadows as they moved and twisted unnaturally. Not even a second later, three Shadow Tails jumped out of the disappearing hideouts, barring their needle-like teeth.

Thank god. Leo sighed, a faint black aura spreading across his knife's blade. Now just please die when I hit you.

The three monsters attacked all at once. Their nimble bodies carried them much faster than even the Cursed Runner Leo encountered on his way back into Wolford. As such, he was forced to roll away from the first barrage.

As the cats sailed past him, Leo quickly righted himself and threw a punch at the closest beast. For a moment, he thought that his fist connected, but the cat soon proved Leo wrong and burst into another cloud of shadows.

For fuck sake! He growled and sidestepped another attack from the two remaining cats. A quick Identify confirmed that those were indeed different monsters, not clones. There is no way they can do this indefinitely, right?

Like a game of Whack-a-mole, Leo danced between the three's wild jumps and slashed at the annoying beasts whenever they jumped out. Cloud after cloud was formed, but never more than three. No matter how frustrating this ability was, at least each Shadow Tail could only keep one cloud active.

Yet, it didn't change the fact that with three portals, those beasts could blindside Leo quite easily if they attacked from every possible angle at once. The dark blood dripping down his entire upper body definitely didn't escape on its own...

Leo even tried to cut the shadow clouds, but just like everything else, it didn't do shit. The only thing he didn't try was the Crystalized Essence, and Leo wasn't mad enough to try that. During the night, no less.

Hold up, what if... Leo stuttered, wincing as more liquid slid down his arm.

Returning the favor and bursting another cat into a cloud, he grinned and pushed his tainted arm into the shadows. Green symbols flared to life anew, but Leo paid them no mind and only focused on the cloud in front of him and the cats jumping around.

With a single command, Essence rushed into his left palm in waves, begging to be released. Yet, Leo still held, beads of sweat forming on his forehead as the pressure got stronger and stronger. And then, unfiltered and untamed, Leo pushed the Essence out.

'Boom'

Groaning, Leo tumbled across the floor, Valron Coverage shattering into a burst of green particles. Not that it was all bad, as in the corner of his vision, Leo spotted one of the beasts flying through the air, its fur bleeding red.

Got you. Leo coughed, climbing to his feet. The other cats evidently didn't expect this to happen, as they stopped their onslaught. Their ruby gaze burned with hatred, which made Leo crack a smirk.

Not so sure of yourself now, eh? This time Leo didn't wait and rushed forward. The two beasts hissed and responded in kind, meeting him halfway. Round two. Five minutes.

Their dance continued, although with one beast down, Leo had no problem keeping up. Something that his bloody body was undoubtedly grateful for. The cats could hiss and piss as much as they wanted, but now Leo had the advantage.

While it took another ten minutes to kill the remaining beasts, Leo didn't complain. It was a much better alternative than exploding his arm or running back into the night.

Well, that was a workout... Leo sighed as he drained the last beast, the glow around his taint dying out a bit. He rose and moved into the corridor. This place had to have at least one room where he could rest.

The answer came in the form of another hallway that Leo quickly entered, knowing damn well where the other one led. Until he created another way to deal with the shadow clouds, he had no plans of conquering this Nest.

Finally... Slipping past a broken door, Leo nodded at the sight inside.

Desks and chairs laid scattered across the floor, half eaten by the Void's living matter. Here and there, Leo spotted bits of computers and other devices, but apart from that, the room was empty, almost too empty.

At least there are no windows... Just for good measure, Leo tucked himself into a far-off corner and fuelled more Essence into his taint. He fully expected a Shadow Tail or two to find him during the night, and Leo would rather see them when they appeared.

Besides, it wasn't like the stronger glow took a lot of Essence to maintain, even with True Stealth active. The increased power of his energy and high Mind attribute definitely paid dividends.

Leo leaned his head against the cool Vetilim, a long sigh leaving his lips. Another sleepless night, just great... Might as well see what the System has for me.

You have entered a planet during its night period. Find shelter or prepare for a fight.

Job Hunt: Cursed Humans failed. Reason: Time limit has elapsed.

Fuck! That's not good... I should still have about half a day for this quest. What the hell happened? How long was I in the Void? Leo gritted his teeth, fist clenching. What if he was gone for days and someone in his family died because he couldn't reach them?

Don't go there, Leo. He scowled, quickly taking a deep breath. Don't overreact until you know what really happened. Next.

Entering the Nest of Shadow Tails. Find the core to destroy or conquer this instance.

Conquer? You mean like take this place for myself? The System didn't answer, and Leo shook his head, moving on to the next notification. If the entity didn't want to explain, then Leo could do nothing to change that.

Shadow Tail x3 slain | Experience awarded | 7 Ether gained | Night bonus: 3 Ether

Not bad. Leo shrugged. The additional reward was welcome, although he expected more from a night bonus. Now show me the new evolution requirements. I have waited long enough.

Void Requirements:
50 Ether (70/50), Mutation: Heart of the Void, 72 hours of Sated Status (79/72)
Evolution Unlocked: Prime Void Walker

Thank god for all the Rock Eaters I drained. Leo smiled lightly. Let's see.

Prime Void Walker (Stage II)
Chosen of the Void, rejoice. Embrace the taint of the Void upon your soul and become a Void-borne, the walker of the Abyss. Take your first steps toward becoming a true Akirian, the perfect blend of two opposite worlds.
Effects:
Tainted evolves into Void-borne. Physical evolution involved. All Effectiveness: +10%, +8 Free Attribute points per class level. Natural Mutations: Unlocked

Void-borne (Rare)
Only those who embraced the path of the Void can wield its power. You did just that, and now you can reap the benefits. Go and devour.
Effects:
You can now feed on Essence to strengthen yourself and absorb the power of your enemies. Limit Break: +1 Soul, Might, Grace and Vision per level. Drain evolves into Devour.

Huh, that's much better than Risen Human, even if a bit disconcerting... Still, I kinda expected more from the evolved trait. Compared to evolution, it is a bit underwhelming. Leo mused before pulling up Devour's description.

Oh, wow... Now it makes a lot more sense.