A Universe of Bloody Evolution

"Nesting Gates... Despite everything, they are truly something extraordinary. Yes, their appearance might be nothing special. After all, it's only a gate. Made out of Void's living matter, but still a gate. And that's why you will surely ask: 'So why are they extraordinary?' Well, my dear readers, the answer is quite simple.

Pocket dimensions.

Nesting Gates are capable of forming small pocket dimensions inside the Void to suit the needs of Voidlings from the Nest. Mountains, volcanoes, deep forests... Anything can happen inside those things. Of course, there are limits to those dimensions, but in the long run, they don't matter much."

~Study of the Void by Unknown

---

Leo didn't have to wait long for the System to act... The moment he claimed the task rewards, a golden orb of light burst from the floor before him. Instantly, he turned away, hissing as the light tingled all over his skin, almost burning.

Is this my weakness to Ether, or am I just too close to this bloody thing?

Considering the warning in his new Akirian trait, it really could be the former. However, the description only mentioned weapons being more harmful, not Ether overall.

Unless this shit is somehow weaponized... Now that would be fucking fantastic. Leo grumbled, setting his gaze back on the sizzling orb that, with each second, lost some natural radiance before fading away completely.

In its place, the mysterious sphere left six items, and Leo couldn't help but slump a bit when he noticed the last object. I guess I shouldn't have expected much from a common hunting item. He sighed. More knives can never be bad, right? Even if I don't really need them.

Shrugging, Leo ignored the small skinning knife shaped like a machete and snatched one of the five golden flares off the floor. The item wasn't much different from any other hand flare — a short tube with a slightly larger lid. Apart from that, there was nothing else on it. No instructions, no images painted on the tube, nothing, nada.

Well, Identify it is.

Ether Flare (Common):
A common grade Ether flare issued by the System. As one of the few items capable of producing Ethereal fire, it can ward off Nightmares during the night or discourage normal Voidlings during the day. To turn it on, please open the lid and channel a single spark of Essence into the flare. As the lowest grade, the Ethereal fire will burn only for a minute. Please note that this item will break down after running out of fuel.

Huh... So there is a way to protect yourself from those night terrors.

Not that Leo had any encounters with those damned monsters ever since the first night. His hiding spots, the trip to the Void, and some luck definitely had a factor in that, yet he knew this wouldn't last. Those demons lived somewhere inside the city, and the longer he survived, the odds of crossing paths with them were getting higher and higher.

Happy thoughts. Leo snorted and flipped the flare. These little things definitely made the night a bit less scary. Although a minute of this so-called 'Ethereal fire' wasn't much. Enough to escape or think of a plan, maybe, but to survive the entire night? Not even close.

Still useful as fuck. It can even be used against normal Voidlings... Now only one question remains. Will this damned fire burn me? I would certainly count it as a weapon…

He could, of course, flip the lid and light up this bloody thing, but it most definitely wasn't a good or even decent idea. Considering Leo's current state, position, and overall situation, running tests on a new item seemed like the most idiotic plan he could come up with.

Yeah, I had enough brilliant ideas for today. Not that I can complain about the results, but still…

Letting the flare drop to the floor, Leo wobbly rose to his feet, cursing under his breath when his tails almost got in the way. This is really gonna be a pain. Just like before, he leaned his body slightly forward to balance the weight and forced his tails to at least stop swaying for one damned second.

Definitely needs getting used to.

For a few minutes, Leo just stalked around the small bathroom like a headless chicken with three legs. He pretty much managed to bump into every possible wall, and those cursed tails had already forced him to his knees three times. They just wouldn't stop coming in the way of his legs.

Can you stop being fucking annoying? He scowled, once more trying to command the willful limbs. Humans just weren't meant to have tails... but I'm no longer one, eh?

Taking a deep breath, Leo resumed his trek around the room, giving the tails his complete focus. There was no way he could go outside without at least partial control of those accursed limbs. This kind of weakness pretty much ensured death and not necessarily from Voidlings.

Now that would be a way to go. Killed by cracking my skull on the pa- Fuck! Leo barely held the scream in as he barrelled to the ground, tails slipping between his legs once more.

Void fucking damn it...

---

The shaky feeling of control came later than Leo wanted, but probably still much faster than it normally should for someone who just gained three new limbs. He was still far from perfectly commanding those bloody menaces, but at least now he could stop them from flailing around like branches during a hurricane.

At least I still have some time before nightfall. Leo grimaced as he trudged through the corridor before pausing by the bodies of the two officers.

Sorry for that.

Without another word, he quickly switched his ruined pants for a new pair, courtesy of one of the policemen. They didn't fit Leo perfectly, and his tails got in the way, but after some modifications with one of the claws, the piece of clothing at least managed to cover everything it should.

Bit uncomfortable, but will do for now. He nodded, finishing buckling the belt and the pistol harness. Now to gather the loot.

Although his backpack remained mostly intact, with only one strap torn to pieces, there was no way Leo could carry it on his back. Not with the addition of spikes to his upper back and spine. As such, he took the belt and harness from the second officer and simply used them to fasten the backpack to his lower back, just above the three tails.

Not bad. Leo grinned, his razor-sharp teeth showing.

It was far from perfect, but it didn't stop him from throwing all the knives, ammo, and one of the pistols into the pack. With safety flipped on, of course. Getting a bullet into his behind because he forgot about such an important detail was the last thing he wanted.

Even if I'm not taking their class weapons, I will still need to figure out a story for those. Leo sighed as he slipped the second gun into his harness. While for him, the death of the two officers wasn't much of a problem, he really doubted it would be the same for the others.

I can always say I found them, and if they don't believe me... well, then that's not really my problem. Yeah, would be a pity to lose people who know me this fast, but I can always figure out something else. After all, I know where the other group is…

With a firm nod, Leo returned to the main corridor and approached the exit, the last rays of the red Sun already dancing across his skin. He was just about to step out when a single thought stopped him.

Right... I should at least check if it's still working…

Raising his left arm, Leo let a small burst of Essence surge through the entire limb. At once, illegible symbols spread all over the skin, their green glow burning just as brightly as any other day.

Good. Was worried for a second that evolution destroyed it.

Spectral Inscription: Valron Coverage (Common)
A Spectral Inscription item made by a skilled craftsman. Created using Valron ore and Runic Essence. Due to years of unuse, the item's quality deteriorated. Can now be repaired with System Honing.
Effect: Chosen body part becomes slightly harder to pierce.
Active: Valron Endurance - Channel Essence to create a protective layer of spectral skin over the chosen area.
Area of Use: Any single area on the User's body

I really should have checked this before. Leo shook his head lightly. Honestly, apart from sometimes using Valron Endurance to block an attack, he had mostly forgotten about this item.

Well, at least now I have another thing to do when I return to the others... Also, if I'm doing a full check, I might as well complete the round... Didn't have a chance to take a peak after the evolution yet.

Name: Leonardo Brown
Title: Nikra's Legacy
Evolution Stage: II - Prime Night Hunter
Class: Assassin | LVL. 11
Job: Hunter
Rank: F+

Might Tier I (16) | LB: 21
Grace: Tier I (37) | LB: 17
Vision: Tier I (18) | LB: 21
Mind: Tier I (29) | LB: 0
Soul: Tier I (18) | LB: 11

Ether: 132

Traits: Assassin's Grace (Common), Void-borne (Rare), True Affinity: Shadow (Rare), Low-end Akirian Physiology (Rare),

Mutations: Heart of the Void (Beta)

Racial Skills: Universal Linguist (Unique), Identify (Unique), Essence Control (Uncommon), Devour (Epic), Prime's Rage (Unique), Night Hunter's Blade Mastery (Rare)

General Skills: True Stealth (Uncommon), Vital Strike (Common), Reinforcement (Uncommon), Kiss of Death (Uncommon), Hunter's Pulse (Epic), Decoy (Uncommon)

Still F+, but I didn't really expect to jump ranks from evolution and one level alone. Maybe soon, though... Leo's gaze slowly fell to the attributes, and his brow furrowed lightly, or rather as much as his new body allowed. Despite all the points and percentage boosts, they are still Tier I... At this point, I'm starting to wonder if this isn't a glitch.

Shrugging, Leo's claws tore through the status, dismissing it altogether.

Alright, time to go.

The street didn't change much since he crawled inside the building half-alive. In the distance, corpses of Voidlings still layered the ground where he had left them, while the building directly connected to the street by the Wasteland lay in ruins. The dust had also long since settled, once more revealing the way leading back toward the tainted land.

Drain the Voidlings, take a peek, and nothing more. Leo swore as he weaved through the empty street. Despite growing a bit larger thanks to evolution, the posture he now assumed pretty much nullified any gain in height.

At least I don't have to worry about more Voidlings here. Guess you have my thanks, officers. He mused, spotting several beasts lying dead on the sides. A few of them happened to be in his path, and they quickly lost whatever life force remained in them to Leo's claws.

Much better. He smiled as the aches finally faded away, leaving only almost empty Essence reserves behind. Still much better than when I woke up. I should be able to pull it off now without worrying too much.

Reaching into his laughable reserves, Leo grasped half of what remained and dragged the energy out by force. Even with the four new points in Mind, Essence's wildness still reared its head, hoping to fight against his grip. However, another sharp tug quickly quashed the rebellion before it even began.

Shit... Definitely slightly harder to control. I will need at least another level up before it goes back to normal. Yet not all was lost as the moment the blanket of True Stealth fell over his body, Leo instantly registered how much stronger the layer got.

It might hold even when I lose control. Maybe even hides me better? Will need to check later.

Once more under the cover of his skill, Leo went from Voidling to Voidling, his own kills included, and devoured them all. With each body, his reserves slowly recovered, the creatures' Essence dripping into his own soul, becoming one with what was already there.

The moment the dust from the last corpse scattered in the wind, Leo's gaze shifted towards another path — the one leading to the Wasteland. The building he had fallen from lay just a few meters away, beckoning him, and he couldn't help but answer the call.

Swallowing hard, he took one step forward and then another. Only the last standing wall of buildings — the same one he initially scouted the Wasteland from — hid this accursed place from his eyes, and Leo was ready to see the destruction he wrought. Even if it was by accident.

Just a peek.