A Universe of Bloody Evolution

The instant rush of knowledge explained everything about Leo's new ability. It wasn't simple, far from it. Processing all the information he had just received, he could even admit that Decoy didn't hold a candle to Phantom Erasure. At least when it came to the execution, the former could be prepared before battle, while the latter not as much.

Phantom Erasure had to be perfectly executed the moment Leo struck an enemy and not a moment earlier or later. Maybe in the future, that could change, but considering what the ability did, the chances of improving it soon were close to zero. He would need a much better understanding and control of Essence for that.

First, I need to improve Kiss of Death if I want to use both simultaneously... Leo sighed, his gaze traveling over the new skill's description.

Phantom Erasure (Rare)
To kill, you need to strike fast, strike hard. Each direct hit matters and can decide the outcome of each fight. So what if your every attack suddenly gained more power? Say twice as much? Ask no longer, as Phantom Erasure is here for you.
Effects:
Upon each direct hit, you can now leave a sliver of your Essence upon your target. This tiny load of energy will ignite after a moment of delay and mimic your previous attack on the already affected area. This phantom strike cannot be stronger than the original attack.

Overall, Phantom Erasure had the potential to become one of, if not the strongest ability Leo possessed. After all, if he could land one hit that would bring an enemy to their knees, then a follow-up with the same amount of power might as well finish them. Now, he just needed to figure out how to execute it properly while keeping his other skills active.

Maybe tomorrow. I have enough stuff planned for this night... Leo noted, swiping through the description and summoning the last package of System notifications. After that, he could get to work.

Well, almost. He paused, glancing at the Queen's eyes next to him as the System delivered the final messages.

Congratulations! Tasks, Extermination: Earth and Hunt: Ant Queen finished successfully. Do you wish to receive your rewards now?

Yes.

Instantly, light filled the room, the usual dome of Ether spawning on the floor in front of Leo. He averted his gaze, only looking back when the darkness consumed the house once again. He learned enough about the System's deliveries at this point...

Okay, that's new. Leo grimaced, studying the small pulsing object on the ground. It might have been completely black and more malformed than what he had seen in images, but there was no mistaking what the item was.

A heart. A bleeding, still beating heart.

Leo had no clue how it was possible, but he hoped Identify could explain. All he knew was that this should be the random raw item the task spoke of.

Raw indeed. A snort almost escaped Leo as Identify got to work.

Inferior Eternal Heart (Uncommon):
Some creatures and entities of the Void don't require much to survive; sometimes, a heart is all they need. All Eternal Hearts are highly sought by all kinds of alchemists and cooks. Despite that, this item can be eaten raw for a chance of gaining a small permanent increase in base attributes.

Yeah, no... Leo shook his head. There's no way I'm eating this raw. I might be a monster now, but it doesn't mean I need to always act like a wild beast. Besides, it only says about a chance. Might be better to save it for later when I finally find someone who can use it. Or at least cook it...

Hunter sniggered within his mind, giving Leo a mental nudge toward the beating heart. No. If you want to eat it, get a body first. Taking it as a challenge, the beast, along with some bloodlust, surged forward.

Leo froze as, just for a tiny moment, the heart before him looked like the most delicious steak in the country. He blinked once, then twice, scowling as Hunter's howling filled his head again.

Not funny. The beats growled. No, I'm not eating this... It growled again, and Leo let out a long sigh. Okay, listen. If I don't figure out a way to carry it safely by tomorrow, then I will... I will try to eat it.

Taking Hunter's retreat as an agreement, Leo quickly picked up the wet heart and dropped it into his ruined backpack. At least now, he had another incentive to figure out how to store stuff inside his soul.

Can't believe I made a bet with another part of myself. Leo sank into the couch. I'm definitely mad. There is no denying it now...

With a weak chuckle, Leo let the System come out with a notification that appeared along with the rewards. Anything to get his mind off the thought of consuming the heart of some random creature from the Void.

Survivor rewards unlocked. User, you can now gain permanent increases to your Limit Break. Survivor rewards can be obtained via tasks or feats that the System judges worthy. You can always check your current Survivor Boost in your Job menu.

Hunt: Ant Queen Survivor Reward: +1 Grace

Huh, nice... Leo admitted, summoning the mentioned menu and confirming the System's words. He had been wondering about other ways to improve Limit Break, but until now, it seemed like only traits and Install items could make it stronger.

Guess not. At least this way, everyone has a chance to get some use out of Limit Break. Though, I won't say one attribute point is a lot... Maybe it gets better later?

Shaking his head, Leo rose, snatched his items, and stepped deeper into the house. The bathroom was just like he left it. Isolated, closed off, and with plenty of destroyed furniture strewn around. Perfect stuff to block the entrance with.

To think I was in a similar position not even a week ago. Feels like a lifetime with everything that has been going on. Leo chuckled as he finished barricading the door. Oh well, this is life now.

He dropped to the floor, the System's message about the approaching night appearing at the same moment. Leo dismissed it with a thought, ready to ignore the entire world until the next day. With the prospect of eating an alien heart in mind, searching for a way to store items inside his soul seemed like a more important matter than anything else.

Alright, let's start wi... Leo paused as his gaze dropped to his backpack. Almost forgot. The eyes...

A single command was all it took for the System to summon exactly what Leo wanted. Right away, he scanned the menu and smiled just a bit.

Almost there.

Mutation: Enhanced Vision (Gamma Tier)
For many, vision is the most essential sense. So why not make it stronger? Let nothing hide from you with this mutation. Follow your prey where the light doesn't shine.
Effects:
Grants slightly improved eyesight along with strong night vision. In the event of vision loss in the past, this mutation will repair all damages and make your eyes slightly more resistant to damage.

Requirements: 750 Ether, Eyes from a level 15+ beasts, 2 Crystalized Essence.

This single mutation was the only reason why Leo bothered to pluck the Queen's eyeballs out. While Minor Regeneration would have been nice to get, Enhanced Vision was essential. Also, it helped that, unlike other mutations, this one didn't require thousands of Ether.

If Dylan doesn't come back tomorrow, then I can easily get it. Leo noted, sparing his Ether reserves a look.

Ether: 678

Without a doubt, the trip to the Nest Colony was worth it. While the two tasks gave Leo a good chunk of this amount, the hordes of Ameist and the Queen awarded him the rest. Not even the fact that most of those ants gave him only one Ether mattered at this point.

Though, Leo frowned. With another level up, I wouldn't be surprised if they stopped giving even that much... Ah, whatever, I have work to do. I can see about the ants when the place opens up again.

Completely shutting off the System, he took a deep breath and reached within himself for the hundredth time. He had a skill to create and bet to win. No way in hell he was eating that damned heart.

And so, with Hunter still sniggering in his mind, Leo got to work.

---

Come on! Come on! Fuck! Leo hissed as the Essence around a small piece of wood evaporated. He had felt it, the pull of something trying to enter his soul. Yet, just when it seemed like the process worked, the entire technique shattered into pieces.

Okay... Don't let the anger consume you, Leo. You are close now... Must be close after all those hours.

With a firm nod, Leo calmed his breathing and picked up the wooden piece again. Essence rushed out, enveloping the thing in a crimson cocoon. With another sharp tug, the energy tightened around the object.

Step one. Done. Next.

The Essence of the cocoon slowly slipped into the wooden surface. Deep enough to create an even stronger hold, yet not deep enough to destroy the object. Making a mistake here could lead to a disaster. A fact Leo had learned about when another piece of wood exploded into splinters in his hands.

Good that I'm not practicing with Crystalized Essence. Leo grimaced. Now, for the third and final step... Please work. I'm really running out of ideas.

The base of this particular plan came from Devour, or rather the last step of it. A step that Leo now had to execute to perfection.

One. Two. Three.

At once, every single bit of Essence filling his body pulled at the energy enveloping the wooden object. Just like Devour did, Leo led it back into his soul even as the glow around the item grew brighter and brighter.

The stronger the pull got, the harder the sea of Essence was to control. It begged to be unleashed back, to be let out into the world, but Leo didn't let it. He gritted his teeth, keeping one hundred percent of his mind focused on the tug of war.

The battle continued for minutes, maybe even longer, but then, something clicked. All of the Essence Leo possessed dived back into his soul, the glow in his hands fading away. The System also acted, a notification springing into existence.

Leo ignored it and just looked down at his open palms.

"It's gone," he muttered. "Holy shit... I did it."

However, before the euphoria from the success could consume Leo, a single thought crossed his mind. Instantly, the smile on his face vanished.

Wait... How the hell do I get it out? System?! Hello?!

Right away, Leo summoned the System notification back, hoping for the usual rush of knowledge. Only, it never came, and he was left staring at the description of his new skill.

Shit...

Soul Weel (Epic)
The soul of every living being hides an unlimited potential. Keeping your possessions safe is just the tip of the iceberg of what a soul can achieve. Your journey has just begun.
Effects:
The User is now capable of storing objects within their soul. Please note that the amount of items you can hold depends on the strength of your soul.

---

Despite the initial panic, Leo, with Hunter's help, accepted the new challenge and got to work once more. It took another few hours, but by the time the System's notification about the Night's end came, the piece of wood was back in his hands.

Overall, pulling an object out wasn't that hard. Leo just had to perform the reverse of what he did to bring it inside. The tricky part came with finding the hidden item inside his soul...

Hopefully, it will get easier with time. Leo grunted, removing the final parts of the door barricade. While he didn't store the rest of his stuff yet, he also didn't have time for that now.

Dylan could arrive at their meeting spot soon. What the man possibly learned was ten times more important than anything Leo possessed.

I will come back for this later. He glanced at the pile of broken furniture in the corner, his own stuff hiding beneath it.

The hour begins now...