A Universe of Bloody Evolution

"Race: Nightmare Voidling | Subspecies: Collector
Expected Potential: E to E+
Weapon of choice: Claws, Strength
Known weaknesses: Sense of Sight
One of the few Nightmares born with each new Outbreak. Out of the usual starting trio, Collectors are the most dangerous in a fight. They are fast, strong and durable. Only their sense of sight stops them from being the ultimate predators of the Night that no one can escape from. Unfortunately, they are usually supported by Scouters, thus rendering their disadvantage null during a pursuit. To stay out of their path, it is wise to not have any dead bodies in your vicinity."
~New entry in Leo's Bestiary. Opened right before Collector's first attack.

Forcefully stopped, you say? Leo snorted, glancing at the boiling corpse next to him that, at this point, already turned into a puddle of blood and steaming flesh. There was nothing forceful about it. Just pure idiocy and the power of the the big flashlight above.

Leo shook his head. He really didn't expect the Nightmare to go after him. Those beasts were supposed to be creatures of the Night, a fact only proved by the sunlight's effect on them. Yet, for some reason, this single Collector decided to push past the flare and right into the Sun just to kill him.

A lesson learned, only for me though. Leo chuckled, averting his eyes from the corpse. Evidently those fuckers are willing to give up their lives just to have a shot at taking down another survivor. Some messed up shit, but better learn about it now than later...

As Leo's gaze passed over the hole leading into the mall, he shuddered. At least only one decided to forfeit its life. No way I could have survived against two or more... Hell, I must have burned through a shit tone of Ether just to live through this.

And wasn't that the truth...

Despite starting this fight with Limit Break at half power, Leo pushed it to one hundred and fifty percent once the beast got too close for his liking. He maintained it and Reinforcement until the Collector slapped him away, thus sacrificing over a hundred of Ether if his quick calculations weren't wrong.

And to think I almost had enough for the mutation. Leo sighed. Not that it really matters. Without Limit Break, I would've been dead. Some Ether and additional strain on my soul is a low price to pay instead...

Swiping the System's message away, Leo let the next one come forward.

Collector (LVL: 21) slain | Experience awarded | 53 Ether gained

Huh? Leo's eyes widened just a bit. Twenty-one? Bloody hell, how? Were they born with a higher level, or is it something else? I mean, there are hundreds of corpses inside, but no way that's enough. Not for so many Nightmares...

He shook his head. Nothing good would come from thinking about it. There was no way to find the answer now, and Leo had plenty of better things to worry about. Somehow, Nightmares' horrifying growth speed was low on the list of his troubles...

At least I got back almost half of the Ether I lost. Not bad overall. Leo shrugged, checking the total number again. Still not enough for the mutation, but nothing a dozen or two of Voidlings can't change.

With that, the notification disappeared, only to be replaced by another one, a much more welcome one.

Level 16 reached. Class and Racial attributes have been distributed. Please assign your 3 free attributes.

Suppose a level twenty-one beast had to be enough to bring me over the edge. Leo hummed, slowly considering his choices. I could go for the same distribution as before. Or maybe put more into Might if this fight taught me anything...

Yet even if the prospect of becoming harder to kill sounded quite nice to Leo's ears, his gaze hovered over the Mind attribute. Forty-six with all effectiveness boosts. With one more coming from class and race each, I only need two more for ascension...

At that moment, the choice that came with each level disappeared. Leo remembered the burst of power that appeared with the last ascension, the difference between a Mortal and a Supernatural. Nothing could compare to that, definitely not a few points in Might just to make his trip back a bit easier.

System. Put all points into Mind.

At once, every single ounce of Essence inside Leo's soul came to a halt. His mind cleared, focused entirely on the mythical energy capable of anything. And then, like never before, his thoughts touched the frozen power that seemed so far, yet closer than ever.

To Leo's surprise, his Essence didn't run or try to escape his phantom hold. Instead, it intertwined with his thoughts, with his mind, strengthening the connection between the two to heights he never expected to see, to feel.

And just like that, the process finished, Leo's Essence resuming its lazy flow inside his soul. However, the newly formed connection never disappeared; his mind now constantly intertwined with the energy as it waited for a command.

Then have it…

With naught but a thought, Leo summoned his Essence outside. Before he could even blink, it rushed out, forming a perfect, solid crimson orb hanging above his open palm.

"Holy…" Leo muttered as he ordered the orb to change shapes each second. Not once did it waver, and not even for a moment did it require direct contact with his skin for more Essence to flow into it. "So much control…"

Not waiting another second, Leo gave his soul another tug, and shadows dived out. A long spear formed, floating in the air without any chain linking it back to his body. Hell, it even changed shapes just like the orb did.

This is the next step. Leo blinked before hurling the spear forward. At first, everything seemed alright, yet once the construct passed a few meters, it exploded, bursting into a cloud of shadows.

Despite the failure, Leo had a wide, bloody grin on his face. The ascension of Mind attribute fixed an issue with Creation he had wanted to correct ever since he received this technique. That it didn't work perfectly on the first try didn't matter at all.

Best choice I had made since this bullshit started. Leo admitted as he went through almost every skill he knew. Even Decoy, which he used only once before, barely took a few seconds to form. He didn't even have to focus too hard on intent for the illusion to slither out of his body.

And what do you have to say, System? Leo called out, finally dispersing all of his creations. Even if all of this took barely a minute or two, the clock was still ticking after all.

Congratulation! Your Mind ascended past the Mortal Tier (50). Second Supernatural tier obtained.

Thanks to your Mind ascending to the Supernatural Tier, your Essence Control skill has evolved. Congratulations! Soul Arts skill gained.

Soul Arts (Rare)
Like every stroke of a painter's brush, with enough dedication, every single move of your Essence can also become an art. For Soul Arts, imagination is the limit, and now your mind and soul are working together to break past it.
Effects:
This skill greatly improves the control over your Essence. Soul Arts remembers everything. The efficiency of this skill improves with your Mind and Soul.

Soul Arts... Similar to what the System said during the awakening. Leo noted, checking the description again. Seems like it's connected to what I felt during ascension... No idea what 'Soul Arts remembers everything' is supposed to mean though. Another thing to figure out later...

Leo shook his head, letting the skill notification fade away. He waited a moment for the next to come and wasn't disappointed when a message he had previously ignored returned.

The System has acquired enough information about Wolford's Graveyard. Do you wish to display the collected assessment now?

Might as well. Doubt you will have anything new for me here. Not with this kind of message.

Wolford's Graveyard | Threat: D- | Status: Fledging Nightmare Factory | Corruption: Stage I (Accelerated)

I stand corrected...

Leo swallowed hard. The threat ranking alone should have earned such a reaction from him, but for some reason, that wasn't it. Instead, his gaze stayed glued to the Corruption part, a pit forming in his stomach.

Stage one. Accelerated. Leo didn't know why, didn't know how, but both he and Hunter, somehow, deep inside, understood what this meant. Darkness. Ever spreading darkness, consuming what remained of the light... Army, legions of Nightmares...

'Void. Death.' Hunter added, earning a shiver from Leo. Those two simple words reverberated through his mind as images flashed before his eyes. Images of horrors his imagination wasn't capable of conjuring.

This is bad. Very fucking bad. Leo gritted his teeth, rising from the ground even as half his body throbbed in pain. Any idea how long it will take for things to progress to that point?

Hunter screeched, denying everything. The beast once more only knew as much as Leo. Disappointing but not surprising at all.

Again, would be nice if you woke up Nikra. Leo scowled, stopping right at the hole leading back into the mall. This place is a ticking bomb, and I need to know how to defuse it.

Yet, like each time before, the Old One didn't answer. Only Hunter's soft growling filled his mind, with Nikra nowhere to be seen.

Shit! Leo hissed, walking away from the lone pair of violet eyes watching him from the darkness of the office below. They didn't move even an inch, evidently not wanting to share the Collector's fate...

'Return. Must.' Hunter growled again, forcing Leo's speeding thoughts to come to a halt. The beast most likely recognized that walking in circles, both outside and inside, wouldn't help anyone.

I know. I know... Leo squeezed his eyes shut, taking a deep breath. I just don't have a single idea how to deal with this. Nests I can take. Tainted Wastelands, probably too. But this, Hunter? This is beyond us, beyond anyone here. And I can bet you that there are hundreds, if not thousands, more places like this one...

This time, Hunter remained silent.

Leo sighed as he reached the edge of the roof, a few Vetilim webs ready to carry him to a building on the other side of the road. No matter how the System's assessment of the Graveyard troubled him, Hunter was right. They had to go back.

Can't do much more than warn them anyway. We are all too weak to do anything about this place. Leo admitted even if it hurt him to do so. Weak didn't survive in this world, and if nothing changed, he and everyone he cared about would die.

Adapt or die, Leo. Adapt or die. There is nothing in between.