“Cursed Voidling line. I think no one will deny it when I say that it is the most famous evolution line amongst the creatures of the Void. No matter the Outbreak, no matter the Cataclysm, you will always be able to find a Cursed Voidborn walking amongst the dead lands. That’s just how every Outbreak works.
Some might call this evolution line the weakest. And while that’s not a particularly wrong thing to say at the beginning of an Outbreak, you need to remember that the versatility of Cursed Voidlings is almost limitless. New Cursed variants are born daily. And even if the difference between them is sometimes abysmal, it still proves their potential—a potential to become the strongest.”
–Creatures of the Void, 42nd Edition
With a last nod from Dylan, Leo strode forward, his ears scarcely registering the rasp of the other man covering the entrance again. The bright red sunlight greeted him anew, and for a moment, he felt grateful for the second Cataclysm. Prior to it, the world was almost completely shrouded in darkness, but now the giant orb in the sky had been given a second wind, a fresh will to live.
Still darker than the old sun, but it could be way worse. No, it is way worse, Leo thought with a weak shake of his head. At least the street is still empty. I have wasted enough time here.
He took a deep breath and dashed forward, his strides barely grazing the ground before propelling him forward once more. Within mere moments, he arrived at the nearest tree and leaped, soaring through the air toward the closest branch.
The forward momentum from the jump carried him even higher as he swung on the branch. For a moment, this entire thing made him remember some of the better days, when he was younger and careless. The days when the simplicity of climbing trees brought him joy that only a child could feel.
However, now it was just another action, a necessity for survival. And yet, Leo couldn’t deny the slight quickening of his heart at the effortless grace of those movements and the way the wind parted around his body. After all, was there ever a person who didn’t fantasize about having superpowers?
Mike, from middle school, would probably beg to differ. Lazy cunt…
Shaking himself out of his reverie, he grasped the edge of a Vetilim platform and hoisted himself up. Thoughts like that didn’t have a place in this new world, at least not now, maybe not ever.
Way to depress myself further. He chuckled wryly, his gaze sweeping over the desolate cityscape. Despite his elevated position, he couldn’t see Nick’s apartment block amidst the remnants of buildings that lost quite a bit of their height during the second cataclysm. He was so close and yet so far at the same time.
Only a few more streets Leo, that’s all. Don’t fuck this up… If I use the roofs, I should be able to get there in a matter of minutes. Only then did his eyes land on the black specks moving through the sky in the distance. Gonna need to be careful. If those Seekers notice me, I will have the entire city after me.
He had already seen those bloody birds a few times on his way into the city. They were not numerous, just a few groups of three or four, but it was enough to convince him to keep his feet on the ground. There was no reason to risk it, but now?
Now he wanted to get to his family as fast as possible.
Hopefully, I won’t regret it. He grimaced and unsheathed the Bowie knife, just in case. The blade, once sleek and polished, was now marred by numerous chips and notches, scars from the previous encounter with the unnatural Crawler.
Shit, I almost forgot about this. Maybe spending some Ether to improve it isn’t the worst idea after all. I have plenty to spare at this point.
With a sigh, Leo sped across the Vetilim jungle and landed on the nearest roof. He quickly slid down against a broken chimney and hugged it with his back. The platform was excellent for reconnaissance, but figuring out System’s honing? Not so much.
All right, let’s deal with it quickly.
After a single command, the System came forth, and with it, the myriad notifications he had ignored until now. Most of them only spoke of Ether he had received from his kills, but then there were a few others, much more important ones.
Can’t believe I forgot about those…
New Bestiary function unlocked: Mutation Index.
Congratulations! Thanks to your Hunter job, you may now access the Mutation Index within your Bestiary. It is a comprehensive list of mutations that you might encounter on Voidlings during your lifetime. Just like with the Bestiary, you must first discover a mutation to add it to the Index. Warning! Some creatures might be able to hide their mutations from your sight.
So that was a mutation, huh? he mused, reading the message once again. Choosing Hunter as my job was probably the best idea I had made since the beginning of the Outbreak. If it continues to give me stuff like this, I doubt I will ever change it. Now, give me the details.
The Mutation Index was easy to access. Similar to the Bestiary, a single command from his mind brought up a list of possible mutations. Or it would have been a list if there were more than one record in it.
Maybe let’s keep it this way. Less unnatural shit means less trouble for me.
Infusion:
A mutation of varied strength. It permanently infuses a part of a creature’s body with independent and tightly bound Essence. As a result, Infusion grants improved strength, durability, and a slight resistance to foreign energy. As a body mutation of Essence origin, it is usually encountered in creatures of lower rankings.
This explains a lot.
Although the description didn’t directly mention anything about cutting through Essence of another person, the part about resistance to foreign energy practically screamed the same thing. An interesting mutation, but a weak one if he had to be honest.
Reinforcement did almost the same thing—scratch that, it did much more—but it also gave Leo complete control. He could disable the ability whenever he wanted or feed it more Essence if necessary. Much better than a permanently active mutation that constantly drained a small amount of Essence from the user.
Makes me wonder what kind of mutations I will be able to get after evolution. Hopefully, something more useful.
With the Index out of the way, he brought the Bowie knife forward and called upon the System. The entity answered swiftly, and his eyebrows shot up at the menu it summoned.
Item damaged. Honing locked. Do you wish to repair Bowie Knife (Common) for the price of 5 Ether? One upgrade charge will be used for this process.
Huh. Leo blinked. That’s convenient. Although I probably shouldn’t be that surprised.
He shrugged and accepted the offer. A silent gasp left his mouth as a brilliant golden energy surged through his hands and into the knife. A radiant cord of light wrapped around the blade, constricting it tightly until there was no gap between the two. He nearly dropped the weapon as the energy expanded, enveloping the entire knife.
He held his breath as it pulsed faintly, and for a moment, he thought that maybe this was it. Only then did a crack appear on the golden cocoon, then another and another. Like ice shattering against the ground, the entire thing burst apart, scattering particles onto the roof below.
Wide-eyed, Leo peered at the Bowie knife in his grasp. Whole and unblemished, as if it was just bought from the store. Not a single scratch remained on the blade as it glinted in the sunlight, appearing even sharper than before.
Holy fuck… I thought it would just fix the worst damage, but this? This shit looks factory new.
Flipping the knife in his hands, he made a quick decision as he accessed the Honing menu again. With all Ether he had collected, he could grant himself some small spending rights.
Bowie Knife (Common) | Upgrades remaining: 2
Honing Available:
- General
- Durability
- Essence Conductivity
One upgrade down. Just like it said. Now for a general upgrade.
The moment this thought entered his mind, Ether once again surged out of his hands. Twenty units of this mysterious energy left his reserves, infusing the common knife with its power.
Unlike during the repair, Ether didn’t simply cover the entire blade. Instead, it seeped into the metal, brightening the silvery steel and giving it a barely noticeable glow. Golden sparks danced along the blade’s edge, earning a light grin from Leo.
Looks nice, but is it better?
He picked up a fractured brick from the ground and allowed the knife to glide over its surface. He didn’t push too hard, but with just enough force to pierce a Voidling’s skin.
He didn’t expect to cut the brick in half; only an idiot would assume such a dramatic improvement from a single upgrade. However, as the knife sliced across hard material, it left a surprisingly deep line behind—much deeper than an ordinary knife should be capable of.
And if the System is to be believed, it should be at least a bit more durable. Might as well check if something has changed. Identify.
Bowie Knife (Common+):
A standard-grade Bowie knife. There is nothing special about it. System Upgrades left: 1. Honing applied: General.
Nothing special, my ass. Leo snorted, sheathing the weapon as he peeked over the chimney. The road is clear. Time to move on.
He ran as fast as his legs could carry him, wind whistling in his ears as he leaped over every obstacle in his path. The Void jungle carried him above the streets, far beyond Voidlings that wandered beneath him, screeching and moaning as they chased after a meal that was never there to begin with.
At times, the caws of those damned Seekers echoed in his ears, sending shivers down his spine. However, even when those noises became too loud for his comfort, he didn’t falter. Instead, he switched his path a bit, taking small detours into the ever-spreading jungle on the streets.
All of that took time—more than he had wanted to sacrifice for such a short trip. Yet, he was finally here, only a few meters away from the entrance to Nick’s apartment block.
The building, like many others, had succumbed to the second Cataclysm like any other. Its once modern and pristine appearance had been reduced to that of a relic from a bygone era, now overrun by the glowing, living mass of the Void.
Vetilim and Corcera had spread over every concrete wall, weaving a web of tendrils and vines that snaked their way around and into the building. The few windows that remained uncovered were now shattered. However, despite the obvious damage, the building didn’t collapse. Or at least not on the outside.
This is it. For the love of God, please let them be fine.
Like a lightning bolt, Leo jumped from his perch and shot forward. The Cursed Human in his path fell to the ground, headless. Essence stirred within him as he silenced and yanked the door open.
And in! he shouted inwardly, sliding inside as the door shut behind him.
Not for the first time, darkness, only stopped by the glow of his curse, threatened to consume the entire staircase. In response, energy filled his whole arm, layering it with an aura of pure crimson light.
As the hallway lit up, his gaze fell on the staircase that was only partially intact, with signs of the Void scattered everywhere. In a corner, just below the stairs, a human body lay, its insides ripped out and a look of terror frozen on its malformed face.
Leo averted his gaze.
Don’t even think about it. He crouched, Essence gathering in his hand. Intent, will, control. With that mantra playing in his head, he released the Pulse, probably giving it more power than necessary.
The feedback was nearly instantaneous, and he felt his heart shatter as his mind processed the new information.
Two living beings, crawling somewhere on the stairway above him. Leo didn’t know how humans felt when touched by the Pulse—a mistake on his part—but he knew those two signatures. And they were far from human.
A sensation of dread crept into his gut as he gritted his teeth and balled his fists. No. They must be hiding from my pulse. They have to.
The Bowie knife fell into his hand as he stalked forward.
I didn’t come this far to just give up.