A Universe of Bloody Evolution

"People like to think that the Outbreak is the worst part of joining the bigger Universe. In many cases, they are right. You lose your family, home, and other vital parts of your life. Everything you ever worked for is gone. The problem is that people tend to forget that the Outbreak is just the beginning, a stepping stone for changes that will sometimes make you wish that the Curse of the Void consumed you."

~ Survivor of the 24th Outbreak

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Leo placed the backpack over his shoulders more cautiously than ever, wincing as the weight rubbed against the exposed flesh. There was no other way to do this; Leo didn't fancy his chances without both hands available. He couldn't leave his bag in the woods either. Too many things could go wrong in the next few minutes, and getting cut off from his supplies seemed like a fantastic idea.

Leo glanced at the shovel in his hand and sighed. He already had to straighten it twice, and just like Identify said, the tool wasn't taking the Outbreak too well. After every blow, more cracks formed along the shovel's shaft, while a small part of its blade had broken off during Leo's fight against the Seekers.

Sooner or later, it had to break entirely and fall apart into a pile of scrap. Leo knew that it could put him in danger when the moment came. For now, though, the tool gave him a weird sense of security that no other weapon gave him — except the hunting rifle.

Besides, if he counted his claws, he still had two or three weapons that could be utilized if the initial line of defense failed. Although I would prefer not to use the gun if I didn't have to.

Whatever... Leo shook his head, reached into his almost full Essence reserves, and forced the barrier to form around his body. He pursed his lips as his newfound understanding of Essence once again let Leo know how incomplete the ability was. I really need to fix this.

Rolling his shoulders, Leo crouched low, his body bent forward as he weaved between the last few bushes and trees. Every single move sent a flare of pain through his body.

Leo gritted his teeth so hard that he was worried they might break in the next second.

As he passed the last tree, Leo glanced in every direction to ensure that nothing would be able to detect him once he walked out into the open. Only a dozen or so steps separated him from a truck that somehow managed to overturn even without a ditch on this side of the road.

Most Voidlings just stuck to their previous routine. Walking from one vehicle to another or screeching at each other when one beast bumped into another. Occasionally, Leo hoped that a fight would break out, giving him a chance to kill the stragglers and run away. Only it never happened; the Voidlings always separated after throwing a glare and growling at each other.

Nothing can be that easy, eh? Leo grumbled and sneaked towards the truck, instantly hiding behind the roof of the lengthy trailer. The large vehicle blocked the sight of almost the entire road, and Leo planned to use it to his advantage. That was why he chose this spot to begin his plan after all.

Approaching the edge of the trailer, Leo leaned out and searched for his first target.

There you are. Leo smirked, spotting a Cursed Human standing on the edge of the opposite lane. The monster remained almost motionless, looming near the back of a red sedan that fell halfway into the ditch on the other side of the road.

Another look to Leo's right confirmed that the Voidlings near the crash site of an SUV and a minivan didn't even care to look in Leo's direction. They kept clawing at one of the doors of a smaller car where another Voidling was trapped. The commotion they created was enough of a boon to Leo that, for now, he decided to forget how those creatures organized themselves to help their kin.

Now to quickly deal with you. Leo thought as his gaze centered on his target. The shovel fell into his claws as his hand grabbed the dagger from his waist.

Like lightning, Leo bolted out of his hiding spot straight towards the Voidling. His steps were measured, almost carried by the wind, and the monster only recognized something was wrong when Leo was no more than a few feet away.

The Voidling turned, opening its mouth to release another screech, but Leo was faster. He jumped forward and closed the distance in a second.

The shaft of the shovel landed on the monster's neck. At the same time, the dagger sailed straight for its skull, the additional momentum and another point in Might helping to pierce the bone after a minimal struggle.

Cursed Human (LVL: 2) slain | Experience awarded | 1 Ether gained

Almost soundlessly, the duo fell in a heap just at the edge of the asphalt. Leo bit back the curse that threatened to leave his throat when the impact once again pushed his bag into his injured back.

Don't stop now. Leo yelled internally as he dragged the dead Voidling down the deep ditch with his claws. The body barreled to the bottom, and Leo sighed as he leaned against the sedan's side. This went a lot better than he expected.

Just to ruin Leo's celebration, a muffled hiss reached his ears. Body tense, he pulled the dagger out of the monster's head and held his breath. Inch by inch, Leo peeked over the car's crushed hood, only to duck behind his cover just a millisecond later.

Of course, there has to be one inside the car as well.

Leo crawled around the front of the car. A brief glimpse inside told him that if he dealt his cards correctly, the Voidling would perish as quickly as the one before him. The monster had no hope of escaping with the steering wheel practically spearing it into the seat.

Leo came to a stop near the driver's door and took a deep breath. He rose on the count of three, the dagger flying through the broken window at the unsuspecting monster wiggling inside. Like its predecessor, the Voidling had no time to react as the blade entered through one of its eyes and pierced the brain hiding in the back.

Cursed Human (LVL: 1) slain | Experience awarded | 1 Ether gained

Leo threw his left arm through the window, the claws digging into the dead Voidling, draining the remaining Essence. When the last sip of energy entered Leo's body, he crawled back toward his first victim and repeated his actions. The veins of his taint lit up brighter than ever as the timer was, for the first time, pushed over fifteen hours.

The first part of the plan went better than expected. Now, if only the next one could work.

Leo climbed the ditch and cast a brief glance over the edge. The sight on his left was blocked by the back of the red sedan, but Leo wasn't planning to go after a group of five Voidlings working on freeing their kin. The situation on his right seemed much more welcome.

A single blue two-seater stood in the middle of the road with two Cursed Humans clawing through the steel of the trunk. The monsters worked almost as hard as the group to the left. At this point, they managed to scratch away nearly all of the paint and create enough dents to make a tinsmith lose their hair. Leo had to wonder what the hell was in that trunk to elicit such a reaction from them.

No way someone is hiding inside, right?

No matter the answer, Leo moved closer to the car's location, using the ditch as a cover. Once there, he grabbed a rock from the ground and took aim.

Previously, this tactic didn't work, and that was fine. Leo's goal this time was simply to lure them into the ditch. With no more Voidlings in the vicinity for at least a hundred feet, he felt confident that the monsters would be dead before anyone noticed.

The small stone sailed through the air, and the Cursed Human flinched when the rock hit it right in the head. The beast turned, growling in Leo's direction while the other Voidling kept mauling the trunk.

The fuck? Leo had no time to think about this weird turn of events as his primary target was already headed towards the ditch.

Leo moved slightly to the right, shovel in hand and dagger in the dirt before him, as the earth vibrated with the Voidling's steps. A second later, the creature appeared, its form looming over the ditch, teeth barred for all to see.

Leo snorted and swung his weapon when the Voidling took another step. The monster swayed as the shovel met its backside. Just a little bit more. Leo yanked the tool back, and the additional force was enough to push the Voidlings towards the ditch.

The Cursed Human screeched as its body tumbled down, its head meeting the dirt at the bottom.

Leo followed his target, sliding down with the dagger in hand. He kicked the monster, eliciting another hiss as the Voidling tried to rise to its feet. Leo fell on the creature's back and stabbed the back of its skull, cutting its life short.

Cursed Human (LVL: 2) slain | Experience awarded | 1 Ether gained

That was... easy? The use of the environment and the element of surprise really made it look simple. Although Leo expected to fight both of the Voidlings, not one. Speaking of...

Leo quickly dealt with the body and took another look at the road. Nothing changed. The Voidlings in the distance kept on working on freeing their kin or walking mindlessly. And the Cursed Human in front of Leo never ceased attacking the car's trunk, not even noticing its partner's disappearance.

What the hell is wrong with you? Leo frowned, the dagger once again falling into his hand.

He left the ditch without the shovel and crept towards the Voidling. Not even a note of noise came from Leo's steps as he used every bit of grace granted by the System.

Wholly consumed by its task, the monster had no time to react when Leo grabbed its head. The dagger followed, its rusty tip spearing through the remains of the monster's ear.

Cursed Human (LVL: 1) slain | Experience awarded | 1 Ether gained

Level one. That explains it a bit. Leo mused, lowering the body to the ground as his claws already went to work. He quickly surveyed the area as the corpse turned to dust and sighed when the Voidlings behind him still couldn't be bothered to look in his direction.

Leo remained crouched as the body faded away and let his fingers roam the bottom of the trunk, searching for the button. There! He squeezed hard and let the lid pull up on its own.

Almost instantly, Leo turned away, shielding his nose and mouth with his elbow. The odor of shit and piss and the stench of death filled the air around him. He coughed, trying to eradicate the smell that was trying to invade his body. Leo acted without thinking and yanked the lid, snapping it shut with a bang.

'Scree!'

Leo's body froze, the images of a dead teenage girl inside the trunk vanishing from his mind as growls and screeches louder than before pierced the air.

"Shit."

Voidlings from every direction reacted to the loud bang, their previous tasks left forgotten as a new meal just stepped into their territory unnoticed.

Like one unit, all of the monsters broke into a sprint. Not even a second later, Leo joined them, dashing towards the edge of the ditch, where he snatched his shovel and jumped.

He sailed above the hole, wincing as his entire body burned, the wounds on his back letting Leo know that they were still there. He landed on all fours, gritting his teeth as he kicked the dirt and bolted into the mowed wheat field.

In this situation, Leo had no choice but to run. And that was precisely what he did, the screeches following him but becoming fainter by the second. Leo risked a single peek over his shoulders and cursed.

You've got to be kidding me! Where did you even come from?!

At this point, the large group of Voidlings was almost unnoticeable from this distance. Still, life just couldn't be that easy, and one of the monsters was somehow catching up to Leo with every second. Its appearance alone had put the other Voidlings to shame.

It might have been a human once, but not anymore. It shared many similarities with Cursed Humans, but in this monster's case, the tainted features were tuned up by one hundred percent.

The monster's head had lost all of its hair, and the skin at the top had become something resembling small thorns. It lacked lips to conceal its bloodied teeth, while the glow from its cracked skin was more potent than on any other cursed human.

Still, the worst part came when the monster raised its foot as it sprinted toward Leo. There he saw claws instead of toes and deformed skin similar to Leo's arm. This thing just wasn't normal.

Cursed Runner (Voidling) | Rank: F | LVL: 3

Of course, it is another variant. Should have expected that...

The fact that the Voidling was the same rank as Leo gave him a second wind. He had maybe another twenty seconds, perhaps a few more, before the Runner caught up to him, and during that time, he had to lose the rest of the horde.

For a moment, Leo thought of taking out his rifle and just finishing the fight before it started, but he decided against it. The firearm was only to be used in emergencies, and as bleak as this situation looked, Leo had enough fuel in his tank to deal with a Voidling one-on-one. Especially with one that had a lower level than he did.

I just have to get that guaranteed one-on-one. Leo grimaced and sped up, the remains of uncut wheat whipping his hands with every step.