"Cursed Voidling line. I think no one will deny it when I say that it is the most famous evolution line amongst Voidlings. 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 final nod from Dylan, Leo strode forward, his ears scarcely registering the rasp of the other man covering the entrance. The brilliant radiance of the red Sun greeted Leo anew, and for a moment, he felt grateful for the second Cataclysm. Prior to it, the world had barely received any sunlight, but now the giant orb in the sky was granted a second wind, a fresh will to live.

Still darker than the old Sun, but it could be way worse. No, it was way worse... Leo thought with a weak shake of his head. At least the street is still empty. I have wasted enough time here…

Taking in a deep breath, Leo 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 Leo 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 fucker…

Shaking himself out of his reverie, Leo 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, Leo chuckled wryly, his gaze sweeping over the desolate cityscape. Despite his elevated position, he couldn't locate Nick's apartment block amidst the remnants of buildings that had lost parts of their bodies to the second Cataclysm. Some structures still loomed too high for Leo to reach what he really wanted.

Only two blocks Leo, only two blocks... If I travel above the streets, I should be able to get there in a matter of minutes. Only then his eyes landed on the black specks moving through the air in the distance. Gonna need to be careful. If those Seekers see me, I will have the entire city after me…

Leo 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 Leo to keep his feet on the ground. There was no reason to risk it, but now?

Now Leo wanted to get to his family as fast as possible.

Hopefully, I won't regret it. Leo 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 of it at this point…

Sighing, 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.

Alright, let's get it over quickly.

With a single command, the System came forth, and with it, the myriad notifications Leo 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? Leo 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 Leo's 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, the part about resistance to foreign energy practically screamed the same thing. An interesting mutation, but a weak one if Leo 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 probably 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, Leo brought the bowie knife forward and called upon the System. The entity answered swiftly, and Leo's eyebrows shot up at the menu it summoned.

Item critically 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.

Shrugging, Leo accepted the offer and gasped 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 them. Leo nearly dropped the weapon as the golden energy expanded, enveloping the entire knife.

He held his breath as the energy pulsed faintly, and for a moment, Leo thought that maybe this was it. Only then a crack appeared on the golden coverage, 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 notch remained on the blade as it glinted in the sunlight, appearing even sharper than before.

Holy fuck… I thought that it would just fix the worst damage, but this? This shit looks factory new.

Flipping the knife in his hands, Leo made a quick decision as he accessed the Honing menu. 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 Leo's mind, Ether once again surged out of his hands. Twenty units of this wonderful energy left his reserves, infusing the common knife with its brilliance.

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. Glimmers of gold danced along the blade's edge, eliciting a grin from Leo.

Looks nice, but is it better?

Seizing a fractured brick from the ground, Leo allowed the knife to glide over its surface. He didn't push too hard, but with just enough force to pierce a Voidling's skull.

Leo didn't expect to cut the brick in half; only an idiot would expect such a dramatic improvement from a single upgrade. However, as the knife sliced across the brick, 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.

Leo ran as fast as his legs would allow, the 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 stalked the streets below, screeching and moaning as they chased after a meal that was never there to begin with.

At times, Leo's ears caught otherworldly caws that sent shivers down his spine until the echoes faded. However, even in the face of those flying beasts drawing nearer, he did not falter. Instead, he altered his course, descending into the dense foliage and utilizing the natural covers provided by the ever-spreading influence of the Void.

All of that took time, probably more than Leo had wanted. But in the end, there he stood, only a few meters away from the entrance to Nick's apartment block.

The building, like many others, had succumbed to the frigid grip of the Void. Its once modern and nearly 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 claimed dominion over the concrete walls, weaving a complex web of tendrils and vines that snaked their way around the building. The few windows that remained uncovered were now shattered, and the walls were deeply fissured. Yet, despite all of that, the building didn't suffer any partial collapse. Or at least it didn't appear so from the outside.

This is it. For the Void, please let them be fine.

Like a 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, sliding inside, the door shutting behind him.

Not for the first time, darkness, only stopped by the glow of Leo's curse, threatened to consume the entire staircase. In response, Essence filled his whole arm, layering it with an aura of pure crimson light.

As the hallway illuminated, it exposed 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 innards ripped out and a look of terror frozen on its face.

Leo averted his gaze.

Don't even think about it. Leo crouched, Essence gathering in his hand. Intent, will, control. With that mantra playing in his head, Leo released the pulse, probably giving it more energy than necessary.

The feedback was nearly instantaneous, and Leo felt his heart shattering as his mind processed the newly received 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 Leo's 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 Leo's hand as he stalked forward.

I didn't come this far to just give up.