"Geron, the Lord of Light and Creation. According to legends, the second Old One to appear in our beautiful Universe. Kind and graceful above all, Lord Geron became the sign of hope for many.

Initially, his most faithful believers formed sects, building chapels in his name. His Grace rewarded them, descending from the stars to exalt them as his High Priests and Priestesses.

With this act, the most popular religion in our Universe was formed. Shortly after, Lord Geron became the Heavenly One, the most beloved of the Six. Yet, is this title deserved? Is there really a good answer to this question?"

~Those who came before us by Unknown, Published before the 1st Outbreak

With not even a dozen meters separating him from the so-called Tainted Wasteland, Leo could have just climbed the remaining distance to the roof and taken a look for himself. However, if the System thought it wise to warn him beforehand, he would have to be dumb to just ignore it.

The last thing Leo wanted was to walk into the vapor and die from some poison like a complete buffoon. Now that would have been an embarrassing way to go…

Snorting lightly, Leo sat down on the thin web and checked his True Stealth for good measure. One should never trust his abilities too much if they were gained not even a week ago. Even more when the one using them was hanging high up in the air on a string of alien matter.

Someone should definitely write this down. Shit just might save some people's lives. Leo mused with a chuckle. Anyway, hit me with it, System.

First encounter with a Tainted Wasteland detected. Displaying standard information package.

Tainted Wastelands are unique areas mainly formed during the beginning of an Outbreak. Please note that some special circumstances might lead to the creation of more of those abominations long after the Outbreak started.

The creation of those areas is caused by excessive amounts of Void's Essence settling in one place. This process changes the nearby environment into something that can't be encountered naturally even on some of the most dangerous Ever-Darkness worlds.

So yet another generous gift from the Void? Lovely... Leo grumbled but continued reading. What else do you have for me?

No new Awakened Survivors ever come out from a Tainted Wasteland. The overflow of Void's Essence is too strong for the System to reach them in time. As a result, Voidlings inside those areas are usually stronger and always possess one unique mutation that corresponds with the Wasteland's aspect.

Take heed, for eliminating all Voidlings in the vicinity shall not eradicate the Tainted Wasteland. As long as corrupted Essence permeates the ground, the Tainted Wasteland will persist, spreading at a decelerated pace. Nonetheless, the System will reward any user who strives to impede its spread.

Does this mean that my home almost suffered a similar fate, or are my current race and this Tainted Wasteland completely unrelated? Fuck, that opens another can of worms…

If the answer to this question was the former, then Leo just might have found a place that could fulfill his Apex evolution requirements. Although considering the System's warnings, it probably wouldn't be easy to get those hearts.

I will just take a look and decide then. If it is entirely unrelated or too dangerous, I have a strong evolution ready, just waiting to be picked. Doubt that the Apex one could be much better…

Shrugging, Leo dismissed the standard information package and slid along the Vetilim web. The alien substance quivered beneath his weight, but he maintained a firm grip and continued crawling forward. If it hadn't failed him thus far, he hoped it wouldn't fail him now.

This is going to bite me in the ass sometime in the future. I can already feel it. Leo snorted, and with a single pull on the roof's ledge, he finally reached his destination.

Not one to leave a job unfinished, Leo crawled along the roof straight to the other side, where the vapor grazed against the building's wall. The closer he got, the more Essence settled on his shoulder, trying to grind him right into the ground in a pathetic show of power.

For an E-ranked threat, it certainly got nothing on the Second Cataclysm. Now let's see the 'changed environm... Whatever Leo was thinking, those thoughts died a painful death once his gaze landed on Wolford's town square.

Oh shit... Yeah, I can definitely see the reason for E-rank now…

The triangle-shaped area that had served as a bustling hub in Wolford merely a week ago had vanished. The red bricks, once forming the town square's entire floor, now faded into oblivion, leaving behind scorched and disfigured ground. Even the fountain in the middle had not escaped unscathed.

Hundreds of fissures filled the entire area, varying in depth and length. Some were shallow, barely longer than Leo's arm, while others delved deep into the ground, extending even halfway across the town square. However, it was not their size that was the most unsettling factor.

No, that honor fell to the otherworldly purple glow emanating from the fissures. Adding to the eerie atmosphere, the vapor shrouding the entire area appeared to originate from those very crevices, gradually seeping out and billowing toward the sky.

Then, of course, there were the Voidlings, dozens of them, scattered throughout the town square. Their guttural groans and screeches echoed in the vicinity, but those sounds were the least of Leo's concerns. Having heard them countless times before, he had grown almost desensitized to their presence by now.

Instead, Leo's eyes drank in the unique appearance of those monsters. From their ebony skin, marred with the same ethereal purple fissures that adorned the ground, to their more refined weapons — claws and spikes — that glinted in the sunlight, looking sharper than ever.

A few uses of Identify on Voidlings that bore a striking resemblance to Cursed Humans confirmed that even those creatures were not to be trifled with. Even worse were the two Voidlings with jagged crowns protruding from their skulls, formed by their deformed skin.

Apex Cursed Human (Tainted Voidling) | Rank: F+ | LVL: 9

Apex Cursed Runner (Tainted Voidling) | Rank: F+ | LVL: 8

Information about Apex Voidling variants added to Bestiary. Mutation: Tainted Corruption (Void) added to Mutation Index.

Yet, despite the notifications clouding Leo's vision, his gaze remained fixated on a different creature — one he had never laid eyes upon before.

It stood upon four colossal legs and bore an equal number of sturdy, rock-like arms, poised to crush its enemies' skulls to a pulp. The mountain of a Voidling had long since shed its skin, leaving its raw muscles on display, the fibers glistening softly with a violet glow.

Cursed Juggernaut (Tainted Voidling) | Rank: E- | LVL: 11

"Dear god..." Leo uttered with True Stealth thankfully catching the sound. Chills ran down his spine as he watched the Juggernaut march in circles as if it was patrolling the area. Its glowing crimson eyes scanned the entire Tainted Wasteland, and Leo quickly ducked his head, the creature disappearing from his view.

Only one Voidling in the past elicited such a response from him, and back then, Leo barely understood the new reality he found himself in. And now, hardened by the last few days of suffering and constant fighting, he once again found a creature that was far beyond his capabilities.

It even got a fucking army. If those fuckers decided to step out of the Wasteland, the streets of Wolford would get twice as dangerous as they are now. Hell, and I'm pretty sure I saw at least one more Vodiling that wasn't a traditional Cursed variant. Just how many of them are down there?

Lying flat on the roof, Leo summoned his Bestiary. Any kind of information was better than nothing at this point.

Apex Variants:
Just as the name indicates, Voidlings with the Apex prefix were born stronger, better, and smarter than their normal kin. Their potential is always higher than a standard Voidling, and it isn't rare for them to grow at an accelerated rate. It is also important to note that almost every Apex possesses the ability to partially command their lesser kin of the same evolution line. Very rarely, Apex variants might also develop unique abilities that a normal Voidling can't possess.

If necessary, additional information related to Apex variants will now be displayed in Bestiary entries of normal Voidlings after encountering them.

Most I already expected, but the partial command and unique abilities aren't a welcome surprise. Leo grimaced as he quickly called the entries for Cursed Human and Runner, only to discover that nothing had changed there.

Alright, that's good. The last thing I need is for the most basic Voidlings to develop some special abilities. The fact that I probably passed a few of those on my way here is already depressing enough. From now on, I'm using Identify on everything…

Flicking the Bestiary entry away, Leo let the Mutation Index take its place. Although the standard information package already gave him quite a bit of data about the Tainted Wasteland, he hoped the new mutation could shine even more light on this situation.

Tainted Corruption:
A mutation of Essence origin directly connected to the existence of Tainted Wastelands. It affects the three main pillars, boosting its overall capabilities by a small margin. Additionally, depending on the aspect of Tainted Corruption, the affected will gain more unique benefits. While creatures with this mutation rarely leave their Tainted Wastelands to not lose their connection to its aspect, it is essential to note that an encounter with Tainted Voidlings outside those areas is still possible. This occurrence is attributed to the presence of Tainted Survivors unable to halt the spread of their curse.
Discovered Subcategories:
Void: The most popular Tainted Corruption. It doesn't grant any additional abilities except for providing further strength, durability, and speed improvements.

So I was right... Leo gulped, reading the last few sentences one more time. My home, or even the entire neighborhood, was close to becoming a nesting ground for a Tainted Wasteland. Shit... I guess lucky is one way to call my continued existence.

Leo's focus slid to the subcategories. At least it could have been worse? Probably?

While the Void subcategory didn't seem too dangerous, all of those Voidling already had an average level well above seven. Add to that the improved capabilities from mutation, and Leo wasn't sure if he could even handle two of those monsters simultaneously.

And that was without counting in their sheer numbers and other variants spread in their ranks.

Speaking of... Leo grimaced. Time to find out what that big guy is packing.

Race: Voidling | Subspecies: Cursed Juggernaut
Expected Potential: E- to E
Weapon of choice: Pure strength
Known weaknesses: No skin layer, slowed reaction time
The Juggernaut is a potential evolution of the Cursed variants, achieved through the combination and fusion of two Voidlings, which jumpstarts their evolution. While Juggernauts are less common in the early stages of Outbreaks, they are among the most formidable adversaries for new Survivors. With their sheer strength as their primary asset, Juggernauts are surprisingly agile and can quickly close the distance to their prey if they react promptly.
Apex variant: Aside from standard benefits, Apex Juggernauts can possess two hearts that must be destroyed to kill them.

Yeah, I ain't touching that with a ten feet pole. Leo scoffed. Attempting to kill this thing with his current power was a death wish, nothing more. His own evolution might close the gap, but that remained to be seen.

Which brings forth another question... I can ignore the Juggernaut, but should I try to harvest two hearts from some stragglers? Leo crawled to the roof's edge once more and took a peek.

One side of the triangle-shaped town square had a thin road running by it, and that street also posed as the current border of the Tainted Wasteland. If Leo played it right and used the few crashed cars standing by it, he might be able to pull it off.

Might is a strong word here... Leo grimaced, eyes settled on the two normies walking along the road. But if I play this right, then I will no longer have to wonder if the Apex evolution was better…

A heavy sigh left Leo's lips.

Fuck... I'm going to do it, aren't I?

Chaos65

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