"None of us were special before the Outbreak; we were just existing, striving to reach the next day in a world that didn't give a damn. Then the Void came, opening our eyes, and so as others around us died in millions, we rose up and took what the System offered, a chance.

A chance to be better, a chance to carve a piece of this Multiverse for ourselves.

We don't let our past hold us back. We don't let our bonds stop us from trying and succeeding. We left our old lives behind and became what most can only imagine. Because that's what Narzak is all about, to move forward, no matter what."

~Narzak's first leader, 6th Outbreak

---

This is going to need some planning, a bit of luck, and a hell lot of improvisation... Fuck, you just had to bait me with the possibility of discovering my last evolution, hadn't you?

If it wasn't for the possibility that Leo could really pull it off and see what the Apex evolution was hiding, he would have already been far away from here. Maybe not back with the others yet, but at least nowhere near this hellhole.

You see this, Nick? Leo snorted as he crept even closer to the roof's ledge. You were supposed to stop Lily and me from doing dumb shit. But here I'm doing just that because I don't want to go back, can't go back, not yet... Whatever. If you aren't here to stop me, at least give me some luck, brother. Void knows I will need it.

Just like Leo had already noted, there were dozens of Voidlings down in the town square. Previously he didn't pay that much attention to the weaker beasts, especially those right below him, but now that was no longer an option.

With the task ahead, Leo couldn't allow for any gaps in his knowledge about this damned Tainted Wasteland. If there was something dangerous inside, he needed to know about it.

There was no denying it; the Cursed Juggerount, circling the ruins of the fountain, posed the greatest threat. Its sheer power was most likely unmatched. Close behind, the Apex variants trailed in terms of immediate danger. However, Leo understood all too well that if it could, the Void would throw even more shit his way. It was a lesson he learned well during the last few days.

And I was right...

Grumbling, he poked his head out, peering directly downward. The Wasteland sprawled right up to the base of the building, but that detail held little significance. No, that honor fell to the Voidling standing just next to a closed door.

Cursed Screamer (Tainted Voidling) | Rank: F+ | LVL: 7

What an ugly motherfucker. Though, the others aren't much better…

The new variant, or perhaps an evolution, bore some resemblance to the other Cursed Humans in the vicinity. However, unlike the normies who clung to tattered remnants of their former attire, this monstrous being had shed all semblance of clothing. Its deformed and mangled black skin was exposed, a grotesque display for all to witness.

The Screamer had shed the distinctive traits that once marked it as a human male or female, reducing its form to a mere humanoid husk. Its elongated limbs, far too long for an average human, were tipped with nails that could probably rend through steel, accentuating its menacing appearance.

Yet, it was the creature's mouth that truly captured attention. Filled with an array of minuscule teeth, the Screamer's jaw was twice as wide as that of an average human. With every breath, the maw expanded, stretching the beast's cheeks akin to the way a frog's sac would distend when filled with air.

It can't be that bad, right?

Race: Voidling | Subspecies: Cursed Screamer
Expected Potential: F+ to E-
Weapon of choice: Sound blast, Jaw
Known weaknesses: Melee range
Cursed Screamers are widely known as one of the two most popular evolutions of Cursed Runners. Whereas the other focuses purely on improving what a Runner is, this one invites change. Screamers are long-range fighters, preferring to incapacitate their prey with the power of sound and then eat them alive. Usually, after one sound blast, a Screamer's mouth must rest for a bit. This is the time to engage them in close quarters and beat them at their weakest.

Apex variant: Unlike their weaker kin, Apex Cursed Screamers can fire at least three consecutive blasts before needing to rest their mouth. This number can go to as high as five (Current noted record).

Thank fucking god it's not an Apex. One sound blast I can work with if I have to... All in all, not that bad.

The cogs in Leo's head whirred and spun, working overtime to formulate a plan that had a chance of success. Or, at the very least, a plan that wouldn't result in a catastrophic failure, which Leo still wasn't sure he could escape considering what awaited on the field before him.

I just need to find out how loud it can scream... Shit.

Gulping, Leo snatched a tiny piece of brick that had fallen off a nearby chimney. He hoisted himself up into a crouch just at the roof's edge and aimed at the creature below. He most likely had one shot at this. After all, who knew how the Voidlings would react.

This is gonna suck.

Leo pulled his arm back, and in one swift motion, the tiny brick left his hand, propelled like a homing missile aimed directly at the target's head.

In a blink of an eye, the projectile stuck true, and Leo staggered backward as a scream that pulled on his soul reverberated through the area. If he had ever considered the Seekers to be loud, they paled in comparison to the blood-curdling sounds of the Screamer.

Fuck.

Eyes snapping shut momentarily, Leo's hands flew right to his ears, feeling as a very familiar substance dribbled down his skin. The blood flowed slowly, just barely trickling out, yet it didn't matter. Only the fact that the Screamer somehow damaged him did. And from such a distance at that, without even hitting Leo straight in the face.

Nonetheless, Leo only gritted his teeth and took a few steps forward to gaze at the Wasteland underneath. He had to know how Voidlings reacted.

Ears still ringing, Leo watched as the creatures below shuffled like ants after someone stepped on their home. However, what truly mattered to him was the fact that they all had their focus on the Screamer. Hell, some of the beasts near it were rolling on the ground, groaning like fools that had way too much to drink.

Friendly fire, nice. Fucker definitely earned its F+ rank... Leo noted as he retreated once more. Hopefully, his somewhat improved regeneration could repair the worst damage in a few minutes. As for his hearing overall?

Well, Leo would need to suck it up and survive with the entire world tuned to about twenty percent of its volume…

Still, what the Screamer did was more than Leo counted on, and despite the damage, this was something he could work with. Now he just needed to find a good way to spring the trap and activate the bloody siren again. Simple as that.

Not.

Leo grimaced, wiping his ears with a cloth he snatched from his backpack. There is always the Minor Takeover. No better time to test it than in the field, where one screw-up could have the entire Wasteland after my hide... No pressure.

With the world's sounds subdued, Leo made his way to the corner of the Wasteland on his left. His eyes fell upon the familiar street he had previously observed, the very same one that ran along the town square and continued its path into the city on both sides.

There were a few Voidlings down there, yet Leo shook his head. Low-level normies might suffice, but he didn't want to take the chance. No, in this situation, Crawler or a Runner would be more suitable.

Maybe on the other side.

Leo moved swiftly and silently as he made his way to the roof on the other side of the street. Every muscle in his body tensed with each step, ensuring he remained hidden from the Wasteland below. Being sloppy was the last thing he needed now…

Time crawled by as Leo moved across the roofs of the buildings along the street, keeping low to avoid detection. He traveled from one edge to another, scanning the area in search of the perfect target, only there were none.

It wasn't until Leo reached the exit from the town square that he saw it. A single Cursed Runner, with only two normies close.

The monsters stood in the midst of the usual Void jungle, unbothered by the Wasteland that was slowly spreading just a corner away, consuming Vetilim and Corcera to fuel its growth.

Not gonna lie, if I could travel above the Wasteland, this mess would have been a lot easier to solve. Leo mused as he slid to the ground and straight into the long red grass. The jungle really made it simple to get off the roof without a single soul noticing.

With practiced ease, Leo maneuvered around the small group, and the moment the Runner turned away, he struck.

The two normies never stood a chance as Leo rose from the grass. His human hand, assisted by the bowie knife, dug deep into the head of the first Voidling. In the meantime, his claws went straight into the other beast's throat, cutting halfway through its neck in one go.

All of this happened in a blink, and just as the Runner began to turn, a screech ready to escape its throat, Leo pounced once more. Bathed in the blood from the Runner's two kin, he extended his hand, a single thought on Leo's mind.

Minor Takeover.

Leo's fingers touched the Runner's arm, and Essence exploded from his soul and cursed arm, guided by an unknown phantom hand — the System. At the same time, his heart thrummed like never before, while the Touch of the Void moved to the center of his being.

They all worked together, flooding his Essence with an aspect darker and more potent than anything Leo had ever felt. Even the second Cataclysm couldn't measure, and yet, back then, he could barely handle it, staying afloat thanks to the adrenaline from the fight against Vetilim.

But now?

Now, the aspect felt inviting, bathing his body in warmth, not unlike a motherly embrace. It silently begged to be let in, and just like Leo was instructed by his first technique, he let it, the shadow aspect of his soul blending perfectly with the chaos of the Void.

All of this took a second, maybe two. And so, as fast as the surge came, it went away just as quickly. The aspect of the Void receded, Leo's Essence calming. Yet now he felt something more, a foreign blip inside his mind.

Leo gave the presence a nudge and watched as the Runner turned fully, one of its crimson eyes gone, replaced by a vivid, dark violet iris and slitted pupil. He had never seen such a thing before. Not even Nikra in his dreams possessed such eyes, and definitely not any Voidling.

Something so unique on a creature so ugly…

With a shake of his head, Leo stepped away from the Runner. Thoughts about eye colors could be left for later. He had a job to finish.

Following the System's instructions, Leo focused on the blip in his mind and spoke. "Move a step to the left."

And just like that, the Runner moved, exactly one stop to its left. Well, I meant to my left, but that's probably my bad... Anyway, now for the most critical part... Please work.

Getting a solid hold on the Runner's presence inside his head, Leo gave it a strong nudge and closed his eyes. Go to the nearest tree in the vicinity.

A low groan along the shuffling of the grass around him answered Leo's call. After counting to five, he opened his eyes again.

There, only a few meters away, the Runner stood, and right next to it was a tree.

Leo grinned.

Let's get to work.