"Leo," Naz'Tor's unusually quiet voice came from the transmitter. The alien sounded as if he had just woken up. "To call me this early, you must've either exceeded my expectations again or need my help…"

  Leo raised an eyebrow at the unenthusiastic greeting. The idea that he had woken the merchant became more plausible by the second—not that it was his fault. Hell, he didn't even know that the alien could sleep.

  He shook his head. His random theories could wait.

  "A bit of both, I think," Leo finally said. "The first Divine Realm is down, but I would appreciate some info about the next one."

  "Already? Dear Void, you really work fast, kid," Naz'Tor grumbled, the tiredness slowly fading from his voice. "Do tell, then. You know I love a good story."

  He shrugged. "Not much of a story, to be honest, but whatever you want. The godling we found called himself Balor. Ring any bells?"

  "Hmm. I think I heard the name before, but I might as well make sure. Give me a moment. Gotta check the league's database…"

  Leo leaned against the cave wall while Naz'Tor searched. He also reached into the System's shop and bought himself a bottle of ice-cold water. He might not need to drink or eat due to Devour, but sometimes he just couldn't deny himself a small comfort like this.

  What I wouldn't give for a can of soda right about now… Maybe we could hit a few cities on the way to the next realm. There has to be a shop somewhere out there that still has some stuff from pre-Outbreak.

  Yet before Leo could spin up a plan to get himself a better drink, Naz'Tor returned. "There we go!" he exclaimed, his personality returning to normal. “Balor, Balor, Balor… Oh… That's why the name sounded familiar. Huh… And you say the godling is dead, along with his Divine Realm, yes?"

  Leo furrowed his brow. "Yeah?"

  "Just making sure, kid. According to the files here, and what little I remember, Balor isn't an easy godling to face, especially not alone. Apparently, in the league's early days, he even killed a few of their slayers."

  He and Nyx shared a look at that before both of their gazes fell to his injured arm. "Aye, I can see how that could happen." He grimaced. "Thankfully, I wasn't alone."

  Naz'Tor chuckled. "Of course you weren't. Now, tell me everything. I want the whole story if you don't mind."

  Leo didn't and quickly described his battle against Balor. At some point, even Nyx chimed in, adding a few bits from herself about the massive bull she had to face. From there, it didn't take long to reach the point where the godling died, and they moved on to exploring the realm.

  Naz'Tor hummed as their story came to an end. "Eye of Destruction countered by the true power of the Void. Ironic, if I say so myself. Although that arm of yours… Want a little something to help with the healing? I won't charge you much."

  Leo raised his injured hand even if the merchant couldn't see it. "I will be fine. Already took the enhanced Bellatoure, and we aren't in a hurry to leave just yet."

  "Your call, kid. You know where to find me if you change your mind… But whatever, I will leave you to your pain for now. Better tell me this, have you found anything of value in Balor's tower?"

  Leo frowned at the sudden question. It didn't take him long to understand where it came from. "You know…" he muttered. "You know about the second seed."

  Naz'Tor laughed. "Of course I do. It's the first thing that's written in Balor's file. Having your Divine Realm supported by a seed isn't exactly rare, but it also isn't common. Besides, a seed is still a seed."

  "Can't argue with that," he mumbled under his breath. "But yeah, I got it. The next ones will go to you per our agreement."

  "Wonderful!" A loud clap echoed through the transmitter. "So, about the next realm. I can help with that. This one is quite common on each iteration of Earth, and the entrance coordinates never really change. Have you checked where they lead?"

  Leo shook his head. "All I know is that I have to go south. Other than that, I just plan to follow the path the transmitter gives me."

  "Ah, such a shame, I expected more from you," Naz'Tor said, mock disappointment lacing his voice. "But fine… You're going to Greece. Or more precisely, to Delos—the birthplace of the twin archers, Artemis and Apollo. How does that sound?"

  "Exciting," he said without an ounce of excitement in his voice.

  The merchant chuckled. "Oh, don't be like that, kid. You're gonna love it. After all, what's better than getting turned into a porcupine by the gods of archery?"

  Leo sighed. Sometimes, he had to wonder who was the older one between the two of them. Though, he couldn't say he didn't enjoy the friendly banter.

  Unfortunately, business before pleasure… He held back another sigh and asked the important question. "So I'm gonna have to fight them both. That's what you're trying to say, right?"

  "Indeed. No matter the universe, those two always come as a pair. Two seeds for the price of one, just like with Balor."

  "Wouldn't say it's exactly the same," Leo countered. "Balor is one godling; here, I will be fighting two."

  Naz'Tor scoffed. "Bah! Details. You will be more than fine. You have Nyx, after all, and the twins are quite the glass cannons. Hit them hard once, and they will go down. Or at least that's what their file says. I'm pretty sure we can trust it, but be careful nonetheless."

  Leo nodded. "I will. Anything else I should know about them? Fighting style? Abilities?"

  "Hmm… I don't want to ruin your fun completely, so let me give you this. Sun burns, the moon weakens."

  He blinked, fighting the urge to facepalm. "Really? That's all you have? Need I remind you that these are your seeds I'm getting now?"

  The merchant laughed again. "Don't be so grumpy. Like I said, I don't want to ruin the fun. You're a hunter after all, aren't you? Well, then, enjoy the thrill of the hunt. Stop treating everything like a life-or-death situation. There's a time for that, too, but this isn't it. Don't let yourself burn out, kid."

  "I…" Leo trailed off, closing his mouth.

  Even if this probably wasn't the right time for this, he couldn't help but look back at his life ever since the Outbreak began. True, every once in a while, he got lost in the thrill of battle and let himself enjoy it. But other than that, every action he took was driven by one thing.

  Survival.

  Yet, Naz'Tor's words still rang true. Burnout was a real threat, and someday, even his will to survive might not be enough to push through it. Hell, in the past, he had seen plenty of people who ran themselves into the ground and then gave up on everything when they couldn't push any further.

  That was the way of life, and not even an Outbreak could change that. That Naz'Tor mentioned burnout only proved as much.

  Enjoy your hunts, hmm? Leo mused. Maybe there is something to it.

  "I will consider that," he said once the silence stretched on for too long.

  "That's all I ask for. It would be such a shame if someone shining as brightly as you let himself burn out before truly getting the chance to bloom."

  "That's almost poetic." Leo chuckled.

  Naz'Tor answered with a laugh of his own. "What can I say? I am a creature of many talents. My wife can attest to that."

  "I will make sure to ask her someday."

  "You really should," the merchant beamed. "But enough of this. You may have woken me up early, but I still have things to do. Need anything else from me, or…?"

  "Two things," Leo picked up after the alien trailed off. "Once I get the seeds, I need to meet with you. Face to face. It's important."

  "Not a problem. I will shift my shop close to London soon. And what's the other?"

  "Need some stuff to start with my Beta mutations. Think you can help?"

  If Naz'Tor had a face, Leo could easily imagine the grin splitting the alien's face when he said the following. "Oh, I thought you would never ask."

  By the time Leo and Naz'Tor finished trading, the storm outside was in full swing. The night was also fast approaching, so the decision to stay inside a cave while injured became even better. The feline still thought they could easily travel even in such conditions, but in his opinion, it was better not to risk it.

  Besides, now he at least had some stuff to do before they could move out.

  Mutation: Basic Might Enhancement (Beta Tier)

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  As they say, you can never have enough strength, and this mutation only proves that. Enhance your body, enhance your Might, and stand above the rest right now!

  Effects:

  Provides a one-time permanent +75 boost to the Might attribute. Stacks with other Might enhancements.

  Requirements: 80000 Ether, tendons of a Might-Type level 80+ beast, 2 units of reinforced skin of a Steel-Might-Type level 80+ beast, 20 Greater Crystallized Essence.

  Required components detected within the User's Soulscape. Do you wish to proceed with this mutation? Estimated time to complete: 2 hours.

  Huh, that's longer than I expected for such a simple mutation, Leo mused as he read the new notification. Though, considering the requirements, maybe he shouldn't have been surprised.

  Eighty thousand Ether might not be that much, but the other stuff? It more than made up for the low price. If he hadn't had that arm from the Greater Infernal Goliath, he would have had to pay quite the sum to Naz'Tor.

  Thankfully, with the limb still intact, the merchant just took it from him and gave him the proper body parts. Though, he still had to pay a bit extra.

  Well then, System. Begin.

  Choice acknowledged. Beginning Mutation. Please remain calm and refrain from using your Essence. The process will be over soon.

  Soon, my ass.

  Leo snorted as a light tingling spread over his body. For a few seconds, the feeling grew in intensity but didn't go too far on the scale of pain. It wasn't anything he hadn't had to deal with before.

  Might as well try to get some sleep.

  And so, even with the mutation reworking his body, he pushed the pain into the depths of his mind and closed his eyes. Slowly, his breathing evened out, and the familiar darkness of sleep welcomed him back in its embrace.

  A nudge to his side woke Leo from his slumber. He glanced at Nyx, who gestured toward the cave's exit, where beams of light painted the walls in soft, red hues.

  "Morning already?" He yawned, stretching his arms. His body still ached—be it from the mutation or yesterday's fight—but it was nothing he couldn't handle.

  "Try noon," Nyx said, walking toward the exit.

  His eyes widened. "Huh. Guess I was tired after all."

  "That you were." She turned her head around and motioned toward his arm. "At least you're healing nicely. Think you can fight now?"

  Leo followed the feline's gaze and scanned his injured arm from top to bottom. It still had some way to go before it returned to its original state, but for the most part, the charred skin was gone. A few scales had also already reformed and he could see more growing out in front of his eyes.

  "As long as we don't pull an entire horde of Nightmares, I should be good. And even then…"

  Nyx nodded. "And your blade?"

  Good question.

  After the fight, the broken blade returned to its sealed form. Since then, he hadn't tried extending it again, but now? He should at least check it out.

  Let's see…

  A tiny bit of Essence rushed into the arm and then the blade. He ordered it to extend, only for nothing to happen. He frowned and tried again, getting the same result.

  Not good.

  It felt like he was pushing against a mountain, a mountain made out of steel or something even stronger. Not even flooding the blade with more Essence did anything. Still, he didn't panic, not yet, at least. Maybe it just needed more time to heal.

  It better, or I will need to get myself a weapon. He grimaced at the thought. Even if he started as an assassin wielding a dagger, now he couldn't imagine using anything other than his own body to fight. After all, there was a reason why he sold or gave away every single weapon the System rewarded him with.

  "At least I still have my claws," he muttered, flexing them. At least those had healed already.

  "What did you say?" Nyx asked, most likely catching a bit of his mumbling.

  Leo shook his head. "Nothing… The blade's still healing, though."

  "Not surprising. It looked bad—your whole arm did."

  "That it did, still does, really." He sighed, averting his gaze from the recovering arm. "Ready to go?"

  Nyx snorted. "I should be the one asking that. Going by your knowledge of the land, we got a long flight ahead of us."

  "Don't I know it," he said before smiling wryly. "At least I will have more time to heal. So there is that. Come on, let's leave the lovely UK behind. Mainland awaits."

  With that, they left the cave and took to the skies, letting the wind carry them southeast. The flying type Voidlings all scattered out of their way, not even trying to attack the injured Akirian. Not that Nyx would ever allow that.

  Of course, their journey to Greece couldn't happen in one day. They were fast—no denying that—and getting faster with each day, but their wings could only carry them so far in one flight. As such, once they reached the southern coast of the UK, they stopped for a break.

  "I still think we should head more to the east before passing over the Channel," Nyx argued as they walked along the coast. "You're still recovering."

  Leo fought the urge to roll his eyes. This wasn't the first time the feline brought up this subject.

  "Nyx… My arm has no impact on my wings or stamina. Besides, we have already flown further in one go than we would have to pass the English Channel."

  "That was with the land beneath us, not the sea," the feline countered. "We're taking an unnecessary risk. Again."

  "We really aren't," Leo muttered, loud enough for her to hear him.

  "Stubborn mule." Nyx scowled.

  This time, he rolled his eyes. "Pot, kettle."

  "I hate you."

  "You really don't."

  Nyx huffed and speed-walked ahead of him.

  So easy to rile up…

  As Leo had said, they didn't encounter a single issue during their passage across the English Channel. Sure, sometimes they spotted a massive Voidling lurking in the depths beneath them, but the beasts never tried anything. It almost looked like they were just happy to follow after the flying Akirian and his companion.

  Their flight finished right around as the sun was once more getting up on the horizon. Leo and Nyx considered continuing their journey, but after a whole day and night of flying, their wings—or in his case, floaters—begged for some rest.

  And that was how things continued. Fly. Rest. Repeat.

  To spice up the trip, Leo toyed with the idea of doing some tasks along the way, but he really couldn't do that anymore. While in the past—or hell, even ten levels ago—the System offered him dozens of different tasks to complete, now only two remained.

  He had first noticed the change around level ninety, but at the time, he had brushed it off. For all he knew, the System might have been just preparing tasks for him that required a higher level while leaving the others for survivors who needed them.

  Well, he was halfway right.

  According to Lily, everybody was still getting plenty of jobs. It was only he whom the System decided to cut off. Why? He wasn't sure, but he had a feeling he would find out soon enough. In the meantime, he lamented the loss of his additional Ether income. The Voidlings on Earth didn't give him much or any at all anymore…

  Nothing I can do about that. Leo sighed, watching the scenery below him.

  It was another city, Paris to be precise, but with the world overtaken by the Void, it didn't look much different than London. Only the deep Supercluster was missing. Though the fallen Eiffel Tower also made for quite a unique sight.

  All that remained of the tower were its legs—and even those had been consumed by the Void. Vetilim and Corcera alike made their home on the remnants of the once glorious monument, spreading their vines in all directions. At this point, those legs looked more like four massive Void trees.

  At least it didn't become a nest, or worse, a Nightmare factory…

  Leo tore his gaze away and nudged Nyx through their link. The feline acknowledged him with a nod, and together, they flew toward another famous landmark—the Arc de Triomphe.

  Yet, the closer they got toward it, the more he regretted ever coming to this city.

  Thick, gray spiderwebs—each as wide as his arm—lined the streets of this part of Paris. Some even went on for dozens of meters, connecting different ruined buildings or Vetilim constructs together. It was a jungle, a jungle created by creatures only seen before in fiction.

  The massive, ten-legged spiders skittered along the webs, racing to catch anything that came close to their territory. They showed no regard for their shared Void origins, snatching up Voidlings from the streets, wrapping them in cocoons, and leaving them hanging from their webs.

  Identify.

  Great Archotul (Voidling) | Rank: E+ | LVL: 42 | Type: Surface, Normal, Poison

  That's not good.

  Even if those monsters didn't pose any threat to him or Nyx, the same couldn't be said about other survivors. In his group, only Lily, Malcolm, Frank, and maybe a couple of others would be able to handle those spiders.

  And here I thought the Supercluster was bad. Leo glanced at Nyx. Want to burn some spiders?

  The feline grinned.

  'Always. Never had a roasted insect before.'

  Leo facepalmed.

  Their fun in Paris didn't last long. Between Nyx's fire and Leo's Stormveil, the spiders fell by dozens every single minute. In half an hour, they managed to clear most of the webs and even the area around the Triumphal Arch.

  Sure, some spiders managed to escape, but neither of them felt inclined to give chase. The survivors of Paris—if there were any—could finish the job and maybe even start cleaning up the city.

  Although, Leo doubted that would happen. He had been using Hunter's Pulse almost constantly during their stay in France's capital, and not once did he detect a human life. So either the survivors there were good at hiding, or they were all dead.

  From there, time flew by as they continued southeast through France, then Switzerland, and finally into Italy. They considered visiting Naz'Tor's shop along the way, but a quick message to the merchant confirmed that he had long since switched locations.

  That was probably for the best. Leo wanted the Seeds of Divinity in hand before he brought up Adam. The merchant would probably see right through his pitiful attempts at manipulation, but knowing him, he would just laugh it off.

  Or so Leo hoped. Maybe all the good karma from helping—scaring—survivors on their way to Greece would have turned the tide in his favor anyway. That was if he even believed in such things.

  Spoiler: he didn't.

  As such, he still needed the seeds, and to get them, they needed to reach Greece. They did so after flying above more open water between their target and Italy. However, their current predicament definitely wasn't in their plans.

  It started on their second day in Greece. Like usual, they woke up from a short nap, hunted a few Voidlings to devour, and then flew further south, following the path presented by Leo's transmitter.

  Everything was going well until a System notification appeared out of nowhere.

  An emergency task has been registered in the nearby area. Please check your job menu to learn more.

  Bored after days of traveling, Leo did just that and accepted the task without much thought. The pay was nice, and it sounded much easier than some of the stuff he had done in the past.

  At least, that was what he thought until he and Nyx arrived at the destination of their new job.

  Athens.

  I feel like this should have been included in the job details. Leo grumbled, looking down at the city, or what should have been a city.

  Instead of the legendary Athens, all that lay before them was darkness. It swallowed everything for miles in every direction, forming an imperfect dome that climbed even higher than some of the mountains they passed on the way here.

  At least the System isn't hiding anything…

  Warning! You are nearing Tainted Wasteland: Darkness. Threat has been analyzed and ranked at level D. Good Luck. Mutation: Tainted Corruption (Darkness) added to the Mutation Index.

  Wonderful.

  Read the end of book 4 now:

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