You'd think they'd be at least somewhat used to monsters like me with how they look, Leo commented internally as he peered down at the quite unique trio before him.

  For some reason, they just stood there like three frozen statues. Although, 'stood' didn't really apply to one of them. The guy who had screamed simply went down like a puppet with its strings cut. If not for his enhanced senses, Leo would have thought the weird human-tree hybrid was unconscious… or dead.

  'I'm pretty sure the issue here is you jumping out of nowhere, not your physical appearance,' Nyx said, her voice as dry as a desert. 'Really, you could have called out to them when you were fighting, but no, you just had to duck under stealth and then scare the living daylights out of them.'

  He shrugged. Guilty as charged… Oh, and by the way, are you sure you don't need help? Those three don't look like they are going anywhere anytime soon.

  Somehow, even without seeing her, he could practically feel the feline rolling her eyes. 'If you're trying to insult my abilities, you are failing hard. It's not even close to believable with how weak these Omens are. Maybe if they knew how to use their affinity properly…'

  Leo arched an eyebrow at that and waited for the inevitable follow-up. As always, Nyx didn't disappoint him, and after barely a second, an explosion rocked the entire area. Even the frozen trio snapped out of their shock as their heads whipped toward the source.

  'Never mind, those things are so weak that I'm getting secondhand embarrassment as a creature of shadows,' the feline grumbled once the shaking stopped. 'Take care of the humans, Leo. I will be busy for the foreseeable future.'

  Have fun slaughtering. He chuckled, earning back the trio's attention. They still looked like they could bolt at any moment, but at least they no longer cosplayed blocks of ice. Let's try this again then. First, though, Identify.

  Greater Verdanir | LVL: 43

  Fallen Harrowkin | LVL: 44

  Fallen Harrowkin | LVL: 43

  Huh, not bad at all, Leo admitted internally. His group in London already had several people above level forty, but it was good to see the rest of the world wasn't falling too far behind. The Fallen Harrowkin evolution was nothing to scoff at either. Frank and a few others had also chosen it as their third stage, and he had seen firsthand how effective the species was.

  "So, I'm gonna ask again. Any of you know a Viktor?"

  The only woman in the group gulped visibly and looked up to meet his gaze. "You… You're the guy who accepted our Search and Rescue, right? Leonardo Brown."

  He tilted his head. "Yeah, that's me. Though, as I already mentioned, I go by Leo Hale these days."

  That got a reaction from the Greater Verdanir—the human-tree hybrid who had screamed. The man still appeared half-scared to death, but now there was also a weird glint in his bright green eyes.

  "Leo Hale?" the hybrid repeated. "I remember that name! You are the guy who sent that System message to everyone. The reporter from London. Holy shit…"

  While the female Harrowkin also gaped at that revelation, the male one—a tall, broad-shouldered guy—simply frowned before offering Leo a small bow.

  "In the name of all of us, thank you for saving our skin," the man said. "I'm Ajax, and this is Thalia." He gestured at the woman and then nodded at the hybrid. "And that's Viktor, our friend who created the task."

  At this, the other two stopped staring and also bowed in thanks. Leo wanted to smile back, but stopped himself—no need to risk scaring them again. Instead, he settled for a nod.

  "A pleasure, I'm sure. You three ready to get the hell out of here?"

  The trio looked at each other and nodded. However, before they could say anything, another explosion rocked the nearby area. Leo frowned. Nyx had to be really annoyed if she was throwing around high-powered techniques every minute. That was quite unlike her.

  "Mr. Hale," the woman with long dark red hair called out, glancing toward the origin of the explosion. "Are you sure we should go now? What about…"

  As she trailed off, Leo waved her off. "Don't worry 'bout that. My companion can deal with the Omens just fine. Come on, we can talk on the way. I'm a bit curious about the story here."

  Without waiting for a response, he started walking away from the battle. The trio quickly fell into step next to him, though they kept their distance for obvious reasons.

  "Companion?" Viktor the tree asked hesitantly. "That massive cat is another survivor?"

  "You could say that." Leo shrugged, not bothering to explain. "All that matters is she's capable and will keep those annoying pests away from us."

  The hybrid glanced at Thalia and mouthed, "Pests," as if he couldn't believe what he had just heard. Leo stifled a laugh and didn't comment. At this point, they should already understand the power gap between him and them.

  "Mr. Hale—"

  "Leo, just Leo is fine," he cut the big man off.

  Ajax nodded. "Leo then. If you don't mind me asking, why are you here? Greece is a long way from London. It must have taken you days, if not weeks, to get here."

  He hummed. "Only a few days. Traveling isn't too hard if you can fly… As for why I'm here? Let's just say I have some business in Delos and leave it at that."

  From the looks on the trio's faces, it was obvious they wanted to ask more. Fair enough—if Leo were in their position, he'd be curious too. After all, if not for the Seeds, he would never have a reason to leave London in the first place.

  "Delos," Thalia muttered, drawing his attention. "And here I thought you came here for the Wasteland."

  "Nah, I was just passing by when the System informed me of your task. I'll be leaving Athens in your hands. Once Nyx is done with this place, you should have a much easier time hunting here. Hopefully, there will be no need for another rescue operation."

  For some reason, the trio grimaced at his words.

  Leo frowned. He almost suspected some kind of trauma from being trapped in the Wasteland for days, but that didn't quite fit. Aside from being scared by his appearance, they didn't even hesitate to approach the battlefield. They could have run instead.

  "Is something wrong?" he decided to ask.

  "You could say that," Thalia answered, wincing again. "It's kinda our fault Athens ended up like this. I doubt we will be going back anytime soon."

  Oh? This I got to hear, Leo thought while saying out loud. "Elaborate, if you don't mind."

  Viktor instantly glanced at the woman and shook his head. Thalia, however, ignored him and launched into the story of how the trio decided to scout the mysterious dome of darkness covering a small chunk of Athens. It didn't take her long to get to the part about the Bloodstone inside the Parthenon.

  A gem that's capable of boosting Wastelands to this degree? That's worrying, he mused even as the woman continued speaking. He almost pulled out the Transmitter to message Naz'Tor but stopped himself just in time. That could wait for later.

  "…then we heard the explosions and found you and your companion," Thalia finished.

  "I see," Leo muttered just to acknowledge her words. The inside of his mind was another story. He was already creating different plans for the future. "You guys mind if I take a look at the gem later?"

  "Be our guest." Thalia shrugged. "We couldn't stop you even if we wanted to. Besides, didn't that message of yours say something about a Supercluster? That sounds important, way more than a random Tainted Wasteland."

  "Because it is," he confirmed. "The Voidlings here are just reaching the levels I encountered deep in the Supercluster weeks ago. And those were Nightmares too."

  "Scary," Viktor muttered. "Just what level are you?"

  "Ninety-eight, why?"

  The trio stopped dead in their tracks.

  "W-what? I misheard you, right?" The tree man stuttered. "There is just no way… Ninety-eight…”

  Leo chuckled. With people in London being so used to his presence, he had forgotten how fun these reactions could be. "That's right. Two levels from a hundred."

  Even the calm and collected Ajax could barely form his words. "And we thought… No, how? We thought we were doing well with our levels. Staying ahead of the curve. But you—"

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  "I'm gonna stop you guys right there," Leo cut in. "Don't compare yourself to me, just don't. No one back in London is even close to my level. So trust me when I say it, you aren't falling behind. In fact, you aren't much weaker than the strongest people in my group."

  The trio let out a collective sigh of relief. "Thank God," Viktor muttered. "I don't know if my ego could handle an entire group of ninety-level-plus survivors. Not after the mess we just got out of."

  "Same," Thalia added, while Ajax nodded in agreement.

  Leo chuckled again, shaking his head. "Just think of me as a unique case, and you will be good. Hell, if not for the distance, I would say you should all head straight to London. We could use more people with higher levels… and unique abilities," he added, looking at the human-tree hybrid.

  Out of the hundreds of survivors already at the safe zone back in London, he hadn't seen anyone with that kind of evolution. He would bet all of his Ether that it either came with powerful skills or a rare affinity.

  Viktor must have felt his gaze as he laughed it off awkwardly and looked away. "Sorry, even if we wanted to go to the UK like you said, it's too far. Then there is also the sea we would need to cross. Too much of a risk."

  Leo clicked his tongue. "Right, the English Channel."

  When he and the others decided to send out that mass message, they forgot to consider that obstacle. Even now, they still hadn't found a way to deal with it. Only fliers could reach them at this point, and even then, they doubted anyone would risk such a long trip.

  "Maybe one day," Ajax said, shooting his smaller friend a firm look. Why? Leo had no idea.

  "Anyway…" he said as they neared the edge of the dome of darkness. "You guys will be fine once we get out? Have a safe zone to return to?"

  "We do." Ajax nodded. "We can handle ourselves from there. Thank you."

  Leo only hummed to that, and they all proceeded to walk the rest of the way to the border in silence. At this point, even the distant explosions barely reached them. Nyx had to be close to finishing the job there.

  "Well then," he explained, stopping right in front of the wall of darkness. "Time to part ways. Good luck out there, you three. Try not to mess with more Wastelands without proper intel, eh?"

  The trio nodded right away, although Viktor did it a bit more hesitantly as his eyes clouded over. It didn't take long to understand why.

  Congratulations! Task, Search and Rescue, finished successfully. You have been awarded 70000 Ether.

  Leo tipped his head toward the hybrid. "Pleasure doing business with you. If you guys ever reach London, let me know."

  "We will," Thalia called out as she and the other two stepped through the dome of darkness. Her voice faded away, leaving behind the dull silence sometimes distorted by the distant echoes of battle.

  Leo sighed and turned away from the wall. He looked left, then right, and cursed. The Parthenon was waiting, but once more, he hadn't the faintest idea which direction he should go in.

  I really should have asked them for directions…

  This should be it, Leo called out through the link as he and Nyx hovered close to the Parthenon. The ancient building was hardly recognizable with all the darkness covering it, but the overall layout of the area was distinct enough. The sheer aura of power coming from within also helped.

  'Go on then. What're you waiting for?' the feline grumbled, not at all interested.

  Leo rolled his eyes. Ever since they met after she finished the Omens, she had been acting like this. When he told her he wanted to stay a little bit longer and investigate the gem, she looked like she wanted to take his head off. How this place had so much effect on her, he still couldn't understand.

  It's gotta be because she was a pure Voidling of shadows once. No other explanation, he thought, gliding down into the Parthenon. The thick mist around him cleared as he landed, revealing the massive dark gem hovering in the middle of the building.

  "Fancy stuff…"

  Identify refused to tell him anything he didn't already know, so he just waved off the description and approached the gem. It let out a few pulses from within as if sensing something powerful approaching.

  Leo snorted. Yeah, I don't think so, you little leech. He glanced at Nyx, who just landed next to him, and nodded. At three. Got it?

  'Let's just get this over with and leave.'

  "Of course," he muttered and extended his blades. "One, two, three!"

  At once, both his blades and Nyx's tail plunged deep into the gem. The smoky darkness within instantly tried to fight back, to pull their Essence away from their souls. Only it was way too weak.

  "Devour."

  The epic skill, freed from its cage, pounced at the prodding tendrils of darkness and swallowed them whole. The gem could do nothing as, bit by bit, its power was consumed by his and Nyx's skills. Soon, cracks began to spread over its surface until no spot remained in one piece.

  And now!

  As fast as the feast began, it ended even faster. Devour pulled back, and Leo yanked his blades out, Nyx following in his steps. The gem, however, didn't take well to that action and exploded, shattering into hundreds of tiny pieces.

  "There we go." He smiled at the notification that just appeared.

  You have contributed toward weakening a Tainted Wasteland. Bonus experience and 5000 Ether granted. Weaken the Wasteland further to receive better rewards.

  Even if it was only five thousand Ether, Leo couldn't complain. This, together with the reward for the task and Nyx slaughtering almost every Omen in the city, had earned him almost a whole one hundred thousand. That was more than enough for another mutation if he could get the other needed parts.

  I guess some shopping is in order when we return to the UK. He chuckled and shot Nyx a quick look. "Come on, you grumpy kitty. We're heading out. Next stop, Delos."

  They traveled all the way through the night and then into the morning, flying over open waters and the occasional island to reach Delos. Leo considered stopping for a few hours to rest, but a single look at Nyx told him that would be a bad idea. Even if her mood improved after leaving Athens, the annoyance and murderous intent within their link were quite obvious.

  That was why he decided to just push all the way to their destination and let her get her anger out on the two godlings waiting for them. At the very least, it would be entertaining to watch an overgrown shadow cat chase around a couple of mythical beings.

  "Let's split up!" he shouted to the feline. "Remember, search for places without any Void corruption."

  Nyx nodded and, without a word, dived toward the island of Delos. He followed in her steps, flying in a different direction.

  For the most part, the entire place was empty, be it of Voidlings or buildings. The Void still stretched its roots over the island, but it didn't bother to cover it whole. Just a vein here, a bubbling mass of Vetilim there. Nothing more, nothing less.

  Leo wouldn't lie, though; it definitely made finding the entrance to the Divine Realm harder. For all he knew, every single tiny spot free of Vetilim could be what they were searching for. He was halfway to drawing Riftfang and randomly slashing at the air when Nyx's voice echoed through their link.

  'I have it here.'

  Be there in a moment, he answered and made a full turn, the lightning on his back exploding to push him even faster.

  The flight to Nyx's position didn't take long, and soon, he landed near the shore atop a large gray rock. The feline, of course, was already there, her gaze glued to a small tower made of cut stones placed on top of each other. It barely reached her shoulders.

  "Any idea what this is?" she asked, tilting her head.

  Leo shrugged as Riftfang landed in his hand. "Aside from a potential entrance to the Divine Realm? Not a clue."

  Nyx accepted that answer without a complaint and stepped aside. "Do your thing then."

  And so he did.

  Riftfang ignited with his Essence and tore reality apart in front of him. For a moment, it seemed like the portal would collapse, but then the silver-gold energy crackling around it stabilized, forming a familiar opening.

  Leo and Nyx shared a look and stepped through, the portal spitting them onto a hill overlooking the entire realm.

  "Wow…" was the first word that left his mouth as he observed the vast lands. Out of the three Divine Realms he had visited, this was by far the most unique—and beautiful.

  Twin skies hovered above, a constant blend of twilight and dawn. A radiant golden sun and a silver moon each claimed their half of the sky, always moving yet never drawing close to one another. The clouds were also far from normal, some shimmering with bright flames, while others appeared almost frozen by the moonlit glow covering them.

  As expected, the land waiting ahead of them was no less unique. A vast forest stretched out, its trees a mix of gold and silver. At its center lay a glowing pond of clear water. And above it, hovered two small ancient temples. One golden, its roof burning with divine flames, while the other, bright silver, had the entire constellations moving along its walls.

  "That's… impressive," Nyx muttered. "Even I have to admit as much."

  Leo nodded, searching the realm with his enhanced sight for any other things he might have missed. Yet, there was nothing, just an endless stretch of trees and the small hill they stood upon.

  "Temples first, then."

  Nyx tipped her head and readied to jump into the air. However, before she could move any further, two arrows, both shining as bright as the stars, descended upon their position. Leo didn't move, though, and neither did the feline as they watched the projectiles sink deep into the ground in front of their feet.

  "Halt! You are trespassing on sacred lands."

  The voice, strong and commanding, came from far away, echoing through the entire realm. Another voice—this one much softer but no less commanding—continued once the first one finished.

  "Turn away now and go back to where you came from."

  'In the sky,' Nyx warned.

  Leo followed her gaze just in time to see two figures descending toward them. They moved slowly as if walking down an invisible staircase from the heavens.

  The first thing he noticed was their rich olive skin and the white togas that hid most of their supernatural beauty that put all humans to shame. Not even the supermodels on the covers of fashion magazines could compare.

  He could admit as much as his gaze drifted toward the silver-haired woman bathed in the moon's glow. He might be a monster now, but not long ago, he had still been a man. He could appreciate beauty when he saw it—and in his humble opinion, the woman, Artemis, was breathtaking.

  A sharp slap to the back of his head yanked him out of his thoughts.

  "Ow." He grimaced.

  "Stop staring," she growled.

  "I wasn't," Leo growled back. "I was simply studying the enemy."

  "Sure you were." Nyx rolled her eyes. "Focus up."

  "Yeah, yeah." He sighed and activated Identify.

  Trace of Divine detected. Strength cannot be measured. Proceed at your own risk.

  Still the same message. Whatever, at least now we know for sure those are the godlings we need to kill. Leo mused. Nyx, any ideas, or are we just brute-forcing it again?

  'Your call. I just want to fight.'

  He stifled his chuckle. Very well. Prepare a technique they won't detect and wait for my signal.

  'Got it.'

  By the time their mental exchange ended, the two gods had finished their descent, stopping a few meters away. A golden and a silver bow materialized in their hands, each already nocking an arrow.

  "We won't repeat ourselves again, mortals," Artemis said, her voice as cold as ice. "Leave now, or you shall become a food for our forest."

  Leo grinned, extending his blades. "Yeah, lady. I don't think that will happen."

  Nyx now!

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