NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 172. What comes next
Cursed Reaper (LVL: 22) slain | Experience awarded | 3 Ether gained
Cursed Reaper (LVL: 23) slain | Experience awarded | 3 Ether gained
Cursed Walker (LVL: 21) slain | Experience awarded | 3 Ether gained
Spitfire (LVL: 18) slain | No experience awarded | No Ether gained
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Multiple enemies slain | Bonus experience awarded | 179 Ether gained
You have reached level 34. Class and Racial attributes have been distributed. Please assign your 3 free attributes.
Leo blinked and then rubbed his eyes. The notifications didn't disappear. Hell, in his opinion, even more appeared in the meantime. This definitely wasn't what he expected to happen after his small demonstration, not at all.
"I might have gone a little overboard," he muttered, more to himself than the others.
Lily and Nyx snorted. "You think?" His sister exclaimed, her eyes still glued to the destruction below.
At this point, the dust slowly settled, revealing the ruins of the once massive building. Blood was visible almost everywhere while dead monsters lay scattered under the debris. It was quite a macabre sight. However, it still couldn't match the massacre at ReachHope.
Ah whatever. Leo sighed, averting his gaze. At least I got a level out of it. One more, and evolutions are back. I should probably unlock them before going to Wolford... Doubt it will happen, though. I have barely any Essence left after my little show.
With a shrug, he quickly assigned his free points to Vision and let the notifications fade away. Then, he addressed the others as if nothing had happened.
"So that's Ruination," he smiled as best as a beast like him could. "Any questions?"
Instead of asking anything, Malcolm looked at Lily with a blank stare. "You know what? Now I can see how the two of you are siblings. I swear if the Void doesn't kill me, you two will."
His sister slapped the Abyss Walker's arm. "You are being overdramatic. Again... Get a grip."
"Get a grip, she says," Malcolm threw his hands in the air. "Bloody hell, did we just watch the same thing? He just collapsed the entire building. With one attack! Even Payne would struggle to do that."
Lily crossed her arms. "No, he wouldn't. And excuse me. I can do it too if I try hard enough."
"Exactly, if you try hard enough," the Abyss Walker ranted. "Your brother did that as a demonstration and after already fighting that bastard today. There is no comparison! It's totally bonkers."
His sister quirked an eyebrow. "Better now? Got it all out?"
Malcolm closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Yeah... Sorry, it's just... First, it's Payne. Then you. And now your brother. You all are far above any other survivor. Bloody hell, we have the same level, and I know that between the two of us, I'm weaker. And let's not mention Payne and you, Leo."
'Is he having a breakdown?' Nyx asked as they watched from the sidelines.
Leo shook his head. Nah. It's finally hitting him that no matter how many Voidlings he kills and how hard he trains, there will always be someone better out there. That's just the way of the world. It was true before the Outbreak, and it's true now. He will get over it. He wouldn't get this far if this was what took him down.
The feline hummed as she mulled over his words. 'Why is he even comparing himself to you, Geron's minion, or even your sister? You all were affected by the Old Ones to some degree, while he is just a former human. It's obvious he will be weaker for now.'
Even if that's true, it ain't that simple. He sighed, feeling a headache coming. If I was in his shoes, I would feel the same. It's a human thing to do, and even if we all shed some or most of our human skin, it's way too early for our humanity to die just yet.
Nyx turned to him, her bright eyes looking into his. 'I see,' she averted her gaze. 'Sometimes it's easy to forget who you were before all of this. You have changed. Especially lately. Being a Voidborn suits you.'
I guess. Leo nodded with a shrug, pretty much ignoring Malcolm and Lily as they continued bickering. It's just a pity that most of those changes were forced upon me. Would have been nice to live without some ancient gods hovering above my head.
'Would it really?' The feline asked, her voice soft. 'If you could do this all over again. Would you step away from the path of the Void? Would you become just another survivor who struggles to see the light of another day? Is that what you really want from life?'
I... He trailed off, words abandoning him. I don't know.
There was a lot he would change if given another chance. Yet his connection to the Void, evolution, and even Nikra's shard wasn't on the list for now. Prime Night Hunter was who he became, and Leo had no idea if he could give up a vital part of himself. Not again.
A nudge to his side brought him back to reality.
'Don't think about it too much. You have plenty of time to find the answer. We both do,' Nyx placated before motioning to the other duo. 'You should probably step in. We're wasting time.'
Leo sighed. Right...
"Alright, you two, that's enough," he called out, coming in between them. "The night is coming, and I still have some stuff I want to talk about. Sit and listen."
Lily and Malcolm shared a look and nodded. Once they both settled down, he continued.
"So as you two saw with your own eyes, I have a way to deal with Payne. I need to practice with it a bit, but the next time we meet, I will be ready. Now, with that subject closed—please stay quiet, Lily—let's focus on something more important. Wolford. How is it going with the explosives?"
His sister crossed her arms again, scowling and refusing to answer. Next to her, Malcolm rolled his eyes. "Not bad. We have thirteen ready, maybe more now. I'm not sure how much more Mitsuki can create. We're kind of running out of Crystalized Essence."
"Not a problem," Leo waved him off and summoned a small backpack into his hand. "Here you go. I don't really use them, so they have been gathering dust."
Cautiously, Malcolm took the offered item and unzipped it. His eyes widened. "Shit," he blinked. "This definitely solves the issue. Thanks, I guess. You sure you don't need any?"
"I'm good. I can always get more tomorrow. The explosives are more important."
"Even with your new affinity?" Lily joined the conversation again, her scowl missing. "Maybe there is no need for bombs after all."
Leo grimaced. "I would rather save my strength. Even if we collapse the Graveyard, I doubt it will go down without a fight. Somebody will have to deal with it."
"I will be there too, you know? And don't forget about your kitty." Nyx hissed at Lily, but the woman just ignored it, a light grin tugging at her lips.
"Doesn't matter," he said, not acknowledging the jab. "I'm not taking any unnecessary risk, and wasting my Essence is just that. We use explosives, and that's the end of it."
"We will have at least twenty ready by tomorrow morning," Malcolm vowed, standing up. "If that's all, we should get going. I don't fancy fighting a Nightmare just yet."
Leo nodded, glancing at the sun disappearing behind the horizon. "Just one more thing," he said. "Do you two have a way to contact each other after we leave for Wolford?"
Lily shook her head. "Nothing. Like I told you yesterday, we're still working on it."
Worth a shot. He clicked his tongue and turned to Malcolm. "I will try to figure something out. You need a way to contact us just in case."
"I would appreciate it," the Abyss Walker offered him a smile. "But if it comes to that, we will manage. Just like we always do. One question, though. How long will it take you to return? I want to get people moving as soon as we can."
Leo furrowed his brow. "It depends on Holden's answer to our offer and the Graveyard. If he agrees and everything goes smoothly, we can be back even on the same day. However..."
"So two days, got it," Malcolm cut him off. Seeing the looks he received, he chuckled. "What? We all know nothing goes smoothly nowadays. Your fight with Payne only proves that."
Can't argue with that. Leo conceded with a nod. "Two days then. And if we need more, one of us will return alone while the other stays."
"Sounds good."
With that, they exchanged goodbyes and left. Lily and Malcolm disappeared in the darkness of the evening, going straight for their base.
As for Leo and Nyx?
They descended onto the streets in search of a place to rest. It didn't take long to find one, and soon, he settled for sleep while the feline stood watch.
Tomorrow will be interesting.
