A Universe of Bloody Evolution

Unleashed, the System bombarded Leo's mind with a torrent of notifications. There were quite a few of them, and while the majority of the text spoke about the number of deaths that occurred in the last few minutes, there were also some more special notifications. Without hesitation, he promptly skipped right to them.

Still, that's a shit tone of Ether. Maybe mutations are not as far off as I thought…

Level 13 reached. Class and Racial attributes have been distributed. Please assign your 3 free attributes.

Not surprising. I probably killed about twenty Voidlings since the last one. And the Brute and Harpy were almost the same level as me. Leo noted, giving a brief glance at the notifications of said kills. Not bad... Now for the attributes...

His control was almost back where it used to be, so Leo really didn't need to put all points in Mind. However, he still had a lot of ideas and places to improve, so more control couldn't hurt him, like at all.

Besides, it took way too much time to form Decoy, even if it was the first time. Leo remembered well the initial struggle to make his Essence act as it should. If it wasn't for his inner beast's support, Decoy would have probably collapsed on the first attempt. Yeah, three more to Mind it is.

Choice made, the System processed it instantly, and Leo shuddered as the rush of power traveled through his body. The pain of gaining too much strength at once had long since disappeared, replaced by an almost euphoric surge of energy.

"Nice," Leo muttered, flexing his body and reaching for the Essence within. It answered instantly, and even though the control was far from perfect, the energy still trying to struggle out of his grasp, its flow calmed considerably since he first awoke after evolution.

Better than before. I wonder if I might be able to push Essence Manipulation further now... Yet another thought for later.

Congratulations, User! You have survived and defeated Mirage Ambush, one of a few techniques available to a Crimson Mirage. The construct responsible for the Ambush is now heavily weakened. Finish it to claim a user-appropriate reward. Don't wait too long, or the Crimson Mirrage will recover.

Leo's nonexistent eyebrows jumped high. When he scanned Crimson Mirrage yesterday, it only ever mentioned supporting higher-ranking Voidlings. He definitely didn't remember anything about techniques... though there was a part about evolving into Special Void lifeforms.

No, that can't be it. The description would change, and I rechecked it when I first saw this fucking thing. Leo shook his head before freezing momentarily. Shit, there is still that detail about messing with the minds of lesser beings.

When Leo first read that, he had thought this only applied to other survivors, but with what just happened, it was obvious that wasn't the case. Three full packs of quite strong Voidlings close to each other. Crimson Mirage being the Harpy's home. The Brute escaping from a building right underneath the Vetilim structure...

Now it all adds up. Hell, even my gut feeling makes more sense with this... Fuck.

Upon first glance, Crimson Mirages seemed like annoying, possibly dangerous if given time, obstacles that could be easily avoided. Yet now, with this new knowledge, those bloody flowers suddenly got ten times more dangerous. And that was without adding the potential for them to turn into 'Special Void Lifeforms,' whatever the hell that even meant.

At least I learned about it in a somewhat controlled environment. Leo chuckled, imagining what Tyler would say if he heard his thoughts. Like always, it could have been much worse. After all, I at least didn't have to fight against creatures from Tainted Wasteland.

Grimacing, Leo slashed the notifications with his claws. He had seen everything that was important there; it was time to get back to work. Or at least time to take the reward from the Crimson Mirage.

User-appropriate, wonder what's that about. Leo mused as he scaled the wall next to him. With another level, his climb became even smoother than before, wasting barely any movement and strength. It made him wonder if that was how world-class gymnasts felt in their bodies.

Well, not counting the three tails... I doubt any human has had to deal with those before…

Pulling up for the last time to reach the roof, Leo rose to his feet and scanned the vicinity. In hindsight, they were a bit lucky that there weren't any more Voidlings in the area, especially the Seekers. They might be small and weak, but those damned creatures were ten times more annoying than any Scavenger or Scuttlejaw.

I wouldn't be surprised if this Crimson Mirge was responsible for scaring away other Voidlings. Leo's eyes narrowed. And if that's the case, we should probably get going now that it is weakened. No reason to stick around for too long.

Nodding, Leo ran until he reached a roof almost above the resting trio. They, of course, didn't notice him, True Stealth making sure of that, so he simply snatched a small rock and hurled it next to the group.

Three heads instantly snapped toward the roof, and Leo quickly pointed toward the Crimson Mirage in the distance. Without even waiting for a reply, he was off. The instant glare Tyler threw at him was enough to know that their alliance was as fucked as he had expected. No point in starting another argument by staying among them.

At least the path is mostly clear now. I can take a moment to figure out this 'reward.'

And that was precisely what he did. The Crimson Mirage might have been quite far away, but with the almost unnatural speed Leo now possessed, he reached the big Void plant in a matter of seconds. It almost felt like flying instead of running, each step carrying him further than he thought possible.

If I'm not past human peak yet, then I am pretty damn close. Leo mused as he stopped at the base of the Crimson Mirage. The thing was easily twice as tall as the building it grew on, and considering that from his current position, he could see most of the area, that was saying a lot.

Now, how do I 'finish' it? Syst…

There are several ways to kill a Crimson Mirage. In its weakened state, its Vetilim shell is very malleable and can be easily overpowered, even with a punch. For beginner survivors, the System recommends cutting the Crimson Mirage at its base and destroying the core hiding inside.

Huh. Leo blinked. That's... surprisingly helpful? Did I miss something, or is this a normal procedure?

Getting no answer, Leo sighed as he inspected the structure. Except for the slightly weaker glow of the crimson Vetilim veins, the Mirage didn't seem any different. Still, the System said it was malleable, so he might as well try…

Rearing his fist, Leo threw the quickest punch he could at the Crimson Mirage's stalk. Immediately upon impact, the Vetilim burst apart like a bubble, splattering in all directions.

Leo scowled, wiping a dark sludge from his face. "Yeah... definitely malleable," he muttered, studying the small crater he had created.

So I just have to punch or cut my way toward the core... He glanced at his claws. But what if…

Some people would probably think of this as a bad idea, but considering Leo had to destroy this huge alien plant anyway, it couldn't hurt to at least try. And so, with a shrug, he plunged his claws deep into the Crimson Mirage, and with a single flick, he freed Devour from its cage.

The ever-gluttonous ability dived toward its new meal like it hadn't been fed for eternity. Leo's inner beast followed with a rumbling roar, assisting Devour wherever possible.

Almost instantly, in the corner of his vision, he spotted the edges of the petals above transforming to dust. Some particles scattered into the wind, while others rained upon the ground, forcing Leo to duck his head even harder.

Of course, it would turn to dust too... Despite the complaints, he didn't stop the process. Already Leo's reserves were full, yet Devour still took more, Essence trickling in waves into his body like never before. Not even the corpse of Cursed Juggernaut came close, and he remembered well what happened after he consumed the Voidling.

Consume as much as you can, but please hurry the fuck up. Devour, of course, didn't answer; it was a skill, after all. However, the beast inside roared louder, and suddenly, the flow sped up, the dust rain turning into a downpour…

All the while, Leo stood there, glued to his spot for a minute, maybe more. The Crimson Mirage collapsed into dust from top to bottom, yet when he withdrew his hand, Essence overflowing his entire body, only a moderate pile remained after the structure.

Fuck.. This feels weird. Leo breathed in deeply, trying to calm his raging heart. Maybe he shouldn't have rushed Devour so much... Doesn't matter. The results speak for themselves.

Glancing at the System messages, Leo couldn't help but grin. Not that he even could have stopped the reaction. Not when he felt like someone pumped a bucket of caffeine straight into his veins.

Devour consumed: +1 Might, +1 Soul

Crimson Mirage destroyed. Claim your reward from the core, User.

I think I just found my new favorite target. Leo chuckled as he stepped closer to the large pile and reached inside. He had to flail his arm a bit, but in the end, his claws slipped over something soft, almost velvet.

Without much thought, he gripped the material tightly and tugged, the heap of dust exploding with the movement. Shit... Leo coughed as he backed off. Could have done that slower.

Waving his hand to clear the dark cloud, his eyes finally settled on the item in his grip.

Going by the first touch inside the pile, Leo knew it wasn't a weapon. Really he didn't need more than he already had attached to his body... Yet, the moment his gaze fell on the long, black piece of velvety material, his brow instantly furrowed.

Bringing the item higher, Leo unruffled the fabric, still marveling how soft it felt even to his claws.

Ah, so not just a piece of useless material. User-appropriate indeed.

It was a cloak, a very long one, with a cowl just as dark as the rest of the fabric. Leo almost instantly swung it around his body, the clothing softly settling against his shoulders. It felt like no material before, hugging him warmly like he had just returned home.

Hell, even the spikes on his upper back didn't pierce the fabric, and that was the last straw for Leo. No natural thing should feel like that.

Identify.

Cloak of Flowing Darkness (Rare):
A cloak created by an experienced mystical tailor. Made out of fabric attuned to the Darkness, this item will be handy for Users capable of utilizing said element. This cloak will automatically adjust to the User's size and make sneaking in the darkness slightly easier. Additionally, the cowl will obscure the User's face from others at a moderate distance.
Notice: This item cannot be upgraded with System honing without the necessary Job.

Flowing Darkness... Fitting. Leo mused, running a hand across the fabric. It certainly proved the System's words about the item being user-appropriate. He might not wield the Darkness, but shadows were close enough for now.

And it can hide my body quite well... With how large the cloak was, it pretty much only left the bottom half of his legs for the world to see. Even better, Leo didn't need to bother tying it together, as it magically connected on both edges, just beneath his chin, forming a seamless and smooth material.

All in all, a very useful item that didn't even get in a way too much. Of course, the cloak definitely wasn't made for open battle, but that wasn't really a problem in the long run.

Now if it could only hide me from Identify and cover my face completely. That would make the meeting with the next group much easier... at least in the beginning.

Leo shrugged, pulling the hood up. Oh well, you can't have everything. This is still more than what I expected.