NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 77. Hunt
Alone yet again. Leo sighed, looking over the old trainyard and the neighboring area. Well, almost alone. He corrected himself as the beast inside his head grumbled. I really need a name for you. What do ya think?
The beast scoffed, retreating into the deeper recesses of his mind. This simple action pretty much translated to: 'Do whatever you want. I don't care.' Which, in hindsight, was fair; after all, why would it care about a name when in the end, they were one and the same.
If you don't care, then I'm just gonna call you Bob. Like it? Leo prodded, and the growl he got in return was like music to his ears. Yeah, don't care, my ass... What if we take a single part from the name of my new species? It's the reason why we're even having this conversation to begin with, so I think it's fitting.
As the beast didn't dignify him with an answer, Leo just continued with this train of thought.
'Night' was out, it just didn't sound right in his mind, and the word probably represented his inner beast the least of all. Prime had potential, but when Leo presented it to the monster, it just sent him the mental equivalent of a shrug, completely dismissing the option.
So Hunter? I mean, it fits, and it is an actual name. It still feels weird trying to name something that's a part of me, but it is much better than just calling you an 'inner beast.' Leo reasoned. So, what's the verdict? I can try finding a different name, but I wouldn't count on it being good. There's a reason why no one has ever allowed me to name anything...
The beast's snigger filled his mind, and Leo smirked as no objections came his way. Either the now-christened Hunter really didn't care as long as his name wasn't something like Bob, or it decided to take what was being given before the options got much worse.
Well then... Until the System hopefully presents a way for us to become one unit forever, you're Hunter. Congratulations. Leo reached out to the beast, almost dryly. It mimicked his enthusiasm and huffed, diving even deeper into his mind.
Yet, before it retreated completely, Hunter left him with a simple message.
‘Remember. Prepare.’
Yeah, I didn't forget. How could I..? Leo snorted, his eyes glued to the trees in the distance, their leaves swaying in the soft breeze. But you're right... Time to get down and start being productive. I still have a lot of time to kill until nighttime.
Stabbing his claws into the tree's trunk, Leo slid to the ground in one go and dashed away from the Safe Zone. Honestly, he was getting much better at controlling his body with each passing hour. The three tails were still a handful, but in the end, at least they stopped trying to trip him every damned minute.
Progress, and that's all that matters…
Thankfully, Leo didn't have to go far to find a place for a new temporary base. He could've used the house he'd cleared for the trio, but hiding in a place known to others didn't seem like a smart idea. The bigger group was still an unknown, and getting caught off guard by them could end poorly, both for him and the survivors.
With that in mind, Leo dived right into another wrecked house, his Hunter's Pulse staying put for now. While he doubted more Ameists were near — or at least within range of his ability — there was no reason to push his luck. His blades would bathe in their blood again, just not now. There were still a few things to be done before that…
"Nothing... That just fuels my theory," Leo muttered as he settled onto the last standing chair in the ruined kitchen. He probably shouldn't have been surprised about the house being so empty. However, after nearly a week of constant fighting, with Voidlings appearing anywhere he turned, it felt almost eerie for an area to be so devoid of activity.
Gives you hope that it might be possible to clear an entire city and make it somewhat livable again... Leo shook his head at the thought. Wondering about what-ifs never helped anyone. Right... System, give me the task reward.
Leo didn't even have to reach out for the task notification for the powerful entity to act. A bright golden light immediately descended upon the entire room, coalescing into a familiar orb on the floor.
For a moment, Leo fought to keep his eyes open, to experience the entire process. But it burned. It burned with the power of a thousand suns, stabbing needles into his eyeballs without any remorse. And so he had to turn away and shield his body fully with the dark cloak; there was no other way.
Yeah, it's definitely weaponized, either that, or I'm just too weak to take this in. Leo grimaced, repeatedly blinking as the tiny golden sun faded away. The scorched floor, devoid of Vetilim, and the four items were the only remnants left in its wake.
Crouching before the new arrivals, Leo completely ignored the three flares, his gaze fully focused on a small yellow badge. The thing was as plain as almost any rock, only this item had a more rounded shape and a big letter H engraved on its front.
Let's see.
Free Honing Token (Uncommon):
A simple and low-grade token. It allows the User to upgrade or repair an item below Rare grade for free. Please note that a Token awarded from a task works only for the User who received them.
Huh, interesting. It pretty much screams in my face that I can get those things outside tasks. Crimson Mirages, maybe? Or Nests? Leo hummed, rolling the token between his fingers. The item was just as rough to the touch as any other rock.
And I can use it to repair stuff. Good. Bringing his left arm into the open, Leo sent a single spark of Essence into the spectral chain that enveloped the limb. The ever-impossible-to-read green symbols flared to life, pulsing with power.
Let's fix you up.
Item critically damaged. Honing locked. Do you wish to repair Spectral Inscription: Valron Coverage (Common) for the price of 90 Ether? One upgrade charge will be used for this process.
Free Honing Token detected. Do you wish to use it in place of Ether?
Ninety Ether?! The knife only took five... Which, I mean, is understandable, but still. Eyes a bit wide, Leo glanced at the token and then at the notification once more.
He had been planning to use the item, but in the back of his mind, the thoughts of saving it for the future existed. Not any longer, though. Not with what he had just learned. He didn't have other items to upgrade anyway, and saving ninety Ether seemed like a great idea no matter how he looked at it.
Repair it, System. Use the token.
At once, the token crumbled into dust, the particles diving straight toward Leo's left arm. The flying cloud swirled around the limb, a bright golden glow growing underneath it, slowly coalescing around the arm. Just like with the knife, the radiant energy — Ether — continued to spread until nothing but it remained in sight.
Leo gritted his teeth as the inferno laid waste across his skin. It was nothing like the pain when his Install Item advanced, but it didn't mean he enjoyed having his arm cooked by the honing system.
It's starting to look like any kind of Ether can harm me. That, or the System is a sadist. I really don't know which is worse...
Gradually, the golden veil lost its luster, revealing unblemished skin underneath. Leo let out a long sigh of relief. The fact that the process didn't harm his skin was a good sign. A very good one. Being physically hurt by Ether or only experiencing some painful discomfort was a big difference. Big enough to change quite a few scenarios he'd been worried about.
As long as a Safe Zone is safe, I don't care. I'll handle truly weaponized Ether... somehow.
Nodding, Leo's gaze again fell to his arm, which, thanks to another flicker of Essence, erupted in a dark green, almost black glow. The symbols were still there, but with the repair, their complexity only grew. While before, each character was separate, now they all became a part of something bigger, blending together to create an image that belonged in an art gallery.
"Beautiful," Leo murmured, devouring the sight with his eyes. It took a growl from Hunter to break him from this self-indulgence. "Shit. Sorry."
Hunter harrumphed before retreating once more, leaving Leo to finally inspect the item in detail.
Let's see if it was really worth it.
Valron Coverage (Uncommon):
A Spectral Inscription item made by a skilled craftsman. Created using Valron ore and Runic Essence. Thanks to its new wielder, Valron Coverage has returned to its prime.
Effect: Chosen body part becomes significantly more resilient, almost doubling its toughness.
Active: Valron Protection - Channel Essence to create a protective layer of spectral skin over the chosen area. This ability can be maintained indefinitely as long as the User possesses Essence.
Area of Use: Any single place on the User's body
Huh. Definitely worth it. Leo snorted as he read about the effect and active ability again. He now pretty much possessed an arm that could possibly withstand a direct hit from a Brute, or maybe even a Cursed Juggernaut. Though he really doubted the latter.
And the continuous use of the shielding ability can be useful for projectiles and those fucking ants... Overall a very well-spent token.
Dismissing Valron Protection, Leo quickly summoned his Job menu. He had some exploring to do, and from what he remembered, plenty of tasks were waiting to be picked up.
Thirty-five Voidlings above level five for a hundred Ether. Sure, why not. Leo shrugged, accepting the task. Just then, another one caught his eye, and despite already having an active one, he still brought it up.
Hunt: Ant Queen
Hunt down an Ameist Queen in one of the Nests close by. Commissioned by: System. Time Limit: 10 Earth days.
Rewards:
150 Ether, Random raw item of at least Uncommon rarity, Random Survivor reward
Do you wish to accept?
Raw item and Survivor reward. Wonder what that means. Identify, of course, didn't provide any answers. Oh well, I can always take it la... Hold on. Can I have two tasks active at once?
Deciding that it couldn't hurt to try, Leo accepted the job, his eyes widening just a bit when no error message appeared. Immediately, he chose another task, an easy one, but this time there no option to accept appeared.
So two is the limit, at least for now... Fuck, I really should've checked this before. With a sigh, Leo dismissed the menu. Oh well, no use crying over spilled milk. Time to get back on the move. I even have something to strive for now.
Even Hunter returned to the forefront of his mind, ready for the oncoming battles. Leo only smiled and slipped out of his temporary base, True Stealth activating with naught but a thought.
Alright then. Come to me. With almost every step toward the Nest Colony, Leo fired off a Hunter's Pulse.
It wasn't until he entered the massive overgrowth that the pulse returned something. Leo grinned and stopped, listening for the slightest shifts in the wind.
Here they come.
Two Ameists broke through the grass, speeding right towards Leo. Yet, when their eyes fell on him, the duo froze and almost immediately tried to back off.
That's new. Leo noted, a lance of shadows forming in his hands as he sped forward. The two Minion Ameists never stood a chance as he reached them in the blink of an eye, the shadow weapon descending upon the nearest Voidling.
It died the moment the lance connected with its head, but Leo barely paid the monster any attention. Instead, he jumped to the other ant, yet he didn't bare his claws or extend his blades. No, for this specimen, he had something much better prepared.
Minor Takeover. Leo called out, a burst of Essence leaving his body as he touched the Ameist.
Unlike the last time, barely a fifth of his energy left his body, diving into the Ameist's form like a hungry dog toward its meal. There was no struggle, no exchange of Essence. Only the dark Void remained, perfectly blending with his own power and consuming the ant in one go.
Leo blinked, and the Ameist blinked back, its new violet eyes meeting his own.
Lead me to the least guarded entrance of your Nest.
Yo! I'm back pretty much in good health again. I will be writing a lot more now (Who needs free time anyway), so this is what's gonna happen next. One, I plan to have Patreon with 15 chapters ahead instead of 10 by the end of the month. Two, after that, the swap to 3 updates per week instead of 2 might be coming. Three, I want to finally get started on my new project. For now, I just have a few snippets, nothing to really post here.
Patreon (9 Chapters ahead, will be back to 10 by tomorrow and then to 15 by the end of the month): https://www.patreon.com/Chaos65 Discord: Land of Chaos
