“People like to think that the Outbreak is the worst part of joining the bigger Universe. In many cases they are right. You lose your family, home, and other vital parts of your life. Everything you ever worked for is gone. But people tend to forget that the Outbreak is just the beginning, a stepping stone for changes that will sometimes make you wish that the Curse of the Void consumed you.”

~ Survivor of the 7th Outbreak

More careful than ever Leo threw the backpack over his shoulders, wincing as weight pressed onto the open flesh. No other way to do this, without both hands available Leo didn’t fancy his chances out there. And he wasn’t leaving his bag here, too many things could go wrong in the next few minutes. Getting cut off from his supplies wasn’t in Leo’s plans today.

Leo glanced at the shovel in his hand and sighed. He already had to straighten it twice and just like Identify said, the tool wasn’t taking the Outbreak too well. With every hit cracks spread along the shovel’s shaft while a small part of its blade broke away when Leo hit the first Seeker.

Sooner or later it had to break, fall apart into a pile of scrap. And Leo knew that when the moment came it could put him in danger. For now though, the tool still provided him with a weird sense of security that no other weapon gave him. Maybe it would change soon — as it probably should —, but for now, there was no reason to change how Leo fought if it worked.

Besides he still had two, or three if he counted his claws, weapons that waited to be used when the first line of defense fell.

I will cross that bridge when it comes.

Leo reached into his half-filled Essence reserves and forced the barrier to form around his body. He pursed his lips as his newfound understanding of Essence once again let Leo know how incomplete the ability was. I really need to fix this.

Rolling his shoulders, Leo crouched low, his body bent forward as he weaved between the last few bushes and trees. Every single move sent a flare of pain through his body.

Leo gritted his teeth so hard that for a moment he was worried they might break.

As he passed the last tree, Leo glanced in every direction one more time to confirm that nothing had a chance to spot him the moment he stepped out into the open. Only a dozen or so steps separated him from the truck that somehow managed to overturn even without a ditch on this side of the road.

Most Voidlings just kept their previous routine. Walking from one vehicle to another, screeching at the other monsters when they ran into each other. For a moment Leo hoped that a fight would break out, giving him a chance to maybe just kill the stragglers and run away, but for some reason, the Voidlings always separated, only throwing a glare and growling at each other.

With the path clear, Leo almost sprinted to the truck, instantly hugging the roof of the long trailer. The large vehicle blocked the sight of almost the entire road and Leo planned to use it to his advantage. That was the reason why he chose this spot to begin his plan after all.

Leo walked to the right edge of the trailer and leaned out, searching for his first target.

There you are. Leo smirked, spotting the Cursed Human standing on the edge of the opposite lane. It walked around the back of a red sedan that had the misfortune to fall with its front into the ditch on the other side.

Another look to Leo’s right confirmed that the Voidlings near the crash site of an SUV and a minivan didn’t even care to look in Leo’s direction. They just kept on clawing at one of the doors of the smaller car where another Voidling was trapped. The commotion they created was enough of a boon to Leo that for now, he decided to forget how those creatures organized themselves to help their kin.

Now to quickly deal with you. Leo thought as his gaze centered on his target. The shovel fell into his claws as his hand grabbed the dagger from his waist.

Like lightning, Leo bolted out of his hiding place straight towards the Voidling. His steps were measured, almost carried by the wind and the monster only recognized something was wrong when Leo was no more than two or three feet away.

The Voidling turned, opening its mouth to release another screech, but Leo was faster. He jumped forward and closed the distance in a second. The shaft of the shovel landed on the monster’s neck while the dagger sailed straight for the skull, the additional momentum and another point in strength helping to pierce the bone after a minimal struggle.

Cursed Human (LVL: 2) slain | Experience awarded | 1 Ether gained

The duo fell in a heap just at the edge of the asphalt, almost soundlessly. Leo bit back the curse that threatened to leave his throat when the force of the impact once again pushed his bag into the wounds.

Don’t stop now. Leo shouted internally as he stabbed the dead Voidling with his claws and dragged it down the deep ditch. The body barreled to the bottom and Leo let out a sigh as he leaned against the side of the sedan. This went a lot better than he expected.

Just to ruin Leo’s celebration, a muffled hiss came from behind him. Body tensing, he pulled the dagger out of the monster’s head and held his breath. Inch by inch, Leo peeked over the car’s crushed hood, only to again duck behind his cover just a millisecond later.

Of course, there has to be one inside the car.

Almost crawling, Leo went around the bent mask. A quick look inside showed Leo enough to know that if he played his card right, then the Voidling would die as fast as the one before him. With the steering wheel almost spearing the monster into the seat, it had no chance to escape.

Leo stopped by the driver’s entrance and released a deep breath. On the count of three, he rose, the dagger flying through the broken window at the unsuspecting monster wiggling inside. Like its predecessor, the Voidling had no time to react as the blade entered through one of its eyes and pierced the brain hiding in the back.

Cursed Human (LVL: 1) slain | Experience awarded | 1 Ether gained

You are now level four. +2 DEX, +1 PER, +1 MIND. Please assign your 2 free attributes.

Mind and Constitution. Better hope it speeds up my recovery. Leo called out, ducking behind the sedan’s side again, his body tensing as it prepared for the usual surge of power.

Leo bit his lip as the System acknowledged the command. His entire frame shuddered, the flow of essence becoming even more regular as the howls and screeches of Voidlings sounded clearer than ever. The process finished and Leo breathed out a sigh, stopping himself from immediately testing out his new capabilities. He still had work to do.

Leo threw his left arm through the window, the claws digging into the dead Voidling, draining the remaining Essence. When the last sip of energy entered Leo’s body, he crawled back towards his first victim and repeated his actions. The veins of his taint lit up brighter than ever as the timer was for the first time pushed over ten hours.

The first part of the plan went better than expected, now if only the next one could work.

Leo climbed the ditch and cast a brief look over the edge. The situation on his left was blocked by the back of the red sedan, but Leo wasn’t planning to go after a group of five Voidlings working on freeing its kin. The situation on his right seemed much more welcome.

A single blue two-seater stood in the middle of the road with two Cursed Humans clawing through the steel of the trunk. They already managed to scratch away almost all of the paint and create enough dents to make a tinsmith lose their hair. The monsters worked as hard as the group to the left and Leo had to wonder what the hell was in that trunk to elicit such a reaction from them.

No way someone is hiding inside, right?

No matter the answer Leo moved through the ditch, closer to the car’s location. Once there he grabbed a rock from the ground and took aim. The last time this tactic didn’t work and that was fine, Leo only wanted to bait them to the ditch. With no more Voidlings in the vicinity for at least a hundred feet, he felt confident that the monsters would be dead before anyone noticed.

The small stone sailed through the air, the Cursed Human flinching when the rock hit it right in the head. The monster turned, growling right in Leo’s direction while the other Voidling just kept mauling the trunk.

The fuck? Leo had no time to think about this weird turn of events as his primary target was already headed towards the ditch.

Shovel in hands and the dagger lying in the dirt before him, Leo moved slightly to the right and waited as the earth vibrated with the Voidling’s steps. A second more and the monster came in sight, its visage looming over the ditch, teeth barred for all of the world to see.

Leo snorted when the Voidling took another step and swung his weapon. The monster swayed as the shovel met its backside. Just a little bit more. Leo yanked the tool back and the additional force was enough to push the Voidlings towards the ditch.

The Cursed Human screeched as its body tumbled down, head meeting the dirt at the bottom.

Leo followed his target, sliding down with the dagger in hand. He kicked the monster, electing another hiss as the Voidling tried to rise to its feet. Leo fell on the creature’s back and stabbed the back of its skull, cutting its life short.

Cursed Human (LVL: 2) slain | Experience awarded | 1 Ether gained

That was... easy? The use of environment and element of surprise really made it look simple. Though Leo expected to fight both of the Voidlings, not one. Speaking of.

Leo quickly dealt with the body and took another look at the road. Nothing changed. The Voidling in the distance kept on working on freeing its kin or walking mindlessly. And the Cursed Human in front of Leo attacked the trunk with reckless abandon, never noticing the disappearance of its partner.

What the hell is wrong with you? Leo frowned, the dagger once again falling into his hand.

He left the ditch without the shovel and crept towards the Voidling. Not even a note of sound came from Leo’s steps as he used every bit of grace granted by the dexterity attribute. So consumed by its task, the monster had no time to react as Leo grabbed its head. The dagger followed, its rusty tip spearing through the remains of the monster’s ear.

Cursed Human (LVL: 1) slain | Experience awarded | 1 Ether gained

Level one. That explains it a bit. Leo mused lowering the body to the ground as his claws already went to work. As the corpse turned to dust, Leo took a quick survey of the area and sighed when the Vodilings behind him still couldn’t be bothered to look in his direction.

As the body faded away, Leo remained crouched and let his fingers roam the bottom of the trunk, searching for the button. There! He squeezed with a bit of strength and let the lid pull itself up.

Almost instantly Leo turned away, shielding his nose and mouth with his elbow. He coughed, trying to eradicate the smell that tried to invade his body. The odor of shit and piss mixed with the stench of death filled the air around him. Leo acted without thinking and yanked the lid, snapping it shut with a bang.

Scree!

Leo’s body froze, the images of a dead teenage girl inside the trunk vanishing from his mind as growls and screeches louder than before pierced the air. “Shit.” Vodilings from every direction reacted at the loud bang, their previous tasks left forgotten as a new meal just stepped into their territory unnoticed.

Like one unit, all of the monsters broke into a sprint. Not even a second later, Leo joined them, dashing towards the edge of the ditch where he snatched his shovel and jumped.

He sailed above the hole, wincing as his entire body burned, the wounds on his back letting Leo know that yes, they were still there. He landed on all fours, gritting his teeth as he kicked the dirt and bolted into the wheat fields.

Running was all Leo could do in this situation. And so he ran, the screeches following him, but grew fainter with every second. Leo took a single peek over his shoulders and cursed.

You’ve got to be kidding me! Where did you even come from!

At this point, the large group of Voidlings was almost unnoticeable from this distance, but life just couldn’t be that easy and one of the monsters was somehow catching up to Leo with every second. Its appearance alone put the other Voidlings to shame.

It might have been a human once, but not anymore. It had many similar features to Cursed Humans, just tuned up by one hundred percent. No lips to cover the bloodied teeth. The head lost all of its hair and now the skin formed there something similar to small thorns.

Still, the worst part came when the monster raised its foot as it sprinted towards Leo. Claws instead of toes, and deformed skin similar to Leo’s arm. This thing just wasn’t normal.

Cursed Runner (Voidling) | Rank: F

LVL: 3

Of course, it is another variant. Should have expected that.

The fact that the Voidling was the same rank as Leo gave him a second wind. He had maybe another twenty or so seconds before the Runner caught up to him and in this time he had to lose the rest of the horde.

For a moment Leo thought of taking out his gun and just finishing the fight before it started, but he decided against it. The firearm was only to be used in emergencies and as bleak as this situation looked, Leo had enough fuel in his tank to deal with a Voidling one on one.

I just have to get that guaranteed one on one. Leo grimaced and sped up, the wheat whipping his hands with every step.