A Universe of Bloody Evolution

"Tainted Survivors are dangerous; there is no way around that. Indeed, their additional strength, in the beginning, is no joke... But depending on how deeply the curse infected their being before the First Awakening, this evolutionary mistake can become the biggest disadvantage those survivors will ever face.

So remember, my dear students, if you ever find yourself walking through a freshly broken Universe and encounter a Tainted Survivor, kill them. It's a mercy, for them and those who might suffer in the future thanks to their decisions. Destroy them, cleanse their souls of the Void's taint, and let them rest."

~Central Academy, Ger

---

Even on the way here, Leo already knew this would happen. After all, if someone told him the same thing that he had just blurted to Dylan, an explanation would be the bare minimum in his demands.

However, some things had to remain a secret... Like the death of the two policemen that wanted to get free experience out of him. Or Leo's new ability to take over creatures of the Void.

Sure, it might seem unnecessary to hide information about this particular technique. But combine his new appearance with the nature of Minor Takeover, and people could come to some pretty disturbing conclusions relatively fast.

A problem for tomorrow... The Runner is long dead, so I have nothing to control anyway. Leo shook his head lightly and addressed the older man. "I can do that. Though, I really don't want to repeat myself, so..."

As he trailed off, Dylan nodded briskly. "Aye, you're right. Let's get inside, and then you can fill us in on how you managed to wake up the whole bloody Wolford. Hell, wouldn't be surprised if the nearby villages 'eard that racket too."

Snorting, Leo refined from smirking. Dylan was at least trying to act normal, and his teeth were far from comforting sight. "It wasn't that loud. I mean, my hearing wasn't exactly at its best at the time, but still..."

Dylan chuckled. "Whatever floats your boat, mate." As his laughter subsided, he paused just before the entrance to the living room and gave him a bit softer glance. "And, Leo? It might take some time to get used to the new you, but remember what I said. If you ever need to talk, I'm ‘ere to help."

Freezing momentarily, Leo felt his mouth curl into a very small, almost unnoticeable smile. Though, it might have come out more as a grimace with his new facial structure.

Oh well. At least I didn't show my teeth. That's got to count for something.

"Thanks... I will remember that, but I'm fine, really." Or rather as fine as someone who had just lost another family member and transformed into a monster could be. "Now let's get this over with, eh? Then I can see if my new evolution can handle Laura's infection."

Dylan's eyes immediately lit up. "Of course, of course! Come on then, I'm sure Tyler at least had the sense to warn Laura about your... erm, distinct appearance," he finished somewhat awkwardly.

That's one way to put it. Leo almost laughed. Instead, he just followed Dylan into the large room, his eyes instantly falling on the duo sitting on a broken couch.

Tyler already had his eyes firmly planted on Leo. The hunting rifle was still in his hands, but at least this time, the younger man refrained from pointing the weapon in his direction. Leo would call it a small win in his books.

Now in comparison, the warrior's cousin, while also having her eyes glued to his new form, her gaze held a look of wonder. "Wow," Laura muttered. "Is this what evolution is capable of? That's so cool..."

As if realizing what just left her mouth, Laura shrunk into the couch, grimacing slightly. She even averted her eyes, refusing to look at anything but her hands.

Okay? So that just happened... Leo snorted internally and looked at Tyler, who was massaging his brow. Huh... Well, thank you, Laura, for breaking the ice. Your sacrifice will be remembered.

"Lu..." Tyler sighed. "Of course, you would think a human transformed into a monster straight out of nightmares is cool. Why did I even bother..."

A laugh suddenly erupted from Leo's right. "That's little Laura for ya," Dylan said, still chuckling. "Remember what I said about horror flicks from Hollywood? Well, that lass is a fan. Hard to believe, I know, but when it comes to facin' Voidlings, she's the bravest of the three of us."

Dylan was right.

Leo had a hard time believing that this shy girl wasn't scared of those monsters outside. He could understand being a fan of horrors or monstrous abominations, but this was the real world.

I guess I was right. This Outbreak truly made people mad. Leo almost scowled as his inner beast let out something akin to a snigger. Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up, but remember who is in control here.

And suddenly, his mind was quiet again.

Shaking his head lightly, Leo decided to just try to carry on with this lighter tone of conversation. No reason to make Tyler tense all over again when his cousin did such a wonderful job of reducing him to an exasperated older sibling.

"Thanks, Laura… I think?" Leo spoke up, and the girl slowly raised her head, shoulders suddenly tense. "It is nice to know that at least someone appreciates my new form."

When Laura's eyes finally found Leo's, he still saw the childlike gleam in them, but now they also held a hint of fear. Evidently, his new beautiful voice could scare off even a horror fanatic. Or maybe it was the fact that he could speak at all?

Ah, who the hell knows. Not that it matters anyway... Leo shrugged internally and addressed the girl again before she grew even more tense. "How's the infection?"

Laura blinked, probably taken off guard by the sudden change of subject. Even Tyler, next to her, flinched a bit, his focus once more directed fully on Leo.

"Better overall, but worse than after what you have done," the girl replied finally, cradling her infected limb. "I can stay awake, and it doesn't hurt as much, but it's slowly spreading again."

Leo nodded, his own eyes settled on the infected skin. The girl was still pale, but the green, malformed texture on her arm and shoulder had regained some intensity since he had left. Another few hours or a full day, and it would be back to the same state from this morning.

So it acts quite slowly overall... You would think that with the world as it is, even a random infection would kill a beginner survivor in a matter of hours. Glad I was wrong.

"Alright then. My evolution gave me an enhanced version of the ability I tried to help you with before," Leo explained, raising one hand. "I can try again now if you want. Even if it doesn't heal you fully, the outcome should still be much better."

Honestly, Leo had no idea if that was the truth, but healing Laura was the only way to get some trust from the trio or at last some goodwill. Devour is two grades better. There is no way it won't work at all. You're not that cruel, System…

Yet before Laura could answer, Tyler, who had been in a hushed conversation with Dylan, interrupted her. "I would like to hear what happened when you were gone first," the warrior ignored his cousin's glare. "Dylan tells me that you are responsible for the cloud of dust above the town square."

Laura immediately snapped her head towards Leo, her anger forgotten. "That was you?"

Shrugging, Leo slid to the ground, leaning against a wall far from the trio. "Partially. I might be stronger than most, but that kind of destruction is beyond me."

For now, Leo added in the safety of his mind. Though anyone who took their growth seriously could one day be capable of what the Cursed Juggernaut did to those buildings.

"Then how?" Laura queried and leaned forward. At the same time, Tyler slumped in his seat, his head buried in his hand, while Dylan just chuckled silently, shaking his head at the duo…

Watching the three, Leo swallowed hard as he fought the urge to turn away. A sight like this reminded him of what he had already lost and might have been lost without even knowing.

Edward and Nick were gone forever. Adam, Eva, and Lily could be dead for all he knew. And the less he thought about his foster parents hundreds of kilometers away, the better.

God... I really love torturing myself... Leo scowled, once more pushing his worries to the deepest recesses of his mind. They can still be out there, waiting. I just need to find them, like Nikra told me…

Just then, someone nudged him and Leo looked up at Dylan, who had a broken table leg in his hand. Really, he couldn't even blame them for not touching him considering all the natural weaponry he now possessed.

"Sorry, got lost in my thoughts. It's been one hell of a day, so I'm looking for a good place to start with," Leo explained, ignoring the knowing glint in Dylan's eyes. That guy had to be a therapist before the Outbreak…

"Like they say, the beginning is usually the best place to start."

Chuckling, Leo nodded anyway. Might as well. We have time, after all.

---

Just like the trio wanted, Leo recounted his journey into the city as well as he could. Of course, he skipped most of his exploration of Nick's house, and no one dared to interrupt him, something he has thankful for.

The part about item advancement, along with Minor Takeover, was also wholly omitted. As much as Leo liked the trio — well… the duo — they didn't need to know about his unique connection to the Void. No one should really know about it if he wanted to be honest…

After that came the wonderful appearance of Tainted Wasteland, and here Leo found himself answering a dozen questions. From unique monsters to the Wasteland's overall appearance, he answered them all along with describing his close meeting with death while skipping a part or two.

"And that's pretty much it," Leo shrugged as he had just finished skimming over his evolution.

By this point, whatever reservations the trio had toward him mostly faded as the group watched him with varying levels of incredulity. Though he didn’t doubt that the moment the shock from the onslaught of information disappeared, their wariness would come back in full force.

Still, much to his surprise, it was Tyler who spoke first. "I don't know if I should praise the brass pair of balls you apparently carry around or curse you for being suicidal..."

"Probably both," Leo chuckled. "Trust me, I know my decisions back then weren't the smartest... Can't complain though. Without that suicidal mission, I wouldn't have unlocked this evolution."

By the looks Tyler and Dylan shot Leo, they definitely didn't agree that his current form was worth it. However, at least Laura nodded in agreement, so there was that.

"So I take my story was satisfactory?" Leo asked before more questions or weird comments could come up. Also, as a former reporter, it was nice to see he still knew how to spin a story... Even if it lacked some crucial details...

"Aye, you could say that, lad," Dylan muttered, running a hand through his hair. "I'm sure I'll 'ave a few more questions for ya later, but for now, this should be enough. God knows I'll need a few hours to process what you just dumped on us."

Both Tyler and Laura nodded at that, and Leo understood well what they felt. He had been there not that long ago, accepting more and more of this new world.

Sure, there was still much he didn't know. But with his trip into the Void, conversation with Nikra, and being her Legacy, he already understood much more about what was happening around them than anyone on Earth.

Still, they had a lot more to talk about this night, starting with the most important problem.

"Laura," Leo called out, the girl instantly meeting his gaze. "How about I get this thing off you now?"

Gulping, the girl glanced at her infection, then back at him. “Okay,” she nodded slowly.