Leo whistled as he entered the massive dark spire with Nyx at his side. "Damn… Might not be my style, but this sure looks better than anything we have seen in a while," he remarked, his gaze sweeping over the tower's interior, dimly illuminated by a few eternal torches scattered along the walls.

  He weaved between the chairs, a long table, and some empty shelves, his healthy hand gliding over the black stone that made up every piece of furniture. The material emanated a soft warmth, as if alive. If he had to compare it to something, it would be marble—only this version seemed far more unique, almost organic.

  It is most likely feeding on the Essence from the Divine Realm, he mused, firing off an Identify on a random chair. As expected, the skill returned nothing. He was beginning to see a pattern when it came to stuff from places like his.

  I wonder if…

  Leo gripped a chair that looked more like a throne and flooded it with his Essence. At first, nothing happened, but then, the dark stone slowly began to feed on the energy.

  Could be useful… If people back in London could somehow make weapons out of this… He nodded, a plan forming in his mind. In that case, let the looting begin.

  With a small grin, he pulled the Essence scattered across the chair inward, repeating an action he had done hundreds of times at this point. The piece of furniture resisted for only a moment before it surrendered to his power and disappeared into his soul.

  Leo stumbled as he registered the additional phantom weight now pressing on his shoulders. It wasn't unbearable, but for a single chair, it was far heavier than expected. A few dozen weapons from Terlasfor weighed less.

  All right, so this definitely ain't normal stone. Still, I got room for some more. Maybe I should take that ta—

  "Leo." Nyx's voice cut through his thoughts. "Stop staring at that table like a creep and come here."

  Leo rolled his eyes, refusing to acknowledge her comment. Still, he abandoned his current task and moved toward the feline. She wouldn't call him over if it wasn't at least somewhat important.

  "What did you find?"

  Nyx turned around and gestured to the desk in front of her, or rather to a book and some papers lying scattered across it. Most had some weird symbols written all over them, but a few looked like blueprints, with precise lines and detailed notes scribbled along the edges. Leo tried to make sense of them, but quite frankly, whatever those things showed, they were far beyond him. Not even Universal Linguist could help here.

  He tilted his head toward Nyx. "You understand any of this?"

  The feline shook her head. "Unfortunately, no. I take it's gibberish to you, too?"

  "Got it in one," he muttered, reaching for the lone book on the table. "Maybe this will help?"

  Carefully, so as not to damage the item, he flipped open the thick cover and scanned the first page. More gibberish, more symbols, and no explanations. He turned to the next page, only to be met with the same thing. This time, however, there was a drawing of a person included. It looked vaguely familiar, but he couldn't quite place it...

  "Balor?" Nyx suggested.

  Leo shook his head. "They might look similar, but the face is all wrong. Not to mention that the big eye is missing. No, this is someone else… Maybe his father or son? We won't know for sure until we figure out what language this is."

  The feline didn't respond, so Leo flipped to the next page and then another. The further he went, the more blueprints began to appear on the pages. Some didn't make sense at all, while others he recognized as some kind of weapons. Overall, the book could be useful, just not to him.

  "We will take it anyway," Leo decided, slipping the scattered papers between the book's pages before placing the item inside his soul. "Maybe the artisans back in London will figure something out."

  With that, they moved away from the desk, returning to scouring the place for anything useful. They worked fast, though; after all, nobody knew when this realm would collapse. The storm outside might have slowly faded after Balor's death, but aside from that, the surrounding sea and rivers of lava were just as wild as before.

  Up we go then, Leo thought as he stepped on a spiral staircase that clung to the walls. What else were you hiding, Balor?

  After an ungodly number of steps made for someone of similar size to him, he reached the opening leading to the next floor. This time, an even darker chamber greeted him, lit only by two blue torches hanging on opposite sides of the chamber. Once more, he cast his eyes around the room, scanning it for anything useful.

  "A bedroom… and an armory?" he muttered, quirking an eyebrow. "Now that's a unique design."

  In the middle of the chamber lay one massive bed covered in furs of all kinds. In Leo's honest opinion, it didn't look too comfortable, and sitting on its hard surface confirmed that. No amount of furs could make a large slab of stone into a proper bed.

  Not that I have anything that much better back home. He grimaced, sparing the bed another glance. Maybe… Ah, why not?

  Before he could second-guess himself, Leo grabbed every single fur and stored them in his soul. Even if they couldn't make a proper bed, they were far better than the cold ground. And considering that soon he might be stranded in the Void for a longer time, he could use some small comforts.

  Now then, what else do we have here?

  Turning away from the now-bare bed, he inspected the walls lined with weapon racks—some full, others empty. Nyx was already browsing through the selection of blades, so he went toward another rack—one filled with axes. He grabbed the largest one with his healthy hand and gave it a few test swings.

  Looks good enough, he thought, and with a shrug, he placed the weapon inside his soul. Even if Identify still refused to work on them, those things had to have some value. Maybe not to him, Nyx, or even Naz'Tor, but the survivors of London could never have enough weapons.

  Or so he thought.

  After a quick exchange through their bond, he and Nyx stripped the room of every available weapon. The growing weight in his soul was noticeable, but at least these didn't press down as heavily as the furniture. Small mercies.

  And up again.

  With souls coming close to being full, they left the bedroom-armory behind and made their way up once more. This time, though, the staircase was much longer, and he also noticed the walls closing in on each other. They were getting close to the top of the tower.

  A closed door greeted them at the end of the stairs—black and made out of the same stone as the rest of the spire. Leo reached toward the handle, but a tap on his shoulder stopped him. He glanced at Nyx, a question written all over his face.

  "Let me," she said, pushing past him. "You're still injured."

  "Fair," he muttered and stepped aside.

  Nyx, meanwhile, reached out with her tail and turned the handle. The door clicked and slowly slid open. Green toxic fumes instantly rushed out through the gap, but before they could reach them, shadows stirred on the walls and cut off the poisonous smoke.

  So that's where it's coming from, Leo hummed as Nyx pushed the door fully open and led them inside. The fumes still tried to attack them, but the cocoon of shadows held them at bay without any issues.

  "Oh wow," he muttered, drinking in the sight before him.

  The final chamber of the tower wasn't much to look at—no furniture, no weapons, no books—yet it held something far more significant. Suspended in the center of the chamber was a massive object, larger than even Leo. Its green, crystal, and irregular surface glinted in the dark, but that wasn't all.

  It was hard to see, but deep within the green, he spotted specks of gold flowing here and there. What it meant, he had no clue, but the sheer power coming out of the massive crystal almost made him stumble. Thankfully, Nyx was there to steady him. It seemed like he was still far from full recovery from the last battle.

  What are you? Leo wondered internally as they stopped a step away from the mysterious object. System? Identify?

  Corroded Divine Realm Heart

  That was all the System gave him. He tried using the skill again, but the result didn't change. No description, no quality ranking, just a name that answered as many questions as it raised.

  "Must be why the realm is still holding together," Nyx stated the obvious. "Should we destroy it, or just… let it be? I don't like this smoke."

  "If you can hold it back with shadows alone, it shouldn't be that bad," Leo reasoned as his remaining blade extended. "Besides, I don't want to leave this place in one piece. No reason to make the god slayers’ work easier by leaving clues."

  "If you say so." Nyx stepped back, giving him the space to do what was necessary. The shadows around them also thickened, pushing the toxic fumes further away. "Be careful."

  He held back a snort. A bit too late for that.

  Stormveil gathered along his blade before enveloping his entire arm. With the remaining Essence in his soul, he also activated Bloodmail—just in case.

  Well then… He looked up at the massive crystal. Let's see what you are made of.

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  Like lightning, his blade struck the Corroded Heart, sinking deep into its hardened surface. Cracks spread from the point of impact, traveling further with each second. Soon, Stormveil filled those gaps, and with that, Leo released his final technique in this realm.

  Eruption.

  Blinding light filled the chamber as the Heart exploded, firing broken shards in every direction. Shadows materialized right in front of Leo, shielding him while he kept his arm extended. His blade now sunk into something softer but no less powerful—an orb of golden light left behind by the Heart.

  Go, Devour!

  The skill didn't need another invitation. It dove forward, consuming every bit of the scattered power on the way. Leo's reserves refilled almost instantly, yet Devour was far from done. It still had one more thing to consume.

  The golden orb dimmed once the skill attacked it with full power. Leo gritted his teeth as fire spread through his veins. He had felt this pain before, quite recently at that. But it couldn't be what he was thinking about, right?

  The System decided to answer his question for once.

  Well done, User. You have forcefully absorbed a Seed of Divinity. Pillar reinforcement in progress. Please stand by…

  Ow fuck! He hissed as he lost control of his body. His muscles spasmed, the fire within his veins turning into an inferno. He would have collapsed if Nyx wasn't there to catch him.

  "I got you, Leo. I got you," she whispered, her shadows tightening around his form. "Speak to me. What's happening? What did you do?"

  "S-seed," he growled out through the pain. "A-another… one. I… be… f-fine… Moment…”

  He wasn't sure if the feline understood him, but quite frankly, he couldn't care less at this moment. His entire body was on fire, and the only thing that mattered to him now was staying awake and alive through the assimilation process. It also didn't help that he could feel something stirring within his soulscape.

  Not good. Please don't let it be Adam waking up. The timing sucks! Just let it be a consequence of absorbing one seed after another.

  Seconds—maybe minutes—dragged on as Leo writhed in Nyx's grasp. Over time, the pain lessened, leaving behind a deep-rooted ache that he knew wouldn't fade anytime soon. A small price to pay for the power he was absorbing.

  This should be it, he thought once the fire in his veins faded. The System quickly arrived to confirm that.

  Assimilation successful. Your three pillars have been reinforced by the power of the Divine. As a side effect of the third absorption, you have obtained +10 to all attributes. Beware, any following absorptions will have no positive effects on you. Try again upon obtaining Stage 5 evolution.

  Leo gulped, steadying himself on his shaky legs. Nyx's shadows still assisted him, but at least he got control of his body back.

  "Are you okay?" the feline asked, her big colorful eyes locked onto his.

  He reached out and patted her head with his good hand. "Been better, but I'm not complaining. We got it. Three seeds. I should be fi—"

  The word caught in his throat as the entire realm trembled. Thunder once more roared outside, while distant screeches of monsters filled the previous silence.

  "The realm's collapsing. Leo, we need the portal! Now!"

  He didn't need to be told twice. Riftfang landed in his hand, and with a single move, he sliced the space before them, tearing reality apart. Before he could even move, Nyx swiped him off his feet and dragged them both into the portal.

  As expected, they landed back in the cave, though this time, the glow along its walls was gone. Another Divine Realm had died by their hands.

  Didn't go as smoothly as last time though, Leo commented internally, glancing at his half-scorched, half-pink right arm. At least it was healing, albeit slowly.

  You will be fine, Leo Hale. Congratulations on gathering three seeds faster than I had anticipated. Your pillars have now stabilized and will accept Ruination more easily. Once you evolve, you should be settled as long as you stay mindful and allow yourself to recover after each heavy and lengthy use. This is my final message to you for the time being. We shall talk again once you gather the next link. Good luck.

  The notification faded as fast as it came, leaving Leo blinking at an empty cave wall. Nyx nudged him as she led them outside, but he just told her to give him a minute. He really needed it…

  Good to have a confirmation. He smiled just a tiny bit. The job is far from done, though. Still need to reach level one hundred and gather more seeds for Naz'Tor. Then there are the links…

  Seven out of nine waited for him somewhere out there. Two would come from the remaining Nikra's shards, while the others would come from creatures far beyond his current power level.

  One step at a time, Leo. One step at a time. Wrap things up on Earth first, then I can worry about the rest… Besides, we know how to search for one of the shards.

  Nikra's farewell gift, the link inside Nyx's head, could probably lead them to the next link. In the past, he wanted to ignore it, to avoid anything to do with the eldest Old One, but now? Now, he didn't have much of a choice. He made up his mind about it anyway after the first talk with the System.

  That is, if it wasn't lying to me. Leo sighed, only to shake his head a moment later. No, don't. Now is not the time for this.

  He opened his eyes just in time to witness Nyx lead him out of the cave. The sun still hung high in the sky, but the dark clouds gathering across it told a different story. A storm was coming, and knowing his luck, it wouldn't be a normal one.

  "We need to find a place for the night," he said, breaking the silence.

  Nyx tilted her head at him. "I can defend you. You know that, right? No storm or Nightmare will harm you when I'm with you."

  Leo offered the feline the warmest smile he could master in his current form. "I know, Nyx. I just want to rest in peace. We have time. No need to rush."

  The feline sighed but nodded after a moment. "As you wish. Can you at least fly?"

  "I guess we will find out."

  Thankfully, it didn't take long to find another cave along the coast and far from the collapsed Divine Realm. They settled deep within the darkness, and Leo even used his looted furs to make them some sort of makeshift beds. It wasn't much, but still better than nothing.

  "So, does this mean you can use as much Ruination as you want now?" Nyx asked, her eyes closed as she lay in the corner.

  He shrugged, watching the flesh on his right arm slowly move and regenerate. "Not really. Need next evolution first, and even then, I have to be careful."

  “Hmmm… Always something… So the next link…”

  Leo looked up, right into the feline's eyes that were now wide open. "Not today, Nyx. Please. You can poke around that connection of yours if you want, but let's leave this subject for later, okay?"

  The feline closed her eyes. "Okay, later… You should rest. Some sleep might speed up the healing."

  "Can't," he said. "Need to visit my soulscape first, and then call Naz'Tor. Please watch over me in the meantime."

  "Always."

  With that, Leo reached for his soul and almost instantly landed in the endless plains. Shadows still flowed across the ground, but now sparks and veins of Stormveil joined the scenery. His form had also changed to accommodate the new element, and now the violet plasma made up most of his liquid-like body.

  As for the sky?

  It was as wild as ever—a chaotic mix of darkness, swirling destruction, racing lightning, and now, fire. Where did the last one come from, Leo wasn't sure, but maybe he passively picked up some stuff from Nyx.

  "Now then," he muttered. "Let's see what I felt back then."

  The lack of any sounds of raging beast were a good sign, but he would rather make sure. And so, he glided over the plains, stopping only when he reached an area he had isolated from the rest of the soulscape.

  The cage of shadows he had reinforced with Stormveil not that long ago still stood tall and proud. Not even the smallest piece was missing. From what Leo could see, it had even grown stronger since his last visit. The violet veins became brighter, weaving in between the shadows.

  But what about the prisoner? He mused, coming closer and closer until he could look through the small gaps in the cage.

  His heart—even if he didn't have one in the soulscape—almost stopped at the sight inside.

  Adam was still there, yet the boy-turned-monster was anything but lying still. He writhed on the shadow ground, red veins pulsing across his body. The green glow he had used during their fight also returned, swallowing a good part of his body.

  Apex Night Stalker (Voidling) | LVL: 40

  Leo cursed and scrambled to reach for the Essence links that connected him to his godson. He instantly cut off the constant supply of power and stepped into the cage. His shadows lashed out and bound the boy, forcing him to remain still.

  Shit! Of course consuming two seeds so fast had affected Adam, too. I have to stop this.

  He couldn't use Takeover on Adam again—that technique had done enough damage. However, he was far stronger than the last time he had subdued the boy, and then there was also his much-improved control over Devour.

  Might as well.

  Leo knelt and placed his hands upon the child's shaking shoulders. A call for Devour was all it took for the skill to dive into its newest target and slowly begin consuming the overflowing energy around Adam. He kept at it for quite some time until, finally, the shaking stopped.

  However, the pulsing veins and green glow remained.

  Not enough, he thought even as he called back Devour. Time to try something new.

  Leo gathered his bloodlust as well as a good chunk of Ruination from the surroundings. Then he focused on the boy before him and poured every bit of his will and power into his next action.

  "Enough!" He roared, his voice echoing like thunder through the entire soulscape. "Stop! Return to sleep!"

  He was a second away from punching the ground when the glow on Adam's body began to dim. The light within his veins followed until no sign remained of whatever was happening to him before.

  Huh… Leo blinked. It really worked.

  His title might have mentioned that some Voidlings could follow his orders without the use of Takeover, but this was new. In hindsight, he really should have tried something like this before instead of settling for having every monster run away from him.

  Then again, he had infused his command with Ruination this time around, while before, he didn't want to mess too much with that affinity.

  Oh well, live and learn. Crisis averted, that's all that matters. And who knows, I now might have a way to wake him up when I need to.

  Of course, all of this didn't mean that the issue with Adam was solved forever. Something had been happening, and considering his godson's level and state, Leo didn't need to search long for an answer.

  Evolution.

  Under no circumstances could he allow Adam to go through another evolution. The last one turned him into a sapient monster that slaughtered the entirety of ReachHope. Leo never wanted to find out what the last link to his brother would become after the next evolution.

  I might have to get him out of my soul soon. I can't keep feeding him with my Essence.

  However, just like all those weeks ago when Adam went on a rampage, he was still no closer to finding a solution. Not that he had spent a lot of time searching for one. He thought he had more time…

  I will figure something out. I have to, he vowed, watching Adam's chest rise and fall. But first, I have to make some changes here…

  In the end, Leo stayed inside his soulscape for over an hour, modifying the cage. Last time, he had left Adam with tiny access to his Essence so he could survive. Now, even that was gone.

  He would rather visit the boy every day and feed him manually than risk him starting evolution. He told Nyx as much when he returned, and the feline agreed. The last thing they needed was an even stronger beast wreaking havoc inside his soul.

  "You have to ask Naz'Tor for help," Nyx stated.

  Leo's bald eyebrows jumped up. "Didn't you just say that we need to be more independent?"

  The feline rolled her eyes. "That was then; this is now." Her face softened. "And let's be real, Leo. We don't have any other options. The rituals and medical knowledge in my head are useless to us. Even if we somehow could make sense of all of that, we are no healers. We are out of our depth here."

  He sighed, his shoulders slumping as he summoned a familiar device to his hand. "You're right… I will ask him, but not through the transmitter. Once I recover, we get the other seeds and deliver them straight to Naz'Tor. Then I will mention Adam."

  "Fine by me… Call him then. Find out what we are up against and get some rest. We have a hunt waiting for us."

  Leo nodded and selected the merchant from his contact list.

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