“Is it just me, or has this place changed again?” Leo asked once he and Nyx stopped a fair distance from London’s safe zone. “I swear, we were only gone for a few days…”

  The feline next to him hummed. “They sure move fast.”

  “That they do,” he muttered, his gaze fixed on the settlement.

  At this point, most of the ruins had been cleared out, leaving plenty of open space for people to wander or train in. Yet, aside from that, buildings—mostly tiny shacks—rose all around the place. Most were built from cut-down trees, though some had sections of stone or even brick. Where they got all those materials so quickly was anyone’s guess.

  That said, the growing number of buildings wasn’t the only thing that caught Leo’s attention. No, that honor also belonged to the small camp outside the safe zone. For the most part, it still seemed to be made up of survivors who awaited admittance, but now, there was also something—someone—else there with them.

  Aliens.

  Leo quickly found one of them in the crowd—a small creature with two heads, four arms, and bright yellow skin—and activated Identify. He wasn’t disappointed by the results.

  Quicksand Rover | LVL: 83

  “Weaker than me but much stronger than anyone else here…” he said under his breath. “What are they doing here?”

  “Maybe they are merchants like Naz’Tor, just much weaker?” Nyx suggested. “With the Void Gates opening, I wouldn’t be surprised if more of them started coming through. New survivors should be an easy way to earn Ether, after all.”

  “Yeah… and not just by trading.” His eyes narrowed. “That thing could probably slaughter the entire camp. Not even Lily should be able to stop it. Give me a second…”

  Without wasting a moment, Leo summoned his transmitter and shot a couple of text messages to Naz’Tor. It took a while before he received an answer.

  “So that’s how it is.” He hummed, glancing at Nyx. “Apparently, most of the Void’s major factions agreed to leave developing civilizations alone unless they posed a threat. They even have a treaty for that.”

  The feline flicked her ears back. “And everyone just follows it? Hard to believe.”

  “I thought the same,” he said. “And rightly so. Only the major factions and some of the lesser ones signed the treaty. Most others follow it out of convenience, but there are those who don’t. Including Ediovr…”

  “The home of your kind?”

  Leo nodded.

  “Then let’s just hope they never set their sights on Earth,” Nyx added.

  “Took the words out of my mouth,” he agreed. “All right, hop on, and let’s get inside. We can ask Lily and the others what they are doing with those aliens.”

  The feline nodded and enveloped his body in her smoke form. With that done, Leo pulled onto Stealth Shroud, leaped into the air, and shot toward the safe zone. No one saw him as he slipped inside and landed close to the edge of the Supercluster trench. Hell, no one even noticed when he and Nyx sealed about seventy percent of their power and appeared out of nowhere.

  Now, where are you, Lily? He thought, stepping into the crowd. With his cloak’s hood drawn, most people avoided him, though a few shot wary glances his way—probably because they couldn’t Identify him.

  ‘Hunter’s Pulse?’ Nyx suggested.

  Leo clicked his tongue. Yeah… might as well…

  He pulled on a small bit of his Essence and carefully shaped it into the right form. He stripped it of all basic functions and fueled the feel of Lily’s power into it. Once that was done, he released the invisible skill.

  A double-colored thread instantly appeared before him.

  Let’s go.

  For over five minutes, Leo weaved through the crowd, passing workers, construction sites, people hauling supplies, and even the occasional half-human teenager. The last one was a bit of a surprise, but with so many survivors arriving in London, there ought to be some children among them.

  Finally, he arrived at a large, half-finished two-story building made of stone and wood. It didn’t look particularly special, but its size and choice of materials made it stand out. The fact that Lily’s thread led straight inside only confirmed its importance.

  Leo stepped forward, heading right for the entrance. A burly, Fallen Human standing next to it raised his hand, stopping him in place.

  “Sorry, mate, no one’s allowed inside,” the big man said. “The chiefs are busy. Please come later or leave your complaint there.” He gestured toward a much smaller building nearby, where people were constantly coming in and out.

  Leo shook his head. “Listen, either you let me inside, or you go tell Lily her brother is waiting here, hmm? Which is it gonna be?”

  The guard furrowed his brow before his eyes snapped wide open. “S-sir! It’s you. Forgive me.” He stepped aside immediately. “Please go in.”

  Huh… Honestly, I would have preferred if he went in to grab Lily. Doubt his Identify worked well enough to confirm who I really am. Leo pursed his lips. Security is still far from the level it should be. Then again, maybe they just aren’t worried…

  Either way, he just opened the door and walked inside. Instantly, multiple voices reached his ears, and he followed them, leaving the long corridor behind and stepping into a large room illuminated by a couple of bright blue torches.

  The three people inside continued talking to each other, completely unaware of his presence by the door. Leo shook his head and took this moment to scan the trio. First, his gaze settled on Frank, who had obviously leveled up a time or two since he had left.

  Fallen Harrowkin | LVL: 44

  Could have been better, he mused, turning his eyes toward the other man in the room. Similarly to Frank, there the change was also evident.

  Greater Abyssal Wanderer | LVL: 39

  Malcolm’s new evolution didn’t differ much from his last one. His demonic traits became a bit more prominent, but aside from that, he still had nothing on the creature Leo had seen during his stay on Sazim.

  Aether Nephilim | LVL: 51

  Oho. Nice, sis. Honestly didn’t expect you to hit fifty with almost no Nightmares in the area. He smirked. Overall, not bad at all, guys. Bet you all would have been stronger, too, if you didn’t have an entire safe zone to lead…

  That said, it was time to stop being the creepy observer standing by the door. Leo cleared his throat and stepped forward. “Gotta say, your spatial awareness is shit, people.”

  The trio spun toward him, eyes wide. Like always, Lily was the first one to react. She squealed and dashed toward him, pulling him into a bear hug.

  “Leo!” she yelled, damaging his poor ears again. “You’re back already. I thought you said it would be at least a few more hours.”

  “The traffic was light,” he joked as they separated. His gaze went to the two men in the room. “Frank, Malcolm, good to see you two. New evolutions treating you well?”

  Frank grinned. “You won’t hear me complaining. Business all taken care of now, mate?”

  Leo nodded. “Pretty much. I’m guessing Lily already told you what I will have to do soon.”

  “That she did,” Malcolm answered. “Going back into the Void. You sure that’s necessary?”

  “Unfortunately.” Leo grimaced. “It’s best for me and everyone here if I don’t stick around for too long.”

  Frank waved him off. “Eh, we can handle ourselves. Though, I wouldn’t mind learning why you gotta leave. Lily here was quite tight-lipped about that.”

  The grimace on his face deepened. “Let’s just say I pissed off some people stronger than me and leave it at that. But I have it under control, so no worries.”

  Lily scoffed. “Right… sure. I totally believe that.” Leo shot her a look, and she relented, sighing. “Whatever… You’re here for now. That’s all that matters.”

  “That’s the spirit, lass,” Frank said. “Come on, people. Let’s sit down. I can have someone bring us some food if you’re hungry, Leo.”

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  “No need,” he answered, taking one of the seats around the table in the middle of the room. “I would rather hear what’s been going on here since I left. Aliens? Really? Why am I only learning about this now?”

  “So you’ve noticed already,” Lily muttered, looking to her left. “Malcolm?”

  The man sighed. “The first ones arrived a day after you left. We’ve all decided not to alert you after we had a talk with them. For the most part, they are just here to offer their services. Trading, cleaning up Voidlings, training, that sort of thing. There has been one creature that almost attacked a few of ours, but the other aliens chased it off. From what we’ve learned, there is some—“

  “Treaty in play,” Leo cut in.

  Eyebrows all around the table shot up.

  “You know about it?” Frank asked.

  He waved his hand in a so-so gesture. “Sent Naz’Tor a message after I spotted the aliens next to the camp. Useful thing even if some don’t care for it.”

  “Better that than nothing,” Malcolm noted. “Overall, the aliens are quite friendly. Not really what we expected. Their prices aren’t bad either—half of what we’ve built in the last week wouldn’t be here without their help. Their levels might not be that high, but they sure know what they are doing.”

  Frank snorted. “And that’s putting it lightly. Thanks to the crystals in the depths of the trench and their help, anyone can now gain a minor affinity in a day or two. It cost us a pretty penny, but it was worth it.”

  Leo hummed. And here, he had expected the aliens to be a problem. All the violence he had experienced lately must have made him biased. Though in hindsight, he really should have asked Naz’Tor earlier about how the denizens of the Void perceived survivors of new universes.

  ‘I guess having more business partners that offer a constant supply of Ether is better than just killing them for almost no experience,’ Nyx cut into his thoughts. ‘Who knows, this might also be a sort of recruitment pitch to get everyone here to join a certain faction. That Earth already has an Origin Safe Zone probably helps, too.’

  Yeah. You might be onto something…

  “So, you got everything under control?” he asked just to make sure. “No need for me to step in?”

  Lily shrugged. “For now, all’s good. Tony is even in talks with a minor artisan clan to teach some of ours how to forge different types of blades. The energy firearms we got from the Hexadrones are nice, but we lack quality melee weapons.”

  Leo raised an eyebrow. “Holden is here too? What about Wolford?”

  “Clara’s managing it, if you can believe that,” Frank answered, grinning. “Not many people left there, to be honest. We might abandon it soon.”

  “Or we can try that linking upgrade that just unlocked,” Lily pointed out.

  Leo’s head snapped toward her. “What?”

  “Safe Zone linking,” Malcolm elaborated, crossing his arms. “Upgrade that unlocked when our population hit two thousand. It does what its name suggests—links safe zones together. They share all upgrades and ownership. Fancy, but very pricey.”

  “For a good reason,” Frank chimed in. “It also mentions a function for quick travel between linked safe zones on the same planet. If it works how I think it does… Man, our lives would get so much, much easier…”

  Can’t disagree, Leo thought before glancing at Malcolm. “How pricey are we talking about?”

  “Half a mil Ether. That’s all it wants, thankfully.”

  “Oh…” he muttered. “I take it you are nowhere near that sum?”

  Lily snorted. “With all the expenses we constantly have? We would be lucky to save fifty thousand. Even with the taxes we introduced, it will be a while before we can buy that upgrade.”

  Leo clicked his tongue. Not surprising… Even I never had more than a quarter million Ether at one moment. Now, I barely have a hundred thousand. Still…

  After only a moment’s hesitation, he reached into his soulscape and pulled out two items that had been sitting there gathering dust. Honestly, he had forgotten about them after his trip into the Void Rift. It was a miracle he remembered to give the Ether crate to Lily earlier…

  And so, in a brief flash of light, a long scimitar and a massive crystal landed on the table. “It’s not much, but I hope it helps,” he explained at the wide-eyed looks he received. “Sell it or use it.”

  “Mate,” Frank muttered, grasping the Frostwraith Scimitar. “You sure? I get the crystal, but this thing looks strong. Hell, I can feel the power rolling off of it.”

  Leo shrugged. “In case you forgot, I don’t really use normal weapons. Besides, this is my safe zone. I gotta contribute somehow.”

  “I think everyone here agrees you’ve contributed enough,” the Fallen added. “But thanks anyway.”

  “No problem.” His gaze drifted to his sister, who was giving him a strange look. “What?”

  “You forgot about this crystal after destroying the Supercluster, didn’t you?” she asked, arching an eyebrow.

  “…Maybe?”

  Lily sighed. “Whatever. Better late than never… Thanks. We will check later what it can be used for.” She rose from her seat. “Now, guys, I know we have stuff to discuss, but I would like to talk to my brother first. Alone.”

  “Go on, you two,” Frank said, waving them off. “Malcolm and I can handle everything. Tony should be joining us soon anyway.”

  “Thanks!” Lily smiled.

  She then grabbed Leo by the arm and pulled him into the corridor and toward the stairs leading to the first floor. There, they entered one of the many open rooms without a single piece of furniture. Not even a single window was there, just the same blue torches.

  Lily turned to face him, arms crossed. “All right. Spill. What happened out there? And don’t try to avoid the subject. You know well what I’m talking about.”

  Beneath his cloak, Nyx snickered. ‘Good luck, partner.’

  Leo’s shoulders slumped.

  I hate you…

  To his pleasant surprise, Lily didn’t go off on him after learning about his new evolution and the following transformation. She was curious, sure, but not mad. Either she had finally grown used to his shit, or there was something brewing on the horizon.

  Leo really hoped it wasn’t the latter. He didn’t need another argument with his sister, just a few days before his departure. They might have the transmitters to communicate, but the point still stood.

  “So what now? Rest? Or are you going out to check the camp outside the zone?” Nyx asked once they returned to their room deep inside the trench. “I’m definitely taking a nap.”

  What a surprise. Leo rolled his eyes. “Neither. Need to take the next trial as soon as I can. Got way too many questions to delay it.”

  The feline nodded as she lay down in the corner of the room. “Have fun, then.” She yawned. “Don’t wake me up unless the world is ending.”

  “Yeah, yeah.” He waved her off and dropped onto his makeshift bed. He would have liked to assume his true form, but he had a feeling that after his new evolution, he might not be able to fit through any openings here. Stage four may not have changed him much, but it definitely gave him a nice growth spurt.

  All right then. Let’s do it.

  Your third Trial of Primes is waiting. Do you wish to begin it now?

  Yes.

  Acknowledged. Please relax and don’t resist the pull. The land behind the Veil is waiting.

  Leo closed his eyes as the world around him shifted. The entire process took only a few seconds. Once he opened them, he again stood in the same empty clearing illuminated by non-existent light. Of course, he wasn’t alone.

  “You,” he muttered, scanning the red phantom that had accompanied him the last time he was here. “Am I getting any answers today?”

  The dead Akirian inclined its head. “You are… You followed the path of the Prime almost without hesitation. The time has come for you to learn why our species is so special…”

  Leo frowned—which also made him realize he was still in his sealed form. “What about my transformation? Gonna ignore that?”

  “No. Ask, and I shall answer. That’s why I’m here, after all. To be your guide.”

  That’s new. Won’t complain though. He cleared his throat. “Am I safe now? Or will this Visage of the Indomitus consume me again?”

  “Only you can answer that, child.” The phantom chuckled. “Will you fight against your new power? Or will you continue to embrace it and become one with it despite the struggles?”

  Leo huffed, crossing his arms. “I made my choice. Don’t plan to change it now.”

  “Then here lies your answer. As long as you don’t deny your power, you have nothing to fear… Anything else you wish to ask?”

  A memory of their last conversation flashed right before Leo’s eyes. “I think so, yes… You said you were once like me. Exactly like me.”

  The phantom sighed. “Technically not a question, but fine… Yes, a long, long time ago, I was just like you, an Akirian with big dreams. I wanted to go beyond the other Primes, beyond the Barons and Lords. That led me to the Endless Four. Leviathans, to be exact.”

  A block of stone materialized next to the dead Akirian, and it took a seat upon it. “I hunted them one by one, and my idea worked. During the next evolution, the System offered me a path to combine my current power with that of the Endless. I took it.. but wasn’t ready for the aftermath.”

  “You refused the change,” Leo stated.

  “I did… I never intended to become a Leviathan. I just wanted a piece of their power to refine my evolution. And so, I flipped the switch off and forgot about it.” The phantom exhaled, shaking its head. “I won’t bore you with my entire story, but let’s just say my next evolution wasn’t exactly what I wanted. In the end, a Baron was alerted and killed me. I didn’t even have control of my own body back then…”

  “Far-reaching consequences.”

  “Indeed.” The phantom smiled sadly. “All of that because the power of the Veil and the Endless Four shouldn’t mix. If only I had known that before.”

  Leo hummed. “You said that to me already. What does it really mean?”

  “Exactly what it says. The Endless Four are the worst of the Void. They run on pure instincts. Hate and hunger are the only things they know. The same goes for the Veil.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  The phantom laughed. “Of course you don’t. That’s the purpose of this trial if you can even call it that. Today, you will learn the truth about the Veil and why it’s so important to us Primes and, to a lesser degree, other Akirians. But first, tell me, what do you think your bloodlust is?”

  Leo frowned. Wasn’t this what the whole second trial was about? Why ask about it now? Still, he doubted they could proceed if he didn’t answer, and so he did.

  “It’s a weapon of every Akirian. An enhancer that can make our abilities stronger and even completely rework them. It’s a tool we all have to learn how to wield.”

  “Correct,” the phantom said. “But also not. Think again! Where does it come from? Why can it create abilities without Essence? Why can only we truly wield it? Focus!”

  Leo staggered back at the sudden yelling. His eyes widened. Gone was the friendly red phantom, and in its place stood a massive creature. A crimson serpent, if he had to compare it to anything. Its body was filled with glinting scales, and the ten wings scattered across its body burned with fire brighter than the sun.

  “What…” he breathed.

  “I told you to focus!” the beast roared. “Reach into yourself, child! Feel the power flowing just beyond your reach. Ignore the Essence that has blinded you and see! The Veil only hides from those who refuse its power.”

  Another step back had Leo reaching for his power, only to find his Essence missing, as if it had never been there. He cursed and worked on slowing down his breathing. There was no point in panicking. This was just a trial, he simply had to follow the instructions.

  Reach into myself, huh? Very well.

  And so, with bloodlust at his back, he dived toward his soul.

  His world was never the same after that.