“So what you’re saying is… they should be alive?” Lily asked after Leo finished recounting his little hunting trip. Based on the look on her face, she wasn’t entirely sold on his methods.

  He waved her off. “They will be fine. A bit banged up and on the verge of a heart attack, but still fine. Mission accomplished, sis.”

  Lily groaned, dropping into a nearby chair. “Fine, whatever. You did what I asked. Can’t blame you for that. That said, I doubt they will be spreading the word anytime soon. They will be too scared to even come anywhere close to London.”

  “Again. Mission accomplished.”

  “Yeah, yeah,” she grumbled. “I’m just complaining for the sake of it, and I know it. It’s been rough lately…”

  Leo frowned. “Uh oh. That doesn’t sound good. Spill. What’s really going on? Obviously, the attacks aren’t the only problem.”

  Lily snorted. “They are just one of many… Let me see.” She raised her hand and began counting on her fingers. “One, we have the attacks. Two, the camp outside the zone is getting too big. Three, Terlasfor—don’t ask, Malcolm’s already on it. Four, I barely get any experience from Voidlings anymore. Five, you’re leaving soon, so we have to consider that in all future planning. Six, the next global message. And that’s only the big stuff.”

  Leo blinked, then did it again. That was a lot more than he had expected. He knew managing a post-apocalyptic community wouldn’t be easy, but nothing the four leaders said before suggested that it was this bad. Well, calling it ‘bad’ might be a stretch, but still…

  He exhaled. “Okay, listen up,” he spoke up, getting Lily to look up. “I hopefully still have a few hours before Naz’Tor calls, so here’s what we’re gonna do. You’re going to make a list of things I can handle without screwing up any long-term plans. I can’t promise I’ll finish it all, but Nyx and I work fast when we have to. Need me to move or destroy something? Done. Talk—or maybe beat up—some people? With pleasure. Hell, I’ll even help with construction if that’s what you need.”

  “No, no, no.” Lily jumped to her feet, shaking her head. “Everything will be fine, Leo, really. We’re just having a few rough days, that’s all. You should focus on getting ready for the Void.”

  Leo also stood up. “No,” he stated, grinning. “I wanna help, so I will help. It’s just a matter of whether I do it on my own or with your directives. Besides, this whole mess? This Safe Zone? It’s mostly my fault, so I might as well put in some work every once in a while.

  Lily crossed her arms, her shoulders slumping.

  “Fine, I will get you a list,” she said, heading toward the table in the middle of the room. “I guess I only have myself to blame for ranting to you. Should have known you wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

  Leo’s grin widened. “That you should… Also, the next global message? What’s up with that?”

  “It’s Tony’s idea,” Lily admitted, pausing her scribbling for a moment. “He wants to include some key info that every survivor should have by now. And… we want to offer people beyond the UK a way to reach us.”

  That got Leo’s attention. After his few conversations with survivors on the mainland, the issue of reaching the London Safe Zone quickly became obvious. Without the ability to fly, it was pretty much impossible. Or, well, almost impossible.

  “What did you find?”

  “The Euro Tunnel,” she replied. “We sent some scouts, and—surprise, surprise—it’s still standing. Might be full of Voidlings, but no nests, so that’s a win.”

  Leo hummed. “Not worried that it will fall on your heads sooner or later?”

  “We are. That’s why we are doing it slowly. For now, the plan is to clear it out and then send in some people who can check for structural damage. After that? We’ll see.”

  “Sounds good.”

  Lily smiled. “It does. Also, here you go,” she said, handing him a small note. “If, and I say if, you manage to complete all that before your merchant calls, head to the training grounds. I’m sick of all the requests for you to show up there. Might as well cross that off the list too.”

  Leo chuckled. “Will do. Just leave it all to your big brother.”

  She scoffed, rolling her eyes. “Sure… And just so we are clear. If I hear a single complaint from you after this, you’re never helping again. Got it?”

  “Aye, aye, Chief.” He mock-saluted. “I will see you soon.”

  With that, Leo turned on his heel and headed for the exit of the little Command Center the Chiefs had built for themselves. In the meantime, he also opened his connection to Nyx.

  Hey, no idea if you were listening in, but we have more work to do. Meet me at the border next to the outside camp.

  ‘On it.’

  After over eight hours of community work, Leo returned to his room, feeling more tired than after fighting Geron. In his sealed form, he collapsed onto his bed, shutting his eyes. A short nap sounded perfect.

  Unfortunately, the universe had other plans.

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  A thrum coming from within his soul jolted him awake. Leo sat up, yawned, and summoned his transmitter into his hand. A quick press of a button accepted the incoming call.

  “Good morning, my favorite customer!” Naz’Tor’s loud and cheerful voice boomed from the device.

  A moment later, his holographic image appeared above the orb. A recent upgrade that the merchant sent him yesterday.

  “Hello to you too. And it’s evening,” Leo replied dryly.

  “Semantics! You better tell me if you’re ready for your incredible journey into the Void. Organized, of course, by yours truly. You have no idea how excited I am to show you all the wonders our world is hiding.”

  Leo snorted. “You sure this is my trip, not yours?”

  “Of course not!” Naz’Tor scoffed. “I just want you to think of this as an adventure, not just a necessity to escape from the god slayers. Just remember what we talked about, and trust me. Everything will be fine, kid.”

  “Sure, let’s go with that.” He sighed. “Anyway. What do you have for me? Sounded quite serious last time we spoke.”

  Naz’Tor waved a tentacle dismissively. “Nothing like that. Just some additional protection now that you are at stage four. Remember when you asked me about a possible defense for your mind and soul?”

  Leo nodded, placing the transmitter on the bed. “Yeah. On a scale of one to ten, how hard will this be to learn? These are skills, right?”

  “Not exactly. They’re two smaller techniques that are part of something bigger—something that you already possess. Which, to answer your question, puts them around a five on the difficulty scale.”

  “Something I have…” he muttered. “Let me guess… Soulscape.”

  A sound similar to finger snapping came from the transmitter. “Exactly. Soulscape alone makes for a very good defense for your soul. The simple technique I plan to sell you will make it even better. As for the mind… Well, it’s a bit more complicated, but I believe you can reach an acceptable level before you have to leave. ”

  “And that will be it?” Leo asked. “I will be safe from soul and mind attacks?”

  Naz’Tor snorted. “Gods no! It’s just a step in the right direction and something to defend you from passive attacks. To go further, you’ll need to advance your Soulscape to the next stage and start producing a very, very special type of energy. But don’t even think about it now. Your attributes are still too weak.”

  Leo raised his hands in surrender. “Got it. Just let me know when it is time for that.”

  “Oh, trust me, I will… Now, next on the list… Right. Did you come up with a place you would like to visit inside the Void?”

  “Yes,” he answered instantly.

  That gave the alien a pause. “Huh. That was fast. Okay then, let’s hear it.”

  “Netherum,” Leo stated. “I must meet with Tarak, and I’m hoping you can help with that. And yeah, I know that last time he blew us off, but I’m pretty sure he will agree if I come to him.”

  For a brief moment, Naz’Tor remained silent. Then, he let out a low whistle. “Netherum and Tarak, hmm? Damn, kid, you sure ain’t making my job easy.”

  “But you will help?” Leo pressed.

  “Of course I will. Hell, getting you to Netherum won’t be an issue. If we are lucky, I can probably even locate a Void Gate on Earth that leads right to its current location. Tarak is the problem. With the major factions at the brink of another war, it’s been hard to get a hold of him. I will do my best, though.”

  “Thanks.” Leo smiled. “And if he doesn’t want to meet, tell him that if he wants to fix the mess he made, he will need me. He and his siblings have done enough damage.”

  “That’s…” Naz’Tor paused, probably unsure how to react. “Brave. Or stupid. Really depends on who you ask… Are you sure, kid? That’s not really a message I should pass to one of the stronger beings in the Void.”

  “It should be fine. And if it isn’t?” Leo shrugged. “Well, in that case, I never had a chance anyway. Better to get it over with now than wait for a knife in the back.”

  “I feel like I’m missing some very important details here,” the alien muttered. “Care to explain?”

  Leo shook his head. “Not today, sorry. First, I have to talk with Tarak. If all goes well, then the three of us can have one big meeting.”

  “No pressure then, hmm?”

  None indeed, he thought, forcing a smile. “Finally regretting signing a contract with me?”

  Naz’Tor scoffed. “What? Never! Kid, this is exciting! Just… please, try not to get us involved in the coming war, okay? That’s all I ask for.”

  Leo chuckled. “No promises. That said, you sure that all this won’t be bad for your business long term?”

  “Of course not! I’m not some third-rate merchant who crumbles at the first inconvenience. No, my friend, I will grab this opportunity by the head and make it into an advantage.”

  Oh, this I gotta hear. Fighting back another laugh, Leo arched an eyebrow. “How?”

  Naz’Tor lifted a long tentacle, then dramatically smacked it down. “Not sure yet! But I’ll figure it out as soon as you tell me exactly what’s going on. For the Void, I thought it was the end of surprises after you told me about you-know-what. Guess I was wrong!”

  “That you were. Hopefully, I will be able to come clean soon.”

  “Counting on it, kid,” the alien said. “In any case, that’s a problem for later. Right now, I’ve got something else for you. I promised to find someone who might be able to help your godson, right?” Leo nodded. “Well, I think I got the right person. I’m still testing the waters, but it’s looking good. I should know more in two or three days.”

  Leo sighed in relief. “Thank you.”

  Naz’Tor waved him off. “Don’t mention it. Really don’t. It’s nothing certain yet. Oh, and I have that trade offer ready for you. Will be sending it in a moment.”

  True to his word, a few seconds later, a trade selling him two Neuron Shards for twenty thousand Ether appeared before him. After quickly reading through every detail, he accepted it and felt the new weight settle inside his soulscape.

  “All right, that’s it for today. I will give you the rest of the stuff you need for the trip in two days. And before you ask, my shop is still in the same place.”

  Leo nodded. “I will be there first thing in the morning. Also, before we finish this, I have a quick question.”

  “Uh oh…”

  Why is everyone I know so dramatic? He rolled his eyes. “It’s nothing like that. Just wanted to know what level I need for the next class advancement.”

  “Oh… Yeah, that’s easy. One hundred and five,” Naz’Tor replied. “Anything else?”

  “No. You can go back to work.”

  “Gladly, my friend. See you soon then.”

  “See ya,” Leo said and disconnected the call.

  With that done, he exchanged the transmitter for the two Neuron Shards and took a deep breath. Sleep, apparently, would have to wait. The final countdown before his departure had begun.

  Let’s get to work…