Level Up: Voidwalker

[Void Ghoul – 17921/20000]

[Void Savage Ghoul - 7516/10000]

[Void Brute Ghoul - 48/5000]

[----]

\'Not many left now,\'

Atlas thought, taking out his blades and casting Void Infusion on them as the howling started.

Hours passed as he slaughtered untold numbers of creatures. His mana was running low, but it was slowly returning thanks to Regeneration. This allowed him to fight for longer as the Brute Ghouls appeared.

\'These are getting easier to kill,\'

he thought as adrenaline surged through his veins.

\'Hopefully, I can clear this level soon.\'

Thanks to his speed, the bigger creatures couldn\'t keep up with Atlas as he carved through their legs. Dozens of them died before they landed a hit on him; he crossed his swords, but when the claws hit him, he was sent flying.

Atlas crashed through walls and stopped himself by using Void Step. He reappeared before the Brute and cast Void Punch, which connected with the creature\'s chest and caused a loud clap.

Atlas\'s punch landed with crushing force, sending the Brute Ghoul hurtling backward, crashing through a cluster of monsters behind it. Without wasting a second, he surged forward, slicing through enemies in his path, each swing clearing a bloody arc.

But as he pressed on, he was blindsided—several ghouls leaped at him from the shadows, their claws tearing into his armor as they pinned him down. Atlas returned to the real world as the women entered the room.

He quickly checked the monster total to see how many he killed on that run.

[Void Ghoul – 20000/20000]

[Void Savage Ghoul - 8795/10000]

[Void Brute Ghoul - 179/5000]

[----]

Atlas was pleased with the results just as he noticed Amethyst with a pretty smile on her face while speaking, \'\'At least you\'re not dead! I\'m glad you came and helped, my love.\'\'

\'\'Why wouldn\'t I have come?\'\' he responded. \'\'Have Grish and Artemis come back?\'\'

Estelle shook her head, \'\'Not yet, but they have Nala and the lions; I think they\'ll be fine,\'\' she commented.

When Atlas heard this, he closed his eyes and sent a message to Raymond the Stormeagle,

\'Can you do something for me, bird?\'

A boomed voice answered seconds later,

Stay tuned with empire

\'Yes, master, what is it?\'

\'I need you to fly south and find my two women,\'

he instructed.

\'Once you find them, protect them at all costs and keep the Chaos Monsters from harming them.\'

Then, Atlas opened a portal for Raymond to fly through before turning to Nulia, \'\'Did you get the potion?\'\'

The brown-skinned beauty nodded with a smile as he handed over a bottle containing blue liquid. He started swallowing the potion, and when it touched him, he felt a burning sensation running across his body.

Atlas let out a yelp as poisons were pushed out of his body. The women scrunched their noses up as Amethyst opened a window to let fresh air in, \'\'It\'s getting rid of the Chaos poison lingering in your system.\'\'

When the phoenix woman spoke, Estelle questioned, \'\'How do you know that Little Bird?\'\'

\'\'I can see the dirty mana inside the stuff, which makes my skin crawl,\'\' she replied while holding her button nose as her ears twitched.

Atlas was just about to speak, but a notification made him smile.

[An unknown person has unlocked Void Orc - will replace your left eye and arm but deactivate if you run out of mana]

\'Is this the goddesses doing? Wouldn\'t she have said something?\'n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

he thought as his missing pieces returned in a beautiful, shiny blue color.

The magic burned to his skin while sitting up, causing Nulia to comment, \'\'What just happened? And why do you have a glowing arm?\'\'

Atlas opened his mouth to respond, but Raymond\'s panicked voice suddenly thundered through his mind,

\'Master! They\'re under attack by a small army—only three lions remain standing!\'

Hearing this, Atlas\'s expression hardened, and his voice dropped with urgency. \'\'The others are in danger—the Achaemenids have them. We have no time to waste.\'\'

Estelle, Amethyst, and Nulia looked concerned, but he ignored them before transforming into his Voidwalker form and dashing out of the Otherworld. Atlas traveled like the wind as his anger reached new levels, and when he saw Grishna and Artemis in their state, something clicked.

From the depths of the Void, a monstrous power surged into Atlas, filling his veins with raw, primal strength. Ahead, he saw an Immortal lifting a near-dead Orc woman, and nearby, Artemis barely stood, her body battered and drenched in blood.

Rage blotted out every thought. Atlas unleashed a terrifying roar that echoed through the mountains, shaking the earth. In a blur, he launched himself forward, the force of his dash ripping the air in a thunderous sonic boom.

He tore through the ranks of Achaemenidians, his claws slashing mercilessly, leaving arcs of blood splattered across the ground as he carved a path of vengeance toward Grishna and Artemis.

Atlas\'s sudden actions caught the Achaemenidians off guard as he reached the women and decimated the man who hurt them. He grabbed the two of them and ensured they were fine before turning to the attackers.

The few remaining enemies turned to flee, terror radiating from them, but it was too late. He descended upon the dogs with inhuman speed, his claws slicing through armor and flesh as though they were nothing more than mist.

He cut them down one by one, each strike of his claws exploding in bursts of void energy that disintegrated the soldiers where they stood. Dark tendrils lashed out from his form, trapping those who tried to escape and pulling them back as he cut their heads off.

Atlas watched the Achaemenidians drop heads before he reappeared next to Grishna and Artemis, who were severely injured. Without thinking, he sent tons of his void mana into their body to stabilize them until Estelle appeared.

\'\'Let me heal them, darling, you\'ve done enough,\'\' she said in a caring voice.

He nodded as the Blonde quickly healed the two women, allowing him to return to his humanoid form. Atlas dropped to one knee, and Artemis spoke in a strained voice, \'\' There are spirit mages in the wolf kingdom, a traveling merchant told us, but they ambushed us.\'\'

\'\'Don\'t worry about me,\'\' he rasped, blood trickling from his lips. \'\'Return to the Otherworld. I\'ll head south—I need time to heal fully.\'\'

Amethyst rushed to his side, her face etched with concern. \'\'Once Blondie reaches Grandmaster, she can heal you completely. But with the Chaos damage… it\'s nearly impossible to fix right now.\'\'

\'\'Yes, I\'m stuck with a destroyed face for god knows how long,\'\' Atlas responded while standing up.

Estelle appeared, placing her hand on his back as she cast Healing Light. Atlas groaned, a wave of warmth washing over him as the pain eased slightly. Nulia emerged in her bear form, her deep voice rumbling, \'\'Climb on my back. You need to rest.\'\'

Before Atlas could respond, Raymond crashed beside them, making some women jump. Amethyst whirled around, eyes narrowed as she confronted the massive bird. \'\'Ray Winston! What have I told you? Don\'t land like that and scare everyone!\'\'

Atlas couldn\'t suppress a chuckle at the sight of the petite young woman reprimanding the towering Monarch-ranked monster. The absurdity brought warmth to his heart, and just then, Artemis joined him on Nulia\'s back.

The brunette leaned against him, her eyes soft and weary. \'\'Can I cuddle you, please? I\'m exhausted.\'\'

He nodded, then reached for some blankets, wrapping them around both as he pulled the brunette into his embrace. Artemis smiled up at him, her eyes sparkling with warmth, \'\'We\'re perfect strangers,\'\' she said softly, \'\'but it feels like fate wanted us to be together forever. And I\'m happy with that.\'\'

Atlas leaned over and lifted the Siren\'s chin before kissing her, which she quickly returned as Estelle, Grishna, and Amethyst climbed on Nulia. As they headed to the wolf kingdoms, the Orc woman commented with a grin, \'\'Look at Artemis getting an adorable smooch; I\'m jealous.\'\'

A dainty hand appeared, giving the green woman the middle finger, making everyone laugh as Nulia ran across the Northern Wastes. While that happened, Atlas summoned Atek, who let out a roar of happiness.

The Frostfang Tiger sprinted alongside them, flanked by Nala and the Dreadmaw Lions. Any monster that dared cross their path met a swift end, dispatched without a second thought. As they traveled, Nulia cast a spell that wrapped them in warmth.

Artemis climbed into Atlas\'s lap, nestling against him. With his new arm, he wrapped it around her, pulling the beautiful Siren close as she snuggled into his embrace. Grishna appeared beside him, her expression lightening the mood.

\'\'All she worried about is you,\'\' she said with a knowing smile. \'\'The silly woman regretted not trying to get closer, and I guess she\'s making up for lost time.\'\'

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