Level Up: Voidwalker

Atlas scolded Tyson until the giant Allosaurus nodded like a scared dog, which made him smile. He stroked the monster calmly, saying, ''I just want you to grow stronger and help me in the real world.''

When he heard this, the Allosaurus got happy and rushed off with his wife before entering the jungle. He continued walking through the Otherworld and noticed all the monsters roaming the realm.

'The Monster Hunters brought in a lot of creatures that will be useful for when I capture more,'

Atlas mused.

Leo started making his way back to the treehouse as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm glow over the Otherworld. Shadows deepened, and with the onset of dusk, the night creatures began to stir, their distant calls echoing through the darkening forest.

The air grew colder as the monsters awakened under the fading light. Atlas moved carefully through the thick jungle, leaves rustling underfoot. The air smelled of earth and wildflowers, and faint sounds of distant creatures echoed around him.

'This place is peaceful,'

he mused with a smile.

'Need to get more mana so I can expand it.'

Finally, he reached the base of the treehouse, nestled high in the ancient branches. Climbing up, Atlas stepped inside, where a series of glowing lights flickered to life, illuminating the space in a warm, ethereal glow.

Shadows danced along the wooden walls, and the gentle hum of the lights filled the treehouse. Atlas closed his eyes and noticed all the women were asleep apart from Estelle, who appeared beside him.

''Are you okay?'' she asked in a caring tone.

"I'm fine, Estelle. I just went for a walk to clear my head," Atlas replied with a smile as the blonde suddenly hugged him.

With a big smile, she said, ''Come to bed. I want to hug you, but it's too cold tonight.''

Atlas nodded in agreement, ''Lead the way knight princess.''

Estelle giggled before grabbing his hand and leading him through the treehouse, saying, ''The Achaemendians conquered my homeland. They betrayed my father, forcing them to flee to an island fortress.''

''How do you know this?'' Atlas questioned.

The blonde showed him a necklace and explained, ''This was given to all my siblings before we left the kingdom, and most of them have made it to Ironhold Island, where they are holding off the Achaemendian advance.''

When Atlas heard this, he spoke, ''Don't worry about them; once we attack them from the north, it will cause chaos across Astoria. But I've decided that I will start collecting monsters from tomorrow.''

Estelle nodded in understanding, then gently pulled him onto the soft bed, curling up beside him warmly. Soon after, Atlas drifted off to sleep, and the treehouse gradually dimmed into silence as everyone settled in, the stillness of night wrapping around them.

The days passed as the mana storm outside worsened, forcing the group to stay inside the Otherworld. By the time it stopped, they had been brought back on the road until reaching the Shadowfang Kingdom.

Atlas stood atop the hill, gazing down at the city of Shadowpaw, now under Achaemendian control. Fires flickered among the buildings, and the faint outline of army camps encircled the city's perimeter.

Narrowing his eyes, he thought, '

We'll need to clear those camps before we can move on the soldiers inside.'

''Looks like a lot of soldiers, darling,'' Grishna said with a grin. ''How do you want to do this?''

Atlas thought for a second, ''I will capture those monsters the travelers told us about while you girls prepare for the dungeon.''

The Orc woman nodded before speaking excitedly, ''I can't wait; it's a strong Level four, which means there's going to be loads of experience.''

After bidding farewell to the group, Atlas summoned Theo, who soared into the sky. His powerful wings carried him toward a nearby mountain, where a pack of Griffins was reportedly causing havoc.

As they flew, the landscape below blurred, but an hour later, Atlas spotted an ominous peak rising in the distance, its jagged silhouette cutting through the clouds,

'This place is creepy, I'll be careful while traveling through it,'

he thought.

Following that, Theo dived toward the ground and landed with a thud, allowing him to jump off the creature's back before sending the Blood Bat King back to the Otherworld. Atlas pulled out his swords while equipping his helmet and hit the scar covering his face's left side.

He started walking through the mountains while scanning his surroundings. Atlas had heard about a handful of monsters lurking in the Northern Shadow Mountains, and he was excited to capture them finally.

Atlas carefully trekked through the rugged terrain; his armor blocked the sharp winds biting. Jagged rocks jutted from the ground, and patches of snow clung stubbornly to the shaded areas.

As he rounded a bend, a hulking figure came into view. Standing amidst the snow-dusted boulders was a massive creature resembling a yeti, its white fur blending seamlessly with the environment.

The creature's icy blue eyes glimmered in the low light fixed on him. Atlas's heart raced as he tightened his grip on his weapons while casing Void Infusion. That's when the creature charged at him and let out a rage-filled roar.

He quickly used Void Sight on the monster to determine its rank.

[Mountain Yeti]

[Rank: A - 1000 Exp]

[Use your speed against these neckbeards]

As the Yeti closed in and started trying to swing its giant fists, missing his head by a few inches before Atlas cast Void Blast at the monster's chest, sending it stumbling back while he sheathed his weapon.

He started fighting with it using his fists and managed to bring it crashing to the ground as Atlas warned it, ''Stop fighting motherfucker, can you understand me?''

The Mountain Yeti locked its deep blue eyes on Atlas, and suddenly, a man's voice resonated in his mind, '

How can you communicate with us?'n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Atlas raised an eyebrow, intrigued, ''I'm not sure how this works either, but I'm curious—what's it like living on this godforsaken mountain?''

He stepped back and let the Yeti stand up as it answered,

'Tough, food is scarce, and more monsters have appeared from the underworld.'

When Atlas heard this, he nodded understanding before speaking, ''What if I can offer you and your kind a safe place to grow? In return, I only ask that you fight for me whenever I call for you.''

The Mountain Yeti stared at him for a few seconds before it nodded, 'That is fine, Master, but the others may be wary of you.'

It turned toward a nearby cave, gesturing for him to follow. Inside, a clan of Yetis gathered around a fire. A few of them growled at Atlas's presence, but the creature he'd spoken to waved them off with a series of low grunts, calming the others.

As Atlas watched their exchange, a prickling sense of unease washed over him. He sensed more creatures approaching. Turning toward the mouth of the cave, he stepped outside and scanned the landscape.

Emerging from the swirling mist, new figures were rushing down the mountain in his direction. Atlas quickly noticed they were giant ants, which caught his attention, and he quickly scanned them.

[Snowvein Ants]

[Rank: A - 1000 Exp]

[Useful buggers, make sure to use defensive magic]

Atlas quickly cast Void Lance, spotting the incoming threat and sending dark energy slicing through the air. The lance struck true, piercing through the insects' bodies. But as each fell, more creatures emerged from the shadows, their numbers seeming endless.

Frustration mounting, Atlas raised his hands and summoned a dozen Dreadmaw Lions, their dark forms prowling at his side, teeth bared. With a low whistle, he called Nala, who appeared beside him.

A fierce battle broke out outside the Mountain Yeti's cave as swarms of Snowvein Ants poured over the peak, their icy exoskeletons glinting in the fading light. Atlas unleashed a Void Barrage, cutting down the monstrous insects in waves.

Amid the chaos, he told Nala, ''Stay here and guard the cave. I'm going to find their nest.''

Following that, he vanished using Void Step to track the relentless stream of ants. For an hour, he moved through the rugged mountain terrain until he arrived at a vast, gaping hole, crawling with the creatures as they poured from the depths.

'I can't fly, but how can I get down there?'

Atlas mused before getting an idea.

He leaped off the edge while transforming into his Voidwalker Form and used his claws to dig into its side before skidding down while blasting the surrounding monsters with Void Arrows, Bullets, and Lances.

The hollow hole radiated a mesmerizing azure glow, illuminating the jagged walls as Atlas descended deeper into the darkness. Each time his magic struck, Snowvein Ants fell in bursts of shattered exoskeleton, their bodies scattering across the rocky ground.

More ants lunged at him, their mandibles snapping, but Atlas tore through them until slamming into the ground below with a thud.

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