Level Up: Voidwalker

Atlas continued fighting with the Void Golems and blasted them away using Void Lance and Barrage, which decimated the swarm. As that happened, he had enough room to check the monster's total.

[Void Golem – 231706/1000000]

[Void Warrior Golem – 370071/500000]

[Void Golem Commander – 91301/100000]

[Void Golem King – 1/1]

'Almost done with the first Golems,' Atlas thought before returning to fighting.

Azure projectiles streaked through the air, striking several Warrior Golems with powerful force. The impact sent the stone monsters tumbling backward, and explosions erupted, hurling them off the plateau's edge.

He continued fighting until running low on mana and was caught off guard by a Golem Commander punching him in the chest. Atlas flew into the waves below before waking up in the real world.

Thunder boomed overhead as Nala's head turned to him. She said, 'The wave has passed, but some monsters remain behind because they smell us.'

Atlas nodded in understanding before shaking his head and rechecking the total, only to be happy with the results.

[Void Golem – 218012/1000000]

[Void Warrior Golem – 298602/500000]

[Void Golem Commander – 91101/100000]

[Void Golem King – 1/1]

'Not long now. If I continue fighting Void Golems, the total will drop within a few days, ' he mused with a smile before pulling out a Forest Boar Meat Box and eating.

Raining lashed the cave entrance as he chewed at the tasty meal, noticing the two moons above shining down and lighting up the hills below. Atlas finished the food and threw the rubbish into his storage.

'That was delicious.'

He got comfortable leaning up against the Dreadmaw Lion, who happily let him use her as a cushion. A couple of hours later, Nala got up and told him she was going hunting, which Atlas agreed to as he watched the monster leave the cave.

'Hopefully she will be okay.'

Once she was gone, Atlas noticed the Dark Ones had moved in and were lingering by the entrance, which annoyed him. He quickly pointed Nightblade at them and cast Void Arrow at one of the creatures.

The azure arrow shot through the air like a bullet until burrowing through the monster's skull, causing it to drop dead and fall off the side of the karst. When he saw this, he watched the other creatures rush into the darkness to escape him.

Atlas was annoyed before dragging his sleep bag further into the cave as the rain worsened. While doing that, he heard a roar echo, causing him to think, 'Was that Nala? I wonder what she's fighting.'

Following that, he entered the Void Realm and continued fighting the Golems until spending all his mana and becoming drained, but he kept doing it. Atlas was frustrated at being stuck on Level Three and the stone monsters.

'I need to get the total down.'

Hours passed, and he was defeated by a Void Golem Commander, who caught him from behind and sent him flying. Once Atlas was back in the real world, he spotted Nala eating a deer creature.

He chuckled, which caught the lion's attention as her face was covered in blood. She excitedly said, 'We can continue completing your quests in the morning.'

Atlas nodded before falling asleep. The constant spell use had exhausted him. As he slipped into his sleeping bag, he drifted off to sleep. Outside, the storm began to subside; the rain suddenly stopped as the thunder faded away, bringing welcome relief from the biting cold.

The following morning, he woke up with a yawn as the early morning sun shone down and lit up the world. Atlas stood up while stretching, his bones clicking, and he started putting away his sleeping bag and speaking to Nala, 'You ready to move, girl?'

"Yes, Master," she replied, her voice tinged with fatigue. "But I need to return to the domain to rest. I expended too much energy during my hunt last night."

When Atlas heard this, he stroked the lion before sending her back to the Dungeon Realm. Once she was gone, he jumped down the karst while making sure no monsters could attack as he reached the bottom.

He hit the ground with a thud, only to find the landscape shrouded in a thick mist. Atlas scanned his surroundings, but the fog obscured everything, leaving him unable to see anything.

'Let's complete these quests,' Atlas thought while summoning a Void Raptor Warrior and rushing around Bugeta City, slaughtering bandits and ambushing groups of monsters plaguing the area.

This went on for days until he reached Palmyra City, which Atlas found out was a trade hub that led deeper into the Nubian Empire. He was now standing in the line to enter and felt his arms aching as Nala spoke in his mind, 'I told you to take a break, Master. You hunted too much and are now suffering because of it.'

Atlas chuckled as he replied to the lion queen, 'Shut up, woman! I overextended myself and took thirty bandit-hunting quests. I won't be doing that again.'

After entering the city, Atlas headed straight for the Guild to report. Approaching the counter, he informed the receptionist of the quest's completion. Looking unconvinced, the man behind the desk asked for the proof.

His eyes widened in disbelief when he saw the number, ''Did you really take down all those groups?'' the receptionist asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise.

In response, Atlas casually dumped a large pile of cards onto the counter. "These belong to the outlaws I killed. A few dozen are missing—their bodies sank into the water, and sharks were waiting below, which is a big no from me."

The receptionist chuckled, shaking his head in admiration as he slotted Atlas's card into the machine, processing the completed quests. A moment later, he returned the card and the reward, smiling. "Impressive work. Are you looking to take on more quests?''

He shook his head before replying, ''Not just yet. I have to head toward the capital.''

''Okay. Be careful while traveling through Nubia; there are many dangers between here and Carthage,'' the man said in a concerned voice.

Then, Atlas left the guild behind and headed toward the southern gate, which led to the Great Southern Road, which cut through the Nubian Empire. He learned from the locals that it led to the border with the Achaemendians.

While walking, he thought, 'I still need to go for the map that will show me where the last seven Vanquisher pieces are.'

Following that, he summoned Nala and climbed on her back as they took off down the side of the road to avoid the merchants traveling down it. Atlas ignored all their curious glances and the odd offer to purchase the Dreadmaw Lion Queen, which made him laugh in the man's face.

By sunset, they had reached a hill used to rest by traveling caravans as torches lighted up the top. Atlas could see guards patrolling the area; when the men and women saw him, they panicked.

''Who are you? And where did you come from?'' A tall woman with a deep voice demanded while approaching, and she aimed a bow at him.

Atlas chuckled before revealing, ''I came from Bugeta City and heading south to explore Aridonia.''

Once he was done speaking, the woman and surrounding guards looked at him with strange expressions as a bigger man stepped forward, ''We don't plan on accepting a tamer into our group, but you're welcome to spend the night within the Runes to avoid the Shadow People.''

'Is he talking about the Dark Ones?' Atlas thought while glancing around.

Nala shifted under him as she let out a throaty growl that rumbled across the landscape before she spoke worriedly, 'We have to get inside the Runes now! They are closing in.'

Then, Atlas warned the guards before the lion dashed up the hill, ''Get to safety; the creatures are coming!''

Just as they reached halfway up, the evil laughter and howls sounded behind them, causing the adults to sprint to safety. Once Atlas passed across the Runes, he turned around and cast Void Arrows into the creatures.

'This will slow them down,' he thought while targeting the closest ones.

The azure projectiles whistled through the air, striking the Dark Ones squarely in the chest, clearing a path for the guards to charge into the camp. The older woman, spotting him amidst the chaos, gave a tired but grateful smile.

"Appreciate the heads-up, kid," she said. "Those Shadow People give me the creeps, though it's rare to see them around here."

Atlas nodded in understanding as he replied, ''No problem. The creatures annoy me, and I've made it a habit to kill as many of them as possible.''

The woman started laughing before speaking while looking at Nala, who was lying at his feet while licking her paw. ''I'm Lisa. Set up anywhere, but stay away from the merchants. They are a weird bunch, and will you tame be fine?''

"Yeah, she's fine as long as you don't try anything," Atlas replied, running his hand through Nala's sleek black fur. "She's gotten pretty protective of me."

With that, he set up his tent and kindled a fire. After settling in, he ate a box of Griffin meat. Meanwhile, he tossed a monster carcass to Nala. The Lion Queen's eyes gleamed with satisfaction as she devoured it, her voice rumbling in his mind, "Thank you, Master."

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