Level Up: Voidwalker

Atlas watched as the Mistwalker nodded in gratitude before disappearing into the shadows with the smaller one in tow. Theo chirped softly, vanishing back into the Dungeon Realm. he pressed on until he emerged onto the next floor—a vast arena.

'Another Sub-Boss?' he pondered.

Chapter Continue:

Atlas pressed forward, his boots echoing on the cold stone floor, when suddenly, the familiar hum of Chaos Mana surged to life, sealing off the arena around him. His instincts flared with unease. Something's wrong here, he thought, scanning the space warily.

Without warning, the gate on the opposite side groaned open, releasing a swarm of humanoid creatures. They were grotesque—gaunt, grey-skinned, with unnaturally elongated limbs.

'Another damn nightmare,' he thought.

Their movements were unsettling, jittery, and erratic as they scuttled forward on all fours. The sight of them sent a shiver down his spine; something about their unnatural, twitching motions made his skin crawl.

'The fuck are these horrible things!' Atlas thought while readying his blades and deflecting the first swipe of the closest creatures.

Sparks flew as the claws connected with his swords, but he was able to use Void Sight on the monster.

[Chaos Nightbane]

[Rank: B - 800 Exp]

[Fight with all you've got, boy!]

When Atlas saw this, he quickly cast Void Wave that sent the Nightbanes scrambling backward as the azure flames slammed against them—following that, he rushed forward before slashing through two creatures and blasting another with Void Blast.

'No matter how many of them I kill they keep returning,' he pondered while casting Void Infusion on his weapons.

More monsters surged forward, teeth bared and claws slashing wildly. Atlas deftly dodged their frenzied attacks, but a few managed to strike his armor, sending him stumbling backward.

'This isn't working,' Atlas thought while deflecting the Nightbanes claws aiming for his head.

Gritting his teeth, he quickly gathered his focus and cast Void Bomb into the heart of the swarm. The explosion rippled through the arena, tearing apart the twisted creatures in a flash of dark energy.

The brief pause in the onslaught gave Atlas the moment he needed. With a deep breath, he summoned Kara and a group of Death Gorillas. The beasts materialized beside him from the azure portal, their forms bristling with power as they prepared to charge.

Atlas ordered them to attack, and they instantly did so as their giant fists quickly crushed the Nightbanes. He summoned some Void Raptors and Bears that helped the Death Gorillas thin out the numbers.

'This should help,' Atlas thought while cutting down several Nightbanes that got close to him.

While the monsters fought, he cast as many Void Bullets and Void Blasts as possible into the swarm of creatures, which caused dozens of them to be wiped out in a flurry of explosions that erupted across the battlefield.

He was becoming high on the amount of experience he was getting, which shocked him. The battle continued for a few hours, causing Atlas to grow tired. His mana was low, and exhaustion quickly set in, thanks to the constant use of his magic.

Kara let out a roar, and the gorillas circled as she scooped him into her arms. When Atlas was secured, she started running while the other monsters kept the horde of Chaos Nightbanes at bay.

The Death Gorilla ran onto the next floors only to be met with more creatures tainted by the evil mana. Half an hour later, Atlas woke up after recovering enough mana to function. He quickly ordered her to stop and find a place for them to rest, which she did by climbing up a nearby mountain.

His head spun, but it soon calmed down as Kara let him down on a ledge she climbed onto, 'Is chaos ruining this dungeon? There weren't any regular monsters or the Sub-Boss,' he thought.

Atlas shrugged when he could not think of an answer before turning around and spotting a secret entrance on the side of the mount, which surprised him. He approached it and opened it only to see a small pedestal with an odd-looking gem.

'Is that what Chaos is after?' he thought as he stepped into the room and saw two chests beside it.

Without wasting more time, Atlas scanned the gem using Void Sight to determine if it was what he was looking for.

[Deathglade Gem]

[Rank: Artifact]

[Level: 2]

'This is it,' Atlas thought with an excited smile. 'That means I've got two pieces and need eight more. But I also have to go to Babylon City to get the map.'

Following that, Kara spoke in his mind, 'I will stay outside, master, and keep watch while you rest.'

'Thanks, girl,' he replied with a smile as he picked up the Deathglade Gem and stored it away so Chaos couldn't find it.

Once that was secured, Atlas looked at the chests and opened them to see a pile of gold coins and silver in the other. When he saw this, he got excited and started counting. Half an hour later, he counted four hundred gold coins and six hundred silver.

'I'm quickly becoming wealthy but I wonder how many dungeons have been affected by Chaos,' he pondered. 'Hopefully not too many because I need the experience and monsters.'

He got out his sleeping bag before placing it on the floor, got comfortable while pulling out a Griffin Meat Box, and started eating the hot meal that made him feel better.

Once Atlas finished the food, he lay down and started falling asleep as a battle erupted outside. This caused him to worry, but Kara's voice sounded, 'I'm leading them away, Master. The Chaos Monsters was hunting us.'

'Be careful, Kara,' he replied in a worried tone.

The Death Gorilla never answered, but Atlas still fell asleep due to the exhaustion that overwhelmed him. When he woke up the following day, he sensed Kara was back in the Dungeon Realm.

'Maybe a monster got her?' he mused while sitting up.

Atlas felt refreshed and was about to rise when his stomach growled in protest. Realizing he was still hungry, he reached for a Forest Boar Meat Box and devoured its contents quickly, satisfying his immediate hunger but still craving more.

Determined to recharge fully, Atlas pulled out a Dragon Meat Feast. He consumed it with gusto, and the hearty meal left him feeling better; following that, he left the hidden room and noticed the battle scars littering the mountain ledge.

'Who was Kara fighting?' Atlas thought while making his way down to the ground below.

When reaching the quiet dungeon floor, he wondered where the Chaos Followers were but readied himself. Atlas continued traveling but encountered no monsters apart from a pack of Dreadmaw Lions.

They tried to attack him only to end up dead, thanks to his skill and magic, which blew them away. After that, Atlas continued until reaching the stairs down, and when stepping onto the next floor, he encountered the same.

By the time Atlas reached the seventy-first floor, no monsters annoyed him. Soon enough, he found Chaos Followers creeping through the forests in large groups, causing him to smile before he started hunting them.

He rushed through the underbrush and approached the first group of five followers. Atlas readied his blades before casting Void Step to appear in the center of the surprised men and women.

Atlas chuckled as he started attacking them, which caught the enemy off guard. He plunged his blade through one man's chest while blasting another with Void Blast, sending the follower crashing into the ones behind.

'Let's take them out to annoy whoever is in charge,' he thought excitedly, attacking more Chaos Followers.

His blades sliced through their armor while his magic took out other enemies. The azure flames washed over them. It took Atlas ten minutes to deal with the five while ensuring no one heard his ambush.

Atlas continued sneaking through the woods until coming across their camp, which was set up. Without meaning to, he found the person leading the Chaos Followers. He was walking toward a farm outside the fortifications.

Without a second thought, Atlas began tracking the man, puzzled by the lack of visible guards. 'Why isn't he being protected?' he wondered.

As the leader moved further away, Atlas seized the opportunity. He launched several Void Arrows, their deadly precision slicing through the air. The man's shock was palpable as he barely had time to react.

Seizing the opportunity, Atlas used Void Step to close the distance instantly, his blade driving through the man's head. Blood splattered the ground behind him before he cast a Void barrage at the other followers.

''The Voidwalker is here!'' a voice shouted, causing Atlas to smile. He knew there would be more to kill.

He started killing the injured followers as hundreds encircled him while looking at him like they had found a long-lost prize. Atlas removed his helmet, allowing them to see his white hair and azure eyes, confirming their suspicions.

That's when a tall humanoid stepped forward with a limp, causing Atlas's eyes to narrow while he prepared to fight it. The creature spoke harshly, ''The king will award me for this unexpected prize.''

Atlas chuckled while he watched even more Chaos Followers surround him. This only caused his excitement to grow.

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