Level Up: Voidwalker

Atlas awoke hours later to Artemis gently shaking him. ''Wake up," she said softly. "Estelle is making breakfast.''

He sat up, stretching as Atek hopped up and began licking his face with a soft purr. Nulia watched with a smile. ''Looks like he's taken to you,'' she remarked. ''I don't know what you've done, but he seems smitten.''

''He's a ball of fluff who purrs,'' Atlas answered before checking his status to see how many levels he went up.

[Level Up: 388→394]

[Experience: 14980/20000]

Experience Gained: 144560]

[Health: 3568→4036(200)]

[Mana: 25898→29458(1000)]

[Strength: 4280→4738(100)]

[Stamina: 5380→5706(250)]

[Charisma: 1248→1422]

[Intelligence: 3444→3676]

[Core Points: 91020/300000]

[Core Points Gained: 78900]

[Mana Regeneration: 0→2]

'Oh nice, I leveled up a lot,'

Atlas thought with a pleased smile.

He approached the fire where the five women were slumped around as the blonde cooked some monster meat with spices. She looked up with a smile, ''It will be done soon; sit down and get comfortable, my love.''

Atlas nodded before getting comfortable but activated Void Realm, where he reappeared on a beautiful grassland that stretched in all directions. He glanced around and noticed a mountain range in the distance.

'I should head toward those,'

he mused while walking.

'I wonder what monster is going to appear.'

Atlas continued his trek, footsteps steady until a piercing screech shattered the quiet. His gaze shot upward, catching a dark speck circling high in the sky. The dot grew rapidly as it plummeted toward him, and only then did he realize it was a monstrous bird.

'Flying monsters! These will be useful in the future.'

As it neared, he could make out its sleek black feathers and sharp talons, resembling a massive magpie. It swooped low, claws outstretched, ready to strike. When this happened, he sidestepped the attack and cast Void Lance into the monster's body, causing it to crash nearby.

The creature thrashed around, allowing Atlas to scan it using Void Sight.

[Void Bloodhawk]

[Rank D]

[Use your speed against them]

Atlas shrugged when he saw this as more screeches rang out and more Bloodhawks dive-bombed him. He started casting Void Bullets and Arrows into the horde of flying monsters that closed in.

The azure projectiles sliced through the air and slammed into the creatures, causing them to vanish back into the Void Realm as more appeared. Atlas kept fighting the Bloodhawks while dodging them.

'These things are fast but I'm quicker,'

he mused with a smile while blasting a creature with Void Blast.

[Void Bloodhawk – 021/10000]

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Following that, Atlas continued killing the Bloodhawks as they dived down. The air hummed, and one by one, the birds faltered mid-flight. Dozens of Bloodhawks screeched, spiraling down in trails of smoke and feathers.

'Looks like I can increase my mana pool by targeting these fuckers.'

Atlas's magic was relentless until the cloud of birds thinned, leaving only silence and a few scattered feathers drifting to the ground. Once he was done with the first horde, a bigger swarm was heading in his direction.

'Fuck that drama; I need to eat before facing that many monsters,'

he thought before returning to the real world.

When he did that, he opened his eyes to see the cave ceiling; while lying there, a delicious aroma hit his nose.

'Smells nice,'

he thought with a smile.

Atlas opened his eyes to see Estelle holding a plate out to him. ''Here you go. Eat up and get some rest. The storm outside is getting worse.''

Hearing the blonde's words, Atlas accepted the food, casting a wary glance toward the entrance, where the ice wall trembled under pressure. He shook his head and focused on the meal—a juicy cut of meat, juices glistening, and vibrant spices dusted generously.

Atlas started eating and checked the monster total, only to grin when he saw how many Bloodhawks he killed on his first run.

[Void Bloodhawk – 399/10000]

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'If the girls help me, we could clear this level quickly,'

he thought before returning to his food.

As they sat together, Nulia guided the others through her method of meditation, showing them how it helped ward off the biting cold. Atlas gave it a try, but the strange ache in his new arm broke his concentration, irritating him enough to abandon the attempt.

'Looks like this isn't for me.'

Frustrated, he stood and walked over to the ice wall, an uneasy feeling gnawing at him. Taking a steadying breath, he began etching the Dark One Runes into the surface, his fingers tracing each symbol with care and precision.

Once he finished, he sat back against the wall, easing into a comfortable position. He pulled out a flask of ale, taking a long, calming sip as he watched the shimmering runes cover the entrance to their hideout.

Following that, Atlas sat in the pile of blankets and activated the Void Realm again to fight with the Bloodhawks. The screeches rang out when he appeared in the grasslands, but he started casting Void Bullets at the incoming monsters.

Explosions rang out all across the sky, causing the creatures to vanish, but that's when a bigger creature dived toward him, making Atlas yelp as he jumped out of the way and its talons snapped shut.

The creature looked like a bigger version of the Bloodhawks, causing him to scan the newcomer.

[Haast's Void Eagle]

[Rank: C]

[These things are bastards; keep moving like you're running from the IRS]

Atlas quickly cast Void Lance at the incoming eagle, and it tore through its wing; the sudden attack sent it crashing into the ground nearby. A large dust cloud shot into the air, allowing him to dash forward and slash along its body.

The eagle vanished into the Void Realm as Bloodhawks swooped down and tried to attack, but Atlas used Void Wave that shot out of his body. His spell sent some of the monsters plummeting to the ground.

'Damn things,'

he thought before casting a wave of Void Arrows that took out dozens of the creatures.

Atlas continued fighting until his mana ran low. He returned to the cave, where the winds made a whooshing sound. He shook his head, pulled the blankets over him, and checked the monster total.

[Void Bloodhawk – 731/10000]

[Haast's Void Eagle - 1/5000]

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While lying there, Nulia informed the group, ''The storm will pass, but we need to be careful while traveling south; hungry beats will attempt to attack us.''

''Don't worry about them! We have a Frostbear on our side,'' Grishna said excitedly as she nudged the brown-skinned woman.

Nulia giggled as the five women started chatting. Atlas relaxed next to Atek, who turned into his smaller form while curling up in his lap. This made him smile before stroking the Frostfang Tiger.

Atlas soon fell asleep as the cold took its toll on him. Several days passed like this as the women meditated, and he continued fighting through Level Five of the Void Realm. He took out so many monsters that he thought it was going quickly.

[Void Bloodhawk – 2212/10000]

[Haast's Void Eagle - 109/5000]

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As the storm finally cleared, they made their way out of the cave. Atlas stepped into the open, squinting against the bright light bouncing off fresh snow—only to let out a startled yelp as something leaped onto him. Find adventures on empire

Instinctively, he raised his hand to strike but paused when he caught a flash of white fur. A tiny, bright-eyed fox clung to him, its snowy coat blending seamlessly with the snow around them.

The fox bounded to his shoulders, nibbling playfully at his ear, sending an unexpected shiver down his spine. Atlas burst into laughter, brushing the mischievous creature away. ''Hey! What's your deal?'' he chuckled, trying to swat it gently. ''Ambushing people out of nowhere, is this a thing now?''

The fox chirped excitedly, its small sounds echoing in the frosty air. Nulia's amused voice drifted over. ''Why do you attract every beast you come across? Now you've got a Frost Fox; those are rare this far south.''

Atlas chuckled, lifting the little creature in his hands to get a better look. It was soft as freshly fallen snow, with piercing blue eyes that sparkled with mischief. The fox met his gaze and chirped again, tilting its head as if curious about him.

Smiling, he set the fox on his shoulder, where it nestled in, its bushy tail wrapping around him like a scarf. Amethyst looked at the fix before giggling, ''You know Lilith will attack you? She will think you're cheating.''

'Fuck! That little demoness will be back soon,' Atlas thought while sighing. 'Maybe she will be happy to see me?'

With a shrug, he answered the phoenix girl with a chuckle, ''I will beat her up if she tries it; I am stronger now.''

The women laughed as Estelle said, ''No, you won't; you care about that creature and wouldn't hurt her.''

Atlas and the others prepared to continue their journey. Nulia shifted into her towering Frostbear form, her thick fur glistening under the pale sun. They climbed onto her back one by one, securing themselves as best they could among her powerful shoulders.

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