Level Up: Voidwalker

Atlas read the note, which annoyed him beyond belief.

[To the soldiers of Astoria. I have given all the valuables to Duke Silverstar, who resides in a bunker at the bottom of the ship. Please rescue them, as they are a good and kind family who can help rebuild the Federation]

'So everything is back at the bottom,' he pondered while glancing around for the vault key and spotted it around the neck of the skeleton.

Without a second thought, Atlas snatched the note and allowed himself a fleeting smile, imagining escape from this nightmare. He grabbed the key from the desk and turned to leave, only to be jolted by a deafening roar.

'What was that? Don't tell me there are giant monsters down here!' he thought, a wave of panic threatening to overwhelm him. He fought to keep his composure, deciding to rest before continuing.

He located the captain's room, cleared a spot on the dusty floor, and set up his tent. Crawling inside, he sought refuge from the dust and got comfortable before activating the Void Realm to battle with the Golems.

Atlas spent hours fighting with the stone monsters to reduce their numbers so he could move on to the next floor, which he started enjoying due to the excitement of battling numerous foes.

Once he got some space from the Void Golem, Atlas pulled up the monster total to see how many he had killed.

[Void Golem – 312134/1000000]

[Void Warrior Golem – 391790/500000]

[Void Golem Commander – 94201/100000]

[Void Golem King – 1/1]

'Slowly going down,' he mused with a smile before casting Void Bomb into the swarm of Void Golems and Warriors, causing an azure to erupt.

Atlas watched the monsters get sent flying into the waves below. Following that, he continued fighting with them, allowing him to wipe out hundreds of them, which caused the total to drop.

Soon enough, Atlas grew tired and slumped down before returning to the real world. A loud thump could be heard all over the ship as he awoke. He poked his head out of the tent while looking around and felt the vessel shake, causing him to guess, 'Maybe a giant sea monster hit it?'

Following that, Atlas curled up in his sleeping bag and fell asleep. Hours passed by, only for him to wake up refreshed. He climbed out of the tent and stored everything away while sensing something in the next room.

'There's a Lurker outside,' he thought with a smile.

Atlas drew his weapons but first took a moment to search the room. He only found an iron key, which immediately caught his attention. Activating Void Sight, he examined the key and was pleased to read the description:

[Safety Vault Key: Grants access to the vault at the bottom of the ship]

'I can get the blade part now,' Atlas pondered. 'But I have to travel all the way down and run into packs of Fleshfiends.'

Once, thinking that he had readied himself to leave the room, he stepped outside as if a bad feeling washed over him. Atlas looked to the right as the floor started to rumble at the entrance to the noble quarters, which erupted into chaos as a massive Blightborn charged at him.

Atlas yelped when he saw the muscular creature swipe at him, but he quickly rolled to the side while casting Void Bullets at the monster's feet, causing explosions to ring out and allowing him to rush forward.

Everything fell into chaos as he bounced around the corridors while avoiding the monster's attacks as he countered by Void Infusion on his swords and tearing through its skin. He dodged the Blightborn attacks while striking at the creature's legs, causing it to stumble.

At that point, Atlas had to cast Void Guard to defend himself from another creature that appeared from a side room. 'There's no way I'm going to win this fight,' he thought while backing away from them.

Atlas used Void Sight on the creatures while he caught his breath.

[Blightborn Berserker]

[Tainted]

[Rank: S - 10000 Exp]

[Fucking run, you stupid child!]

"You're right," Atlas roared internally, "but I'm bringing them down!"

With a fierce resolve, he sheathed his blades and unleashed Void Infusion on his fists. He charged headlong at the Berserkers, their savage attacks slicing through the air as he expertly dodged each one.

His fists hammered down on their knees, sending them to the ground with a thunderous impact. The force of his punches was undeniable, but he could feel his strength waning.

Exhaustion gnawed at him, even as a glimmer of triumph sparkled in his eyes. More Berserkers emerged, and a wave of panic threatened to overwhelm him. But then he remembered—the ship was weak.

With a roar of sheer determination, Atlas began to pound the floor relentlessly, bending the metal. The ship's structure gave way beneath them, and with a mighty crash, he and the creatures plummeted through the crumbling floors, plunging into the abyss below.

As Atlas plummeted through the darkness, he was entangled with a Blightborn. Desperation drove him to cast Void Bomb, a blinding explosion erupting around him. The blast freed him from the creature's grasp but left him severely wounded.

The pain was overwhelming, and as his vision blurred and his strength waned, he felt himself crashing through the ship's metal hull. Everything around him spiraled into darkness, and then—silence.

***

"Amethyst! Kill that damn soldier before he alerts the others!" Grishna barked.

Without hesitation, she dove toward the airborne horseman, her hands crackling with cosmic mana. She unleashed a Cosmic Blast, a surge of chaotic mana ripping through the man's back and piercing his body.

As the soldier fell, Amethyst was suddenly gripped by a sharp pain in her heart. The searing agony forced her to plummet to the ground, her body crashing heavily. The other women, witnessing her fall, rushed toward her with alarmed expressions, their focus shifting from the battle to their fallen comrade.

Estelle arrived first and cast Healing Light on her, but the phoenix girl let out a pain-filled scream as Artemis arrived and quickly comforted her, ''You okay, Little Bird? That stupid boy nearly died again!''

"How do you know that?" Grishna asked in a doubtful voice. They are bonded. Well, she had a one-sided connection to Azhar'Zul."

The other two women were confused, but the blonde knight questioned, ''How? They haven't had sex.''

Grishna's green eyes widened, ''The two little shits must have kissed before he was kidnapped!''

Artemis nodded and revealed all she knew about Amethyst's race, ''That's all that is needed for a Cosmic Phoenix to bond with someone. She cares for him deeply if she can feel a fraction of his pain.''

"So Azhar'Zul is enduring even more pain than she is?" Estelle asked, her voice tinged with concern.

The brunette nodded, her expression grave. "Yes. From what I understand, he was crossing the Dreaded Maw Sea, which is deeply unsettling because most aircraft or ships get attacked by the Titans."

Amethyst, now having calmed down, rose shakily and, with a breathless tone, revealed, "Atlas has plunged into deep darkness below the Dreaded Maw Sea. He's trapped on a massive ship that sunk before our time.''

When the three women heard this, their expressions changed until Grishna exclaimed, ''He's always in trouble. Didn't you hear the traders? The white-haired devil has been terrorizing the Achaemandians.''

''What's your point?'' Artemis said as they prepared to continue traveling.

The orc woman explained, ''Azhar'Zul will always get into trouble and get himself out of it, but at least now we know he's heading to the Nubian Capital to heal Lilith.''

Everyone agreed to wait for Atlas before heading to the northern frontier. The invasion of Astoria has stalled at the Thalassia Empire's borders, but that never stopped the assassins coming after them.

***

As Atlas slowly regained consciousness, the relentless drip of water and the ominous groan of metal reverberated through the darkness. His entire body was ablaze with pain, and though he attempted to move, something held him in place.

His Regeneration worked tirelessly, struggling to repair the extensive damage he had sustained, 'Ahhh, what happened?' he wondered, the strain making his head throb mercilessly. 'Right—the Blightborn bodybuilders.'

Straining to lift his head, Atlas winced as the agony in his neck forced him to remain still. In his vulnerable state, he activated his Dungeon Conqueror skill and summoned a Rock Wyrm to protect himself.

The Rock Wyrm coiled around Atlas's battered form, its massive, serpentine body forming a protective barrier against lurking threats. Atlas felt relief as the Wyrm gently nudged him with its colossal head.

Without warning, it lunged forward, its jaws snapping shut on a horde of Fleshfiends creeping closer. In response to the mounting danger, Atlas swiftly summoned a few Bugbears.

The towering creatures encircled him, their formidable presence pushing back the nightmarish intruders. The clash of battle erupted around them, but the Rock Wyrm soon returned, resuming its vigilant guard and ensuring no monsters breached their defenses.

Atlas felt his Regeneration kicking in and started repairing all the damage, which took longer than usual. Soon enough, the headache died down, allowing him to think before his muscles stitched them back together.

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