Level Up: Voidwalker

Atlas watched the old man gulp before speaking, ''There's a shop on the border of the slums in the southern part of the city that has one for sale, Shaytan al-Kharab. Now I've helped you. Will you not bring ruin to Setoria as my family lives here.''

''Stop being overdramatic; I won't destroy anything,'' he replied before leaving the shop.

Once outside, Atlas looked at Lilith and said, ''I come to this world as Luxia's champion but also the devil. This is going to get annoying, girl.''

Lilith chirped cutely and licked his cheek, eliciting a smile from him. After that, Atlas headed south, walking for twenty minutes until he finally spotted the shop in a gloomy alley. He shrugged and entered, making his way towards the shop.

That was when he was intercepted by two men wearing menacing grins who looked down at him. 'The city robber troupe, I wonder what else will happen?'

The two of them were your stereotypical slum dwellers in tattered clothing, filthy skins, and a haunted look in their eyes. Before he could react, Lilith launched herself at the tallest man, tearing his face apart with her razor-sharp claws.

The second robber, shocked by the sudden attack, was swiftly brought to the ground as Atlas sliced through his ankles using his dagger. Once the man was down, he thrust his blade through his throat, causing the man to gargle as blood spilled from his mouth.

'No wonder people get addicted to this,' he mused while pulling his blade from the man's throat.

When Atlas saw this, a shiver ran through him as he became used to killing. This feeling was different, but a sudden jolt brought him back. Turning to Lilith, he smiled, "Sorry, Lily. It felt right killing him, and the experience felt nice."

The little monster looked into his eyes and shook her head. Confusion washed over Atlas, prompting him to scoop her up and enter the shop, leaving the bodies bleeding in the alleyway.

As he stepped inside, an old, musky smell assaulted his nose, causing him to recoil. That's when a woman's raspy voice was heard, ''Shaytan al-Kharab, what brings the Devil of Ruin to my store?''

'Do I have a damn arrow over my head announcing my many names!' Atlas thought.

''I want to buy the void spell you're selling,'' he responded.

''Oh, so the Shaytan al-Kharab is also the famous Voidwalker, interesting,'' a middle-aged woman stepped out.

Her long grey hair hung like wisps of smoke, framing a face etched with lines of suffering and eyes burning with a furious red glare. As Atlas laid eyes on her, a chill crept down his spine, his gaze widening in dread realization. 'She looks like a witch!'

''The old man seemed to know I'm both,'' he responded.

"Old Rowan isn't mistaken, young devil. You bear all the hallmarks of the Voidwalker, nearly forgotten by Valoria save for those of us who delve into ancient histories," she divulged, approaching him with two dusty books.

As she arrived at a nearby table, the witch introduced herself, "I am Zarina. I will offer you these spellbooks for 2 gold each, as only you can use it as the Void affinity is ancient magic, but I implore you, when returning to the Everglade kingdom in the future, forgo bringing ruin to this city."

He nodded at the woman and then took 4 gold coins from his storage, handing them to Zarina. She thanked him as she passed over the books. Atlas wiped the covers to read the spells, "Voidfire Blast and Void Step."

'These are good spells, but I can only use one,' he thought. 'What one do I choose?'

Atlas shrugged before putting them in his Dimension Storage before thanking Zarina, ''Thank you for the deal on the spells.''

She nodded. "You're welcome, Shaytan al-Kharab. May your travels spare other lands from ruin."

When Atlas heard that, he rolled his eyes and left the store, only to see a dozen city guards standing around the robber's body. He was about to leave, but Lilith growled, causing the men to turn around.

Everyone saw him covered in the man's blood and instantly knew they had their suspect as he tried to cover the stains with a fake smile. But when Atlas realized it wasn't working, he gulped and spoke, ''They tried to rob me while I was visiting this store to buy some spells; I had the right to kill them.''

The guards looked shocked while looking down at him. An older man stepped forward and spoke sternly, ''You will come to the barracks with us while we investigate the crime. It is Everglade law regardless of age or race, boy.''

Atlas sighed and turned to Lilith. "Cause chaos, my demoness. We need to escape."

The little monster growled and lunged at the older man, tearing into him. The others reacted by drawing their weapons, but Atlas cast Void Bullets at them, causing the sword to fly out of their hands.

Explosions echoed as the beautiful azure projectiles struck the guards before they could move toward him. Following that, Atlas started running as he shouted to the honey badger, "Lily! On me now, girl!"

Lilith ceased her attack on the guards and sprinted after Atlas, leaping onto his back as they raced through the streets of Setoria toward the inn where the girls were staying. As they reached the square, he encountered a row of guards blocking their path.

Without hesitation, Atlas cast a dozen Void Bullets, which struck the guards' shields and sent them flying as explosions caused chaos, clearing a path for him to dash through. As he crossed their lines, one guard attempted to grab him.

Atlas dodged the man's grasp, slicing him with his blade before casting a Void Bullet into the guard's face. Afterward, he rushed toward the inn and crashed through the door before seeing two soldiers chatting to Sue.

He knew they were stronger than him, but he had Lilith, who lunged at one. This distracted them, allowing Atlas to close in, and he slipped his dagger through the other guard's armor and stabbed into the man's flesh.

This caused the man to go into shock as the angry honey badger annihilated the first guard. As this was happening, Artemis and Grishna rushed downstairs. When the orc girl saw him fighting the guards, she rushed forward while taking out her spear.

She killed both of them while plunging her weapon through their hearts as Artemis demanded, ''You little shit! What's happened?''

''No time! The guards are after me; we must escape the city,'' Atlas said while catching his breath.

The two older girls looked at him with anger shimmering in their eyes, but that's when Amethyst came down and informed the group, ''There are hundreds of soldiers heading in our direction.''

When Grishna heard this, she nodded, ''Artemis, you take the rear; I'll cover the front while the children go in the middle.''

''Okay,'' Artemis answered while taking out her sword.

Following that, the group rushed out of the inn and made their way to the city wall after Grishna said she had a plan. While running, Atlas spotted more soldiers ahead, which the orc girl dealt with by casting a spell and throwing a metal marble at the enemy.

A deafening shrill noise erupted when it hit, causing the soldiers to stumble. This allowed Grishna and Artemis to take them down easily. The group soon reached the northern gate but noticed they were almost surrounded.

Artemis pointed her sword at the top of the wall as she spoke, ''Get to the top. I'll take Grishna,'' she said before looking at Amethyst. ''You take Atlas and Lilith. We will meet at the Everglade.''

The phoenix girl nodded with a determined smile as they rushed toward the stairs. Grishna cleared it from the city guards who tried capturing them. Once the group reached the top, they saw a long drop to the rough waves below.

Atlas hesitated momentarily, then Artemis grabbed the orc girl and leaped off while casting Gaia's Glide. This spell formed a sloping path of earth that connected smoothly with the cliffside.

He watched as she slid down the side of the cliff, landing near a distant bridge and making it look easy. Afterward, Atlas turned toward Amethyst, but he spotted a spell hurtling toward them before he could react.

Quickly, Atlas shoved the phoenix girl aside and invoked Void Guard, but the spell hit him, propelling him off the wall. He plummeted towards the sea below, clutching Lilith tightly. As the wind rushed past, a scream pierced the air.

Suddenly, he felt someone catch him, the force causing both of them to grunt as they continued to fall. Atlas saw Amethyst struggling to regain control, and after a tense moment, she managed to stabilize their descent.

She flapped her wings before ascending to the bridge where Artemis and Grishna were waiting. When the two saw them, they cheered as the phoenix girl reached the ledge and collapsed due to exhaustion.

Artemis took out a green potion and gave it to Amethyst while Grishna rushed over to him, ''Are you okay, Grak'Thar Gromog'ar?''

''Yes. Let's get going before the city guards catch up,'' Atlas said while standing up.

The group dashed across the bridge, and the train tracks ran alongside. When Atlas saw this, he was confused but ignored it as a horn rang out from behind them, causing him to spin around as soldiers rushed toward them.

He smiled before pointing his hand at the bridge and spamming Void Arrows and Bullets that hit the stone, causing a massive explosion that destroyed at least ten meters of bridge and track, allowing them to escape.

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