Level Up: Voidwalker

Atlas stepped out of the armor shop as the afternoon sun shone overhead, but there was a chill in the air. He returned the armor to his storage with a single thought while deciding what to do, 'I need some clothes, more food and a canteen before going back to the stall to get my order.'

With that in mind, he began searching for a general store, deftly navigating the crowds of people hurrying past. It was then that he noticed two men and a woman tailing him. "Part of the gang the guards mentioned?" he mused aloud.

A grin played on his lips as he swiftly turned down a nondescript street and immediately caught sight of a nearby store. Atlas approached it while watching the trio following him, ensuring they didn't close the distance as he entered.

When Atlas stepped into the shop, he saw shelves full of all kinds of stuff, from food to gear and tools. Nothing caught his attention, but soon, a man spoke, which caught him off guard, ''How can I help you, young man?''

''I need a lot of travel food, ropes with a grapple, a comfortable tent with a sleeping bag, and anything I'd need to survive in the middle of nowhere,'' Atlas gave the man his order.

The shopkeeper was shocked but started laughing, ''Very good boy! Adventurers who are prepared survive the longest and grow to become legends.''

Atlas smiled as the man went to collect his order, just as he spotted the three goons outside waiting for him. When seeing this, 'Wait until I get out there, you will know not to stalk a young boy like perverts.'

It took the man ten minutes to return with a massive heap of goods. The shopkeeper commented while picking up a book-sized bundle, ''This is the Wilderness Tent. It will keep you hidden from monsters and roaming bandits as it blends in with the surroundings and isn't that tall.''

The man explained that the tent had a bedroom and sleeping bag to protect him from cold nights. Atlas watched him take out six months' worth of travel rations, which he explained included all kinds of dry foods.

There were fire starters, cooking utensils, and many other things to set up a came. What caught Atlas's attention was drawn to the six runestones the man placed down, which caused him to ask, ''What are those things?''

''Security runestones to protect you from the Dark Ones at night if you can't find a place to hide. They are a popular purchase for people who can't create the Runes,'' the shopkeeper answered before moving on.

There was a map of the five continents, a compass, which Atlas found useful, two lengths of rope, and some grapples. After seeing all this, he questioned the man, ''How much for all this?''

The shopkeeper rubbed his chin before revealing the price, ''1 gold and 20 silver for the lot, little one; I'll throw in some more rations,'' he said before reaching over and grabbing some more food.

'Not a bad price,' he thought to himself. 'The things will be useful for a while.'

Atlas handed over the coins and then carefully stored his new supplies. With a nod and a word of thanks to the shopkeeper, he stepped out of the store, ready to retrieve his order from the couple on the stall.

He began walking down the street towards the stall, noticing the same three goons still tailing him. Now, an additional four had joined them. Instead of fear, an unexpected thrill coursed through him, leaving him slightly perplexed by his reaction.

'Why am I feeling like this?'

Without thinking about it, Atlas placed his hand on the Night Blade, knowing he would get into a fight sooner or later. While walking, he spotted a random stall selling charms, and when the woman behind it saw him, her eyes widened.

She motioned him over, which Atlas found strange, but he walked toward the stall with a curious expression as the woman spoke, ''Young man, do you have someone you like and who likes you back?''

'What? Why would see ask a child that?' Archer thought.

He shook his head before answering, ''Yes, but why are you asking me this?''

The woman took out two bracelets and showed him, ''This is the lover's band; the creator said once a day they can send a message to the other that will appear in the wearer's mind, which is useful in certain situations.''

Atlas raised an eyebrow in curiosity and asked, "How much for these? And why did you single me out of the crowd?"

"Your eyes," the woman replied. "I've never seen anything like them. Something tells me you're different. I'll sell the pair for 1 gold, but remember this when we meet again.''

Though puzzled, Atlas handed over the coin and took the bracelets. As she began packing up her stall, the woman's satisfied expression left him even more baffled. He said goodbye and walked away, the encounter lingering in his mind.

Atlas continued walking until he reencountered Hugh & Cath's Stall. When the man spotted him, he started calling him over, ''Boy! Get your orders; it's all done.''

He walked over to the stall and handed over the gold coin before taking the food, but Atlas wanted to try one and decided on the Griffon Meat Box. He took a fork from the camping kit and ate while walking to the Adventurer's Guild.

As Atlas walked, he remained aware of the people following him but focused on his meal. The food was delicious; the meat was soft and tender, perfectly seasoned, and accompanied by a serving of rice, which surprised him.

It took him twenty minutes to reach the guild, which was bustling with activity. Ignoring the crowd, he finished his meat box and tossed it into storage before entering the building. Atlas spotted dozens of adventurers milling around.

Most were at the bar, while some were queuing to see one of the receptionists. While scanning the room, he spotted Grishna and Artemis standing in line. He walked over to the two girls only to hear the brunette speaking.

''Where is that little shit gone to? He was seen wandering around the shopping district, but we couldn't find him.''

Grishna laughed before replying, ''Ya worry too much, Azhar'Zul may be wild, but he isn't stupid.''

When Atlas heard this, he internally chuckled before stepping behind the two and pinched the orc girl's toned bum, causing her to yelp as Artemis spun around while holding her sword only, but he saw her eyes widen.

''Atlas! Where have you been? Estelle has been worried about you,'' Artemis questioned.

Grishna was rubbing her behind as she commented, ''Ya little shit, why pinch ma bum? It hurt.''

Atlas laughed at the orc's red cheeks but noticed she was smiling before he answered Artemis, ''I did my quests, bought new weapons, armor, and other stuff along with some food for you girls.''

When Grishna heard this, her green eyes sparkled, ''What ya get, Narava?'' she inquired with a beautiful smile.

''I'll give it to you when we get back to the inn,'' Atlas said as he felt someone watching him.

Atlas turned to find the two men and woman who had been tailing him now ogling the girls with lewd stares, a surge of anger rising within him. He quickly spoke, ''I will be back shortly; I forgot an order, but wait here.''

Once Atlas finished speaking, he left the guild, and the three followed. He deliberately led them down an ally this time and waited at the dead end. When the gang reached him, they were all smiling as more appeared behind them.

Ten of them worried Atlas, but he readied his weapons by taking them out and summoning his armor while speaking. The helmet covered his head and face, leaving his glowing azure eyes on show.

When the gang saw this, they rushed forward and tried to capture him, but Atlas quickly sidestepped one of the men's lunges. As that happened, he plunged his knife into the man's neck while casting a Void Arrow into another chest.

They both dropped dead just as Atlas burst forward and dodged the attacks as he kept slashing and stabbing. One of the female gang members appeared behind him and swung her sword, but he quickly blocked it.

Atlas quickly pushed the weapons aside before slashing the woman's ankle and bringing her to the ground with a thud. Just as that happened, more gang members appeared, but a sudden onslaught of attacks appeared from behind.

That's when he noticed Grishna and Artemis attacking the other foes from behind, which allowed Atlas to kill even more until the alleyway was covered in blood and bodies. He was breathing heavily and saw the brunette approaching him while looking annoyed.

"Azhar'Zul, what were you thinking? Those people could have been the kidnappers from Volantis! What if they had captured you? I would have lost you!" she demanded, her voice tinged with concern. "You can be reckless sometimes, but I'm relieved you're alright."

Atlas felt a pang of guilt, softened by her tight embrace. She held him close, her words mixing gratitude with worry. "You fought bravely, Azhar'Zul, but please promise me you won't take such risks again."

After Artemis released him, Grishna emerged triumphantly, clutching the gang's bulging coin pouches. "Let's get out of here before the guards swarm in," she declared with a broad grin.

The trio dashed out of the alleyway and sprinted back to the guild. Upon arrival, Atlas glanced over his shoulder and saw a swarm of guards converging on the scene. Dismissing his armor with a nonchalant gesture, he ignored the startled reactions of onlookers nearby.

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