Level Up: Voidwalker

The older man looked at Atlas intently and nodded before returning to the fortress to gather the legion. When the five women saw this, Estelle spoke seriously, ''The Golden Lion Legion is a good start for an army for you.''

His eyebrow rose, but he shrugged as a stream of soldiers appeared from the fortress gates. Five minutes earlier, Rollo appeared. Atlas opened a portal to the Otherworld camp that he created for them.

When the women and troops saw the rows of tents with firepits all over the place, what stood out was a glowing line encircling the camp, ''Here we go. Remember what I said, and don't go past the line, or you will be killed by the millions of monsters that roam this realm.''

The soldiers paled, tension evident in their faces, but Rollo stepped forward with a firm nod. ''We won't stray, my Lord,'' he replied with conviction. ''The Golden Lion Legion is here to support you, not to stand against you.''

Atlas nodded and left for the real world, where Nulia spoke in a worried voice, ''Another storm is coming, but this time, the Whitewalkers will appear.''

When everyone heard the bear-woman speak, they turned to look at her as Atlas asked, "What are those?"

''Giant humanoids who roam the Northern Wastes,'' she explained. ''They're dangerous; even I struggle to fight them sometimes.''

'Interesting, these monsters will earn me a lot of experience,'

he thought before answering Nulia, ''We will spend the storm in the Otherworld, but I want to fight these things.''

The five women's eyes widened as Estelle spoke in a concerned voice, ''Why would you want to do that? It's too risky.''

Atlas shrugged, ''I need to grow even stronger than I am now, and these monsters will be useful.''

Following that, the Stone Men returned holding all kinds of creatures, which shocked the women, but he sent the Monster Hunters into the Otherworld to dump the realm's new residents.

'They will be useful; these monsters can feed my army,'

Atlas mused amusedly.

After that, the group continued south on the back of Nulia as they reached the mountain pass that led to the Southern Tundra, which led to the wolf kingdoms. The Frostbear woman stopped while staring into the darkness.

''We will be fine, Nulia; I will scout ahead as I can sense the monsters roaming in the shadows,'' he commented before jumping off her back.

Atlas quickly reassured the women that everything would be fine as he took out his blades and stepped into the pass,

'What is this horrible aura? It's strong but not as strong as the Ghoul Queen,'

he thought.

Wasting no time, Atlas cast Void Infusion on his weapons, illuminating the area around him in an eerie azure glow. The light revealed boulders and trees scattered across a mist-covered landscape, sending a chill down his spine.

Tumbling rocks made him whirl around as he moved forward, but nothing was there. Cautiously, he summoned ten Shadow Stalkers from the Blackthorne Hills Dungeon. Once they materialized, he commanded them to scout the area.

As the Shadow Stalkers disappeared into the mist, something unseen attacked, and Atlas tightened his grip on his blade. Suddenly, a creature lunged at him from the fog, its claws slicing through the air.

He parried the strike, metal meeting talon in a clash that sent sparks flying in all directions, lighting up the mist around him. Atlas gritted his teeth when he saw a bat-like monster jump back before taking off.

'So you fly, let's bring someone to help,'

he mused with an excited smile before summoning Theo and a group of Blood Bats.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

The creatures flew out of an azure portal and quickly took off, and Theo's voice sounded in his mind,

'Master, it's good to see you, but let me deal with these brats.'

Atlas shook his head and replied with a chuckle, ''Capture them for me; I want to see what they are.''

When the Blood Bat King heard this, he nodded before letting out a loud screech as he descended into the fog. Atlas put his swords away and sat down on a nearby boulder as monsters crashed into the ground.

He quickly scanned one of the newcomers, which interested him as he wanted to capture the creatures.

[Mountain Bats]

[Rank: A - 1000 Exp]

[Good flying soldiers]

'Interesting, let's see if these things can talk,'

Atlas thought before approaching the creature as it thrashed around while a Blood Bat pinned it down.

He smacked it across the face and spoke in a commanding voice, ''Stop acting like a bitch; you've already been captured.''

Following that, a giant Mountian Bat crashed nearby. Theo dropped on top of it and bit into its back. The monster let out a shriek of pain as Atlas spoke, ''Stop attacking him; I need to talk to it.''

Atlas approached the downed creature who was screeching and slapped it; the smack echoed out, causing the other bats to look at them as he spoke, ''Stop acting like a bitch, do you understand me?'

The bigger Mountain Bat stopped struggling and looked at him as a gruff voice sounded in his mind, ''How can you communicate with us?''

''So, you can understand me. Good,'' Atlas said with a grin, his voice low and commanding. ''Now, you have two choices: serve me, or die.''

The creature thrashed defiantly, but he struck it again, his blow landing with enough force to make even the leader of the pack pause, wide-eyed with shock. Atlas chuckled, leveling his gaze.

''Well?'' he asked, his tone both taunting and firm. ''What's your decision?''

The Mountain Bat snarled but spoke with defiance. ''And what do we gain in return? I won't let my flock become your slaves.''

Without hesitation, Theo stepped forward, slashing the creature and cutting off its protests.

'Master doesn't treat us like slaves, you foolish creature,'

he growled, his voice edged with warning.

''You will get a safe place to live with an endless supply of food; all you have to do is answer my summons when I need your help,'' Atlas revealed. ''I don't need slaves but strong monsters to fight for me when the time is right.''

After speaking, the Mountain Bat leader locked eyes with Atlas, its fierce gaze softening as it made its choice. After a tense silence, it gave a reluctant nod, lowering itself slowly until its wings folded in and its head bowed, dipping toward the ground.

''We will serve you,'' the creature said in a resigned voice. ''Under the terms you set out.''

He gave a satisfied nod, his expression one of quiet triumph. ''Wise choice, serve well, and you and your flock will find strength under my command.''

With a wave, Atlas opened a portal to the Otherworld. ''Go and find a suitable spot in the mountains,'' he commanded. ''More food will soon be in the realm once I send out the Monster Hunters again.''

The Mountain Bat Leader nodded and let out a piercing screech before stepping through the portal, steadying itself as Theo released his hold. To Theo's surprise, hundreds of smaller bats followed, swarming through the portal in a flurry of wings.

Once they disappeared, the Blood Bats began to enter, flooding into the Otherworld in disciplined waves. After they were all gone, Atlas returned to the women who flocked to him as he stepped out of the fog.

''What happened in there, Atlas?'' Amethyst questioned as she checked him over with Estelle.

He laughed at their reactions before answering, ''I captured a swarm of Mountain Bats who are now living in the Otherworld alongside Theo.''

The five women exchanged amused smiles as Artemis let out a giggle. "Are you a monster collector now?" she teased.

Atlas gave a wry nod. "Looks that way," he replied. "But let's keep moving before the storm catches up with us."

Nulia transformed into her Frostbear form, her massive paws crunching into the snow as the group climbed on her back. Atlas ran his hand through her soft white fur as they took off through the mountain pass and weren't attacked by any monsters.

The group made their way through the pass as the air grew colder as they climbed higher. Jagged cliffs loomed on either side, dusted with snow, and the wind howled, carrying flakes that bit at their skin.

Nulia, in her Frostbear form, led the way, her broad paws breaking a path through the snow. After hours of careful travel, the pass widened, opening to a sprawling, icy swamp below. Mist curled over frozen pools, and skeletal trees twisted from the frost-crusted ground.

Dark patches of water gleamed between chunks of broken ice, and a strange, haunting silence filled the air. Atlas took a cautious step forward, scanning the murky landscape. ''Stay alert,'' he warned. ''Something about this place feels... off.''

Artemis shivered, drawing her cloak closer as she eyed their surroundings. ''I think you're right,'' she said.

''Don't get off my back, guys,'' Nulia spoke quietly. ''I think monsters are lurking in the shadows.''

Atlas readied his weapons while Grishna, Estelle, and Amethyst got ready to act if anything attacked them.

[Drop some powerstones, comments, and gifts to help the novel grow; I appreciate all the support you can give]