Level Up: Voidwalker

Atlas witnessed Estelle, Grishna, Artemis, and Nulia get sent back to the real world as dozens of Shadow Terrasques pounced on them. He quickly cast loads of Void Bombs at the monsters, causing dozens of explosions.

'Oh shit, those spells are getting stronger!'

The ground trembled violently from the impact; the force sending creatures flying in every direction like rag dolls. Before he could fully recover, a deafening roar echoed through the dust cloud.

His eyes widened as a massive monster charged through the haze with terrifying speed. Its enormous claws slashed out, catching him off guard. He yelped in pain as the strike tore across him, the sheer force throwing him backward.

A sharp jolt of pain shot through Atlas's body, snapping him out of the vivid nightmare and pulling him back to reality. His eyes flew open as he found himself sprawled on the sofa. As he sat up, a delicious aroma wafted through the air.

The mouthwatering aroma wafted to his nose, instantly making his stomach rumble and his mouth water. Estelle quickly noticed Atlas had woken up and smiled as she spoke, ''Do you want some breakfast, handsome? The fighting must've made you hungry.''

Atlas smiled as he stood and stretched. ''Yes, please, Blondie. I'm starving.''

She returned his smile as the others jumped to their feet, greeting him with warm hugs that filled him with happiness. Amethyst chimed in, her tone thoughtful. ''Those creatures caught me while I was flying. They'll be useful against the empire's stronger enemies.''

The others nodded in agreement as Atlas joined them, settling into his seat. Estelle handed him a plate heaped with succulent meats, the aroma making his mouth water. He eagerly dug in, savoring each bite while the women chatted and gossiped.

While listening, he checked the monster's total to see how many he had killed after sending the girls back to the real world.

[Void Tarrasque - 301/1000]

[Void Shadow Tarrasque - 258/500]

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'Those damn shadow bastards are annoying, but useful,' Atlas mused while chewing on some bacon.

Following that, he looked at the women and questioned, ''Are there any rare monsters in the Shadowfang Kingdom?''

Most shrugged, but Grishna answered with a smile, ''There are Mountain Trolls and many others in the mountains to the south, but your best bet is to ask the king. He'll know everything.''

Atlas nodded at the beautiful Orc woman. ''Thanks, Grish, I want to collect some monsters for the Otherworld. I think they'll help us in our battle against the Achaemenids.''

Following that, the group continued eating until he was done, and the women went to have a bath. Atlas sat there for a little while before standing up and leaving the treehouse to go see Ulric to ask about monsters in his kingdom.

As he stepped outside, the biting cold sliced through his skin, sending a shiver down his spine. He quickly pulled out a cloak and wrapped it tightly around himself, seeking relief from the frigid air.

Atlas started walking down the walkway as the rain and wind lashed against him. After ten minutes of trudging through the muddy ground, he arrived at the Shadowfang cabin, where he knocked on the door.

Seconds later, the door swung open to reveal an older man with a warm smile. ''Ah, Atlas,'' he greeted, his tone genial. ''What brings you here?''

Atlas met his gaze steadily. ''I wanted to ask if there are any rare monsters within the Shadowfang Kingdom,'' he inquired.

Ulric nodded as he spoke, ''Come in, it's just me and Zena awake.''

Following that, Atlas entered the cabin as Ulric continued. ''There are hundreds of powerful creatures lurking on the shores of my kingdom. Then there are the wild Snow Wolf packs that roam the plains in the west.''

''Sounds good, I'll add them to the Otherworld,'' Atlas replied to the older man, his tone focused. He glanced out the window, his gaze narrowing. ''The storm hasn't let up, it seems to be getting worse.''

Ulric opened his mouth to respond, but a young woman stepped into view, cutting him off. ''It's Frostwinter in the north,'' she said sharply, her tone tinged with sarcasm. ''What do you expect, elf?''

Atlas turned to her, taking in the striking newcomer. She was a wolf woman with hair as black as the night sky, yet it was her piercing yellow eyes that truly captivated him. They seemed to glow with an intensity that demanded attention.

Her stunning features would make any woman on Earth jealous. He quickly noticed her seductive hourglass figure and confident posture, made her presence impossible to ignore. Atlas quickly noticed her swaying black tail behind her.

'Where did she come from?' Atlas thought, his curiosity piqued.

His gaze shifted, landing on the wolf woman's twitching ears, and he immediately sensed her irritation. ''Finished looking, perv?'' she snapped, her yellow eyes narrowing with annoyance.

Atlas chuckled, shaking his head. ''Sorry,'' he said with a smile, ''I've never met a wolf woman before. It's all new to me and I'm not an elf, by the way.''n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Her eyes widened as Ulric commented, ''Where were you brought up? Demi-Humans are everywhere.''

''I was from the Thalassia Empire, but was living in a colony with my adopted family,'' Atlas replied. ''A monster wave attacked the island, and I was the only survivor.''

''You mean the Echo Isle's massacre?'' the young woman asked in a doubtful voice.

Atlas shrugged as he answered, ''I don't know. I haven't returned home to meet the family who took me in but I won't to find out where I come from.''

Ulric nodded with an understanding expression, but the woman stepped forward and sniffed the air. ''You're not any race. I know, what are you?''

''I am what you call a Voidborn, and there's only one of me,'' he replied with a charming smile. ''What's your name, princess?''

The wolf woman looked taken aback, but she puffed out her chest while introducing herself, ''I am Zena Shadowfang, the first princess of the Shadowfang Kingdom and the best Ice Mage in the north.''

Ulric started laughing as he agreed. ''I must admit, Zena here is a genius with magic. Before the invasion, she was going to attend one of the magic academies,'' he revealed with a proud smile.

Atlas couldn't help but chuckle as he noticed the young woman's cheeks flush, clearly embarrassed by her father's pride. Her reaction was a rare glimpse of vulnerability that made him smile.

The group continued speaking with Ulric and his daughter, learning more about the dangers that plagued their lands. Zena revealed that even more vicious monsters roamed the neighboring Frostfang Kingdom as well.

He discovered that the Shadowfang Kingdom was home to the Black Wolves. The people of Frostfang were White Wolves. Following their talk, Atlas quickly noticed the storm picked up, causing the cold air to seep into the cabin.

Noticing this, he shut his eyes and began summoning trees around the buildings, their branches weaving together to shield against the wind. Ulric immediately understood the situation and spoke in a tone of deep respect. ''Thank you for helping us. We appreciate it.''

He waved the man away. ''Just return the favor when the time comes. I'll be fighting the empire for years, so help then.''

Afterward, he left the cabins and began making his way back to the treehouse, its warm glow from the fireplace visible in the distance. However, before stepping inside, he decided to go find the Shadowfang Rebels and bring them into the Otherworld.

Atlas informed the women before exiting the realm into a world of chaos as the storm was heavy, but he still carried on until hearing explosions causing him to rush toward the sound only to see a bloodbath.

White wolves were falling left and right as the Nightowls attacked. Atlas got angry and started sending the survivors to the Otherworld using hundreds of portals that shocked the enemy, who turned their attention to him.

Seconds passed, and the Nightowls attacked, causing him to go on the defensive while sending Amethyst a message. Thanks to his experience in fighting, he held them off and pushed the enemies back with effort.

He quickly cast Void Wave that knocked the creepy-looking assassin's back as Nulia flew through a portal and slammed into a group of Nightowls and tore them apart as the other women joined the fight.

Atlas grinned when he saw this and continued casting magic into the assassins as the rest of the wolf people entered the portal. Estelle held off the Nightowls as Grishna, Artemis and Amethyst attacked.

Purple flames washed over the clearing and burned many of the enemy soldiers to ash as mana bolts slammed into them as Artemis used her sling to strike from range. Following this, Atlas summoned a horde of Void Ghouls as more Achaemendians appeared.

Terrifying howls and piercing screeches echoed through the clearing as chaos erupted, catching the empire completely off guard.

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