Level Up: Voidwalker

After messing around with Amethyst for a little while, the group moved out and left the soldier's camp behind while trekking through the forest. Atlas found their surroundings beautiful as the forest stretched out all around them.

'I wonder if there are any forests the size of Darkheart Jungle,' Atlas internally mused.

He could hear all kinds of monsters chirping or roaring off in the distance. Lilith was sitting on his shoulders, scanning their surroundings as Artemis found a monster trail they started traveling down.

The narrow path forced them to travel single-file until it widened after about a mile. Eager to lead the way, Atlas took the point to remove any monster that came close. As they continued, Grishna approached him, holding out a pouch.

"I've got your share of the loot—20 silver and 100 copper. Should keep us going for a while," she said with a smile while handing it over.

''Thanks, Grish,'' Atlas said while putting the coins in his Dimensional Storage before questioning. ''In the next city, can Amethyst and I sign up to be adventurers?''

The orc girl smiled before answering, ''Yes, but we must wait until we reach Volantis.''

''Okay,'' he replied, excited about exploring a normal dungeon.

Atlas went first, followed by Grisha as they passed over a dark chasm by walking across a fallen tree; when they reached the other end, the group continued for a little while until Artemis stopped them, ''Everyone hide! People are coming down the trail,'' she warned.

The group rushed to the side, and Atlas skidded under a bush just as a horse rushed past them. He watched a dozen knights travel down the monster trail they had been on, and the group hid because they were turning around at the crossing.

While lying there, Atlas felt himself slipping as the enemies passed by again. He looked back and realized he was at the top of a steep drop. He tried to grab hold of something and found a root.

Glancing around, he saw the girls clinging to anything they could grab while slipping down the slope. More horsemen rode past, making the ground unstable and causing them to start sliding into the darkness below.

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When Atlas saw this, he let go and fell with the girls, skidding down and falling into the darkness for minutes until slamming into the ground below with a thud. Lilith was on his back; her little paws dug into his skin as she avoided stepping in the sticky mud.

Atlas soon came to as his head was spinning and stood up as Grishna shouted from nearby, ''We fell into a deep chasm, guys. It's like a swamp down here.''

He shook his head before casting a Void Bullet, which lit up their surroundings with a blue glow, allowing him to see the other girls. Amethyst was beside him, trying to get the mud off her hands with a disgusted expression.

Estelle was helping Artemis out of the mud, and Grishna was heading toward them. That's when Atlas scanned their surroundings, seeing holes dotting the chasm walls covered in vines and a sticky-looking substance.

'It looks like that insect pit in that King Kong film back on Earth,' Atlas thought while glancing at the swamp-looking ground. The group gathered together as they heard a chittering noise from around them.

They stayed close to each other while getting covered in the thick muck. Atlas looked up to see a slither of sunlight that made it into the darkness, but thanks to his Void Bullet floating above him, it lit up everything.

Artemis glanced up before speaking, ''I'll use Eaglevision to find a way out, but I'm vulnerable, so protect me.''

Following that, Atlas heard her mumble before she went still. They encircled her, and Amethyst said nervously, ''I see monsters approaching us from all sides.''

That's when the ground around them started moving as if alive, which made Atlas shiver. He cast a Void Arrow into it, causing a small explosion that sent worm-looking creatures flying across the chasm.

When seeing the monster, Atlas quickly scanned it.

[Carnictis]

[Rank: G - 50 Exp]

"Oh god," he muttered, instantly recognizing the creature when he saw its name.

It looked like a faceless worm with a dark brown body that glided through the muck, but Atlas had no time to react as another appeared next to him, its circular mouth thrusting from a hole and attempting to bite him with a row of dirt riddle teeth.

Acting swiftly, he cast Void Bullet at the monster, causing it to explode before getting closer. The creatures gave him the creeps as they were much bigger than any of them, and when the girls saw this, Grishna warned, ''Chasm Worms! Don't let them touch you!''

After speaking, the orc girl launched an Earth Bolt, which slammed into one of the monsters, impaling it. Amethyst was almost grabbed, but Estelle stepped in front of her, raising her shield just in time to block the worm's creepy mouth.

The Carnictis crashed into Estelle's defense, but with a swift and precise strike, she sliced through its heart. Meanwhile, Artemis deftly used her sling to pepper the incoming worms with explosive pellets; each shot creating a fiery burst that sent chunks of the creatures flying.

''There's no way out by foot; we need to climb out of here!'' Artemis revealed. ''There are vines on one side of the chasm wall. Atlas sighed before casting several Void Bullets that struck a horde of the creepy worms and sent them flying.

As this happened, Lilith started growling at something to the right, causing him to scan the newcomers as his face paled.

[Arachno]

[Rank: E - 200 Exp]

A massive spider with two large pincers and six creepy legs helped them traverse the chasm walls. They had a black carapace with beady red eyes that locked onto the group, giving Atlas a shiver.

''Arachno's coming from the walls! Be careful,'' he shouted in warning before casting Void Arrows into the creepy spiders that annihilated them without much effort. Chaos erupted around them as the group pushed toward the vines.

Amid the commotion, a buzzing noise echoed above them, growing louder and more ominous. Atlas looked up to see dog-sized flies swooping down on them and quickly used Void Sight to scan them.

[Blightwing Devourer]

[Rank: F − 100 Exp]

As the monsters closed in, Amethyst cast a Cosmic Blast, incinerating every creature that got close. Meanwhile, Grishna, Artemis, and Estelle fought off the Arachnos and Carnictis, battling fiercely to keep the swarm at bay.

Atlas joined the battle by using Void Bullets and Arrows at all the monsters that came close, causing chaos as the giant insects surged. The group battled their way through the chasm.

They saw a body of water, and Atlas shouted in warning, ''Do not step in the water! There are monsters inside.''

Grishna stopped short, turned her spear toward the water, cast Ironclad on herself as a leech lunged out of it, and tried to bite her, but her defense spell held up. The orc girl was covered in a metal skin that blocked the creature's teeth.

She grabbed the leech and threw it in the air before blasting it with Metal Bullet. As she fought off the leeches, Atlas spotted and fired a Void Arrow as an Arachno snuck up on her by climbing out of a nearby hole.

When Atlas saw they were overwhelmed, he took charge: "Artemis! Use your sling on the Blightwings. Estelle defends Amethyst while she casts her magic. Grishna, take point and lead us to the vines."

After saying that, something stabbed into his leg, only to see a smaller Carnictis biting him. Atlas sliced it in two using his dagger before limping after the group. The wound was burning, but he ignored it while casting a dozen Void Bullets that pushed the horde of insects trying to get them.

Explosions rocked the chasm as Artemis, Amethyst, and Grishna cast their spells alongside his while Estelle kept them safe with her light magic. Atlas finally caught up and heard the blonde's sweet accent, ''Healing Light.''

Atlas felt a soothing energy wash over him, healing the worm's bite. He glanced at Estelle, who winked at him before swiftly blocking a sneaky Arachno's attack aimed at Grishna's rear; the knight cut the monster in half along with several other creatures.

The group fought through the chasm while killing any monsters that came close. Atlas spammed spells at the crowds of Arachnos, who poured out of the holes in the walls but were wiped out by the azure projectiles.

Artemis wielded her sling with precision, killing dozens of Blightwings. After an hour of relentless action, they finally reached the vines. When there, Atlas shouted, "Grishna and Amethyst, you two go first. Estelle and Artemis, follow. I'll cover your retreat until you can do the same for me."

Everyone nodded before the orc and phoenix started climbing as Atlas targeted the monsters, trying to attack the girls. Still, his azure bullets easily destroyed them until Amethyst's Cosmic Bullets joined the fray, allowing the other two to climb.

Atlas remained at the bottom as Arachnos and hundreds of Carnictis swarmed toward him, chittering and snapping their claws. He was forced to use Void Guard to avoid the teeth and talons while decimating the insect hordes.

Blue fire engulfed the horde, scattering the monsters and granting him precious moments to ascend after the girls while they provided cover. Blood flowed from numerous wounds across his body, his clothes shredded to tatters.

As Atlas looked up, he sighed heavily. They were so far down that only a faint speck of sunlight pierced the darkness, marking the daunting distance they had to climb.