Level Up: Voidwalker

After Atlas dealt with the Void Raptor that lunged at him from the river below, which splashed back into the water, alerting even more monsters, he rolled his eyes before darting into the forest, thinking, 'What is the objective of this place? Kill all the creatures? Find the boss?'

While mulling that over, a notification popped up, causing him to trip over a root he couldn't see before falling flat on his face.

[1. Defeat Void Raptors - 966/1000]

[2. Defeat four Void Raptor Warriors - 4/4]

[3. Locate the Death Valley and kill the monsters guarding the entrance - 1000/1000]

[4. Defeat the King Void Raptor to unlock them for use in the outside world - 1/1]

'Void Raptor Warriors! Death Valley! What is this hateful place,' he internally complained before asking it something, 'What happens if I die? Does it carry over?'

[Yes, Voidwalker, if you fail the run, your total carries over. Do not worry and conquer the first level of the Void Realm]

Afterward, Atlas journeyed through the forest, relentlessly attacking any Void Raptors he encountered. After slaying dozens, his arm grew weary, and his chest heaved with exhaustion, causing him to look for a place to rest.

While sitting down, Atlas checked the total number of monsters he killed.

[Void Raptors - 881/1000]

'This is going to take ages,' he thought while sitting there.

While resting, a noise caused his ears to twitch. Atlas looked to the right where it was coming from, only to see a large Void Raptor. This one was black with azure blue markings down its body.

Seeing this creature sent shivers down his spine, but Atlas still managed to scan it using Void Sight.

[Void Raptor Warrior]

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[Rank: D]

'Oh god, what is this nightmare,' he thought while scrambling to his fight as the monster lunged at him.

He yelped but quickly used Void Step to dodge the first lunge before casting Void Blast into the creature's side. This caused it to let out a pain-filled roar, which encouraged the monster to attack even faster.

Atlas had trouble keeping up with the sudden burst of speed, and whenever the chance appeared, he tried to cast Void Blast. The warrior dodged it before latching onto his left arm, and when he felt its teeth, he screamed.

The pain overwhelmed him, but Atlas still managed to cast Void Wave in a pointless attempt to get it off. To his surprise, the Void Raptor Warrior ripped his arm off with a quick tug of its head, causing him to go into shock.

Soon, it jumped on him again, but Atlas plunged the dagger into its eyes this time before casting Void Blast through the weapon and blowing the creature's skull apart, causing it to vanish into the mist.

Atlas dropped to the ground while trying to recover, but the pain was overwhelming. He glanced at his arm and was shocked as he witnessed his skin stitching together and creating more.

It was reconstructing his arm from the cells up, which was a pleasant surprise. Then, Atlas stood up and shook his head while his Regeneration kicked in, which baffled him, but soon howling and roars could be heard.

He scanned his surroundings, seeking a spot to ambush the approaching monsters. Spotting a high branch, Atlas ascended it as he could, but his missing arm slowed him down. Atlas still managed to get high enough to avoid the first Void Raptor that burst out of a nearby bush.

The creature sprinted towards him like a hound dog, tracking him by scent. He panicked and cast a Void Blast at it, which tore them apart, but even more appeared below him. They started climbing the tree, causing Atlas to go higher as the monsters reached the branch he was on.

While doing this, Atlas constantly spammed spells into the horde of monsters closing in on him. Explosions erupted once he started using Void Bullet, but he messed up and destroyed the tree he was in.

As it began to fall, Atlas swiftly leaped to a nearby tree. However, a Void Raptor lunged at him, sinking its razor-sharp claws into his back. Despite the pain, he reacted swiftly, casting Void Wave, which killed the creature and freed him from the pain.

Exhausted and injured, he crashed to the ground, darkness enveloping him, which meant he failed. When he regained consciousness, he found himself back on the ship. Opening his eyes, he saw Estelle sitting beside him, gently playing with his hair.

''Were you having a nightmare, Le Messie Élu? You screamed a few times,'' she said with a worried smile.

Atlas sat up while shaking his head, ''I was in the Void Realm and failed,'' he said confusedly. ''I'm still not used to it, but I'll get used to it.''

''Whats that?'' Estelle questioned.

He explained everything about the Void Realm, which amazed the blonde knight. She offered to assist him on his next visit. Upon hearing her offer, Atlas smiled warmly before embracing the older girl.

Estelle returned the hug and suggested, "We can do it together. Why not try it now?"

Atlas nodded in agreement before taking Estelle's hand and activating the Void Realm. Instantly, they collapsed onto her bed. A deep fatigue washed over his body when he reappeared, causing his shoulders to sag.

'Why do I feel so sluggish?' he wondered, stretching his body to alleviate the weariness.

[If you use the Void Realm too soon after failing the level, fatigue will be added as a penalty]

This caused Atlas to roll his eyes before turning to Estelle, glancing around the forest with wide eyes, ''Why does this place feel so creepy, Le Messie Élu?''

''I'm not sure, but I'm sure our souls are no longer in Valoria,'' he revealed. ''Be careful, though. The Void Raptors are sneaky.''

Following that, he pulled up the totals and saw he was nearly a quarter of the way there for the Void Raptors.

[Void Raptors - 857/1000]

[Void Raptor Warriors - 3/4]

'A quarter of the way there,' Atlas thought. 'Hopefully this fatigue goes away.'

Atlas shook his head wearily and yawned, prompting Estelle to ask, "Why are you so exhausted?"

"It's a penalty for jumping back into this place so soon," he replied as the distant roars echoed through the forest.

Anticipating the impending danger, he readied his spells while Estelle stepped protectively before him, raising her shield and casting Healing Light to bolster him, ''Is that the Void Raptors?''

Atlas nodded just as he cast Void Bullet at an approaching monster that blew it away. Estelle blocked a slash from another creature's claws, causing sparks to fly as it hit the shield, but she slashed at it using her sword that cut through its body.

A chaotic battle erupted as more Void Raptors charged at them. Atlas rushed forward while trying to push the tiredness away while slashing at the monster's leg, bringing it to the ground with a thud before casting a Void Blast at another.

Estelle managed to kill a few more before a group of four jumped her, kicking the blonde knight out of the Void Realm and leaving Atlas alone. When all the monsters turned to him, he gulped and quickly cast Void Blasts into the group.

This sent the raptors flying, but some were protected by the others and pounced on him, causing his world to go dark. Atlas woke up in the room with a raging headache; he got off the bed while walking toward the door, ''I'm going to get some fresh air; my head is hurting.''

The blonde knight didn't answer. She looked shocked, and Atlas walked out of their quarters and saw sailors doing business. He walked toward the stairs at the end of the hallway and stepped onto the deck as the ship sailed across a dark ocean.

Atlas couldn't see more than a few feet from the ship. He walked towards the railings and leaned against them while looking at the pitch-black sea. Without thinking, he used Void Sight to see if any sea monsters were nearby.

[Razorhide]

[Rank: A - 1000]

'Oh boy what kind of monster is that,' Atlas mused while trying to spot the thing but saw nothing.

That's when Pierre's voice rang out from behind him, ''Razorhide's are horrible monsters that follow ships and leap up to grab sailors from the deck.''

Atlas turned around to ask, ''What do they look like?''

''A mix of Blood Sharks and a Swamp Drake, they reach about five meters long and are intelligent compared to other monsters that lurk under the waves,'' Pierre joined him by leaning against the railing.

The older man looked at him with a curious expression before asking, ''I wonder who you truly are? Maybe the Le Messie Élu or the Le Malin are the same?''

Atlas shrugged. ''All I want to do is live a life of adventure and happiness. I've experienced a lot in my young life and want to have fun,'' he revealed.

''Do you have any ambitions of ruling a kingdom?'' Pierre asked.

He shook his head before answering, ''No. I want to explore the world and dive into dungeons.''

''You're a free spirit, I see,'' the older man commented. ''They are entertaining to be around; most I've met have explored the jungles to the east, deserts to the south, and the grasslands of Demecia.''

''Haven't heard of any of them, but I'm sure I'll find myself there one day,'' Atlas answered, causing Pierre to nod in agreement.

Atlas and the older man went quiet until he was summoned below deck, leaving him alone on the dark deck lit by a few torches. While standing there, he checked the amount of Void Raptors he'd killed so far.

[Void Raptors - 787/1000]