Level Up: Voidwalker

Atlas stored everything away before approaching the stairs leading him to the twenty-first floor, where he expected more trolls and other nightmarish monsters. Still, there was nothing but another large mining tunnel, causing him to glance around.

'I'm starting to hate this place now,' he internally complained.

It stretched before him, dimly lit and echoing with distant water drips. With a wave, he activated Call of The Void and summoned the Voidstalkers to scout out the floor for him. The little monsters appeared from the azure portal that opened.

That's when the twelve little mischievous Troodon-looking monsters all jumped on him. The creatures happily chirped when they saw Atlas, who started pampering the monsters before they surrounded him.

'They're so adorable,' he thought. 'There is some difference with these monsters; they seem smarter than regular ones.'

He ordered them to locate any enemies and lead them here, which the Voidstalkers agreed to. Atlas watched them zoom off in all directions, chirping and making funny noises that made him laugh just as the hair on his neck stood up.

Atlas spun around while raising his swords to defend himself. A Cave Weaver launched at Atlas and took him down, but he instantly cast Void Wave, which killed the creepy spider as more appeared.

The battle continued as Atlas cut them down, and nearby explosions erupted. 'What is it now?'

After fighting the spiders, he glanced over to the noise and saw Landsharks rushing at him through the ground. When Atals saw this, he braced himself as a monster burst from the ground, but he sidestepped it before running Nightblade through its flank.

Blood exploded from the wound, but Atlas continued his attack using Void Blast at point black range. The sudden azure explosion rippled through the chamber and decimated the attacking Landsharks.

.net

Atlas activated Void Sight to scan his surroundings but saw nothing unusual. Continuing down the only accessible tunnel, he noticed large mounds scattered along the path. "What are those?" he wondered aloud, glancing at them.

With no immediate threat in sight, Atlas pressed on toward the stairway leading to the twenty-second floor. The path remained clear of monsters, and he soon reached the next Safe Zone after the Voidstalkers found nothing.

Overcome by exhaustion, Atlas staggered to the nearest bench and collapsed onto it. With a weary sigh, he removed his helmet and slumped comfortably. As the fatigue consumed him, he curled up on the bench, drifting into a deep, restorative sleep within the serene safety of the Safe Zone.

Atlas slept comfortably but had no idea that someone was watching him.

***

[************ POV]

A being crept into the Safe Zone, where a boy in black armor and white hair was sleeping on the bench. With maniac thoughts rushing around in this being's chaotic mind, it managed to control its urges to eat the king's target, but not all was lost. 'I will not eat the Voidwalker yet; he must get stronger.'

'No, no, cannot kill; he reminds me of her,' the being reached out and touched a lock of the boy's hair. 'Soft like hers. He must live so I can remember.'

When the being thought that, it sensed several Umber-Hulks lurking outside, waiting to ambush the boy, which angered it to no end. It charged out of the Safe Zone and quickly tore them apart before attacking the rest on the floor.

The being returned to the sleeping boy and spoke in a raspy voice full of sorrow and rage, ''A few more years, then we can fight to see how strong you've become.''

It shuffled out of the Safe Zone and into the dungeon's darkness while muttering, 'Got to go see the king.'

***

[Back to Atlas]

Atlas woke up a few hours later, feeling refreshed. He sat up and surveyed the Safe Zone, quickly spotting a water fountain. He grabbed his canteen, filled it up, and took a long, satisfying drink.

[Level Up: 133→137]

[Experience: 4830/5000]

[Experience Gained: 7500]

[Mana: 4958→4970]

[Stamina: 1562→1624]

[Core Points: 28540/40000]

[Core Points Gained: 3750]

'Only small gains this time,' he wondered. 'Maybe it will slow down from now on?'

Then, Atlas continued along the twenty-second floor and soon found fourteen red cores lying on the ground, which confused him. He quickly scooped them up before throwing them into storage.

He traveled through a few floors without encountering any strong monsters apart from Landsharks, Cave Weavers, and Cave Fishers. Once Atlas reached the twenty-sixth floor, he stepped into another boss arena, which excited him.

'The third Sub-Boss,' he thought excitedly as his smile grew.

Atlas prepared to fight by taking out his swords as the nearby gate opener, only for a bigger Umber-Hulk to step out with rage in its beady little eyes; the only thing that was different from the other monster was that this thing was as dark as shadows and had glowing red eyes.

When the monster appeared, a notification popped up.

[Umber-Hulk King]

[Rank: C+ - 550 Exp]

[Be fast!]

'This is going to be fun; I'm starting to love fighting,' Atlas mused before he burst forward like a rocket and struck the monster's joints, which frustrated it.

The monster becomes enraged when the Deepforge and Nightblade bite into the Umber-Hulk King's flesh, but it isn't enough as the creature swings its giant arm backward, causing him to duck and dive into its attacks.

Atlas's heart was racing, but something inside him was enjoying the thrill of such a fight, and his adrenaline skyrocketed. The Umber-Hulk King charged toward him, letting out an angry roar that shook the arena's floor.

When it came close, Atlas cast Void Bullet into the ground below, which threw off the giant monster and allowed him to use Void Step to appear behind it, which allowed him to jump on its back.

He went to thrust his blade into the soft neck of the creature, but that's when the Umbrer King's head spun around like an owl, which made Atlas jump. This gave the Sub-Boss enough time to strike him.

Atlas was hurled across the arena, crashing into the wall with such force that it crumbled upon impact. Dazed and disoriented, he struggled to piece together what had just happened.

'Did it hit me? But how?' he wondered.

The pain was intense, and his head spun, but Atlas quickly regained his footing. Gritting his teeth, he drank a health potion, hoping it would restore his strength. Following that, the Sub-Boss rushed toward him.

The Umber King swung its massive fists, but Atlas deftly dodged each strike while launching Void Blasts. The attacks bounced off the creature's chitinous armor, barely making an impact.

As he evaded another powerful swing, Atlas seized the opportunity to counterattack. He forced his blade into the joint of the creature's arm before casting Void Bullet. The projectile detonated with a resounding explosion, severing the Umber King's arm, which crashed to the ground with a heavy thud.

Atlas quickly jumped back as the monster lashed out with its remaining arm, roaring in agony. The battle continued, and his speed gave him an advantage, allowing him to strike at several weak spots in the monster.

The arena lit up with a beautiful blue glow as the fight intensified. He dodged each strike, countering with a Void Blast aimed at its legs to topple it. Furious, the Umber-Hulk flailed wildly, allowing Atlas to leap onto its arm as it swung back.

Seizing the moment, he drove his blades into one of the creature's eyes, eliciting a scream of pain. But the battle wasn't over—he finished it with a Void Bullet, blowing the monster's head apart.

The Umber-Hulk King fell to the ground, lifeless as its life slipped away thanks to his surprise attack and the following explosion.

[Sub-Bosses: 3/4]

'Three down and one to go,' Atlas pondered with a tired smile.

Following that, the Umber-Hulk King vanished into the dungeon, leaving behind a red Monster Core and more chitin plates, which he stored in the Dimensional Storage before spotting the stairs down to the twenty-seventh floor.

He entered the expansive chamber, its bleakness betraying its past as a mining rest area. Now cold and blackened, fire pits were scattered across the room, and dilapidated cabins leaned precariously, their rotting wood creaking with each step.

"What is this place?" he murmured, surveying the desolate remnants of a once-bustling hub.

Atlas soon noticed belongings scattered haphazardly, relics of those who once worked here. As he scanned the area, he came across what appeared to be the corpse of a soldier propped up against a wall.

A wave of sadness washed over him as he studied the fallen figure. "What happened here?" he wondered, glancing around the desolate chamber, the echoes of the past lingering in the air.

The soldier had a symbol that looked like two lions on a shield causing him to suck the armor into his storage to show the city guards. Following that, a group of goblins dashed around the corner of one of the shacks, shouting unintelligible words as they dashed in his direction.

Upon spotting them, Atlas chuckled and cast Void Barrage. The chamber lit up with a brilliant azure glow as multiple projectiles materialized around him. With a decisive gesture, he unleashed the projectiles, each streaking through the air and exterminating the creatures.

Most creatures dropped to the ground, leaving Atlas to finish the remaining ones. They were no match for his skill, and the sharp edge of his swords caused the experience to flow into his body.

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