Level Up: Voidwalker

Atlas and Lilith continued watching the Dark Ones, who circled the camp as he spoke. ''They haunt the night. In some places, the creatures don't appear.''

When the honey-badger woman heard this, she growled at them before climbing on his lap and getting comfortable. Without thinking, he started stroking her fluffy ears, which made her shiver.

Following that, the two of them crawled into the tent and started cuddling up, which made Lilith happy as she lay on top of him while he fell asleep. The next morning, he woke up and yawned.

Atlas went to move, only to realize the honey-badger woman was asleep with a radiant smile on her beautiful face. He moved Lilith to the side and made sure she wouldn't wake up as he left the tent.

As he stepped outside, he immediately noticed the dense fog enveloping their campsite, its heavy presence unsettling. Without thinking, he summoned his magic to disperse it, but the fog seemed almost alive, which creeped him out.

Realizing his efforts were futile, he sighed and sat down, making himself comfortable. He pulled out a pouch of dumplings, eating slowly as he scanned the mist, ever watchful for any hidden threats lurking within the haze.

While sitting there, Atlas decided to check out Level Seven to see what monsters it would give him when he conquered it. He closed his eyes before activating the Void Realm, only to appear in a swamp.

Trees covered everything along with a fog that covered the ground, which made him gulp as the noises of insects sounded out. The swamp was a labyrinth of gnarled roots and stagnant pools.

'This place smells horrible but there's something creepy about it,' he thought while casting Void Infusion on the blades.

Mist clung to the air, muffling the sounds of distant croaks and the occasional splash of something unseen. Atlas moved carefully, his boots squelching with every step, eyes scanning the shadows for signs of monsters.

He could feel it—the heavy, oppressive presence of monsters waiting just beyond his sight. The swamp itself seemed alive, the trees twisting unnaturally, their branches clawing at the sky.

Water rippled in strange patterns, and faint, guttural growls echoed through the mist. Atlas tightened his grip on his blades. A shadow shifted in the corner of his vision, and his muscles tensed.

The monsters weren't just lurking—they were organizing, preparing to strike. While standing there, something lunged from the underbrush and the creature started using its scythe-like blades to strike.

'What the fuck are these things!' Atlas yelped, but started battling the monster and used his swords to deflect the others, causing sparks to fly.

Seconds later, he used Void Step to appear on the branches above as chittering noises rang out. Atlas could use Void Sight and found out their name, which caused him to grow curious.

[Void Broodmaw]

[Rank A]

[These fuckers will chew you and shit you out, boy! Keep it moving]

Following that, he started casting Void Lance at the swarm of creatures. Explosions rang out as Atlas started fighting the monsters while jumping across the branches and killing them, but it was harder than he expected.

Hours later, he burst out of the treetops above, which gave him some breathing time to check on the monster total.

[Void Broodmaw - 6/10000]

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When Atlas saw this, he sighed just as a pair of scythes lunged out of the treetops and tried to swipe at him. He ducked under the attack before hitting it with a Void Blast that connected with the mantis-like monster.

'These things were annoying,' he thought as his heart raced.

The creature's exo-skeleton exploded into bits, but more of the creatures swamped him. Atlas quickly used Void Wave to clear some space. After the attack, he jumped down from the branches as the monsters chased him.

When Atlas crashed to the ground, more Broodmaws fell around him before lunging in his direction. One scythe pierced his shoulder, causing him to let out a scream of pain that made him shudder.

Following this, he was sent back to the real world and woke up while Lilith was crouched in front of him with a concerned expression as she questioned, ''What were you doing? The look on your face was like a horrible pain hit.''

Atlas nodded before explaining the Void Realm to the Honey-Badger woman who became fascinated. She jumped up before landing in his lap as she asked with glowing yellow eyes, ''Can I join you next time? I want to help you.''

''Of course you can,'' he replied with a smile. ''Are you okay?'' Find your next read on empire

Lilith stretched before shaking her head, ''Still tired, would you like to join me?''n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Atlas agreed and scooped the white-haired woman into a princess carry and walked back into the tent. The two of them got comfortable before falling asleep while cuddling up as the weather worsened.

The next morning, Atlas stirred awake to find Lilith lying against him, her head nestled comfortably into the crook of his neck. A soft smile tugged at his lips as he tightened his embrace around her, savoring the warmth of her presence.

Cold morning air seeped into the tent, causing a shiver to run down his spine, but it didn't matter. With Lilith in his arms, the chill outside was driven off just as Estelle's voice echoed in his mind, 'We're training in the Otherworld, my love. The storm is terrible, so be careful.'

Following that, Atlas pulled out more blankets and wrapped them around himself and the Honey-Badgeras as the tent shook because of the wind. While this happened, Lilith muttered in a quiet voice, ''A Storm Titan is above Master. We need to stay quiet.''

The wind howled, carrying with it the scent of rain and earth, when suddenly, a deafening roar shattered the air. It was a sound so deep and primal that it reverberated through his bones, making the ground beneath him tremble.

A roar echoed across the landscape, bouncing off distant mountains and crashing through the trees like a thunderclap. He froze, his heart pounding in his chest as the earth seemed to hold its breath.

Lilith got closer than her leg draped over him. She pulled him into a passionate kiss that distracted them. Atlas pushed closer to the Honey Badger woman, who had an athletic figure causing him to love her muscles.

Without hesitation, the duo drifted back to sleep as the storm worsened and the Storm Titan moved on. The following morning, Atlas awoke to the soft light of dawn. He glanced over at Lilith, still sound asleep, before quietly slipping out of the tent.

The mist had lifted, revealing vast grasslands stretching out in every direction. Atlas took a deep breath, the fresh morning air filling his lungs. 'I'll use Nala to travel,' he thought. 'Time to wake the Honey-Badger.'

With that, he summoned the mighty Dreadmaw Lion, its powerful form appearing beside him in a swirl of shadow. Then he turned back to the tent and walked inside before gently nudging Lilith.

She woke up allowing him to pack up the tent before scooping her into a princess carry and climbing on Nala's back. The lioness let out a roar before taking off across the grassland and reaching a massive forest that led south.

The Dreadmaw Lion entered the treeline before quickly jumping into the branches as her voice echoed in his mind, 'Many powerful enemies Master, I'll get us away so you can hide out for a little while.''

Nala surged forward, her sleek body cutting through the grasslands like a force of nature. Her paws barely touched the ground as she raced, the wind whipping through Atlas's hair and Lilith's cloak; the landscape blurring around them.

Atlas held onto the Dreadmaw Lion's thick mane, one arm wrapped securely around Lilith, who rested against his chest, her face pressed into his side as they sped across the open plains.

The sound of Nala's thundering paws echoed in the vast space, each stride taking them farther from the dangers. Atlas grinned, while Lilith, still half-asleep, nestled closer, comforted by the steady rhythm of Nala's gallop.

Atlas reined Nala to a halt at the crest of a gentle hill, his breath catching as he took in the view. The grasslands stretched endlessly before him, a sea of green and gold swaying under the soft caress of the wind.

Distant mountains loomed on the horizon, their jagged peaks painted in shades of blue and gray by the early morning light. Above, the sky was vast and open, streaked with ribbons of orange and pink as the sun climbed higher.

Birds wheeled lazily through the air, their cries faint but clear, carried by the breeze. A small stream wound its way through the plains below, its surface shimmering like liquid silver, which caught his interest.

Hours later, Nala came to a stop when they saw a mountain ledge above that Atlas used Void Step to get up to.

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