Level Up: Voidwalker

Once Atlas completed the scenery, a sense of pride washed over him; the land finally became vibrant and lively. With a final thought, he added the changing seasons to Otherworld as the Scalebreakers entered the realm.

They looked around in shock and awe as Cera approached. 'This place is amazing, Master. We can raise our young here in safety,' she said.

Atlas smiled as he jumped off the rock he was on and replied in a curious voice, ''Who is this other monster? And you'll be safe in the nest if you keep your guard up.''

Cera nodded thoughtfully and said, 'He's a massive Stormeagle, but be careful because his hostile to everyone. I've tried talking to him, but it's no use. You might have better luck if you confront him directly. That could work. Just look for the tallest mountains, and that's his home.'

Following that, she got back to organizing the Scalebreaker herd; Atlas left the Otherworld and appeared in the jungle, causing the hot air to brush against his skin, 'I hate this place. Hopefully, I can get out of here soon.'

Atlas started walking while readying his blades. A group of raptor-like monsters tried to ambush him from the surrounding bushes. He quickly cut several down while jumping all over the place like a jackrabbit.

'I'm getting faster but I need to start being careful from now on.'

Once they were all dead, Atlas collected all thirty-three red Monster Cores. After that, he continued through the jungle until spotting a mountain in the distance, which confused him even more.

'Why is it underground? What sort of realm am I in?' he thought while approaching his destination.

Atlas shrugged before reaching the foot of the mountain, and thanks to the eerie aura radiating from its peaks, the other monsters were kept away. He started using Void Step to climb up but soon ran out halfway and had to stop to rest.

Once up there, he sat down to catch his breath and recover some mana he expanded. While relaxing, Atlas noticed the trees below moving, which caused him to grow worried as he used Void Sight.

[Jungle Titan]

[Rank: Titan - 80000 Exp]

[Run or hide!]

When Atlas spotted the massive creature, resembling King Kong but with a far more menacing appearance, he froze. The beast lumbered past without noticing him, and he let out a quiet sigh of relief once it was safely out of sight.

'I should check my status; it's been a while since I've done it,' he thought while pulling it up.

[Level Up: 204→233]

[Experience: 100/10000]

[Experience Gained: 282380]

[Health: 2254→2626(200)]

[Mana: 8666→10086(1000)]

[Strength: 2584→2896(100)] Discover hidden tales at empire

[Stamina: 3166→3544(250)]

[Charisma: 860→900]

[Intelligence: 1964→2504]

[Core Rank Up: Mid Adept→High Adept]

[Core Points: 33090/100000]

[Core Points Gained: 110870]

[Void Realm: 1→3]

'Slowly getting stronger,' Atlas thought with a smile, but that dropped as a storm started, causing chaos around him.

It threw debris around as boulders and torn-out trees flew everywhere; they crashed around the side of the mountain with a loud boom that shook the ledge. The jungle below swayed, causing him to grow concerned, but Cera's voice sounded in his mind, 'A storm has his the Otherworld Master. It is the exact same as the Chaos Realms weather.'

Hearing this, he grew curious and wondered, 'Are the seasons connected to the outside?'

Atlas shrugged off the thought, realizing he was safe on the ledge. Wrapping his cloak tightly around himself, he settled in comfortably, content with his secure vantage point. While resting, he activated the Void Realm skill.

Following that, he reappeared on the plateau and felt the rumbling start as the Void Golems started to swarm him. When seeing this, Atlas pulled up the monster total to see how many he had to kill.

[Void Golem – 43231/1000000]

[Void Warrior Golem – 210359/500000]

[Void Golem Commander – 90204/100000]

[Void Golem King – 1/1]

Seeing his opportunity, Atlas burst forward, quickly carving through the stone monsters. The battle erupted in full force, and he dispatched hundreds of them. However, the appearance of the Warrior Golems changed the tide, forcing him to take the fight more seriously.

'I got to start thinking smarter,' he thought while blocking several punches.

Atlas unleashed his magic, sending groups of monsters flying while his blades sliced through the tougher Golems. Chunks of stone were cleaved from their bodies, but when the challenge grew, he cast Void Infusion.

He cut the Golems in half, their massive forms crumbling at his feet. Atlas continued battling the relentless waves of monsters, but as his mana dwindled, exhaustion set in, causing him to return to the real world.

With a shake of his head, Atlas pulled up the Void Golem total and was surprised to see it.

[Void Golem – 19009/1000000]

[Void Warrior Golem – 200123/500000]

[Void Golem Commander – 89774/100000]

[Void Golem King – 1/1]

After that, Atlas opened his eyes and noticed the Chaos Realm storm had subsided, clearing the way for him to leave the ledge. With determination, he continued his climb up the mountain.

Ten minutes later, Atlas finally reached a plateau where a large, ominous cave loomed at the far end. 'I bet that's the eagle's home,' he thought as he cautiously approached.

Suddenly, a loud screech echoed across the mountainside. The unexpected noise made him jump. Spinning around, he spotted a giant flying creature crashing onto the plateau. When seeing this, Atlas's eyes widened in shock—the beast was the size of an elephant.

Its massive wings stretch far across the rocky landscape. Atlas gulped when seeing it and quickly scanned it.

[Stormeagle]

[Rank: Monarch - 60000 Exp]

[Try talking to it, boy! Don't just stand there looking at it]

'I'm not stupid!' Atlas replied to the advice.

Then, he shook his head before speaking to the Stormeagle, ''Do you understand me?''

The monster stopped moving and stared at him with its bright yellow eyes. Atlas could sense the intelligence behind them. While looking at each other, a deep voice appeared in his mind: 'You're not the old master; I guess he died?'

Atlas shrugged, ''I don't know; I woke up when I was injured and became the Voidwalker. I heard you were my predecessor's monster,'' he answered.

'I was but he left us here to rot when fighting the Chaos King,' the Stormeagle replied. 'Why shouldn't I eat you?'

''Firstly, I'm skin and bones. I wouldn't be worth the effort to eat, plus I'm the new Voidwalker; you can't judge me by the previous one's actions,'' Atlas revealed while putting away his blades and sitting down on a nearby rock.

The massive creature tilted its head, then plopped down opposite Atlas, its voice deep and rumbling as it asked, 'Do you plan to rule the world?'

Atlas shook his head. ''I want to enjoy life and explore the world. Maybe settle down with a family one day. But right now, I'm just... exploring.''

The monster's yellow eyes narrowed as it scrutinized him. 'Is the Scalebreaker woman with you?' it asked.

Atlas nodded and summoned Cera. An azure portal shimmered into existence, and moments later, the Scalebreaker leader stepped through, her eyes scanning the scene as she spoke, 'Looks like you're not as angry anymore, Raymond.'

'I'm still furious with the old master,' the Stormeagle rumbled, its voice tinged with regret. 'But when I saw this boy, I realized... he's gone. He's dead. And now I understand—I didn't just hate him for leaving. I miss him.'

Cera looked down before turning to Atlas. 'It's a shame he's gone, but I'm sure we'll find out why if you join the new master,' she said.

He smiled at the monster as Raymond exclaimed, 'You already accepted him! How do we know he isn't a deviant!'

Atlas was shocked as he retorted, ''I treat all my monsters fine! I don't see them as weapons but companions.''

Cera agreed with a nod while adding, 'You should see the Otherworld. It's so much better than the last one. The mountains are beautiful, and the mana is thick and plentiful, thanks to the master.'

Raymond turned to him and spoke hopefully, 'Take an oath not to abandon us when you no longer need to fight.'

Atlas felt confused at the request but shrugged it off before speaking. ''I promise not to get rid of my monsters. They will only be free once I pass from this world.''

Suddenly, the Stormeagle lunged at him, shrinking in size as it pounced. It collided with Atlas's chest, knocking him to the ground with a thud. The air whooshed out of his lungs, and he laughed as the bird nipped at him.

Cera burst into laughter, her eyes sparkling with amusement. 'It seems like you have a new friend, Master! Stormeagles are extremely loyal, and once they choose someone, there's nothing you can do to shake them off.'

Shortly after that, Atlas pushed Raymond off him while he was speaking, ''Do you know the way out of her boy?''

The Stormeagle looked at him and nodded, 'Yes yes. I can fly us there, but a metal door blocks the path forward.'

When Atlas heard this, the key he found came to mind, and he sent Cera back to the Otherworld before speaking to Raymond, 'Go back to your normal size. I want to get out of this horror-filled place.'

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