Level Up: Voidwalker

Chapter 104: Chaos Scum

Atlas saw the six boxes of bombs and started loading twenty into the pouches before putting health and mana potions in the remaining two. Following that, he said goodbye to the duo before leaving the shop.

He noticed it was still early and decided to explore the quarry in the east, so Atlas started walking that way and saw ordinary people doing their business. It took him an hour to reach the area where the quarry was located.

Before approaching the gate, he checked his status as he leveled up again.

[Level Up: 70?72]

[Experience: 580/2000]

[Experience Gained: 4500]

[Health: 482?504]

[Mana: 2692?2832]

[Strength: 490?500]

[Stamina: 554?610]

[Charisma: 364?370]

[Intelligence: 406?420]

[Core Points: 250?3850]

[Core Points Gained: 3600]

[Void Bullet: 2?3]

[Void Arrow: 2?3]

[Void Blast: 1?2]

[Void Wave: 0?1]

[Void Step: 2?3]

[Dual Wielding: 2?4]

[Dimensional Storage: 1?2]

[Maskweaving: 0?1]

'Oh, nice. That was a nice upgrade,' Atlas thought as the excitement boiled up inside him.

There was a guardpost that led into a steep drop that a gate blocked. When the soldiers spotted him, they stepped forward as one of them spoke, ''Young adventurer, what brings you to this haunted place, and can I see the guild card?''

When Atlas heard this, he grinned before answering confidently and determinedly, ''To grow stronger, I must put myself in a dangerous situation. I'm here to clear the quarry and level up.''

''Many have tried and failed. The quarry is unforgiving, and even seasoned adventurers struggle,'' another soldier said with a laugh. ''Look at the party who entered earlier; they won't last much longer once the Crawlers get them.''

''I'm not going there to die. I'm going to find out if I'm really alive,'' Atlas responded while handing the commander his guild card. ''Now let me pass so I can complete my quest.''

The soldiers moved out of the way as the commander unlocked the gate. He looked at Atlas and spoke, ''We've lost dozens of adventurers, boy. I have a feeling about you, and know that if you can reach the entrance, we will do our best to help you.''

After speaking, the commander returned Atlas's guild card and watched as he stepped into the cold, echoing quarry. As the gate clanged shut behind him, the path ahead was swallowed by darkness.

Atlas's Night Eyes soon adjusted, revealing the shadows in sharp relief. He found himself on a broad pathway that gradually descended into the abyss. Peering over the edge, Atlas saw nothing but a yawning chasm, its walls alive with the fluttering of bats.

A chill ran down his spine as he wondered, 'What horrors lie below?'

He started walking down the only path forward while readying his blades in case any monsters attacked. As Atlas walks, Amethyst sends him a message through the lover's band, [We're headed for the Wildheart Kingdom to help Grishna's sister, who is leading the Bloodfang Orcs against the Southmen who beat the last Wildheart army who was holding the King's Pass. I do hope you're okay, Azahar'Zul]

Atlas smiled before quickly replying, [I'm going to be traveling south to heal Lilith, then will get a train north as I have Morozov Train Card that some woman gave me for slaying bandits attacking them. I'm in a city named Tajariyah that's built into some mountains. I miss you girls and will send you a message tomorrow morning]

Continuing down the path, Atlas deflected a projectile aimed at his head with his helmet. A dozen more whizzed towards him as he steadied himself, only to rebound harmlessly off his armor.

He scanned the new monsters, which bore a striking resemblance to giant cockroaches. Their stone-like color blended seamlessly with the cave walls, but their appearance was far from harmless; these creatures exuded a menacing, predatory aura.

[Stone Crawler]

[Rank: E - 200 Exp]

When Atlas saw this, he fired a Void Bullet at the monster that blew it into pieces; the only evidence of its existence was an orange Monster Core that he threw into his storage before continuing.

Atlas eliminated four more Stone Crawlers as they lunged at him from the shadows, but he had no problem dispatching them before reaching a tunnel that reeked of decay. "What is that awful smell?" he muttered.

As he stepped across the threshold, a screech reached his ears as a humanoid sprinted out of the shadows and swiped at Atlas, who leaned back before casting Void Blast into the creature's chest.

The spell hurled the monster to the ground, allowing Atlas to rush forward and drive his blade through its skull. As the creature fell lifelessly, he looked closer at the new enemy, and a shiver ran down his spine.

'This thing belongs in a horror novel,' Atlas thought. 'Where are they coming from?'

It had once been human but had been grotesquely warped into a nightmare. Its body was a dark, blood-red hue, marred by deep, gnarled scars that covered every inch. Its eyes were hollow and black, the last vestiges of humanity fading into its monstrous form.

Something radiated from it, which made Atlas cringe as he recognized that feeling, 'Chaos! Who are they?'

While contemplating, footsteps could be heard, causing him to raise his blades to defend against a set of claws. Atlas's arms felt the strain, but he pushed past that and cast Void Wave to get the creatures away from him.

This gave him a chance to scan them.

[Dreadfiend]

[Rank: E - 200 Exp]

'Experience farms,' Atlas thought as his excitement grew.

He dashed forward, ducking under a swipe, before driving his blade through the creature's jaw and piercing its brain. He then cast a Void Blast at another creature, getting close, which blew it away.

Atlas engaged the Dreadfiends with precise agility, deftly weaving through their attacks while delivering a flurry of slashes, stabs, and spells. Chaos erupted throughout the tunnels as he fought, but his armor absorbed most of the damage, allowing him to remain largely unscathed amidst the fray.

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'I'll continue fighting until my muscle hurts,' Atlas thought with a smile while stabbing a Dreadfiend through the eye as it tried to bite him.

He spun around when feeling another behind him and plunged his Blood Knife into its chest before casting Void Bullet. The spell caused the creature to explode from the inside out and covered him in bits of flesh.

Atlas shook his head and dispatched the remaining monsters with a flurry of Void Arrows. Each arrow pierced through their bodies, and they fell to the ground, lifeless. He sheathed his Nightblade and used the knife to cut out the Monster Cores.

'Eight green cores,' he thought while storing them away. 'I'll continue to collect these.'

Atlas continued down the tunnel until he entered a vast underground chamber. Scanning the area, he spotted a descending path that led into the encroaching darkness. "The creatures must be coming from this way," he mused.

A rattling noise echoed through the chamber, piquing his curiosity. As he turned to investigate, a sudden barrage of arrows struck, forcing him to leap back. He quickly cast Void Guard, shielding himself from the onslaught.

'What the hell!' he thought while spotting the culprits, which were skeletons, but they were his size, 'Dead dwarves?'

[Dwarf Skeletons Miners]

[Rank: G - 50 Exp]

Atlas shook his head and noticed the undead were marching up the path he needed to take. With a smile, he started casting Void Blast, which collided with the skeletons, causing explosions to send them flying into the darkness below.

He dashed forward and started striking the surviving enemies; his attacks shattered their skulls. Atlas made his way down the path while spamming spells into the crowds of skeletons that wiped them out.

It took him close to an hour to reach the bottom, where an entrance to an unexpected dungeon was overflowing. More Dreadfiends rushed out of the entrance, forcing Atlas to dodge their attacks before blasting them away with Void Blasts.

Having dispatched the creatures, Atlas crouched down, startled by a chilling chuckle echoing through the entrance. Reacting swiftly, he sprang to his feet and activated Void Scan, quickly spotting a monster lurking nearby.

[Forgotten Lurker]

[Rank: D+ - 350 Exp]

'What kind of monster is this,' Atlas pondered while readying for another fight as his breath was heavy.

The creature crawled out of the shadows on all fours, which made him gulp. It moved like a spider but was humanoid, with two arms and legs that ended with sharp claws. Its body was covered in strange scales that he knew would be tough to break through.

'This is going to be tough,' he thought, gripping his blades tightly.

It let out another chuckle as its black eyes pierced Atlas's soul. Its mouth was shaped into a creepy smile with shark-like teeth. The monster suddenly shot forward like a rocket, causing him to yelp while casting Void Step.

He vanished from the spot just as the Lurker slammed into it. This gave him enough time to pepper the monster's body with Void Bullets and Void Arrows, which caused it to screech in pain.

Atlas grinned behind his helmet, 'This creature won't go down easy,' he thought while getting ready to attack.

Without thinking, he burst forward like a bullet and started striking the Lurker with dozens of attacks, hitting it with Void Bullets that exploded on contact and confused the monsters. He rushed in, skidded under it, and ran his blades down its torse, causing it to spasm before dropping to the ground.

He rose to his feet, the Nightblade aimed squarely at the monster's skull. With a voice crackling with fierce excitement and unyielding resolve, he declared, "Chaos scum. This time, we will end this eternal game once and for all. I will become strong enough to frighten the Dark Gods."