Level Up: Voidwalker

Chapter 183: Previous Passengers

'Tainted? What does that mean?' Atlas pondered as he quickly recalled his swords while blocking the monster's swipe.

Sparks were sent flying, and he skidded backward before slamming against the wall. That's when dozens of more Fleshfiends appeared and started rushing toward him, which made him yelp, as there were too many.

'Run, you foolish boy!' Theo's voice rang out in his mind as he felt his body weaken.

Atlas sprinted through the door, slamming it shut behind him as the creatures collided with it. He then ran down the corridor, his heart pounding, but the relentless monsters pursued him, their snarls growing louder.

'They're going to get me if I don't do something!'

He quickly whirled around and unleashed a powerful punch. The sudden attack turned the creatures into meat chunks. This cleared his path forward, which he took advantage of and fled from the horrifying monsters.

Atlas sprinted through the dark ship until he arrived at a large auditorium and felt the Fleshfiends only a few minutes behind him. He looked around only to hear Theo's voice, 'Bring me out, I can help Master.'

When hearing the Blood Bat King, he activated Dungeon Conquerer and summoned the monster, who quickly picked him up before flying up to a ledge above the stage where Theo dropped him.

The bat landed beside him before curling up as he spoke again, 'Rest, Master. Using that spell has exhausted you, I can sense it.'

He nodded before stroking the monster's soft fur while responding with a tired smile, ''Thanks, Theo. You saved me once again.''

After that, Atlas collapsed and fell into a deep sleep as he was comfortable. As Thro covered his body, the Fleshfiends went crazy below as they howled in rage as they searched for him, but he was safe.

Hours passed as he recovered, only to wake up with a banging headache, which caused him to groan. ''Ah, that hurts so bad,'' he muttered.

Atlas sat up as Theo moved to the side and warned him, 'Don't make noise, Master. Those creatures are below and very angry.'

He agreed before peeking over the edge, only to see hundreds of Fleshfiends rushing through doors while searching the auditorium. Atlas gulped as he started scanning the normal creatures.

[Fleshfiend]

[Tainted]

[Rank: C - 500 Exp]

[Fleshfiend Beserker]

[Tainted]

[Rank: B - 800 Exp]

[Fleshfiend Tracker]

[Tainted]

[Rank: D+ - 350 Exp]

'Are these the previous passengers? What could have corrupted them?' Atlas wondered aloud, his mind racing with questions.

He reluctantly unfurled his sleeping bag with no other option, preparing to settle in until the creatures cleared out. Then, Atlas pulled out a Forest Boar Meat Box before eating as his stomach rumbled.

'I'll stay up here for a while,' he thought while stuffing his face. Thanks to being inside his Dimensional Storage, it was still hot and enjoyable.

Atlas started eating while checking his status to see if he had leveled up during all that chaos.

[Level Up: 181?187]

[Experience: 4260/5000]

[Experience Gained: 33500]

[Health: 1736?1760(200)]

[Mana: 7608?7718(1000)]

[Strength: 2022?2042(100)]

[Stamina: 2486?2518(250)]

[Intelligence: 1602?1614]

[Core Points: 71170/100000]

[Core Points Gained: 17750]

[Aqua Lung: 1?2]

'Not long now before I rank up again,' Atlas mused as he settled into his hideaway, the eerie howls of the Fleshfiends echoing around him.

After finishing his meal, Theo's voice cut through the unsettling sounds with a note of concern. 'They're going wild out there, but you can use the Darklings to locate the captain's quarters.'

'Good idea,' he agreed with a nod.

Atlas activated the Dungeon Conqueror Skill, summoning the small, winged humanoids. As they appeared, they emitted soft, curious noises and began to tug at his hair playfully, bringing a genuine smile to his face.

"Can you find the captain's quarters for me?" he requested of the little creatures. "There's something in there I need.''

The Darklings nodded in unison before darting into the shadows, vanishing from sight as they evaded the Fleshfiends' notice. Atlas watched them disappear into the darkness, then crawled into his sleeping bag, settling in for a well-deserved rest.

Hours passed, and the creatures below finally left the auditorium just before the Darklings appeared holding a map, which Atlas took before studying, only to find out the captain's quarters were at the top of the ship.

'Damn, that's a long journey, but the Vanquisher Blade should be worth it,' Atlas thought while looking around.

He quickly spotted a vent blocked by a thick metal grate, which caused him to think, 'I can use Void Step, and it's about time I use that camouflage upgrade I got.'

Atlas put on his helmet before storing his bag away and dismissing Theo with a grateful stroke. He quietly approached the vent while summoning his swords, which appeared in his hands, causing him to smile.

'That's better,' he internally smiles before using Void Step to appear on the other side of the grate.

When Atlas glanced around, he noticed a few skeletons huddled in one corner, which made him frown. Before moving forward, he decided to find out what had happened to the passengers and returned to his hiding place.

He pulled out Amara's Diary and continued reading it, only to be shocked, confused, and mystified by the following entry a week after she boarded the ship.

***

Amara sat in her room, having just finished helping her mother with her younger siblings. An unsettling sense of unease hung in the air as disturbing rumors began circulating—word spread that some of the experiments had escaped into the ship's bowels.

While resting in their compartment, her father, Samuel, rushed into the room with his guards with a panicked expression. Melanie jumped up and quickly questioned, ''What's going on, husband?''

The older man was just about to reply, but an explosion ripped through the lower end of the ship, causing the vessel to tremble. Samuel quickly explained, ''The Blightborns have been capturing people and doing something to them. They soon reappear as grey-skinned humanoids with deep red eyes and claws like monsters.''

When Amara heard the rumors, her mind flashed back a year to the story of a whistleblower from the Starlight Facility who had exposed the creation of the Blightborn—monstrous entities forged through a dark amalgamation of magic, alchemy, and technology, designed as soldiers for the Federation.

The council had swiftly moved to suppress the news, their involvement undeniable. They had funded, approved, and nearly perfected the project, with noble families fully aware of the details.

To her shock, Amara had recently discovered that her father was the head of the Antioch League, an organization specializing in developing war machines and hybrids to use on the Valkoria Federation enemies.

She shook her head as another man rushed in and spoke nervously, ''My Lord. The Lurkers, Blightborn, and every creature held on the sixtieth floor have escaped.''

Amara watched her father's eyes widen in fear as her mother demanded, ''What's going on, Samuel? I thought there were only Blightborns, and now there's more.''

The man rushed in and explained, ''There are seven in total, My Lady. They were a company secret but now are causing havoc on the lower floors.''

Following this, she watched as the Federation soldiers locked down the upper floors, thinking they would be safe because they stayed next to the captain's quarters. However, she and the family never realized danger was just around the corner, and the horrifying monsters were heading straight up the ship.

Amara decided to write everything down as an account of The Starforge Voyager. Following that, chaos engulfed the ship as battles took place. She witnessed people trying to get through the security fences set up by the soldiers.

'This is becoming a nightmare,' she thought. 'We are trapped on board with close to six million people thanks to the space magic which means there will be an uncountable number of monsters.'

Following that thought, Amara readied her weapons, which consisted of a mana rifle and sidearm. The bridge and noble quarters were locked down as the ship descended into horror, and people were abducted, killed, and taken into the darkness.

One day, while eating dinner, the commander rushed in and exclaimed, ''They've broken through the barriers, my lord! We must leave here as the Blightborns and their Fleshfiend offspring are overwhelming the Starlight Defense Robots.

Everyone started panicking, but Samuel announced, ''There are vaults on the bottom floors. We can take the elevator down there. Only the captain and I have keys, and Berrick is on the bridge trying to control the remaining soldiers.''

Following the unsettling discovery, the Silverstar Family was hurriedly escorted to the private elevators by their remaining guards. Amara braced herself for a fight, but her blood froze when her eyes fell upon the Blightborn.

'What is this horrible monster! This isn't something that belongs in our world.'

The creature stood six feet tall, skin a sickly pale white, and its eyes gleamed a menacing red, brimming with malice. Its body was a grotesque mockery of human form, twisted and deformed, with scythe-like appendages protruding from its back like a macabre crown.

The sight of it sent waves of terror through the group, paralyzing many in place. But one brave soldier refused to be overwhelmed—he activated a mana bomb, determination in his eyes.

He charged headlong at the monstrous creatures, willing to sacrifice himself to protect the others. Amara watched the explosion tear through the nightmare, but another horror appeared as the smoke settled.

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