Level Up: Voidwalker

Atlas ordered the Darkling to find any rare powerful monsters on the way west so he could avoid them if he weren't strong enough. The Dungeon Creature agreed before soaring into the sky.

Following that, he wanted to find an inn to stay in for the night as the Rank Up test was tomorrow morning, which excited him, 'I should head west to reach the Confederation, but that can wait while I conquer the Dawnstars Dungeons,' he thought with a smile.

It took him twenty minutes to reach the city gate, where a messenger awaited him. Atlas looked at the man who started speaking respectfully, "Azhar'Zul. Commander Morris wants you to come to the barracks for your reward. The mayor has just left the city for a meeting in the capital once she visits him."

Atlas nodded in acknowledgment and followed the man. Dismissing his gear to the Dimensional Storage just as the cool breeze caressed his skin, bringing a wave of comfort as he trailed behind the messenger through the bustling city.

'There's so many people here,' he mused while glancing around.

All kinds of aromas hit his nose from the many food stalls lining the street, and the constant conversations overwhelmed his senses until he shook his head. Atlas glanced around and soon realized that, like Emberglade Town, the city walls were crafted from pristine white stone, their surface gleaming in the sunlight.

Towers punctuated the wall at intervals, standing as silent sentinels. Atlas noticed that the same radiant stone was utilized throughout the city, from the protective barrier to the elegant buildings beyond.

Walking through the streets, he couldn't help but admire the craftsmanship beneath his feet. The roads were flawlessly maintained, prompting him to think, 'The Dawnstar Empire takes great care in keeping their streets in perfect condition.'

Ten minutes later, Atlas stood outside the barracks, a miniature fortress built next to Starfallen Harbor. The messenger turned to him before speaking, ''Go inside and ask for the commander. I'm sure one of the soldiers will take you to him.''

''Thank you,'' he said before the man vanished down the street.

Atlas stepped into the barracks, and the soldiers on guard let him pass without any issues. When inside, he glanced around and realized he was in a large foyer with a staircase leading up to the second and third floors.

'This looks like a typical barracks,' he thought while spotting the Dawnstar Banners decorating the walls.

It was a white sun on a shield surrounded by six flowers. Atlas shook his head and noticed a counter with several people sitting behind it working on paperwork. Atlas approached and spoke to the closest woman, ''Hello. Where can I find Commander Morris> I was told he wanted to see me.''

The woman looked up, and her eyes widened as she responded, ''You must be Azhar'Zul?''

Atlas smiled and nodded, prompting the woman to rise with a smile, ''He asked us to keep an eye out for you and said we should bring you to his office.''

After that, he followed the woman as she walked through the fortress, leading him to the man he had saved from the Order of Darkness. Ten minutes later, they stood outside a door she had just knocked on.

A familiar voice rang out, ''Come in!''

The receptionist opened the door, revealing the man Atlas had saved sitting behind a desk, a pouch in front of him. The man looked up, smiling as he spoke, "Azhar'Zul, I'm glad you're here. I heard you completed the Moonshade Grotto from a message bird. The guards were surprised when they spotted you marching out."

Atlas nodded while taking out the Copper Boss Token and showing it to the adults, ''Yeah, it was fun but annoying at times. As for the Giant Spider, who was the boss, she was the toughest monster I faced down there.''

When the two adults heard him, their expressions changed to shock and amazement as their eyes widened, causing Atlas to chuckle at their reactions. Following that, Morris started laughing. The older man handed him the pouch as he spoke, ''This is your reward for saving me and the city. It's three hundred gold coins.''

''Thank you, Commander,'' Atlas answered while storing the newfound wealth away. ''I will be looking for an inn for the night before heading for the Blackthorne Hills Dungeon before traveling west and completing any I come across.''

Morris nodded, clearly impressed. "Most young adventurers tend to stick close to their cities, but you're different. Dawnstar is home to numerous Level Two and Three Dungeons, and I'm confident you'll find exploring them both challenging and rewarding," he said, pulling out a book.

''Take this Azhar'Zul. It's a Dungeon Manual, a list of well-known dungeons and areas of the Nivaria Continent,'' Morris revealed. ''I think it will help you more than gathering dust on my shelf.''

Atlas took the book with a thankful smile, ''This will be extremely useful during my time here. I got one off the guild, but this is much better and more detailed.''

Morris's face softened into a warm smile as he stood and extended his hand. "It's the least I can do for the young man who saved me. Because of you, my four children still have their father."

Atlas grasped Morris's hand firmly, nodding in acknowledgment. "It was my pleasure, Morris. I'm going to find an inn for the night—I'm starting to feel the weariness setting in."

The commander nodded before standing up and approaching the office door. "Head for the Flying Fish Inn, which is down the road from here. Tell them I sent you, and they'll give you a discount.''

''Thank you,'' Atlas said while leaving the barracks, reading the Dungeon Manual and about the Blackthorne Hills, which was a Level Three and would be challenging, but the risk wouldn't stop him.

Reaching the Flying Fish Inn took ten minutes, and when Atlas spotted the building, which looked busy with adventurers coming and going. He entered the establishment so everyone could grow quiet but ignored them while walking to the counter where the owners were.

The woman smiled at him, ''Hello, young adventurer. I'm Shelley; how can the Flying Fish help you?''

''Morris sent me here to get a room for the night,'' Atlas responded. ''I'm only in Starfallen for my Guild Rank Up test in the morning.''

When the owners heard this, their eyes widened. The woman spoke with a welcoming tone, ''One night will be twenty silver coins. Do you want dinner?''

Atlas shook his head while paying for the room, ''No, thank you. I have food already.''

Shelley nodded before leading him up some stairs while talking, ''It's rare for Old Morris to send anyone our way. You must have got on his good side.''

''You could say that,'' he answered while the two walked down a corridor until reaching a corner room.

She opened the door with a smile and gestured to the spacious room. "Welcome. I kindly ask that you leave it as you found it when you check out."

"I got it, and thanks for the room," he replied in a friendly tone.

Atlas stepped inside and settled comfortably onto the soft bed. Once lying down and relaxed, he activated the Void Realm Skill and wanted to lower the Golem's numbers. His consciousness was sucked into the strange world only to reappear on the plateau.

While standing there, he checked the monster's total.

[Void Golem – 900014/1000000]

[Void Warrior Golem – 495734/500000]

[Void Golem Commander – 99910/100000]

[Void Golem King – 1/1]

Seconds later, the army of Void Golems started swarming him. With a grin, Atlas cast Void Infusion on his blades before dashing forward and cutting down any monster that got through his magic.

'I love infusion; it's the perfect spell to use on my blades,' he mused with a smile.

Void Barrages was peppering the horde of stone constructs, throwing many into the sea below. As Atlas did this, he started fighting a Warrior Golem, causing sparks to fly as the stronger monster used a sword.

Atlas managed to deflect attacks thanks to stronger blades, but his arms felt the strain as they started buckling. He quickly cast Void Wave, which wiped out the Warrior and the surrounding Golems.

The battle raged on for hours until Atlas was finally too exhausted to lift his weapons. A powerful punch from one of the Void Golems sent him skidding across the plateau, and he tumbled into the rough waves below.

'Ouch, that hurt. I wasn't expecting that attack but it was my thought for not paying attention.'

When Atlas woke, he found himself lying comfortably in bed, smiling as he checked the monster total.

[Void Golem – 897967/1000000]

[Void Warrior Golem – 495506/500000]

[Void Golem Commander – 99910/100000]

[Void Golem King – 1/1]

'It's good that I'm killing many of the golems during each go of the Void Realm,' Atlas thought with a smile.

Atlas sat up, stretching as he rose from the bed. He retrieved an Orc's Delight Meat Box and settled at the nearby table, admiring the beautiful night sky. He ate the delicious meal and thought, 'I could never get over Valoria's beauty.'

Once finishing his meal, he dove back into the Void Realm, battling tirelessly through hordes of Golems and Warriors until exhaustion set in. Returning to the real world, Atlas climbed into bed and quickly fell asleep.

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