Level Up: Voidwalker

Atlas woke up the following morning and noticed the inn's ceiling, which caused him to remember what had happened the day before. After lying there for another ten minutes, he got out of bed and cringed when feeling the dirt all over him.

'I need to clean up before doing anything,' he concluded while stretching his arms.

Following this decision, he started walking toward the inn's counter, where Shelley was sitting. The older woman was reading a newspaper but stopped when she saw him as she put it down.

''Morning, young man. What can I do for you?'' the older woman questioned with a smile.

He wanted to wash and excitedly asked, ''Do you know where the bathhouse is? I want to be clean before taking my test and not smell like a dead monster lying out in the sun.''

Shelley nodded with a laugh and gave him directions before Atlas left the inn. Walking down the street, he spotted the bathhouse and smiled happily. Thanks to all the fighting, he felt dirty. 'It reminds me of a Roman bath from Earth,' he said.

The building was large, featuring a green-tiled roof and an archway leading to a front counter where patrons paid for bath access. Atlas entered the bathhouse, only to smell all kinds of lovely fragrances that hit his nose.

He shook his head and approached the counter where a man sat. The attendant looked up with a professional smile while speaking, ''Do you want the basic bath or want something more fancy?''

For a second, Atlas thought before he asked, growing more curious, ''What is the fancy option?''

''We supply you with all the cleaning materials you need, which clean the body much more than a soak in the water,'' the attendant informed him. ''That would cost forty silver while the first option is twenty.''

He gave the man forty silver, earning him several bottles of body and hair wash alongside a spray he smelled when first entering. Following that, Atlas took all the stuff and towel the attendant gave him and walked into the baths that were pointed out.

As Atlas entered the baths, he noticed half a dozen men and women loitering around, but he paid them no mind. He stepped into the hot water, settling down and relaxing as the soothing warmth enveloped his body.

Once relaxed, Atlas started cleaning himself with the stuff the attendant gave him. After twenty minutes, he felt clean. Afterward, he sank back into the water to check his status and see if he had made any progress.

[Level Up: 173→177]

[Experience: 2810/5000]

[Experience Gained: 18000]

[Health: 1602→1612(200)]

[Mana: 7350→7366(1000)]

[Strength: 1822→1838(100)]

[Stamina: 2214→2228(250)]

[Charisma: 700→706]

[Intelligence: 1500→1512]

[Core Points: 17720/100000]

[Core Points Gained: 9000]

After finishing his bath, Atlas dressed, only to realize he was running low on clothes. ''Once I complete the test, I'll buy more,' he thought as he left the bathhouse.

He made his way toward the Adventurer's Guild, which wasn't far, and it took him ten minutes to reach. Atlas entered to see a large group of people talking about tests, 'Is this the day people advance?' he thought.

"Adventuers who are taking the rank-up test, please follow me to the training fields so we can start!" a bald man standing seven feet tall shouted to everyone.

Atlas started following the crowd down some stairs, only to enter a massive underground arena that looked too big to be there. He looked around and wondered what was happening until people explained that it had been created by a space mage of the Dawnstar Empire.

While everyone was piling onto the seats, Atlas summoned his armor and weapons, which shocked the surrounding adventurers as the fights began. Several battles passed by, and he was growing bored—that was until he was summoned to the field.

Atlas jumped up as adrenaline surged through his veins as he unsheathed his blades. The bald man smiled, his eyes gleaming with recognition. "So you're Azhar'Zul, the savior of Starfallen City. I am Garret Silverbane, a Rank C adventurer who helps the guild with their tests."

He nodded, and the man's excitement grew. Wielding a massive greatsword, he exclaimed, "I saw your fight with the Order of Darkness. Show me that same warrior, and if you do, I'll make sure you earn a Rank E instead of G!"

The crowd erupted with excitement, many of them city natives who had heard tales of the white-haired boy who had saved their homes. Their cheers grew louder, fueling the anticipation for the upcoming fight.

Atlas grinned at the challenge, his heart racing with anticipation. As the bell rang, Garret surged forward before hurling a barrage of Earth Lances at him. The air crackled with mana as the sharp stones streaked through the arena.

'Here we go! The road to becoming the strongest begins!'

When Atlas saw this, he cast Void Infusion without hesitation, his blades glowing with void mana as he skillfully sliced through the oncoming spells, shocking everyone in the arena. After, his body became a blur as he dodged more lances, each movement quicker than the last.

Then, with a sudden burst of speed, Atlas shot forward, creating a sonic boom that echoed throughout the arena as he became almost invisible to the naked eye. Just as Atlas closed in, Garret responded with a powerful Earth Wave, sending a shockwave of rock and dirt that pushed Atlas back.

But Atlas wasn't done. He leaped onto one of the remaining Earth Lances with lightning reflexes, using it as a foothold to springboard onto the others while heading straight for Garret, who was wide-eyed.

As Atlas soared over the Earth Wall, he activated Void Step, vanishing from sight and reappearing beneath Garret in a flash. He swiped at the man's legs, aiming to take him by surprise.

But Garret was quick, leaping over the attack and countering with a mighty swing of his greatsword. Atlas crossed his blades just in time to block the strike, but the impact was fierce.

The force drove him to one knee, his arms trembling under the weight of Garret's assault. Gritting his teeth, Atlas refused to yield. In an instant, he unleashed a Void Wave that blasted Garret backward, forcing him to retreat as Atlas rose to his feet.

The crowd erupted into a thunderous celebration, their cheers filling the arena. Atlas couldn't help but smile as he heard the roar of approval from the onlookers. Garret, steadying himself, chuckled and called out, "Enjoying yourself, boy? You're raw, untrained—but deadly. It's as if you've crafted your own fighting style."

He merely shrugged in response before vanishing in a blur, using Void Step to disappear. Atlas reappeared behind Garret instantly, striking with a Void Blast that sent the older warrior stumbling forward.

Wasting no time, he unleashed a relentless storm of strikes, his blades moving like lightning. Each blow shocked Garret, who struggled to keep up with the ferocity of the attack, realizing just how unpredictable and dangerous he was.

He pressed the attack, using everything he had learned since arriving in Valoria. Atlas kept striking and moving, not allowing Garret to get the upper hand as his legs were consistently stuck.

The older warrior tried to counter, but Atlas was too fast—dodging, deflecting, and weaving through every strike with almost effortless precision. He moved like a whirlwind, striking Garret with pinpoint accuracy, each hit targeting weak spots ruthlessly.

Atlas watched as Garret staggered under the barrage, struggling to keep up until he finally landed a decisive blow. The older warrior dropped to one knee, breathless and defeated, as he pointed Nightblade at the man's neck, which meant his victory.

When the surrounding adventurers saw that a Rank C warrior had been defeated by a mere Rank H, they erupted into a frenzy. It was an unprecedented event in Starfallen City, and the air buzzed with disbelief and excitement, the cheers echoing across the arena.

''You're the next Silverblade Azhar'Zul,'' Garret said while standing up. ''You will be one of the greats in the future.''

Atlas beamed excitedly while answering, ''That's the plan, old man. Give it a month, and I will conquer all the strongest dungeons in the Dawnstar and Shadowrealm Empires.''

Garret laughed before slapping him on the shoulder, ''I will be listening, young one. Now, let's make you a Rank E Adventurer. The lower ranks are not in your league.''

When Atlas heard this, he celebrated, 'I jumped three ranks with one fight! Wait until the girls hear about me in the north.'

Little did he know how true his impact would be. After leaving Starfallen City, word spread rapidly about the emerging adventurer who had effortlessly defeated a seasoned Rank C warrior despite being ranked three tiers lower.

The tale of his remarkable rise and skill quickly captured the imagination of many, marking the beginning of his legend. Meanwhile, he remained blissfully unaware of how the name Azhar'Zul was gaining fame across Valoria.

Standing just outside Starfallen City, Atlas summoned Theo and climbed on the Dungeon Monster's back as it excitedly said, 'You've grown much stronger, Master.'

'Yes I love the feeling of gaining experience,' he replied as they took off. 'We can fly to the dungeons while heading west.'

The Blood Bat King nodded in agreement as he sped north. Atlas pulled out his White Adventurers Card, which Garrett had given him before leaving the city. The older man wanted to fight again in a few years and would travel north toward the Thalassia Empire if the war ended anytime soon.

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