Level Up: Voidwalker

Growing increasingly frustrated by Atlas's lack of response, the badger ceased its biting assault. Instead, it caught sight of the newcomer and charged toward it with menacing growls.

Atlas watched the Drakaroth grunt before hitting the badger with its enormous tail like it was swatting an annoying fly. The little monster was sent flying in the opposite direction like a football, causing him to chuckle at it, but that's when it turned its attention to him.

He gulped before getting to his feet as it took a step forward, spurring him to run through the jungle. The Drakaroth gave chase but wasn't as fast because the trees and giant roots blocked the monster's path, allowing him to get a headstart.

While running, Atlas spotted the badger charging at the giant monster and thought with a growing smile, 'This thing is crazy! It just won't stop.'

After thinking that, Atlas noticed it got in between him and the monster; he was baffled because the badger looked like it was defending him, which caught his interest as the thing was chasing before meeting their mutual enemy.

The little creature's antics caused the Drakaroth to stop and look at it with amusement. He watched as the massive monster tried to stomp on it, but the badger dodged to the side and went for its ankles, which made Atlas laugh as he hid by a nearby tree.

He continued to watch as the little creature went mad. Its actions further irritated the Drakaroth, which stepped back and swung its tail again. Oblivious to the danger, the crazy badger lunged forward, but it was struck and sent flying in his direction.

Aware that another attack could prove fatal for the reckless creature, he sighed and unleashed a barrage of a dozen Void Arrows and Bullets as the monster got closer. They sliced through the air with deadly precision, striking the Tyrannosaurus's face and forcing it to stagger backward.

Upon witnessing the scene, Atlas hurried over and scooped the badger into his arms but yelped when it sank its teeth into his arm as he resumed running. Frustrated, he glanced down at the creature and gave it a firm smack on the head.

"Don't bite me, you stubborn monster! I'm trying to help you," he scolded, causing the badger to stare at him but soon stopped giving him problems.

Atlas sensed the Drakaroth was closing in on them, the ground trembling beneath their feet. His heart raced with urgency, but he found a glimmer of hope when he spotted a path leading up the mountain where he was supposed to meet the girls.

He darted toward it, only to be bitten again and yelped, but ignored it as he scrambled up the pathway. The dinosaur burst out from the nearby trees, sending some falling to the ground with a smash.

Without looking back, Atlas ascended the mountain as the Drakaroth tried following them but soon fell off as it was too big to climb. When seeing that, he slowed down and bonked the angry badger on the head, ''Stop biting me, you stupid creature! I was only helping you.''

Once Atlas scolded the little monster, he put it down while continuing, ''Once that demon goes, we can go our own way. You don't know how to be grateful to the person that saved you from being eaten.''

The badger eyed him with its yellow eyes before growling, causing Atlas to throw up his arms, ''See! You're an angry monster that needs to calm down.''

After that, Atlas trekked to the summit and found a firepit with monster bodies everywhere. He approached one of the corpses and studied it; the creature looked like a chimpanzee but was much smaller and had more humanoid features.

Once Atlas finished examining the corpses, he retrieved his dagger and carefully extracted an orange Monster Core, a task that brought a satisfied grin to his face. Moving swiftly, he harvested twenty more cores and stored them away.

Atlas rose to his feet and gazed over the jungle, struck by its breathtaking beauty. Towering trees reached skyward, and flocks of birds darted across the expansive canopy, pursued by larger monsters in flight.

"This place is more beautiful than Earth," he mused, momentarily feeling admired. However, his daydreaming was shattered when the head of the Drakaroth suddenly appeared around the ledge above.

The badger startled and lunged at the monstrous head, crashing into it with fierce determination. Atlas watched as the Tyrannosaurus-like monster plummeted to the ground below with a deafening crash,

Atlas turned towards the badger, approaching him with a defiant gleam in its yellow eyes. He rolled his hand as the creature lunged, but he swiftly sidestepped and delivered a sharp chop to its head, only to find it growing even more furious.

They began grappling on the summit, where the honey badger sank its teeth into Atlas's limbs and clawed at him. With confusion etched on his face, he exclaimed, "Are you crazy? Stop attacking me!"

The tiny creature halted its assault, allowing Atlas's Regeneration to start healing the wounds it had inflicted. Once he saw the sliced skin stitching together, he sighed before looking at the angry creature staring at him with rage-filled eyes.

Atlas, unsure how to proceed, uttered, "Can we stop fighting?"

The Arzuros stared at him, prompting Atlas to examine it using Void Sight.

[Arzuros]

[Rank: D+ - 300 Exp]

'It's strong for its size,' Atlas thought to himself.

Just then, the Arzuros closed in, swiftly moving within arm's reach and squaring up. Atlas sighed before bopping it on the nose, but this proved the wrong move as it lunged at him and started biting.

However, the bites were gentle this time, like nibbles, making Atlas laugh. The sound of his laughter seemed to excite the Arzuros even more, prompting it to attack him with renewed enthusiasm playfully.

When the Arzuros grew tired of nibbling him, it lay in his lap like a house cat, amusing him. He pampered his hand through its surprisingly soft fur while watching shooting stars streak across the sky above the jungle.

Atlas soon realized the little creature was a girl, which surprised him. She had been nipping at him whenever he suggested male names, but when he tried "Lilith," she made an excited noise before curling up and falling asleep.

Feeling his exhaustion setting in, Atlas gently stood up and headed towards the firepit where the girls gathered. That's when he saw a message scratched into the ground next to a bench, which caught his attention.

[Azhar'Zul, we may have to flee due to the monsters, but if we're not here when you arrive, meet us at the Port city of Setoria. Artemis and I will be waiting for you there]

'I'm glad they're safe,' Atlas thought, wrapping himself and Lilith in his enchanted cloak, earning another bite from her, causing him to smile.

He looked at the small black-and-white creature and hugged her as the wind picked up, eventually drifting off to sleep. Something jumped on his chest the following morning, and Atlas was awakened.

His eyes opened to see Lilith standing over him with a naughty twinkle in her eyes as she quickly leaned down and bit his ear. This caused a shock to run through his body and made him laugh before pushing the silly badger off him.

Lilith started pacing back and forth while squeaking, which Atlas found adorable, but he spoke, ''What's wrong?''

She gestured dramatically towards the cliff's edge, prompting Atlas to peer down. To his dismay, he spotted the Drakaroth gazing up at them with an appetite that could rival a starving wolf.

"Seriously? Can't you find a salad or something?" Atlas hollered indignantly, waving his arms at the giant lizard.

Unimpressed by his protest, Atlas unleashed a volley of Void Bullets. They zipped through the air like angry fireflies and smacked the Tyrannosaurus in its smug face, causing it to roar in pain before it scuttled back into the jungle.

Atlas turned his gaze northeastward, where a dark river wound through the dense jungle. The river eventually opened into a vast lake, its tranquil waters embracing an island at its center.

With relief, Atlas scanned the area below and found no trace of the bothersome creature. He spoke, ''Climb onto me, Lilith.''

Lilith nodded eagerly, then scrambled up Atlas's body, clinging to his clothing with her claws. She playfully nibbled his neck, a signal that she was prepared. With a daring leap off the edge, he landed on a slope and began to slide down.

'Hopefully that annoying monster doesn't appear,' Atlas mused but cursed himself shortly after.

That's when the annoying Drakaroth appeared at the bottom of the mountain, looking excited as it waited for them, but Atlas tried something and cast a Void Bullet below him, sending them flying through the air.

Atlas hurtled towards the monster's gaping maw, taking quick aim and firing a bullet right at its snout. The creature shook its head in surprise, momentarily thrown off balance, creating a perfect opening for him.

Seizing the moment, he crashed into its head and tumbled across its rough surface, desperately clinging to one of its long spines to halt his slide before he could regain his footing.

Before Atlas could stop her, Lilith launched herself off his chest and scrambled up the monster's body, targeting its eyes with a fearless determination, 'Damn Honey Badger!'

He chased after Lilith, scrambling over the thrashing body of the Drakaroth. Despite the beast's wild attempts to dislodge them, she clung tenaciously to its face, tearing into flesh and causing blood to spray in all directions.

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