Level Up: Voidwalker

When Atlas heard Roberts's explanation, it made sense why the empire sent Sandcrawlers into the Blue Dune Desert. He knew they were large machines that crawled through the sand, looking for Blue Core Pockets below the surface.

''Blue Core Stones are prized materials and only come from that dreaded desert where those devils live,'' Robert said with hate laced in his voice.

Atlas smiled, thanked the man, and left the guild without looking back; he wanted to do a quest but had to decide which one. As he stepped outside, the blare of an alarm pierced the air, and soldiers hurried toward the city's edge.

'What's going on now? Hopefully, it's a fight; I need one to grow stronger,' a thrill of anticipation bubbled up inside him.

Quickly summoning his armor and weapons, Atlas was stunned to see his black armor morphing into silver and green, 'Is it camouflaging with me?' he wondered, bewildered by the sudden change.

'Maybe it was the Maskweaving Skill,' he thought before quickly pulling up the description.

[Maskweaving: A spell that conceals the caster from sight and detection by other individuals and from magical scanning or detection spells. It also alters the appearance of the caster's clothing or armor, allowing for seamless camouflage]

Atlas ignored that and started running through the city; he soon noticed the Wild Mutants attacking terrified innocent people as they tried to flee into their homes or the nearest shop but were too slow as the creatures closed in on them.

'Damn, monsters are attacking everything! But they will be good experience,' Atlas thought while killing two by stabbing them through their eyes.

He acted instantly and sped up as he saw a little girl about to be pounced upon, but he lunged and plunged his blade into its head. While doing that, another went to swipe at the girl.

When Atlas quickly saw this, he used Void Step to appear between them and deflected the creature's claws before blasting it with a Void Bullet that blew its head off. Without thinking, he dashed around the street, slaying every Wild Mutant he encountered.

After ten minutes, he saw a noble family's guards being taken down by a wave of creatures as they protected an expensive-looking carriage. Still, Atlas noticed they differed from the Achaemenid soldiers and looked Russian.

Atlas rushed forward while casting several Void Arrows, which blasted the mutants away and gave the guards room to breathe. He fought the mutants until a bigger one appeared from a side street.

'A new enemy, this will be fun,' he thought excitedly.

The creature struck Atlas in the stomach, sending him flying into the nearest building and slamming into its stone walls. He crashed to the street below but quickly got to his feet while readying his weapons and scanning the new threat.

[Wild Mutant Brute]

[Rank C - 500 Exp]

It stood nine feet tall and was built like a bodybuilder with creepy grey skin and red eyes full of malice, 'This is going to be hard,' Atlas thought as his excitement erupted.

He pointed the Nightblade at the Brute, his voice echoing with resolve. "I will become the strongest on Valoria, and you're the first step in that journey. Prepare yourself—show me a fight worthy of legends!"

Without wasting more time, he dashed forward while dodging two other mutants that tried to attack but decapitated the creatures as he dodged their claws and slashed through their necks before he reached the Brute.

'Here we go; this will be a proper fight that makes my blood boil with excitement,' he thought with a smile as he ran.

As Atlas dashed past the ornate carriage, his gaze briefly locked with that of a woman inside. Her wide blue eyes were filled with a mix of fear and curiosity. Despite the chaos, Atlas smiled reassuringly before leaping nimbly to evade a deadly swing from the Brute.

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***

[Ksenia Morozov's POV]

Ksenia Morozov had come to Tajariyah on her father's business, but the sudden assault by Wild Mutants had thrown her plans into disarray. Her guards scrambled to escort her to the safety of the Mana Airship, but a monstrous new threat abruptly blocked their path.

A hulking Brute had emerged from a side street, cutting off their escape and forcing them into a desperate standstill. She gazed out the window and spotted a boy with black hair and piercing green eyes darting through the chaos outside.

He eliminated two mutants, evading their attacks before severing their heads in a single, practiced motion. 'What is this boy doing? He will die,' Ksenia thought as the Brute went to punch him, and panic surged through her.

To her astonishment, the boy leaped onto the Brute's massive arm, scaling it with remarkable agility. He aimed to drive his blade into the creature's eye but was swatted away like an irritant.

As the boy was hurled through the air, he unleashed a flurry of spells that struck the Brute's hide with explosive force. Enraged, the creature bellowed and charged at the boy, who now seemed to flicker in and out of existence.

'A mage who fights in close combat! Not many choose that path,' she thought as the excitement surged when he held his own against the stronger creature.

Despite his unpredictable movements, the boy continued relentlessly attacking the massive beast. Ksenia watched as his blades sunk into the Brute's flesh before he quickly retreated as it went to stamp on him.

'Who is this child? He's skilled but its clearly self taught as it reminds me of a crazy monsters movements,' she thought as her friend Anatasia tapped her.

''Ksenia, will we make it to the Airship?'' she asked.

She turned to the blonde and responded, ''A strange boy is fighting the Brute and standing his ground. I will tell Rostok to aid him so we can get going before more monsters appear from the mountains.''

Following that, Ksenia stuck her head out the window, ''Ros! Aid the boy in his fight; we need to keep moving,'' she ordered.

The knight nodded, but the boy appeared and pointed a short sword at them, ''Do not get involved in my fight! This creature is mine.''

***

[Back to Atlas]

After speaking to the knights, Atlas rushed forward while casting Void Blast at the Mutant Brute's ankles, causing the monster to buckle and drop to one knee. Seeing this, he cast Void Step to reappear above it.

Atlas lunged downward, aiming the Nightblade at the Brute's head. The creature tilted its head at the last moment, causing his sword to impale its shoulder instead. Frustrated, he unleashed a Void Bullet into its body, igniting a powerful explosion.

He was blown away, and the creature dropped to its back. Atlas crashed to the street with a thud, but he quickly jumped back up and rushed toward the downed Brute. Finally, he could drive his blades into its head while casting a Void Blast.

The azure blast tore through its head, which caused its body to drop lifelessly onto the street. After that, Atlas stood there for a second before killing the remaining Wild Mutants while giving some Minor Health Potions to the injured guards.

Once Atlas was done, he went off, but a voice reached his ears: ''Thank you for your help. Take this as a thank you for what you did for me and my guards.''

He turned around and spotted a woman with dark brown hair, crystal blue eyes, and wearing a fur cloak that she wrapped around her body. Atlas shook his head and noticed the card in her hand.

She introduced herself with a deep Russian accent that immediately captured his attention, "I'm Kseni, ambassador from the Morozov Federation."

Atlas met her gaze and responded, "I'm Azhar'Zul, an adventurer and explorer."

The brunette stepped forward with a grateful smile. ''Take this Morozov Train Card. It will allow you to board any train for free all over Valoria. Once again, thank you for the help, but we need to catch an Airship back to the homeland.''

''Thank you for this,'' Atlas said with a smile. ''I may visit your realm one day as I'm traveling around Zarandar.''

Ksenia nodded, ''You will love the Federation; the food there is delicious. If you're ever there, show that card, and they will bring you to me,'' she said smilingly before returning to the carriage and vanishing down the street.

Atlas shook his head before continuing his hunt for the Wild Mutatns. He killed a dozen more before the chaos died, and a group of guards came to his aid by killing the rest of the creatures.

A woman with red hair and red eyes crouched in front of Atlas with a proud smile, ''We saw you helping the people, boy, and we're extremely grateful for your aid. Rest, Little One, and use soldiers will clean up.''

Afterward, Atlas nodded in acknowledgment and found a nearby bench to rest on while watching the guards clear the bodies. Fatigue began to set in, causing his eyes to drift closed, but he snapped them open again and decided it was time to find an inn.

It took him ten minutes to find one just off the main street, and he entered it, only to notice it was empty. He approached the counter, where an older woman stood smiling while cleaning some dishes.

Atas smiled tiredly as he spoke, ''Have you got a room for the night? I need to sleep.''

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