Level Up: Voidwalker

Atlas cast a Void Arrow into the Lurker's skull, causing it to go lifeless before a green Monster Core popped out. He picked it up and stored it away while looking at the dungeon entrance as explosions rang out.

'More adventurers,' he sighed before moving into the dungeon. 'Hopefully, they're friendly.'

When Atlas stepped inside, the atmosphere instantly changed to horror and dread that seeped into his body, causing him to shiver. But that wasn't all, as a mist blocked the path forward; even the Night Eyes couldn't see through it.

As he walked down the cold tunnel, a bad feeling seeped into his body; when Atlas got further in and passed across a stone bridge that spanned a darkness-filled cavern, something launched at him from the shadows, 'Oh, crap! What is this thing,' he thought.

He quickly crossed his blades as something slammed against them and felt the impact through his arms, sending him stumbling back. This allowed Atlas to spot the monster, a dog-sized black spider that looked horrifying with a black carapace covered in black hair.

Once he got his footing, the spider scuttled forward and tried to jump on him as its beady eyes locked onto his body, but Atlas raised his hand and cast Void Blast into its face, causing it to screech in pain as it started thrashing around.

'Die!' he internally shouted. 'I hate spiders.'

As another blast struck the monster, it collapsed to the ground, giving Atlas the opening he needed. He sprang up, avoiding the monster's flailing legs, and drove his blade through its head with deadly precision.

Just as he finished, the eerie scuttling of more creatures echoed through the passageway, their furious hisses reverberating off the damp, shadowy walls. He jumped up and noticed three more spiders rushing at him while chittering and making other creepy noises.

When he saw this, Atlas quickly scanned them to find their names while preparing to fight them. As he saw what they were, his adrenaline started to rush through his body, causing him to smile.

[Death Spiders]

[Rank: E+ - 250 Exp]

Atlas cringed but quickly spammed Void Bullets at creepy arachnids before lunging at the one on the right as explosions shook the tunnel. He sidestepped its lunge while counterattacking by slicing off two of the monster's legs.

The Death Spider reared up in pain as the other two bolted at Atlas, who chuckled as he cast a Void Wave that discharged from his body, slammed into the monster's, and sent them flying across the tunnel before smashing into the walls.

Atlas followed up and rammed his blade into another spider before casting Void Arrow into the creature's torso. The azure projectiles burrowed through the monster's internal organs and cooked them from the inside, causing it to drop dead with a dying hiss.

Once he finished the Death Spider, he quickly launched a Void Blast at the last one, trying to retreat deeper into the dungeon. But Atlas was faster; he unleashed a barrage of Void Arrows, each projectile piercing through the spider's body before it had a chance to escape.

The creature was obliterated before it could make its move. Exhausted, Atlas collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily as the battle came to an end, 'Damn spiders! I hate them,' he thought while flicking his blades to get rid of the blood.

'What else is this dungeon hiding? It doesn't matter because I'll fight regardless,' he psyched himself up before standing up.

After that, Atlas continued down the tunnel until he came to a mining chamber with metal trolleys everywhere. He felt weird when stepping inside, which caused him to prepare his blades. 'It's as if something was watching me from the darkness,' he said.

As the thought flashed through his mind, he swiftly raised Nightblade to parry a sudden strike just as something ambushed him. He unleashed Void Wave in response, sending the encircling creatures sprawling and breaking their trap.

Continuing his advance, Atlas deflected the incoming projectiles until he came face-to-face with humanoid jackal-like creatures who tried to ambush him. With a quick scan of the threat, he prepared to strike back.

[Death Jackals]

[Rank: D - 300 Exp]

'I'll show them what true doom looks like,' Atlas roared within, launching himself forward with unstoppable force, a living harbinger of destruction.

He cleaved through one of the jackals with a savage slash to the throat, then spun like a storm, evading a flurry of arrows that hissed past him. He drove his blades into the remaining foes with relentless accuracy, his movements a blur of deadly grace.

In a final, explosive surge, he unleashed a Void Blast, sending the jackals hurtling through the air. That's when even more creatures rushed forward and attacked him with wild abandon while letting out excited howls and yips.

'This is going to earn me so much experience,' he smiled.

Atlas deflected the shabby spears while stabbing and slashing the attackers. Their bodies were falling, causing the others behind them to trip, allowing him to decimate many of them with Void Bullets and Void Blasts.

Blood pooled on the dungeon ground as monsters dropped left and right as Atlas passed them. He rushed toward a group, but one of the Death Jackals intercepted him by getting in his way.

Atlas flashed a fierce grin, then feigned a sprint to the left, only to pivot sharply to the right. The maneuver bewildered the monsters, giving him the opening he needed. He leaped onto one of them, carefully driving his blade through its eye.

Rolling forward seamlessly, he drove his sword into another and unleashed a Void Blast that obliterated a third monster. As he reveled in his triumphant triple kill, a war hammer suddenly soared toward his face.

Instinctively, Atlas raised his blades to block, bracing himself for the impact. When the weapon struck, he felt his muscles buckling under the impact, but he gritted his teeth and held on as an amused voice reached his ears.

"Another challenge so soon! The others may have bested me by chance, but you, little boy, have no such luck," the figure declared with a cold, mocking tone before leaping back into the shadows.

As the knight retreated, Atlas's gaze fell upon the mysterious foe. Clad in ominous black armor, the knight's red eyes glowed menacingly from behind the helmet, piercing through the darkness like twin embers of malevolence.

Atlas quickly scanned the newcomer.

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[Death Knight]

[Floor One Boss]

[Rank: C - 500 Exp]

"Perhaps, but who can predict what the future holds?" Atlas declared, his eyes flaring back to their usual azure as his excitement surged.

The tunnel illuminated with a fierce glow as he leveled his Nightblade at the dark figure. "I'm not afraid of you; this thrills me to my core. Bring it on and give me a fight that pushes me to the brink of death. I want to feel truly alive!"

After that, Atlas burst forward and struck the knight, who blocked his attack and went to swing, but he ducked under it while pummeling the enemy's chest with Void Bullets before slashing.

The stronger creature blocked many of his attacks and returned the favor, causing Atlas to focus on dodging; one swing forced him to jump over the blade, barely missing the sharp edge.

'That was close!' he thought.

He used magic to redirect many attacks while landing dozens of his own, slowly breaking the knight's armor. Atlas kept getting faster until he was a blur. He used Void Step to strike and then moved until he became invisible.

Atlas was burning through mana and felt it emptying when he blocked a swing that sent him flying across the chamber, ''Enough of this!'' the Death Knight declared,

When Atlas hit the ground, he skidded to a stop before getting to his feet and looking at the knight who seemed to have powered up out of nowhere, 'This just got even harder,' he mused with a smile.

The Death Knight rushed forward and swung his sword in an arc, causing Atlas to dodge, but the blade changed directions. He quickly cast Void Guard to block, and when the weapon connected, he was sent flying across the mining chamber.

'Oww. lucky I used Void Guard,' he thought while crashing into a trolley covered in ores and slumping down as pain riddled his body.

Atlas shook his head and let out a pain-filled groan as he finally sat up when Regeneration healed enough; while doing that, the knight thrust its sword at him. He quickly used Void Step to avoid the attack before casting several Void Blasts.

After that, he took out some Mana Potions and downed them, thinking, 'This is going to be hard.'

He launched another speedy attack at the knight, relying on his velocity. However, the knight responded by stamping firmly on the ground, causing a shockwave that unbalanced Atlas and made him stumble.

''Not so fast now, are you, child,'' the Death Knight spoke confidently.

The knight seized the moment and lunged forward, driving his sword toward Atlas. Panicking, Atlas fired a Void Bullet at the ground beneath him, propelling himself upward just as the knight's blade struck the spot where he had been.

As Atlas descended, he unleashed a flurry of Void Blasts, bombarding the Death Knight with explosive energy. Following that, he drove the Nightblade through the gap in the knight's helmet.

''I'm faster than you,'' Atlas replied with a smirk.

To finish, he cast Void Wave and Void Bullet, resulting in a powerful explosion that rocked the mining chamber. The Death Knight screamed in pain but evaporated into nothing, just like the other creatures, leaving behind a beautiful red Monster Core.