Level Up: Voidwalker

Chapter 143: I'm Azhar'Zul

The only flying monsters Atlas had were the Blood Bats and Cave Wyvern, which annoyed him, 'I need to advance in the Void Realm. Hopefully, Level Three gives me a flying monster,' he thought while sitting in the back of the king's back.

Atlas stroked through the creature's fur, causing it to chirp in happiness as he spoke, ''Let's find the bandits.''

The Blood Bat King took to the skies and started flying across the landscape while Atlas scanned the ground. As they flew over a forest, he spotted just below some hills where he spotted a camp.

''Stop flying,'' Atlas commanded the bat, causing it to hover in the air. ''I will attack first before you swoop down and join me, boy.''

The Blood Bat King nodded in agreement as he spotted a few dozen bandits lingering around the camp. Atlas was looking for the leader's tent but had no luck, which caused him to think, 'There must be another.'

However, Atlas jumped off the bat king before free-falling toward the ground below. As he got close to the camp, he cast Void Step and appeared in the center, lunging at the biggest man.

'Surprise!'

Atlas thrust his blades into the bandit's body before blowing it away using Void Blast, shocking the surrounding men and women. He readied his weapons as some of the enemy rushed forward.

He quickly deflected several sword swings, a surge of excitement coursing through him. Seizing the moment, Atlas unleashed a Void Wave, sending nearby bandits crashing into the surrounding tents.

With the chaos giving him some space, the Blood Bat King swooped down, snatched a man, and savagely bit his head off. Undeterred, Atlas continued cutting through the remaining bandits, their numbers falling quickly to his speed, blades, and magic.

'I am starting to enjoy fighting too much,' he pondered excitedly. 'I can't ignore the thrill it sends through my body.'

Atlas fought for a while with the help of the Blood Bat King, who took out a dozen bandits while protecting his rear. He was thankful for the monster's help and let it eat some of the corpses once he looted them.

'It can eat those; I will give the guild their Adventurers Guild cards as proof,' he thought with a smile.

The bat, pleased with its catch, snatched up a few more bandits before soaring toward the trees. It landed on one of the larger branches and began devouring its prey. Atlas shook his head with amusement before returning to the camp, starting his search through the tents.

He didn't find much apart from a few Health and Mana Potions alongside one hundred gold, twenty silver, and a thousand copper coins, which put a smile on Atlas's face. After searching the bandit camp, he decided to stay there for the night as the sunset.

Atlas glanced around and found a remote tent on the other end of the camp where the bat king was relaxing while eating, 'Damn, I lost my camping tent during the ambush,' he thought in frustration.

He searched the Bandit Commander's tent and found a simple tent inside. Carrying it into the nearby treeline, he paused as the Blood Bat King extended its wing, pointing out a suitable spot.

Taking the hint, Atlas began setting up the tent. Once it was pitched, he gathered some dry wood and, using the fire-starting kit he'd purchased from the General Store, sparked a small fire to life.

The soft crackle of flames soon filled the air, bringing warmth to the quiet forest. While sitting there, Atlas took off his helmet just as the bat king landed in front of him with a crash as it rested.

He looked at the monster and spoke in a curious tone, ''Can you speak like the others?''

Atlas witnessed the Blood Bat King respond by shaking its head, which shocked him. Once he was settled, he pulled out a Dragon Meat Feast Box while eating, which caused the monster to turn its head toward him.

''Don't look at me like that! You ate a few bandits, and I haven't eaten anything for a while,'' Atlas exclaimed.

The giant creature nudged Atlas with its massive talons, careful not to hurt him. He rolled his eyes, mildly exasperated, and set the box on the ground, allowing the bat to tear into its meal.

As he pulled out another box, the bat's eyes lit up with interest, but Atlas raised a hand, his tone firm. "Don't even think about it," he warned. "I already gave you one. If you try to take this, I won't summon you for months."

Following that, the two started to eat as the two moons lit up the dark sky. While eating, Atlas looked at the creature before speaking, ''I will name you Theo. Do you like that?''

Theo bobbed his head and let out a series of cheerful chirps, which made Atlas laugh. But their meal was abruptly interrupted when a bat suddenly reared up and emitted a terrifying roar, sending the nearby monsters fleeing into the underbrush.

As Atlas glanced around, he sensed the presence of the creatures watching him. He thought, ''Well, it's a good thing I summoned Theo. He'll guard me at night.''

With a shrug, he turned his attention to counting out fifty Adventurer Cards to give to the guild. Afterward, Atlas curled under a blanket and fell asleep while Theo stood guard outside the tent.

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The Blood Bat King managed to keep away all the monsters but was seriously injured when Atlas woke up. When he saw the creature's condition, he thanked him before sending Theo back to the Dungeon Realm.

Following that, Atlas decided to head to Elysion to get a boat along the Rahma River until he got close to Meqshah City, further Southwest. It took him half an hour to reach the town, where the guards celebrated when he showed them the cards.

The commander shook his hand and asked in a jovial tone, ''What's your name, boy, and what do you plan to do?''

''I'm Azhar'Zul, and I'm trying to get to Meqshah City to complete my third quest,'' Atlas answered, causing the older man to smile.

He exclaimed before offering him a way Southwest, ''I'm sure Old Jonas will take you there later. That old man trades with the village on the city's side of the Rahma.''

Atlas nodded with a smile, ''That would be good. It's another bandit hunt, but the last bunch bagged me a small fortune,'' he said while the commander led him into town.

The man introduced himself, ''I'm Darius. Thank you for aiding our town; few adventurers would help us as the reward isn't what they like.''

"I don't mind it. I'm doing this to level up and grow stronger," Atlas replied as they walked past a butcher shop.

A man and woman were busy slicing meats and drying them. Atlas took a moment to glance around, admiring the Persian-style architecture of the buildings. The intricate designs and vibrant colors caught his eye, and he appreciated the town's beauty.

As they approached the heart of the town, Darius nodded with a knowing smile. "So, you're a leveler, huh? That makes sense. No solo adventurer would chase after a large bandit group otherwise."

Atlas started laughing before answering, ''It's getting worse. After fighting for a while, it's become something addicting, and I found myself loving it.''

Darius shook his head with a chuckle, ''You're a battle junky Azhar'Zul. You live for the thrill of battle and the experience, some adventurers get drunk on the power and slip up,'' he informed Atlas who nodded in understanding.

The older man led Atlas to the bustling harbor, where a massive trade ship was anchored. Dockworkers hurried about, loading cargo onto the vessel under the watchful eye of a stout, grey-haired man with a rough, rugged pirate appearance.

He barked orders at the sailors, his voice carrying over the sounds of the busy dock. As they approached, the man turned and grinned broadly.

"Darius! You soft-bellied land grubber," he called out with a booming laugh. "Why don't you join me on the next voyage? We're sailing through The Kraken's Abyss Sea. Word is, the Death Whale has been spotted out there!"

''Shut up, Sunny! I will not step on your ship again. You nearly sunk us last time,'' Darius replied before putting his hand on Atlas's shoulder. ''But this one needs to go to Meqshah City. Can you drop him off?''

Captain Sunny looked at Atlas with narrowed eyes before revealing, ''We will stop off at Jurda Tradeport. That's the closest we will get to that nightmarish city.''

Atlas looked at Darius with a suspicious expression, causing the man to chuckle nervously, ''It's a crime-ridden hellhole full of rich street gangs who tax everyone from the mayor to common citizen.''

'I may be able to get their coins! And I can kill the gang members to earn even more experience,' he thought excitedly.

The two men saw his red eyes glow, causing them to step back as the captain nervously said, ''Have you brought me a crazy one, Darius?''

Atlas glanced at the old captain and shook his head with a smirk. "No," he replied, "he says I'm a battle junkie—and he's not wrong."

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