Level Up: Voidwalker

Atlas laughed at Grishna's response as the group rested beside the hill covered in trees, which kept them hidden from the outside world. While lying there, Estelle said, ''We can stop off in Tavarovou City to get supplies and let Le Messie Élu become an adventurer.''

Everyone agreed as Atlas questioned, ''Why stop off there? Won't there be Evergladians there?''

Grishna shook her head, ''They won't bother searching for us as the Argonians are coming, which scares them more, I guess,'' she said while checking their surroundings.

Atlas nodded before the group continued toward Tavarovou City. While they were talking, he checked his status because he ranked up during the fight with the soldiers.

[Level Up: 48→53]

[Rank Up: Novice→Apprentice]

[Experience: 40/2000]

[Experience Gained: 3400]

[Health: 334→436]

[Mana: 1430→1550]

[Strength: 312→414]

[Stamina: 334→438]

[Charisma: 334→354]

[Intelligence: 310→364]

[Core Points: 6150→7850]

[Core Points Gained: 1700]

[Void Realm accessible]

[Void Step: 0→1]

[Health Regeneration: 0→1]

'I can finally use Void Realm; when we stop for the night, I'll check it out,' Atlas thought after checking on his gains from the rank up.

Someone grabbed his hand while he was busy with his status, causing him to return to reality. He saw Amethyst smiling at him as she spoke, ''Are you okay, Amore?''

''Yes, I'm fine. I was checking my status,'' Atlas replied. ''I ranked up from Novice to Apprentice, which has allowed me to use a skill called Void Realm.''

When Atlas said that, he noticed her eyes rise under her blindfold as she questioned, ''What's that?''

"It's a realm the Voidwalker visits to conquer an army to battle against the Chaos Army, but I've never seen it myself, so I don't know what to expect," Atlas admitted.

"Can I come with you?" Amethyst asked suddenly.

Atlas was surprised but nodded. "Yes, I'll bring you and Lily with me."

Just as he mentioned the honey badger, Lily came plodding out of the long grass they were passing by. The couple looked at her and laughed as she carried a horned rabbit covered in blood.

She started walking alongside them, causing Estelle to giggle. "The Jungle Devil seems to love you, Le Messie Élu. Earning her affection proves that you're the messiah."

Atlas was confused and asked, "How?"

Artemis answered, "Lilith's race is elusive and extremely rare. They have been in hiding since the last Monster War where the alliance turned of them, forcing them to flee into the forests and jungles of Valoria."

He nodded before the group fell silent as they traveled the dirt road. Only two caravans passed, heading west to escape the Argonia Kingdom invasion beyond the Burrow Mountains.

Thanks to the wind and bad weather, the armies had to pause at Trader's Pass due to the snow covering the Moonhare realm and the eastern part of Everglade Kingdom. When Atlas heard this, he questioned the blonde about how she knew all this.

Estelle grinned, ''I interrogated one of the Evergladian commanders who happily told me everything he knew to save his head.''

''But the brutal bitch killed him anyway,'' Grishna said over her shoulder, causing the blonde knight to huff.

Atlas and Amethyst were playfully messing around as they walked down the long road. He teased her by calling her a pigeon, which made her fire Cosmic Bullets at him. He dodged deftly and started mimicking a bird, prompting her to chase after him.

The older girls laughed at their antics while Lilith growled at Amethyst, trying to defend Atlas. After a few hours of trekking, Grishna called out as she pointed out a large hill off to the right, ''We can camp on top of those and set up traps that encircle us.''

Everyone agreed before turning toward the hill, and when they arrived, another group was there. Estelle informed them it was an Adventure Guild testing party with a few officials and twenty low-ranked adventurers out taking a ranking-up test.

When the large group saw them, a middle-aged woman who looked like a mage and a man with salt-and-pepper hair and glasses approached. Atlas stepped forward as the woman spoke, "I'm Maria, an official for the guild tests. Are you young people adventurers?"

''Me and my girlfriend aren't, but the other three are,'' Atlas answered, surprising the two adults. ''We are in an adventurer's party together.''

The man stepped forward with a device and looked at the older girls before speaking, "I'm Felix, the head guard at the Tavarovou Guild. Can I see your guild cards? For security purposes due to having fake ones circulating in the Everglade Kingdom."

Atlas watched as Grishna took a Brown card and handed it over. The man used the device to scan it, then nodded and returned the card. Estelle took out a grey card, surprising the orc girl.

"You're a Rank E already? How?" Grishna exclaimed, causing the blonde knight to laugh in response.

Estelle handed over her card, leaving only Artemis with a grey one. Atlas watched as the man nodded and returned the card while Maria suggested with a warm smile, "We'd be delighted to have you join us for our journey back to the city."

Atlas and the girls nodded in agreement before setting up camp away from the adventurers, who kept glancing at them. When he saw them eyeing up the four girls, he became jealous, which confused him.

Amethyst felt this and turned to him with a smile. She quickly sat in his lap and leaned forward until her lips touched his ear. ''Don't get jealous, my Amore; all three girls are waiting until you're older; I've heard them gossiping.''

Just as the Phoenix girl finished speaking, two younger men approached Artemis and Estelle, who were starting a fire. Atlas watched as the blue-haired man spoke to the two, ''Hello, beautiful ladies, I'm Uther Lockwood. Would you like to join us for dinner?'' he motioned to the other boy. ''Micheal makes a delicious stew that I think you'll love.''

''What makes you think we're those types of girls?'' Estelle questioned with narrowed blue eyes, causing Uther to step back and raise his hands.

''There's no underlying meaning; it's just food as we're the same age and could get on,'' Uther said in an attempt to convince them.

''No, thank you. We'd rather eat with our boy and not some strangers with ulterior motives,'' the blonde knight replied as she smiled at Atlas before starting a fire.

Uther and Michael looked offended, but Artemis expressed, "Go away; we don't want your secret offers. We do not need your attention or compliments. Ain't that right, ladies?"

All four girls nodded in agreement, prompting the two young men to leave. Grishna giggled and said, "Adventurers think they're so special."

Everyone agreed before the orc girl turned to Amethyst, sitting on Atlas's lap while resting, ''Little Bird, are you enjoying your lover's lap?''

They all watched the Phoenix girl's cheeks go bright red, but he held her in place by wrapping his arms around her waist, causing her to be stuck, so she buried her head into his shoulder.

Atlas chuckled before playing with her purple hair, saying, ''Should we cook some of that Wild Orc meat?''

Grishna nodded as she held her hand out, ''Gimme, Grak'Thar Gromog'ar. I will cook it for us.''

''Aren't you a cannibal? You're eating your people,'' Estelle commented.

Atlas gave Grishna the meat before she spun on the blonde knight with a fire in her green eyes, ''My people? Shut up bitch; Wild Orcs are like any other monsters, while Orcs evolved into what we are during the last era.''

Estelle laughed in response before Grishna started preparing the meat. Lilith finally woke up and bit Amethyst, causing the girl to jump up as she yelped. The honey badger climbed off Atlas and marched toward the nearby treeline.

''Where is she going?'' Artemis questioned.

He shrugged, ''Probably gone hunting. Remember when she returned with the Horned Rabbits?''

They all nodded before returning to their tasks. He watched as Amethyst jumped up and helped Estelle collect some wood while Artemis aided Grishna in preparing the food. Once the two girls finished their task, the orc girl placed the pot on the fire before setting up the Dark One traps around their part of the hill.

Atlas watched with interest until Grishna said with a smile, "Get up and help me, Grak'Thar Gromog'ar. You know how to create the runes."

He grinned before standing up and helping her encircle their camper with green and azure runes that would protect them. When Grishna saw this, a radiant smile appeared as she praised him.

''Amazing! You learn so quickly; I can't wait to see what else my future husband is good at,'' she said mischievously.

Atlas's imagination ran wild as Artemis joined the conversation, ''Stop terrorizing him, Grish. We all laid claim to him, and once he turns sixteen, we will make things official,'' she teased.

Grishna nodded, ''We will ward away any other girls that come close to him, but the blonde bitch has to go; we cannot have the same husband,'' she said with determination.

When Atlas heard the orc girl, he felt excited about being with them. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he smiled, "I will be the one deciding who I marry and no one else."

''Grak'Thar Gromog'ar, fate has her sights set on you. It wasn't random that us four girls met you; all of us are connected to the thirteen stars of the Azhar'Zul Constellation,'' Grishna said.

Atlas looked skeptical, but the orc girl continued, ''Look at Artemis, how do you meet a banished princess from Aridonia? The free-spirited knight who doesn't want to be a princess so fled her homeland?''