Level Up: Voidwalker

Atlas felt himself fading, the world dimming around him. Through his remaining eye, he caught a glimpse of the blue sky above, starkly contrasting the chaos enveloping him. All he knew was that Nulia's claws had brutally destroyed his left eye.

'Am I going to die?'

he thought as his mind started to turn foggy.

A large slice ran down the side of his face, exposing his teeth and causing blood to flow out like a waterfall. His breaths were shallow and ragged; each inhaled a struggle against the darkness closing in.

Thanks to his resilience, he was still alive, his Regeneration working tirelessly to keep him from slipping into the abyss. But even as the healing magic coursed through him, the relentless ache of his wounds threatened to drown him in despair.

While lying there, he noticed Grisha go down due to Nulia's claws, but Estelle quickly dragged her back as the others started attacking. Artemis used Gaia's Glide to charge at the enraged Chaos control woman.

''Come on, Little Bird! We need to get Atlas now!'' she shouted as the phoenix woman took to the sky.

The brunette skated across the ground and cast Arc Lightning several times as her sword was pointed at the Frostbear. The magic burst from her outstretched hand and slammed into Nulia, slowing her down.

'Damn, that didn't stop her!'

she thought in frustration while approaching the monster. Your journey continues on empire

Artemis gritted her teeth before sliding under a sudden bite and hitting Nulia with three Earth Spikes. The stone objects slammed into the bear's flanks and pierced her thick hide as she was hit with a dozen Cosmic Blasts.

Amethyst soared through the air with a fierce battle cry, her body charged with rage as she used her Cosmic Punch against Nulia. A loud explosion resonated through the woods as her tiny fist connected with the bear's flesh, shaking the ground beneath them.

In an instant, the phoenix woman was propelled backward, crashing deeper into the forest and leaving a trail of chaos in her wake. Nulia was sent crashing along the ground as the force was too much.

Atlas struggled to rise, but the Frostbear was upon him instantly. He could only watch as Nulia approached, poised to strike. Just then, Artemis stepped in front of him, a reassuring smile on her face.

''Gaia's Embrace!'' she cast her defensive spell, summoning a thick stone wall that sprang up between them.

However, Nulia seemed unfazed, crashing through the barrier with terrifying ease. Estelle emerged from the shadows as the bear pressed forward, launching herself at the Chaos-controlled woman's flank with incredible force.

The impact sent the beast stumbling, momentarily thwarting its advance and giving Atlas a fleeting glimmer of hope, but that was snatched away as Nulia turned to Estelle and cast Ice Blast from her maw.

'They won't win, I can't summon any monsters, my brain is hurting and I can't concerntrate.'

Atlas watched as the blonde raised her shield to block the incoming attack, the sheer force propelling her through a dozen trees before she finally landed with a sickening thud. Artemis tried to defend him, but she knocked the brunette unconscious with a swift swipe of her claw.

Meanwhile, the enraged bear unleashed an Ice Blast, but Amethyst appeared out of nowhere and wrapped her wings around them, creating a protective barrier just as the spell sent them flying across the Otherworld.

Nulia scanned the area, but the other women were nowhere to be found. Menacingly, she approached the dying Atlas as he raised his ruined hand and unleashed a Void Bomb at the monster.

The azure projectile sliced through the air, striking her squarely in the face. However, all it did was stagger her backward, barely slowing her advance. This angered the Frostbear even more as she charged forward.

Nulia spun Atlas around after grabbing one of his legs and tossing him while slashing at him with her other claw. By this time, his body felt completely numb, and the pain started to disappear as he crashed into the ground, feeling his bones snap.

'The pain is fading but the thumps are annoying now,'

he thought with a foggy brain as the assault was too much for his body.

She hurled him across the clearing, and he crashed into the trunk of a tree, blood spilling from his mouth. Atlas watched in horror as she advanced, her teeth stained with crimson, sending a chill through his battered body.

Just as she prepared to deliver the death blow, something struck her side with a ferocious force. Nulia stumbled, momentarily disoriented, and in that instant, Atek, the Frostfang Tiger, stepped forward, his fur bristling and eyes glowing with a protective ferocity.

He growled low, a primal warning resonating in the air as he positioned himself between the bear and the dying Atlas. The tension in the air thickened, and Atek stood firm, a fierce guardian ready to defend him.

Atlas noticed the white tiger looked at him with pure sadness in its yellow eyes. It walked up to him and started licking his face, which brought a strained smile as he tried to stroke the big cat.

''Thanks for helping me, but get out of here, boy,'' he mumbled as his hands stained its white coat with blood, but Atek purred when he felt Atlas's touch, following that, coughed up loads of blood just as a roar rang out.

The Frostfang Tiger spun around as Nulia started charging again. His sharp fangs gleamed as frost curled from his breath. Atlas watched as the Frostbear roared and went to attack them, but the big cat was quicker as he lunged, sinking his teeth into her thick hide.

She howled in fury, swiping her giant claw across his side, sending him skidding back. With a growl, Atek pounced again, claws glowing with frost as they slashed through the air. He met her blows in a fierce clash of strength and primal fury.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Atlas started to fade as his life was slipping, but he was brought back to reality as something crashed down next to him. The big cat's glowing yellow eyes dimmed due to the severe injuries he received.

'Oh no, he's dying!'

he thought in panic.

His heart clenched at the sight, causing him to help the cat; with sheer determination, he ignored his agony and dragged himself toward the wounded Frostfang. Every movement sent waves of pain through him, but he refused to stop.

Atek growled weakly in protest, his body trembling, but Atlas pressed on until he finally reached the creature's side. He ignored Nulia's ferocious charge and pressed his trembling hand on the neck of the beast.

'I'll heal you with the last of my mana and get you back to Estelle so she can heal you,'

Atlas thought as his head spun.

Summoning every ounce of mana he had left, he funneled it into the tiger, his body shaking with the strain. With a final surge of power, he sent Atek toward the treehouse entrance just as Nulia, now wholly tainted by Chaos, reached him.

Her claws tore into his back, slicing deep, and his flesh ripped open under the savage assault. Pain wracked his body, yet all that escaped him was a low whimper. In that agonizing moment, a distant memory surfaced—him and his father at the local park, the sun warm on his face, laughter in the air.

The scene shimmered in his mind, pulling him away from the torment, even as Nulia's claws dragged him deeper into darkness. The man looked worried, but Atlas had never noticed it that day.

''Did you know I can't wait to see you grow up, boy? Your mother and I love you so much, but you need to stay awake,'' his father said warmly as they sat on a bench.

''I can't; my body is broken, and Nulia is on top of me,'' he answered in a tired voice.

His Father chuckled, ''You still care for her even after this? You surprise me, son.''

Atlas shook his head before explaining, ''It's not the woman I know; Chaos has taken control of her, and I need to get rid of it.''

''Half dead?'' the man asked.

''It doesn't matter; she needs to be freed from that nasty power,'' Atlas said before his Father smiled.

''That's my boy; now save your woman. She's wasting away due to that horrid stuff.''

Following that, Atlas woke up as his head was in Nulia's mouth, but he raised his hand and placed it on her snout. He started sucking out the Chaos energy as it barreled toward his body, knowing it wanted him.

Nulia stopped biting down and went still until she dropped him just as she got battered by a massive spiked tail. Dozens of rage-filled roars echoed as Atlas's monsters finally arrived; a group of Scalebreakers circled him, and Cera's glowing eyes landed on the Frostbear.

'You shall not hurt Master, woman!'

she declared as Nulia stared at the newcomer angrily.

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