Level Up: Voidwalker

Atlas plummeted through the sky, the wind howling in his ears as the clouds whipped past him. Below, the snowy mountains rose like a hostile army, their jagged peaks cutting through the sky.

He twisted in midair, trying to slow his fall, but the peaks rushed toward him at breakneck speed. Icy ridges and cliffs jutted out, waiting to tear him apart. Atlas braced himself as he crashed into the stone, the impact sending shockwaves through his body.

Thanks to the impact, Atlas was hurled off course; he kept slamming into the rock, desperately plunging his blade into any surface he could find, only for it to glance off uselessly, 'Oh fuck! I swear, Luxia, I will burn this world if you keep putting me through this shit,' he internally raged.

Plunging downward, he tumbled into the snowy abyss below, battered by the unforgiving terrain. Each brutal impact against the rocks dented his armor, sending pain shooting through his entire body.

He used his magic, hoping to control his descent. Still, it only unleashed a roaring avalanche that dragged him mercilessly down the mountainside until his head cracked violently against the stone, and darkness consumed him.

Hours later, Atlas awoke at the bottom of a ravine buried beneath a thick layer of snow. Groaning, he forced himself to climb out, but exhaustion, pain, and the biting cold gnawed at him relentlessly.

His surroundings were bleak, offering no sign of life or shelter—just an endless expanse of ice and stone. A trembling rippled through the ground as he sat there, 'Oh goddess. What's coming now?'

Atlas tried to push himself upright, but agony surged through his head and body, forcing him to collapse back onto the frozen ground. He sat there, breath ragged, waiting for his regeneration to kick in.

While resting, something told him to move, so he rolled out of the way just in time, but a searing pain shot through his side, causing him to yelp in agony. Atlas let out a furious roar, only to discover a massive white snake sinking its fangs into him.

Panic surged as he instinctively drew his weapon, slashing at the serpent. At that moment, he realized his mana was being drained, and the creature injected him with poison that paralyzed his body.

Desperation clawed at him as he struggled against the encroaching darkness. Unconscious, he was seized by a massive serpent that dragged him into its icy lair, navigating through tunnels filled with frost and shadow.

Eventually, the creature tossed him beside a nest brimming with eggs. The monster then settled nearby, patiently waiting for them to hatch.

***

[One day prior]

After finishing her daily chores, Nuliajuk sat on her ledge, eating some Giant Mammoth meat. Soon, she climbed into bed and quickly fell asleep, but this time, instead of dreaming of her family, the Goddess Sedna appeared.

They stood in a snow-covered clearing as the woman spoke, "The Voidwalker will arrive soon, and you must go to his aid; otherwise, the Frost Serpents will claim him."

Upon hearing Sedna's words, Nuliajuk's eyes widened in shock. ''He's in Death Valley? That's nowhere near the south!''

The goddess chuckled softly, her voice tinged with amusement. "A Snow Eagle snatched him up and carried him across the wasteland," she revealed.

Nuliajuk sighed before questioning, ''How long until he arrives?''

''He will be here in one day; you need to travel to Death Valley and bring him back to your home before the moons collide,'' Sedna revealed. ''A mana storm is approaching the north and will plunge the wasteland into chaos.''

She nodded as the goddess continued, ''Leave as soon as possible and get Atek to hunt as many monsters as he can. Your cave has the spring, and you will need even more food to last the storm.''

After that, Nuliajuk awoke to find Atek standing by her bedside, his yellow eyes glowing in the dim light, which made her smile. She sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, and said, ''Boy, you need to go out and hunt as many small monsters as you can.''

Atek tilted his head in confusion, prompting a soft giggle from Nuliajuk. She continued, ''A mana storm is on its way, and we'll be stuck here for a while. So we need loads of food; we can't survive off the plants that grow here.''

The big cat nodded its head before growing in size, and Nuliajuk concluded, ''I have to rescue the Chosen One; he is stuck in Death Valley to the north.''

Following that, Atek rushed out of the cave to hunt for the storm while she stood up and walked outside. When Nuliajuk felt the cold air brush against her brown skin, causing her to smile.

'Now I get to meet the Chosen One; I wonder what he's like,' she thought.

Soon, she transformed into her Frostbear form by jumping off her ledge. Nuliajuk crashed into the ground below, causing a massive snow cloud to billow up. Without waiting, she started running north.

Nuliajuk continued to speed up as she saw monsters fleeing to find shelter before the mana storm hit. Large Snow Deers rushed into a nearby forest to hunker down while Snow Eagles fled to their nests.

She sprinted across the unforgiving landscape for hours, fending off countless monsters that lurked in the shadows, waiting to attack her. Finally, Nuliajuk found peace in a snow-covered clearing, where she began to feast on an Ice Boar that had attacked her.

The creature charged from behind as she caught her breath, striking Nuliajuk's hind legs, causing her to whirl around. She clamped down on its neck and snapped it with a powerful bite.

'I love boar meat,' she thought while eating. 'Maybe I can get some on the way back?'

Nuliajuk shrugged off the encounter as she finished her meal. Then, using her earth magic, she created a sturdy shelter for the night. Once inside, she curled up in a cozy nook and drifted into a deep sleep.

The following morning, she awoke to a roar and the footsteps of a herd of monsters, causing her to open a little hole in her shelter. A herd of Plains Elephants rushed by as a Terrorclaw chased behind.

'Seems like everyone is hunting for the storm,' Nuliajuk thought before destroying the shelter and continuing her journey.

Hours later, the clouds went dark, casting a shadow over the landscape, but something caught her attention. A blue glow lit the sky high above; she gazed up, thinking, 'Is that a star?'

Just as that thought crossed his mind, an explosion rang out, which shocked her to the core as she muttered, ''It's the Chosen One.''

After that, Nuliajuk raced toward Death Valley, chasing the flickering lights until they disappeared into the snow-capped peaks. Reaching the entrance, she wasted no time and plunged into the ravine.

Before long, she spotted a figure lying in a crater, and her eyes widened in shock as an Ice Serpent coiled around him, dragging him into a tunnel. Nuliajuk stopped running and transformed into her humanoid form.

'Damn, I hate these monsters, but I'll be able to kill them with ease,' she thought while entering the tunnel and taking out her knife.

Nuliajuk slowly entered the darkness as she tried to remember everything she knew about the Ice Serpent, 'It burrows deep into the earth to raise its young and eat in peace. They aren't strong monsters, so this should be easy.'

After that, she reached the first chamber, where thousands of bones littered the ground. Nuliajuk jumped down and landed with a thud, but she instantly transformed into her Frostbear form and swiped at a lunging snake.

Her claws sliced through the creature's body, severing it in half before it crashed to the ground. Without hesitation, she dashed through the tunnel, drawn by the scent of blood that piqued her curiosity.

Nuliajuk burst into a nesting chamber, her heart sinking as she saw the armored figure gnawed on by a pack of baby Ice Serpents. As she entered the scene, the mother serpent lunged at her, sinking its fangs into her flank.

She let out a roar of pain, then retaliated fiercely against the swarm of Ice Serpents. The battle was brutal; they were slashing and biting at one another. Nuliajuk gained the upper hand, tearing into the mother serpent's body before ripping it in two.

When the creature stopped moving, she flung the lifeless body aside before walking up to the figure. She swiped at the baby serpents while looking at the figure with black armor and blue trimming.

Nuliajuk noticed the armor was damaged but slowly knitted itself back together. Curiosity piqued, she leaned forward and carefully removed the helmet. Her breath caught in her throat as she gazed at the boy beneath it.

His snow-white, scruffy hair stood out sharply against his pale skin, and his pointed elf ears framed his youthful face, leaving Nuliajuk momentarily stunned. She quickly shook off her surprise, slipping the helmet back on before carefully lifting him into her arms.

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