Level Up: Voidwalker

Atlas and Medusa continued through the dungeon. They only came across Sirens, Giant Crabs, and other monsters that were easy to deal with. Soon enough, the duo reached the next Sub-Boss.

'I wonder what monster will appear now?' he pondered.

When they arrived at the arena, more singing was heard, but Atlas stopped that by rushing around and killing the Sirens until a large one appeared, causing him to scan it to see if it was of the same rank as the Queen Shark.

[Queen Siren]

[Rank: A+ - 1500 Exp]

[Sub-Boss: 2/3]

[Used speed and Nightblade to deal with these creatures]

'Distract the others while I deal with the Sub-Boss Medusa!' Atlas ordered as he dashed toward the enemy.

She tried to swing her sharp claws at his torso, but he quickly dodged it before slashing down the side of the Queen's tail. The monster let out a pain-filled screech, causing his ears to hurt as he was battered away.

Atlas hit the ground with a thunderous crash as the Siren lunged at him. He raised his sword just in time to block its attack, sparks flying from the clash. Despite his efforts, he struggled against the beast, which slashed at him with its claws, raking across his torso.

'Damn, that hurt!' he thought as the claws of the creature tore open the exposed parts of the armor.

While the armor absorbed much damage, it wasn't enough to protect him completely. Atlas let out a roar of pain before casting Void Wave. The powerful mana surge sent the Siren staggering backward, giving him a brief moment to plan his next move.

'I need to defeat this fucker; she is annoying me.'

Atlas glanced around and noticed Medusa was eating the other monsters, taking the pressure off him. Following that, he got to his feet as the queen dashed toward him and went to swipe, but he blocked the attack before head-butting the surprised creature.

A boom rang out, and the Sub-Boss was sent stumbling backward, allowing him to cast Void Bomb at her. The azure projectile sliced through the water and connected with the creature, causing an explosion.

The Siren Queen was momentarily sent flying into the distance, but she quickly recovered and charged back in, attacking with renewed ferocity. He managed to block most of her strikes, but a few got past his defenses, leaving painful slices across his body.

Each hit chipped away at his strength, and Atlas could feel his energy waning as fatigue set in. Just as he began to falter, the Siren Queen seized the opportunity, sinking her teeth into his shoulder and tearing at his flesh.

The sharp pain surged through him, igniting a desperate instinct to fight back even harder. Atlas let out a roar of agony while casting Void Blast to get the creature off him as he cast Void Punch.

When his fist connected with the queen, she was sent flying into the air as the battle around them died. While that happened, the Death Serpent rushed in and finished off the queen thanks to her rank, which relieved Atlas.

He slumped down as exhaustion overtook his body, but Medusa spoke concernedly, 'Master. There's an air pocket you can rest in, I think it's a Safe Zone.'

'Take me there,' he replied in a strained voice.

The monster nodded before swiftly scooping up the bright red core. Atlas clung tightly to the serpent as it surged forward, bursting into the small Safe Zone. He dropped to the ground as they landed, crawling toward a nearby bench.

Exhausted, Atlas collapsed onto the bench and drifted into a deep sleep. Medusa instinctively curled around him, providing warmth and a protective barrier against threats.

By the time he woke up, most of the wounds were healed, and Atlas could think straight, but when seeing his stump, he sighed, 'I need to rank up even more, but I'm tired of fighting so much. Maybe I can give it a rest for a little when I finish this dungeon.'

Following that, Atlas stood up and noticed Medusa was protecting him. Her gesture made him smile as he stroked the giant serpent. The Death Serpent soon woke up and let out a happy hiss when she saw him.

'You're okay, Master; I'm relieved you're awake so soon. The damage you took was bad,' she expressed in a cheery voice, which caught him off guard.

Atlas chuckled before gazing around the cave while taking off his helmet to replace it with the Goggles of True Sight. Once they were on, he scanned the cave and found a small door on the other side.

'I should keep these on all the time,' he thought.

With that, he made his way over to it while pulling out a Forest Chicken Wrap and eating to recover the rest of his energy. Atlas soon arrived at the secret entrance and wondered how to open it before kicking it, causing the stone to crumble.

After this, he was surprised when Medusa slithered up to him and said, 'What have you found?'

'A secret room. It seems to be created by a trapped adventurer, and the dungeon liked the idea of people searching for it,' Atlas replied.

Just as Atlas was about to enter the room, a thunderous roar echoed from the water, freezing him in place. He spun around, scanning the area for the source of the sound. Medusa, her eyes narrowing in caution, spoke in a wary tone, 'I'll check it out. You search the room.'

He nodded and stepped inside the room, his eyes immediately drawn to two skeletons dressed in ancient, rusted armor long forgotten to time. But it wasn't the skeletons that held his attention—it was the object lying between them.

Curious, Atlas cautiously approached and picked it up when he realized it was a necklace, which caused him to use Void Sight.

[The Lost Princesses Necklace]

[Rank: Artifact] Enjoy new adventures from empire

[Level: 5]

[Keep this object safe - Suitable for a defender as it increases the user's Health and Strength by 300]

When Atlas read the notification, he smiled, 'This will be perfect for Estelle.'

Following that, he checked the bodies but found nothing except dusty gold and silver coins, which he had stored away before leaving the secret room. When he stepped outside, he couldn't see Medusa.

'Where has that serpent wandered off to?'

Atlas jumped into the water while activating Aqua Lung as he looked for his companion. He spotted her fighting Giant Crab and Snake monsters. When he saw this, he used Void Step to get closer before slicing through one of the crabs' large pincers.

The monster was stunned, but Atlas pressed his advantage, relentlessly attacking the massive crab as Medusa battled the snake nearby. Chaos erupted around them, with Atlas dodging a flurry of attacks while his blade sliced through the crab's thick carapace.

He cast Void Infusion on Nightblade in a decisive move, causing the sword to hum with dark energy. With newfound power, he slashed through the monster's limbs, severing them individually.

The creature's movements slowed as it struggled, weakened and vulnerable from the crippling blows. Atlas continued striking, which overwhelmed the Giant Crab as its limbs were cut off.

As Medusa finished devouring the snake, she swiftly turned her attention to the crab, launching a rear attack. A loud crack echoed through the air as her fangs pierced through the creature's shell.

'Her bite is powerful!' he thought as excitement surged. 'She's getting stronger.'

Seizing the moment, Atlas channeled mana into his fist, delivering a powerful punch to the weakened monster. The impact shattered the crab's shell with a loud crack, but the force snapped the bones in his hand.

Pain shot through him, yet the sight of the crumbling beast confirmed the fight was over. Atlas's hand started slowly repairing as he stored away the gold coins and Monster Cores before climbing on Medusa's back.

'Hold on, Master,' she said before dashing forward. 'I will kill most of the monsters we came across.'

Following that, the duo traveled through the dungeon. While doing that, Atlas knew there was a sixty-floor dungeon, and the next Sub-Boss would be on fifty. Medusa was eating Hunter Sharks and Merfolk on the way to the staircase down.

'Thankfully

Most couldn't stand up to her because she was an S-ranked monster, which allowed Atlas to recover his strength. The surrounding landscape turned from an underwater forest to grasslands.

While traveling, Medusa informed him that there are more Safe Zones above. After hours of traveling, they reached the thirty-third floor, where they encountered a new monster that looked like a giant evil-looking fish.

Atlas quickly scanned it while the two stopped swimming and watched the creature patrolling the staircase.

[Blackscale]

[Rank: A+ - 1500 Exp]

[Magic! This is like an angry wife trying to take all your life savings; you must fight to get to the next floor]

'What is it with this advice?' he thought while floating there.

The monster, the size of a small bus, was covered in jet-black scales, allowing it to vanish into the shadows effortlessly. Its presence was menacing, blending into the darkness like a predator waiting to strike.

Atlas stood there, trying to figure out how to take on such a beast, when the creature suddenly turned, its glowing red eyes locking onto them with an eerie intensity. A chill ran down his spine as he realized the fight was inevitable.

[Drop some powerstones, comments, and gifts to help the novel grow; I appreciate all the support you can give]