Level Up: Voidwalker

Atlas stepped out of the bathroom, leaving Grishna and Lilith to finish washing up. A surge of energy coursed through him, prompting him to check on the Scalebreakers. With a thought, he teleported to their nest and froze, stunned by the sight before him.

'What the hell happened here?' he mused while watching two giant Stegosaurus monsters guarding the entrance.

They bowed to Atlas as he stepped across the entrance; this pleasantly surprised him. The once orderly grove was a chaotic sprawl of fallen trees, their trunks splintered and toppled, giving the perfect places to lay eggs.

Even more shocking, the number of nests had tripled since his last visit, dotting the landscape in an unexpected explosion of life, causing him to think. 'Looks like they've been busy.'

As Atlas stood there, a group of Scalebreakers suddenly barreled toward him, their excitement bubbling over in eager chirps and nudges. His eyes widened with a warm glow as recognition dawned.

''It's you little ones!'' he exclaimed, his voice soft with affection. ''My tiny terrors who used to pounce on me.''

The creatures' joy doubled when they realized he remembered them, their massive, car-sized bodies practically vibrating with delight. Atlas couldn't help but shower them with love, running his hands over their scaly hides as they pressed against him like oversized house cats, rubbing up with pure adoration.

Their antics pulled a bright, hearty laugh from him as a voice echoed in his mind. 'Looks like you're still spoiling them, even though they're all parents.'

Atlas spotted a massive Scalebreaker that looked fierce and wise, causing his smile to grow wide as Cera nudged her head against his chest. He returned the gesture and hugged the dinosaur monster.

She let out an adorable noise as he replied. ''Sorry, I haven't come by recently. I've been busy.''

'Don't worry about it, Master,' Cera chirped in a cheerful tone. 'But we've got some little ones for you to meet!'

Atlas nodded warmly, a smile tugging at his lips. With a playful roar from Cera, a tumbling, chaotic swarm of baby Scalebreakers charged toward him. Their tiny chirps and adorable squeaks filled the air as they barreled into him, a whirlwind of clumsy affection.

The little ones clambered over each other, nuzzling and jostling against him, their boundless energy melting his heart as he laughed in delight. He barely had time to brace himself before the baby Scalebreakers swarmed him like a tidal wave of scaly affection.

He dropped to the ground, overtaken by their eager chirps and wriggling bodies, as they clambered over his legs and chest. Their tiny claws tickled his sides while they nuzzled his face with their bumpy snouts.

Laughter spilled from him as he surrendered to the adorable chaos, one hand playfully ruffling the nearest hatchling's head while the others vied for his attention. While this happened heard Cera's voice ring out.

'I told you Master would love all your babies!' she announced. 'Now come down and say hello.'

Following that, Atlas made sure to stroke all the little ones who ended up running into a bush while embarrassed. This shocked him, but he couldn't help but chuckle before greeting their parents, who nudged his body with their enormous heads.

''I see you guys have grown big and strong,'' he said to one of the Scalebreakers he remembers with white sails on its back. ''It's good to see you, but I'm going to check on the others.''

When Atlas said that, Cera's tail picked him up as the matriarch spoke. ''I'll take you to Tyson and his clan.''

''Oh thanks Cera,'' he replied.

Moments later, she was traveling through the Otherworld as he sensed the other monsters fleeing from her presence, causing him to smile while thinking. 'I see she's one of the strongest creatures here.'

As the two traveled, the older monster informed him. 'Some boys want to come to fight for you, master. Could you use them in the next battle?'

Atlas nodded in agreement. ''Yes. I'll bring out twenty to let them go wild when I fight the empire, but for now, I'm relaxing for a while,'' he answered.

Cera continued walking for an hour until reaching a quiet part of the forest, causing him to jump off her back while readying for an attack as the hair on his neck went up. 'Is this Tyson? Do I need to beat him up again?' he thought with a sigh.

Atlas approached the cave, his steps slowing as he took in the grim sight before him. Bleached bones, human skulls, and monstrous vertebrae tangled with splintered ribs, strewn across the ground.

A chill wind carried the faint scent of decay, and then the ground trembled beneath his feet. From the shadowed maw of the cave emerged a colossal Terrorjaws, its massive frame dwarfing the entrance.

Sinew rippled beneath its scarred, leathery hide as it threw its head back and unleashed a bone-rattling roar, jaws gaping to reveal rows of jagged teeth. Its fiery eyes locked onto him, issuing a primal challenge that echoed through the desolate landscape.

Atlas chuckled when seeing this and spoke with a smile. ''Do we need to go through this every time I get busy?''

Tyson wasn't listening and rushed toward him while opening its mouth to swallow him whole, but he didn't move. Cera was there in an instant as her tail slammed against the Terrorjaws' head.

A deafening shockwave erupted from the cave, whipping Atlas's hair into a wild frenzy as he surged forward, mana crackling through his veins while channeling that raw power into his fist and unleashing a devastating punch straight into Tyson's head.

'Not too much or I'll kill him,' he pondered with an excited smile.

The Terrorjaws massive head snapped back with a sickening crack, its towering form staggering under the blow. Moments later, it crashed to the ground in a cloud of dust, half-dead, its ragged breaths heaving.

Atlas grinned triumphantly, leaping atop the monster's skull with the agility of a predator claiming its prize. ''Submit now,'' he declared, voice ringing with victory, ''And I'll heal you like last time!''

Tyson let out a feeble whimper, his massive head dipping in reluctant surrender. With a flicker of mana, Atlas mended the brute's wounds, and the Terrorjaws shakily rose to its feet, towering once more.

Its amber eyes flicked toward Cera, who snorted disdainfully. 'You savage,' she snapped, her tone sharp as a blade. 'Attacking the master? You'd be nothing without him strengthening you!'

Atlas chuckled before waving her away. ''It's fine, Cera. We've been having this dance since our first meeting,'' he said.

'Thank you, master,' a deep male voice echoed in his mind. 'I do like fighting you. It's fun and proves why I follow you.'

He smiled before stroking Tyson's snout as he lowered his head just as a group of five baby Terrorjaws rushed out of the cave. They were letting out adorable growls as the giant monster stepped back.

'These are the twentieth batch of babies,' Tyson said. 'Would you say hello to them?'

Atlas agreed and appeared in front of the curious monsters before pampering them with strokes, which excited the five. They pounced on him just as a woman's voice echoed out. 'Looks like the master hasn't changed. Always spoiling the children.'

'Yes, he does it to the hatchling Scalebreakers,' Cera commented from behind. 'But at least it's better than getting used only as weapons.'

Tyson and his mate agreed with nods as Atlas spoke with a warm smile. ''It's not like I need to use you guys like cannon fodder. I'm strong enough to fight most things, but I prefer to let you monsters enjoy yourselves with a good battle.''

Following that, he continued pampering the baby Terrorjaws before climbing on Cera's back as they headed toward Nala's home. While traveling, the Scalebreaker Matriarch turned back to him.

'Why do you treat us with such respect? And treat our babies with so much kindness?' she asked in a curious voice.

Atlas looked at her with a smile before answering honestly. ''I see you more than weapons and enjoy your company. I choose not to use any of you in meaningless battles that I can win with the girls.''

He gazed up at the setting sun, its golden light spilling across the horizon, and pressed on with quiet conviction. ''I believe you're more than just weapons. If I treat you with kindness, I know only good can come from it.''

After his words, Cera fell silent, her presence a comfort as they neared an immense tree, its gnarled roots sprawling like ancient guardians. At the entrance to her den lay a stunning lioness, her sleek, golden form radiating regal beauty.

Her head rose, amber eyes glinting with recognition, and her voice purred into his mind like a velvet whisper. 'So, you've finally come to visit this graceful queen. Where have you been, Master?'

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