Chapter 137: Mystic Legends Card

Atlas watched the Death Serpent, which was much stronger, kill the Cave Shark with ease. Once it was dead, the snake approached him protectively. He grabbed onto the snake-looking monster while glancing around, and all he could see was black.

'Why am I always falling down these places,' he thought with annoyance. 'Maybe it might lead me to something.'

Then, Atlas ordered the Death Serpent to travel north while protecting him from the monsters lurking in the shadows around them.

[Level Up: 137→138]

[Experience: 4440/5000]

[Experience Gained: 7100]

[Health: 1144→1146(200)]

[Mana: 5090→5092(1000)]

[Strength: 1288→1294(100)]

[Stamina: 1600→1604(250)]

[Intelligence: 1020→1024]

[Core Points: 33640/40000]

[Core Points Gained: 2850]

[********** **** Locked]

'What is this? Why is this thing locked?' Atlas thought to himself before clicking the mysterious notification that popped up.

[********** **** - Will be revealed when you become Master Rank]

''So long away!'' he muttered in a frustrated voice and gave up looking into it.

The Death Serpent glided through the dim underground tunnels, its presence barely visible to Atlas. He activated his skill Light, illuminating the area and revealing eerie insects crawling along the walls while avoiding them.

These creatures made Atlas shiver when he saw them, causing him to ignore them. He activated Aqua Lung once again as they swam through the tunnel. Ten minutes later, the snake stopped swimming while looking around.

Atlas grew curious, but that's when a male's voice sounded in his mind, causing him to jump in fright as he wasn't expecting the Death Serpent to talk, 'Master. There's something much stronger than me lurking in the darkness.'

'You can talk! Why haven't you said anything until now?' he asked the monster in a shocked tone.

'There was no need for it,' the snake replied. 'I will find somewhere to throw you into before it attacks.'

Atlas swallowed hard, glancing around at the encroaching darkness. 'Okay,' he replied.

After that, he scanned their surroundings using Void Sight but spotted nothing. An hour passed as the snake swam through the cold, dark water. While swimming through a slightly bigger passage, he was flung into a nearby crevice as something attacked.

As the water churned with the ferocious clash of the two monsters, Atlas seized the opportunity to assess the newcomer. The sight of the grotesque creature made his blood run cold.

[Eldritch Eel]

[Rank: S+ - 3000 Exp]

[Don't you dare think about fighting it, boy! You will die]

'Do you think I'm stupid! I'm not going near that thing,' he replied to the advice. 'Anything with Eldritch and eel in its name is horrifying.'

Following that thought, Atlas noticed the water outside the crevice went still, causing him to think, 'Oh no. The Death Serpent is gone.'

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While watching the entrance, something inside told him to move backward, and a massive eel's head shot through the opening, snapping its nightmarish jaws. Atlas nearly shit himself as he scooted backward. Sёarch* The nôvelFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

As the giant eel lunged at him, Atlas frantically searched for an escape route. His eyes darted around until he spotted a narrow opening above him. With a desperate struggle, he squeezed through just in time as the monstrous creature barreled into his hiding spot.

Atlas was relieved and let out a breath that caused him to collapse. Glancing around, he realized he was in a small cave with a pedestal on the opposite end, which caught his attention.

Something was glowing, so he approached it, only to see a dark blue metal ingot sparkling like the stars in the night. 'What is this, and why does it feel so familiar?'

He quickly scanned it using Void Sight.

[Starfall Metal]

[Rank: Artifact]

[Level: 5]

'Oh, this would be worth many gold coins,' he thought with a greedy smile.

Atlas touched the ingot without hesitation, only to be jolted by a sudden shock. He yelped and instinctively jerked his hand away. As he recovered from the surprise, a Notification caught his attention.

[One of ten. Collect the rest of the needed items to fight the darkness - Locate the Old King's Map in Babylon City]

'Another adventure? But that's the enemy capital and I'm not strong enough to go near there,' he mused with a smile.

Afterward, Atlas stored the Starfall Ingot in his Dimensional Storage, though he could still feel its lingering effects. Shaking off the sensation, he searched the room but found nothing interesting.

It was only then that Atlas remembered the Goggles of True Sight. He quickly retrieved them from his storage and put them on. As the goggles activated, a hidden hole in the corner of the chamber ceiling was revealed, making him smile with satisfaction.

A click happened while he approached and started climbing, causing water to pour into the chamber. It started filling the room, making him panic before climbing quicker as he could barely fit into the crevice.

Atlas struggled to climb as the rushing water overwhelmed him, pulling him violently through the narrow passageway. He slammed his head against the walls, rendering him unconscious. Despite the harsh tumbling, his armor and helmet provided enough protection to prevent serious injury.

He was swept through kilometers of underground tunnels and was spat out in an unnamed lake in the Far East. Atlas was floating on the surface as rain lashed down, causing him to open his eyes and spot dark clouds high above.

'Where am I now? Hopefully closer to Aridonia, I still need to heal Lilith before meeting the others,' Atlas mused as a headache hit him.

This caused him to grit his teeth in pain before swimming toward the shore, only to spot a small town in the distance. Atlas headed toward it with determination, and when he reached dry ground, he collapsed to the ground with a sigh.

Atlas saw a green canopy above him swaying around due to the storm brewing. He sat up and shook his head, 'At least no monsters attacked me on the way here.'

He stood up and glanced at the town in the distance while mumbling. "I need to disguise myself; I'd prefer not to be burned at the stake."

Activating Maskweaver, Atlas transformed his white hair to blonde and his eyes to brown. His pale skin darkened to resemble that of a Southman. 'This should work perfectly,' he thought with a smile.

Then, he started making his way to the town while checking on his helmet, which was repaired, causing him to smile. It took him twenty minutes to reach the entrance guarded by three guards.

One stepped forward, leveling a spear at Atlas, while the other nocked an arrow to his bow. Atlas raised his hands and called out, "I'm a lost adventurer! A monster chased me, fell into a chasm, and ended up being ejected into the lake over there!"

The guards looked at each other before the one in charge replied suspiciously, ''Show me your guild card.''

Atlas nodded before taking out the black card and showing the men, causing them to relax, which caught his attention. ''What's going on? You seem on edge,'' he asked the commander in a curious tone.

The older man nodded before explaining in a tired voice, ''The town has been under attack by a group of Wendigos that have been snatching farmers and travelers as they approach.''

'Wendigos!' Atlas thought.

''Are they lurking in the jungle, and how many are there?'' he questioned the commander.

''At least twenty. A hunter managed to cross over the Runes that keep them out of the town, but the mayor said it would only last another two weeks due to the mana consumption,'' the man answered as they crossed through the town gate.

When Atlas felt the place's atmosphere, he shivered as if it were one of dread and paranoia. He looked at the man and commented, ''Do you have the guild token they issue for quests, and what is the reward for taking the creatures out?''

The commander nodded in a voice laced with concern, ''Yes. The mayor and his wife arrived today from Azurah City in the north; if I remember, it was four gold coins to clear the monsters from the jungle.'' he revealed.

Atlas became interested but asked one last question, ''How can I travel to the Aridonia Continent? I will live with my mother's brother, who owns a traveling gladiator school in Gauwilh City in the Northeast.''

"That's where the famed Gladiator Scipio is from," the man said with a smile. "My son has recently found his Mystic Legends Card, which all the kids have nowadays."

He smiled back at Atlas before the commander continued, "Your best option now is to head to Frostwinter, where the Greenskin Confederation operates on the western coast. They use their manaships to cross the Sirens Sea."

"Why can't I just take a ship or a train?" Atlas asked.

The man's smile faded as he nodded and explained, "The sea monsters destroyed the last bridge the empire built, and the Nightmare Kraken attacks all ships that attempt to cross during Frostwinter."

Atlas nodded, ''Thank you for the information; I will set out in the morning to clear the Wendigo nest and claim the gold coins,'' he said before walking into the town.

He observed people hurrying home and shops hastily locking their doors, which puzzled Atlas. Recalling the guard's mention of the Mystic Legend Cards, he wondered, 'What are these cards? I've never encountered them before.'

As he scanned the street, Atlas noticed a General Store still open. Deciding to investigate, he approached and stepped inside.

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