Chapter 152: A Hulk Golem

[Level Up: 160→163][Experience: 2040/5000]

[Experience Gained: 13200]

[Health: 1290→1314(200)]

[Mana: 5790→6022(1000)]

[Strength: 1452→1470(100)]

[Stamina: 1778→1810(250)]

[Charisma: 630→638]

[Intelligence: 1190→1226]

[Core Points: 28020/50000]

[Core Points Gained: 5020]

'Good, some small gains but something better than nothing,' he thought while watching the stars above.

Feeling hungry for more than just chocolate, Atlas exited his room and decided to find the dining hall. His ticket included three meals and snacks, so he figured it was time to take advantage of the full range of offerings.

Atlas walked through the cruise ship corridors and saw hundreds of people enjoying them like they were on holiday. He had dismissed his helmet but left his armor and weapons on him because he trusted nothing would happen.

'Can't let the Achaemenidians trap me again,' he mused while holding the handle of his Nightblade.

After half an hour of searching, Atlas finally found a large dining hall. The room was filled with a counter laden with an impressive array of food. Excited, he eagerly piled his plate high with various meats and mashed potatoes. 'This smells delicious; I can't wait to taste it,' he mused with a smile.

With his plate stacked with delicious options, Atlas set out to find a table where he could enjoy his meal. Soon enough, he found an empty table to sit and eat while he started people-watching as they passed by.

'This place seems peaceful,' Atlas thought to himself.

While eating, he received his daily message from Amethyst, who told him they were heading north to hunt monsters and delve into dungeons until he could meet them. The young couple had been in contact since the Lover's Band allowed communication.

They knew Atlas was heading to the Nubian Capital to heal Lilith before catching a train north. However, when the party learned he must cross the treacherous sea between Zaradar and Aridonia.

The phoenix girl panicked at the thought of encountering the sea monsters notorious in that region. Estelle suggested he reserve passage on an airship from the Greenskin Confederation.

When Atlas confirmed that he was already planning to do just that, their concerns began to ease. After sending a message to Amethyst, he continued enjoying his meal before deciding to explore the ship.

'She worries too much but it's nice to be cared about for once,' Atlas thought with a smile.

As he wandered, he discovered several restaurants where nobles dined in style and arcades designed to keep children entertained. Captivated, Atlas entered one of the arcades and found it filled with the familiar sights and sounds of classic games you'd expect in a regular arcade.

Following that, Atlas returned to his room after finding nothing that caught his attention about an odd-looking couple following him around the entertainment floor. He managed to lose them in the crowds, but they got him paranoid.

'Hopefully they haven't found me,' he pondered while walking up some stairs.

Atlas decided to hide in his room as he guessed they were Nightowls. While inside, he locked the door and turned the light off before sitting on the balcony and pulling out the recently bought spells.

[Void Lance – Launches a spear of dark energy that pierces through enemies and explodes, taking out a group of enemies]

[Void Veil - Covers the area in darkness, causing targets to go blind, but the caster can still see]

[Void Infusion – Infuses an object or environment with void energy, granting it unique properties or effects]

'What one do I learn first? I'll try Void Lance,' he thought with a smile.

Atlas grabbed the spellbook before settling into the comfortable chair as the night passed. It took him a couple of hours to learn the new attack spell, which caused a notification to pop up.

[Void Lance Learned]

Atlas then set aside Void Lance and began studying Void Veil, storing the first spell away for later use. As he immersed himself in learning these new spells, he felt confident they would prove invaluable in his upcoming challenges.

'I hope they are useful,' he pondered as two more notifications appeared, confirming the successful acquisition of his newly learned spells.

[Void Veil Learned]

[Void Infusion Learned]

Happy with his spells, causing him to activate Void Realm to test his strength against the Golem Swarm. Atlas appeared on the plateau and waited for the monsters to appear, which took seconds as they encircled him.

'These things are trying to overwhelm me, but I won't let them get the upper hand,' he thought as he prepared for the fight. Sёarch* The NôvelFire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Atlas beamed with satisfaction as he prepared to test one of his new spells. He invoked Void Veil, and an azure blue dome enveloped the plateau. Inside the shimmering barrier, the golems wandered, clearly disoriented by the sudden shift in their surroundings.

'It worked! I wonder for how long, though.'

Seeing the effects of Void Veil, Atlas couldn't contain his excitement. He immediately started casting Void Bullets and Barrages, unleashing a barrage of dark energy that overwhelmed the swarm of golems, scattering them effortlessly.

Fueled by his growing readiness, Atlas decided to test another spell. He infused Nightblade and Deepforge with volatile void magic, causing the blades to hum and vibrate. He dashed around the plateau, slashing at the golems with his newly empowered swords.

'It's like cutting through butter,' each swing quickly cleaved through the dark stone, leaving deep, clean cuts and sending fragments flying. While Atlas fought the Void Golems, he checked the monster total to see how many he had killed.

[Void Golem – 999012/1000000]

[Void Warrior Golem – 500000/500000]

[Void Golem Commander – 100000/100000]

[Void Golem King – 1/1]

After that, Atlas continued to spam magic into the uncountable number of golems until his Void Veil was broken by a newcomer that smashed its fist into the ground, causing a wave of mana to radiate from the attack.

'What sort of monster is this?' he thought before using Void Guard to defend himself from the shockwave as he scanned the new Golem.

[Void Warrior Golem]

[Earth Mage]

[Rank: C+]

[Keep moving!]

When Atlas read the advice, he dodged to the side as an Earth Lance smashed into the spot he was just in. As he rolled away from the attack, he cast Void Blast at the Warrior Golem, but it battered the spell into a group of golems.

'They don't care for each other? Of course not their stone constructs,' he thought.

Explosions erupted around them as Atlas started spamming Void Bullets and Void Bombs that wiped out hundreds of Golem and finally dealt with the warrior as it vanished into azure motes.

Following his previous attack, Atlas started attacking the Void Golems, whose attention was on him as they encircled him, but he managed to get out of their trap while barrelling through dozens of them.

The Void Wave was beneficial as it cleared space for Atlas to move while attacking those who got too close. He was taking out hundreds of golems, but that's when the hair on the back of his neck went up, and he raised his blades to defend himself.

Atlas skidded backward as his arms trembled due to the force. When he was far enough away, he looked at the Void Warrior Golem, but this one was bulkier than the previous one and reminded him of a bodybuilder.

'A Hulk Golem? Please don't,' he internally chuckled as he jumped to the side.

The Warrior charged forward before slamming its massive fists into the spot he was just in. Atlas quickly cast several Void Blasts that peppered its body, causing the bigger monster to stumble back.

He charged forward, firing Void Bullets at the Warrior Golem's feet. The golem shifted to evade the blasts just as Atlas launched a Void Bomb. The projectile sliced through the air and struck the monster, triggering a powerful explosion that hurled the smaller golems off the edge and obliterated several others.

After that, he ran low on mana and tried to take out a potion, but a Warrior Golem landed a punch on his helmet, rocking his head and sending him crashing. Caught off guard, the other golems piled onto him.

This ended his Level Three run as he woke up on the ship balcony with a headache. Atlas collapsed onto the chair before pulling up his level three monster to see how well he'd done on his second go.

[Void Golem – 996641/1000000]

[Void Warrior Golem – 499996/500000]

[Void Golem Commander – 100000/100000]

[Void Golem King – 1/1]

'Only a few thousand—pretty solid for my second attempt,' he mused with a weary smile.

He wrapped himself in a blanket and settled into his chair, drifting off to sleep, lulled by the sight of whales breaching the water below. The night crept steadily forward, blanketing the darkness as Atlas slept peacefully on the ship's balcony.

The rhythmic lapping of the ocean and the occasional breach of whales created a soothing lullaby, ensuring a deep sleep. As the first light of dawn began to pierce the horizon, casting a soft glow across the sea, Atlas slowly stirred awake.

The gentle warmth of the morning sun kissed his face, and he stretched out, feeling the comfortable weight of the blanket wrapped around him. He yawned and blinked away the remnants of sleep, his body feeling refreshed from the night's rest.

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