Level Up: Voidwalker-Chapter 345: You Could Be More Gentle

''Hold on!'' Atlas shouted, his voice barely audible over the rush of wind.

Lilith's arms tightened around his waist, but he threw her into the Otherworld so she'd be safe. Just then, Theo banked sharply to the right, causing him to grab onto the monster to stabilize himself.

They started dodging the first volley of arrows that hissed through the air like a swarm of angry hornets. He quickly noticed skyships were fast, their enchanted engines humming with mana, but the Blood Bat King was faster, weaving through the sky so fast.

Atlas's mind raced, calculating their options to escape. The empire had anticipated their route, lying in wait over the sea where escape was limited and their cover was non-existent. This was no random patrol, it was an ambush.

'How did they know I'd be here? Did I get spotted?' he thought as his mind raced.

Another volley of arrows arced toward them, accompanied by the heavy thud of a ballista bolt that grazed Theo's wingtip, drawing a low growl from the beast. Atlas patted the creature's neck.

''Steady, old friend,'' he murmured, his eyes scanning the fleet while sending his mana into the bat to heal him.

Following that, he quickly spotted the skyships spreading out, forming a net to corral them, prompting him to speak as he pointed into the distance. ''We need to break through their line. Aim for the gap between those two ships on the left."

Theo gave a sharp nod and plunged toward the narrow gap. As another wave of Mana Blasts sliced through the air. They struck the nearest skyship's sail, instantly erupting into flames that sent the crew into a frantic scramble.

Atlas clung tightly to Theo's fur as they dove through the narrowing gap in the enemy formation. The fleet loomed below, slicing through the clouds. Moments later, a volley of blasts arced toward them.

''Friendly fire!'' he cheered as more Achaemenid crafts were hit by their weapons.

Seconds later, the craft erupted in a blaze, flames licking the sky as the crew scrambled in panic, but it was too late; it plunged toward the cold water below and slammed into the surface like a missile.

''Faster!'' he urged, his voice barely audible over the howling wind.

Theo's massive wings beat furiously, the leathery membranes thrumming with power as they surged forward. The empire's warships closed in, and their cannons never stopped. The roar of explosions nearly took out his ears thanks to the intense sound.

The narrowing gap between the two closest colossal airships dwindled with alarming speed, a fleeting window of escape that could vanish in an instant, prompting him to shout over the wind. ''We need to use our size against them!''

Following that, Atlas seized the moment and decided to try to throw off the enemy. He started unleashing a barrage of Void Lances that tore through the sky, their dark energy slicing into the nearest enemy vessels.

A relentless storm of Void Bullets followed, peppering the hulls of the pursuing crafts with a hail that ricocheted off their armored plating. Each impact sent tremors through the air, the enemy ships shuddering under the onslaught.

Explosions erupted in a deafening cacophony. Theo let out a guttural snarl as the duo dove for cover. Arrows, sleek and deadly, whistled through the air, one grazing Atlas's flank with a searing hiss.

He let out a grunt of agony but ignored it as they had to get away, a mix of pain and defiance, as blood glistened briefly on its scaled hide. Atlas tightened his, leaning low against.

A cannonball screamed past, its trajectory a deadly arc that split the air with a thunderous roar. Theo banked sharply, wings slicing through the winds, narrowly evading as it detonated in the distance, sending shockwaves that rippled through the battlefield.

With every maneuver, Atlas and Theo moved as one, their bond forged in the crucible of survival, determined to outwit the relentless hunters closing in from all sides. There were too many, too fast, their formation tightening like a noose.

But then he saw it: a jagged ravine, its shadowed maw cutting through the scorched earth below, barely wide enough for his wings. Without hesitation, Theo folded his wings and dove, plummeting toward the ravine's mouth as Atlas pressed low against his back.

The enemy fire scorched the air, bolts of plasma grazing the creature's flank, singeing his fur. He gritted his fangs, ignoring the pain, and plunged into the narrow chasm. The walls of stone closed in, jagged and unforgiving, as the ravine swallowed them whole.

Atlas turned back as the crafts hesitated; they were too big to follow. He sighed in relief just as wings brushed the rocky walls, sparks flying as he weaved through the twisting dark gorge.

Behind, the empire's engines roared in frustration, their shots echoing harmlessly above the ravine's rim. His heart pounded, but he trusted the Blood Bat King's instincts implicitly, feeling the bat king's pulse through their bond.

The ravine bent sharply, and Theo tilted, skimming the wall so close that pebbles rained down. They surged from the ravines, wings beating furiously as he and Atlas broke into the open sky above a cracked, arid plain.

Atlas noticed the crimson dusk bathed the landscape in an eerie glow, the air thick with the scent of dust and danger. A screech split the air. From the outcrops flanking them, three monstrous shapes erupted.

Giant mantis-like creatures, their serrated limbs glinting like obsidian blades. Their multifaceted eyes burned with predatory hunger, wings buzzing as they lunged with terrifying speed.

Theo swerved, but a razor-sharp forelimb tore a gash in his leathery wing. The sudden jolt threw Atlas from his back. He plummeted, the wind roaring in his ears as he twisted toward the dark, churning waters of a hidden river below, its surface glinting like liquid shadow.

Instinct kicked in. He thrust out his hands, mana crackling as lances of black-violet energy materialized, streaking upward to impale the nearest mantis through its thorax. The creature shrieked, ichor spraying as it spiraled into the rocks.

Another mantis dove, mandibles snapping. He unleashed a Void Blast, a concussive wave of dark energy that erupted from his palms, shattering the creature's carapace and sending it crashing into its kin.

The third mantis lunged, but Atlas, blood streaming from his wound, barreled into it, his blades sinking into its neck as he tore it from the sky. Moments later, he hit the water, the icy darkness swallowing him whole.

Before his world went black, he sent the bat king back to the Otherworld as a massive white snake emerged from a portal and snapped its jaws around him. Medusa felt his pain and instantly acted.

The giant snake dived deep down to find a hiding spot for Atlas to recover from all the fighting, as Theo rested back in his home. After ten minutes of searching, she found a cave with an air pocket.

Medusa burst from the water, transforming into her human form as he slammed into the floor with a thud. ''Ahh fuck! You could be more gentle.''

As the older woman heard this, she giggled. ''You were just about to get bit by Blood Sharks, I rescued you, handsome.''

Atlas started laughing before pulling out stuff to make a fire, just as Medusa punched out, just as one of the sharks lunged out of the water. A loud clap was heard when her fist connected, sending the monster crashing into the opposite wall.

''What the fuck!'' he exclaimed.

The older woman started laughing as she approached the body. ''Blood Sharks are delicious, we should cook them up and have a feast.''

He agreed with a nod. ''Sounds good to me.''

Following that, they went about setting up a camp as he hobbled around thanks to the injuries he received from the fights. He felt himself getting better by the time he finished lighting the fire.

A warm breeze swept through the cave, stirring the air as Medusa shivered and settled beside him. She leaned close, resting her head on his shoulder, her voice soft. ''We can rest here a while, then return to the surface. The Empire's likely moved on by now.''

Medusa's hand brushed his arm, a silent reassurance, before she shifted and rose. "Stay put," she murmured, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "I'll handle dinner."

She moved to the cave's corner where the carcass of the Blood Shark she'd slain lay, its crimson scales glinting faintly. The beast had been a fierce opponent, ambushing them in the ravine.

Medusa knelt beside it, drawing a curved dagger from her belt. With practiced precision, she began carving thick slabs of the shark's flesh, the blade slicing cleanly through sinew and flesh.

''This'll keep us strong for the journey back,'' she said, glancing at Atlas with a spark of pride in her eyes.

She gathered dry moss and twigs scattered near the cave's entrance, arranging them into a small pile. A flick of her fingers summoned a spark, and soon a modest fire crackled to life.