Level Up: Voidwalker

Chapter 65: You're My Girlfriend Amethyst

When Atlas heard Amethyst's answer, he grew curious and asked, "What's Red Stars?"

Everyone laughed at his innocence, but the man soon explained, "The last recorded incident happened thousands of years ago, in a world very different from today. It's said that thousands of stars that were red streaking across the sky signaled the beginning of the turmoil Valoria endured during those times."

''How do people know what happened so long ago?'' Atlas commented once hearing the man's explanation.

''Mana Stones or preserved books found in the lost cities that adventurers come across while exploring Valoria's unchartered lands,'' the older man answered.

Following that, their boat sped along the coast as the explosions faded. They traveled for twenty minutes until they reached a bay where a large metal trireme-looking warship was anchored.

Atlas admired the massive vessel, noting how it dwarfed their small boat. However, its lack of oars or sails caught his attention most. Instead, he noticed hatches along the ship's sides, presumably where the cannons would emerge.

As they approached, the man expertly maneuvered their boat alongside the warship. Two metal ropes extended from the larger ship, connecting to their boat and lifting it onto the deck.

A dozen soldiers awaited them there, snapping to attention and saluting as soon as they saw the couple. When everyone saw Estelle, they knelt in respect, causing the blonde knight to sigh in frustration as she mumbled, ''Must they do this everywhere.''

The woman started laughing, ''Can't blame the men, princess. You rescued most of them from slavery during the Emberfall War.''

Atlas wondered what they were discussing and asked, ''What is the Emberfall War? I've never heard of it.''

When the couple heard this, they turned to him like he was an idiot before Estelle answered, ''I'll explain later, Le Messie Élu, but let me introduce our hosts.''

She motioned toward the man, ''This is Uncle Pierre and Aunty Juliette. They are my mother's brother and sister-in-law.''

Atlas and the girls looked at Estelle, who giggled, but he questioned, ''Why did you tell us they were your relatives? And why are they charging you coin for passage?''

''We still got a business to run and sailors to pay, boy. Even if Stella is my niece, she still has to pay,'' Pierra responded defensively.

Estelle shook her head before introducing the girls, ''The orc is Grishna Brokentooth, the brunette is Artemis, and the last one is Amethyst. They are a part of my party, and we all met under special circumstances.''

The older couple greeted the group with a smile, and Juliette commented, ''Did you call this young man Le Messie Élu? How do you know it's truly him?''

Pierre's gaze landed on Atlas, who nodded in response before speaking, ''I use void magic, which Estelle said proves that I'm this messiah she speaks of.''

''Prove it,'' the woman demanded as her brown eyes never left Atlas.

He rolled his eyes and extended his hand towards the sea, conjuring a Void Bullet. The azure projectile streaked across the sky and detonated over the open ocean, creating a beautiful light show that surprised Estelle's relatives and the sailors.

The girls cheered with delight. Amethyst hurried over and embraced him, planting a kiss on his cheek. Meanwhile, Lilith's curious head peeked out from his shirt, her yellow eyes scanning the surroundings before retreating inside.

Following that, Pierre and Juliette looked at him with wide eyes and jaws hanging up. The older man shook his head, ''You're the Le Messie Élu; the L'Église du Messie priests and bishops must hear about this when we reach Volantis.''

While Pierre spoke, Juliette prayed, which caught Atlas's attention, ''Celui qui montre le chemin nous mènera au paradis.''

''What does that mean?'' he asked the older woman.

The older blonde smiled, ''The one who points the way will lead us to paradise, Little one,'' she said in a friendly tone.

Then Pierra rushed them on board as a Ravenian warship approached, ''Julietta will show you your rooms. I must deal with the mercenaries, which shouldn't take long.''

The group was led down a set of stairs and along a walkway as the woman spoke, ''We have an Imperial Pass from the Achaemenid High Command that allows us to operate during their invasion. It's one of the reasons we can take you to Volantis.''

''How did you get the pass so fast? They've just launched their invasion,'' Artemis commented.

Juliette nodded, ''Well, the negotiations went well, and the king and his council agreed to most commitments but wanted to take Moonshare and Everglade Kingdoms for themselves, which the Achaemenidian diplomats accepted if they paid slightly more taxes and even offered aid in their conquest,'' she explained as they arrived at a dead end.

Atlas watched her hit the wall, and a door appeared, shocking the group, but she hurried them inside while speaking, ''Stay here until I return and try to be quiet; the Ravenians may want to

Atlas had slain countless Void Raptors, leaving his arms aching and his body screaming for rest. "If this isn't my body, why do I feel like this?" he mused aloud.

Shaking his head, he spotted a log that overlooked a river. Climbing atop it, he settled down and took a moment to rest, gazing at the flowing water below. While watching, something launched itself at him.

He quickly cast Void Blast at the creature only to realize it was a Void Raptor sneaking up on him from the water.