Level Up: Voidwalker

Atlas was amazed as they passed through the city gates of Volantis. The ship passed through a massive archway with guardposts inside and soldiers watching them. Once they were on the other side, he noticed there was enough space between the wall and the city for several vessels to sail side by side.

Amethyst and Grishna looked around in fascination as tiny houses were built onto the inside of the wall with wooden walkways between them. Atlas spotted people sitting outside while fishing.

Artemis couldn't contain her excitement and told the others she was going for a swim before jumping overboard while transforming into her Siren form. She dived into the water with a splash, and when Atlas saw this, he went to jump in and test out his new skill.

But Estelle stopped him with a hand on the shoulder, ''Monsters still roam under the surface; Artemis can look after herself, but you only have Aqua Lung and no way of moving,'' she said in a concerned tone.

''What if I use the explosions from Void Bullet to propel myself through the water? I could be a dolphin,'' he reasoned with a cheeky smile, but Lilith bit him in protest as she was on his shoulders.

''Too Dangerous, you silly boy. You may attract unwanted attention from the monsters roaming the sea's bottom. They don't come to the surface because the wall will attack them, but I'm certain the creatures would attack you,'' Estelle explained.

Atlas nodded before watching the passing city and was amazed. The buildings were made of beautiful white stone trimmed with orange wood. They were no bigger than five stories tall, but he saw different establishments everywhere.

There were streets lined with shops, streets with only houses on, and a section of the city where taller buildings stood with signs on the top in the distance: 'I guess they the guilds. Hopefully, Amethyst and I can become adventurers.'

After that, Juliette approached them and said quietly while looking at Atlas, ''Rumors say that the Sisters of Light are in the city looking for Le Malin. You must be careful in Volantis; the fanatics won't believe he is the Le Messie Élu as they believe the Messiah will come from the Argonia Kingdom.''

Estelle looked startled when she heard the woman's news but quickly shook her head. "How do you know this, Aunty?" she questioned.

The blonde knight looked at him thoughtfully, ''Do not cause any trouble, Le Messie Élu. The sisters are stronger fighters and are on the warpath when the Le Malin is discovered in the Everglade Kingdom, known as the Shaytan al-Kharab.''

Atlas's eyes widened before sighing, ''They're going to think that's me, right?''

The three girls nodded as Grishna commented, ''We could get you a disguise ring, but higher-ranked fighters can see through them.''

''White hair isn't rare, is it?'' Amethyst questioned.

''In Astoria, yes, but in Aridonia and Zarandar, a few families have natural white hair like Grak'Thar Gromog'ar,'' the orc girl revealed as the ship started docking.

Atlas scanned the bustling dock and noticed an empty pier where workers hurriedly unloaded cargo from two other merchant ships. As their vessel came to a halt, Artemis leaped over the side with a broad smile, her excitement evident.

Pierre and Juliette approached them, weaving through the crowd of activity on the ship as the sailors started preparing to leave for the shore. The older man smiled at the group, ''If you guys stick around for a few days, we will sail south to Honorhall, and you can join us. I know brother would be happy to meet your party, Estelle.''

He watched the blonde knight nod, ''We will think about it, Uncle. We're staying in Volantis for a few days and may explore the Seashell dungeon,'' she said.

''I've heard it's good for beginner adventurers,'' Juliette commented. ''It would be perfect for you guys.''

The girls turned to Atlas, who smiled, ''Yes, we can go there, but I need some new weapons and to register at the Adventurers Guild.''

''Let's sign up as adventurers first,'' Amethyst said excitedly. ''Once we're signed up, we can find an inn as it will be nighttime soon.''

Everyone agreed before thanking Pierre and Juliette before leaving the ship. When the group stepped onto the docks, Estelle said, ''Follow me and don't get lost; Volantis is full of alleyways and side streets.''

Following that, the blonde knight led them through the harbor, where men transported goods to the waiting vessels as merchants barked orders in shrill voices. Atlas saw one man rushing around just before he fell flat on his face.

Atlas started laughing, and when Amethyst saw this, she caught the merchant's attention. The fat man struggled to get up without his guard's help, which made the young couple hold their stomachs.

Estelle, Grishna, and Artemis turned around to see them laughing, and then the man approached them with his bodyguards. The orc girl rolled her eyes, ''We haven't been in the city for five minutes, and someone has already found trouble.''

The others agreed as the brunette stepped in front of the merchant and spoke in her Greek accent, ''Before you try anything, the boy will kill you without thinking; he's a bit wild and still in training.''

Atlas felt offended and was about to protest, but Lilith bit him again; he booped the honey badger on the head, ''Stop biting me! I didn't do anything wrong.''

Lilith looked at him, but Estelle stepped in, ''Le Messie Élu, try controlling yourself. Merchants are nosey creatures and love to complain to the city guard.''

'Their Karens!' Atlas internally complained, but that's when he heard one of the older man's guards insulting Artemis.

When this happened, he vanished from the spot, only to reappear behind the aggressive group. Atlas took out his broken dagger before stabbing the two guards in the legs and punching the merchant in his crown jewels.

Then Lilith started attacking him in frustration, and the older girls were all wide-eyed except Amethyst, who was giggling. Estelle sighed, ''Le Messie Élu! You cannot help yourself, can you? Let's get out of here before the guards get here,'' she said frustratedly.

The group then left the area as Juliette appeared with a smile before he finished off Atlas's victims and threw them into the water. She pulled out a necklace and contacted someone, ''Dahaka's in the city commander; he will be here for a few days.''

In the meantime, the group made it to Sea Road, the main street of Volantis City, which led to separate harbors servicing the city. Once there, Estelle spun on Atlas and scolded him, ''You cannot attack everyone who argues with us, Le Messie Élu!''

Atlas watched the blonde knight look down at him and got annoyed, ''If anyone talks to my girls like that, I will deal with them. It's disrespectful, especially when Artemis was being civil,'' he retorted.

When the group heard that, they all smiled, and Amethyst giggled as she spoke, ''I told you he likes you three. You never believed me, but here he calls us his girls.''

Grishna beamed as her green eyes glowed, ''So Grak'Thar Gromog'ar, do you want to be my Navara? If so, fight me when you're sixteen, and if you beat me, I'll become your woman, but not a second before, understand, handsome?''

Atlas nodded while giving the orc girl a charming smile before Artemis said, ''Aetos, you're adorable but too young right now. I'm not saying no, but we shall see what the Sisters of Fate decide when the time is right.''

Then, all eyes turned to Estelle, who sighed softly before speaking again, "Maria always called me La femme du Messie, which means Messiah's wife in Argonian. But as Artemis said, you're still too young; there's a ten-year age gap between us. If you're still interested when you come of age, I'd be open to giving it a try."

Afterward, Atlas smiled warmly at the three older girls. Amethyst hugged him tightly, prompting a growl from Lilith, but she playfully booped the honey badger on the head. "No need to growl, Lily, I already know he's yours as well."

The group shared a laugh before Estelle redirected their focus, "Let's go sign the two Little Ones up as adventurers and then find an inn. The sun will set in an hour," she suggested, and everyone readily agreed.

They traveled down the Sea Road, and Atlas admired the beautifully built streets paved with the same gleaming white stone used for the buildings. People navigated around their group while doing their business.

After walking for twenty minutes, the group came to the Adventurer's Guild, a tall building in the guild district. It was built from blue stone and decorated with the same orange wood the city used.

Atlas noticed the sign above the door: a shield with a sword and axe crossed. Under the symbol, there was some writing he couldn't understand. Amethyst grabbed his hand with a sweet smile as he examined the sigh.

''Soon we can do quests together, Amore,'' she said.

He nodded as Estelle turned to them and was about to speak, but Grishna beat her to it while smiling at Atlas, ''We will go inside and sign you two up as adventurers.''

Following that, the group entered the guild and noticed there weren't many people inside aside from a dozen adventurers and the staff. Atlas looked around and noticed the open layout, with the quest board to the left and the counters to the right.

He spotted a set of stairs leading upstairs. In the back of the building, several stalls and a guild shop were bustling with activity. Estelle led them to one of the counters, where an older woman sat behind it.