Level Up: Voidwalker-Chapter 317: Our Hearts Beat With Feelings

Atlas started laughing when hearing Nala's dramatic greeting. He used Void Step to appear before the lioness, who quickly jumped on him and started licking his face in happiness as she spoke. 'It's good to see you. I want to see you more, Master.'

The massive lion persisted in lavishing Atlas with affection, its rough tongue swiping playfully across his face. Laughter bubbled up from him, uncontrollable as Cera appeared in the clearing.

'Why are you attacking the master like that?' the older monster commented in an amused tone.

Nala looked at the Scalebreaker and declared in a serious voice while shielding him with her giant paw. 'He's my cub! And I love him with all my heart, Cera.'

The words struck Atlas like a gentle thunderbolt, stirring his soul. He sat up, his arms wrapping around the lioness in a tender embrace, pressing his forehead to hers as her warm presence enveloped him.

Her voice rumbled on, soft yet resolute. 'Since the day we met, I've seen you as mine. I could feel your heart crying out for a mother. And that's what I long to be for you.'

A bittersweet smile appeared as memories of his mother abandoning him at the orphanage surfaced, a quiet ache blooming in his chest. The pain flickered across his face, catching the worried gazes of the two monsters nearby.

But Atlas rose to his feet, his hand finding Nala's ear, stroking it gently as he spoke, his voice steady yet threaded with vulnerability. ''Thank you,'' he said, his eyes shimmering with gratitude. ''I'll take you up on that. I've met my mother Evelina, but… it's hard to let them in. So I've been keeping my distance.''

When the lion queen heard this, she asked in a curious. 'Does this woman love you, my boy?'

''It seems so. She's kind and caring, just like Eldric, but I'm not used to it,'' he admitted. ''I've been fighting for years and not used to a family's love.''

Nala rose to her full height, her eyes locking onto Atlas with a gaze so tender and knowing it could only belong to a mother. She leaned in, her rough tongue brushing his face in a gentle, affectionate lick.

'Go talk to her,' she urged, her voice soft. 'The more souls who cherish you, the wider we can open your eyes, and the sooner we can pull your heart free from the storm it's been lost in.'

Atlas's eyes brimmed with tears, the monster's caring voice piercing through the fragile walls he'd built around his heart. His voice cracked into a whisper, raw and trembling, as he looked up at Nala. ''Why did she throw me away? Wasn't I good enough for her, Nala?''

The dam broke, and his emotions flooded out, uncontrollable and jagged, spilling into the air between them. ''She cast me aside like I was nothing, like rubbish!'' he choked, his words thick with anguish. ''How could a mother do that? All I ever wanted was for her to love me, to be hers, but she didn't want me. She didn't want me at all!''

Nala's eyes blazed with fury at Atlas's words, her rage igniting like a wildfire. She reared back and unleashed a roar so fierce that echoed into the distance, only to be answered by a chorus of countless others, a symphony of defiance and unity that rolled through the air.

She fixed her gaze on him, her voice stern yet firm. ''This mother of yours is a foolish, senseless, cruel woman! You are a remarkable soul that only appears once in a lifetime, a young man who's saved hundreds of us monsters while others hunt us down and slaughter us without a second thought!''

As her words rang out, the air shimmered, and one by one, every monster Atlas had ever ushered into the Otherworld emerged from the shadows while looking at him as if he was part of their family.

Their presence flooded the surrounding space, an overwhelming tide of affection radiating from each creature. Nala stepped closer, her tone softening as she nudged her head against his body.

'You see, my boy? We may not wear human skin, but our hearts beat with feelings, our souls carry dreams,' she murmured, her voice a gentle lullaby woven with fierce devotion. 'And every one of us sees you for the wonder you are.'

Nala's words washed over him like a warm tide, her fierce pride and tender love stitching together the frayed edges of his heart. A small, tremulous smile broke across his face, fragile but genuine, as he looked up at her.

''You really think that of me?'' he murmured.

Just then, a faint rustle stirred the air, and Amethyst stepped into the clearing, her violet eyes catching the glow of his smile. Her breath hitched at the sight, Atlas surrounded by the creatures he'd saved.

Without a word, she crossed the distance, her purple hair trailing behind her like a comet. She enveloped him in a tight, fierce hug, her arms locking around his shoulders as if she could shield him from every doubt he'd ever carried.

''You're incredible, Atlas,'' she whispered. ''We all are here for you. You don't have to think about your previous life. It's over and now you have a group of girls who love you for you.''

''Is it okay to really let go of it all?'' Atlas whispered to himself, the question hanging in the air like a fragile thread. ''Maybe… maybe that's what I need.''

At that quiet moment, something shifted deep within him, a release, like a key turning in a rusted lock. The jagged memories of abandonment and pain, long chained to his soul, loosen their grip.

He stopped thinking about the memories, letting them fade as he turned toward a horizon bright with promise. With a shaky breath, he leaned down and kissed her, who happily accepted it.

Minutes later, they broke apart as she spoke with a big smile. ''We will never leave you and the thought of throwing you away makes me feel sick,'' she revealed.

Following that, Atlas turned back to Nala, who was watching the two of them with warm eyes. He approached the Dreadmaw Queen and stroked her ears before whispering. ''Thank you, Mother.''

When Nala heard this, her entire being trembled with delight as she replied in a hopeful voice. 'Does it bother you we're not the same race?'

''No. Just be there for me and I'll do the same for you,'' he replied before informing her. ''I'm going to head back to the real world. Going to scout the border to see if anymore enemy armies have appeared.''

The lioness stepped would and suggested. 'Why don't you let me take you? We can move fast?'

Atlas was just about to answer, but Amethyst spoke up. ''You two can patrol the ground? Your mother told me the empire has reported the empire is sending small forces to raid the surrounding lands.''

''Nala and I will go,'' he responded before kissing the purple-haired beauty. ''Be careful out there.''

Following that, Amethyst beamed as she transformed into her phoenix form and took to the sky as a portal opened before she flew through. Atlas climbed on the Dreadmaw Queens as he did the same thing.

The two of them appeared on top of a hill that overlooked a river that was used as a crossing. Atlas scanned the land only to spot black smoke in the distance, causing him to speak. ''Head that way, Nala.''

Moments later, the lioness burst forward and sprinting across the grasslands while causing the nearby monsters to flee in terror as her overwhelming aura bore down on them, which made him laugh.

Ten minutes later, they spotted a small army attacking a walled town, which made Atlas smile as he spoke. ''Do your lions want to have some fun?''

When the queen heard this, she giggled before replying. 'Wait here, my boy. This graceful queen will rally the fiercest cats for this daring raid.'

Atlas started laughing as Nala finished speaking as he thought. 'Back to her usual self, but it's funny.'

Following that, she vanished into a portal he opened and ten minutes later, one hundred Dreadmaw Lions appeared. He watched the monster form up like a cavalry unit, which amused him to no end.

'Let's go, master! We can kill some Achaemendians!' Nala's voice echoed in his mind as the horde charge.

When they got closer, a wave of projectiles rushed toward them, causing the queen to roar, which made the lions spilt into small groups. Atlas started casting Void Bombs and Lances into the enemy camp.

Explosions erupted and sent enemy soldiers flying all over the place as even more of his spells peppered the unprepared empire army. Moments later, the Dreadmaw Lions crashed into the hastily prepared shieldwall.

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The monster's claws and teeth tore through them with ease as Atlas hit them with magic, causing the enemy to panic.

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