Level Up: Voidwalker

After Atlas stopped tickling Lilith, the two of them washed each other, with the Honey Badger woman jumping whenever he moved. This made him laugh as he reassured the young woman, ''I won't do it again, Lili. I didn't think you hated it.''

''I don't hate it Master, it surprised me,'' she answered in a low voice before nibbling his ear.

A chill ran down Atlas's spine, but to Lilith's relief, he didn't make another move to attack her anymore. The tension between them eased, and she let out a quiet breath, her body finally relaxing.

''Don't tickle me again,'' the Honey Badger woman suddenly said. ''If you do, I'll attack you.''

When Atlas heard this, his grin stretched even wider, and Lilith's eyes went laughably wide. ''Don't you dare!'' she exclaimed, half-laughing, half-worried.

But it was too late. With a mischievous glint in his eyes, he struck again, and the next thing she knew, Lilith was laughing so hard her stomach began to ache. Atlas couldn't help but revel in her laughter.

Minutes after that, she transformed into her monster form, her playful expression turning into one of mischievous determination. He gulped as a glint of mischief flashed in her eyes, and before he could even blink, she lunged at him.

Atlas yelped in surprise as Lilith began biting him, gently at first, but with enough force to make him squirm, all the while pinning him down. ''L-Lili!'' he managed between laughs. ''I thought we were having fun!''

Her eyes sparkled with playful menace, and he quickly realized that while he might have started this, it was definitely no longer in his control. He was doing his best to dodge Lilith's playful yet relentless attacks.

She was quick, and every time he thought he was safe, she would pounce again. He tried to wiggle out from under her, laughing in between his frantic attempts to escape.

''Lili, stop! I swear, I'll..'' he barely spoke before she gave him another playful bite.

''Not until you learn your lesson, master,'' she teased while pinning him down once more.

The young woman returned to her human form while looking down at him with a beautiful smile. Atlas grabbed her collar and pulled her into a passionate kiss, which the Honey Badger loved.

Lilith dug her nails into his chest as her tongue slipped into his mouth, causing another battle to erupt. He quickly won that just before they broke apart and she asked, ''Who's man are you, master?''

He chuckled, his voice soft and playful. ''Yours, Lili.''

The Honey Badger woman's face lit up with a radiant smile, her eyes sparkling with affection. She leaned down and kissed him gently, her lips lingering for just a moment before she pulled away, standing up before getting dressed.

Afterward, he rose to his feet and joined her. Together, they made their way back to the Montague manor. As they entered the room, the familiar surroundings welcomed them. The soft glow of the mana lights.

Atlas led Lilith out of the room after being joined by Amethyst and Estelle while the others stayed in the Otherworld to rest. The four of them started walking around the manor. He noticed the staff were working hard cleaning the place.

Ten minutes later, a maid appeared before them, ''Follow me, dinner will be served shortly young master,'' she said.

They followed the young woman through the beautiful corridors that had portraits on the walls of previous Montague Family members. Shortly after that, they appeared in front of large wooden doors.

Atlas and the women watched the guards open it, only to see Eldric and Eveline sitting at the table. When his mother saw them, a big smile appeared as she stood up. ''Come sit down, aren't the others joining us?'' she asked.

Without speaking, a portal opened as Nulia, Grishna, Artemis and Zena stepped out, causing his father to question with a curious expression, ''Where are they all traveling to, son? It's confusing to me.''

''It's called the Otherworld. It's a pocket dimension that belongs to me as a skill I can activate,'' he explained while sitting down.

Amethyst and Lilith sat on either side as the others got comfortable as Eveline looked at Atlas and questioned with a hopeful voice, ''Many powerful mages have them, but they aren't big. Would you mind showing me one day?''

''Yes mother, but you'll have to listen at all times when inside,'' Atlas replied. ''There are many monsters roaming the place that would attack you.''

Following that, the maids brought out the food as the older woman had a fascinated sparkle in her green eyes. Eldric chuckled when he saw his wife's reaction, causing him to question the group. ''So, are you our son's girlfriends?''

Atlas nearly choked at the sudden inquiry, but Grishna was the first to speak. ''Yes, we all are but taking things slow for now. But me and him met many years ago while adventuring. Now we've been causing trouble for the Achaemenids, who are retreating further south.''

''It was your group that caused that?'' Eveline commented with a knowing smile. ''It's the reason they besieged the capital was to keep the imperial army locked down.''

''Yes, they have been attacking us for years now,'' the blonde knight Estelle commented. ''Atlas can fight the Night Owls with ease now.''

When Eldric heard this, his eyes widened but a proud smile appeared, ''Well done my boy, not many people can fight those demons.''

''They are weak, it's why they're running,'' Atlas finally spoke. ''The empire will fortify an easy place to defend, but it's useless when I attack.''

His parents looked excited but also surprised, but Eveline turned to Lilith and Artemis while asking, ''How did our son meet you both?''

''We fought because he took my cave but we soon became bonded and have been together ever since,'' the white-haired Honey Badger.

''Cave?'' Eldric asked.

''The two of them were constantly fighting in the beginning,'' Amethyst said with a wry smile, recounting the tale to the older couple. She spared no detail, weaving the story with vivid gestures and an amused tone.

By the time she finished, Atlas's parents sat in stunned silence, their expressions a mixture of amazement, shock, and mild horror. It was clear they hadn't expected such a chaotic tale, and the emotions playing across their faces made Amethyst stifle a laugh.

''Well, those are some interesting stories,'' his mother said with a sweet smile. ''Do you mind if I spend time with you girls? I've been lacking female company since our daughters attended their magic schools.''

When the seven younger women heard this, they agreed, causing Eveline to turn to her husband and Atlas. ''You two can leave. We will gossip and I'm sure you don't want to hear that boring stuff.''

Atlas was just about to protest, but his mother gave him that look, causing him to agree with a nod. The girls quickly kissed him and when Lilith appeared, she had a mischievous grin. ''I look forward to seeing you later, master.''

The way the white-haired beauty said that made him remember their fight in the bathroom, causing Atlas to slap her ass. The Honey Badger woman yelp before growling at him, but soon blew him a kiss as she followed the others.

After the women were gone, his father laughed while slapping him on the back, ''Now that is a girl in love, my son, she adores you.''

''I know,'' Atlas smiled as he answered, ''I also love her. She's been a constant in my life.''

Eldric suddenly hugged him. ''Finally! The Montague Family doesn't have a dense young man in our ranks.''

Father and son were laughing before the older man commented, ''I have to make my way into the capital. Make yourself comfortable until the women get back.''

Atlas agreed with a nod as he started exploring the manor, only to feel uncomfortable when all the maids stared at him. 'What is their problem?' he pondered.

He stepped into the garden and called for Theo. In response, the Blood Bat King emerged from an azure portal. Without hesitation, Atlas mounted the fearsome creature, and together they soared into the heavens.

The duo glided effortlessly through the skies, scanning the horizon for any sign of the empire. Minutes later, he spotted a small army marching below, rewarding their half-hour of relentless searching.

With a sharp dive, Theo descended, giving Atlas the perfect vantage point to unleash a barrage of Void Bombs upon the unsuspecting enemies. Explosions erupted and decimated the Achaemenids.

Azure fire washed over them just as Atlas ordered, ''Attack them Theo and only let three escape.''

Following that, a battle erupted as he used Void Step to appear in the center of the enemy formation and cast Void Wave, that sent the soldiers flying all over the place just as he launched his attack as Theo screeched from above.

[Drop some powerstones, comments, and gifts to help the novel grow; I appreciate all the support you can give]