Chapter 220: Chapter 220 - Spirit Infusion
Atlas was already in position, where the air hung thick with heat, the kind that made you sweat just by standing still. Not that it mattered much anymore. Everyone here had long grown used to it, as though their bodies had run out of sweat to give.
He stood on the stage, lit by clusters of crystal lamps scattered around, while the residents of Gacha Haven sat spread out across the spacious grounds. It was a striking contrast to the cramped quarters of the main island.
With ten gold tickets in hand, Atlas grinned and tossed them into the air. "First ten pull!" he called out.
The tickets shot upward, spinning through the glowing air before colliding with the shimmering atmosphere of the island. One by one, they changed color.
Brown, brown, brown. Purple!
"Fire!" the crowd roared.
Atlas smiled as more tickets began to flicker, their hues shifting in the glow. The pull ended with just one purple.
"Well, better not get hopes too high. At the very least, maybe a hundred tickets would be enough to secure Serenith’s signature weapon."
Without wasting time, Atlas tapped through the common items and reached for the final, gleaming purple ticket.
A small, radiant item appeared. Something like a necklace, with a delicate pendant dangling from it.
[You have received Rank-A Item: Wind Walker Pendant]
[Increases running speed by 30%.]
He held up the item, casually explaining its effect before storing it away. "Let’s see who’s lucky enough to get this one from Edrik," he said with a grin.
It was honestly a highly useful item. A 30% speed boost wasn’t minor, it was massive. Even if the effect was temporary, in the right moment, it could be game-changing.
Atlas himself could technically use it too, but he already had Lightning Step—a skill with even greater speed and movement effects than this pendant.
But yeah, he couldn’t be greedy and just take everything for himself!
"Let’s go!" came the collective cheer. The night was far from over.
Next ten pulls, this made it twenty so far. Atlas tossed the next batch of ten tickets into the air, and all eyes followed the shimmering swirl of color as they spun.
The first ticket shifted hue.
PURPLE.
"FIRE!!!" The crowd erupted, voices echoing across the open space.
Atlas joined in, just as thrilled. A purple on the first pull. Hopefully not the only one.
BROWN. BROWN. BROWN. BROWN. BROWN.
Everyone watched in tense silence, holding their breath as the next results rolled in.
"Come on, give us another purple at least."
BROWN. Still nothing. Please...
BROWN. PURPLE.
"FIRE!!!" the cheer rang out again.
BROWN.
Alright, two purples. Not bad progress at all. Better than the usual one. Wasting no time, Atlas tapped through the eight normal items with practiced speed, then drew a deep breath as he tapped on the first purple ticket.
Please let this be a character. A new character would seriously be a game-changer. Why are character pulls always this hard to get?
[You have received Rank-A Item: Elemental Beacon]
[Creates temporary safe zone vs. element.]
A blueprint... Atlas read the item description carefully and turned to explain it to the others.
It was a blueprint for a structure. A very practical one, especially considering how unpredictable the island’s environment could be. This could create safe zones, significantly reducing elemental impact for those nearby.
That’s good. Atlas could set this up in critical areas, especially near the production zones, training grounds, and living quarters for the residents.
Still... no character?
He moved on to the next purple ticket.
[You have received Rank-A Blueprint: Guardian Sentinel Statue]
[A defensive statue that awakens when enemies enter its range. It fights within a small radius, protecting the area but cannot move beyond it.]
Another blueprint?
"Let me explain," Atlas said to the group, lifting the item for everyone to see.
"This one works like a defense tower, only its form is that of a Guardian Sentinel Statue. Or basically, a golem. It activates when enemies step into its range. Its area of attack isn’t very wide, so it can’t move or be relocated once built, but it holds the ground really well."
Atlas could construct this structure alongside the Flame Beacon, and together they’d make a powerful defense combo for the island.
He definitely needed to start setting these up across the island. It would cost a lot of resources, especially since the Shattered Ember was vast and sprawling. But adding new defensive structures was far better than relying on a single elemental offensive tower alone.
"Alright, let’s move to the next ten tickets!" he said with excitement.
The guaranteed Rank-S was still a long way off, but he could feel his hands trembling with anticipation. Hopefully, it would arrive before he ran out of tickets. At the very least, a new character, please, please!
Or maybe a signature weapon? Who still didn’t have one? Baldric, Lyrassa, Raze. None of them had theirs yet.
Okay, let’s go!
Ten more tickets soared into the air.
PURPLE!
"FIRE!" the crowd shouted in unison. Once again, the very first ticket lit up in purple.
BROWN. BROWN. BROWN. BROWN.
Atlas held his breath as each ticket shimmered and shifted color.
BROWN. BROWN.
No second purple?
BROWN. BROWN
Really?
PURPLE!
"FIRE!" the chorus rang out again.
Atlas grinned, another two purples. Not bad at all. Could this be the pull that finally brought a new character?
The truth was, not all Rank-A items carried the same value. It was odd how they were grouped under the same ranking despite the wide gap in utility. But he wasn’t going to complain, he’d gotten these instantly, after all.
He quickly tapped through the eight normal items and braced himself as he opened the first Rank-A ticket.
Atlas drew in a breath and tapped to open the first Rank-A ticket.
The ticket shimmered for a moment... Was this something special? Then, suddenly, the glow began to twist and collide inward, collapsing into itself until it reformed into a glowing scroll.
A skill?
A Rank-A skill?
[You have received Rank-A Skill: Spirit Infusion]
[Temporarily merges with a tamed Spirit Beast, gaining part of its strength, abilities, and elemental affinity.]
Atlas stared at the description in stunned silence. Damn. Seriously? Temporarily merge with a tamed Spirit Beast? Isn’t that...
He turned and explained the skill to the others, trying to keep his voice even.
Gasps and voices erupted around him:
"Oh really? Does that mean the Lord could merge with Zefyros?" someone asked with wide eyes.
"That’s so cool! So you could swim underwater like it’s nothing, my lord!" another chimed in.
"Wait, so would you become the beast? Or does the beast become you? What actually happens?" someone else asked, genuinely curious.
"My lord, do it now! We want to see!"
Atlas couldn’t help but laugh, shaking his head as he stored the ticket safely away. "You’re kidding, right? Of course this skill’s mine. But let’s see how it works... later."
The thought of merging with Zefyros felt... a little unsettling to Atlas, if he was being honest.
But if it was true, if he could really tap into Zefyros’ talents and abilities. Wouldn’t that make him practically untouchable on the battlefield? Imagine it: direct control over both water and lightning, layered on top of the full skillset he already possessed.
Only... what would his form even become?
He pushed the thought aside for now and moved on to the next Rank-A pull.