Chapter 222: Chapter 222 - Ride the Storm
A dark, shadowy form began to materialize in the air before Atlas. It hovered effortlessly, cloaked in tendrils of lightning that crackled softly around it. His eyes widened in surprise, the shape looked familiar. It reminded him of something he had long wanted ever since he first laid eyes on it.
[You have received Rank-A Item: Nimbus Carriage]
[A floating carriage forged from darksteel. Leaves thunder and mist in its wake. Responds only to its rightful master’s command.]
A wide grin spread across Atlas’s face as the item fully revealed itself. The carriage was stunning, its base rested on a swirling cluster of lightning clouds, large enough to carry at least ten passengers, maybe more. It hovered confidently in front of the crowd, its black steel frame gleaming under the lamplight.
It was easily twice the size of Luna’s floating carriage, the one she often brought with her to Gacha Haven.
Atlas turned to explain the item to everyone, and the crowd immediately erupted with reactions:
"Are we gonna get zapped just by riding it?" someone joked, laughing.
"Damn, that looks incredible. I call first ride!"
Another voice chimed in, "If this thing moves like it looks, the enemies won’t even see us coming!"
From near the edge of the stage, Mira raised a hand and waved enthusiastically. "My Lord, I want to ride in the carriage!" she called out with a big smile.
Atlas gave her a nod, then turned to Edrik, who gave a short bow before stepping forward.
Without another word, Atlas leapt down from the stage and gripped the elegant handle of the carriage door. With a smooth motion, he pulled it open and peered inside.
The interior was surprisingly spacious. Two rows of seats faced each other along the sides, with an additional pair facing forward toward the front, almost like a compact luxury bus.
He stepped in, moving toward the forward-facing seats as Mira eagerly followed, her eyes wide with wonder at the sleek interior.
Edrik climbed in next, quietly making his way toward the back, observing the landscape outside through the carriage’s transparent glass windows that offered a full panoramic view of their surroundings.
Atlas already had a mount, the floating throne. But it served a different purpose. The throne could hover steadily in place, and while it was functional, its speed was fairly standard.
But, what about this Nimbus Carriage?
With a focused mental command, he activated the Nimbus Carriage. The sound of its wheels turning echoed with a low rumble, and before he could brace himself, the entire carriage surged forward.
Startled, Atlas glanced out the window. The volcanic haze and rocky terrain outside blurred past in streaks of red and gold. The carriage was moving fast. It soared high above the island’s surface, gliding along its edges with a grace and power that felt almost effortless.
"Does this mean we can actually use this for long-distance travel?" he asked, half in awe.
Edrik, standing behind him, responded with a steady voice. "It’s faster than the floating throne, my Lord. In fact, I’d say it’s even faster than Lady Luna’s carriage. Of course, using something like this off-island could be risky. Flying transports tend to draw attention, but this is certainly a proper form of travel."
Atlas nodded thoughtfully.
He reached out and ran his fingers along the interior wall of the carriage. The surface was cool and solid. Crafted from something far more refined than ordinary material. Then, he noticed Mira leaning toward the window, her eyes following something outside.
Curious, Atlas turned his gaze in the same direction, and there she was. A bright, crimson streak cut through the air, trailing sparks of flame behind it. Serenith.
She waved at them mid-flight, her form cutting clean through the sky.
Mira moved to the window, opened it. "Sera! Do you want to ride the carriage too?"
"Mira...! I can barely keep up! That thing is way too fast. Hah!" Serenith called out, laughing as she flew alongside them.
Atlas tried to slow the carriage’s pace with another mental command, but even at its slowest, it was still incredibly fast. Too fast for anyone flying to match it easily.
Still, Serenith was determined. She adjusted her trajectory, closed the distance, and with perfect timing, reached out, grabbed hold of the carriage’s frame, and leapt inside. Her mechanical wings folded neatly behind her as she pulled the door closed.
She let out a soft giggle, caught her breath, and took a seat, gripping the armrest as the carriage continued gliding across the sky.
Atlas let the carriage continue its flight, guiding it beyond the island’s boundary. And just as they passed the edge of the island’s perimeter, he held his breath.
Time seemed to pause for a brief second. Until the carriage fully crossed into open airspace beyond the Shattered Ember.
Only then did he exhale.
Mira hurried toward the back, pressing her hands against the window to peer out. The island was already growing smaller behind them.
"Woah... the island looks tiny from here, hahaha!" she said with wide-eyed wonder.
With this carriage, Atlas realized he might actually be able to visit other islands, ones without teleportation access. Just like the other Lords who used their own personal transports to travel between territories. The thought was exciting.
He could finally visit Luna’s island. Or Brigid’s. Or even Celestia’s, riding the Nimbus Carriage through the skies to places untouched by the network.
But he knew this wasn’t the right time.
The carriage surged forward, lightning trailing in its wake, cutting through the night sky beneath the pale glow of the moon. Then, without warning, it spun into a sudden, sharp maneuver. So swift that Atlas was thrown slightly to the side from the force.
It steadied again, realigning its path back toward the Shattered Ember.
"Hah... another extraordinary pull. If only every Rank-A item could feel as exhilarating as this one."
It was a good reminder: he needed to pace himself. Resist the urge to burn through all his tickets in one go. As his level and rank increased, the quality of his pulls would only grow stronger. Patience now would lead to far greater rewards in the future.
Atlas had also been thinking, what if he shifted focus entirely to character banners? Two Rank-S characters could prove far more valuable than just one paired with their signature weapon. The thought lingered.
But there was a catch. He’d have to wait until a new banner rotated in, and that could take time.
Still, he couldn’t ignore how morale surged across the Haven whenever someone received their signature weapon. The way it enhanced not just their abilities, but their confidence. That impact went beyond raw stats.
He needed to weigh this carefully. His ticket stockpile was starting to run low, and every choice from here on out had to be calculated.
A short while later, the carriage began its descent, hovering once again above the gathering area where the residents of Gacha Haven had assembled. Though the Nimbus Carriage couldn’t land completely, it floated steadily just above ground level.
Atlas and the others leapt out one by one, landing lightly on the stone path below. With a swift gesture, he stored the carriage back into his inventory.
"Don’t worry," he announced, turning to the crowd, "once this is over, I’ll give everyone a chance to try it out. One at a time."
A wave of cheers and enthusiastic laughter followed.
Alright. Fifty ticket pulls done. Just thirty more until the guaranteed Rank-S item.
But the night was far from over, and he still had enough tickets to make that happen.
Let another celebration find us tonight, he thought, raising his hand.
Then, ten gold tickets soared into the sky.
The first ticket flickered violently, shifting through glowing hues before settling, PURPLE.
"FIRE!!!" the crowd roared in unison.
The closer they got to the guaranteed pull, the higher the chances climbed, and so did the energy. The atmosphere was electric with expectation.
BROWN. BROWN. BROWN.
The flickering slowed. The crowd leaned in, holding their breath.
BROWN. BROWN.
Seriously? Just one purple? Come on.
BROWN.
Please, just one more purple. Atlas clenched his fist, breath held tight.
BROWN. BROWN.
Still no purple. Not like this.
Then, the final ticket, the tenth, began to flicker. Slower than the others. The glow pulsed longer, brighter.
Atlas’s mouth fell slightly open.
What is this? Could it be...?
And then, the color shifted.
A burst of light.
The crowd erupted.
"FIRE!!!!"
At last, it had arrived. The Rank-S pull!