Chapter 223: Chapter 223 - The Official Food of Gacha Haven
Sixty pulls. Twenty more to go before the guaranteed Rank-S reward. It wasn’t as huge as the thrill of his first exclusive banner win, but this was still a massive victory.
The only question now was: Was this Serenith’s Signature Weapon, the one Atlas truly needed?
If not, he still had another sixty gold tickets left to spend. But that didn’t mean success was guaranteed. Even then, he’d be gambling.
He’d need to reassess everything if this wasn’t it.
Without wasting time, Atlas opened the eight normal tickets first. As the lights dimmed around those results, only two floated in the air now. One glowing purple, the other burning red.
He inhaled slowly and reached for the purple one first.
As his hand touched it, the ticket pulsed, releasing a deep black aura. He narrowed his eyes, watching as the dark glow condensed and transformed into a small, sharp-edged cube.
Wait, he recognized this.
Then, the system notification flashed before his eyes:
[You have received Rank-A Item: Soulbinding Armor Set]
"Oh... the Soulbinding Armor," he muttered with a grin. Ironic, really. It was an incredible item, and it was this very armor that had pushed him to take the bold leap that eventually led him to win this island.
And yes, he had won. And as part of that victory, he had begun the mass production of this very set.
Atlas turned to explain the item once more to the gathered crowd. Especially since many of them were newcomers. He reminded them that it was only a matter of time before his vision became reality: everyone would be equipped with this armor.
For now, he already had someone in mind to receive this particular set... but he’d keep that decision to himself, for now.
Then his eyes shifted to the last remaining ticket, the red one.
The air buzzed with anticipation. He could feel it in the silence that followed. Every pair of eyes was locked onto that glowing ticket.
Even his own heartbeat had quickened. His hands trembled slightly as he reached toward it.
Serenith stood beside Mira, both wide-eyed and breathless with excitement, almost frozen in place.
"Will our party end here tonight..." Atlas called out, a grin playing on his lips, "or are we about to start another round of pulls?"
"FIRE! Open the ticket, my Lord!" the crowd roared back in unison.
Atlas reached out and touched the ticket. The moment his fingers brushed it, the ticket pulsed, glowing brightly before beginning to crack, as though something immense was forcing its way out.
At the same time, he caught a glimpse of Serenith’s face. Her eyes were wide, lips parted in anticipation, barely containing the urge to burst into celebration.
Could it be...?
Suddenly, the ticket exploded. Once, twice, then again in a burst of cascading light. Atlas instinctively stepped back as fragments of magical energy scattered around him.
Then the light faded... revealing a floating object.
A weapon.
It was mid-sized, shaped like a sleek, high-powered bazooka, forged in gleaming obsidian black, with glowing crimson lines pulsing down its frame like veins.
Atlas grinned.
[You have received Rank-S Weapon: (Legendary-grade) Crimson Thunder]
He reached for it, his hand meeting its heavy weight. The moment he lifted it into the air, the crowd erupted.
"FIRE!!!" Everyone shouted in unison, voices booming through the night.
With a burst of wind, Serenith soared toward him, wings fluttering as she touched down gently beside him, her face lit up with joy.
"Tonight’s gacha session is officially over," Atlas said with a grin, turning toward the crowd. "And we’re lucky to have pulled Serenith’s signature weapon."
He handed the gleaming weapon to its rightful wielder.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you so much, My Lord!!" Serenith said, her voice bright and filled with pure excitement.
Atlas laughed, then glanced at her again. "So, what do you think we need to take down the island boss?"
"My Lord," Serenith replied confidently, "if we can rally enough people at level 100, I believe we can defeat the first island boss here."
"I agree," Atlas nodded, his expression turning resolute. "Then it’s settled. We push everyone to level 100."
**
The next morning, Atlas stepped out of his tent, stretching slightly as he was met with the same suffocating heat as the night before. The morning air was no different from the evening. Dry, thick, and biting against his skin. Even the sky above remained dark and heavy with clouds.
He exhaled slowly, thinking to himself that he really needed to figure out how to make this island more livable for its people.
It was around five in the morning, and already the workers and soldiers were gathering in the central area, preparing for the day’s hunt. Most were sharing breakfast, voices low but full of energy.
But Atlas had something else on his mind.
Last night, Mira had told him she wanted to show him something first thing in the morning. And right on cue, the bunny gardener appeared in front of him, waving with both hands—her smile as wide, innocent, and impossibly cute as ever.
"My Lord! I want to show you something!" she beamed.
Atlas smiled and gave a nod.
Without missing a beat, Mira began to hop along ahead of him, leading the way while cheerfully singing:
"Carrot in the ground, orange and sweet!
La la la la
Dig it up fast. It’s the best treat!
La la la la"
Atlas followed her through the winding paths until they arrived at a wide open field. One side of the land was bordered by a slow-moving lava stream, while on the other side, a handful of workers were already tilling the soil with shovels, smoothing out the volcanic terrain.
"What are you doing out here?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"My Lord, based on my analysis and several very scientific experiments," she said with dramatic seriousness, "carrots grow perfectly in volcanic soil because the heat makes them sweeter, and the lava vibrations encourage faster root dancing!"
Atlas frowned slightly. "Are you sure all the carrots we have in stock are actually being used properly? None are going to waste, right?"
Mira turned to him with a proud, shining smile. "My Lord, carrots can be used for everything!"
She held up a finger and started counting:
"Carrot soup, carrot juice, carrot stew, pickled carrots, spicy carrot jam, carrot shampoo, carrot fuel. Well, sort of, carrot polishing oil, carrot pillows, and... uh... carrot-powered music boxes!"
"Everyone loves carrots, so nothing is wasted!"
Atlas blinked. "I’m starting to consider making carrots the official food of Gacha Haven."
"That’s a wonderful idea, My Lord!" she squealed, bouncing in place with excitement.
Atlas stayed there for a while, listening to Mira’s endless chatter about her undying love for carrots. Just like every other day. Eventually, they made their way back to the breakfast area, where, once again, Mira had taken full control over his meal.
This time, she had replaced his usual breakfast with... carrot cake.
"Carrot cake? In the morning?" Atlas asked, eyeing the plate skeptically.
Mira smiled up at him with those wide, sparkling, innocent eyes.
"Of course, my Lord! Carrot cake is perfect for breakfast because it’s packed with natural sugars for energy, the carrots give you fiber to keep your tummy happy, it improves eyesight so you can spot rare drops better, it makes your hair shinier, and it sets your mood for the whole day! Oh, and it’s orange. Orange makes people smile!"
Atlas blinked. That was a lot of logic... but she was incredibly convincing.
He took a spoonful of the carrot cake and brought it to his mouth. The moment it touched his tongue... it melted.
The texture. The sweetness. The warmth. The cuteness?! It was perfect.
"This is so sweet!" he exclaimed, eyes lighting up.
Then, without a second thought, he stood up and shouted to the entire crowd:
"Everyone must eat carrots this morning!"
The entire breakfast area turned to stare at him in stunned silence, many of them swallowing hard. Uncertain but obedient.
Except for Mira.
She simply beamed, basking in the glow of what could only be described as her greatest victory yet.
A short while later, Atlas walked away from the breakfast area, grinning to himself as the sight of nearly everyone eating carrot cake played back in his mind.
He couldn’t help it. It had been a strangely successful morning.
With a light chuckle, he turned his focus forward. Edrik was already waiting, standing with his usual calm presence just ahead.
Another big day of level grinding awaited him.
Atlas rolled his shoulders, cracking his knuckles. It was time.