Chapter 228: Chapter 228 - Explosions Over the Horizon
The visit by the Rank‑3 Lord ended abruptly. No escalation, no full‑blown battle. Even though Atlas still had reserves of explosive devices ready if things got dire.
He also still held one fresh item from the Gacha pulls: the Rank‑A Party Recall Crystal. He could escape easily with it if needed.
The other subordinates gathered closer, especially Edrik, who stood beside Atlas on his left, both watching the direction where Krovos had flown off.
"I must admit, My Lord, your threats earlier were... well, quite something," Edrik said, with his usual flair for exaggeration. Even Atlas thought the move was borderline insane, threatening a Rank‑3 Lord like that.
"What do you think are our chances if a battle does really happen?" Atlas asked.
"I’m sure we could deal serious damage to them," Edrik replied, "but I’m not confident we could fully even them out. Our only realistic option might be retreat."
Atlas sighed at that.
"You’re still Rank‑1, but you’ve just drawn the attention, and ire, of someone Rank‑3, My Lord."
"I’m not sure if that’s meant as a compliment or a warning, Edrik," Atlas said, turning the thought over in his mind.
He paused, thinking what his next move should be.
Return to Shattered Ember? Or push forward in the hunt? He still had enough explosive devices, and his level was still well below 100.
After a brief moment of consideration, Atlas chose to continue.
He was still fresh, his stamina at full, and Lyrassa was ready if needed. So they moved forward without hesitation.
But this time, Atlas chose to go solo. No Lyrassa, no Zefyros.
She would remain on standby, ready to jump in if things went south, but for now, Atlas wanted to see how far he could push himself alone. If this worked, he might just hit level 90 before the day ended.
The faster he reached 100, the sooner he could shift focus back to training and evolving his talents. All of this, every risk, every push, would pay off, but only if he kept moving.
Atlas rolled his shoulders and exhaled.
Nearby, Kurogasa and Serenith were already in position, ready to execute their part in luring the monsters. This time, twenty should be manageable.
Atlas would take them on alone.
Atlas and the others had finished setting up the explosive devices. The sun was nearly kissing the horizon. This would be the final hunt of the day.
He activated every item he had that could boost experience gain and enhance his overall damage output. No more holding back.
With a flick of his wrist, the full form of his armor materialized around him, gleaming with power, and the Wavebreaker Spear appeared firmly in his grasp. Atlas clenched his hand tightly around it, steadying his breath.
Lyrassa stood nearby, ready to shield him from the wave of explosions soon to come from the front. As long as she didn’t deal damage or cast buffs on him directly, her presence wouldn’t be counted toward the monster kill credit.
Atlas, meanwhile, braced himself. Most of the time, he wouldn’t even be using his spear like a proper melee fighter. No, not today. Today he’d rain down destruction from a distance, launching spell after spell like a battle-mage wielding raw elemental force.
It was honestly ironic. He carried a spear, yet fought like a long-range caster. And seriously? Using spells this way wasn’t just draining his mana, it was draining him. Mentally, physically. After this, he’d probably sleep for an entire day.
But for now, he only had one goal in mind: Finish this. Fast.
[Name: Atlas Blackthorn]
[Level: 78]
[Strength: 250 | Agility: 200 | Intelligence: 200 | Constitution: 180 | Stamina: 200]
Level 78—what a beautiful number. It was satisfying just to look at.
Up ahead, the line of trees was already rustling violently, the sounds of thundering footsteps breaking through the underbrush. The monsters were charging in—snarling, colliding with each other in a frenzy of wild movement.
This time, Atlas had set the explosive devices in a more scattered formation, covering a wider radius. His level had risen, and with it, his damage output had been boosted significantly.
He was ready.
Spiral Tide—he unleashed the vortex, forcing the monsters together. More spells followed in quick succession, waves of water and lightning crashing into the incoming horde. Then, without pause, spears of water rained down from above like deadly harpoons.
The monsters surged forward.
Lyrassa reacted quickly, casting a protective shield in front of Atlas just as the first wave of explosions erupted.
Boom after boom roared across the field. Fire blasted skyward, obscuring everything in a towering wall of heat and pressure. The ground shook with every detonation, and the sheer force of it all pounded at their eardrums.
Atlas kept pushing. Spell after spell, draining every last drop of energy from himself. He could taste blood in his mouth, feel his muscles scream under the strain. His body was reaching its absolute limit.
And still, the explosions came.
System messages flooded his vision, one after another.
Until finally, the last explosion went off.
Serenith and Morganna swooped in, grabbing both Atlas and Lyrassa, pulling them away from the burning epicenter just as the smoke and fire began to settle behind them.
[...]
[You have leveled up]
[Level 88]
[Exp: 207,045/544,498]
**
Atlas had truly fallen asleep for two whole days before he finally stirred awake, finding himself in Gacha Haven. He sat up quickly on the edge of his bed, reaching for the glass of water beside him and gulping it down to soothe his parched throat.
It wasn’t that he hadn’t woken up at all during those two days. He had stirred several times. Lyrassa had come by more than once to check on him, making sure he was okay. Though in truth, Atlas wasn’t ill. He was just utterly, completely exhausted, and his body had needed proper, uninterrupted rest.
Like... was it really so wrong to let himself unwind like this once in a while? Not unwinding, really. Resting was just as crucial as training, wasn’t it?
He stepped out of his room and caught sight of the workers busy tending to the far end of the garden. Mira was nowhere to be seen; she was probably still tied up managing the carrots over at Shattered Ember.
Some time later, Edrik and Lyrassa approached him.
"You seem to have recovered well, my lord," Edrik said.
"Yes, I believe I’m ready to resume my responsibilities. Any new updates, Edrik?"
Edrik gave a respectful bow and guided Atlas toward the edge of the island, though the view from there wasn’t especially clear. He handed Atlas what looked like a telescope and gestured for him to take a look into the distance.
Through the lens, Atlas spotted a small floating island just barely visible from their vantage point in Gacha Haven.
Edrik began to explain.
"We’ve exited the Saharasia Continent’s airspace. We’re now flying above open waters. Luna, Celestia, and even Brigid have followed suit, along with Shattered Ember, which is tailing not too far behind."
Atlas handed the device back to Edrik with a nod.
"Honestly, it’s kind of refreshing to know we’re heading into a new continent soon. Especially with the new Lord Battle season arriving in less than a week."
It all felt a bit sudden. Barely had they crossed from one continent before a fresh wave of battles awaited them, this time in uncharted territory.
He went on, "We should be approaching the Mediterra region first, then likely heading toward the Middle Kingdom, assuming the island continues drifting in this direction. From the look of its current path, it’s likely we’ll enter the western stretch of the Middle Kingdom territory. It’s a bit of a gamble, really, where exactly we’ll start our first Lord Battle season on this new continent."
Atlas turned his gaze toward Edrik, who responded with a quiet bow in his direction.
"According to Luna’s report," Edrik continued, "Mediterra and the Middle Kingdom each have their own distinct traits. While Mediterra primarily relies on advanced technology to drive their movement and infrastructure, the Middle Kingdom employs a blend of both tech and tradition. Most of their fighters are martial arts specialists, and because the Middle Kingdom spans such a vast area in Pangaea Nova, they also offer a wider variety of combat styles and disciplines."
"Yes, I’ve heard the competition in the Middle Kingdom is far more intense," Atlas replied thoughtfully. "But I wouldn’t mind if we end up engaging with both regions at the same time."