Chapter 212: Chapter 212 - Overload Flare
Atlas crouched low, one foot braced firmly against the stone beneath him.
Then, with a sharp breath and a surge of force, he launched himself into the air.
He could feel the island’s hot winds scraping past his skin, heat rising from the scorched terrain below. But despite it, there was a thrill in his chest. He wasn’t leaping alone anymore. Even if all he could do was jump... at least Sera could fly.
His body cut cleanly through the wind as he soared to the peak of his arc, cloak billowing violently behind him. With a quick pulse of mana, he triggered the Mana Cape’s glider mode.
He hovered for a moment, steady. Just as a sudden streak of crimson tore down from above.
He turned his head and saw rocketing toward him.
"My Lord! I’m gonna catch you—hahaha!" she shouted.
Before he could brace himself, her arms wrapped tightly around his torso from behind. And in the next heartbeat. They were flying.
Atlas barely had time to adjust before the wind screamed around him. Sera’s body pressed close against his back as she dipped and curved with terrifying ease, cutting through the sky like a blade through silk.
"Ahahaha! So, tell me, My Lord. Are you enjoying this? You’re not afraid of heights, are you?" she yelled, pure happiness lacing every word.
Honestly, after riding that monster bird a few times, Atlas had grown less frantic about flying. He wasn’t exactly calm. But he wasn’t screaming either.
Still, Sera was fast. If he didn’t trust her as much as he did, the altitude alone would’ve had him clenching his teeth in panic.
Below them, the world blurred into streaks of scorched black and glowing red.
Shattered Ember stretched wide beneath their flight path. Lava pulsed through deep cracks in the obsidian terrain, glowing like molten veins.
They circled the island’s outer rim once before Sera caught a powerful updraft, wings flaring wide.
She banked toward one of the island’s tallest peaks. A jagged mountain with a volcano crater still glowing at its heart.
With a sharp dive and perfect control, Sera angled her wings and dropped low. They touched down together at the very edge of the caldera, boots kicking up a cloud of ash and dust across the scorched stone.
The wind howled around them.
Sera released him gently and spun in place, eyes gleaming with unfiltered excitement.
"See? Told you it was a good view!" she said, followed by a bubbly giggle.
"Well, I was a little surprised... I think I might’ve peed myself a bit."
"What? Seriously? Hahaha!"
"No. Just kidding, of course."
Sera’s face shifted instantly, a look of wide-eyed shock turning into a burst of laughter so strong she had to bend over, clutching her sides as she tried to contain it. After a moment, she straightened again, beaming from ear to ear.
"I’ve heard so many stories about Gacha Haven, and your obsession with training! Haha," she said with an enthusiastic bounce in her step. "I’m really glad you brought me here. There’s so much we can do. And now you even have a second island. It’s so exciting!"
"Is that so?" Atlas replied, smiling. "Well, this is also the first time I’ve had a real conversation with you."
"Hum!" She nodded eagerly. "I’ll tell you everything you want to know! My battles, my favorite tactics—how much I adore explosions! And if you want, we can head straight into a fight. Aww, too bad I missed the Dominion Skirmish!"
"No worries. We’ll have plenty more Dominion Skirmishes in the future."
"Yeay!" she cheered, her whole body lighting up with energy.
"Now, first question, Sera. What was your rank before I summoned you here?"
Sera tilted her head slightly, a puzzled look crossing her face. "Uhm... for some reason, I can’t remember clearly what happened before I was summoned. It’s like... my memories are a bit jumbled up, ehe." She grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, my Lord. Maybe they’ll come back after I get an upgrade?"
"Oh? That’s the first time this has happened. Everyone else remembered their past just fine... but no worries. Now, let’s inspect your status."
[Name: Serenith]
[Level: 82]
[Strength: 145 | Agility: 320 | Intelligence: 255 | Constitution: 140 | Stamina: 220]
[Job: Ranged Combatant]
"Level 82!" Atlas exclaimed, eyes widening as he scanned the glowing interface in front of him.
He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. It wasn’t just her level, her total stats were insane. Over a thousand points. That put her on par with someone at level 100 under normal scaling.
"Yeah, my Lord! My level got nerfed hard, ehe," Sera said with a cheerful grin. "I think I used to be in the 200s? Or maybe even the 300s? Ugh, I hate this scrambled memory thing."
"Well, that’s fine," Atlas replied, still half-stunned. "I’m pretty sure your level is the highest among us right now. But we’ll be pushing hard after this. I want everyone to hit level 100 as soon as possible, before we move into Rank-2."
Sera pumped her fist, eyes lighting up. "Let’s do it! I’m ready anytime!"
[Overload Flare (SS) - Phoenix Mockery (S) - Stormrider Instinct (A) - Chain Detonation (A) - Fearless Banter (A) - Boom Count (B) - Emberstorm Aura (S)]
Atlas continued analyzing her talent list, and what he found was nothing short of astounding.
One Rank-SS talent stood out immediately: Overload Flare.
This seemed to be her ultimate ability. A talent that allowed her to convert stamina directly into explosive force and flight speed. Judging from how she fought, it was clear, Sera didn’t hold back. She poured everything into one massive detonation. One overwhelming blast, designed to obliterate the enemy in a single strike... though the price was clear. She’d be drained after.
Still, at the right moment? She could be the deciding factor of an entire battle.
[Overload Flare: Excess energy can be funneled into weapon or wings, creating a devastating blast at the cost of stamina.]
Then came the next talent, a Rank-S Phoenix Mockery.
[Phoenix Mockery: Brief revival after fatal damage, returning with diminished strength but unbroken spirit.]
Atlas blinked, stunned. Damn. She was practically immortal with this. The ability to briefly revive after fatal damage? That alone could turn the tide of a losing fight.
Sure, there was probably a drawback. But it meant she could escape death in critical moments.
What kind of battle had defeated someone like this and led to her summoning?
The next two talents continued the trend, supporting her blazing flight speed and sheer destructive power.
[Stormrider Instinct: Natural adaptation to turbulent air currents grants enhanced aerial maneuverability in storm conditions.]
[Chain Detonation: Explosive attacks trigger frequent secondary bursts, amplifying battlefield impact.]
Clearly, she wasn’t just built for speed and power, she thrived in chaos. The faster and messier the skies, the deadlier she became.
Then came two talents that didn’t focus on raw combat. But perfectly captured her chaotic personality.
[Fearless Banter: Direct and energetic speech draws honest responses, even from hostile or closed-off individuals.]
[Boom Count: Obsessively counts every explosion out loud]
Atlas couldn’t help but shake his head. Not dangerous like Mira’s cute charm, but still chaotic in her own way. Thank the stars there wasn’t a second mind-warping girl on the team. That would’ve been a nightmare.
And finally, the last talent. Rank-S. A defensive aura.
[Emberstorm Aura: A fiery aura manifests during prolonged combat, creating pressure waves with each wingbeat.]
A self-defense mechanism against close-range attacks. A natural deterrent.
With massive damage output, a resurrection ability, aerial dominance, and now a protective aura—Sera had everything... except her signature weapon.
Once she had that, she’d be complete.
A one-woman weapon of mass destruction.
"What do you think, my Lord?" Sera asked, her wide grin practically glowing with excitement.
Atlas let out a quiet breath, shaking his head in disbelief. "Well... you’re absolutely incredible," he said, eyes still on her status screen. "And since I’ve still got enough gacha tickets, we’re going to pull your signature weapon right away. No point in waiting."
Yes, especially considering it might be a while before another banner rotated in. It was far better to fully unlock the potential of one unit than to gather many with none at their peak.
Even with 80 tickets, there was no guarantee he’d get her weapon... but there was hope. Always hope.
And if Atlas could defeat the two remaining boss monsters on this island in the near future, the rewards would be extraordinary. Enough to push their team to the next level.
"Alright, now I think it’s time we set up some new structures on this island, for the rest of the team."
"Alright~!" Sera chimed.