Chapter 213: Chapter 213 - The Stormbinding Trial
Atlas opened his island management interface, and a full virtual projection of the land bloomed before him. Floating and rotating in place, like a living map etched in glowing light. A faint smile tugged at his lips as he studied the scale.
This island was massive.
Far larger than his main island. The difference was staggering.
"This kind of dynamic environment island is risky to build on if not planned carefully," he murmured, eyes narrowing as he zoomed in on various areas. "The terrain can shift drastically... the environment itself is unpredictable."
"Yes, my Lord, but that’s exactly what makes it fun!" Sera giggled. "It won’t ever get boring. We’ll have all kinds of seasons and weather year-round!"
Atlas nodded slowly, then scanned the region they were standing on. A massive volcano at the island’s edge, its crater still glowing faintly. Surrounding them were high plateaus, steep ridges, and twisted scarps of volcanic rock. He also marked the two long caves he’d explored earlier.
The rest of the island was broken and scattered. Jagged terrain, fractured stone, and dangerous ledges that made settlement a nightmare. It was as if the island itself didn’t want to be lived on.
"I wonder if Mira still wants to build her carrot garden here," he muttered under his breath.
Then, with precise gestures, he began constructing a few essential structures.
He placed several huts near the cave mouths, right where his troops were currently stationed. It would give them quick shelter and rally points.
Next, he summoned the blueprint for a blacksmith workshop and dropped it close to one of the natural mineral veins. Perfect for Baldric, who could start forging with direct access to the raw materials.
He considered building a hot spring for rest and morale... but then glanced around.
This was already a volcanic island. Natural hot springs were bound to be everywhere. He decided to leave that to personal discovery later.
"We could construct a Flame Tower in a strategic position to help fight the surface boss monster," he mused aloud. "But considering this one has an extremely high affinity with fire... I doubt explosions will do much."
He turned to Sera.
She gave a small nod. "Yes, my Lord, it won’t be very effective. But we can still keep blasting it. Damage is still damage. It’s just a matter of whether we outlast them... or they outlast us."
Atlas gave a thoughtful sigh. "That’s not the most efficient strategy, though."
The second boss monster, the one with ice affinity, was still hiding deep within the cave system. But for now, that section of the cave was sealed off, blocked by a collapse caused during one of their earlier skirmishes.
Atlas would need to rethink his approach.
Two elemental titans. Fire on the surface. Ice in the depths.
And he had to defeat both, soon.
Atlas summoned his final class advancement quest. The last key to unlocking the full potential of his new class.
[Quest 3: "Stormbinding Challenge"]
[Objective: Stabilize a violent surge of storm energy without dispelling it, using controlled elemental manipulation.]
[Location: An open terrain exposed to unstable weather and raw elemental turbulence.]
[Challenges:]
[- Withstand the pressure of water and lightning converging in real time.]
[- Channel both elements through your spear to redirect the surge.]
[- Maintain control without breaking the elemental balance.]
He’d analyzed this quest before. It resembled his first class trial in some ways, but this one clearly demanded more than raw strength or resilience.
The greater the control he demonstrated, the higher the possible reward. That much was clear.
This meant one thing: he needed to find an island saturated with storm energy. Open skies, violent winds, and volatile elemental conditions. A natural storm forge.
Interesting.
Another journey lay ahead.
With this in mind, Atlas turned to Sera. "We’re heading back. Let’s regroup with the other Lords."
"Alright~!" she chirped, wings already spreading as she prepared for takeoff.
**
Atlas rejoined Luna, Ember, Celestia, Brigid, and Edrik at their temporary camp. Set up not far from the edge of the caldera. The heat from the scorched terrain shimmered in the air, and Luna, dressed in her usual moon-toned outfit, looked as if she were seconds from melting under the volcanic sun.
"I’m not sure we’ll find an island like that anywhere nearby, Atlas," Luna was the first to speak.
"An island with massive storm activity might exist," she continued, "but I doubt it’ll be enough to complete that quest. And honestly, why is your quest this brutal?" Her tone was laced with both frustration and concern.
Before Atlas could respond, Ember jumped in with her usual grin.
"Luna, come on. You know Atlas is cunning. He needs a class with overwhelming potential to back him up. He’s going to have a lot of enemies soon, hahaha!"
Atlas sighed, brow furrowing. "Ember, you keep giving me all these mocking titles. They’re starting to pile up."
"That’s a compliment, you know," she said with a giggle, clearly unbothered.
Luna, now regaining her usual poise, shifted back to a serious expression.
"Atlas," she said firmly, "I’m certain we’ll find an island like the one you need once we reach Pangaea Nova. We’ll be visiting the Middle Kingdom for the first time, and that region is full of steep highlands and unstable weather conditions. Even the lower lands are notoriously brutal. I’m confident you’ll find exactly the type of island your quest requires there."
Atlas paused, thinking it over. Then he nodded.
"I suppose we can wait. And yes... we don’t really have much of a choice, do we?"
And once the discussion around his class quest had wrapped up, Atlas shifted to another pressing concern. One that had been weighing on him even more heavily.
Leveling.
Both for himself, and for his subordinates.
"We can remain on this island for resource gathering and Soulbinding Armor crafting," Atlas began. "The pace will be stable. We just need to give Baldric time. Though it will take a while before everything is finished."
Everyone turned their attention to him now, listening intently.
"But the number of monsters here is limited," he continued, pausing briefly. "It’s not nearly enough to push the entire squad to level 100."
"Atlas!" Ember immediately piped up. "Are you seriously planning to reach level 100 soon?"
"Yes," he answered plainly. "As soon as possible. At least for myself, the elite subordinates, and the team leaders. The rest can catch up after."
Ember tilted her head, an intrigued glint in her eyes. "I actually do have an idea... though I’m not sure if you’d be willing to try it."
"I’m confident that whatever idea Ember has, it’s not a good one," Luna sighed, already rubbing her temples.
Celestia laughed softly from the side. "Let me guess. Are you planning to suggest Atlas hunts in a Rank-2 island, Ember?"
"Exactly!" Ember said proudly. "We go monster hunting on a Rank-2 island. Take on level 100 monsters. It’ll boost your level fast, especially if you can kill them efficiently. What do you think?"
Atlas actually found himself intrigued by the idea. He’d already been to a Rank-2 island before. Shattered Ember itself had once been one, after all. And now it was under his command.
He turned toward Edrik, silently seeking his opinion.
Edrik gave a slight bow, already anticipating the next steps. "I can organize a rotation of combat members to accompany you, my Lord. You won’t need to handle it alone."
He smiled and turned to Luna and the other again.
"Now, tell me. Does anyone have recommendations for which island we should go to?"