Chapter 204: Chapter 204 - Dual Daggers and Double Standards
[You have received 1 Rank-S Character: Milo Blackwood – The Wandering Magician.]
[You have received a duplicate. The character has been converted into a Memory Shard.]
Milo...
Atlas’s lips curved into a faint smile as realization sank in. The moment the black card shimmered into existence before him, hovering gently in the air, the entire hall seemed to buzz with anticipation.
Just like with Mira before, this card wasn’t just a pull, it was a window. A path into Milo’s past, his memories, his life before the island had claimed him.
Milo froze for a moment, his hands shuffling his deck nervously. Then, as if pulled by an unseen thread, he stepped forward. In his flustered state, the cards slipped from his hands, scattering across the ground as he hurried toward the stage.
Atlas chuckled quietly, watching the nervous man fumble his way forward until he finally stood before him, shoulders stiff, eyes clouded with uncertainty.
Lifting the glowing card, Atlas spoke with calm certainty. "Milo, I pulled a copy of you... which means I now have access to walk through your past." His tone softened, careful. "If you’re uncomfortable with it, I won’t use it. I can keep the card sealed."
Milo looked up, emotions flickering in his eyes. For a long moment, silence hung between them. Before he exhaled, shoulders loosen as he bowed his head slightly.
"My Lord... I-I don’t mind. I will leave that decision to you."
Atlas then turned back to the crowd, and in an instant, the entire gathering erupted into cheers.
"DO IT, MILO! SHOW US SOMETHING COOL!"
"THE WANDERING MAGICIAN! LET’S GOOOOO!"
"MILOOOOOO! DON’T BE SHY!"
"OUR FIRST RANK-S MEMORY WALK! THIS IS INSANE!"
"MY LORD, USE THE CARD!"
Atlas smiled, looking back at Milo. "Seems like they’re all eager."
Milo exhaled slowly, gripping his deck a little tighter.
Atlas’s smile widened at the answer.
Milo, Raze, was terrifying enough already, even without upgrades. And now? He had just become the second duplicate character... and the very first Rank-S unit to achieve an upgrade. The system wasn’t joking anymore. This was monstrous.
Even without his signature weapon, Milo was already a nightmare on the battlefield, wreaking havoc wherever he moved. With this evolution? Atlas could practically unleash him alone and expect devastation.
The only question was, would this upgrade bring something positive? Or would it drive Milo even deeper into the wild chaos of his alternate persona, making him a force even harder to control?
But this also meant something else. Atlas would get a glimpse into Milo’s past. Just like he had with Mira.
Back then, he never expected the cheerful, innocent girl to have such a dark history.
And now, he had to wonder, what about Milo?
The man who always seemed nervous, always avoided attention, who rarely met anyone’s eyes for too long.
What had he gone through?
Would Atlas find answers in his memories?
Would he want to?
Meanwhile, near the edge of the crowd, Edrik stood beside Luna and the others, calmly explaining the significance of what was happening on stage.
Luna and Celestia listened intently, nodding slightly, their expressions curious. Ember, on the other hand, looked absolutely hyped.
Atlas, noticing their reactions, grinned before turning his attention back to the crowd before him.
He still had plenty of tickets. And, if needed, he had enough Arcane Shards to exchange for exclusive pulls.
Tonight, he was going to secure the featured character. No doubt about it. And he couldn’t wait.
Atlas lifted his hand, voice carrying through the air.
"The night isn’t over yet. Let’s roll the gacha!"
A wave of cheers erupted. FIRE!!!"
With a sharp flick of his wrist, Atlas threw 10 golden tickets into the air.
The crowd exploded with anticipation as the pulls began.
Atlas threw another 10 tickets into the air. And this time, two of them flashed purple!
Not bad!
The energy in the crowd remained electric, the excitement of the gacha event far from over.
But Atlas wasn’t slowing down. He knew that 80 pulls were needed to guarantee the rate-up character, so he streamlined the process. Only stopping for impactful items and skipping the rest for later distribution.
Then, two new pulls revealed themselves:
[You have received Rank-A Weapon: (Epic-grade) Obsidian Talon Dagger]
[You have received Rank-A Item: Party Recall Crystal]
Atlas raised an eyebrow. Two duplicates, but useful ones.
The first, the Obsidian Talon Dagger, was already Edrik’s signature weapon.
And the second, the Party Recall Crystal. An extraordinary item that had saved him and his allies in the Dominion Skirmish.
Not bad at all.
Edrik, without hesitation, stepped calmly onto the stage. His movements were steady, unshaken, as if he had expected this all along. Atlas handed him the dagger without a word.
The moment it happened, murmurs of protest rippled through the crowd.
"My Lord, Edrik is already strong. Why does he get another weapon upgrade?"
"Yeah! Give us a chance. He just sits at the back, barking orders. He doesn’t deserve it!"
"Come on, My Lord, we frontline fighters are the ones bleeding every day. Give us the dagger instead!"
Edrik turned the pair of daggers over in his hands, the polished steel gleaming in the light. His calm voice cut through the noise. "You didn’t know I was a dual-dagger user, did you?"
"No way! That’s a lie. You’re just being greedy, Edrik!"
"Yeah, dual daggers my ass. You probably just want to hoard all the shiny toys!"
"Give us one then, let’s see if you really know how to use it!"
The complaints grew louder, almost playful, but tinged with real envy.
Edrik’s eyes snapped up, sharp and cold, silencing the hall in an instant. "How about this? Make sure you can actually wield this weapon properly first. One on one. Against the man you claim only knows how to order you around."
Everyone fell silent, some shifting uncomfortably, others avoiding his gaze.
"Ck. Look at you cowards," Edrik muttered with a thin smirk, before deftly combining the daggers into one weapon, the blades fusing seamlessly with a metallic hum.
"Show-off!" one soldier finally shouted, sparking laughter to break the tension.
"Yeah, more like a smooth-tongued bragger!" another chimed in.
The area erupted with playful jeers, easing the tension once more.
Fortunately, weapon enhancements didn’t require diving into painful past memories the way character upgrades did.
Edrik gave the blade a testing swing, its edge sharper and more balanced than before. His eyes narrowed slightly in quiet approval. Then he glanced back at Atlas, inclining his head.
"Much appreciated, My Lord."
Atlas gave a faint smile. "Congrats, Edrik. I’m sure this will help you give even sharper commands to everyone from now on."
"Boo!" came the chorus from the soldiers below, playful but loud.
Edrik, as usual, didn’t so much as flinch. Their protests rolled right off him, his expression calm and detached.
The night was still young. The festival wasn’t even close to ending. And the best pulls, Atlas knew, were still waiting ahead.
He flicked another ten tickets into the air.
This time, the glow was far less exciting. Only a single purple emerged.
"FIRE!" the crowd still shouted in unison.
Atlas chuckled. Well, he couldn’t expect fortune to keep showering him nonstop. Luck always balanced itself out.
He tapped the lone ticket. A soft chime echoed, followed by a cascade of glittering coins raining down in a golden shower.
[You have received Rank-A Reward: 1000 Gold Coins]
Atlas’s eyes widened slightly. "Damn... one thousand gold coins?!"
That was double the 500 he had pulled before. Was this boost tied to his increased level? Or maybe it was because his reputation had skyrocketed after his victory in the Dominion Skirmish?
Either way, it was nothing to complain about. With a satisfied grin, he absorbed the shimmering pile into his inventory, instantly feeling the weight of his resources swell.
"Another 10 gold tickets!"
"Fire!" The crowd roared as the tickets spun in the air.
One purple.
Atlas sighed, shaking his head. 30 pulls in, and still no sign of the Rank-S pull.
But he wasn’t stopping yet.
A card flashed into existence, revealing a familiar weapon.
[You have received Rank-A Weapon: (Unique-grade) Whispering Kusarigama]
Atlas recognized it instantly. A chain blade, the same one Kurogasa already wielded.
Without hesitation, Atlas handed the upgrade over to the Ninja Rat.
This was a Unique-grade weapon, and no one else could wield it as efficiently as him.
Kurogasa accepted it wordlessly. He then bowed deeply toward Atlas. "My Lord, I am grateful."
Atlas nodded.
Still no Rank-S... but the night was far from over.
Next batch, this makes it 40 pulls!
Another 10 gold tickets soared into the air.