Chapter 206: Chapter 206 - The Crimson Skyblaster
Finally, the red ticket, the Rank-S pull.
The celebration around him was still in full swing, cheers echoing through the island as people clapped, laughed, and shouted in pure excitement.
Atlas himself couldn’t help but feel a wave of satisfaction rise in his chest. This pull was guaranteed to be the rate-up character from the banner. All the effort, all the buildup, this was the moment.
Before diving into it, he swiftly tapped through the remaining brown tickets, clearing his view. That left only two floating tickets. A glowing purple and the ever-glorious red.
With a small grin, he reached for the purple one first.
[You have received Rank-A Item: Memory Fragment Lens]
[Allows seeing an area’s past events.]
A small, sleek object shimmered into existence before him. No larger than a monocle, its polished lens catching the festival lights.
Atlas arched an eyebrow, then held it up for everyone to see.
"This thing lets you see the past of a specific place," he explained.
His words immediately set the crowd buzzing.
"That’s insanely useful!"
"Wait ,so we could see what happened in a place even if no one was there?"
"Tracking, recon, investigation... this is gold!"
Even Atlas himself grew curious. Without hesitation, he brought the lens to his eye, expecting some instant reveal. Nothing.
His brow furrowed. Then he sent a mental command to activate it.
A ripple passed through his vision, like staring through shifting water. And then, images flickered into being. Faint, ghostlike shadows playing out scenes of the past.
He saw people moving about earlier that very day. Setting up festival lanterns, Mira stumbling over a basket of vegetables, someone lighting torches.
It lasted only three seconds. No more.
When the vision faded, Atlas staggered slightly, a sudden wave of fatigue rolling through his body. His energy felt hollowed out, as if he’d just walked off a battlefield.
"Damn..." he muttered under his breath. "This thing burns through energy."
And yet, the potential was undeniable. Used at the right time, this monocle could be priceless. With careful hands, he stored the item away, his mind already turning over its future applications.
The red ticket still floated in the air, vibrating softly with power.
The star of the night was about to appear. And the crowd? They were already screaming with anticipation.
Atlas couldn’t help but smile, his chest tight with anticipation as he reached out and touched the glowing red ticket.
The ticket flared instantly, then began to burn slowly, its form unraveling into glowing embers as it drifted downward.
He instinctively took a step back.
And then, a sudden chain of explosions erupted before him!
It wasn’t real, of course. Just the visual effect of a Rank-S summon. But the sheer intensity made Atlas instinctively shield his eyes.
The crowd gasped, and many rose to their feet, buzzing with excitement, eyes fixed forward.
Smoke billowed out from the blast site, covering Atlas’ view entirely for a few long seconds.
Then, a strong gust of wind ripped through the stage, sweeping the smoke away in one dramatic sweep.
And there, standing amidst the fading mist, was a girl.
Her face was bright and full of life, framed by long, fiery red hair that floated as if alive, catching the light in every motion.
She wore a tight, sleek outfit, mostly crimson, accentuating her lithe form. Clearly designed for speed and movement.
Behind her, mechanical wings, layered with hints of feathered structure, unfolded with a mechanical hum and magical flare.
The girl giggled, playful and radiant, then with a sharp flutter of her wings, launched into the sky.
The sudden blast of wind followed her ascent, blowing Atlas’ coat back and making several in the crowd gasp in awe.
[You have received Rank-S Character: Serenith – The Crimson Skyblaster]
Atlas’ eyes lifted skyward, and so did everyone else’s.
Above, the girl hovered effortlessly, laughing with delight as she did a playful spin in midair.
She glanced around with curious eyes, soaking in her new surroundings, then darted off again, flying freely above the island like a comet of red and gold.
After a few dazzling loops through the air, the girl suddenly dove down with a sharp burst of wind, descending rapidly until she landed gracefully on the stage once again.
Atlas still had his eyes on her, watching as she touched down with perfect control, her boots clicking softly against the floor.
She turned her head in every direction, taking in the sights. Curious, alert, almost childlike in her wonder.
Then, her crimson gaze met Atlas’, and she smiled.
As her wings folded behind her, they gave off a soft hum before vanishing completely, dissolving into light.
"My Lord," she said, stepping forward, her voice light and bubbly. "Forgive me, I got a bit too excited. I didn’t expect to be summoned here all of a sudden."
She giggled, brushing a few strands of her red hair behind her ear.
Then she turned to face the crowd, spreading her arms.
"Hi everyone! I’m Serenith. But please, call me Sera! It’s a pleasure to meet you all!"
A wave of cheers and greetings followed.
"Welcome, Sera!"
"You’re amazing!"
"That entrance was insane!"
"We love your energy already!"
Sera turned back to Atlas, her smile softening just a bit.
"My Lord... Thank you. I’ll do my best to serve this island well." Her tone grew more sincere, though her playful spark never faded.
Atlas returned her smile and gave a nod. "Hi, Sera. I’m glad to see your energy and passion already burning bright. Welcome to Gacha Haven. We’re happy to have you."
More cheers rang out from the crowd as the newest member of the island made her debut not just with power, but with heart.
Sera continued waving excitedly to the crowd.
Mira, unable to resist, came sprinting toward the stage, her bunny ears bouncing with each step. She waved back enthusiastically and offered a large orange carrot with both hands, beaming.
Sera giggled, clearly delighted, and hopped down from the stage to greet others, greeting and laughing with anyone who approached her.
Yes, another addition to the team.
Having a Rank-S character with long-range capabilities and the power of flight was a massive advantage. It gave Atlas even more tactical flexibility for future battles.
He still had 80 exclusive tickets left, not to mention around 7000 Arcane Shards he could convert. But his body still felt the lingering fatigue from using the Memory Lens earlier. The vision had taken more out of him than he expected.
For tonight, this was enough.
He stepped down from the stage and made his way to Luna, who stood nearby with the others.
"Atlas," Luna said, "That was an incredible display. And congratulations on the newest member of your team. Sera seems full of life. We’re looking forward to getting to know her better."
Celestia added with her usual cheerful energy, "Thanks again for the gifts, Atlas! We’ll return soon... and bring more gifts for you this time!"
Atlas smiled lightly, walking alongside them as he escorted the group to the edge of the island, where their silver floating carriage awaited.
The glowing carriage shimmered under the night sky, magical light trailing softly behind it as it hovered just above the ground.
"Bye everyone! Bye Gacha Haven!" they called out in unison, waving as they leapt into the air and onto the carriage.
The people of Gacha Haven gathered near the edge, waving back with bright smiles and laughter.
As the carriage lifted, its silver glow slowly drifting upward and away, Atlas watched in silence, hands in his coat pockets.
A soft breeze passed through the island.
He smiled. A quiet, satisfied smile.
He could feel the exhaustion settling deep in his bones now. The constant excitement, the energy of the crowd, the burst of summoning power, and especially the drain from using the Memory Lens. It was all catching up to him.
He rubbed the back of his neck, muscles aching slightly.
"Yeah... I need sleep," he muttered under his breath.
Next time, he’d just let someone else use the Memory Lens if they needed to see the past. He didn’t need to carry every burden himself.
"Should I go into Milo’s past now? During this break?"
There was curiosity, of course. There was no doubt that what lay in Milo’s memories would be far from simple.
But the question wasn’t just if he could.
It was... was he ready for what he might find?