Chapter 210: Chapter 210 - A Map of New Skies
Atlas and Sera stepped out of the swirling portal, landing on the scorched, ashen soil of Shattered Ember. Ahead, the rest of the team was already gathered, standing at attention.
Sera took one sweeping look around and immediately burst into a giggle. "This place looks insane! Totally different from the main island!"
Just then, Mira popped out from the side, skipping over with that ever-innocent grin plastered across her face.
"Sera, Sera! I haven’t even told you how we butchered so many enemies here!" she chirped, like she was talking about flowers in a garden.
Before she could dive into the gory details, Lyrassa glided in from behind and gently cupped a hand over Mira’s mouth, chuckling softly.
"Mira... you’ve already told that story a hundred times," she teased. "Look at their faces."
She tilted her chin toward a few of the newer recruits nearby. Pale as ghosts. Eyes wide, some barely breathing.
Apparently, Mira’s gruesome war tales, delivered in that sing-song voice of hers, had become infamous among the fresh troops, like bedtime horror stories nobody asked for.
"Oh really, I definitely want to hear more about it later," Sera said brightly, grinning. "Sounds fun! Next time we fight together, what do you think, Mira? I love watching explosions and—"
"—and blood splashing like afternoon rain!" Mira chimed in happily, her eyes shining. "If you bring the bombs, I’ll handle the traps!"
Sera clapped her hands, delighted. "Yes! The Pretty Boom Duo, let’s do it!"
Atlas sighed and rubbed his temple, watching the two girls spiral into a conversation that made half the nearby troops visibly brace themselves.
Wonderful. There were two of them now. Two cheerful psychopaths on his team!
Atlas, meanwhile, turned his focus toward the two figures already waiting for him—Edrik and Kurogasa, both standing with quiet readiness.
"My Lord," Kurogasa began, "based on my survey of the island, everything appears stable. The ecosystem and behavioral patterns match those of a recently conquered domain."
He paused, his tail flicking lightly behind him.
"There are still monsters roaming the area, but once slain, they don’t return. So, unfortunately, this island won’t serve as a long-term hunting ground."
Atlas gave a slow nod, taking in the report.
"Understood. We’ll eliminate the remaining lesser threats... and then focus on the two remaining monster bosses."
"Exactly, My Lord," Kurogasa confirmed with a respectful bow.
Atlas turned to Edrik next. "Go ahead. Begin the operation."
"At once, my Lord."
Without hesitation, the troops moved. Teams split off with practiced precision, every unit falling into place according to plan.
This time, the atmosphere was different. There was no chaos, no strain like during the Dominion Skirmish. No lingering fear.
Now, Atlas’s forces moved like a single, disciplined entity. Because this island was theirs.
Atlas had claimed full control over Shattered Ember. He could now summon allies, expel threats, reshape its defenses, and build its core infrastructure. Every stone, every flickering ember answered to his will.
That kind of dominion brought a sense of peace none of them had known in a long time.
The only true adversary now was the land itself: the relentless heat, the jagged volcanic terrain, the erratic and dangerous weather patterns.
Who could say what kind of violent extremes this island might unleash in the future?
But for now... it was home.
Here, his people could hunt without interference, collect rare resources, and begin the forging of Soulbinding Armors. Gear tailored to its wielder, offering immense power in the battles to come.
It would be a long process. A slow one.
But it had begun.
Most of the Gacha Have army would remain stationed here, focusing on resource collection and crafting until they had a large enough supply to outfit everyone.
At the same time, that meant Atlas needed to keep looking outward.
He still needed a steady source of XP and level progression. And despite being a Seeker-rank Lord, he was confident. He and his elite squad were more than capable of handling harder challenges.
He could divide his forces: One part holding this island, collecting materials. The other, following him out to hunt, level, and claim new hunting ground.
But even as Atlas mulled over the logistics—of defense, resources, armory crafting. A heavier thought tugged quietly at the edge of his mind. Something far bigger.
Because lately... his floating main island had been drifting. It was gradually sliding eastward with every passing day.
And if it continued like this, it would eventually cross the ocean’s boundary and drift away from the Saharasia Continent entirely.
Which meant only one thing.
He would arrive at the edge of the Pangaea Nova Continent. A completely different territory, an entirely new battlefield.
This wasn’t just a change of scenery. If it happened, everything would shift. Atlas himself would change.
Because he’d be stepping into new lands, under new skies. New enemies, perhaps new alliances. New opportunities, yes—but also new dangers. And new hunting grounds filled with creatures unlike any from Saharasia.
More importantly... Pangaea Nova operated differently. The nature of its Awakeners, the structure of its Lords, even the systems that governed their power. Everything had evolved along a slightly different path.
A different world, with its own rules. And that... that was something he couldn’t afford to face lightly.
Atlas gathered Edrik and the core members of his team in one of the shaded command areas near the base they had set up on Shattered Ember. He showed the floating map to the others.
"This," Atlas began, his voice steady, "is Pangaea Nova. The continent with the highest number of Unions in the world."
The others leaned in as he continued, pointing at the wide landmass.
"Historically, this continent was once part of the old Asia. But after the tectonic shift and cataclysmic merges, the western portion broke off, becoming Saharasia, where we are now."
He then tapped the southernmost region of Pangaea Nova.
"Here, Pan-African League. A powerful Union, built from the remnants of Africa’s unified nations. They’re strong, highly organized, and extremely protective of their borders."
His finger moved upward, to a mountainous central region.
"Above them, Himalaya Haven. A high-altitude Union formed from old territories surrounding the Himalayas. Their movements are unpredictable, but they command dangerous terrain."
He then circled a large swath of land in the middle.
"This is the Middle Kingdom. A vast, dominant region controlled primarily by descendants of what was once China. It’s one of the largest power blocs in the entire continent."
He continued pointing upward to the western coastline.
"Meditera lies here, mostly based on the old Mediterranean nations. And just above that, you’ll find Eurasia United, spanning parts of old Europe and the northern territories."
Then, sliding his hand to the far east and southeast of the map, he pointed at several scattered landmasses and island chains.
"And here, Han Republic, Nippon, and the Indo-Pacific Union. This region covers what was once East Asia and Southeast Asia."
Atlas paused, his gaze lingering on the island cluster.
"That last one... Indo-Pacific Union, that’s where I came from, before I was awakened as a Lord."
The others looked to him, some surprised, others thoughtful. It was clear now: crossing over into Pangaea Nova wouldn’t just mean more challenges... it would mean stepping into a completely different political and military world.
And Atlas needed to prepare.