Floating Islands: SSS Gacha Lord
Chapter 421 - Spear of Dawning Radiance
Atlas truly felt like an overly workaholic father, working day and night without pause, barely sparing a few hours each day just to sleep. Sometimes, he even forgot to sleep at all.
He honestly hoped that if he evolved later on, he would no longer need as much rest as he did now. Was that not one of the advantages of evolving into something better than a weak human like himself?
Because of how obsessed he was with work, his first child had already reached the point where she could run around freely, jump off high cliffs, and even learn how to use a sword. Atlas let out a long sigh as all those responsibilities piled up in his mind.
He could stand at the very front against hundreds of enemies without fear. But when he was faced with two babies, one throwing a tantrum because she refused to eat grapes, and the other happily entertained by the silly antics of a bunny girl, Atlas felt completely defeated. Utterly and absolutely defeated.
Maybe he could afford to take things a bit slower in the next lord battle season. After all, he was still Rank 2, and he had more than enough strength to thrive at this level. At least, he should. His opponents were supposed to be below level 150.
All he had to do was hold his ground, let them get overwhelmed, and watch them give up afterward. Easy rank points.
Perhaps this whole lord battle system was not something that needed to be chased so obsessively, climbing ranks and winning everything the way Atlas had been doing until now.
After all... he was growing far too fast, was he not? He was already almost at Rank 3, and before long, he could even reach Rank 4.
And Rank 4 was the same rank as Kareem, a lord and alliance leader who most likely wanted Atlas’s head mounted on a wall.
And just look at an island this massive. Would it not be far more beautiful if this whole lord battle system focused only on kingdom building? Let people compete over who could build the coolest island. No battles. No killing each other like they did now.
Because... It was such a waste. An island built with this much care and beauty could be thrown into chaos and destroyed by a single battle.
Maybe that was also why plants on floating islands grew much faster than normal plants in the lower lands. As if the island itself was desperately trying to rebuild whatever might be lost.
Atlas picked up another glass of water, took a long drink, and felt the cool freshness slide down his throat. Another task was already waiting for him that day.
He stood up soon after, Elyndra rising with him. Atlas waved at his two babies and at Lyrassa before leaving.
Some time later, Atlas found himself once again with Edrik, Kurogasa, and Dullorak, with Elyndra there as well. It was time to continue challenging the Void Core, aiming for the second guardian.
He had to rush everything. He had to finish this Void Core as soon as possible. He had to. Right after thinking that he should slow down a little, Atlas realized the irony. Maybe he really was born to work nonstop. It would be better if he could evolve soon.
**
Atlas still clearly remembered what it felt like to face the first guardian of the Void Core. The sensation clung to him even now. That moment when his soul felt like it was being pulled from his body, as if it truly wanted to abandon him, remained etched into his mind.
He shuddered briefly just from remembering it.
The worst part was... or maybe the interesting part? Atlas had already done the exact same thing using the Abyssbound Mantle, the same ability he had inflicted on his enemies. Especially Bolin.
His awareness was pulled back into the Void Core once more, and almost immediately, Atlas found himself standing in an open field. It was brighter this time, with the moon shining clearly above. But what surrounded him was far from comforting.
Grave markers stood scattered across the area, planted unevenly, spreading in every direction with no sense of order at all.
Why did every guardian come with a horror theme like this? Not that Atlas expected anything cheerful. This was the abyss, after all, not a place for party guests.
"Graves? Zombies?" he muttered quietly.
And right after he said that, he froze slightly. Something pushed its way out of the ground nearby. A hand. A thin, dark, dried hand that looked like it had been buried there for a very long time.
Then another hand emerged, struggling to rise. And then another. Soon, the same thing happened at every grave surrounding him.
"None of you were given permission to come out," he said, a smirk forming on his face.
The number of enemies seemed like it would be quite high. He could only hope that none of them would be as troublesome as the first guardian he had faced before.
But Atlas did not come unprepared this time. He had trained his Light Element relentlessly and successfully unlocked incredible skills with Elyndra’s help.
[Unique – Spear of Dawning Radiance activated.]
Atlas clenched his hand tightly as a light formed within his palm. It stretched outward, growing longer and sharper, until a radiant spear fully took shape in his grasp.
[Creates a radiance spear that can be wielded or thrown.
Deals 320% Light Element damage to the target on hit.
Causes a light burst dealing 140% Light Element damage in a small area.
Deals +40% damage to dark and abyssal enemies.]
He did not stop there. Gritting his teeth, Atlas activated another skill.
[Epic – Seraphic Radiance Wings activated.]
A pair of wings made entirely of light burst forth from his back, instantly illuminating the surrounding area.
"This is not as cool as Elyndra’s wings," Atlas muttered, a small smirk forming. "Let us just call this the mini version. At least I can actually fly with these."
Still, he was not done.
[Unique – Halo of a Thousand Lights activated.]