Floating Islands: SSS Gacha Lord-Chapter 61 - The Reinforcement Phase

Gacha Haven had officially entered the Reinforcement Phase, triggering a fallback cooldown set to last seven days.

Atlas’s first triumph in battle was nothing short of extraordinary. He hadn’t just defended his island, he had orchestrated a counterstrike that ended with the enemy Lord’s death. The outcome was as decisive as it was impressive.

His island had grown, nothing dramatic, but the expansion measured roughly thirty percent. Still, this increase was far from insignificant. It marked real progress.

And this was just the beginning. There was still a long road ahead, and plenty of opportunity for further development.

According to Edrik, someone ranked as a Scout might typically see their island reach five times the base size at this stage. That meant Atlas had ample room to grow, both in territory and strength.

With 35 Rank Points to his name, he remained in Seeker Division 1. He needed 50 to break into Division 2. Just one more successful defense might be enough to push him over that line.

Atlas reviewed his stockpile and was more than a little pleased by what he found. Soren had held a hefty sum of Gold, and now that treasure belonged to him, bringing his total to an impressive 2,445 gold coins. His thoughts with possibilities, especially the prospect of purchasing World Shards to construct the Gateway Altar.

He also had 2,120 Arcane Shards on hand, more than enough to convert into exclusive gacha tickets. By his count, that gave him about thirteen pulls.

For the first time, he truly grasped the worth of every single pull. Arcane Shards weren’t easy to come by, and the hundred exclusive tickets he’d received at the outset suddenly felt like a generous blessing he’d taken for granted.

With a full week ahead during the reinforcement cooldown, he had breathing room, to rebuild, rearm, and plan in earnest. Reinforcing his troops or enlisting fresh ones was now a critical task.

Still, another priority loomed. He’d need to descend to the Lower Lands to gather specific resources, items that had once been out of reach, but were now within his grasp thanks to his newfound wealth.

Atlas took a round of his island to check on everyone. He felt relieved to find that none of his troops had been killed in the battle. There were some severe injuries, but with Lyrassa’s healing skills, the wounded assured him they would recover in three to four days.

He then visited the 10 persons he got after the successful defense. A group consisting of seven men and three women. Inspecting their abilities and roles, Atlas discovered that all ten were combatants, with an average level of 38 or higher.

As he approached, the group knelt before him.

"My Lord, please spare our lives. We pledge to serve you and fight for you from this day forward," one of them said, speaking for the group.

Atlas nodded and instructed Edrik to assess them individually.

After a thorough evaluation, it was decided that the ten would be divided among the four teams Atlas had already established.

With this adjustment, each team now had a complete set of roles: tankers, melee fighters, magic damage dealers, ranged attackers, and support units.

He was satisfied with the outcome.

Now, with 32 combatants evenly distributed into four teams of eight, the composition was balanced and well-optimized, a solid foundation for future battles.

Mira came running toward Atlas. Before he could react, the girl threw her arms around him and began shaking him excitedly, leaving him momentarily winded.

"My Lord, thank you! Our home is so much bigger now... I can plant even more carrots!" she exclaimed.

Her unexpected enthusiasm was contagious, and the tension in the air melted away. Even the ten new combatants, who had looked terrified moments ago, now wore expressions of confusion. A few of them seemed so overwhelmed by the shift in mood that they wobbled and collapsed to the ground.

"Mira... please... I can’t breathe," Atlas managed to say.

Mira quickly jumped back. "Oops! I’m so sorry, My Lord!"

Atlas took a deep breath, steadying himself. "We don’t just need carrots. Plant whatever else people might need, alright?"

"But, my Lord. You know, what if everyone suddenly wants to see better in the dark? We’ll need lots of carrots!" she said with a playful twirl.

Atlas sighed, "okay, then, whatever you want."

She giggled and skipped off toward the fields, humming a tune only a bunny girl would know.

Atlas instructed everyone to rest for the night and begin reorganizing tomorrow. They still had ample time to prepare and rebuild everything. This was a monumental victory, and he could see the spark of excitement and determination in everyone’s eyes.

He could only hope to maintain this momentum, ensuring that no detail, no matter how small, was overlooked. He reminded himself not to let the euphoria of this success lead to overconfidence, which could blind them to potential challenges ahead.

Everything needed to be met with hard work and unwavering resolve. Only through consistent effort and a strong will could they truly secure the future they were fighting for.

**

It was late at night, and Atlas was just about to rest in his hut when he heard a knock at the door.

He stood up, opened the door, and froze in surprise as a hand gripped the door frame for support.

A figure emerged, leaning heavily against the doorway, trembling, with her head bowed.

"Morganna?"

Atlas instinctively reached for her shoulders, steadying her. Slowly, she raised her face, and what he saw made his chest tighten.

Her skin... pale... Yes, she was always pale, but now she seemed almost ghostly white. Her usually sharp, piercing gaze was dim, her eyes heavy with exhaustion.

"What happened to you?"

Was she in need of blood after today’s battle?

As he tried to support her, Morganna suddenly slumped against him, her weight pressing into him as her face rested on his right shoulder. The door swung shut behind her, closing softly.

"Atlas..." she whispered, her voice barely audible. "Give me... your blood... please...."

Atlas? And... please?

Wasn’t this the first time the Vampire Queen had addressed him by name? And more than that, she said please?!!!

The need for blood must have been so critical for her to humble herself like this.

This wasn’t the first time he’d given his blood to her, and tonight, he didn’t mind doing it again. She had fought for him today, and her contribution had been nothing short of immense.

"Take it," he whispered, steadying her trembling body.

Moments later, he felt the sharp sting of her fangs piercing his neck, followed by the same strange sensation he’d felt before.

A mix of warmth and something he couldn’t quite describe flooded his senses.

Her weary body seemed to come alive, as her grip grew stronger.

Yet, oddly, he didn’t feel weaker. If anything, he felt invigorated. There was a strange... pleasure in the act. One that he couldn’t understand but found himself enjoying.

Wasn’t Morganna supposed to regain her stamina by drinking his blood? So why did it feel like he was the one being empowered?

The memory of that night... when she had taken his blood in the tent... played vividly in his mind.

Atlas held Morganna steady, letting her drink until his body felt weightless. Yet, in that moment, one thing was undeniable.

He liked the sensation.

And more than that... he wanted more. It was a yearning he couldn’t easily put into words, something he knew he desired but might never express under normal circumstances.

**

Morning arrived!

He glanced to the side but found no one there. No Morganna.

This time, though, he remembered everything clearly, unlike the hazy events of that other night. For some reason, a strange mix of emotions bubbled up inside him.

The memory of the night replayed vividly in his mind. It was so damn weird. He couldn’t fully explain it.

It felt like he had been intoxicated, swept away by his desires, and it had all happened without any real control.

After some time spent composing himself, he got dressed, prepared his gear, and headed toward the teleportation pad.

Today, he would descend to the Lower Lands again, but this time with a smaller team.

Edrik, Morganna, and Kurogasa would accompany him, while the management of the island would remain in the hands of Karian and Lyrassa.

As the teleportation pad activated, Atlas and his team vanished, leaving the others behind to oversee their growing domain.

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