Floating Islands: SSS Gacha Lord

Edrik began his report. "I'll start with the enemy's army. They were completely annihilated, wiped out, including the other Lords. Morganna and Milo, well, Raze, were the ones who finished them off."

Atlas gave a slow nod, absorbing the information.

After all, Kaelzar wasn't the only threat. There were other Lords within that alliance. Powerful ones, far stronger than the average opponent.

Each one had been a formidable challenge.

But Morganna and Raze weren't ordinary fighters. They had pushed past their limits, relying on sheer brutality to execute this mission perfectly.

"However… The raid monster, the island's boss, despite suffering significant damage from the Alliance B's attacks, is still alive," Edrik continued.

"It remains deep within the cave, in its current lair. But after the massive explosion last night, reaching its location has become even more difficult. Several tunnels have completely collapsed. It will take time for anyone to clear a path and regain access to its massive chamber."

Atlas gave a slow nod.

It made sense.

Even with the full force of the Alliance B army, the monster had still not been slain.

If Kaelzar and his forces had failed, then how long would it take him to challenge the beast in the future?

After processing that information, Atlas shifted his focus to the next pressing issue.

"What about casualties on our side?"

Edrik hesitated for a brief moment before answering.

"The severely wounded are being treated by Lyrassa. We've also received support from Luna's alliance, since one of their Lords is a healer as well."

He paused.

Atlas waited.

There was still one thing Edrik hadn't said.

"And… twenty of our people fell in battle last night."

Atlas fell silent for a moment, absorbing the weight of that information.

He forced himself to remain composed, to process everything logically.

Casualties in war were inevitable.

No battle came without a price.

And yet, twenty fallen soldiers.

Compared to the hundreds lost on the enemy's side. An army that had vastly outmatched them in both level and numbers, this was still an extraordinary achievement.

But that didn't change the fact that each loss mattered.

Victory was never free. This was the price they had paid.

For someone whose army barely reached the hundreds, twenty was a significant blow.

Edrik's voice pulled him from his thoughts.

"Focus on fully recovering first," he said. "Luna and her alliance are waiting, but we still have enough time. I've already coordinated everything and made sure it's all in order."

Atlas exhaled slowly, nodding.

"Thanks, Edrik."

Even as he spoke, he was still coming to terms with everything this battle had cost him.

But more than that. He had skipped a lot of system messages.

The system had alerted him to several level-ups, skill progressions, and even a major upgrade to his talents.

Let's see…

Atlas scanned through his skill list, his eyes widening slightly.

The number of level-ups was far beyond what he had expected.

It seemed that his continuous battles on this island, combined with the intense fight against Kaelzar had finally pushed his skills to the next level.

[Elite - Flurry of Spears (Active) Lv. 5]

His Flurry of Spears, his go-to skill for single-target combat, had reached Level 5.

An incredible upgrade.

[Elite - Duskbound Presence (Conditional Passive) Lv. 4]

[Epic - Bloodrush (Active) Lv. 4]

Two skills from his bond with Morganna had also leveled up.

Bloodrush, in particular, was surprising. It had jumped from Level 2 to Level 4.

With these two, he could fight more efficiently using the Vampire Aura.

If he used the temporary vampire mode more often, would these skills evolve even further?

Or perhaps… Would he unlock an entirely new vampire-related ability?

[Epic - Resonant Spear Field (Passive Skill) Lv. 3]

[Epic - Elemental Spear Resonance (Passive Skill) Lv. 3]

Two of his spear-related passives had also leveled up. A small increase, but every boost counted.

[Elite - Thunderpierce Thrust (Active Skill) Lv. 8]

[Elite - Tempest Guard (Conditional Passive Skill) Lv. 9]

These two were his strongest single-target attack and his primary defensive skill, had climbed even closer to Level 10.

Once they reached that milestone, they would likely undergo a major transformation.

[Epic - Lightning Step (Active Skill) Lv. 2]

[Epic - Tidecaller's Flow (Passive Skill) Lv. 2]

Lastly, two of his newest skills, part of his Tempest Warden class, had already leveled up.

Considering he had just acquired them, it was an impressive improvement.

Lightning Step's speed and damage had increased.

Tidecaller's Flow further boosted stamina regeneration and movement speed.

A highly rewarding upgrade.

Aside from his skill level-ups, Atlas had also received several talent upgrades, and to his surprise, the system messages were longer than expected.

He scrolled through them, feeling a sense of satisfaction at what he saw.

[You have learned to fight through exhaustion, injuries, and overwhelming odds. Your willpower fuels your body, allowing you to push past normal limits.]

[Ironclad Will (S) and Bloodbound Vigor (S) have successfully merged.]

[You have unlocked a new powerful talent: Ironblood Will (SS).]

Atlas's eyes narrowed slightly. A new SS-rank talent? That alone was a massive upgrade.

He read its effects quickly, yet each line sank deep into his mind. His body would no longer falter to pain; even torn and bloodied, his focus would remain razor sharp. Fear, paralysis, even the shock of a crushing blow, all of it dulled.

And then came the final lines, his true edge. When standing on the brink, when his blood ran low and wounds crippled his body, his stamina would no longer bleed away so quickly. In that state, desperation itself became his ally. His steps would quicken, his strikes would sharpen, his power would rise beyond his limit.

Atlas exhaled slowly, absorbing the implications of this talent. Ironblood Will was essentially a survivor's talent, turning desperation into strength.

It meant that even when he was at his weakest, his body would adapt and keep pushing forward.

This breakthrough wouldn't have been possible without Morganna's influence. The temporary vampire mode had undoubtedly played a huge role in pushing this talent to such a high level. Without her, this upgrade might have never happened.

It was as if this talent perfectly reflected his relentless determination. His will to train, to fight, and to push himself beyond his limits.

With this, he could push even harder, train even more ruthlessly, and continue breaking through to higher levels of strength.

Atlas continued reading through the new upgrades in his list of talents.