Floating Islands: SSS Gacha System

[Gacha Haven has entered the Reinforcement Phase. The fallback cooldown will last for 7 days.] 

Atlas's first victory in battle was nothing short of remarkable, delivering exceptional results. Not only had he successfully defended his island with strategic precision, but he also managed a devastating counterattack that culminated in the death of the opposing Lord. 

His island had now expanded—though not dramatically, it was roughly 30% larger than before. Even so, this was a meaningful development. 

After all, this was only the beginning. So he still had a lot of room for future growth. 

According to Edrik, for someone ranked as a Scout, the size of their island might typically be five times the standard starting size for someone at Atlas's current phase. This meant he still had plenty of time and potential to grow.

He now had 35 Rank Points, keeping him in Seeker Division 1. With 50 points needed to advance to Division 2, one more successful defense would likely be enough to push him over the threshold.

Atlas reviewed his resources and was pleasantly surprised. Soren had an impressive amount of Gold that Atlas had absorbed, leaving him with a total of 2,445 gold coins. His mind raced with possibilities for what he could acquire with such wealth, especially the chance to purchase World Shards to build the Gateway Altar. 

He also had 2,120 Arcane Shards, enough to convert into exclusive gacha tickets. That meant he could do about 13 pulls with the shards. 

For the first time, he truly appreciated the value of every pull, now realizing how difficult Arcane Shards were to obtain. The 100 exclusive tickets he'd received at the start suddenly felt like an enormous gift. 

With a full week ahead during the reinforcement cooldown, he had time to rebuild and prepare more thoroughly. Strengthening his troops or recruiting new ones was a top priority. 

However, he also needed to descend to the Lower Lands to secure a few key resources—resources he could now afford thanks to his newly gained 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—a commendable standard. 

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 suddenly came running toward Atlas, her cheerful energy impossible to ignore. 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 joy lighting up her face. 

Her radiant enthusiasm was contagious, and the tension in the air melted away. Even the ten former 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… Mira… please… I can't breathe," Atlas managed to say, his voice faint. 

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?" 

"Alright!" she chirped, her mood as bright as ever. She skipped off toward the newly expanded fields, clutching her hoe and humming happily, ready to get to work.

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, immersed in emotions he couldn't fully comprehend. Yet, in that moment, one thing was undeniable. 

He liked it. 

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. 

He wanted her. And it happened!

Morning arrived! 

Atlas opened his eyes and instinctively checked his body under the blanket. Yes… he was completely naked!

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. Was it happiness? Or maybe awkwardness? The memory of the night replayed vividly in his mind, especially the moment when he had told her he wanted her.

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.

***

(Author's Note:)

Let me confess something: writing scenes like Morganna ahem borrowing some of Atlas's blood leaves me awkwardly hovering between "this is intriguing" and "wow, I'm terrible at this." 😅 

You've probably already imagined a way cooler version of what I wrote, and I don't blame you. 

But hey, the story's moving forward, the bonds are getting deeper, and things are getting juicier (pun intended). Stick with me, okay? 😅