Floating Islands: SSS Gacha System

Since there were three target islands to scout during the first week of the battle phase, Atlas decided to delegate the Mission Commander role for the other two islands to Lyrassa and Karian. He himself would take the Mission Commander role for the third island, which was the rank-2 island—the most dangerous of the three.

The Mission Commander is a critical position, granting the assigned leader access to special features and skills. These include summoning reinforcements, retreating troops when necessary, and utilizing strategic abilities unique to each Lord.

It wasn't a role to be taken lightly. The Mission Commander's decisions could mean the difference between victory and disaster.

[The Dominion Skirmish Battle Phase Has Begun]

[Objective: Secure and Dominate Target Islands]

[Duration: 60 Days]

In the end, each Lord would only be able to claim one island from the three they conquered by the end of the phase. The remaining islands would be awarded to those in second or third positions.

Because of this, the distribution of resources and forces would play a crucial role. How each team divided their strength and executed their strategies would determine whether they could secure the best island possible by the end of the battle phase.

Atlas stood at the head of the gathered forces, watching as each commander and crew took their positions in perfectly formed lines.

For the initial summoning, each rank-1 Lord could summon up to 50 personnel, with a cap of 100 personnel on the island. Rank-2 Lords, meanwhile, could summon up to 75 personnel, with a cap of 150.

This meant they couldn't deploy their entire forces at once—they would need to summon more troops gradually as the battle progressed.

At the front of her squad, Lyrassa stood with Mira at her side.

Lyrassa took a step forward and bowed respectfully toward Atlas.

"My Lord," she said. "I will depart now and carry out our mission as planned."

Atlas gave her a slow, approving nod.

As soon as Lyrassa straightened, the gathered troops shouted in unison:

"FIRE!"

The sound echoed across the camp.

The magic circles beneath Lyrassa's team ignited. In a flash, Lyrassa, Mira, Team Blaze and Team Dusk disappeared.

Their mission had begun.

Next, it was Karian and Milo's turn to depart.

Karian stepped forward with a bright, enthusiastic grin.

"My Lord, we're heading out!" he announced boldly. "We will slaughter our enemies, just as we planned."

Beside him, Milo gave a firm nod.

Atlas watched them for a moment before offering a simple, steady response. "Good luck—and take care of each other."

Without missing a beat, the gathered troops shouted once more, "FIRE!"

In an instant, magic circles ignited beneath Karian, Milo, Team Aether, and Team Eclipse. The symbols spun faster and faster until, with a blinding flash of light, they vanished into thin air.

The second mission was now underway.

Now, it was Atlas's turn to head toward the final island—the rank-2 island, Shattered Ember Isles. Read exclusive content at My Virtual Library Empire

But before starting it, he took a moment to double-check his status.

[Name: Atlas Blackthorn]

[Level: 51]

[Strength: 239 | Agility: 135 | Intelligence: 92 | Constitution: 136 | Stamina: 152]

[Available Stat Points: 10]

[Job: The Lord]

[Class: Tempest Warden]

[Ironclad Will (S) - Tactical Awareness (A) - Instinctual Command (A) - Elemental Spear Mastery (S) - Elemental Dominion (S) - Commanding Presence (S) - Bloodbound Vigor (S)]

Opening his personal interface, he quickly scanned through his stats. He had 10 unassigned stat points. Without hesitation, he allocated all of them to Intelligence—his lowest stat.

He also took one final moment to review the list of skills he possessed and their current levels. He needed to ensure he was fully prepared for what lay ahead.

[Elite - Flurry of Spears (Active) Lv. 4]

Flurry of Spears, a skill he had obtained from the Skill Scroll, had now reached level 4. It was an excellent single-target offensive ability.

[Epic - Bloodlink Command (Active) Lv. 2]

[Elite - Duskbound Presence (Conditional Passive) Lv. 3]

[Epic - Bloodrush (Active) Lv. 2]

Bloodlink Command was one of the three skills he had gained from his bond with Morganna. It provided a team-wide buff that granted minor regeneration and lifesteal, useful for prolonged battles.

Duskbound Presence, weakened the attack power of enemies in range while boosting the critical rate of himself.

Bloodrush was a direct buff to speed and agility, giving him a burst of speed when needed.

[Epic - Inferno Fortitude (Passive) Lv. 3]

Inferno Fortitude, a passive skill he had acquired through his intense training in volcanic environments, boosted both his endurance and speed when fighting in such conditions.

[Epic - Instinctive Elemental Sense (Passive)]

Instinctive Elemental Sense was a passive skill that sharpened his awareness of elemental shifts in the environment—a result of his training without relying on any of his senses.

[Epic - Elemental Convergence (Active, Versatile)]

[Epic - Lifebound Shield (Passive, Defensive)]

[Epic - Elemental Markings (Verdant Shadow)]

From his bond with Lyrassa, he had gained three more skills.

Elemental Convergence allowed him to temporarily fuse two elements to create powerful, versatile attacks.

Lifebound Shield, a passive defensive skill, formed a protective elemental shield around his body, absorbing damage.

Finally, Elemental Markings was a unique mark on his back that boosted his elemental damage output and enhanced his combat performance in shadowy areas.

Next were the three skills he had gained after his intense training with the spear, fighting without senses and learning to rely solely on elemental particles in the environment.

[Epic - Resonant Spear Field (Passive Skill) Lv. 2]

[Epic - Elemental Spear Resonance (Passive Skill) Lv. 2]

[Epic - Crystalline Spear Flow (Passive Skill) Lv. 2]

Resonant Spear Field was a passive skill that created a resonant energy field during combat, amplifying elemental effects in the area. Depending on the dominant element in the environment, it would provide subtle enhancements to his abilities.

Elemental Spear Resonance was a passive skill that allowed him to channel elemental energy more efficiently through his spear. It enhanced critical damage and generated area damage whenever he successfully performed a parry. Additionally, it provided a bonus to stamina regeneration.

Crystalline Spear Flow was a powerful enhancement skill that infused his spear with water and ice elements. It boosted his damage output significantly and generated a protective shield around him, capable of absorbing a portion of incoming attacks.

[Elite - Thunderpierce Thrust (Active Skill) Lv. 7]

[Elite - Tempest Guard (Conditional Passive Skill) Lv. 8]

[Elite - Tempest Arc (Active Skill) Lv. 4]

The next three skills came from merging abilities after Atlas unlocked the Tempest Warden class.

Thunderpiece Thrust focused on single-target damage, Tempest Guard was a defensive skill, and Tempest Arc was an area-of-effect attack.

[Epic - Spiral Tide (Active Skill) Lv. 1]

[Epic - Lightning Step (Active Skill) Lv. 1]@@novelbin@@

[Epic - Tidecaller's Flow (Passive Skill) Lv. 1]

The next three were his new skills from the Tempest Warden class.

Alright all set.

With him stood his elite team: Morganna, Edrik, Kurogasa, Baldric, and the troops of Team Cinder.

Their arrival point would be random, scattered across unknown locations on the targeted island. There was no telling what they might encounter upon arrival—monsters, enemy forces, or the brutal environment itself. Whatever awaited them, they had to be ready.

Atlas addressed the entire group.

"Cast all buffs and ready your weapons," he commanded. "This island is most likely volcanic, so we should be familiar with the harsh conditions. But no matter what we face—we adapt."

"FIRE!"

The troops gave a unified shout, steeling themselves for what lay ahead.

The magic circles expanded, and one by one, the entire team was consumed by the blinding light.

The sensation was instant.

The familiar pull of summoning magic tugged at their bodies, distorting time and space. The transition was quick, but the moment they felt the change in the air, something was off.

The temperature wasn't what they had expected.

It wasn't scorching hot.

It was freezing cold!

Atlas opened his eyes, and his vision blurred for a moment before a blinding light pierced through the fog. His skin prickled from the frigid air, and when he adjusted to the brightness, his surroundings came into focus.

What lay before them wasn't a sea of molten lava.

It was a volcanic landscape completely frozen over—blackened rock and jagged peaks covered in layers of glittering ice, with cracks of blue frost veins running through the ground. Steam hissed from the frozen earth, rising into the sky like ghostly tendrils.

"This… isn't what we expected."

"Stay alert," Edrik warned.

Kurogasa stepped forward from the front of the formation, his chain blade already in hand.

"My Lord, we have guests," he said, his tone calm but with a hint of warning.