[You have received 1 Rank-A Item: Lightning Infusion Crystal]
[Adds lightning damage when applied to a weapon or increases lightning resistance when applied to armor.]
"Oh... it infuses lightning damage into a weapon?" Atlas said. "That’s incredible. But wait. Would the user also get affected by the lightning effect? Wouldn’t they need lightning resistance to wield it safely?"
He turned the crystal over in his hand, watching the sparks flicker beneath the surface.
There was a thrill in just holding it. He couldn’t wait to try it out on a weapon, though he didn’t yet have the ideal match. The spear he’d acquired from Flare Peak was a possibility, but it wasn’t quite what he was hoping for.
What element would pair best with lightning? he wondered. Fire? Water?
"This is a Lightning Infusion Crystal," he announced to the others. "It can add lightning damage to a weapon."
"Woah... incredible!"
"I want my sword to have lightning damage!" someone shouted eagerly.
"That thing must be worth a fortune!"
"We could fund the whole island with that crystal!" another joked.
Atlas laughed, shaking his head. "Yeah, no."
There was no way he was selling something this valuable. Not a chance.
Besides, he thought with a grin, I’ve got other ways to make money. I don’t need to get desperate.
Two Rank-A tickets down, and both were undeniably valuable.
The first, the Healing Spring Blueprint, would become a sanctuary once built. A place where his people could rest, heal, and recover during the harshest of days.
The second, the Lightning Infusion Crystal, had endless potential. It could elevate a weapon to a whole new level of power.
Atlas briefly considered handing it over, maybe to Karian, whose greatsword already carried fire; or Edrik, who could make good use of a boost. But then again, Karian was already formidable, and Edrik didn’t really need an elemental edge. As for Morganna... she’d probably curse him for messing with her precious scythe.
No. This one was his. The Lightning Infusion Crystal belongs with me.
He grinned. And I still have one more Rank-A ticket, and the Rank-S pull.
I can’t wait to see what’s next.
He turned to the gathered crowd.
"Are you still fired up? This night isn’t over yet!"
"Let’s go, My Lord!"
Atlas touched the third Rank-A ticket.
Instantly, a gust of wind erupted around it, forming a tight whirlwind. In the center, something spun rapidly, caught in the storm of summoned energy.
As the winds gradually died down, the object became clear. A long chain, sleek and silver, with a curved blade gleaming at its end.
"Oh... a weapon?" Atlas murmured, intrigued. "Interesting."
[You have received 1 Rank-A Weapon: (Unique-grade) Whispering Kusarigama]
Atlas smiled as the weapon’s name appeared, and almost instantly, he could see who it was meant for.
Then he blinked. Wait. Holy hell!
"It was Unique-grade!"
Damn.
Sure, he’d managed to pull a Legendary-grade weapon once before for Morganna, but this... this was different. This was his first time ever getting a Unique-grade weapon, just one tier below Legendary.
And it wasn’t just for anyone.
It was for Kurogasa. His Rank-A ninja rat.
[Whispering Kusarigama]
[Grade: Unique]
[Agility +200
Attack Speed +200
Movement Speed +10%]
[Skills:]
[Binding Shadows (Passive)
Each successful strike with the chain has a chance to slightly slow the target, making it harder for them to escape follow-up attacks.]
[Fade to Shadows (Active)
Swings the kusarigama in a rapid, circular motion, creating a brief mist of shadows around him. This grants a momentary stealth effect, allowing him to vanish and reposition.]
[Phantom Strikes (Passive)
When attacking from stealth, kusarigama strikes are faster and more accurate, making initial hits nearly unavoidable.]
Absolutely incredible.
Atlas turned toward Kurogasa, who stood quietly beside Edrik, and gave him a knowing smile.
"Master Kurogasa," he called out, "I believe this beautiful Unique-grade Kusarigama belongs to you."
A ripple of awe spread through the crowd.
"But damn, Unique-grade?!"
"No wonder it looks so gorgeous!"
"I’d die happy just facing that weapon once!"
Kurogasa stepped forward with deliberate calm. He bowed deeply before Atlas, his posture held just a second longer than usual.
"My Lord," he said, "I feel unworthy to receive such a weapon when I have yet to fully prove myself to you."
Atlas extended the Kusarigama toward him. "This is your chance to show us your true worth. I have high expectations for you."
Kurogasa accepted the weapon in silence... then, suddenly... smiled! Damn! No!
With the Rank-A tickets done, the moment everyone had been waiting for finally arrived.
It was time for the Rank-S pull.
What would it be?
A new character? That would be ideal. Another Rank-S ally would boost their strength dramatically... assuming they weren’t too high-maintenance.
A weapon? Also excellent, if it matched the right wielder.
A blueprint? Risky. Especially if the materials were too rare.
But whatever the result, Atlas was ready.
He looked out at the crowd, faces glowing with anticipation.
"Are you ready?!"
"YEAH!" they shouted back, voices echoing across the island.
Atlas touched the ticket, which shimmered for a moment with radiant energy before lifting into the air. He instinctively stepped back as the single card multiplied, splitting into a full deck, the cards floating in midair.
The crowd gasped, eyes glued to the dazzling sight.
"Woah... cool! Like a magician’s trick!"
"It has to be a Rank-S magician character!"
"I can’t wait to see what kind of character we’re getting!"
The floating cards began to shuffle themselves, then scattered high into the air, fanning out and slowly drifting down like leaves in the wind. As they settled to the ground, a swirl of black cloth began to gather at the center of the formation, coiling into a spiral before forming a figure.
A man.
A rank-S character.
Atlas felt a rush of satisfaction. Jackpot.
The man didn’t look flashy, though, if anything, he looked... surprisingly average.
He wore a slightly wrinkled black suit. His black hair was tousled, his beard and mustache unkempt, as if he hadn’t shaved in days.
[You have received 1 Rank-S Character: Milo Blackwood – The Wandering Magician]
All eyes were fixed on the newcomer. The man glanced around, taking in the faces watching him with wide-eyed. Then, he met Atlas’s gaze, and grinned.
"Heh... looks like I got summoned," he said, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.
"Hi, welcome... Milo?" Atlas responded, raising a brow.
Milo gave a small, almost sheepish bow. It was clear the man wasn’t used to being the center of attention. He was nervous, even if he tried to hide it.
"My Lord, name’s Milo," he said. Then he raised a hand, revealing a deck of cards he’d somehow summoned into his palm. He shuffled them with practiced ease, though his fingers trembled slightly. "I’m... well, a magician."
"Hi, Milo. Welcome to the team. Nice to meet you," Atlas said with a warm smile.
Atlas studied the man standing before him. Milo looked... uneasy. Mid-forties, maybe. A bit scruffy, with the aura of someone who hadn’t slept enough or cared much about appearances.
Was he even strong? Atlas couldn’t help but wonder.
"Hey, show us your power!" someone from the crowd called out, clearly just as curious.
"Yeah! You’re Rank-S, right? Must be something amazing!"
Milo blinked, clearly startled. He turned to glance at the group, taking a hesitant step back. Then another, until he was right at the edge of the platform.
And then...
Slip.
"Milo!" Atlas called out in alarm.
The man tumbled off the edge, landing with a soft grunt. A moment later, he popped back up with a sheepish grin, brushing dust from his coat.
"No, no, it’s okay. I’m fine," he said quickly, chuckling at himself. "Just... testing gravity."
He reached into his coat and pulled out the same deck of cards, shuffling them again with twitchy fingers. Then, he looked up and offered a crooked smile.
"I’m a magician... wanna see my trick?"
"Trick?" someone repeated, confused.
"Not... power?" another echoed.