Chapter 43 - The Wandering Magician
Atlas opened the first Rank-A ticket, and a scroll floated in front of him.
A blueprint?
[You have received Rank-A Blueprint: Healing Spring Blueprint]
[A small pond that restores health and removes poison effects when players rest nearby.]
"What is it, My Lord?" the troops called out to him eagerly.
"It's something like a healing spring… but it's just a blueprint, so we'll need to gather materials to actually build it."
"Woah, a spring? I love hot springs!"
"Yay, we could have a hot spring here!" They cheered.
Atlas checked the list of materials required for construction:
[Aqua Crystal (1) – Found in freshwater caves or crystal-rich areas.]
[Lifevine Essence (30 mL vial) – Found in magical forests or ruins, harvested from Lifevines.]
[Purified Stones (5) – Collected from rivers or created from ordinary stones using Aqua Crystal infusion.]
Aqua Crystal? Isn't that the item I already used to create a water source on the island and even start a river flow?
But he'd already used it up.
"Jackpot, can I use the Aqua Crystal I previously installed as a material for this?"
[Host, yes, you could repurpose it, but its current function would be lost. Your land would again lack a water source, and the river flow would be redirected to power this small pond.]
"Not ideal… let's keep this blueprint on hold for now."
Atlas touched the next rank-A ticket, and to his surprise, a tiny spark of electricity jolted from it.
Everyone's eyes widened as a sudden storm of crackling energy erupted from the ticket, bolts of lightning arcing out in bursts before the ticket finally transformed into a crystal emitting electrical pulses in all directions.
"Woah, that's incredible!"
"What is that?"
"It's a rank-A item; it must be something amazing."
Atlas carefully reached for the crystal, and this time, it didn't sting. Instead, it settled into a steady blue glow with occasional sparks flickering inside, as if lightning were captured within.
[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… this infuses lightning damage into a weapon? Isn't that amazing? But wait—would the user also be affected by the lightning effect? Would they need lightning resistance to handle this safely?
Atlas felt a surge of excitement, eager to try using this crystal on a weapon someday, though he didn't yet have the perfect match for it. He could use it on the spear he'd obtained from Flare Peak, but it wasn't quite the optimal weapon he hoped for.
What element would pair best with lightning? Fire? Water?
"This is a Lightning Infusion Crystal," he explained to the others. "It can add lightning damage to a weapon."
"Woah… incredible!"
"I want my sword to have lightning damage!"
"That must be worth a fortune!"
"We could fund our whole island with that money!" someone joked.
Atlas chuckled but quickly dismissed the thought. No way am I selling something this valuable. Besides, I've got other ways to make money, he thought. At least for now, I don't need to be desperate.
Two rank-A tickets down, and yes, both items were valuable. The first one would be incredibly useful—a healing spring would offer everyone a place to escape and recover once he managed to build it. And the second item, the Lightning Infusion Crystal, would be an impressive enhancement for his next weapon.
Atlas considered sharing the crystal with others—maybe Karian, whose greatsword already had a fire element, or perhaps Edrik. But on second thought, Karian was strong enough for now, and Edrik didn't really need it. Morganna, of course, would hate having strange elements slapped onto her scythe.
No, he decided, this lightning crystal will be perfect for me.
Hehe, he thought with a grin, I've still got one more rank-A ticket and the rank-S pull left. I can't wait to see what's next!
He touched the next rank-A ticket, and suddenly a whirlwind formed around it, with something spinning rapidly in place of the ticket. All eyes watched with curiosity.
After a few moments, the swirling winds settled, revealing a long chain with a curved blade at its end.
Oh, a weapon? Interesting.
[You have received 1 Rank-A Weapon: (Unique-grade) Whispering Kusarigama]
Atlas smiled at the weapon's name, already imagining exactly who this weapon would be perfect for.
But then he realized—Holy cow. The grade was Unique?!
Damn. Sure, he'd gotten a Legendary-grade weapon for Morganna before, but this was his first time obtaining a Unique-grade weapon, just one tier below Legendary. And it was for none other than his Rank-A character, Kurogasa!
This weapon was on an entirely different level from what he'd expected.
[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 was standing beside Edrik, and smiled at him.
"Master Kurogasa, I believe this beautiful Unique-grade Kusarigama belongs to you," he said.
A murmur of awe spread through the crowd.
"But damn, Unique-grade?!"
"No wonder it looks so stunning."
"I'd die happy facing a weapon like that."
Kurogasa stepped forward slowly and bowed deeply before Atlas, holding his bow a moment longer than usual.
"My Lord, I feel unworthy to receive this weapon when I have yet to prove myself to you. I am humbled."
"This is your chance to show us your true worth. I have high expectations for you," Atlas replied, handing him the weapon.
Kurogasa accepted the Kusarigama, and… smiled! Damn! No!
With the rank-A tickets finished, it was finally time for the highly anticipated rank-S ticket. What could it be?
A character would be fantastic—having another rank-S character would definitely help, though he hoped it wouldn't be someone too high-maintenance.
A rank-S weapon would also be incredible, as long as there was someone suited to wield it. A blueprint… Well, that could be tricky, especially if the materials were hard to find. But whatever it was, he was ready!
Atlas took in everyone's excited faces. "Are you ready?!"
"Yeah!" they shouted in response.
Atlas touched the ticket, which shimmered for a moment before he stepped back. Suddenly, the ticket multiplied into a stack of cards, floating like a card deck. The crowd watched in awe as the cards shuffled themselves, then scattered into the air, falling slowly to the ground.
"Woah, cool… like a magician?"
"Damn, it has to be a rank-S Magician Character?"
"I can't wait to see what kind of character we're getting!"
The cards settled on the ground, and a swirl of black cloth appeared, spinning before forming into the figure of a man in the center.
An S-rank character! Atlas felt satisfied, though the man's appearance was... rather… normal?
The man wore a slightly rumpled black suit, his brown hair tousled. He sported a scruffy beard and mustache, giving him a look of someone who hadn't shaved or groomed in days.
[You have received 1 Rank-S Character: Milo Blackwood - The Wandering Magician]
All eyes were fixed on the new arrival standing before Atlas. The man, Milo, glanced around before meeting Atlas's gaze and grinning.
"Heh… looks like I got summoned," he said, scratching the back of his head.
He gave a casual bow. "My Lord, the name's Milo," he introduced himself, then shrugged and held up a deck of cards in his hand with a nervous chuckle.
Shuffling the deck nervously, he added, "I'm… a magician."
"Hi, Milo, welcome to the team. Nice to meet you," Atlas replied warmly.
Atlas observed the man standing before him. Milo looked nervous, probably in his forties, and—was he even… strong?
"Hey, show us your power!" one of the troops called.
"Yeah, you must be special, right?"
Milo looked startled, glancing back at the others. He took a few steps backward, right to the edge of the platform… and suddenly slipped and fell.
"Milo!" Atlas called out, surprised.
The man landed with a sheepish grin, quickly scrambling back to his feet. "No, no, it's okay, I'm fine…"
He shuffled his deck of cards again.
"I'm a magician… wanna see my trick?" he offered, smiling nervously.
"Trick?"
"Not… power?"
***
(Author's Note:)
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