Soren had fully transformed into his monstrous form.
Damn! What kind of Lord at this rank wields power like this? What kind of transformation could grant such strength?
Even at a glance, the difference was obvious. He had blocked Raze's attack effortlessly—a clear and massive upgrade.
Each step of Soren's beast form sent shockwaves in every direction, forcing the troops to keep their distance, with only the elite subordinates able to approach. Spectral roots erupted from the ground, spreading out to snare anyone who got too close.
Atlas, still observing from his floating island, watched closely, with Edrik now standing at his side.
"Atlas, I'd say we've hit the jackpot with this one."
"Is this a good one or a bad one?"
"Anything can be good if we're smart enough to handle it."
Edrik was clearly talking about the power behind Soren—the kind of force that would give him this level of strength.
"This guy seems to have an ability to summon spirit beasts," Edrik continued. "We saw the Bear. It's possible he could also summon a wolf and a stag."
"And this form?"
"It looks like he's merged with those spirit beasts, creating this bizarre form."
"Merged?"
"Yes. Most likely, it's his last resort to survive. He probably doesn't even care about himself anymore, choosing this path instead."
"And beyond that?"
"Whoever his backer is. That could be a potential threat for us."
Atlas nodded. "But whether we let this guy go or kill him, the threat will still find its way to us, won't it?"
"Exactly right, Atlas."
Atlas nodded again. "Then it's best to take down this strange beast before anyone on our side falls to him."
"Agreed," Edrik replied with a nod.
Raze charged forward with brutal force, ignoring the spectral roots shooting up from the ground in a desperate attempt to restrain him.
He lunged and grabbed hold of Soren's leg. Soren let out a fierce roar, swinging a massive arm down toward Raze—just as a chain blade sliced through the air, embedding itself in Soren's left arm. Kurogasa had arrived, his blade locked onto Soren's arm, dealing relentless damage.
Morganna shot through the air, her scythe flashing as she struck at Soren's face, then landed on the beast's shoulder, hacking away again and again with brutal precision.
The beast barely stood a chance against Atlas's Elite Subordinates.
Soren let out a thunderous roar, unleashing a massive wave of energy that radiated in all directions. The sheer force sent Atlas's floating throne tumbling backward, the shockwave ripping through buildings, fortresses, and anything in its path, leaving devastation in its wake.
Despite the chaos, Raze remained relentless, hammering Soren's leg with brutal strikes. Morganna, thrown to the ground by the wave, quickly recovered, launching herself back into the air. With precise control, she floated momentarily before diving in to attack again.
Kurogasa and Karian joined the fray, each delivering their own punishing blows to the beast.
From a distance, the troops could only watch in awe as the Elite Subordinates unleashed their full strength. Yet, it was impossible to ignore the overwhelming power of their opponent.
This wasn't a fight that would end easily.
Atlas activated the Stormcaller's Amulet, his hand trembling with electric energy as the skies above darkened once more. Thunder rumbled, and flashes of lightning lit up the heavens. Then, a blinding, massive bolt of light descended from above!
The lightning struck Soren's massive form directly, its sheer force causing all the Elite Subordinates to retreat to a safe distance. Moments later, an earth-shaking roar of thunder echoed across the island, the impact reverberating as if the entire landmass had been struck with unrelenting force.
Soren was immediately bombarded with attacks from all sides once again. It was clear he could no longer mount any meaningful defense.
[Elite - Duskbound Presence (Conditional Passive) Lv. 1]
[Common - Endurance Boost Lv. 10]
[Epic - Bloodrush (Active) Lv. 1]
Atlas steadied himself, exuding calm resolve, before leaping from his floating throne directly toward the roaring beast. The troops watching below froze, holding their breath in disbelief.
"The Lord? He's jumping into the fight against the beast?!"
"Damn it! I feel useless just standing here!"
"We should be ashamed of ourselves."
"I get that the Elite Subordinates are monsters, but that doesn't mean we can just stand around!"
"I won't let myself stay idle any longer."
"Let's go! Join the fight!"
Atlas shot toward Soren's head as the beast roared in agony. But Soren's massive left hand lunged up, aiming to crush him mid-air.
Atlas focused every fiber of his being, feeling as though he could command every part of his body with absolute precision. He spun his spear, and just as Soren's massive hand came crashing down, Atlas skillfully maneuvered, using the spear to deflect himself out of harm's way.
With a graceful twist, Atlas somersaulted above Soren's head, the beast still writhing in pain. Gritting his teeth, he tightened his grip on the spear.
[Elite - Flurry of Spears Lv. 2]
Atlas plunged down, driving the spear's tip directly into Soren's eye. He held his ground, pressing into the target. With a fierce pull, he wrenched the beast's eye from its socket.
Soren staggered, losing balance, and fell backward with a thunderous crash.
Atlas began to fall, floating in mid-air with nothing to catch his descent—until Morganna darted forward, grabbing him with her right hand. Together, they surged forward, chasing after Soren's massive, collapsing form.
In one fluid motion, Morganna flung Atlas back toward Soren's head. Atlas twisted in mid-air, barely believing this was real. He was soaring, almost flying—and he readied himself for another strike.
[Common - Piercing Thrust Lv. 7]
The skill activated, and his spear propelled him forward, driving him straight toward the beast's neck with deadly precision.
The spear struck true, piercing deep into the beast's neck. Spectral white blood sprayed out as Soren's massive form dissolved into smoke. Moments later, his original body appeared on the ground, lifeless and crumpled not far from where they stood.
[You have successfully slain Soren, the Lord of Ashroot Grove.]
[You have won the battle.]
[You have gained 20 Rank Points.]
[Your island size will receive an upgrade.]
[You have received 650 Arcane Shards.]
[You received 12,240 Exp]
[...]
A cascade of notifications filled Atlas's vision, but his attention shifted to the sound of cheers. The troops, overjoyed by their hard-earned victory, ran toward him in celebration, their voices ringing out in triumph over the battle.
Edrik and the others approached him.
"Anyone who knew you two weeks ago wouldn't believe you'd be capable of this, Atlas," he said with a proud smile.
Kurogasa bowed deeply. "My Lord, I'm confident your potential will grow even greater than this, and it is an honor to stand by your side as you achieve it."
Light enveloped them one by one, gently lifting them away and returning them to Gacha Haven.
From a distance, they watched Soren's floating island crumble, breaking apart piece by piece and sinking into the clouds below.
But another marvel unfolded before them.
Gacha Haven, Atlas's island, began to expand. From its outer edges, new land rose like pieces of a puzzle locking into place, steadily increasing the island's size.
At last, his domain was growing!