Chapter 255: Chapter 255 - Stamina Recovery Elixir
When was the last time Atlas used his standard ticket? Oh, yes, he still remembered it vividly. It was that time he pulled two rank-S in a single ten-pull! That was when he obtained his Legendary Spear, along with an egg that later hatched into Zefyros, his contracted spirit beast.
That had been quite a while ago. Now, with more than a hundred new standard tickets stored up, he figured at least something good should come out of them. Maybe within forty, or at most fifty pulls. It was worth a try.
Mira kicked off the festival by burning through three rank-A tickets in her very first batch!
The ticket glowed and trembled, releasing a shower of carrots in all directions. The bunny girl’s jaw dropped as something slowly took shape before everyone’s eyes, translucent at first... and then solidifying into another copy of Mira!
"FIRE!!!" The crowd screamed in unison the moment they realized what was happening.
Wait a second... wasn’t this a bit too much?! Mira had already drawn one duplicate, then another, and now this was her third duplicate! If this kept going, she was about to unlock even more destructive power!
Not necessarily bad... but definitely unsettling.
The bunny girl stood frozen, wide-eyed, as an aura wrapped around her body, cloaking her in what looked like an upgrade process. When the transformation, if it could even be called that, finally settled, Mira turned her innocent, wide-open eyes toward Atlas.
"Congratulations, Mira. Your third upgrade! So... what can you do now?"
Mira let out a soft giggle... then suddenly, time froze around her. Her smile faded, and in the next instant she shot into the air, releasing a powerful gust of wind in every direction.
Everyone tilted their heads back, eyes wide, as Mira leapt higher and higher. Oh damn! Damn! Wasn’t this an incredible upgrade?! This bunny girl!
Then she came crashing back down onto the stage, her innocent face unchanged, as if nothing had happened. She looked around with a bright smile and said,
"Hehe... with this new ability, I can finally cool down a whole tray of carrot pies in seconds!"
"That is surely a very useful ability," Atlas replied, nodding. "Now you can prepare carrot cake for everyone on the island even faster."
At those words, nearly half the crowd groaned in disgust, as if the thought alone made their stomachs churn.
Then the next rank-A ticket was opened.
[You have received 10 Rank-A Items: Stamina Recovery Elixir]
[Fully restores stamina after exhaustion.]
Oh... Stamina recovery? Atlas immediately thought of the possibilities. With this, he could spam his skills endlessly during battles, or even while hunting. What an amazing pull.
"Alright, Mira... the last ticket!" Atlas urged her with a small grin.
Mira’s smile grew wider as she reached out and touched the final ticket floating in the air.
Suddenly, it seemed to burn with dark energy...
Wait. This...
Mira instinctively took a step back as the ticket split in two, shadows leaking from the tear. Atlas noticed one of his elite subordinates reacting sharply, moving closer as if to guard him. The dark energy then gathered, shaping itself into a translucent figure before them.
[You have received Rank-A Character: Edrik Thornwall – The Golden Steward]
Gasps erupted through the crowd as they saw what had manifested.
"Well, two character duplicates in a single batch," Atlas said, a small smile tugging at his lips. "I’d say this is our greatest victory in a long while." He then turned toward the emerging figure of Edrik, knowing this meant it was Edrik’s turn... and that Atlas would soon dive into the man’s past.
Edrik stepped forward, bowing deeply before him at the foot of the stage.
"My lord, I am truly grateful. To be chosen once more, to stand stronger by your side, it is an honor beyond measure. I will not fail your trust, nor the path you’ve given me."
Atlas carefully took the duplicate ticket in his hand. "Let’s see when I’ll be ready to dive further into your past, Edrik," he said quietly.
The last two dives had been... anything but pleasant. Mira’s tragic history still haunted him, and Milo’s was even more heart-wrenching. Could it be that Edrik’s past held something a little less cruel?
But one thing Atlas quickly noticed afterward was the grumbling from many around them.
"No way... I just hope Edrik actually gets some character development. Maybe turns into a decent guy for once."
"Yes, it’ll be far less hell if that happens."
"Ugh, of all people, why did he get an upgrade? Couldn’t it have been literally anyone else?"
"Honestly, I was praying the ticket would explode instead of summoning him."
Edrik turned his flat, unreadable gaze toward the grumbling crowd, and the sudden chill in his eyes made several people shiver.
Atlas chuckled and shifted his attention to Mira. "So, Mira... what exactly were you wishing for when you threw those tickets?"
Mira’s expression softened into her usual innocent look as she replied, "I just wanted everyone to get strong, you know? the flat-faced, the dragon warrior, the master ninja, even the drunk dwarf... but still, I want to be the strongest one among them all."
"Oh... so you think the ticket granted your wish then?" Atlas asked, amused.
"Yes, my lord! Just let me throw all the tickets, I’m sure I’ll get three more upgrades in no time!" Mira chirped, her eyes gleaming with excitement.
She suddenly stepped closer, reaching for the stack of tickets in Atlas’s right hand. But before she could grab them, Atlas pressed his left palm on her forehead, holding her at bay.
"My lord... give me, give me, give me!" she pleaded, trying to push forward with stubborn determination.
But before she could break free, vines burst from the ground, wrapping tightly around her body and dragging her backward off the stage.
"Lyrassa... I don’t like being tied up like this!" Mira protested loudly as she was hauled away.
Atlas exhaled deeply, already sensing who would appear next.
A tall figure in crimson armor ascended the stage, his long hair tied back neatly.
"My lord, I’ve fallen behind," Karian declared, his voice booming with a dramatic echo. "I have not received the spotlight, drowned out by all these shiny newcomers. Allow me to restore my pride! I shall pull six duplicates of myself at once!"
But instead of awe, the crowd erupted in jeers and loud boos, filling the hall with laughter.
Karian threw his head back and bellowed, "Silence, you fools! Hahaha!"
Karian accepted the ten standard tickets from Atlas, a wide grin spreading across his face. "With these, my lord, I shall claim my glorious victory and prove myself once again!"
The first ticket shimmered.
BROWN. BROWN. BROWN. BROWN.
"Booo..." the crowd groaned, their boos echoing across the stage.
"You’re a walking curse, Karian!" someone shouted.
BROWN. BROWN. BROWN. BROWN.
Wait... this was getting worse by the second.
Finally, a faint flash of light.
BROWN. PURPLE.
Only one purple. The reaction was so underwhelming, the audience did not even bother to cheer.
Still grinning, Karian turned toward Atlas. "My lord, I am certain this will be an item as valuable as any rank-S!"
Atlas smirked slightly and opened the remaining nine tickets, leaving the last one for Karian.
The armored man reached out and touched the final ticket. At once, a cuboid-shaped object materialized in the air, glowing faintly as it hovered before them.
Atlas narrowed his eyes.
[You have received Rank-A Item: Auto-Replenishing Refrigerator]
"Euh..."
Karian grinned, lifting the strange cuboid object toward Atlas. "My lord, I believe this is something extraordinary! With this, we can save a great deal on our expenses."
Atlas gave him an awkward smile. "What exactly were you expecting in that head of yours?"
Before Karian could reply, laughter and shouts rang out from the crowd.
"Karian, that thing matches your bottomless appetite perfectly!"
Still grinning, Karian puffed out his chest, and started walking off the stage. "This one’s all mine! None of you are getting a single bite, hahaha!"
Atlas exhaled, shaking his head. Maybe Mira’s theory wasn’t entirely true after all. Or... maybe it was. Could it be that the gacha really had granted Karian’s wish, tailoring the reward to his gluttonous nature? Who could say for sure?
Now then... who would be next?
Edrik stepped up onto the stage, bowing formally to Atlas.
**
[You have received Rank-A Item: Sentinel Training Mannequin]
Another single rank-A reward.
As Edrik made his way down from the stage, the others greeted him not with cheers but with playful jeers, teasing him mercilessly for the unimpressive reward.
Atlas let out a long sigh. The last two batches had been downright disappointing... Maybe it was time to cancel this whole idea of letting his elite subordinates handle the pulls.
Just then, a gentle presence floated onto the stage. Atlas turned his head and saw a blonde-haired girl stepping forward, her warm smile enough to soften the heavy atmosphere.
"Let me handle the next pull, my lord," Lyrassa said calmly.
Atlas handed her ten standard tickets. "Alright then. Let’s see just how much luck you truly have, Lyrassa."
[You have obtained 8 Rank-B items, 1 Rank-A item, and 1 Rank-S item!]