Chapter 256: Chapter 256 - The Hollow Crown
This counted as an early Rank-S pull, the ticket had landed exactly on the fortieth draw. A truly great pull, courtesy of yet another female elite subordinate that evening.
Maybe it really had to be the women who handled the pulls? Best to keep Karian and Edrik far away from them.
Atlas quickly cleared the eight normal pulls, then let Lyrasa open the rest.
She touched the purple ticket, and at once it began to tremble, radiating a crimson aura that flared wildly through the area. All eyes turned toward it, stunned. No way, another character already?
The light twisted and condensed until a form emerged. Long, heavy, and glinting with dark red steel. A greatsword.
[You have received Rank-A weapon: (Epic-grade) Dragonfang Cleaver]
Atlas smiled faintly as he regarded the weapon. Around him, the others looked visibly disappointed.
"That’s for me, haha!" Karian shouted from the crowd.
Atlas picked up the greatsword and tossed it toward Karian where he stood by the stage.
"Give it to whoever can actually wield the weapon."
"No way, my lord. None of them have the strength to use it properly. This will be perfect to upgrade my blade."
"Why are all the elite subordinates so greedy? I could wield that greatsword just fine!" another voice complained.
Karian ignored the protests, clutching the weapon as he strode away with what now looked like a perfect match for his own.
Now, at last, came the true highlight of the evening, the Rank-S ticket.
Lyrassa stepped forward once more, toward the floating ticket glowing in deep crimson light. What would appear this time? Rank-S tickets always brought something extraordinary. Perhaps a new weapon, maybe even her own long-awaited signature weapon. Or could it be Milo’s duplicate?
There was always the chance of a new character. Even a spirit beast would be welcome; Atlas certainly wouldn’t complain.
With steady hands, Lyrassa touched the ticket, then stepped back slowly to stand at Atlas’s side. Every eye in the area fixed on the swirling glow, anticipation thick in the air.
A dark energy spread outward, filling the area before gathering at the center, twisting, taking shape.
And then... Laughter.
The sound made several people shiver.
Dark element... again? Why was it always dark element? Still, this had to be a new character, didn’t it?
The laughter came again. No, not one voice, but many. A man’s voice, a woman’s, the wheeze of an old man, even the shrill giggle of a child. All laughing together. Echoing unnaturally across the space.
At last, a form emerged. At first glance, the figure wasn’t tall. Shorter than Atlas, but unmistakably male. As the light dimmed, his features became clear.
A man in a sharp suit, executive in style, so reminiscent of Edrik that for a heartbeat it felt uncanny. Black hair slicked back into a polished crest, every detail crisp.
[You have received Rank-S Character: Dullorak – The Hollow Crown]
The system message flashed into view, confirming the arrival of a new character before them all.
Atlas’s eyes narrowed. Could this be a Rank-S version of someone like Edrik?
The man turned his eyes toward Atlas, pausing in silence as if weighing something in his thoughts. Then his gaze shifted to Lyrassa, only for his expression to jolt suddenly, as though he had stepped on something vile... or caught sight of a horror he hadn’t expected.
He straightened his suit, cleared his throat with a practiced ahem
, then placed one hand over his chest and bowed, slowly, almost theatrically."My deepest thanks for summoning me to this place. I am Dullorak, and from this moment forward, I am at your service."
"Welcome to Gacha Haven, Dullorak," Atlas said evenly.
The man pivoted in place, sweeping his gaze across the gathering. His expression shifted into something far too showy, like an actor hungry for an audience.
"Remember this name, Dullorak!" he declared, throwing both arms wide in a dramatic flourish, the way a superstar greets an adoring crowd. "I have arrived, and I promise you, my presence will bring unmatched strength and glory to this haven!" He even punctuated it with a playful wink.
"Hey, Dullorak, enough talking. Show us what you can actually do," someone from the crowd called out.
"Oh... hahaha." Dullorak chuckled, brushing back his slick hair with exaggerated flair. "Patience, my friends. Greatness is not revealed all at once, it must be savored." His voice carried that self-styled coolness, the kind meant to impress but instead rang hollow.
Atlas exhaled through his nose. No, this wasn’t Edrik at all. Edrik was genuinely cool, detached and sharp. This one? He was trying far too hard, and in front of everyone, it came off as nothing more than foolish posturing.
"Allow me to finish my introduction!" Dullorak declared, striking another dramatic pose. "I am the highest-born of the Novelty line, raised for a singular purpose, to achieve greatness beyond mortal measure, to—"
"Dullorak, shut up. We want to know what you are, what your strength is."
"Yeah, stop yapping!" someone else shouted.
"Ah, hahahaha!" Dullorak laughed, wagging a finger. "Patience, patience. The longer I hold back, the more your curiosity grows! That is what makes this introduction unforgettable!"
But then, something streaked through the air and slammed onto the stage with a heavy thud.
Mira was suddenly there, cheerful as ever, holding the handle. "Hey, you, Mr. Overly-Cool! I’ve got a present for you. Go on, eat these. They’re good..."
Before she could finish, Dullorak froze. His eyes widened in horror, his posture breaking as he stumbled backward. He threw up his hands as though warding Mira off.
"W-wait, stay right there! Don’t come closer!" His voice wavered, strangely panicked. One hand shot to his face, pinching his nose as if trying to block something unbearable.
Mira tilted her head innocently, stepping forward with another carrot extended. "Here, really! Try one—"
Dullorak squeezed his eyes shut, his head tilting back as if fighting against something unstoppable. And then.
HAACCCHOOOOOO!
The sneeze exploded like thunder.
Everyone jolted in shock, but it wasn’t the sheer volume that left the area frozen in disbelief. It was what followed.
His head, Dullorak’s head, launched clean off his shoulders, spinning through the air before tumbling across the ground.
The crowd erupted in chaos, voices clashing in pure panic.
"WHAT THE?!"
"What the hell just happened?!"
"Run! Get away from the stage!"
"Stay back. What are you?!"
Yet Dullorak still stood where he was, patting at the place where his head should have been, as though calmly checking for damage. He even raised his hands in a placating gesture.
"No need for alarm, everyone! This is perfectly normal."
At that moment, the head that had rolled across the floor began to rise into the air, eyes blinking, lips moving as if it had never left his body at all. The mouth opened, speaking in tandem with the headless body’s reassurance.
"See? Entirely under control."
"God damn it, stop him. He’s a demon!" someone screamed, sending another ripple of fear through the crowd.
Atlas couldn’t help but laugh at the sight. Yet another bizarre summon, delivering yet another shock to everyone watching.
He raised his voice. "Dullorak, please. Help us understand and introduce yourself properly. What are you?"
The headless figure snapped to attention, turning toward Atlas in a rush while his floating head drifted back toward his body.
"My apologies for the confusion!" the head said cheerfully as it hovered closer. "Allow me to introduce myself the right way this time. I am Dullorak, bearer of the Hollow Crown. Neither man nor beast, neither living nor truly dead. A sovereign born of fragments, destined to stand where others fall. Summoned here to lend my strength, I swear to serve as your unshakable crown."
The head slid neatly back into place, and Dullorak spread his arms in another grand gesture.
Atlas, meanwhile, opened the status window of the new summon, eyes narrowing as he read.
The Hollow Crown, huh?