Atlas watched with growing excitement as the dry, cracked sand began to darken. Moisture spread outward in a widening circle, the earth slowly drinking in the miracle.
Edrik joined him, kneeling beside the newly damp soil. Curious, Atlas reached down and touched it. Yes, it was wet. Just as he'd hoped, the Aqua Crystal had done its job. A water source was forming beneath their feet.
Then, after a few more moments, he spotted it: a small trickle of water pushing up from the dirt, bubbling to the surface like a newborn spring.
Excitement surged through him. He dug into the softening earth with both hands, clearing it away. Water began to gush forth.
"This… this should be drinkable already!"
His face lit up with joy. Laughing softly, he leaned down and drank straight from the stream, cupping his hands at first, then bringing his mouth close to the flow.
The moment the cool water hit his throat, it was like heaven. Refreshing, sweet, and unbelievably crisp. It revived him instantly, the sensation rushing through his body like a jolt of life.
"What kind of water is this?" he muttered, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "It's so good I feel like I could live here and do nothing but drink it all day."
Unable to resist, he splashed the water on his face, then soaked his hair, drenching himself from head to toe. Laughter burst out of him as he stood up, dripping and beaming like a child discovering a secret stream.
He turned to Edrik and Karian, his grin wide. "Come on, don't hesitate. Drink as much as you want."
Edrik offered a respectful bow. "Thank you, My Lord. I'll let Karian go first."
Karian gave a small nod and knelt beside the spring, drinking deeply. Then Edrik followed, each of them taking their turn.
Atlas stood over the spring. For such a short time, his floating island had already begun to change. What was once barren and dusty was now moist and alive. The fortress was well on its way, just hours from completion.
But his excitement hadn't cooled yet. With a grin, he strode back to where the last Rank-A ticket hovered in mid-air, his final pull from the second round. He plucked it from the air, and a notification blinked into view.
[You have received a Rank-A weapon: (Epic-grade) Dragonfang Cleaver.]
A greatsword? He leaned closer to examine it. The blade was massive. A broad, menacing slab of crimson metal that seemed to thirst for blood.
"This… this looks serious."
[Dragonfang Cleaver]
[Grade: Epic]
[Strength +200 • Health +4000 • Defense +200]
[Rending Slash (Active): Delivers a crushing slash that pierces armor, dealing 550% physical damage and reducing the target's defense by 20% for 10 seconds.]
[Crimson Wrath (Conditional Passive): For every 10% of health lost, damage increases by 5%, up to a 30% maximum. When the wielder's health drops below 30%, the blade glows with red energy and boosts attack speed by 25%.]
This wasn't the first weapon Atlas had held, but the moment he gripped the Dragonfang Cleaver, he knew it was something entirely different. It was by far the most extraordinary weapon he had ever laid hands on.
He admired its blood-red edge as Edrik and Karian approached, their eyes magnetically drawn to the blade's powerful aura.
"That's yours, right?" Atlas asked, turning to Karian.
"My Lord, that is exactly the same greatsword I wielded in battle before I was summoned," Karian confirmed.
Atlas nodded, satisfied. The weapon's heavy boosts in Strength, Health, and Defense fit Karian like a glove, perfect for a frontline powerhouse who relied on raw power and resilience.
"This weapon... it's truly exceptional."
"Thank you, My Lord."
Atlas gave the greatsword a try, hefting it in his hands. And yes, it was undeniably heavy. His current stats weren't high enough to wield it properly. Not that it mattered too much; he wasn't exactly a greatsword type. Spears were his weapon of choice, better suited to his agile, precise fighting style.
Still, this greatsword wasn't just any weapon. It was an Epic-grade, the highest-tier item he'd ever touched. His old spear? That had only been Common-grade, scraping the bottom of the barrel in terms of quality.
Rare-grade weapons were still somewhat within reach for low-talent Awakeners like him, but anything higher, Elite-grade and above, was considered extravagant. Most people wouldn't even dream of getting their hands on such gear until they were past level 100.
And Epic-grade? That was in a different league altogether. These weapons were usually reserved for those from powerful bloodlines or elite members of top-tier guilds. Owning one this early was a tremendous advantage.
If he wanted to, Atlas could sell the greatsword for a small fortune, enough to retire comfortably in a quiet village, never lifting a weapon again. But that wasn't the plan. Not with his cheat system in play. He had an edge, and he was going to use it.
He had one goal: climb fast, reach the peak. For that, he needed the right weapons, especially a spear he could actually wield.
"Hope I pull a spear soon," he murmured under his breath.
Turning, Atlas handed the greatsword to Karian. "Take it. Use it for me."
"Thank you, My Lord," Karian said with a respectful bow.
Then, another floating message appeared before him.
[Host, you can pull a copy of the greatsword from the gacha and use the duplicate to upgrade the current one.]
"Uhm… I can pull a copy of the same weapon? But why upgrade the old one? Wouldn't it be better to have two, so both can be used by different people?"
[The weapon can be upgraded up to five times. Each upgrade will either enhance the existing skills or unlock a new one.]
[But the choice is yours. If you believe someone among your subordinates can make good use of it, you don't have to upgrade the current one.]
Atlas nodded slowly, mulling it over. So if he got another of the same weapon from the gacha, he had options, either upgrade the one he had or hand the new one to someone else. Not a bad system.
If his squad lacked weapons and someone else could benefit from it, then giving it away might be smarter. But in this case, the Dragonfang Cleaver was unmistakably designed for a greatsword wielder, specifically a berserker. And so far, only Karian fits that profile.
Wasting no time, Atlas tossed another ten exclusive tickets into the air, setting off another pull from the Exclusive Weapon Banner.
The tickets spun above him, their colors revealing one by one: brown, brown, brown. Then purple!
Atlas smirked. A Rank-A was guaranteed every ten pulls, so this came as no surprise. But then something changed. Another purple flashed, followed by brown, brown, and brown again.
"Oh, another two Rank-A pulls?!"
Then, one ticket lingered.
Its glow pulsed and deepened, its color shifting.
Until it turned red!
A broad grin spread across Atlas's face. Another Rank-S item, and so early in his gacha streak!