Chapter 289: Chapter 289 - Crimson Trial
Atlas dropped to his knees, his spear clattering to the ground beside him. His breath came in ragged gasps; the fight had drained every ounce of his strength. His muscles trembled, his mana nearly depleted after repeatedly casting spells that demanded too much from him.
He lifted his gaze, and saw Brigid kneeling across from him, her greatsword lying motionless on the cracked earth. Her expression was frozen in disbelief, exhaustion written across her face.
The battle was truly over. Brigid had failed to block Atlas’s final strike, and it had registered as a critical hit, one that could have been fatal. Because of that, the system had automatically declared the duel finished, marking Atlas as the victor.
The system messages appeared one after another in succession, displaying the full list of rewards: rank points, arcane shards, standard tickets, and finally, the remaining forces under Brigid’s command. 34 combatants and 20 workers.
It was shockingly few, almost tragic, considering how high her rank and division had once been. The numbers alone told the story of how devastating her defeat truly was.
Atlas steadied himself and rose, extending his hand toward her. Brigid hesitated only a moment before taking it, blood still trickling down her forehead as she stood.
"You’ve won this battle," she said softly.
"It was close," Atlas replied with a faint smile. "The result might have been different if the system hadn’t stopped it when it did."
Brigid blinked, and then... smiled. It was rare, almost startling to see. It was as if a heavy weight had been lifted from her shoulders.
"I’ll leave this weight to you now," she said softly. "From this point on, I’ll stand beside you, together with the few who still follow me."
Atlas’s expression warmed. "More than that, you and your people will become part of something greater. You’ll fight with me, and with everyone in Gacha Haven. Together, we’ll protect each other and keep growing stronger. This... is a new beginning."
"Thank you, lord Atlas. For this chance."
Atlas nodded once, then looked past her, where Brigid’s surviving troops were approaching. Their faces were weary but proud. Some smiling, others cheering, raising their fists to the sky.
For the first time in a long while, hope flickered among them. This truly was a new Chapter for everyone.
With Brigid now part of his command, Atlas knew he had gained another powerful blade for the future.
Even so... she still lacked aerial combat capability. That, Atlas thought with a faint grin, would be his next great challenge to solve.
Atlas turned around, his gaze softening as he saw the people of Gacha Haven descending onto the war zone. Their faces carried warmth and pride as they welcomed the newest member of their ranks. Brigid, now standing quietly at his side.
But before Atlas could say anything, more system messages began to flood his vision, their golden glow reflecting in his tired eyes. Something far greater had just been acknowledged.
[Tempest Reaver Class Quest I – "Crimson Trial" successfully completed.]
[You have been challenged to prove the worth of your new class. Victory alone is not enough. The System will judge the quality of your battle.]
[Quest Objective: Win a duel against a single opponent with levels higher than your own.]
[The System will evaluate performance based on tactical skill, damage ratio, adaptability, and survival under pressure.]
[The opponent must be intelligent (not a beast) and capable of fighting at full strength.]
[System Evaluation: SS (Perfect)]
[Summary: Fought intelligently, sustained minimal damage, and demonstrated clear tactical dominance. You have won a one-on-one battle against another Lord with a level gap of 40.]
Atlas tilted his head slightly, scanning through the details that had just appeared before him. This was no small accomplishment. He had suspected that his battle with Brigid might count toward the Class Quest, but he hadn’t expected a duel that wasn’t meant to be a life-or-death struggle to be fully acknowledged by the System.
Well, he thought, that’s definitely a good sign.
He received several rewards listed beneath the quest summary, but Atlas intentionally skipped through them for now. There would be time to analyze everything once the dust settled.
When everyone had finally gathered, Atlas took a deep breath. He stepped forward, his voice steady and commanding as he addressed the entire crowd.
"Everyone," he began, "Brigid is a warrior of remarkable skill and experience. Someone who has reached Rank-2 and Division 4 through talent, discipline, and courage. Her journey has been forged through countless trials, and now she stands with us."
He glanced at Brigid, then turned back to his people. "There are forces out there who have deliberately targeted us, trying to break what we’ve built here. But they’ll fail. Because with every new ally who joins our cause, we grow stronger. Together, we’ll continue to train, to adapt, and to defend Gacha Haven against anyone who dares to challenge it."
Atlas paused, drawing a long breath before continuing.
"Starting today, Brigid will lead a new combat unit. Our Eighth Team, officially named Team Inferno. For the time being, Kurogasa will act as the team’s supervisor until we assign a new elite subordinate to support its command."
For a heartbeat, silence lingered, then the crowd erupted into applause. Cheers and warm greetings filled the air as the people of Gacha Haven welcomed Brigid and her remaining warriors into their ranks.
Atlas allowed himself a small smile, watching as the tension that once filled the war zone slowly turned into laughter and relief.
The System began its final work, cleaning the remnants of battle and merging Brigid’s island seamlessly into the expanding territory of Gacha Haven.
Brigid’s floating island was filled with jagged, uneven terrain. Towering ridges and sharp cliffs that made the landscape anything but flat. It was a challenging environment, yet one that offered both strategic difficulties and unique advantages in battle.
Because of this, Atlas decided to position Brigid’s island so it blended naturally with the outer ring of the great lake surrounding Gacha Haven’s main island. The placement created a stronger natural defense line; any ground assault would now have to cross both water and solid rock before reaching the heart of their territory.
Still, Atlas knew that air assaults remained their greatest vulnerability. He would need to develop a dedicated strategy to deal with future aerial threats.
However, the rugged terrain gave him an idea. With so many jagged peaks rising across the island, he could install Flame Beacons atop each ridge. The structures capable of locking onto and firing at airborne enemies. It wouldn’t completely solve the problem, but it would certainly make the skies a little safer.
Everyone began returning to the island as the merging process between Brigid’s floating island and Gacha Haven commenced. The operation was massive, and with much of Brigid’s territory damaged from the recent battle, the rebuilding would take considerable time and effort.
But amid the calm, a new problem loomed. One that Atlas couldn’t ignore.
Because he had canceled the Reinforcement Phase to initiate his challenge against Brigid, the usual post-battle protection period would no longer cover him. For the next two days, until the current Lord Battle Season officially ended, his territory would be completely vulnerable.
Everything would be fine, as long as no one challenged him during that time.
But Atlas knew better than to rely on luck. Two days might sound short, yet in the world of lords, it was an eternity, enough time for anything to happen. He couldn’t afford to stay idle. Preparations had to begin immediately.
What if Bolin and his alliance have been waiting for this exact moment?
If that was true... then the real storm hadn’t ended yet. It was only about to begin.