Chapter 278: Chapter 278 - Fish Before War
[Atlas of Gacha Haven, Scout Division 1, has accepted the defensive challenge from Karmina of Bloodroot Hollow, Scout Division 1.]
[The battle will begin in: 10:00:00]
There were many reasons why Atlas ultimately decided to face this new challenge through defense rather than an all-out confrontation. It was a sign that he had grown more confident in his current fortifications. Especially after the victory over Selvara and the successful merging of her floating island into his own domain.
Selvara’s island had mostly consisted of vast stretches of water, resembling a massive lake dotted with small patches of land. When Atlas merged it with Gacha Haven, he arranged the new landmass to circle around his already established island.
The result was remarkable. Gacha Haven had grown significantly larger, its outer perimeter now surrounded by a wide ring of water that encompassed the inner lands. The island’s shape had transformed into a natural fortress. A massive lake encircling the heart of the haven, providing both beauty and powerful defense.
Recognizing the strategic potential, Atlas deployed additional Guardian Sentinel Statues along the outer perimeter to protect the water’s edge. Though their numbers were still insufficient to cover the entire circumference, it was a start. One that would demand time and resources to perfect.
The concept was simple yet effective: let the Guardian Sentinels guard the outermost ring, while ranged defense units in the inner zones provided long-range support. With this setup, the risk of losing soldiers in direct combat would be greatly reduced.
And even if an enemy somehow managed to cross the vast lake by any means they could devise, they would find themselves exhausted and resource-drained. By that point, Atlas’s forces, trained for distance warfare and strategic defense, would hold the clear advantage.
They still had ten hours before the battle began, scheduled to start at nightfall. That timing would actually work in Atlas’s favor. Both he and his army were already accustomed to fighting in environments with minimal light. According to his calculations, this would make their defensive position close to perfect.
Even so, Atlas never underestimated a battle. Their opponent was also a lord, someone possessing their own unique and unpredictable system ability. The higher the rank, the more extraordinary their power tended to be.
There was no telling what kind of ability they might bring to the field. The enemy could have tools that allowed them to leap great distances, or skills that let their entire army float through the air and bypass the waters surrounding Gacha Haven entirely. In this world, anything was possible.
Exactly one hour before the battle, all forces were in position, stationed across their assigned posts. The island’s newly expanded size, however, made troop deployment far more challenging. Even with a total of seven active teams, it still wasn’t enough to fully cover the island’s vast outer perimeter.
Fortunately, Atlas had already prepared a solution, the Shadow Gate system. These portals allowed soldiers to instantly relocate to different parts of the island if an area came under attack.
However, the cooldown of each gate was five seconds, and it could only transfer one person at a time. With only five Shadow Gates placed at the four corners and one at the center of the island, it wasn’t ideal... but it was still far better than having no contingency at all.
Then Atlas noticed a small group gathered at one corner of the island. As he looked closer, he recognized Karian among them.
Curious, Atlas approached to confirm, and found Karian sitting by the edge of the lake with four other workers, all of them perched on stones, fishing.
The moment they noticed Atlas, the four workers immediately stood, looking flustered and tense.
Karian, however, simply turned and waved cheerfully. "My lord! Turns out there are plenty of fish here, and big ones too! Haha, we won’t be short on food anymore. Looks like Selvara really took care of these waters well."
Atlas sighed deeply. Even with a battle looming in less than an hour, Karian still managed to act this relaxed.
"You do realize," Atlas said flatly, "that we’re about to go to war, right?"
"Yeah, yeah, I know," Karian replied with a laugh. "But we still have an hour, my lord! My team’s assigned to guard this sector, so no worries, we’ve got it covered."
Just then, Edrik appeared beside Atlas, stepping up on his right as the sky dimmed toward twilight. The entire island had already been darkened to prepare for night combat.
"Let him eat well while he can, my lord," Edrik said dryly. "It might be his last meal today."
Atlas blinked, caught off guard by the biting sarcasm. This man... really doesn’t miss a chance, huh.
"Shut up, Edrik," Karian called out casually without even turning around. "Come on, join me. Let’s catch some fish before the fighting starts!"
Atlas summoned his floating throne, and it ascended smoothly before him. He stepped onto it and settled into the seat, while Edrik followed close behind, landing lightly to stand at his back.
The throne ascended higher, gliding smoothly over the waters that surrounded Gacha Haven. From that vantage point, they could clearly see it now, a massive island slowly drifting toward them. The enemy’s floating island. It was close, very close. The battle was about to begin.
This time, however, something was different. The enemy’s island was noticeably smaller than Atlas’s, even before the addition of Shattered Ember to his main island.
They waited in silence as the two islands continued to draw nearer, tension thick in the air.
Then, after several long minutes, someone appeared at the far edge of the approaching island. A woman clad in dark crimson armor, her hair the same deep shade of red. Her face was pale, unnaturally so, almost eerily reminiscent of Morganna.
"A vampire? Could she be one as well?"
The woman’s sharp, unflinching gaze locked onto him from across the distance. The air between them grew heavy, charged with the weight of anticipation.
"This lord didn’t withdraw her challenge, even after knowing you just won an all-out confrontation, and that your island’s size has increased severalfold."
Atlas nodded slightly. "Perhaps they have a strategy for taking down larger islands."
"I hope they do," Edrik murmured. "Otherwise, they’ll regret their overconfidence soon enough."
Atlas gave a faint smirk. "You sound a little too confident yourself, Edrik."
"Confidence comes from experience, my lord."
Atlas chuckled softly. "I can’t argue with that statement."
Atlas waited, curious to hear what kind of opening words their opponent would proclaim this time. But instead of a speech, what appeared first was an army. Lines upon lines of soldiers materializing beside the opposing lord, spreading across the edges of her island. Their numbers alone were overwhelming.
"Three hundred," Edrik muttered after a quick glance. "That’s what they’re showing us."
"Lords at this rank really do command ridiculous numbers," Atlas murmured. Even after absorbing Selvara’s forces, he could only muster around four hundred trained fighters at best.
"I’d say a thousand soldiers is the proper standard for Rank-2," Edrik replied. "But maintaining that many would take enormous time and resources."
Atlas nodded slightly.
"Quantity and efficiency. Nothing ever beats that balance, my lord," Edrik added calmly.
Then, at last, the moment of silence broke as their opponent finally spoke.
The crimson-armored woman stepped forward and called out. "What a nice island," she said. "It’ll belong to us soon."
Atlas exhaled through his nose, a faint smile forming. He always did enjoy opponents who were a little too confident.