Chapter 293: Chapter 293 - The Drum of War
[Nysera SS-Rank Eclipse Dominion]
[Envelops the battlefield in darkness, weakening enemy energy flow while empowering forces attuned to shadow or night.]
The next SS-Rank ability in the alliance belonged to Nyserra, and Atlas couldn’t help but swallow hard when he saw the details. An ability like that, under his command, especially with the number of units he had possessing Dark Element affinity, would elevate his overall battle performance to staggering levels.
Still, from his perspective, the ability seemed primarily focused on battlefield control through darkness. An impressive power, yet one he personally felt was more fitting for an S-Rank classification rather than SS. It wasn’t as absolute or reality-altering as higher-tier system abilities.
But if the System had designated it as SS-Rank, then there was undoubtedly a deeper potential hidden within. Something beyond what even Atlas could currently perceive.
[Kaeris B-Rank Blinding Gale]
[Generates cutting winds that obscure vision and reduce the precision of enemies fighting within affected zones.]
Kaeris was the only lord among them with the lowest rank, B-Rank. Her ability focused purely on tactical precision, making her a dependable but low-tier command type.
She was a Sylphid, a Wind Spiritkin, much like Lyrassa. While her rank placed her near the bottom in terms of raw system power, her agility, coordination, and battlefield awareness often made her the invisible thread that kept entire formations moving flawlessly.
[Variel A-Rank Soul Ward]
[When allies fall, fragments of their spirit briefly manifest as ethereal guardians, defending nearby comrades before fading.]
[Rhaen A-Rank Aetherlift Dominion]
[Grants levitation and stable flight to allied troops and constructs, enabling large-scale aerial maneuvers and floating formations.]
Variel, with her A-Rank Soul Ward, possessed a short-lived summon skill. Brief in duration, yet powerful enough to hold its ground. It fits neatly into the solid mid-tier category, reliable and consistent but not overwhelming.
Then there was Rhaen, whose ability allowed her to grant levitation to her troops. Its range was notably wider than most support abilities, yet it shared the same drawback as Luna’s, an immense resource drain. The larger the number of troops affected, the faster her stamina and mana would deplete, making it a tool of great potential but steep cost.
[Lumea SS-Rank Spectral Legion]
[Summons a spectral army that mirrors the Lord’s own troops, fighting alongside them for a limited duration before vanishing.]
The next SS-Rank ability, Spectral Legion, belonged to Lumea. With it, she could summon an entire army of spectral warriors, ethereal soldiers that mirrored her own forces in both formation and discipline.
The scale of the summon was astonishing. Each activation called forth a seasonal spectral army, vast enough to shift the balance of an entire battlefield. It was an ability that clearly fit a divine-tier influence, bordering on godlike in scope.
It was, without question, one of the most extraordinary abilities among all the lords gathered under the alliance.
[Thaliera S-Rank Heavenfall Pact]
[Permits the summoning of a celestial guardian through sacrifice of valuable resources. The summoned being aids in one decisive engagement.]
As for Thaliera, she possessed the S-Rank Heavenfall Pact, an ability Atlas hadn’t yet fully studied or understood in detail. From what he knew, it allowed her to summon a celestial guardian once per day, a powerful being of light bound by divine contract.
It was a well-balanced high-tier ability, offering strong offensive and defensive potential, though its effectiveness depended heavily on the duration and resource cost, both of which varied each time the pact was invoked.
Atlas wondered if he could gain something from Thaliera’s ability. He’d need Light Element affinity.
[Arveline SS-Rank King’s Rebirth]
[When the Lord is defeated, they and a portion of their forces are restored at the Fortress Core, allowing an immediate counter-engagement.]
And perhaps the most overpowered and borderline absurd of them all was Arveline, with her SS-Rank King’s Rebirth.
She was, in simple terms, practically immortal. Whenever she fell in battle, she would be revived, and not just her. But her forces would return with her.
Of course, there were penalties tied to the resurrection, though the exact details remained unclear. Still, with an ability like this, as long as Arveline could keep growing stronger and endure the hardships that came her way, she could, in theory, continue rising through the ranks indefinitely.
That was, assuming the penalty wasn’t so severe that it became a fate worse than death itself.
Done reviewing the list of abilities, Atlas moved on to deliver the latest update regarding Brigid’s status, though everyone in the room could already see it clearly from their system interface.
But then, he shifted the topic. "I’ll likely need everyone’s cooperation to subdue the Island Bosses of the Shattered Ember."
He paused briefly before continuing. "After our victory in the Dominion Skirmish, the island has been temporarily repurposed for resource harvesting. But the monsters’ levels have been rising steadily ever since."
The statement drew everyone’s attention. The room grew quieter as the lords leaned in to listen more closely.
"To the point where we can no longer handle it alone?" one of them asked.
"Exactly," Atlas replied. "I’m still torn between merging the island now or leaving it separate. Both options have their pros and cons. Having two islands means two strategic points for defense. But also double the risk, since the secondary island can still be attacked during a defense battle, even though most of our key structures are on the main one."
He took a moment to think before continuing. "However, the raid bosses each offer significant rewards upon defeat. Since there are two of them, we can decide later whether to proceed with a full merge after taking down the first."
The others nodded in understanding.
"There are two monsters," Atlas continued. "The first is a fire-type boss roaming the outer zone, while the second lies buried deep within the cave system. An ice-type monster, sealed until recently when the pathways reopened. Fighting that one in a confined space will be far tougher than an open-area battle."
He glanced at the gathered lords. "Since the outer boss is fire-type, and most of my main forces are also fire-affinity. We’ll need to discuss our strategy carefully. We can’t rely on brute strength alone this time."
The discussion about how to subdue the monster didn’t take long. In truth, it was something they could handle relatively easily, as long as they combined their strength and coordinated their assault.
The real issue was time; the longer they waited, the higher the monsters’ levels grew. They couldn’t afford to delay for too long.
Once that topic was settled, Atlas shifted the conversation. His expression hardened as he brought up the next matter.
"Bai Yun of Fengyun Terrace and Lei Shen of Lingxiao Isle," he said.
"According to the intel we’ve gathered, both are confirmed members of the alliance led by Bolin," he continued. "Yes, I understand this is my responsibility, and ultimately, my decision, to accept their challenges, especially when time is running short. It might seem reckless... even greedy."
He paused, his voice lowering. "But knowing what they’ve done to Luna and Brigid, I believe we can’t just stand by. They’ve already declared their intent. They’ve struck the first drum of war, and..."
Atlas fell silent for a brief moment, closing his eyes before exhaling slowly. "We must answer that war."
The room fell quiet. One by one, the lords’ expressions shifted.