For his first ten pulls, Atlas had been incredibly lucky. Two Rank-A summons and one Rank-S, though the last one came with… complications.
Now that Morganna was officially part of his team, his attention shifted to the second exclusive banner, the one featuring the Bloodkissed Scythe, a weapon clearly crafted with her in mind.
If he could get his hands on it, it would complete her build perfectly. And even if the scythe didn't drop, any Rank-A pulls could still provide useful weapons. Maybe even something suited for Karian, who was still fighting barehanded.
At that moment, both Edrik and Karian had rejoined him, standing nearby once more as he prepared for the next draw.
Without wasting another second, Atlas grabbed ten more Exclusive Tickets. With a confident grin, he tossed them into the air.
"Let's see if my luck really is the real deal."
[Keep your expectations low, Host.]
The tickets shot upward, spinning rapidly like a roulette wheel, then slowly began to settle.
First card, brown. Second, brown. Another Brown. Brown.
"Well, as expected?"
Then, purple. Finally, a hit!
Brown. Brown. Brown. Purple. Brown.
Nice!
[You have obtained 8 Rank-B items and 2 Rank-A items.]
"That should be better than a standard result, right, My Lord?" Edrik asked.
"Yes," Atlas replied with a grin, already moving on. He wasted no time and quickly opened the first Standard pull.
When the item materialized, his expression shifted slightly.
A simple bag?
[You have received 1 Evergreen Soil Bag.]
"Soil bag?" he muttered.
[Evergreen Soil Bag: A sack of rich, enchanted soil that, when spread across barren land, revitalizes it and promotes rapid plant growth.]
Atlas blinked once, then smiled.
"This… is exactly what we needed right now."
He took the bag in hand and turned to Edrik, who immediately stepped forward with a bow, clearly catching on.
"My Lord, please allow me to handle this task."
Atlas smirked. Edrik had a way with words. He always seemed to say just what someone wanted to hear.
"Pick the best spot to use it. Maybe the center of the island, or wherever you think it'll do the most good. We need to start improving this place."
"Understood, My Lord," Edrik said smoothly, taking the bag and heading off without another word.
[You have received 100 Units of Wood.]
[You have received 100 Units of Stone.]
[You have received 100 Units of Stone.]
[You have received 50 Units of Iron.]
[You have received 50 Units of Iron.]
The next five items were perfect, exactly what he needed.
Atlas quickly opened his inventory and checked the totals. A wide grin spread across his face. He finally had enough.
"Jackpot! So, I can build the fortress now, right?"
[Yes, Host. You just need to select the location. Construction will begin immediately.]
"Cool," he whispered to himself.
His eyes drifted toward Morganna, who was still rooted in place, her body stiff with tension. She hadn't moved an inch.
"Controlling rage, huh... not as easy as it sounds."
Atlas made his way toward the center of the island, with Karian silently trailing behind. Edrik, who had been working nearby, noticed their approach and straightened up at once.
"My Lord, I've chosen this location," he said, gesturing to the open area. "It's at the island's center. Perfect for establishing our first structure. This will give us prime land to prioritize for future expansion."
"Good work, Edrik," Atlas replied with a nod.
Just then, a question formed in his mind, and as if on cue, the system responded. A 3D holographic interface shimmered into view before him, displaying a full model of his floating island.
"Ahh, so this is how it works," he murmured.
He navigated the interface, selecting the fortress blueprint from the list of available structures. Dragging it across the virtual map, he carefully positioned it at the exact center of the island. Once satisfied, he tapped the confirm button.
[You have spent 300 Units of Wood, 250 Units of Stone, 150 Units of Iron, and 20 Units of Mana Crystals to build Fortress Stage 1 – Outpost Fortress.]
[The building process will take 12 hours.]
The moment the notification appeared, the magic began.
Materials gathered from every direction, rising from both the terrain and Atlas's inventory. Wood, stone, iron, and shimmering mana crystals swirled through the air, drawn by an unseen force. They floated together, dancing in an organized spiral toward the construction site.
Then, as though guided by invisible hands, the materials began to fall into place. It was like watching the world build itself.
Each piece found its place without resistance, locking into position with perfect alignment. The mana crystals embedded themselves near the base.
Atlas stood there, captivated.
"This is… honestly mesmerizing," he whispered.
"We have enough time to prepare other things while the construction is underway, My Lord," Edrik said, offering a short bow.
"Yes, that's fine. Let's make use of it. We still have quite a few tickets left to open today," Atlas replied with a smile.
He returned to where the remaining floating cards hovered in the air. Four left, still untouched. Without wasting a second, he reached for the next one.
[You have received 20 Units of Mana Crystals.]
[You have received 1 Evergreen Soil Bag.]
"Ah, good," he muttered. Another soil bag. "Is the system actually giving me exactly what I need?"
He handed the bag to Edrik, who accepted it with a silent bow before returning to his task without delay.
That left only two Rank-A tickets.
Atlas reached for the next, and as the light faded, the notification appeared.
[You have received a Rank-A Item: Aqua Crystal.]
"Aqua Crystal? What's this?"
[Aqua Crystal: Releases water when planted in the ground.]
"Oh, seriously?" Atlas said aloud. "This is exactly what we need."
The gem pulsed with a soft blue glow, and for a fleeting moment, it looked so inviting he almost wanted to swallow it. His throat was dry, painfully dry, and only now did he realize just how thirsty and hungry he'd become.
"What if I end up starving to death before anyone even attacks me?"
Atlas walked over to Edrik and Karian, handing the Aqua Crystal to the warrior, who accepted it with a respectful bow.
"That's some serious luck, My Lord," Edrik commented. "We needed water, and your system delivered."
"Yeah," Atlas nodded, rubbing his stomach. "Now I wonder if the system plans on giving us food next. I'm actually getting pretty hungry."
"No need to worry, My Lord," Edrik said smoothly. "If it comes to it, we can always ask Karian to lend us a limb for dinner…"
The moment he finished, all heads turned toward him. Atlas, Karian, and even Morganna.
Atlas stared at Edrik for a moment, his brow raised. "You're not serious, are you?"
Edrik smiled without missing a beat. "No, My Lord. Just a joke."
Karian exhaled heavily, clearly relieved by the clarification.
And yet… Atlas wasn't entirely convinced.
"Wait. Did you actually do that in your previous world?"
"Yes," Edrik replied.
"No," Karian said.
The two answered at almost exactly the same time.
Atlas narrowed his eyes and gave an awkward smile, swallowing hard. "Ah… survival must've been pretty brutal, huh?"
His throat burned with dryness, and the thirst was starting to get the better of him.
Without wasting another moment, he made his way over to Karian, hoping the Aqua Crystal had already begun working its magic beneath the soil.
He was really thirsty.