Chapter 248: Chapter 248 - Stormforged Herald
[Epic - Storm Chain: Judgment Spear (Conditional Active Skill)]
[Calls down a lightning spear on a target, dealing 500% lightning damage and ignoring 30% defense. May paralyze for 2 seconds.
Can be charged to absorb nearby lightning. Each absorbed bolt strikes the target with its original damage before the main hit. Chains to nearby enemies if used in a storm zone.]
Judgment Spear, this was the skill Atlas had once briefly demonstrated in front of Luna and the others. And honestly... The true damage potential of this skill went far beyond what its basic description suggested.
Sure, its core effect seemed straightforward enough: summon a single lightning spear that deals 500% damage and ignores 30% of the enemy’s defense. It sounded powerful, respectable even. But not game-breaking.
But then came the second part of the skill.
By charging the skill, Atlas could absorb nearby lightning. Both magical lightning from spells and natural lightning from the environment. Every bolt absorbed would strike the chosen target first with its original damage, and then the main attack would follow.
Now imagine that, Atlas standing beneath a Stormcall Domain, gathering all the lightning in the area, and directing it all into one devastating strike. The result? Ridiculous, concentrated damage.
Even more absurd, if he was in a place like Stormfields, where natural lightning raged constantly, like the area he’d just been training in. He could absorb everything in range. Channel it into one blow. The sheer destructive power of that was off the charts.
It was a tricky skill, yes. One that required timing, positioning, and the perfect storm, literally.
But if Atlas waited for just the right moment? He could unleash a strike that broke through everything.
There was only one small issue Atlas noticed when trying out the skill, his current charge duration. At the moment, he could barely hold the charge for even a second. That made the skill less effective than it could be.
He’d definitely need to train further, deepen his control over magic, optimize his mana usage. If he could extend the charge time, even just by a little, the power of Judgment Spear would scale up dramatically.
So far, he had two skills that clearly worked in sync, and both had ridiculous potential.
But now... it was time for the bonus.
Yes, completing this quest didn’t just reward him with those two skills. He’d unlocked something else.
[New Passive Skill Unlocked: Storm Conductor]
[In storm conditions or inside Stormcall Domain: +10% attack speed. Every 5th attack releases a lightning pulse. Lightning damage taken is partially converted into healing.]
A passive skill, one that directly enhanced his close-quarters combat under storm conditions. It boosted his attack speed, gave him a free lightning burst every few hits, and even converted lightning damage into healing. That was a massive improvement to his melee presence.
Not bad at all.
One skill for massive area damage. One for concentrated single-target bursts. And now a passive to reinforce his close-combat capabilities.
Everything was coming together.
Then came the final reward.
[Title Unlocked: Stormforged Herald]
[Lightning skills apply a Stormbrand for 4 seconds. Branded enemies have their movement speed reduced by 10%. If the brand expires or is triggered again, it explodes, dealing 20% lightning damage in a small area.]
A title. At last, Atlas had earned his own.
Every Lord he had summoned had a title of their own. Like Mira, the Blossom Reaper, or Edrik, the Golden Steward. And now, he finally had one to call his own.
He couldn’t help but smile awkwardly. Of course it was lightning-themed.
The title’s effect wasn’t overwhelming in terms of raw numbers, just a 10% slow and a 20% mini burst if the brand expired or was reapplied. But it was an area effect. In the middle of a battlefield, if even a hundred enemies were under his Stormcall Domain, they’d all take that burst damage.
Stack that enough times... and the total output would be massive.
Stormforged Herald, huh?
Hopefully, this title had room to evolve even further down the line.
Atlas gave a slow, satisfied nod as he lifted his head, only to meet Serenith’s bright, enthusiastic smile. She had just finished tidying his hair and trimming the short beard that had grown during his training.
She beamed, giving him a thumbs-up. "My Lord, you look even more handsome now," she said with a playful giggle. "Though, honestly? You with long hair gave off a more feral vibe. Maybe you should try that look again sometime."
He shrugged, amused. "That’s actually my question. How do you fly comfortably with your hair whipping around like that, Sera?"
"That depends on how well you get used to it, my Lord," she replied with a wink. "With enough practice, it won’t bother you at all. You could give it a try next time."
"Good idea. Let’s try that next time," he said, grinning.
Right on cue, the Nimbus Carriage drifted into view, descending toward the floating edge of Gacha Haven. Atlas rose to his feet, ready to return to the main island he’d been quietly missing.
The carriage floated to a gentle halt above the landing platform. Atlas stepped toward the door, then opened it, only to pause at the sight that met him.
Every resident of the island was standing below, gathered and lined up in neat rows.
At the front stood Edrik and the others, heads bowed in respect. Everyone... except Morganna.
Atlas offered a slightly awkward smile at the sight of her still standing upright, arms folded.
"Welcome back to Gacha Haven, my Lord," Edrik said first, his voice calm and clear as Atlas stepped down from the carriage.
Atlas smiled, then turned his eyes toward Morganna. sSpecifically, to the curve of her belly, now much more pronounced.
She must be nearing her due date. There should still be about a month left... and thankfully, she looked just fine.
Atlas returned the greetings with a warm nod and a simple response, only for the crowd to erupt in a loud cheer. He smiled, then made his way into a quick debriefing with Edrik and Baldric to get up to speed on everything that had been happening on the island in his absence.
The leveling progress across the island was going remarkably well. Most residents had already surpassed level 80, and many were now approaching level 100. Even more surprising, the Elite Subordinates had already reached level 100.
That, he hadn’t expected.
But one piece of news stood out even more. Apparently, they didn’t even need to complete special quests to unlock their new class skills.
What? Was it because they’d technically acquired those classes in the past? Either way, it was incredible news.
Even better, the Soulbinding Armor project was progressing smoothly. Baldric had managed to produce a total of 50 units so far.
Fifty! That was insane. He really had been working hard. Then again, it probably meant the soldiers had been putting in serious effort too, gathering and refining the rare materials needed for each piece.
But fifty?! Damn! That was equivalent to crafting 50 Rank-A items.
With this, Atlas could equip the bulk of his elite army, and fully gear all his Elite Subordinates as well.
A huge leap forward.
He knew just how much value this armor held, and how drastically it would boost their defensive capability in any major battle ahead.
Now, it was time. Atlas needed to move forward, to choose their opponent. For about three weeks, challengers had been waiting for the Lord Battle. Soon, he’d find out who they would face next... in a new region, on a new continent!