Floating Islands: SSS Gacha Lord-Chapter 354 - Not All Shadows Strike Alike

Even though Kurogasa and Edrik shared the same basic element, Dark, and its advanced version, the Shadow element, the two of them had very different fighting techniques and combat skills. In truth, even if Edrik looked like a simple executive administrator of the island, or even if his title only said The Golden Steward...

But no. He was not that simple. Before becoming a lord, he had been a feared assassin who once required dozens of people just to bring him down.

Then, Edrik shot forward at high speed as he boldly confronted the four monsters whose sizes nearly reached his chest.

The four monsters struck at him at the same time. It was deadly. Atlas watched with tension.

But what happened next was Edrik suddenly vanishing as the monsters attacked. He appeared in the air, leaping and twisting with elegant movement as his body spun to the side. Then he vanished again when the others attacked.

In the next moments, Edrik completely avoided every strike with perfect precision while dashing and matching the monsters’ speed by using his short teleportation skill.

At this point he was truly showing off with his Ancient Element.

However, it was clear Edrik could not keep using that power repeatedly, because at a certain moment one of the monsters charged with full force and slammed toward him with a massive burst of lightning. Atlas widened his eyes at what happened.

But Edrik simply cast a barrier in front of him, and the monster’s attack was held back and swallowed by the shadow barrier he formed.

"Edrik is absorbing all of that attack into his Space Ancient Element," Dullorak explained.

Atlas watched again with tight nerves because he knew how devastating the attack from even one of those monsters could be.

A loud explosion erupted from the monster’s strike and sent Edrik flying backward at high speed. The other monsters rushed toward him from the sides.

If Kurogasa had taken more time to defeat the earlier monster, it was because he wanted to demonstrate the technique he used to win without taking a single hit.

This time it was clear that Edrik was also using technique and strategy, but that did not mean he was untouched. He was clashing head on, and he was taking hits.

Until a certain moment, Atlas saw it clearly. "This is the moment!"

He spoke out of reflex, because he noticed the same opening Kurogasa had exploited earlier. One of the monsters showed that tiny gap when the lightning was not charging through its body. And Edrik used that opening perfectly.

He appeared above the monster and struck with his dagger which...

"No way!" Atlas murmured softly.

Edrik’s dagger was glowing with lightning, and he drove it straight into the monster beneath him.

A series of explosions blasted out with intense force. Even Edrik himself was thrown away by the shockwaves.

"Edrik used the lightning charge attack from the other monster that he trapped inside his dimensional space, then used that stored lightning to strike the next monster at the exact moment its lightning protection dropped," Dullorak explained afterward.

What happened after that was Edrik practically trying to dodge and withstand the monster’s attacks. He was thrown again and again, even though he did not look hurt at all.

Whenever he found an opening, he struck back with fierce force, making the monster taste its own lightning again.

One, two, and after some time, all the monsters fell under a battle display that was not as surgical or precise as Kurogasa’s. But Edrik’s fighting style was ferocious and brutal, built on movement that was still very controlled.

The difference in how they had grown was clear, as well as their fighting styles, even though they had not yet regained all the power they once held in the past. But the techniques they remembered and the muscle memory they carried allowed them to face monsters of this level and this brutality without much trouble, without hesitation, and without needing long preparation.

Edrik returned to the safe area and gave a small bow toward Atlas, while Atlas smiled and let out a soft laugh after watching how they fought.

"Seeing how all of you fight," Atlas continued with a humble tone as he took a breath.

Edrik replied, "You have far greater potential, my lord. In such a short amount of time you are already ready to fight at this level with your destructive power. Give yourself a little more time and you will become a literal destructor, a massive force that wipes out anything in your path. And I am not exaggerating this. You have shown it again and again. And I believe you will be able to learn the technique from before in a short time if you truly commit to it, and I know you always do."

"Well, thanks for the praise, Edrik," he said, then turned toward Krythalis.

The insect beastkin bowed slightly and answered, because this was his task now.

Krythalis summoned his insect army, and they shot out of the barrier and vanished into the storm.

Kurogasa said it would take him much longer if he went scouting alone because the outside condition was unbelievably brutal. He even openly admitted his limit here.

Whether he truly could not scout as perfectly as usual, or if he was simply being modest, Atlas could not tell. It was not surprising though, because even their levels were far below the monsters outside. This was a rank four island after all.

But with Krythalis and his insect army, the scouting and mapping of the entire island would carry far less risk if he was the one doing it.

Now came the next question as Atlas and Dullorak continued discussing the strategy for how Atlas should handle fights with the monsters on this island.

Considering Atlas also had High Affinity with the Dark element, he also held the advanced version, the Shadow element, with High Affinity as well.

Should he fight using Dark and Shadow in this opportunity?

But the answer Dullorak gave after that gave Atlas a clear picture.

"Having High Affinity with Shadow is not enough, my lord," Dullorak said calmly.

"Shadow can work, but the risk is much higher. You would need far more time to apply the technique safely, and every mistake will hit harder in a place filled with lightning. For now, it is more practical to use Earth. Earth is the natural counter, and you can keep the danger under control. You also have Medium Affinity with Earth, and if you push that, it may rise to High and help your progress for your next planned evolution."

Atlas nodded softly, understanding the whole concept.

High Affinity with Shadow was like holding a legendary grade sword. The item had great potential, but in the hands of someone inexperienced it would never perform the same as when used by someone skilled and trained.

That was the most straightforward way to describe this situation.

It was not that Atlas had no intention of mastering his Shadow. No, he would do that. But he also knew he could not master everything at the same time.

So one step ahead first, and he would surely walk every path later to become stronger.