Floating Islands: SSS Gacha Lord-Chapter 359 - Magnetic Earth in Motion

Half the journey had already passed when Atlas and the team finally found a new spot. Just enough space for them to catch their breath and rest for a while.

The battles had felt endless, wave after wave. But... There was one major reward that Atlas had earned from fighting the monsters in this part of the island. Yes, and it was something truly remarkable.

Because the level gap between him and the monsters here was massive, nearly 80 levels. The experience point multiplier kicked in with incredible impact. Even though the total EXP was split among all seven members of the team, Atlas still managed to gain a full four levels during their time on this island alone.

He was now sitting at level 143. Just a little more. Just a bit further, and he would break through to level 150, or maybe even go beyond it.

Still, among all of them, the most terrifyingly efficient might’ve been Serenith. She had already reached level 180, inching dangerously close to 200. She was completely unstoppable. With the sheer explosive power of her abilities, she tore through high-level monsters with brutal precision and frightening ease.

Though, in the end, she spent more time collapsed from exhaustion than actually conscious in the fights.

"My lord," Dullorak said as they sat together on the rocky ledge.

"Yes?" Atlas replied.

The man produced a cluster of shared crystals, twelve in total. Each one a deep, burnt orange with a faint inner glow. None of them were larger than three human fingers. The crystals hovered above his palm, slowly rotating as if he were presenting them to Atlas.

"What’s with the crystals?" Atlas asked, eyeing them curiously.

Dullorak offered a small, apologetic smile and gave a nod. "Forgive me for doing this without your knowledge," he said. "I collected these from the spot you were sitting."

"Don’t say things that sound weird like that," Atlas replied flatly.

"Ha ha ha," the man chuckled. "Well, my lord, the spot you used for cultivating Magnetic Earth. Your mana residue there was dense. The whole area is marked by your mana signature."

Atlas frowned slightly. "That sounds... dangerous."

"Exactly. Here, take it." Dullorak flicked his hand, and the crystals zipped through the air, merging into a smooth formation that hovered perfectly above Atlas’s open palm, spinning gently.

"These Earth Crystals were formed using your mana residue. They carry your mana signature, though of course, they won’t be as stable or powerful as if you had crafted them yourself. Think of it this way. If you can control the Magnetic Earth element, this is its solid form. Later, you’ll be able to shape them yourself, or even break them down into sand for more flexible use. But for now, you can use these as a foundation."

Atlas watched the twelve crystals with a faint smile. He could feel it. He could control them as easily as if he were manipulating raw elemental particles in the world around him.

This was exactly what Edrik had pointed out during their earlier hunt. Atlas experienced a slight delay in deploying his abilities because he was relying on elemental mana from the environment. Mana that wasn’t fully integrated with his own core.

But if he could use devices like this. Much like wielding a personal weapon. It would make his elemental control far more effective in combat.

Of course, it wouldn’t be easy. Atlas would need to form entirely new skills and unlock them before they could be applied in battle. Still, he was determined.

He had already resolved to limit his use of elemental skills on this island so that he could accelerate his growth. Especially now, when the monsters they were up against were on a completely different level. Almost unimaginably higher than what they should reasonably be able to handle. At least, for now.

The hunt resumed.

Everyone moved swiftly, sprinting through the tempestuous forest terrain with sharp precision and speed, no matter how wild and unforgiving the path became. Perhaps only Serenith refused to run, choosing instead to fly low the entire time, gliding effortlessly above the storm-tossed ground while the others dashed below.

Atlas kept the twelve crystals rotating steadily around his body, trying to maintain full control over them while remaining in motion. Always alert, always prepared in case a monster attacked at any moment.

On the left!

It was fast. Incredibly fast. Atlas only noticed it when it was already just a few meters away.

He understood the danger immediately. These monsters were too numerous, and worse, they were hiding behind flashes of lightning and the chaotic landscape of the island, using the environment itself to conceal their approach.

Without hesitation, he commanded the twelve crystals to form a defensive barrier in front of him.

A thunderous impact followed as the monster crashed into the shield just moments later.

At that exact moment, his elite subordinates also launched into action. Each one breaking off to confront their enemies with practiced, lethal precision.

Atlas was hurled backward with violent force. He braced himself with both arms, digging in. For now, his focus was on using the twelve crystals as a shield.

[Epic - Earthward Aegis (Active Skill) activated.]

The twelve crystals instantly integrated into the skill, rotating rapidly around Atlas’s body. Their motion created a powerful, reinforced defense that could withstand the next wave of impact.

In that brief moment, Atlas summoned his spear.

Another monster burst out from the right, and the one that had struck him before was already charging back in. They clawed the ground with frightening speed, then lunged at him in unison.

The protective barrier held, but the collision was brutal. Atlas couldn’t keep his footing. He was thrown off balance, flipping backward through the air.

He landed hard, but managed to brace himself again, just as both monsters shot toward him like lightning bolts.

He raised his spear defensively, reinforcing himself with dual protection.

[Epic - Crimson Tempest Guard (Conditional Passive Skill) Lv. 1 triggered.]

His passive ability activated on impact, and a shockwave burst outward, slamming both monsters backward with a violent force.

[Epic - Terramagnetic Burstfield (Active Skill) activated.]

Atlas drove his spear into the ground. A powerful magnetic pulse erupted from the impact point, dragging the monsters toward him before violently flinging them outward again.

He clenched his jaw and tightened his grip around the spear.

With a sharp motion, he swept the weapon upward, and the twelve crystals followed the arc, launching forward like streaks of compressed earth energy.

They homed in on the monster that was still staggering, and struck it in rapid succession, each hit landing clean and solid.

Yes! Direct damage!

Since the crystals were pure Earth elements, the monster’s lightning-based defenses couldn’t mitigate the impact.

This would be much easier now.

Atlas surged forward once more, swiftly recalling the twelve crystals to orbit tightly around his body.

He shot ahead and slammed his spear into the monster, sending it flying with the force of the blow.

Another attack came from behind. The crystals reacted instantly, forming a shield to cover his blind spot. Still, the lightning explosion from the strike was powerful enough to blast him off balance.

But Atlas recovered quickly. He dashed across the battlefield, repositioning himself in a heartbeat. Spinning his spear above his head, he launched forward again.

With a sharp slash, he struck both monsters charging at him simultaneously.

They were knocked back hard, crashing through the brush and vanishing in the rain.

Without pause, Atlas dashed forward once more, launching the twelve crystals like bullets toward the scattered monsters. Each one shot through the air with precision.

The damage wasn’t as overwhelming or lethal as Dullorak’s strikes. But this was still a massive improvement.

The battle took longer than usual. Longer than it would’ve without the twelve crystals. But that was expected. It was all part of the learning process. Still, once the last enemy fell, the team wasted no time. They continued on without delay.

That night, as usual, they took turns resting. Two of them, being undead, didn’t need sleep at all, but the rest still required downtime. Especially Serenith, who, despite her immense power, needed the most sleep out of everyone.

Then came the next day.

They’d fought through dozens more monsters along the way, and now, they stood hidden among the trees at the edge of a clearing. In the center of that open field, lightning rained down relentlessly, striking the ground over and over again. It was as if the storm had chosen that one place as its center.

And there, wrapped in arcs of electricity, stood a lone figure. Its head tilted toward the sky as it let out a thunderous roar.

"The monster has revealed itself," Krythalis said quietly.

It resembled a wolf, more or less. But it was massive, standing at least one and a half times taller than Atlas. Its build was muscular, imposing. And even though it was huge, everyone knew what that meant: this beast wasn’t just strong, it was fast. Extremely fast. Its lightning and storm-based attacks were lethal.

This was not going to be easy!

Definitely not a monster they could defeat without effort.

The team immediately began forming a strategy. There was no time to hesitate. Waiting would only make things worse. This challenge wasn’t going to wait for them to be ready.

Ready or not, Atlas would be diving into the battlefield.

"I’ll handle controlling the monster’s movement," Dullorak said. "This one’s likely to be Epic-grade... or even Unique."

"Epic or Unique?" Atlas echoed, swallowing hard as the weight of those words hit him.