Chapter 253: Chapter 253 - Whispers of Blood and Shadow
The class advancement options available to someone usually depend on their condition and path leading up to that point. This is even more pronounced for a Lord, who practically has access to far greater resources and power than a typical Awakened individual.
Take Atlas, for example, reaching Rank-2 in less than a year, and already in his third battle season. That alone was a remarkable feat by any standard.
Every factor is taken into account: talents, skills, specializations, and more. These shape the class options that appear, allowing a person to choose a path aligned with how they’ve developed so far. Just like when Atlas in the past chose to focus on Water and Lightning elements.
In the end, he found himself consistently blessed with items leaning heavily into Lightning through his gacha pulls. He even had the Nimbus Carriage, an artifact with a distinct Lightning theme.
The supposed 10% chance of receiving items that matched his affinity from the gacha never felt like just 10%. It always seemed like something much higher.
Now, Atlas turned his attention to evaluating his current talents, sitting down with Kurogasa and Edrik to go over everything in detail.
[Ironblood Will (SS) - Tactical Awareness (A) - Instinctual Command (A) - Elemental Spear Mastery (S) - Elemental Dominion (S) - Commanding Presence (S) - Enduring Adaptation (S)]
Ironblood Will was the talent he truly felt had made a deep impact, especially for its resistance to mental assaults.
Immunity to fear, exhaustion, and mental attacks. Gains enhanced stamina and minor regeneration when operating under intense pressure.
This was his go-to talent, the one that carried him through the harshest training routines he had endured so far. In fact, it was the only talent he possessed with an SS rating.
Could he push this even further? That question lingered in his mind.
Elemental Spear Master, rated S, was one of his battle-focused talents, specifically tailored for spear combat. It greatly enhanced his spear-fighting style by amplifying the elemental infusion on each strike.
This passive talent significantly boosted his damage output, pushing every attack to its maximum potential. It was, without a doubt, something extraordinary.
Then there was Elemental Dominion, also rated S. This talent had a slight overlap with the previous one, as it allowed him to manipulate surrounding elemental forces to enhance both offense and defense. Unlike the former, however, this one wasn’t limited to spear combat alone.
Next on the list, also rated S, was Commanding Presence. This talent gave Atlas an aura that inspired those around him, significantly boosting morale and sharpening the focus of his allies. It was undeniably one of the talents that strengthened his role as a Lord.
This one felt somewhat aligned with the second talent, as well as another he hadn’t fully reviewed yet.
Following that came Enduring Adaptation, another S-rated talent. If Ironblood Will supported him from within, then Enduring Adaptation was what shielded him from the outside.
Both of these S-rated talents strongly reflected his intense, training-obsessed personality.
He let out a quiet sigh.
His thoughts circled back to the second talent he hadn’t fully reviewed earlier, Tactical Awareness. Gains an instinctual understanding of battlefield layouts, enemy positioning, and possible escape routes.
It might have been this very talent that carried him so far, even allowing him to win the Dominion Skirmish, a battle where his chances of victory had been slim to none.
Then there was Instinctual Command. People naturally follow his directions in critical moments, even if he lacks any formal authority. This talent manifests during crisis situations where immediate action is required.
Now, looking over all the talents he had studied, it painted a clear picture. Three defining aspects of Atlas: his identity as a relentless training maniac, his elemental spear-based combat style, and finally, his commanding presence as a Lord, shaped by his tactical instinct and natural influence.
That much was undeniable, wasn’t it?
Within the Awakening Talents System, however, there was a strict limitation. The system only allowed a person to fully develop a maximum of seven registered talents. These would be the ones that could be properly nurtured and enhanced over time.
If Atlas ever wished to register a new talent, he’d have to merge existing ones, especially those with overlapping functions. That also applied if he wanted to introduce entirely new elements into his core. Something he hadn’t yet considered.
But there was another route: if he could push his current talents to at least S rating before undergoing his next class advancement, it would undoubtedly elevate the quality of class options available to him.
That alone was a path worth pursuing.
Next, to hear another perspective, Atlas allowed Kurogasa to speak first, wondering whether his own thoughts would align with the ninja rat’s insights.
Kurogasa didn’t hesitate to begin.
"My lord, I see you have a great deal of potential in your Spear Talent. But I believe we can take it further, and evolve it beyond its current limitations. Right now, it’s locked to spear usage, but I’m confident we could expand it to include other weapons. Especially if you plan to combine long-range attacks with your already overpowered area and magic abilities."
Atlas nodded thoughtfully. "So, with a bow?"
"Yes, my lord. If you want flexibility between melee and ranged combat, you could start integrating a bow into your training. That way, we can evolve the talent to support that weapon type as well. However, you’ll also need a high-grade bow that can enhance your long-range capabilities."
"I understand. It’s between focusing on a bow... or committing to magic," Atlas replied. "But I don’t want to lose my edge in close combat if I stray too far down the magic path."
Kurogasa nodded. "Your current skill set is already strong enough to rival many who specialize in magic. Though you still have some gaps in pure magical ability. You’ll definitely need deeper training there. Unfortunately, we still lack someone who truly excels in offensive magic. Not to discredit Lady Lyrassa, but we need someone who’s fully committed to long-range magical combat. Someone who can support us from a distance when the battle demands it, and also help to nurture your Magic usage efficiency."
"I get that," Atlas said with a slight smile. "Let’s hope our next new companion is someone who specializes in magic."
Kurogasa continued, "There’s also your affinity with multiple elements, my lord. Your basic element is still Water, currently at High Affinity, while the others remain low. And for advanced elements, you have High Affinity with Shadow and Low with Blood. These are areas we haven’t explored deeply yet."
Atlas gave a slow nod, realizing just how underdeveloped his affinity with Blood still was, something he had received from his blood contract with Morganna, yet had left somewhat neglected in his current growth.
Kurogasa went on, "My lord, with all due respect, I believe now is not the time to integrate a new talent into your core. It would be far wiser to first maximize the ones you already possess. You could very well end up with a class similar to Tempest Warden. But if you manage to fuse Dark, Shadow, and Blood into that path, I’m certain your potential would grow far beyond just delivering massive area damage."
"Shadow and Blood?" Atlas repeated, his voice dropping to a murmur as he paused, the words lingering in the air.
His gaze shifted across the room, settling on a figure who had remained quiet throughout the discussion, legs crossed, saying nothing, yet fully present.
Maybe... this was the moment he had been waiting for?