Chapter 42 - Bloomblade Hoe

After four intense days of brutal training, Atlas decided that the following day would be a well-deserved break for everyone. They needed time to physically recover, and he planned to use the downtime to go over strategic discussions and dive into the non-physical aspects of their mission, such as tactics and resource management.

That night, Atlas reviewed his Gacha pulls. He'd used 10 exclusive tickets in the Character banner and hit the jackpot, pulling Morganna. Then, he'd used 20 exclusive tickets in the Weapon banner and secured her signature weapon. 

His luck had been exceptional.

Afterward, he'd hit another Rank-S pull with a standard ticket on his 40th pull, which was when he'd drawn Lyrassa. Now, with 100 standard tickets used in total, he calculated that with a guaranteed Rank-S pull every 80 tickets, he'd need only a maximum of 20 more pulls on the standard banner to land another Rank-S!

Twenty more pulls, max, he thought, and that's only if my luck doesn't match my earlier streak.

Atlas stood confidently before his subordinates, pride clear in his gaze as he took in the group assembled before him.

He could see the exhaustion on their faces, but they no longer looked as tense as they had at the start. By now, they'd begun to bond, supporting one another and working as a true team.

Aether team, led by 18-year-old Zara, had the youngest leader. The Blaze team had Kaida, fierce and bold. Cinder team's leader, Garen, was a massive figure with a calm presence—unique in his own way. And then there was the Dusk team, led by the mysterious Ronan, who only spoke when absolutely necessary. 

Each team brought its own personality, and Atlas could feel the strength in their diversity growing.

He took out 10 standard tickets. Surely a red ticket would appear this time, right?! Yes! Everyone was watching, faces full of hope, waiting for the rare sight of a red pull.

Atlas tossed the tickets into the air, watching as they spun and slowly changed color.

Brown, brown, brown, brown…

Damn it, where's the red?!

Another brown… then finally, a purple.

Alright, now the red! Come on, red!

Brown, brown, brown… brown.

Seriously?! Nine browns and one purple? Atlas sighed, shaking his head with a wry smile.

He noticed a hint of disappointment on everyone's faces. But he smiled, hiding his own frustration. 

It looked like he'd have to keep going until he hit the guaranteed Rank-S pull after all.

He touched the purple ticket, and suddenly vines sprouted from the ground, rapidly curling upward to form a long, polished wooden handle in the center.

"What…?"

A hoe, wrapped in leafy vines, appeared before him.

Seriously? A hoe?

Atlas immediately sensed an aura of excitement nearby. Glancing to the side, he spotted Mira staring at the hoe with wide, sparkling eyes. He quickly looked away with a sigh. He took the hoe in his hand, knowing exactly who would be thrilled to put it to use.

[Bloomblade Hoe]

[Grade: Epic]

[Agility +150

Strength +50]

[Skills:]

[Stretching Vines (Chain Extension Passive)

Effect: The hoe's chain can extend up to 10 meters, transforming it into a flexible, mid-range weapon. The reach adjusts according to the user's intent, allowing for controlled strikes at a distance or rapid pullbacks for quick repositioning.]

[Nimble Harvester (Passive)

Effect: Every time the user lands a hit on an enemy, there's a small chance to regain a bit of stamina, helping the user stay energized in prolonged battles.]

Yes, it was indeed a hoe designed for battle and… killing!

Alright, this bunny girl is clearly not just a cute gardener, but a killer bunny!

"Mira," he began, turning toward her, but it was already too late. The bunny girl was sprinting toward him, her face lit up with a huge grin.

"Danger!" Karian shouted in alarm.

"Kurogasa!" Edrik warned, and in an instant, Kurogasa vanished from his side, ready to intervene.

"My Lord!!! That's my hoe!" Mira cried, her expression impossibly… cute, before she launched herself and hugged Atlas.

"Mira?! Wait… Mira—" Atlas gasped, nearly out of breath as she hugged him tightly.

"My Lord, you brought me my hoe!" she laughed, squeezing him even tighter. "Thank you, my Lord. I love you!"

Mira hugged him tightly, bouncing up and down in excitement, unintentionally jostling him with each joyful leap.

"Mira… Mira… Mira…" Atlas gasped, nearly overwhelmed. It wasn't the tight hug making him short of breath—it was… the CUTENESS OVERLOAD!

I can't handle this… I'm about to pass out!

He stumbled back, but Kurogasa appeared from the shadows, steadying him just in time.

"That's too cute… I can't breathe!" came cries from the troops.

"Medic! Medic!" someone shouted frantically. "We have a man down!"

"It's too cute… I can't… handle… this…" another soldier mumbled, nose suddenly bleeding.

"Zara! Zara, what's wrong?!" someone yelled as Zara staggered, looking faint.

"Help, Zara's collapsing!"

"Medic, we need medics over here too!"

"My Lord! Use your Mental Fortitude," Kurogasa urged, though he quickly averted his gaze from Mira, clearly struggling himself.

"Ku...ro... please... take Mira away…" Atlas managed to gasp.

In an instant, vines shot up from the ground, wrapping firmly around Mira from her legs up to her torso, forcing her to release Atlas and drop to the floor.

Atlas exhaled in relief, but—

"Nooo, don't tie me up, Lyrassa… nooo!" Mira wailed, wriggling against the vines. Somehow, her complaints only intensified the "damage" to everyone nearby.

"Medic! Medic! More are down!" came frantic shouts from the troops as several others dropped like flies.

Then, a thick sack made of heavy cloth dropped down from above, landing over Mira and completely covering her, muffling her voice inside. 

Morganna approached, swiftly tucking the girl fully into the sack and securing it. Taking hold of the bundled-up Mira, who wriggled and protested from within, Morganna dragged her away without a word, her muffled cries fading as she disappeared from sight.

It took a full few minutes for everyone to calm down again.

Atlas, still breathing heavily, shook his head. "The damage… is just too high."

He handed the hoe to Edrik, watching as the troops began to recover from the earlier "cuteness overload" incident. 

In the distance, Mira accepted the hoe from Edrik, hugging it tightly before breaking into a little dance, radiating pure joy.

That's how happy she is to have her signature weapon, he thought with a sigh.

Finally feeling composed, Atlas took out another 10 standard tickets. This time, everyone knew it was a guaranteed Rank-S pull, and excitement filled the air as he drew a deep breath and tossed the tickets up.

Brown, brown… purple.

The troops rose to their feet, anticipation running high.

Brown, and… another purple!

The next ticket took a little longer to change, shimmering before it trembled, then flashed red!

Everyone erupted in cheers.

Brown, brown, purple.

Damn! Six brown, three purple, and one red!

***

(Author's Note:)

Explore beautiful character art and stunning scene illustrations. 

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