Chapter 2 - The Golden Steward

[You have obtained 7 Rank-B items, 2 Rank-A items, and 1 Rank-S item!]

"Is the Rank-S item guaranteed to be the rate-up character, Morganna?"

[There's a 50% chance you'll get the rate-up character, and a 50% chance you'll get a standard Rank-S character.]

[The standard Rank-S characters were the five listed in the standard banner. Still powerful, but they had some limitations compared to the exclusive Rank-S characters.]

"Ugh, this exclusive banner feels kind of pointless," Atlas muttered.

[However, if you lose the first 50:50, your next Rank-S is guaranteed to be the rate-up character—in this case, Morganna Nightshade.]

"Ah, now that's great," he said with a grin.

"Alright, so this Rank-S isn't guaranteed to be the exclusive character. Let's see how lucky I am with this gacha thing!"

Atlas decided to open the brown tickets first, which contained the common items.

The ticket opened, and five glowing purple orbs emerged, floating in front of Atlas, shimmering in the light.

[You have received 5 Rare XP Orbs.]

"Well, not bad for a start."

Atlas grabbed the orbs and stored them in his Inventory. These XP Orbs were valuable items, used to level up units under a Lord's command. 

Normally, they were obtained by hunting monsters or through resource harvesting. But it seemed the Ultimate Gacha System had given him an incredible advantage right from the start.

One of the reasons why Lords in this world were considered so overwhelmingly powerful, with limitless potential, was because they could use unique items like these—items only accessible to Lords. 

Many awakeners from the "lower lands"—those who lived on Earth's surface—would willingly pledge themselves to serve a Lord. The Lords, in return, offered them power, and often, money. 

With items like XP Orbs, Lords could level up their subordinates quickly, a feat far easier than having them grind through battles with monsters.

He opened another brown ticket.

[You have received 1 Rare Fireball Skill Scroll.]

A scroll materialized in front of Atlas, hovering momentarily before he quickly stored it in his Inventory. It was a skill scroll that could be used by anyone to unlock a new skill for themselves.

Looks like all the standard items I'm getting are Rare-grade. I wonder if it's possible to get something higher than this?

In this world, item grades typically started from Common, then progressed through Rare, Elite, Epic, Unique, Legendary, and Mythic. For those living in the lower lands—especially ordinary awakened with limited talents—even obtaining a Rare-grade item was considered a luxury.

Well, this scroll will come in handy when I have subordinates to use it on.

Eager to see what else he could get, Atlas continued opening more tickets.

[You have received 100 Units of Wood.]

[You have received 100 Units of Wood.]

[You have received 100 Units of Stone.]

[You have received 50 Units of Iron.]

[You have received 20 Units of Mana Crystals.]

Atlas immediately opened five more brown tickets at once, and this time, he received four materials in sequence: Woods, Stones, Irons, and Mana Crystals. These were the essential resources needed to build structures.

In the early stages, acquiring these resources was vital, as new Lords were given only 14 days to prepare. They had to hunt for monsters, recruit subordinates, build their first fortress, and set up defenses. There was a lot to do as soon as someone became a Lord.

With the Ultimate Gacha system, and the number of tickets Atlas still had left to pull, it looked like the process would be much easier for him. The materials he'd just acquired gave him a head start in fortifying his territory.

"Jackpot, tell me the list of structures needed to build in the early phase."

[First, Host, you need to build Fortress Stage 1 – Outpost Fortress.]

[The fortress serves as the heart of the island, where all major decisions are made, resources are managed, and security is coordinated.]

[Stage 1 - Outpost Fortress: A basic, minimal defense structure with a small command room. It provides access to the system for basic management, including resource tracking and minimal defense strategies.]

[System Significance: Unlocks island management features, more structures, basic storage, and early resource processing.]

"Okay, I understand the concept of the Fortress. It's like the main building that every Lord has to construct to unlock more features for the floating island. Right?"

[Correct, Host.]

[And the process of building the structures is faster than the traditional construction methods used by humans in the lower lands. You just need to gather the materials, and construction can begin immediately.]

"Tell me what I need to build Fortress stage 1."

[Wood: 300 units]

[Stone: 250 units]

[Iron: 150 units]

[Mana Crystals: 20 units (optional for a minor magic defense boost)]

"Alright, I've already gathered the Mana Crystals. We just need a few more resources before we can build our first fortress."

Atlas continued, noting that there were still some tickets left—two Rank-A and one Rank-S.

Without hesitation, he decided to open one of the Rank-A tickets.

[You have received a Rank-A Character: Edrik Thornwall - The Golden Steward]

Atlas's eyes widened. This would be the first time he'd witness a summon from his Gacha System in real-time.

Damn, is someone really about to appear right in front of me? Just how insane is this system?

The ticket fell to the ground, forming a glowing magic circle. From within, energy and light coiled together, until a figure began to take shape. The light dissipated, revealing a man with slicked-back black hair, a sharp mustache, and dressed in an immaculate black suit. He looked to be in his thirties.

The man glanced down at his body, inspecting his hands, then his feet, before straightening his jacket with a cough.

"Ah, my Lord, thank you for summoning me. My name is Edrik." 

He glanced around, taking in his surroundings. 

"So, you're a newly awakened Lord? Interesting. I must say, summoning me is probably the best stroke of luck you've had so far. I am an Efficient Tactician, after all. To put it simply, I excel in Resource Allocation, Logistic Mastery, and Merchant Strategy, among other things."

He bowed gracefully. "Edrik at your service, my Lord."

Atlas stepped closer, poke Edrik's arm.

"Yes, my Lord?"

"So... you're really alive? Where exactly did you come from?" 

Edrik cleared his throat. "My Lord... first, may I ask, what world is this?"

"What do you mean?" 

"Yes, what do the people here call this world?"

"New Earth?"

"Yes, that one," Edrik confirmed with a nod. "I am a Lord from a different world. My floating island was destroyed, and I was nearly killed in the process. But then, the summoning pulled me in, and now here I am, summoned as your subordinate."

"Wait, you're telling me there are other worlds out there with Lord battles and floating islands, just like here?"

Edrik nodded again. "I'm surprised this is news to you. How long have Lords been rising in this world?"

Atlas shook his head. "No, we know that other worlds exist—there are different races here, like elves and others who surely came from those other worlds. But I don't know the details about what they have outside of this world, beyond where I live."

"Please, My Lord, allow me to answer any curiosities you have," Edrik said with a respectful bow. "And about how long..."

Atlas cut in, "The floating islands have been around for, what, about a thousand years, up until now." 

"Ah, still quite young," Edrik mused. "Once Lords become powerful enough to reach certain levels, their world gains access to others, and the battles grow far more intense from there."

"How long does it usually take to reach that stage?" 

"It depends, my Lord. It could take 2,000, 3,000, or even 5,000 years, depending on how far the Lords of that world develop."

"Alright. Thanks for the explanation, and welcome to my floating island."

"Ready to serve with all my experience, my Lord," Edrik responded with a respectful bow.

There was still so much Atlas needed to learn as a new Lord. But with Edrik's presence, he now had solid support—someone knowledgeable he could finally talk things through with.

"Other worlds?"

Could that be why this whole Lords thing is called the Intergalactic Lord Project?

For now, he pushed those thoughts aside. There would be time to explore them later. 

"Alright, let's finish the summoning. Time for the next Rank-A ticket," he said.

***

(Author's Note:)

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