Chapter 5 - Aqua Crystal

Atlas still had 90 Exclusive Tickets and 200 Standard Tickets! Oh, he was beyond excited—the journey ahead was long, and he had only used 10 Exclusive Tickets so far.

For his first 10 pulls, he had been incredibly lucky. Two Rank-A and one Rank-S summon, though the last one had its... complications.

Now, his attention shifted to the second banner—the Exclusive Weapon Banner. In this one, the Bloodkissed Scythe was featured, a weapon clearly meant for Morganna. While aiming for the scythe, he figured that any Rank-A pulls might land him other useful weapons, either for himself or for Karian, who still lacked any gear.

Wasting no time, he grabbed another 10 Exclusive Tickets. With a grin, he tossed them into the air.

The tickets shot up, spinning like the hands of a clock before settling. Their covers revealed their colors—8 brown, 2 purple!

Atlas smiled, satisfied. For just 10 pulls, landing two Rank-A items was a solid win.

[You have obtained 8 Rank-B items, and 2 Rank-A items]

Atlas opened the first ticket and frowned slightly when the item materialized as a simple bag. Curious, he checked its details.

[You have received 1 Evergreen Soil Bag.]

[Evergreen Soil Bag: A magical sack of rich, enchanted soil that, when spread across barren land, revitalizes it and promotes rapid plant growth. This soil makes the land fertile enough to grow crops, trees, or plants quickly.]

He nodded and smiled. This was exactly what he needed right now. Even though it was just one bag, he would definitely need more if he wanted to turn his island into something truly fertile.

"Evergreen Soil Bag," he said.

He took the soil bag in hand and turned to Edrik, who quickly caught on and bowed before approaching.

"My Lord, allow me to handle this task. I wouldn't want you to trouble yourself with such mundane work."

Atlas grinned, appreciating Edrik's smooth way of speaking. The man had a knack for saying exactly what people wanted to hear, though who knew what was really going on inside his head?

"Please choose the best spot to spread it—maybe the center of the island, or wherever you think is right. We need to start improving this place."

"Understood, My Lord," Edrik replied, taking the bag and walking away.

[You have received 100 Units of Wood.]

[You have received 100 Units of Stone.]

[You have received 100 Units of Stone.]

[You have received 50 Units of Iron.]

[You have received 50 Units of Iron.]

The next five items were exactly what he needed: materials to build the fortress. He quickly checked his overall inventory and grinned widely. Yes, he had enough to finally start construction.

"Jackpot! Now tell me, I can build my fortress now, right?"

[Yes, Host. You just need to choose the location, and construction will begin immediately.]

"Cool," he whispered to himself.

He glanced over at Morganna, who was still struggling, trying to break free. Huh? His command had been clear—once she calmed down and was ready for peace, she'd be released. Controlling rage really wasn't as easy as it sounded, he thought with a sigh.

Atlas walked toward the center of the island, Karian silently following behind him. Edrik, who had been working nearby, noticed Atlas approaching and straightened up.

"My Lord, I've chosen this spot. You can place the fortress here, in the center. It'll give us better land to prioritize for future growth," Edrik said, gesturing to the area he had prepared.

"Good job, Edrik."

With that, a question formed in his mind, and as if the system had anticipated it, an interface appeared before him—a 3D hologram of his floating island. 

"Ahh, so this is how it works," he mused.

Atlas selected the available fortress structure and moved it into position on the hologram, placing it carefully at the island's center. Once he was sure of the placement, he pressed the confirm button.

[You have spent 300 Units of Wood, 250 Units of Stone, 150 Units of Iron, and 20 Units of Mana Crystals to build Fortress Stage 1 - Outpost Fortress.]

[The building process will take 12 hours.]

As soon as the notification appeared, the magic began. The wood, stone, iron, and all the materials needed to build the fortress started floating in from the distance, as if summoned by an unseen force. Items from Atlas's inventory joined the flow, adding to the swirling mass of resources.

The materials gathered in one place, and then, as if guided by invisible hands, they floated toward their designated spots. Piece by piece, the structure began to take form, just like something out of a game. The foundation appeared first, followed by the framework. Each material seamlessly transformed and assembled itself, locking into place as though it had always belonged there. 

It was mesmerizing to witness—the bones of the fortress rising from nothing, crafted by pure magic. Stones aligned themselves into walls, iron reinforced the structure, and the mana crystals shimmered, adding a faint glow to the foundation.

"This is so mesmerizing to watch."

The sheer power and convenience of magic in this place were astounding. If only structures on Earth could be built this easily, with materials floating and assembling themselves through magic… But no, this kind of wonder could only be experienced by those lucky enough to own floating islands.

"The construction will take 12 hours, My Lord," Edrik said, bowing to him.

"Yes, that's fine. We've got plenty of time. Let's explore more," Atlas replied with a smile.

He returned to where his remaining floating tickets were—four still unopened. He quickly pulled the next one.

[You have received 1 Evergreen Soil Bag.]

[You have received 20 Units of Mana Crystals.]

"Ah, good," he muttered. Another soil bag. Was the system purposely giving him exactly what he needed? 

He took the bag and handed it to Edrik, who bowed and immediately got back to work.

Now there were just two Rank-A items left.

Atlas grabbed the next one.

[You have received Rank-A Item: Aqua Crystal.]

[Aqua Crystals: Crystals that release water when planted in the ground. When buried in dry, barren land, they create an underground water source, turning it into fertile farmland or allowing nearby wells to refill naturally.]

"Well, this is exactly what I need," Atlas said, holding up the crystal, which sparkled as it caught the sunlight. 

It looked so tempting, he almost wanted to swallow it—his throat was dry, and he was starting to realize just how thirsty and hungry he was getting.

How was he supposed to find food? He could end up starving to death before anyone even had the chance to attack him!

Atlas walked over to Edrik and Karian, handing the Aqua Crystal to Karian, who accepted it with a deep bow. 

"That's some serious luck, My Lord," Edrik said with a grin. "We needed water, and your system delivered."

"Yeah," Atlas nodded. "I wonder if the system will give us food too. I'm starting to feel hungry."

"No need to worry, My Lord. If it comes to it, we can always ask Karian to lend us a limb for a meal…" Edrik said, his tone casual.

Everyone turned to look at him—Atlas, Karian, and even Morganna.

"You're not serious, are you?" Atlas asked.

Edrik smiled. "No, My Lord. Just a joke."

Karian let out a heavy sigh, clearly relieved.

"Wait—did you actually do that in your previous world?" 

"Yes."

"No."

Edrik and Karian answered almost in unison.

"Ah, survival must have been pretty brutal, huh?" Atlas chuckled, though part of him wasn't sure if they were still joking.

His thirst was starting to get the better of him, so he walked over to Karian, eager to see if the Aqua Crystal had already begun working. 

He was really thirsty!