CHAPTER 269: CHAPTER 269 - WHEN THE STORM OBEYS

The next option was Warden of the Veil. Finally, a class that leaned more toward Atlas’s talents as a strategist and a lord.

[4. Warden of the Veil (Defensive Commander + Anti-Mage)]

[A battlefield guardian who shields allies and suppresses hostile casters with veils of shadow and water.]

[Abilities: Veil Barrier (Active), Null Surge (Active), Commanding Roar (Active), Eclipse Bastion (Ultimate)]

[Scores:]

[Single Target: ★★★☆☆]

[AoE: ★★★☆☆]

[Support: ★★★★★]

[Survivability: ★★★★★]

[Versatility: ★★★★☆]

Defensive Commander + Anti-Mage. An interesting combination, to be sure. Looking at the ratings, its potential damage was clearly the lowest of the five, but its Support and Survivability were both high.

The class specialized in countering mages and protecting allies. In lord battles, where opponents with massive area magic could dominate the field, like Atlas himself. This type of class was the perfect counter.

Its biggest drawback, however, was a lack of offense.

"This class is strong for team play, but weak for personal growth," Atlas concluded. "I’ll place this one at the bottom of the priority list as well."

He glanced at the others, and none of them voiced any objection.

[5. Tempest Reaver (Storm + Blood Hybrid Specialist)]

[A unique path forged through Zefyros’s tempest and Morganna’s bloodline. A spear fighter who commands storms laced with crimson vitality, draining enemies while unleashing lightning fury.]

[Abilities: Bloodstorm Spear (Active), Tempest Leechfield (Active), Storm-Crimson Flow (Passive), Reaver’s Ascendance (Ultimate)]

[Scores:]

[Single Target: ★★★★★]

[AoE: ★★★★★]

[Support: ★★★★☆]

[Survivability: ★★★★★]

[Versatility: ★★★★★]

Then came the fifth option: Tempest Reaver, the class with the highest star rating of them all.

Atlas studied it in silence for a moment. "Perfect fusion of Water + Lightning + Blood. High sustain, strong AoE and single-target, and complete frontline dominance."

Seriously, it felt too good to be true. A class that excelled at both AoE and single-target? Wasn’t that overpowered? Surely there had to be a weakness hidden somewhere.

He paused, then admitted, "I don’t know how this class would actually work when combining two advanced elements, Lightning and Blood. But so far, this looks like the best match for what we’ve been searching for. It keeps my Water and Lightning, while also pulling in Blood from the Dark element."

Dullorak answered with a calm nod. "The problem, my lord, may be in resource management. A storm-and-blood hybrid will be demanding to maintain."

"Is that so?" Atlas asked.

"Yes," Dullorak continued. "But I am convinced this is the most ideal path for you. It keeps both Morganna’s and Zefyros’s bonds relevant, while reinforcing your spear identity. And later, perhaps, we can work to integrate your bond with Lyrassa, perfecting your next advancement even further."

Atlas nodded slowly. He already knew which class he would choose. In the end, Karian’s simple philosophy wasn’t wrong: pick the class with the most stars. No overthinking, no endless analysis. Perhaps that was why Karian had survived longer than even Edrik, despite Edrik’s obsessive strategizing.

Atlas smiled awkwardly at the thought.

[You have chosen Tempest Reaver as your new Class.]

[Your Tempest Warden path has merged with Blood Affinity to evolve into a higher form. The storm now flows crimson.]

[Existing Tempest Warden skills are infused with Blood synergy, enhancing their effects.]

Atlas had made his choice, and he drew a long breath as a lengthy system message filled his view. He was now officially a Scout Rank Lord and a Tempest Reaver. He knew he still had to complete several quests to unlock every new skill tied to this class.

Even so, from the list in front of him it was clear he had gained many upgrades from this advancement. He began to break everything down slowly, taking his time to understand each part.

[Elemental Affinities Adjusted:]

[Lightning: Low → Medium]

[Blood: Medium → High]

The first upgrade he received left Atlas stunned. Simply by acquiring his new class, two of his advanced affinities had immediately risen in rank.

He swallowed hard. Lightning had already been overpowered even before this, and now he would be able to wield it even more naturally. That alone was incredible.

And Blood. He had only recently upgraded its affinity after Vienne was born, and now it had risen to High Affinity. The thought of how far this could take him made his chest tighten with anticipation. He couldn’t help but wonder just how much of a vampire he would resemble once he unlocked all the skills tied to this class.

After all, even though Atlas wasn’t a vampire by nature, his temporary vampire mode had already granted him access to abilities usually reserved for their kind. That, in itself, was a tremendous advantage for him.

[Skill Evolution Detected.]

[Elite - Thunderpierce Thrust has evolved into Epic - Bloodstorm Thrust.]

[The spear thrust now crackles with both lightning and crimson energy. Its damage has increased, and enemies struck are afflicted with bleeding, losing health over time, while the paralyzing effect of the original thrust remains.]

[Deals 270% piercing damage. Ignores 25% of the target’s defense. Has a 15% chance to paralyze the target for 1.5 seconds. Applies Bleed, dealing 5% of target’s max HP as damage over 4 seconds.]

Thunderpierce Thrust was one of Atlas’s most reliable single-target skills in battle. It had originally been the result of merging Piercing Thrust and Power Strike when he first acquired the Tempest Warden class.

Now, its grade had risen to Epic, with even more effects added on top. The upgrade was nothing short of extraordinary.

[Elite - Tempest Guard has evolved into Epic - Crimson Tempest Guard.]

[The defensive stance surges with storm and blood. Defense is bolstered beyond its previous limit, and each successful parry now unleashes a crimson shockwave that drains stamina from foes while restoring a fragment of health to you.]

[Elite - Tempest Arc has evolved into Epic - Sanguine Tempest Arc.]

[The sweeping arc of the spear now carries a crimson storm’s edge. Enemies are slowed more heavily by the strike, while part of the damage dealt is siphoned back to restore your vitality.]

The other two skills had also advanced to Epic grade, each gaining new effects tied to blood magic. Remarkable.

At the very least, Atlas now had several skills at Epic-grade. The next step would be Unique-grade, and beyond that, Legendary-grade. The thought of having a complete set of Legendary skills was more than tempting, it was exhilarating.

[New Title Acquired: Crimson Reaver of Storms]

[The storm no longer forges you. It obeys. Lightning and blood converge within your spear, every strike a crimson tempest that drains the life of those caught in its wake.]

A new title as well? Until now, he had held the title of Stormforged Herald, but now he was also the Crimson Reaver of Storms.

More skills, more titles, it was always better. Titles granted him passive bonuses, after all, and this one was no exception.

Though, he noted, the title’s effects only applied when wielding a spear. Still, there was no real drawback. Atlas carried a Legendary-grade spear already, one that housed a spirit beast within it.

Even so, he knew he would need to acquire more high-grade weapons beyond spears in the future. Better to be prepared than limited.

Finished with his new class, Atlas decided to postpone the class quests for now. Next, he needed to analyze the newly unlocked structures on his island and prepare himself for the inevitable. Seeing who would come to challenge him in the ongoing Lord Battle!