CHAPTER 342: CHAPTER 342 - THUNDER FALLS TWICE

Atlas finally realized that he had leveled up a total of six times after slaying that many monsters. Yet... There was something about the results that felt a little off. Was this something he had already suspected deep down? He wasn’t sure, but now the answer had appeared right before his eyes.

"Yes, it seems killing monsters alone isn’t enough to complete the quest," he murmured, reminding himself that even the previous quest had only been cleared because he defeated Brigid.

Edrik bowed deeply at Atlas’s words. "Killing intelligent creatures brings its own kind of challenge," he said. "If it’s true that our next targets might be humans... that would make sense, considering they’re the most numerous race in this world."

Atlas nodded slowly, realizing just how cruel his class truly was. He had to face it—this path demanded more than just killing. He would have to slaughter, to massacre opponents in great numbers, often ones stronger than himself. And he had to do it through precise skill combos, all within a limited time.

"How many monsters did I kill last time, Edrik?"

"Eighty monsters, my lord," Edrik replied. "Including one elite-grade creature."

Eighty monsters for him to gain six levels. That was already quite a boost, mostly thanks to the Elite-grade monster he had slain, which, if he remembered correctly, had given him around 1.7 million experience points.

But then, his thoughts returned to the real problem, the quest he still had to complete. "Could it be that I made a mistake? Maybe we should try again, just to confirm whether this quest really requires killing intelligent creatures."

Edrik bowed slightly before answering. "We can push ourselves to reach a total of one hundred monsters, my lord. That should still be manageable. What you did yesterday actually caught the attention of other lords hunting on the same island."

"They came close, but it seemed they weren’t that interested. After a brief look, they left without saying much. I suppose they were just curious about who caused yesterday’s massacre. Maybe they thought the person responsible was waiting inside the tent, so they decided to leave right away."

Atlas chuckled softly at that realization. "So, they left because they were afraid? I suppose that’s a good thing."

Edrik smirked as he replied, "Anyone who saw what you did from afar would’ve been drawn to it instantly. With those lightning strikes and such a devastating attack. In fact, there are three other lords and their troops on this island, though only one actually came close."

"Well, if it’s still safe, we can try again," Atlas responded calmly.

Atlas had also gained a huge number of dropped items from the dozens of monsters he defeated. He quickly scanned through them and began pulling each one out, while Edrik carefully stored them inside his dimensional storage.

Most of them were valuable—armor, weapons, and other gear. But none could compare to what Atlas already possessed. Since Baldric’s arrival, even the drops from monsters of this level couldn’t surpass the quality of Baldric’s craftsmanship, which was now mostly used by the combatants of Gacha Haven.

"There’s one more thing you should know, my lord," Edrik said suddenly.

Atlas raised a questioning look.

"We found a Monster Soul Stone inside the body of the Elite-grade monster you killed yesterday."

"Monster Soul Stone?!" Atlas reacted in surprise. "And that came from the Elite-grade monster?"

Whenever a monster was killed, there was about a fifty percent chance that its core would remain intact. This core, known as a Monster Core, could be harvested manually. Monster Cores were mostly used as power sources, crafting materials, and for various other purposes.

However, there was something even rarer than that. A fragment containing a trace of the monster’s very soul, known as a Monster Soul Stone. The drop chance for one was incredibly low, roughly one for every thousand Monster Cores. That was why finding a Monster Soul Stone, especially from a High-Grade monster, was considered an extraordinary discovery with immense value.

"This monster had Dark and Fire elements, my lord. It would suit you perfectly if you used it," Edrik said with a knowing tone.

Atlas gave him a questioning look once more.

"We can ask Baldric to craft something from this Soul Stone for you," Edrik continued. "Perhaps a mask or another item that fits one of your available slots."

"I think that’s a great idea," Atlas replied. "A Monster Soul Stone from an Elite-grade monster, level 120... Let’s see what kind of item Baldric can create with it."

Atlas decided to carry out the experiment once more. This time, aiming to kill even more monsters, perhaps around a hundred. It might turn out to be pointless, but he saw it as another chance to level up, so there was no harm in trying.

Even if he failed to complete the quest, at least he could gain levels quickly. Leaving this island with ten extra levels would already be an incredible outcome.

He needed at least a full day to recover completely from the mental exhaustion that weighed on him after yesterday’s battle. But since he had done it once, he now understood a clearer, more effective, and more efficient way to carry out this task.

Besides, Kurogasa had also said to only pick monsters with lower Health and weaker defenses. Ones whose weaknesses aligned perfectly with Atlas’s spells.

The next day, Atlas once again stood atop his floating throne high above the island, with Edrik and Elyndra by his side. Another attempt was about to begin. It was time to do it now, before he drew his final conclusion about what exactly he had to kill to finish this damn quest.

The signal was given. Right after consuming every potion he needed, donning his armor set, and summoning his Wavebreaker Spear, Atlas shot downward at full speed.

At that moment, with his sharp gaze, he noticed several figures emerging from the edges of the forest in different directions. They stopped at the treeline, seemingly there to witness what Atlas was about to do.

Then it began again. The thunderous roar of the sky, lightning bolts striking one after another, the sea itself spilling onto the land below, and a massive storm twisting into form like a furious tornado.

The deafening roar of thunder and the explosive blasts echoed wildly as Atlas plunged at incredible speed, his entire body wrapped in golden lightning that crackled fiercely around him. In that moment, he looked like divine judgment itself descending upon the demonic creatures below, a blinding storm of holy wrath.

And then... It happened again. Just before he could touch the ground, Atlas lost consciousness completely. Elyndra, moving at the perfect moment, caught him once more and carried him away to safety.

This time... the quest should be complete, shouldn’t it?

**

Atlas opened his eyes and once again realized he was lying inside a tent. His head was still spinning, a dull ache throbbing through his skull.

He forced himself upright, making sure his senses had fully returned.

A few moments later, the sound of footsteps approached from outside. Then Edrik stepped in and quietly sat down across from Atlas.

"Did you manage to complete the quest, my lord?" Edrik asked flatly.

Atlas opened his system message logs to look for confirmation. Only for his eyes to widen slightly as he froze in silence.