CHAPTER 347: CHAPTER 347 - CRIMSON STORM SOVEREIGN

"179," Atlas muttered under his breath. "That’s how many people I killed last night."

He said it in a tone caught somewhere between disbelief and irony. The fact that he had actually taken down that many enemies, one hundred and seventy-nine lives, was almost absurd to process.

In all the wars that had ever taken place before, Gacha Haven alone had probably claimed thousands of casualties. But this was the first time Atlas himself had done it. Alone. In a single night.

Of course, it had only been possible thanks to Tessa’s support, who had locked down several high-level opponents, and Luna’s ability that granted Atlas an incredible boost. That combination allowed him to unleash multiple skill combos at once, far beyond his normal limit.

It was something extraordinary. When he checked again, he realized he had leveled up seventeen times overnight.

Atlas was now at level 139. Just a bit more effort, and he could reach Rank-3 Pathfinder if he pushed his rank points. But that would also mean pushing everyone else in Gacha Haven to catch up. After all, there was no point in him having a high level if his forces couldn’t withstand the pressure and competition that came with it.

It felt strange... maybe unusual, or maybe just something he could never truly get used to. The higher a lord’s rank rose, the more death and loss seemed to turn into nothing more than numbers on a report. Like, a war happens. Count how many died, count how many victories were earned.

Yet it was clear... The ones who fought, struggled, and sacrificed out there were people too. Each of them had a life, a story behind those statistics.

He nodded slowly.

It only showed how cruel this world really was. The rule still stayed the same: if Atlas didn’t destroy his enemies, then he, his people, his friends, and even his family would be the ones destroyed instead.

He was only doing what he had to... Just to survive. That was all.

Atlas then turned toward Edrik, who was still waiting for his response. Without a word, he shared the details with the man standing before him.

[Tempest Reaver Class Quest II – "Leeching Tempest Massacre" successfully completed.]

[Objective: Obliterate 100 enemies of higher level in a single continuous skill chain.]

[Requirement: Maintain uninterrupted kills for the duration of the combo. The chain resets if no enemy dies within 5 seconds.]

[Combat Data Recorded.]

[Total Enemies Defeated: 179]

[Combo Duration: 67 seconds]

[Skill Utilization Efficiency: 94%]

[System Evaluation: SS (Perfect Execution)]

[Summary: Achieved total annihilation through sustained storm-blood synergy. Energy output and stamina management exceeded theoretical limits. The massacre has been recognized as a Reaver-class performance standard.]

"The system log finally explained the objective and requirement in detail," he said with an awkward smile. "What a waste of time. This is the first time the system actually feels a bit annoying with this quest."

Edrik gave a faint smile in response. "At least the score came out as SS, my lord. Though I believe you could have earned an SSS score for what you did last night."

"Yes... well, the reward from this quest is truly remarkable this time," Atlas replied, then shared the details of the new skill he had just obtained from the quest.

[Legendary - Crimson Reaper Dominion (Active Skill)]

[Unleashes a large-area execution field where spectral crimson reapers manifest and hunt every enemy within range.]

[The reapers are untargetable, continuously attacking marked targets while drawing nearby lightning toward them. Each kill extends the duration of the domain and strengthens the reapers’ aggression.]

[ - Creates a 25-meter radius Crimson Reaper Zone lasting 6 seconds.]

[ - All enemies inside are marked by a spectral crimson reaper.]

[ - The reaper is untargetable and continuously assaults its marked enemy, dealing 120% lightning-blood damage per second.]

[ - Whenever a marked enemy dies, the domain’s remaining duration increases by +1 second (no limit).]

[ - Any enemy that dies within the zone is taken over by a crimson reaper and rises as a Crimson Husk.

[ - Crimson Husks retain their weapons and skills and will attack the nearest enemy with doubled aggression.]

[ - Crimson Husks persist until the domain ends, then collapse into ash.]

Atlas smiled faintly as he reread the detailed description of the skill. It was his very first time obtaining a Legendary-grade skill, and the realization alone made his chest tighten with a mix of pride and disbelief.

Edrik clapped softly. "You truly deserve this reward, my lord."

"Thank you, Edrik," Atlas replied. "After reading through its description, this skill really has an incredible effect. Still, it requires a lot of strategy to use it properly."

Edrik nodded. "The 25-meter radius could be an issue. That kind of area can either be small or wide, depending on how we manage to lure the enemies into the right position for maximum impact."

"And yes," Atlas continued, "the six-second duration as well. The timer increases by one second for every enemy that dies within that period, and it can keep increasing endlessly."

He paused for a moment, his tone lowering slightly. "And the fact that the Crimson Reapers are summoned based on the number of enemies, and they’re completely untargetable, that’s just insane. On top of that, anyone who dies within the skill’s duration becomes part of an undead army that attacks their own allies. Though, once the effect ends, the undead vanish as well."

Edrik responded thoughtfully, "The main difference between this skill and Stormcall Domain, my lord, is that in Stormcall Domain enemies can still escape the area. But once they enter the Crimson Reaper Dominion, they’re marked, and they’ll continue to suffer the effect even if they try to flee afterward."

"Yes." Atlas nodded slowly.

This truly was a skill worthy of being called Legendary-grade. Its potential impact was overwhelming. A technique designed for pure devastation. It was the kind of skill that could turn a battlefield into a massacre, as long as its setup and timing were executed with absolute precision.

However, the rewards Atlas received didn’t stop there. There was still one more surprise waiting for him.

[You have awakened a Legendary-grade ability. The storm and the crimson flow now recognize your dominion.]

[Title Acquired: Crimson Storm Sovereign]

[A sovereign who commands both storm and blood with absolute authority.]

[Lightning bends to your will, and the crimson reapers answer your call.]

[Title Effects:]

[Storm Sovereignty: Lightning damage increased by +15%, Blood damage increased by +15%.]

[Reaver’s Dominion: Enemies afflicted by Bleed or Stormbrand take +10% additional damage from all sources.]

[Reaper’s Call: When a nearby enemy dies, there is a 10% chance a minor crimson specter appears and strikes another enemy for 150% lightning-blood damage.]

Atlas took a slow breath as he read through the new title effects. This was his third title. Atlas Blackthorn, the Crimson Storm Sovereign, a name that carried a powerful, almost regal weight to it.

Every effect from the title was remarkable, and since they were all passive abilities, it gave him an enormous advantage. He wouldn’t even need to activate them manually.

The only drawback, however, was that Atlas could equip only one Title at a time. That meant he had to carefully choose which one would be the most effective to use in any given situation.

A perfect upgrade.

Then, his expression shifted as the conversation turned more serious.

"Do you have any update about the Shattered Ember Island boss raid we’ll be launching soon, Edrik?"