Floating Islands: SSS Gacha System - Chapter 368

Chapter 368: Chapter 368 – The Light We Share
Edrik placed the egg on the small table beside the bed, where a round cushion had already been prepared for it. It seemed Edrik had arranged all of this even before showing the item.

Atlas then lifted his right hand, the one still being healed, causing the two healers to pause in what they were doing to him.

He touched the surface of the egg and felt the faint vibration of electricity reacting even before his fingers made full contact.

“That reaction did not happen when I touched it,” Edrik said.

“Is it because of lightning?”

“Not only because of Lightning, my lord. Beasts, especially those with high grades, have awareness far above the lower ones. They choose and they judge. If you can supply enough mana to hatch this egg, there is a high chance you will form a strong affinity with the beast, which will make it much easier for you to tame it.”

Atlas looked back at Edrik and leaned his body against the pillows again. “Which monster?”

Edrik smiled once more. “The bird. The one we faced yesterday was a different type from the one we fought before. This one has a talent similar to phoenix rebirth. After we killed it, it did not leave a monster core. Instead, it returned in the form of an egg. So, what will come out of that egg is a bird-type monster, at least Epic grade.”

“At least?”

Edrik bowed again afterward. “If we can supply high-quality mana and provide other nutrients during the incubation process, the grade might become higher than Epic, my lord.”

“Interesting. I think it would be a good idea to return to that island and hunt more birds. What do you think?”

Atlas said it with a flat expression, matching Edrik’s equally flat face, and even the two others in the room looked shocked when Atlas said such a thing.

“M-my lord,” the girl beside him said nervously. “Y-you have not fully recovered.”

Edrik let out a long breath after hearing that suggestion.

Atlas smiled and answered the girl, “No, I am only joking.”

He then gave a small laugh and looked back at Edrik.

“I know you are not completely joking,” Edrik replied. “But to give you an answer, finding a beast with phoenix rebirth talent is not easy, my lord, so out of ten boss monsters we might encounter, the chance is even zero.”

“It is unusual for you to stop me like this,” he said with a grin, still joking.

Atlas then gave a slow nod, since he already had experience with supplying mana to an egg like this.

“For the other supplements the egg needs, I will prepare everything. You only have to supply your mana regularly, once a day. And after you finish that, I will take it back and store it inside my dimensional space.”

“Good, I leave everything to you.”

Done with the egg, a very great loot. Some time after that, Atlas finished his treatment and was now able to use his hand again, although he was still not allowed to use mana or any elemental ability with that hand to make sure everything worked and recovered properly first.

There was one thing Atlas wanted to do, and because of that he found himself later on the upper surface of the island, where wide stretches of mountains, valleys, and hills lay. He walked toward a large tree at the edge of a field of blooming flowers.

There was a woman sitting on a metal bench there, who noticed Atlas’s presence a moment later.

A girl in a simple white dress with green hair, who then stood up and hurriedly walked back toward Atlas.

“My lord, uhm, I… I was just… is there anything I can help with…” Elyndra said, sounding a bit nervous, which was obvious from the way she spoke.

“I wanted to meet you, and I knew you were here,” he said, then looked toward the flower garden. “Let us sit there. This place is quiet and bright, after the weeks we spent surrounded by storms.”

The girl regained her composure, bowed once, and accompanied Atlas as they walked until they sat together on the bench.

Elyndra sat on the left side of Atlas, though she kept a slight distance and took the very edge of the seat, as if she had done something wrong even though she should have been relaxed and comfortable sitting there.

They stayed there for a while, sitting together in silence, with only the sound of the wind blowing, softer this time, making the flowers across the wide field sway gently and release a refreshing scent that felt truly calming.

“I heard it from Edrik.” Atlas finally spoke.

He turned toward the girl, and Elyndra looked back at him for a moment before lowering her gaze slightly.

“You pushed yourself too far. How bad is the effect?” he continued.

Elyndra lifted her head briefly. “I will not be able to perform my duties during this phase, my lord. Possibly ten years, at the fastest.”

She fell silent for a moment before continuing, “Faeries have very strict limits on how we use our power.”

She continued speaking in a tone that sounded more like telling a story. For a while, Atlas simply listened and asked small questions in response to what she shared.

Until, some time later, Atlas asked, “Will the bond help you remove the seal that restrains your power?”

Right after Atlas said this, Elyndra went silent again, completely still, as if something was holding her lips from speaking.

She then tried to speak with a lower voice. “Yes, my lord… it will allow me to use my power freely, and it will let me accelerate my level much faster. It will also evolve me and advance my class,” she said softly.

Atlas fell silent for a moment, choosing his words carefully before continuing.

“I…” he paused briefly. “Need an affinity for the Light element,” he said.

Elyndra looked at Atlas again with those gentle, calm eyes of hers.

“Is something like that something I can gain if…” he searched for the right words, “I form a bond with a faerie?”

Elyndra showed a clear change in her expression, visible through her eyes. “My lord…” she answered. “Humans mostly gain advancement based on what they already possess, and they also receive the unique traits belonging to their bond fae partner. So if you bond with a fae who has an affinity for the Light element, the chance of inheriting it is very high.”

Atlas nodded slowly, then continued. “If both of us benefit, is that enough of a reason to perform this bond, Elyndra?”

“M-my lord…” she said, startled. “Forgive me…” she hesitated again.

“Yes, I need it. And I know you can provide it, not because I would ever force it with authority, but because we both stand to gain from this. So let me carry the part of your power that will push us both ahead, and let us take this path as partners by choice, not by duty, shaping the future we aim to reach.”

Elyndra froze at Atlas’s final words, and… the change in her expression became unmistakably clear afterward.

“My lord… for a fae, this is a great honor,” she said softly. “We are given only one chance in our lifetime to choose the human we will serve, and that choice becomes part of our soul. It is something we are born longing for, a moment that defines who we are meant to become.”

She drew a small breath, her voice trembling yet steady with conviction.

“When you offer me this path… I fear that my readiness might seem improper, because the truth is I am willing. I am truly willing to give this one chance I possess, the only one I will ever have, to serve you.”

Her eyes lowered with respect. “Allow me to become your strength. Allow me to walk beside you with the power I can offer. If this bond will shape what lies ahead, then let me be part of the future you strive to reach.”

What did this bond truly mean for the faeries? After all, they lived a different kind of life and grew in ways entirely unlike humans.

Was it something like marriage?

No, they could still marry other faeries if they wished.

Then was it slavery, a form of servitude?

Whatever it was, Atlas would not allow such a fate to define him. He would decide for himself how to forge this path, for his sake and for everyone under him.

Atlas reached for Elyndra’s hand, and the girl slowly moved closer to him, falling gently into his embrace.