The troops who had been seated near the bonfire scattered in a panic, backing away as Milo tumbled backward. Their faces turned pale, and it seed as though their peaceful evening had been abruptly shattered.
Milo, however, remained on the ground, sprawled out with cards scattered around him. He showed no imdiate reaction, lying there in silence.
Without hesitation, Atlas leaned forward, grabbed Milo's hand, and helped him sit up.
HEAH!!!
The surrounding troops grew even more alard. The music abruptly stopped, and soon the entire camp had turned their attention to the scene.
"Hey, are you okay?" Atlas asked.
Milo, still in a daze, stared blankly at his own hand—the one Atlas had just used to pull him up.
Atlas patted Milo's shoulder a few tis to dust him off.
HEAH!!!
The crowd collectively gasped, their hearts practically leaping out of their chests. Even Milo seed too stunned to process what was happening.
"Sorry," Atlas said casually.
"Ah, y-yes, My L-Lord… I'm f-fine…" Milo stamred.
Atlas smiled and sat back down on the wooden log. Slowly, Milo joined him, resuming his seat as the initial shock began to subside.
After a tense mont, the others who had scattered earlier started inching their way back toward the fire. They sat down again, though it was clear from their nervous glances that the unease still lingered in the air.
The music resud.
Zara, who had been sitting a short distance away, approached Atlas with a piece of roasted at on a small plate. The aroma wafting from it was enough to make his mouth water.
"My Lord, this is for you," she said, her voice soft, accompanied by a faint smile.
Atlas paused for a mont, surprised. Was this the first ti he'd seen Zara smile, even if only faintly?
He couldn't help but compare her to Morganna. Like Zara, Morganna rarely smiled, but when she did, it was often the precursor to soone's demise—literally.
Zara's smile, however, was entirely different. It was the smile of a teenage girl, one that seed to carry a sense of relief rather than nace.
"Thanks, Zara," Atlas said, taking the offering with a small nod.
As he bit into the roasted at, its tender and flavorful taste lted in his mouth. Joining the others, he settled back into the group's relaxed mood. The atmosphere around the bonfire slowly returned to its earlier joy.
"My Lord, Zara has unlocked her elental affinities," soone said.
"Really?" Atlas responded. He turned to Zara. "Tell , Zara."
Zara looked a bit startled by the sudden attention but nodded. "It's Light and Air, My Lord."
"Light and Air?!" Atlas repeated.
Unlocking two basic elents was already significant, but having one of them be Light made it even more remarkable.
"Have you unlocked their combination as well?"
Zara nodded again. "Yes, My Lord. It's called Radiant Gale."
"Radiant Gale?" his interest grew. "Show the Radiant Gale!"
Atlas stood, motioning for Zara to demonstrate, and the rest of the group followed suit, getting to their feet. Zara hesitated for a mont before stepping forward to comply with his request.
The crowd quickly created an open space in the middle of the area as Zara prepared to demonstrate her new elental abilities. The music stopped, and people began gathering around.
Edrik stepped up beside Atlas. "Zara can channel the synergy between Light and Air to create a fast-moving, dazzling attack," he explained. "It's a unique form of offense."
Zara summoned her bow, the Rank-A Whisperwind Arc, a weapon Atlas had gifted her. She drew the string back, and a glowing arrow materialized. With precision, she aid the training mannequins.
Everyone watched in anticipation. Zara released the arrow, and—
Clang! The training mannequin moved as if deflecting an invisible barrage. It staggered backward, battered by an unseen force.
"What was that?" Atlas asked.
Edrik smiled slightly. "The ability fires high-speed wind blades infused with radiant light. They deal slashing damage, but the brilliance of the light makes the projectiles difficult for the eye to track."
"Damn," Atlas muttered. "That's powerful!"
Zara then applied her elental power to herself, creating an area of glowing wind around her feet. The swirling air enhanced her movents as she sprinted forward, leaping into the air with a graceful sorsault.
While airborne, she fired another volley of glowing arrows at the training mannequin, several of which struck their target with precision.
"The synergy of Light and Air temporarily boosts her evasion and movent speed for a few seconds."
"That's perfect for her as an archer. Speed and mobility are crucial for her role."
Edrik smiled slightly. "This is just the beginning. With training and experience, she can develop these two elents into sothing far greater."
Every ti Zara ran or leaped, a swirling gale ford around her, the turbulent wind creating a visible ripple effect.
Edrik continued his explanation. "The gale disrupts enemy formations, pushing lighter enemies back and reducing their mobility. It creates openings for her to strike while keeping her distance."
"That's cool. It's both defensive and offensive—a perfect fit for her style."
Zara landed gracefully, lowering her bow with a satisfied smile as she looked at the crowd. Applause erupted around her.
"Zara, that's so cool!"
"Congratulations!"
Edrik clapped as well. He then turned to another in the group. "Garen, your turn now."
Garen, with his towering fra and massive build, gave a humble nod. He stepped into the open space.
"Garen has unlocked Earth and Fire elents, as well as their combination: Volcanic Shield."
Garen clenched both his fists, and a surge of energy erupted around him. His body and armor beca encased in a layer of hardened earth, interwoven with streaks of molten fire that pulsed across his fra.
mbers of the team stepped forward to test him, striking at him with their weapons. Garen stood firm, blocking attacks with his hands and absorbing blows directly with his body. One strike landed on his armored chest, triggering a fiery explosion that sent his attackers flying backward.
Edrik continued his explanation. "Volcanic Shield summons a protective layer of molten rock around Garen, blending Earth's resilience with Fire's searing intensity. The shield absorbs incoming damage and emits intense heat, burning and repelling nearby enemies."
"Cool," Atlas said. "That's perfect for him as a frontline tanker."
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"Agree," Edrik nodded. "It enhances his natural role while making him even more formidable in close combat."
Next, it was Kaida's turn, the confident leader of the Blaze Team. With a smirk, she stepped forward and addressed Atlas.
"My Lord… I've beco even better with fire," she said proudly.
Edrik smiled and turned to Atlas. "Kaida only has the basic elent of Fire, but she's grown significantly more potent in her damage output."
Kaida raised her staff and began demonstrating her abilities:
Fla Burst: She launched a concentrated fireball at a training target, which exploded on impact. The attack dealt dium fire damage with a minor AoE effect that singed the surrounding area.
Blazing Barrier: She summoned a wall of fire that rose in front of her. The barrier blocked the imaginary enemy's advance, inflicting minor burn damage on anything that ca into contact with it.
Inferno Surge: Kaida swept a stream of fire from her staff in a wide arc, engulfing the area in flas. The sustained cone of fire was ideal for clearing groups of enemies or keeping pressure on advancing foes.
One of the bystanders who nearly got caught in the flas yelled out, "Kaida, you're going to roast alive!"
Kaida just laughed. "It's only fire. Stop being so weak!"
Finally, she demonstrated Pyroclasm Strike: Fire channeled through her staff erupted around her in a devastating AoE attack. Flas burst outward, leaving a burning effect.
When she finished, applause erupted from the crowd, though it was mixed with a few grumbles from those she'd deliberately singed during her demonstration.
Kaida laughed at their reactions. "Co on, it's just fire! You all act like it's magma!"
Finally, it was Ronan's turn—the leader of the Dusk Team. Dressed in sleek black leather, his cold expression remained unchanged as he stepped forward. He drew his bow and gave a respectful nod toward Atlas before beginning his demonstration.
Edrik provided context as Ronan prepared. "Ronan has unlocked the Air and Dark."
"Interesting," Atlas said.
"The combination of Air and Dark emphasizes his agility, stealth, and lethal precision," Edrik explained.
Ronan began his showcase by summoning his elents. The area around him dimd as a veil of darkness enveloped him.
Ronan fired an arrow from his bow. The projectile, cloaked in darkness and propelled by air currents, was nearly invisible in flight.
"Ronan fires an arrow shrouded in darkness," Edrik explained. "The near-invisibility of the arrow makes it extrely difficult to predict or block."
"Similar to Zara's attacks?"
"Yes, but Ronan's emphasizes stealth and precision," Edrik replied.
Ronan then unleashed a rapid barrage of dark arrows, each gliding through the air with incredible speed. He followed up by using air currents to reposition silently, striking from an unexpected angle.
As he completed his demonstration, the audience broke into applause.
Ronan bowed once more to Atlas before returning to the group.
Atlas smiled, surveying the group. Good, he thought.
"Everyone has grown significantly. With this progress, we just need to spread these advancents across the entire team, and our overall potential will soar."
Turning to Edrik, he said, "Let's go, Edrik. I want to discuss my quest with you."
Edrik bowed slightly. "Of course, My Lord."
He followed Atlas as they left the gathering.
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