Another journey across the desert plains began. This ti, Atlas opted to ride his Dune Phantom, while Morganna piloted the floating throne, with Edrik and Kurogasa seated alongside her on its platform.
The floating throne was undeniably more comfortable—it allowed him to relax completely, even nap, as it carried him to his destination. Though the hover bike could also operate on autopilot, its seating wasn't exactly suited for catching any sleep.
As the bike glided effortlessly over the sands, Atlas took the opportunity to review his progress so far. Two victories under his belt, and he needed just one more successful defense to advance to Division 2.
If he succeeded, his challenge invitation slots would reset, and three new challengers from Division 2 would replace the current lineup. It was a step up—a new level of difficulty—but also an exciting opportunity.
Staying in Division 1 for a while might seem easier, considering the level of opponents. But no—not really. Even his first challenger, Soren, had been incredibly strong. He sighed deeply.
Should he consider joining an alliance? It was tempting, given the early support a Lord could gain from such a move. However, joining an alliance would also an granting others a degree of control over him—sothing Atlas was unwilling to accept.
Being a solo Lord, as he had chosen, ca with significant risks. While he did have Summoned Lords from other worlds at his side, they were far from their peak forms. With their powers downgraded in this realm, their abilities were a shadow of what they once had been.
It left him with much to consider.
He still had one Attack Token left, which he planned to use wisely, considering he would face four more defenses after this.
He needed to make the most of the opportunity, aiming for the largest rewards possible while ensuring he didn't beco overly greedy—sothing that could put him at risk.
He finally secured the World Shards upon arriving at the Awakener Association Center!
At last, he would be able to build the Gateway Altar and wouldn't need to return here again—though he did enjoy visiting this bustling city.
Atlas also secured additional materials and supplies for his island, spending 760 gold coins in the process.
Having plenty of money was a relief, allowing him to shop more freely. However, he made sure to save a significant amount, knowing he'd need it to recruit more troops soon.
For a Seeker Division 1 Lord, would 40 troops be enough? Or should he aim for more?
In the end, Atlas decided to recruit 10 more troops from the applicants he'd evaluated weeks ago.
Once everything was settled, he and his subordinates left the Awakener Association Center, ready for the next phase of preparation.
He glanced at Morganna, who was walking beside him.
"Want to head straight ho?"
Morganna looked at him briefly but didn't reply.
"What about trying so more sweet treats from the city?"
Still, no answer.
He sighed, running a hand through his hair, when suddenly—
"Hey! Watch where you're swinging that tail!"
Atlas turned at the sound of soone shouting angrily in their direction.
Kurogasa quickly bowed to the irritated man. "I apologize for the trouble."
"Dammit!" the man growled, glaring in disgust at his sleeve. "Now I have to change clothes again!"
Atlas stepped forward, pulled out a few banknotes, and pressed them into the man's hand. "Buy yourself so new clothes with this."
He turned and resud walking without waiting for a response.
"Hey! Are you mocking ? Do you think I can't afford my own clothes?!" the man shouted after him.
Atlas didn't even look back.
After walking for a while, a sudden blare of sirens erupted from every direction.
What's going on?!
Atlas stopped in his tracks, watching as people began running in panic. His gaze swept across the streets until his eyes landed on the massive digital boards mounted on nearby buildings. Every single one displayed the sa urgent broadcast.
"Ergency alert! Ergency alert! The dungeon expedition conducted two months ago has failed. The awakeners sent to clear the Level 250 dungeon have been defeated."
"Dungeon break," Atlas muttered.
A Dungeon Break occurs when a dungeon fails to be cleared before its expiration period ends. When this happens, the dungeon collapses, and the monsters inside are unleashed, attacking the surrounding environnt with brutal ferocity.
What makes this worse is that monsters erging from a dungeon are far more aggressive than the ones typically found roaming in the outside. Unlike external monsters that tend to stay within specific areas, these dungeon monsters actively seek out targets, making them a far greater threat to any nearby population.
"They couldn't handle a Level 250 dungeon?" Edrik asked, frowning as he turned to Atlas.
Atlas shrugged slightly.
Edrik continued. "You ntioned the highest-ranked Lord here is a Rank 6 Marshall, right? Their power should be sowhere between Level 300 and 400. A Level 250 dungeon shouldn't have been an issue."
"Do the Lords where you're from even care about what happens in the Lower Lands, Edrik?"
Edrik sighed, the corners of his mouth twitching. "Well, now it makes sense."
Atlas let out a tired sigh. "Awakeners in the Lower Lands don't usually reach high levels. For them, a Level 250 dungeon is nothing short of a disaster."
"Even worse…" Atlas continued, "if they failed to clear the dungeon, it ans they've died there. Losing a large number of high-level awakeners at once would be a massive blow to this city."
"Dungeons have valuable resources to harvest. Those Lords should have seen it as a win-win solution to help clear dungeons in the Lower Lands," Edrik said.
"Even better than what we can harvest from unoccupied floating islands, Edrik?"
Edrik smiled and gave a small bow to Atlas. "In specific cases, so materials can only be found in certain types of dungeons."
"Ah, got it," Atlas replied with a nod.
People were running everywhere. Cars honked furiously as traffic began piling up, and so drivers abandoned their vehicles entirely, choosing to flee on foot.
"Where's the dungeon located?" Edrik asked, scanning the chaos. "It can't be inside the city, right?"
Atlas glanced at the digital boards again, which now showed live footage from outside the city. The view revealed massive preparations underway to repel an incoming monster wave. Soldiers were lining up, and automated defenses were coming online.
"No, it's from outside."
After a mont of thought, Atlas added, "Let's head to the nearest café and watch how Dune Bastion—the city's heavy turret defense system—handles the monster waves. We can also see how the Saharian Army fares against them."
They made their way to the nearest café, which was still open despite the chaos outside. Only a few patrons remained, but the staff appeared surprisingly calm.
Atlas ordered drinks and a al, noting the relaxed deanor of the café workers even as the city outside descended into panic.
The café had a large screen, perfect for keeping track of the unfolding events.
"How bad is a Level 250 dungeon, Edrik?"
Edrik leaned back slightly. "It depends, but if they ntioned the expedition was two months ago, this isn't a typical dungeon. It's likely a raid dungeon—sothing that requires far more people and ti to clear."
"Which ans we're looking at waves of Level 250 monsters," Kurogasa added.
Atlas started a conversation with the waiter, a man in his 30s who brought their food to the table.
"Does this sort of thing happen often around here?" Atlas asked.
The waiter smiled. "No, this is the first ti we've had a dungeon break of this level. But I think the Dune Bastion should handle the monsters just fine, right?"
"You seem pretty calm, especially with how panicked everyone else is outside," Atlas noted, raising an eyebrow.
The waiter chuckled. "Well, I'm an awakener too. But in the end, I chose to open this café instead."
"Ah, good to know," Atlas replied with a small nod.
The waiter gave a polite bow before returning to the counter.
Their attention turned back to the screen, where the monsters began erging in the distance, a seemingly endless wave rushing across the desert plains. Their numbers were staggering, stretching from one edge of the horizon to the other.
"Oh, are you kidding ?! That's way too many!" Atlas exclaid, leaning forward in disbelief.
"Now," Edrik muttered, "this doesn't just look like a Raid Dungeon anymore."
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