Another defense victory—another total win, as Morganna managed to slay the enemy Lord.
Even so, this was just the beginning. They were still in the early phases, so it was no surprise that many of the opponents they faced were inexperienced and unprepared. There was still a long road ahead.
The next morning, Atlas wasted no ti and dove back into his training.
Since he had grown accustod to running without his vision, Kurogasa decided it was ti to push him further. That day, Baldric introduced a special set of armor for Atlas to wear during his training.
The armor wasn't just heavy—it weighed about 100 kilograms (220 pounds). It also insulated him from the surrounding air, blocking any sensation of temperature on his skin. This ant he couldn't use his sense of touch to detect heat.
But at least it would protect him from lava, right?
Wrong. If the armor ca into direct contact with solid or liquid heat sources, the intense temperature would transfer into the armor, making it unbearably hot.
No vision. No sense of touch. And now, the weight of a 100-kilogram suit? Atlas knew from the start this training would only get harder. But giving up? That wasn't even an option.
Let's go!
Atlas pushed himself to run, relying on his sense of sll and hearing to navigate the training. It was anything but easy—he fell repeatedly, his body burned, and the pain was excruciating.
Yet he kept going. He forced himself forward, even as his ntal strength was stretched to the brink of collapse. As long as his resolve held, he believed he could overco this.
Atlas beca completely imrsed in the training. By nightfall, he was too drained to join the others for their usual bonding sessions. Instead, he collapsed into a deep sleep, utterly spent from exhaustion.
But was he becoming so consud by this brutal regin that he was neglecting other important aspects of his life?
Had he been treating everyone as they deserved?
So far, Edrik had been managing everything on the island—handling the troops' needs, organizing them, and overseeing the island's operations. Edrik worked tirelessly, almost like a secretary running the entire domain, while Atlas remained laser-focused on his training.
But wasn't this necessary? His goal was to beco stronger, wasn't it? He couldn't afford to slack off. He had to get stronger.
Stronger!
On the third day, Atlas started to show real progress. He could now run while relying on his sense of sll and hearing with greater precision, making fewer mistakes as he navigated the treacherous terrain.
But on the fourth day, damn Kurogasa—he deliberately chose a route with even more flowing lava than before.
Another day, another round of pure torture.
It was a week filled with relentless pain and exhaustion.
By the sixth day, though, Atlas had adapted. He managed to complete his 20 laps without falling into the lava once.
Collapsing onto the ground, completely spent, he tore off the armor that had been suffocating his overheated body.
Atlas panted heavily as Edrik, Kurogasa, and Lyrassa approached him. Surprisingly, Lyrassa didn't imdiately panic and rush to heal him like she usually did.
"You made it just in ti before our next battle begins," Edrik said with a grin.
"Yeah… another level of training," Atlas replied, chuckling weakly. "I wonder if after this, my other senses will be shut off too?" he added with a wry laugh.
Just as he spoke, his vision filled with notifications.
[Congratulations on the achievent.]
[Two of your talents have advanced rapidly and synchronized.]
[Unyielding Resolve and Immutable Discipline have successfully rged.]
[You have acquired a new rged talent: Ironclad Will (Rank S)]
[The fusion of ntal and physical fortitude creates an unshakable focus, enabling peak performance under even the most extre conditions.]
[Effect: Dramatically reduces the effects of fear, exhaustion, and ntal attacks. Grants enhanced stamina and minor regeneration when operating under intense pressure.]
Atlas smiled to himself, feeling a rush of satisfaction. His grueling training was finally starting to bear fruit.
[Ironclad Will (S) - Tactical Awareness (A) - Instinctual Command (A) - Perfected Rhythm (A) - Commanding Presence (S) - Bloodbound Vigor (S)]
Atlas reviewed the six talents he now possessed: three at Rank-S and three at Rank-A. This left him with one remaining talent slot, which he might unlock at so point in the future.
Normally, individuals could develop a focus for up to seven talent slots. As talents evolved, rged, or progressed, a new talent could arise and register in their system.
That didn't an people were limited to just seven talents. They could possess many more, but only seven were dominant and registered in the system, making them easier to develop based on training and focus.
Of course, not all talents were useful. Karian's talent for snoring or Edrik's "perfect hair" talent weren't exactly ga-changers. But then again, not every talent needed to be practical, right?
At least with his current progress, Atlas saw the potential to build more combat-oriented talents. He needed every edge he could gain—after all, his priority was to improve as much as possible before hitting level 50.
Reaching level 50 was indeed a significant bottleneck for most people. The experience required for each level grew exponentially, while the experience gained from killing monsters remained frustratingly small. It took hundreds of monster kills just to gain a single level.
For this reason, many Awakeners at this stage turned to dungeons. Dungeons offered much higher experience rewards, making the ti spent hunting far more efficient. However, dungeons were far from safe. Once inside, if a group beca overwheld by monsters or challenges, there was a real risk of losing their lives.
Thinking about dungeons, Atlas found himself wondering. Should he push himself to tackle a dungeon to speed up his progress to level 50?
Another battle ca, but this ti Atlas and Edrik intentionally allowed the troops to handle the fight on their own, testing the results of their training. It was an all-out battle for each of them. While so suffered severe injuries, they ultimately secured victory in their fourth defense.
However, this ti the enemy Lord managed to escape. Atlas chose not to pursue, deciding instead to save his remaining Attack Token for selecting his next opponent more strategically.
[You have advanced to Seeker Division 3.]
[The current list of challengers has been cleared due to division mismatch.]
[You now have 1 challenger slot available.]
[Gacha Haven has entered the Reinforcent Phase. The fallback cooldown will last for 7 days.]
Gacha Haven had advanced to Division 3, bringing him closer to the top of the Seeker rank. With a total of five divisions, if he could maintain his montum, he might reach Rank-2 Scout in the next season of Lord Battles.
However, rapid progression ca with its risks. The higher the division and rank, the more formidable and experienced the opponents beca. It was evident that future enemies couldn't be approached the sa way as the earlier ones. Every adversary in these divisions had fought through nurous battles and earned their place through hard-won victories.
Still, one thing remained certain for Atlas: he had to keep training. At this point, his dedication to improvent was so relentless that his next talent might as well be called Training Maniac.
But this ti, his training had truly reached a new level of insanity.
Atlas now had to wear a helt that completely blocked out all his senses—no vision, no hearing, no sll, and no touch.
Did people actually train this hard? Was this crossing the line into madness?
If he couldn't use any of his senses, how the hell was he supposed to run or detect his surroundings?!
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