Chapter 1 - Ultimate Gacha System

[You have been chosen as the new Lord of the Intergalactic Lord Project.] 

[You have received your own floating land.] 

[Build your kingdom, assemble the strongest army, become the most powerful ruler, and prove that you can compete against all the lords that exist now and those yet to come.] 

[You have obtained one innate system.]

[Determining the grade…]

[You have received an SSS-grade system, Ultimate Gacha.]

[You have earned additional rewards...]

This is a world set in a post-apocalyptic era, where Earth's landscape has drastically changed over the past 2,000 years. Some lands have sunk beneath the oceans while others have risen, reshaping the planet's surface entirely. 

Humanity's population has dwindled by 60% over that time. However, new races have emerged on Earth—beings from realms once thought to exist only in fantasy. Elves, demons, giants, faeries, dwarves, and others now walk the Earth. 

In this era, humans refer to the planet as "New Earth." 

During this period of transition, humans discovered Mana, and most awakened to its power. They began to level up, battling monsters, growing stronger, and competing for territory through war and conquest. 

What's truly remarkable is that, around 1,000 years ago, a new type of awakening began appearing on Earth. This coincided with the sudden rise of floating lands all across the world—massive chunks of land, even entire islands, hovering in the sky, visible from the ground below. 

The strangest part? These floating islands choose their own Lords. The people of that time began calling them "The Lords." 

These Lords grow their islands, build kingdoms, amass armies, and endlessly battle one another in a relentless struggle for supremacy. The war for power never ceases.

Atlas Blackthorn, was just an ordinary awakened. By the time he turned 22, he was stuck with an F-Grade talent, offering him no real power or talent. That was, until one fateful day during a monster hunt when his so-called companions betrayed him, shoving him off a bridge into a deep, unforgiving ravine!

"You bastards! Idiots! How dare you betray me?! Damn it, fuck! I'm going to die—hell no!"

Atlas screamed in fury as he plummeted, knowing the ground below would crush him to death.

But suddenly, a floating screen appeared before his eyes.

[You have been chosen as the new Lord of the Intergalactic Lord Project.] 

What the hell is this?!

Awakened as a New Lord?!

Damn it!? Are you kidding me?!

Just as his body was about to slam into the bottom of the ravine, everything went dark. His body was yanked into a powerful current of energy, swallowed by darkness, only for his vision to be blinded by a searing light.

With a jarring thud, he hit the ground—hard. 

Thankfully, it didn't kill him, as if the fall hadn't been from a great height. He sat up, shaking off the dizziness, his mind still seething with anger over his betrayal. 

He glanced around. It was barren land, a desert-like wasteland stretching out before him. But he could see the clouds, the sky—cough, cough—the air here was thinner, making it harder to breathe. Especially after screaming his lungs out while falling from such a height.

He mentally summoned the notification that had appeared moments before.

He had actually been chosen as a new Lord! And this—this wasteland—was his floating island!

Atlas gasped for breath, his adrenaline spiking as the reality of the situation hit him. He stood up quickly, scanning the surroundings once more. 

Yes, this is his fucking island!

He broke into a run, trying to gauge the size of the land. It wasn't that big—about the size of a football field, at most. 

But still, this is his fucking island! 

He was a Lord now! And that meant he was part of the endless battle for power among the other Lords, where they slaughtered each other, fighting to conquer—an unending war where you either win or die a fool's death.

[The safety barrier has been activated.]

[Your island will be safe from attacks for 14 days.]

[Prepare while you still have time.]

Atlas's heart pounded. Fourteen days of safety, then the real battle would begin.

The struggle between the Lords was brutally real. Every single one of them fought to grow stronger, to dominate. There were no rules, no limits. It was like an endless game where you either kept amassing power or gave up, got crushed, and lost your land to someone else—along with your life!

This war of domination had been raging for a thousand years, and it only grew more savage with time. Yet despite the brutal competition, new Lords always emerged—rising to power, becoming the new overlords. 

There was always a chance to rise!

Atlas stood on the barren ground, his black hair flowing in the wind, dust blowing into his eyes. At 185 cm (6'1"), he stood over the desolate landscape of his floating island, despite it looking as dry and lifeless as a desert.

"What can I possibly do with an island this dry?" 

There were no resources, nothing to work with, and the island itself was barely more than a small, cramped patch of land.

He glanced back at the notifications hovering before him.

SSS-grade Ultimate Gacha System?

What the fuck is this?

What is this Ultimate Gacha System?

[Host, I see you've started getting your brain back and are ready for an explanation about the system.]

"Oh, you're the system everyone keeps talking about. Interesting. What should I call you?"

[I'm the Ultimate Gacha System, the SSS-grade system that will guide you to becoming the strongest.]

"That's way too long. I'll just call you… Jackpot."

[Jackpot works too.]

"Alright, Jackpot, let's continue."

[If you can't get strong with a system this good, you might as well kill yourself.]

"You're really good at trash talk for a system. Weren't you taught manners?"

[It's just a reminder that you're destined for greatness. You should be thanking me.]

"Enough with the chit-chat. Let's get to the point—what do you have for me?"

[Opening Gacha Screen.]

A virtual display appeared in front of Atlas, revealing three separate screens, each with unique images and captions.

[Exclusive Character Banner] 

[Rate Up Character: Rank-S Morganna Nightshade - Queen of the Eternal Dusk]

The first banner featured a striking woman in a flowing red dress, her black hair framing a face of cold beauty, with crimson eyes glowing with power. A vampire? That was the impression he got at first glance.

[Exclusive Weapon Banner] 

[Rate Up Weapon: Rank-S (Legendary) Bloodkissed Scythe]

The second banner showcased a massive, sleek, and ominous scythe. It looked like it belonged to the character in the first banner. What did they call these again? He scanned the banner—yes, Signature Weapon.

[Standard Banner]

The third banner showcased a lineup of five distinct characters, each captured in dynamic action poses, wielding different weapons. From their gear, it was clear that they each played a unique role in battle.

Interesting.

"Oh, so you're telling me I can get both characters and weapons just by rolling gacha from these banners?"

[Yes, Host.] 

[Exclusive Character Banner and Exclusive Weapon Banner will be updated periodically, offering rate-ups on special characters and weapons.]

[You can use gacha tickets to pull from these banners, with increased chances to obtain the featured characters or weapons during this period.]

[The Standard Banner is always available, allowing you to gacha anytime for standard characters and weapons.]

[However, as the title of the banner suggests, the characters and weapons from the Exclusive Banner will always hold a far greater value compared to those from the Standard Banner.]

[For every 10 pulls, you are guaranteed a Rank-A item, and for every 80 pulls, a guaranteed Rank-S item. Once you obtain a specific Rank-A or Rank-S item, the counter resets.]

"Okay... This is just like the gacha system in so many games people play."

[The system is designed to be easy to understand.]

[You have earned additional rewards…]

[You have received 100 Exclusive Tickets.]

[You have received 200 Standard Tickets.]

[You have unlocked Inventory Storage with a capacity of 10 cubic meters.]

"Well, this is getting interesting."

The gold and silver tickets materialized in front of him, hovering in mid-air. He reached out and grabbed the stack of tickets, holding them firmly in his hand.

"100 Exclusive Tickets? That means I'm guaranteed at least 1 Rank-S exclusive character, right?."

[You can only use a maximum of 10 tickets for a single draw.]

"How do I do it?"

[Just throw the ticket, and it will activate automatically.]

Atlas stored the remaining tickets in his Inventory and pulled out 10 of the gold-colored ones.

"Alright, no need to waste any time. Let's draw the items! Activate the Exclusive Tickets on Exclusive Character Banner!"

He tossed the tickets into the air. The 10 golden tickets began spinning, arranging themselves in mid-air. Their backs flashed in different colors—some turning brown, others purple, and a glowing bright red.

Wait, could it be…?

[You have obtained 7 Rank-B items, 2 Rank-A items, and 1 Rank-S item!]

"Damn, I actually pulled a Rank-S on my first try? Alright, let's see what's behind these tickets!"

***

(Author's Note:)

Hi! If you're interested in seeing character art, checking out the wiki, or discussing the story, feel free to join the Discord server: 

tinyurl.com/galanteodiscord