This world is set in a post-apocalyptic era. One shaped by the scars of two thousand years of transformation. Earth, as it was once known, no longer exists. Entire continents have sunk beneath the oceans, while others have risen, reshaping the planet's surface into something unrecognizable.
Humanity has paid the price. Over the centuries, the population has dwindled by nearly 60%. Yet Earth did not fall silent. In the wake of the collapse, new races emerged, elves, demons, giants, faeries, dwarves, and others now walk the Earth alongside the fractured remnants of humankind.
In this new age, people no longer call it Earth. They call it New Earth.
During this long transition, humans discovered the existence of Mana. Most awakened to its power, gaining the ability to level up, fight monsters, grow stronger, and lay claim to land through war and conquest. The world became a battlefield of survival and strength.
But the truly extraordinary shift began a thousand years ago.
That was when the skies changed.
All across the world, colossal chunks of land began to rise, hovering in the air. Entire floating islands, vast enough to be seen from the surface. No one knew where they came from, or why they hovered. But one thing became clear: these islands were not lifeless.
They chose their rulers.
Those chosen came to be known as The Lords.
These Lords grew their islands, built kingdoms in the sky, assembled armies, and entered into an endless war. A war of dominance, where no rule existed but strength. Their battle for supremacy has never stopped.
It is a world of rising empires, and inevitable bloodshed.
***
Was everything he'd ever heard about the Lords, the legends, the awe, the grandeur, nothing but a mirage? A myth wrapped in delusion?
Because right now… his island was nothing more than a goddamn flat slab of land with a dry, cracked desert stretched across its surface.
Atlas scowled and kicked at the brittle sand beneath his boots. It scattered easily in the high-altitude wind, swirling into the air like dust in a forgotten tomb.
How the hell is he supposed to build a kingdom on this?
And an army? With what? Sand and sun?
Worse yet, he'd lost all his gear. His trusted spear. Bone.
He looked down at himself. All he had left was the most basic hunter outfit, patched together with a few scraps of armor covering his chest and shoulders. He looked more like cannon fodder than someone destined to be one of the overpowered Lords ruling the skies.
But then… his eyes flicked back to the notification still glowing in front of him.
SSS-rank… Ultimate Gacha System.
Gacha?
Yeah, he knew what that meant. In the Lower Lands, especially in some of the more developed continents, tech was still alive. People played games. And gacha systems, where you summoned gear, characters, or anything else from a randomized pool, had become wildly popular.
But this?
Gacha as an innate ability? As a Lord's system?
Now that was something else entirely.
[Host, I see your brain's finally kicking in. Ready for your system breakdown?]
Atlas tilted his head, blinking at the new notification. This one felt different, more like something, or someone was actually talking to him.
"You're the system everyone keeps hyping up? Huh. So, what should I call you?"
[I'm the Ultimate Gacha System, the SSS-rank system that will guide you to becoming the strongest.]
"That's way too long. I'll call you... Jackpot. That sound good?"
[Jackpot works too.]
"Alright, Jackpot," Atlas said, crossing his arms. "Now tell me, what do you really have for me? An SSS-rank system sounds overpowered as hell, right?"
[You can bet on it. And let's be honest, if you can't get strong with a system this broken, you might as well throw yourself off another cliff.]
"Ch," Atlas scoffed. "You've got a sharp tongue for a system. Didn't anyone teach you basic manners?"
[It's not rudeness. Just reminding you that greatness is non-negotiable. You should be thanking me.]
Atlas smirked as he read the message. This foul-mouthed, no-filter system might be annoying, but the promise behind it was too tempting to ignore.
"Alright then. Let's cut the chatter. What's the first trick you've got for me, Jackpot?"
[Opening Gacha Screen.]
A virtual display flickered to life in front of Atlas, revealing three separate panels, each glowing with distinct designs and stylized titles.
The first banner caught his eye immediately.
[Exclusive Character Banner]
[Rate-Up Character: Rank-S Morganna Nightshade – Queen of the Eternal Dusk]
The banner displayed a stunning woman clad in a flowing red gown, her black hair cascading around a face carved with cold elegance. Crimson eyes glowed like embers in the shadows. A vampire, that was the first impression that struck him.
"So… you're telling me with this Gacha system, I can actually summon this gorgeous vampire queen as my subordinate? That sounds completely broken."
[Keep your hopes in check. The summon rate isn't that generous. You might burn through every single chance ticket and still end up with nothing.]
"See? And here I thought you were a broken system."
He turned his eyes to the next banner.
[Exclusive Weapon Banner]
[Rate-Up Weapon: Rank-S (Legendary) Bloodkissed Scythe]
The second banner displayed a sleek and deadly-looking scythe. Massive, curved, and stained with a crimson edge. Its design matched the aura of the vampire queen from the first banner perfectly. There was no mistaking it. This weapon was made for her.
"So, this banner lets you summon weapons, and this featured scythe is basically the one meant for that vampire queen, right?"
[Exactly. Just like the gacha games on the surface. The system adjusts itself to fit the general knowledge of this world's inhabitants.]
"Cool system and all, but maybe you should've done better research."
Atlas rolled his eyes.
He'd never played a gacha game back in the Lower Lands.
[Standard Banner]
The third panel displayed a lineup of five unique characters, each frozen mid-action, weapons drawn and ready. From their distinct armor and fighting stances, it was clear they each served different roles. Tank, support, assassin, mage, and warrior.
Interesting.
"Oh, so you're saying I can summon both characters and weapons from these banners just by rolling the gacha?"
[Yes, Host.]
[Exclusive Character Banner and Exclusive Weapon Banner will be updated periodically, offering rate-ups on select characters and weapons.]
[You can use gacha tickets to pull from these banners, with increased odds of obtaining the featured units during their limited period.]
[The Standard Banner is always available. It lets you summon any time, though it only offers standard-tier characters and weapons.]
"Okay… so basically, you're giving me some kind of token I can use to make pulls from any of these banners."
[Correct.]
[And as their names suggest, characters and weapons from the Exclusive Banners are significantly more powerful than anything found in the Standard Banner.]
"So… there are two types of gacha tokens then?"
[Yes. Exclusive Tickets and Standard Tickets.]
"Got it. Now let's move on."
[Now, Host, most of your pulls will land at Rank-B. But there's a guaranteed Rank-A pull every ten summons.]
"Alright, so Rank-A means better items, yeah?"
[Correct.]
"And if exclusive items are Rank-S... is there a guaranteed pull for that too?"
[Yes. At most, it will take 80 pulls to guarantee a Rank-S item. Every time you get a Rank-A or Rank-S, the counter resets.]
"Okay... so if I get super lucky, I could land both a Rank-A and a Rank-S in a single ten-pull batch?"
[Keep your expectations in check!]
"Okay... this really is just like the gacha systems people always talk about in those games."
[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.]
Another notification blinked into view in front of Atlas.
"Well, this just keeps getting better."
A soft shimmer of light formed in the air, and then the tickets began to materialize. Gold and silver cards hovering weightlessly in front of him. Atlas reached out and took them in hand, but quickly frowned.
He counted them carefully. Only fifty gold cards, and a hundred silver ones.
"That's only half…"
"This doesn't look like a hundred Exclusive Tickets and two hundred Standard Tickets…"
[Don't worry. The tickets will be delivered periodically.]
Atlas narrowed his eyes. "Alright… So how do I actually use the gacha?"
[You can use a maximum of ten tickets per draw.]
"How do I trigger it?"
[Just throw the ticket. It activates automatically.]
Atlas stashed the remaining tickets into his newly unlocked Inventory, then drew ten of the gold-colored ones back out.
"Alright then. No point in waiting around. Let's do this. Activate the Exclusive Tickets on the Exclusive Character Banner!"
He tossed the golden cards into the air.
The ten tickets began to spin midair, forming a circle. Each one lit up, their backs glowing in different colors. Some a dull brown, a few shimmering purple… and one burning with a brilliant, blinding red.
Wait… no way.
[You have obtained 7 Rank-B items, 2 Rank-A items, and 1 Rank-S item!]
"I actually pulled a Rank-S on my first try?"
"Alright, Jackpot. Let's see what's behind these tickets!"
***
(Author's Note:)
Dear readers! Before you dive into the story, I'd love to share a few things.
This is a long-form series, and I'm building toward a bigger picture. So if you're expecting massive battles right out of the gate, hang tight. The intense Lord Battles will really start to heat up around Chapter 50. Up until then, expect plenty of groundwork, growth, and world-building.
This book blends Action, Kingdom Building, LitRPG, Romance, Harem, Comedy, and Slice of Life. It's a mix designed to keep the pacing fresh and the story dynamic.
Some of you might feel the early pacing is on the slower side. But trust me, this is intentional. Don't expect the main character to be commanding an army of a thousand by Chapter 30. That's not the kind of story I'm telling.
One thing I want to emphasize: side characters here aren't just background NPCs. I've written them with care. They have depth, personalities, and meaningful interactions with the MC.
On the technical side, I've worked hard to keep the story consistent. I've got a full set of notes and world details neatly organized in my Google Sheets, so you can expect solid continuity throughout.
Feel free to drop any thoughts or questions in the comments. I'd love to hear from you!