CHAPTER 335: CHAPTER 335 - THE DOMINION CONVERGENCE

The next Lord Battle season had finally been announced, and its name was The Dominion Convergence.

While there had been many types of lord battle events, this one was unlike any other. It would test not just the strength of individual Lords, but the unity and coordination of their entire alliance. This would be a full-scale Alliance versus Alliance war.

They were given only two weeks to prepare before the event officially began. A short time, far too short. But enough for the world to brace itself.

The start of the event didn’t mean immediate. There would still be the usual phases. Positioning, scouting, probing attacks, and defense. Yet even so, two weeks would vanish quickly. Every moment had to be used to recover, rebuild, and strengthen their forces.

Atlas wasted no time. He immediately called for a grand meeting with every Lord within his alliance, The Vanguard Dominion.

The meeting took place in the Noble Meeting Hall, a vast circular chamber adorned with banners of every faction under his command. Thirteen Lords were present, each accompanied by their trusted right hand.

This time, they weren’t fighting for their own islands alone. Their victory, or defeat, would be shared. The collective outcome would decide the fate of them all. Coordination, communication, and combined strategy would be the foundation of survival, and triumph.

Atlas sat at the head of the long obsidian table. On his right was Luna; on his left, Celestia. Behind him stood Edrik, while Ember took her position quietly behind Luna.

Atlas began the meeting by reviewing the rules of the upcoming Lord Battle event.

"It requires seven Lords with a minimum score of S from the previous season to secure a participation ticket for this event," he started.

He gave a small nod before continuing, "And yes, we have more than enough to guarantee our entry."

He glanced down at the glowing data panel before him. "Myself, Luna, Arveline, Thryssia, Lumea, Nysera, along with a total of nine Lords in our alliance, achieved an S score or higher."

Lifting his gaze, Atlas swept his eyes across the table, meeting the faces of everyone present. "I want to make this clear. If any among these nine are unwilling or have reservations about entering this event, I will not force participation. You have the right to decide."

He waited. Silence filled the room, followed only by the faint hum of mana lamps. A few exchanged glances, but all he saw were quiet shakes of the head. No objections.

That was enough. Every one of them intended to stand and fight.

Atlas exhaled softly and smiled faintly, giving a slow nod. "I appreciate everyone’s commitment. With this, our alliance officially qualifies to participate, and with strength to spare."

He paused, leaning back slightly in his chair before continuing. "We still have two weeks to prepare. However, if within this first week anyone feels the need to re-evaluate their readiness or their territories’ stability, I’ll keep that window open. Once that week passes, I expect full commitment from everyone. From that point on, we move as one alliance. With one purpose."

Atlas and Luna spent the next minutes carefully reviewing the ranking order of all the Lords within the alliance, assessing them based on four main parameters: Attack, Defense, All-Out Confrontation, and Strategic Value.

[1. Atlas - Ultimate Gacha (SSS)]

[2. Arveline - King’s Rebirth (SS)]

[3. Luna - Celestial Vanguard Transformation (S)]

[4. Thryssia - Law of Dominion (SS)]

[5. Lumea - Spectral Legion (SS)]

[6. Nysera - Eclipse Dominion (SS)]

[7. Thaliera - Heavenfall Pact (S)]

[8. Katriel - Predator’s Memory (S)]

[9. Celestia - Oracle’s Foresight (S)]

[10. Gwyndelle - Mystic Crop Growth (A)]

[11. Rhaen - Aetherlift Dominion (A)]

[12. Variel - Soul Ward (A)]

[13. Kaeris - Blinding Gale (B)]

The results reflected a clear pattern. The ranking of each Lord was heavily influenced by the rank of their System Ability, which played a crucial role in determining their potential and survival rate in Lord Battles.

The higher the ability rank, the more devastating or adaptable the Lord tended to be.

Still, there were exceptions. Luna, for instance, held only an S-Rank ability, yet she stood firmly in third place, right below Arveline, whose King’s Rebirth ability was nothing short of overwhelming.

Luna’s combat intuition and mastery of battlefield synergy gave her far more value than her raw stats suggested.

Arveline, on the other hand, dominated the rankings without question. Her power was designed for large-scale confrontation, capable of reviving her forces.

Below them, the ranks fell neatly in line with their system ratings, each Lord positioned according to their ability’s grade and proven record in the field.

Atlas had originally wanted to place Celestia higher, considering her exceptional ability. However, her power leaned heavily toward prediction and foresight, making it situational rather than consistent. While invaluable for planning, it lacked the immediate, destructive certainty that battle rankings demanded.

"Her value isn’t in brute strength," Atlas murmured thoughtfully. "It’s in what she prevents before it happens."

Luna nodded quietly beside him. "True... but in this event, we’ll need both. The foresight to see the storm, and the power to survive it."

After finishing the ranking review, Atlas moved on to reiterate the overall rules of the upcoming event.

"There will be three main categories in this event," he began. "Just like in a normal Lord Battle Season: Defense, Attack, and All-Out Confrontation."

He paused briefly before continuing, "In previous battles, each Lord challenged others individually. But this time, we enter as a single alliance. We can issue challenges to other alliances, or accept the ones they offer."

He brought up a new holographic display showing three large symbols representing each battle type.

"Once two alliances enter the full battle phase, all three categories will be fought simultaneously. Each category will require five Lords to participate. And each Lord can join in a maximum of two categories only."

He glanced toward Luna and then back to the rest of the table. "For example, if I’m strong in all three categories, I still have to choose only two. Defense, Attack, or All-Out Confrontation. No exceptions."

Atlas leaned forward slightly, his voice steady. "The winning alliance will be decided by the total combined score across all categories. That means one Lord’s victory won’t mean anything if our overall score falls short. Every win matters. But unity and balance matter even more. This is not about individual strength anymore. It’s about coordination."

He brought up another visual chart, showing the number of available Lords in their alliance.

"We currently have thirteen Lords in the Vanguard Dominion. With three categories, and each Lord limited to two battles, we’ll need at least eight Lords to fill every slot properly. Of course, using more would give us flexibility, and we’ll also need substitutes, in case someone is unable to continue in later rounds."

Atlas scanned the room once more.

"So, we’ll need to decide carefully who will take which category. Every placement must maximize our strengths. We can’t afford overlap in the wrong areas or imbalance between our fronts. Each Lord has to be positioned where their abilities will matter the most."

The room fell silent again, tension and anticipation hanging in the air. Everyone knew. This wasn’t just another battle. This was strategy at its highest level.