Floating Islands: SSS Gacha Lord

"How do I put this simply... let me think for a moment," Han Feng said.

"Yes. The practical version," Atlas pressed.

"There is a currency that I possess, and that anyone who follows me also possesses, my lord," Han Feng explained. "That currency is called Narrative Weight."

"Interesting. Go on."

"You can think of Narrative Weight as having a value from one to twelve, which is the highest I have managed to explore so far."

"That does not sound very high," Atlas said. "So you and your people can gain this Narrative Weight through certain means, and also lose it."

"That is correct, my lord," Han Feng answered calmly.

At least now, Atlas felt the system ability was becoming something he could actually track.

"Each level of Narrative Weight carries a very significant effect," Han Feng continued. "For example, if someone has a Narrative Weight between three and five... as the owner of this system ability, I can delay their death. If they are meant to die, it will not happen without my consent."

"Wow," Ember reacted immediately. "Just at Narrative Weight three to five, you can already delay death?"

Han Feng gave a small bow in response.

"From there, the effects continue to grow," he said. "Lethal damage may fail to finalize. The chance of revival increases, and so on."

The room grew quiet again, the weight of his words settling heavily on everyone present.

"That is a truly ridiculous system ability," Ember said bluntly. "Delaying death? That sounds unbelievably stupid."

"I am sure you have seen something even more ridiculous than that, have you not, Ember?" Luna replied calmly.

"Yeah," Ember nodded. "Arveline’s system ability is completely insane too. She is practically immortal with that thing."

Atlas then shifted his attention back to Han Feng. "How does someone obtain this Narrative Weight?"

The man gave a small bow and began to explain.

"My system ability is called Law of Narrative Weight, my lord," Han Feng said.

"Events that repeat, endure, or are witnessed begin to gain weight. Once an event has weight, it resists erasure, negation, and easy resolution."

He paused briefly, then continued with a more grounded example.

"For example, surviving a fatal situation increases one’s Narrative Weight by one. The more extreme the situation, and the more people who witness it, the stronger that narrative becomes. Eventually, it reaches a point where it misleads the system itself into acknowledging that person’s story as something with real weight."

Atlas nodded slowly. "A rather unique concept," he said. "But I can clearly see the potential. So every victory you and your people achieve also adds to your Narrative Weight, making you harder and harder to defeat. Is that correct?"

"That is exactly right, my lord," Han Feng replied.

Atlas nodded slowly, a quiet thought lingering in his mind. If a battle truly broke out between him and Han Feng... would he still have a real chance of winning?

"What do you think, Edrik?" Atlas asked, turning slightly toward him without adding any context. He was certain Edrik understood exactly what he meant.

"My lord," Edrik replied calmly, "this system ability does indeed possess extraordinary potential. That is precisely why the system marked it as SS-Rank. However, I believe the Narrative Weight Han Feng described is not something that can be easily maintained. Delaying death does not mean completely negating it. Death may still arrive later, or it may be avoided if the delay is handled correctly. Still, when faced with truly absolute power, even a complex system ability like this can be broken."

Han Feng’s expression stiffened for a brief moment. Then he turned toward Edrik, a crooked grin spreading across his face.

"You seriously analyzed my system ability far too accurately, Edrik," he said, half amused, half impressed.

Atlas nodded slowly and smiled. "Still, that is an incredibly impressive system ability, Han Feng. I am sure its potential will continue to grow as you rise in level and rank."

"My lord," the man suddenly said, his tone shifting. "There is something important I wish to tell you as well."

"Yes?"

Han Feng paused, clearly choosing his words carefully, before finally speaking. "I can apply Narrative Weight to someone outside of my people too."

Oh... interesting.

Atlas immediately gave him his full attention. This was not the first time something like this had come up. Atlas himself had received a system ability through Luna that altered his appearance and granted him extraordinary power.

"You can help delay my death as well, if it ever comes to that?" Atlas asked.

"That is correct, my lord," Han Feng answered without hesitation.

"This is also the reason I came today," he continued. "To give you confidence in my intention to fully support this alliance. We do not need to wait for the system to grant you the alliance feature. We can seal our cooperation right now using my ability."

"Tell me in simple terms, Han Feng," Atlas said calmly. "And tell me what it will cost, if this is truly applied to me."

Han Feng held himself back for a moment, clearly trying to present this as carefully as possible so what he proposed could be properly understood and accepted.

"If I sign a contract with you," he said slowly, "then the agreement we form will determine how much of my Narrative Weight is shared with you. Simply put, you would receive a mirrored portion of my Narrative Weight."

"Interesting," Atlas replied. "Then what kind of agreement are you proposing between us?"

Han Feng nodded lightly before continuing. "An agreement to safeguard each other’s lives. Mutual protection."

"That sounds more reasonable," Atlas said. "Protecting each other, you mean?"

"Exactly, my lord," Han Feng confirmed. "This would bind both you and me to actively support and protect one another, and to not betray this cooperation. If I were to break this agreement, the system would impose a severe penalty on me, including the loss of my Narrative Weight."

The room grew quiet again.

It was an interesting proposal. Law of Narrative Weight. Gaining another layer of protection was certainly tempting, something Atlas could not deny wanting.

But was the risk truly as light as it seemed on the surface?

Should he consider this offer?

Atlas remained silent, weighing the cost not in numbers or rewards, but in consequences.