Floating Islands: SSS Gacha Lord

Atlas fell silent for a moment, genuinely surprised by the figure now standing in front of him. It was a woman with long black hair, neatly tied back with a simple scarf. She wore a long dark green dress, paired with a plain outer jacket that gave her a modest, simple appearance.

"Laura?" Atlas murmured her name.

"It really is you, Atlas!" the woman said, her expression changing completely. "You are truly still alive!"

She grabbed Atlas’s right hand and lifted it slightly. "They said you failed during the hunt. And they said that you were... killed," she added.

"I almost was," Atlas replied.

"Where have you been all this time? You..." The woman’s gaze swept over Atlas’s body as if examining him, her fingers briefly touching his hand. "You look... very healthy. And you also... you look different. You are not the Atlas I used to know."

She let out a small laugh afterward.

Laura. Atlas had forgotten that there were still a few people he knew in this city. Calling it knowing might even be an overstatement. He had only known Laura a little, mostly because he often returned from hunts badly injured.

"You look much better than I remember," she said. "Much better than every time you came back from hunting, covered in wounds."

"I..." Atlas said slowly. "I still owe you for the three times you treated my injuries."

The woman laughed softly again and covered her mouth. "You did not seriously come back to this city just to repay your debt, did you?"

"To be honest," Atlas said with a small grin, "I only remembered that I had a debt after I met you."

Laura nodded gently, her smile wide and warm. "You know, I had already forgotten about that. Hearing that you are alive and well is more than enough to make me happy."

"Yes," Atlas replied. "I am also glad to see that you are doing well." He paused. "At least, that is how you look to me."

The woman fell silent for a brief moment after hearing his words. She did not answer yes or no.

"Do you have a place to stay?" she asked instead. "Would you like to visit my place for a while? You must be thirsty. Or hungry. I cooked more food today. Some of the healer teams have been working very hard these past few days, so I made food for them as well."

"Working hard?" Atlas asked. "Is something urgent happening?"

Laura only smiled before reaching for Atlas’s hand. "Come on, follow me. I will tell you later."

**

It was a room Atlas remembered visiting several times in the past. Laura was an herbalist, someone with skills focused on crafting medicine from herbs. She often made potions to treat injuries, and she also possessed healing skills.

Because she belonged to the production class, she could level up without needing to kill monsters. Because of that, as far as Atlas remembered, this woman was already at least above level seventy. That was quite high for someone as young as her.

Laura was fairly well known in the city. There were not many healers here, especially those who stayed in the city and were always available to treat hunters who had just returned from dangerous hunts.

On top of that, Laura did not charge painful prices. Unlike many healers Atlas knew, who demanded high fees because healing services were rare and hard to find, Laura kept her costs reasonable.

She approached while carrying a tray and a teapot, then placed them on the table. She poured the drink into a glass and handed it to Atlas.

"You once said you liked this kind of drink, did you not?" she said.

Atlas nodded lightly and took the glass filled with a thin, light brown liquid.

He brought it closer and breathed in the scent. The familiar aroma of herbs reached his nose. It carried mild healing properties, and Atlas knew this smell very well.

He took a sip, and in that instant, a strong sense of nostalgia filled him.

The drink was still hot. In the past, Atlas would have blown on it first before drinking. But now, even if it were lava, he could probably swallow it without trouble.

"It is still hot," Laura said. "You were not so thirsty that you forgot, were you? Did you burn your tongue?"

"No, I am fine," Atlas replied. He joked as he raised his right arm slightly, as if showing off his muscles. "I am not as weak as I used to be." He grinned. "Thank you, Laura. I really missed this drink."

"I can prepare some of the herbal brew for you to take with you," Laura said. "You can make it yourself later. It is not difficult. You only need to add a sweetener if you like. It helps ease body fatigue, improves blood flow, and supports circulation inside the body. It can also help speed up recovery."

"With pleasure," Atlas replied with a grin.

Atlas continued sipping the drink, truly taking his time to enjoy it.

It was not a drink with a rich or luxurious taste. It could not be compared to the refined beverages Atlas could now access in Gacha Haven. Even so, it carried a value that went far beyond flavor alone.

Even in terms of recovery, it was the same. His passive regeneration alone was already enough to heal sword wounds within minutes. He had become that strong.

What made this drink special was something else.

Perhaps it was how Atlas connected it to his memories of the past.

Back then, when he returned in terrible condition and desperately needed help, Laura had been the one who treated him. She cared for his injuries, gave him medicine, and handed him this very drink.

It always took time for him to recover. And at the very least, the kindness this girl showed him was what made this drink special.

"So, Atlas," Laura said, leaning forward slightly. "Do you not plan to tell me what happened to you? How you disappeared, and then suddenly came back like this. I can barely recognize you. Where have you been these past two years? And why did you return to this place? I want to know all of it. I have plenty of time to listen."

Her eyes were filled with curiosity.