Floating Islands: SSS Gacha Lord

Atlas clenched his fist tightly, holding back the surge of anger inside him. Just minutes after the battle began, a massive clash erupted between Arveline’s forces and the enemy, brutal and overwhelming from the very start.

But what Atlas and Luna witnessed this time felt different, as if the pain struck them directly.

Arveline stood there with ten spears piercing her body from all directions. Her face was twisted in agony. Blood soaked into her armor and mixed with her bright red hair, staining everything in a deep, violent crimson.

Moments later, flashes of light spread across the entire island, clear signs that Arveline had lost the battle.

Atlas turned his gaze toward Bolin, who wore a mocking smirk as he looked back at him. "This is only the beginning, Atlas."

However, Bolin’s expression soon shifted.

Arveline’s ability ensured that she could never truly be killed.

The battle was still won by the lord from the opposing alliance, but it was not a complete victory. They had failed to kill Arveline. She had already returned to her island and was now in a recovery phase.

Some time later, Atlas and Luna were inside a room where Arveline, the girl with blazing red hair, lay asleep on a bed. Several healers stood nearby, working to restore her condition.

"Ah, damn it, I died. That was stupid," the girl said loudly as her eyes slowly opened.

Atlas gave a faint smile at her condition. "Twenty percent of your troops were killed, and another fifteen percent were absorbed by the enemy," he said calmly.

"Yes, damn it, I hate that so much. This was my first death. And honestly, getting stabbed by spears from every direction is not pleasant at all. But it was surprisingly intense, in a way I did not expect," she added, clicking her tongue in annoyance.

Atlas let out a quiet sigh after hearing her words. "Get some rest, Arveline. Your task is done for now."

Was this Atlas’s first defeat?

Arveline would need time to recover from this loss. In truth, the wounds, the pain, and the experience of death itself would surely leave their own scars on her mind.

At least, that was what she had once said about her troops, those who had died and later been brought back to life.

**

Only three battles remained, and there was still one Rank 3 lord whose opponent had yet to be decided. The choice came down to Tessa or Lumea.

In the end, after careful consideration, it was decided that Tessa would take the next battle.

Atlas was given the chance to determine how the next battle would unfold. Because of that, he and Luna soon returned to the same place, watching as the war began to unfold before their eyes.

"The enemy’s level is equal to Tessa and her troops," Luna commented as the battle progressed.

Atlas nodded slowly in agreement. Because of that, Tessa had no choice but to use another absolute rule to control the battlefield.

Even so, no matter how it was viewed, the opponent was still a Rank 3 lord. A level difference of even ten was already a massive gap. And although the enemy’s level was not higher than the one hundred seventies, their average level was still extremely high.

This was what eventually caused the battle to last only a few minutes before it ended.

Tessa surrendered.

Atlas clenched his fist tightly once more when he heard Bolin’s loud laughter, clearly enjoying how his side now seemed to be winning battle after battle.

"Next battle, it’s our turn, Atlas. Are you ready?" Bolin threatened loudly, his voice carrying a sharp edge.

**

Eventually, Atlas found himself once again inside the Noble Meeting Hall, together with the remaining lords.

"We can end this war if I challenge Bolin in the next battle," he stated his intention without hesitation.

"Only Bolin remains as a Rank 3 lord. There is still one more lord who could be tricky, but we can handle that if we allocate a large amount of resources to Lumea in the final battle. And I am confident their alliance will fall into chaos if we manage to defeat their alliance leader as quickly as possible," he said.

No one answered right away after Atlas laid out his decision.

In truth, whether he was ready or not, Atlas had made this decision from the very beginning. He would face Bolin in this war. That clash would decide the final outcome of the great conflict.

Even though Atlas had failed to achieve a perfect score, having suffered two defeats along the way.

No matter what, this war had to be brought to an end soon. Even more so because of the growing questions and suspicions they had uncovered after repeated analysis and deeper investigation.

"Information about Bolin in the past suggests that he once had a different system ability. That could be something we need to consider carefully," Luna said after that.

Atlas nodded slowly.

"Edrik has some analysis on that. There are lords who possess more than one system ability, like Morvain, whom I defeated before. He could switch his system ability before each battle," he explained.

He then continued, "Based on the information we gathered, Bolin has been recorded as having shown at least four different system abilities. At least, that is what we know so far."

Atlas nodded again and went on. "The last ability we know of is that he could create a special sword that can float and be bound to his army. But that does not sound particularly extraordinary. The sword has no outstanding features beyond being able to fly. It is nothing more impressive than Rhaen’s Aetherlift Dominion."

Atlas fell silent for a moment, even though, unlike usual, Edrik was not standing behind him this time.

"But we already have all the information on every system ability Bolin possesses, right, Atlas?" Luna continued.

"Yes," Atlas replied once more. "However, I have a suspicion that his system ability works in a different way from Morvain’s. We might be facing a completely new system ability possessed by this lord. And we will only find that out in the next battle. Let’s see whether my guess is right or not."