Floating Islands: SSS Gacha Lord

Two advanced caravans rumbled along the vast desert road beneath a dark, starlit sky.

In the lead vehicle, Atlas sat beside Edrik, who kept his eyes on the shifting sands as he guided the caravan forward.

The dashboard screen cast a dim glow across the car's interior, playing a live news broadcast summarizing the incident involving the city mayor.

"We're in the clear," Edrik said. "I made sure every surveillance camera was taken offline. There's nothing that can link it back to us. Not a trace."

Atlas let out a slow breath. "Good. Even if they start suspecting us, Rowen doesn't have the tools to come after us. The world of Lords is far beyond their reach."

"Exactly," Edrik replied.

"How's Zara?"

"Kaida said she's fast asleep," Edrik answered. "And… it might be the first time she's ever slept this deeply."

Atlas turned to him with a frown. "What do you mean?"

"Zara usually only gets maybe an hour or two of sleep a day."

"You're kidding. I didn't even think that was humanly possible."

Edrik gave a small shrug. "I think it's something she picked up just to survive. Her way of dealing with everything she's been through."

Atlas gave a faint smile. "Honestly, I wouldn't mind having a talent like that. Just imagine, only needing one or two hours of sleep a day."

"You might be able to achieve that… if you ever decide to let go of your 'Human' race."

"I think that's a perfect topic for us to dive into. Very soon."

They rode in silence for a while, until Edrik spoke again. "Any plans besides the ones tied to the Lord Battles?"

"Yes," Atlas replied. "Avenging Mira."

Edrik gave a slow nod, then continued, "The system will keep feeding you the memories of every soul you summon. It's going to weigh on you. What Mira went through might just be a small piece of something far bigger. Something you'll start to uncover later."

Atlas turned toward him. "You mean… everyone's background stories?"

"Yes."

There was a pause before Atlas spoke again. "Is there any way to visit other worlds? Mira's world… or any other, without waiting thousands of years for the system to finally open a portal?"

Edrik went quiet for a moment, then replied, "Maybe. If the system ever chooses to show us mercy. I mean, your Gacha system."

"By giving us the blueprint to build a teleportation pad or something like that?" Atlas asked, glancing at him.

Edrik nodded slowly. "Before that day comes, we need to make sure your Lord rank rises much higher. You'll have to make use of every shortcut you can find. There are plenty of resources and opportunities you can capitalize for yourself.

Atlas gave a small, knowing smile. "You can count on me for that, Edrik."

And Edrik returned the smile, just as faint. "I'll be at your side when that day comes, My Lord."

**

Atlas and his team had just returned from the Lower Lands, where they had spent days visiting the families of the soldiers who had fallen in the last battle.

Now, with those duties fulfilled, Atlas turned his attention to the final stretch of the Season Battle.

[The current Season of the Lord Battle has concluded.]

[Calculating the score...]

[You successfully defended your island five times.]

[You executed a successful Counter Attack once.]

[You achieved victory in the All-Out Confrontation Battle once.]

[Your overall score is: S.]

[Congratulations!]

And at last, the current battle season had truly come to an end. Atlas had achieved a score that was… well, quite satisfying, if not downright impressive. His final rank was S.

But then again, was S really the highest rank possible?

Atlas checked the system and discovered something surprising: above S, there were still SS and even SSS tiers. That meant he hadn't yet reached the peak of what was achievable.

So… if simply winning every battle wasn't enough to earn him an SSS, what more did he need to do?

Like… did every battle he fought have to end with the enemy Lord's death?

It felt like there was no other path to grow stronger except by killing others. Power and dominance could only be attained by defeating one's enemies.

But… was that really the truth?

Take Lyrassa, for example. She survived for five hundred years without ever using her attack token. That's what she had told Atlas before. And still, she managed to protect her island and her people throughout all those centuries.

In the end, Lyrassa didn't fall in the lord battle. She was taken down by a monster, one whose strength had grown beyond what she could withstand.

Like… was there truly no way out for a Lord to find peace? That was the brutal reality. Become strong, kill, or die, whether you fought hard or not.

There would always be those who got lucky, and those who didn't. Some were granted overpowered systems, or started out with more favorable islands.

From the very beginning, this entire system had been built unfairly. So why would anyone still expect to find justice in it?

The notifications continued to unfold.

[All residents of Gacha Haven have earned 50,000 bonus experience points.]

[All residents of Gacha Haven have gained 20 bonus stat points.]

[You have gained an additional 20 bonus stat points.]

[You have received the Dominion Skirmish Token Battle.]

[You have reached Level 50.]

[EXP: 44,835 / 228,266]

[Congratulations! You have reached Level 50. You are now eligible to undertake the Class Advancement Quest.]

[Displaying available classes for advancement...]

As for the rewards, there were experience points, 50,000 of them.

At first glance, it looked like a huge sum, but it wasn't even enough to grant a full level-up. Still, there was no reason to be discouraged, because every participant on the island had received 20 stat points, essentially the equivalent of leveling up twice.

On top of that, Atlas had been granted an additional 20 stat points. That meant he'd effectively leveled up four times in total!

But the real reward? A Dominion Skirmish battle token. This was one of the most coveted prizes in any seasonal battle, as it offered the chance to fight for control over a new, unclaimed island.

The Dominion Skirmish itself was a grand-scale event, arguably even more intense, since multiple Lords could contest the same territory. It promised to be a brutal and chaotic showdown.

More detailed information about the upcoming battle was expected soon, but one thing was already certain: it would take place before the next season's battle commenced.

"So… the Dominion Skirmish, next?" Edrik murmured softly.

"Absolutely," Atlas replied in a quiet tone.

And at long last, Atlas had reached level 50. This milestone unlocked the class advancement quest. Though he chose not to dive into it just yet.

He wanted to carefully study the available class options first, and he wouldn't be making the decision alone.

He planned to consult with a few of his most trusted subordinates. Not all of them, just Edrik and Kurogasa, who were the most level-headed, and maybe Karian and Baldric as well.

Atlas summoned his status screen and couldn't help but smile at what he saw glowing back at him.