Floating Islands: SSS Gacha Lord

Inside a dimly lit tent, a man sat atop a table, analyzing the data spread out before him. The flickering light cast long shadows across his heavy dark armor, and his long blonde hair draped over his shoulders as he focused.

A voice called from outside.

"My Lord, we've found where they're hiding."

"Enter," the man responded, his tone calm yet commanding.

The soldier stepped inside without hesitation.

"Is it something important?" the Lord asked, his gaze still fixed on the documents in front of him.

The man gave a slight bow before speaking.

"Our scouting efforts have pinpointed the location where this Lord and his forces are hiding. There's a cave near one of our controlled key zones. Its entrance faces outward toward the island's outer edge, making it difficult to spot, even for those passing nearby. However, it seems they've devised a method to conceal the entrance, preventing outsiders from discovering it."

The Lord listened carefully before responding. "What about their strength?"

"They are not that strong, My Lord, most of them seem to be below level 100."

"That will be easy…" the Lord remarked, a hint of amusement in his tone.

"However, My Lord, there is one more crucial detail we discovered."

"And what is that?"

"I believe the Lord we're dealing with is the same one you once offered a place in our alliance, before the Dominion Skirmish."

The Lord fell silent for a moment.

"Are you saying it's… Atlas of Gacha Haven?"

The soldier gave another slight bow. "I saw that dwarf blacksmith among them, along with several familiar faces. I am certain of it."

At that, Kaelzar, the very same Lord who had once extended an offer to Atlas let out a small chuckle, his expression shifting to one of clear interest.

"So that guy actually came here?"

A grin spread across his face, one that was both amused and intrigued.

"That's how arrogant he is, huh?" he muttered to himself.

Kaelzar paused for a moment, deep in thought, before turning slightly, as if savoring how he could twist this situation into something entertaining for himself.

"They've been hiding all this time without being detected?" Kaelzar mused with interest. "I have to admit, he has some skill if he managed to evade our surveillance for this long. And now, we've finally found him."

"What exactly are they doing inside that cave? Cowering like starving rats? Did they come to this island just to hide? How much strength do they actually have?"

"My Lord," the soldier bowed slightly before responding. "We have yet to assess the full extent of their power. They appear to be hunting inside the cave, though we're not sure what for. However, some of us suspect that there is a valuable resource hidden within, something they deliberately don't want anyone else to find."

Kaelzar nodded slowly, considering the explanation.

"That does seem logical. If they weren't harvesting something, they wouldn't have stayed inside for this long. But… I'm also curious, what exactly are they hiding in there?"

Kaelzar fell silent for a moment, deep in thought. Then, after some time, he finally spoke again.

"Deploy twenty men to raid the cave. Capture whoever you find. If they resist, kill them. Leave only the Lord alive…"

"As you command, My Lord."

**

The clanging of pickaxes echoed through the narrow, icy cave, the chilling air biting deep into their bones. The only sources of light came from glowing crystal formations on the walls and a few scattered fire pits.

Atlas raised his pickaxe, ready to strike the ore once more, when suddenly, a shadow flickered toward him at high speed. His grip tightened instinctively, stopping his movement.

From the darkness, a figure emerged, a ninja rat, who immediately bowed upon appearing. Kurogasa.

"My Lord… we've successfully lured the enemy forces here," Kurogasa reported.

The moment those words were spoken, it was like an alarm had gone off. Every troop inside the cave chamber instantly stopped what they were doing.

They quickly put away their tools, and others hurried to pack up their equipment. A few removed their covered masks, gulping down water. After all, they had been fighting and mining since morning, and now, nightfall was approaching.

Atlas turned to his shadow guardian, his voice low. "How many are coming, Kurogasa?"

"Twenty men, My Lord, all with average levels significantly higher than ours."

By all accounts, their current situation was dire.

A Lord and his troops, hiding inside a cave, evading an enemy far stronger than them. The opposition had greater numbers, higher levels, and was already on its way to attack. A direct fight would be a disaster, they were outmatched.

Or at least… that's what it looked like.

Because the truth was—

This was all part of Atlas's plan.

Yes… those twenty high-level troops were coming because Atlas wanted them to come.

He had lured them here.

The enemy had raw power, but Atlas had strategy. He had calculated every move leading up to this very moment.

And now, because of their successful baiting operation, the enemy had walked right into his hands.

They were coming to attack. They were coming to kill. With their overwhelming strength, they expected an easy victory.

It should have been an unwinnable battle for Atlas and his troops.

It should have been.

"Everyone, get ready." Atlas's voice was low but firm, and immediately, the twenty troops inside the cave chamber snapped to attention.

Inside the dimly lit space, apart from Team Eclipse, there were also other Elite Subordinates, including Kurogasa and Edrik. Morganna wasn't here.

But no worries, twenty enemies weren't that many. They could handle this.

Edrik stepped to Atlas's side.

"What about the others? And how much time do we have before the enemy arrives?" Atlas directed the question at both Edrik and Kurogasa.

Edrik was the first to answer. "All troops are ready. Some are exhausted, but we can still handle this."

Kurogasa added, "They'll be here in about three minutes, My Lord. They're moving fast, they want to finish this mission quickly."

Atlas nodded slowly, his gaze sharpening. His body was now fully prepared.

This was it. They were going to fight. Yes, they would fight here, inside this cave.