Floating Islands: SSS Gacha Lord

The moment the smoke engulfed the cave, Atlas and his troops sprinted into the twisting tunnels. They knew this cave by heart. For days, they had explored every passage, mapped every turn, and memorized every hidden path. They knew the terrain better than anyone.

But their enemies weren't ordinary soldiers.

The hostile troops were stronger, their bodies able to withstand the freezing temperatures of the cave far better. And worse, they were fast, far faster than Atlas's side.

It wouldn't take long before they caught up.

From behind, angry shouts erupted.

"Damn it! Where did they go?!"

The enemy leader came to a halt, his eyes narrowing at the four tunnels branching out before them.

Atlas's troops had split up, scattering into all four paths.

"They split up!"

"Find them. NOW!"

The enemy leader growled, his frustration clear.

"Split into four groups! Chase them down!"

Without hesitation, the soldiers divided, each team taking a different tunnel.

But now… They were fewer. The once overwhelming force had been thinned out, broken into smaller, more manageable squads.

The plan was working. Atlas was leading their enemies deeper into the trap.

Surely, who in their right mind would face a stronger enemy head-on, relying purely on brute strength?

War isn't just about fighting. It's about strategy.

It's about knowing how to turn every possible advantage into strength. And in this cave, Atlas's strength wasn't his small army. It was in the cave itself. This wasn't just a mining site. It was a maze, one designed to swallow their enemies whole.

The enemy had been too naive, too reckless, and far too overconfident.

To walk into enemy territory without caution, allowing themselves to be lured into a trap so easily?

Did they truly believe raw power was all it took to win?

Did they underestimate just how devastating preparation and tactical use of the environment could be?

Their overconfidence would be their downfall.

"Keep chasing them! They can't have gone far! They'll tire themselves out from running. Kill them all, no mercy!"

"Damn it! That bastard Lord. I'm going to make sure they suffer before they die!"

The once 20-man enemy force had already split into smaller groups, each squad breaking off into teams of two or three as they pursued their scattered targets through every winding tunnel they encountered.

And just like that. They had fallen even deeper into Atlas's game.

The opponent Lord, running alongside two of his men, suddenly came to a halt.

The ground trembled violently beneath them. Their eyes darted around, muscles tensing, weapons drawn and ready, but before they could react… A massive surge of water exploded from one of the tunnels.

"Hold on!"

They shouted, desperately gripping the slick cave floor, trying to anchor themselves. But the force of the water was overwhelming.

It slammed into them like a raging beast, tearing at their footing, sending them crashing into the rocky walls. Their bodies were dragged violently down the tunnel, and as they struggled, some of them were separated even further.

By the time the torrent subsided, the once-dim cave was now completely consumed by darkness.

"Light! Get the lights on, now!" the enemy leader barked.

One of his companions lifted a device, its glow flickering to life, revealing their soaked and battered faces.

But then. Something moved. Something lunged from the darkness.

Before anyone could react, a whip-like force coiled around one of the soldiers' necks, yanking him back with terrifying speed.

His screams pierced the air.

"Help… HELP!"

His body was dragged mercilessly across the rocky cave floor, his limbs flailing in desperation. Until the darkness devoured him whole.

His light source fell to the ground, flickering once, then went out.

The enemy leader panicked, gripping his spear tightly, swinging it in every direction, desperately trying to defend himself against whatever lurking threat might come for him next.

"Come out, you bastard! Stop hiding in the dark! Face me like a real warrior! I'll tear you apart, limb by limb! You think I can be taken down by your pathetic tricks? NO!"

But the darkness remained silent.

The cold wrapped around him like a noose, freezing even the moisture in the air.

The only sound? The occasional drip of water, echoing through the cave, freezing the moment it hit the ground.

Then… A movement. A whisper of air shifting.

His instincts flared, and he spun around just in time.

"You think you can strike me so easily?! NOT A CHANCE!"

His spear shot up, blocking the incoming attack. CLANG!

A powerful impact sent a jolt through his arms.

Spear vs. Spear.

Steel clashed, sparks flickered in the dark.

His lips curled into a snarl. "So, now we see who's truly the better spearman!"

But before he could press forward, sharp pain exploded in his back. Multiple strikes, piercing him from behind.

His eyes widened in horror. This wasn't spear vs. spear. This was spear vs. an ambush.

"You!"

Before he could curse them, something razor-sharp drove straight into his throat.

His body jolted, his form slammed into the cold cave wall, blood spurting out, instantly freezing mid-air.

A torch flickered, illuminating the figure now standing before him. The one he had come to hunt. Atlas, the Lord of Gacha Haven.

A smirk played on Atlas's lips as he withdrew his spear, blood dripping from the tip.

"I guess my spear is sharper than yours."

The enemy leader gasped, his vision blurring, his body weakening as his life drained away.

With his last breath, he glared at Atlas, hatred burning in his fading eyes.

"Curse you... others will come... they'll hunt you all!"

The words never finished.

His body went limp.

And the cave swallowed another fool.

Atlas turned his gaze toward the figure standing in the darkness nearby.

"My Lord, the others have been taken care of as well. Every single one of them has been defeated. We suffered no casualties."

"Good." A smirk tugged at Atlas's lips. "Now, let's wait and see what their next move will be."

With that, he and Kurogasa stepped forward, their forms vanishing into the shadows of the cave.

Like… seriously.

Darkness was no longer an obstacle for him.

He had become one with it.

***

Kaelzar slammed his fist against the table, shattering it into pieces.

The troops inside the tent froze, their bodies stiff with tension.

"Damn it!" His roar echoed through the tent, fury burning in his eyes.

"A bunch of low-level Awakened? Atlas is just a Seeker-rank Lord!"

His voice boomed, raw with disbelief.

"Twenty of our troops, stronger in every way, just died? Are they idiots? Not a single one of them was useful? Were they really that reckless?"

He turned his rage-filled gaze toward his subordinates.

One of them swallowed hard before responding. "My Lord, the men we sent weren't weak. That was an experienced squad, used to navigating places like that."

Kaelzar's fury only grew.

"Curse them!" he spat.

Then, his expression darkened. "Send a hundred men."

A pause.

No!

"Two hundred."

No!

His fist clenched tighter. "Send EVERYONE."

His subordinates exchanged uneasy glances.

"My Lord… are you sure? This is just one Seeker-rank Lord. Do we really need-"

Kaelzar's glare shut him up instantly.

"A Lord killed twenty of OUR men." His voice was dangerously low. "That cannot be ignored."

The tension was suffocating.

Then, with a single nod, his orders were set into motion.

Kaelzar would make sure Gacha Haven was erased from existence!