Floating Islands: SSS Gacha Lord

Ember, the fiery red-haired girl, burst into laughter, clearly amused by Atlas's last words.

"Luna… this guy is absolutely hilarious," she said, unable to hold back her amusement.

Atlas simply smiled at her reaction, though Luna's was the complete opposite. Her brows furrowed deeply, making it clear that she did not take his statement well.

"Ember, stop it…" she muttered.

Ember finally stifled her laughter, though she still wore an amused expression.

"Haven't I already told you? This man always says the craziest things."

"That's definitely crazy, Luna… but I like it," Ember replied with a playful grin before turning to Atlas. "Seriously, you're fascinating, Atlas. I genuinely want to hear more about what you're proposing."

"Ember, stop it… You know his request is completely unreasonable, don't you?"

Ember turned to her, shrugging. "Luna, what's the harm in listening? Besides, we already agreed to a truce with him, right? So just hear him out. That's all."

She then glanced back at Atlas, who simply nodded in agreement with her words.

Luna, still visibly displeased, shot a look at Atlas. "If I keep letting him talk, he'll just keep spouting more nonsense."

Atlas answered with nothing more than a faint, knowing smile, allowing the two girls to finish their back-and-forth.

But Luna's patience was clearly fraying. At last, she exhaled sharply and gave in.

"Fine… but I don't want to hear any more of your nonsense, understood?"

Atlas's smile deepened ever so slightly as he dipped his head in acknowledgment.

"I'm going to win this island. This Dominion Skirmish," Atlas declared.

Ember still wore that same amused smirk, while Luna, unsurprisingly, let out another weary sigh.

Even so, Atlas steadied himself, refusing to falter. Oddly enough, he felt comfortable here, speaking his mind in front of them.

For all her dismissals, Luna always seemed to leave a door open, whether knowingly or not, one that tilted circumstances in his favor. It was as if she harbored a quiet soft spot for those beneath her.

Not every Lord was ruled by bloodlust. There were also people like Luna… and Lyrassa. Lords who, for all their power, still chose to show restraint, especially toward those weaker than themselves.

"I need the key zones to secure Dominion points until I complete my mission," Atlas went on. "Yes… until I've completely eradicated Alliance B."

Ember burst into laughter again, unable to contain herself.

These two… could they not take this a little more seriously? Then again, he couldn't entirely blame them. His declaration sounded absurd, even to his own ears.

"Enough, Atlas… I can't listen to this anymore," Luna finally cut in, her tone sharp.

"Luna, come on, isn't this interesting?" Ember countered, eyes sparkling with amusement. "I actually believe in this guy."

"Ember, you are giving me a headache…" Luna groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Did you even hear what he said? He wants us to guard the key zones while he takes control of them."

"Yes… and isn't that fun?" Ember grinned.

"That's not fun, Ember! That means putting our people in a constant state of battle readiness!"

"Ah… well, yeah, you do have a point," Ember conceded, though her soft giggle betrayed how little she cared.

"See?" Luna pressed, her brows knitting tighter. Her voice remained calm, though the weight of her frustration was clear.

"But Luna, look at him. He's so cute," Ember teased, her grin widening. "I don't see any harm in trusting him and going along with this, right?"

Cute? Atlas frowned slightly. Being called cute, especially by someone younger, felt oddly out of place to his ears.

"No, Ember. I'm not accepting this idea," Luna said firmly.

"But Luna, think about it…" Ember leaned in, her tone coaxing now. "He didn't come here unprepared. He came right after forcing Alliance B into making a huge move. I'm sure he has a brilliant plan…"

Ember hesitated slightly at her own words before turning to Atlas. "You do have a brilliant plan, right?"

"Yes, I have a plan," Atlas answered casually. "A brilliant plan."

After hearing Atlas's response, Luna and Ember resumed their debate, each firmly standing by their own opinions.

However, rather than a serious and calculated discussion, their exchange felt more like a battle of persuasion. Each trying to convince the other in their own way.

Then, after a while, Luna fell silent. It was clear she was resisting a certain thought, her expression tight with reluctance. Finally, she let out a deep sigh and turned back to Atlas.

"Let's form an alliance, Atlas," she said.

Atlas had already considered this possibility and had prepared his answer. He knew why forming an alliance wasn't an option for him, not yet.

An alliance wasn't just a verbal agreement; it was a structured system with ranks and leadership. If he joined Luna's alliance now, he would inevitably be placed under her command.

And that was something he did not want.

If he was going to win this island, he needed to be in control. He needed everyone to follow his rules. If he was just going to obey someone else's orders, he might as well have accepted Kaelzar's offer back then, an alliance that had Lords ranked even higher than Luna.

"I will only form an alliance once I've fulfilled my promise."

Luna didn't look surprised by his response. She let out another sigh, as if she had already expected it.

After a moment, she spoke again. "How many people do you need to hold those two key zones, Atlas?"

Atlas suppressed a small feeling of relief. It was clear that Luna was beginning to soften toward his idea.

"May I know how many forces you can deploy, Luna?"

"350."

She gave the number in a resigned tone.

Atlas had actually already known this. Kurogasa had scouted the island and gathered intelligence on all opposing forces. He simply wanted to see if Luna would give an accurate answer, and sure enough, her response was nearly identical to the figure Kurogasa had reported.

Atlas then began explaining the plan in greater detail, breaking down how the overall forces would be allocated across the two key zones. He laid out his reasoning clearly, emphasizing why this needed to be executed as soon as possible.

The timing was crucial, especially with Alliance B currently scouring the cave area, where the raid monster was lurking.

"What if you fail to keep your promise, Atlas?" Luna asked.

"We need to follow the plan exactly. If we execute it correctly, the outcome will align with our expectations."

"And how am I supposed to trust that when I don't even fully know what you're planning?" Luna's tone sharpened. "If you so much as try to use me, I will kill you."

Despite the weight of her words, there wasn't the slightest trace of actual menace in her voice.

Before Atlas could respond, Ember chimed in first. "You don't need to worry, Atlas."

He turned toward the red-haired sniper.

"Luna may seem harsh, but she's actually really kind. Worst-case scenario, she'd probably just force you to retreat from the island," Ember added with a grin.

"Ember…" Luna groaned in complaint.

But Ember simply laughed in response.

After going over the details of the plan, how the forces would be divided and where Atlas would place his representatives. Luna finally gave a nod of agreement. Though, judging by her expression, she still looked confused as to why she was agreeing to this in the first place.

"When are we executing this plan?" Luna asked.

"Right now."

"What?" Luna responded, visibly shocked. Though this time, it was clear she had already given up resisting.

"Your troops can handle the cold, right? This is the perfect time while the key zones are still empty."

Ember grinned and stood up. "Let's go, Luna."

Luna let out a sigh. "Alright… I have no choice."

Well, Atlas hadn't expected the negotiation to go this smoothly. Were they truly this willing to accept the agreement so easily? Or was it simply that his confidence had pushed them into yielding without much resistance?

But seriously, if one were to judge who actually needed help here, why did it feel like Luna was the one in need, not him? The way she so readily agreed to terms with someone who had no binding ties to her alliance at all. It almost seemed careless.

Yes, maybe she really was that kindhearted. That naïve. That genuinely good.

Still, Atlas had no intention of deceiving them. If anything, he wanted this to become a partnership where both sides gained equally. And so far, it was off to a promising start.

The negotiations went exactly as he had planned, and at the same time, he finally received a report from Edrik.