Floating Islands: SSS Gacha System - Chapter 147

Chapter 147: Chapter 147 – The Eternal Glacier
A massive cannon blast of ice erupted from the gaping hole in the frozen lava pool, launching upward with terrifying force. At the same time, a deafening roar thundered through the cave—an unmistakable sound of pure, unbridled fury.

Then, from within the depths of that frozen abyss, something began to emerge.

Something colossal.

The ground shook violently as the creature forced its way up, the surrounding ice shattering in an explosive burst, sending massive debris flying in all directions.

And then, it appeared.

What is that…?

Rising from the icy depths was a leviathan-like monstrosity, its entire body covered in jagged, frost-coated scales. Its glowing blue eyes burned with cold, relentless fury as it unleashed another blast of frozen flames, chilling the air so intensely that the temperature around them dropped even further.

Atlas stood frozen, staring in awe and dread at the beast that had finally revealed itself. And the terrifying part?

This was only its head and a portion of its upper body.

Yet, even with just that, its sheer size was undeniable.

The leviathan continued to spew freezing breath in all directions, its icy blasts solidifying the air itself, creating instant ice traps capable of imprisoning anything unfortunate enough to be caught in them.

Then, before Atlas could even process it, the monster’s name and level appeared before him.

[Epic – Ishvarok the Eternal Glacier Lv. 125]

Atlas’s breath hitched.

An Epic-grade monster.

He had seen one before, when a beast of the same rank had attacked the Veylamar City, nearly reducing it to rubble with its sheer strength alone.

However, that one had been even stronger, above Level 200.

This time, the monster was Level 125. Yet even so… for an island where most players averaged around Level 90, this would be an absolute nightmare.

And as for Atlas?

His troops weren’t even all Level 50 yet.

Challenging this thing…?

That would be suicide.

Kurogasa grabbed Atlas’s arm just as the cannon blast of icy flames hurtled toward the entrance of the massive cave chamber.

Without hesitation, they sprinted away, narrowly avoiding the incoming attack.

A deafening crash echoed through the cavern as the freezing blast struck the tunnel entrance, instantly sealing it shut with a thick wall of solid ice. The air itself crackled from the sheer cold, and just like that—

The monster’s roar was silenced, trapped behind the frozen barricade.

Atlas stood still, breath heavy, his mind racing. The terrifying image of the beast was still burned into his vision.

How… how the hell was anyone supposed to fight that?

One attack—just one—and it had completely sealed off the entire passageway.

If a single strike could cause that much devastation, what would happen to an entire army standing in its path? Would they even survive long enough to fight back?

Could an army of Level 100+ awakeners even stand a chance against something like this?

And yet…

If this monster exists on a Rank 2 island, doesn’t that mean it should still be within the range of what a Rank 2 Lord can handle?

More importantly—defeating a creature of this magnitude would undoubtedly yield extraordinary rewards.

An Epic-grade monster.

Common. Rare. Elite. Epic.

The fourth rank in the grading system—yet already, the sheer terror it commanded was on another level.

After concluding their discoveries for the day, Atlas led his elite subordinates back to the surface, returning to where the rest of his troops were stationed.

At the very least, he would need two more days to bring the remainder of his forces here. Only then could he begin executing his full plan.

According to Baldric, mining ore from a cave like this often had a chance of triggering certain events. The most common occurrence?

Attracting monsters from deeper within the cave.

If a monster attack was a real possibility, then their approach had to be strategic. Some of his troops would focus on mining, while others would be assigned to guard duty—defending against potential waves of monsters.

As they made their way back, Atlas began discussing his thoughts and strategies for dealing with the Raid Monster they had discovered. Specifically, his plan to manipulate one of the lord alliances into fighting the beast—while he positioned himself to steal the victory in the end.

Edrik responded thoughtfully, “I believe Alliance A or Alliance B would be capable of fighting the monster—if they were to mobilize their full forces.”

Atlas gave a slow nod, processing the information. From there, he began considering which alliance would be the best target for this strategy.

“Alliance A will likely continue holding their ground at the Central Fortress,” Atlas mused.

Edrik remained silent for a moment before offering a small bow in acknowledgment.

“That means,” Atlas continued, “the only alliance that might be willing to mobilize their entire army against the Raid Monster is Alliance B. Right now, they’re stuck. Their current position has them at a disadvantage due to Alliance A’s dominance over the key zones. If Alliance B manages to secure the Raid Monster’s kill, their chances of winning control over the island will increase significantly.”

Edrik nodded in agreement. “I believe that as well.”

Now, the only question was—how to lure Alliance B into finding the Raid Monster before anyone else.

And more importantly—how to secure the victory once the battle began.

**

Atlas remained focused on thoroughly exploring the first cave he had discovered. Now that he had more troops under his command, they were able to clear out monsters much faster. At the same time, Baldric was gathering an even larger supply of materials for crafting the armor Atlas had set his sights on.

However… in reality, this wasn’t something he could complete within the limited timeframe of the Dominion Skirmish.

If Atlas wanted a stable supply of these resources, he would need to win control of the island.

Especially considering that, in the near future, his army would continue expanding—eventually reaching into the hundreds, or thousands.

The Soulbinding Armor was an exceptional, highly versatile piece of equipment. Unlike standard armor, a single item could automatically generate a custom-fitted set tailored to the user’s individual profile.

There was no other armor as remarkable and adaptive as this. At least, if there was, finding it would be far more difficult.

On the third day, once all the troops under Lyrassa and Mira’s command had arrived, Atlas immediately began assigning roles.

Baldric, Lyrassa, and Mira would remain in the first cave with Team Blaze and Team Cinder, while Team Eclipse would accompany Atlas to mine the ore in the second cave.

As always, movements were kept to a minimum to avoid detection by enemy forces. Thanks to Kurogasa and the wolf beastkin, Veylor, both skilled scouts with unmatched speed and agility, the transition was executed flawlessly.

By the end of the day, everyone had successfully relocated to the second cave.

Once inside the ore chamber, the workers immediately took their positions, gripping their pickaxes in preparation to begin mining. Meanwhile, the combat units stationed themselves in the side tunnels of the cave, ready for any potential threats.

The mining process began, the sharp clang of metal striking rock echoing through the cavern.

An entire day passed.

No monsters appeared.

Until nightfall.

That was when they saw them—glowing red eyes emerging from the darkness, surrounding them from all directions.

Atlas, Edrik, Kurogasa, and Morganna immediately took their positions, while Veylor and Team Eclipse prepared themselves as well.

“Cave wolves,” Edrik muttered, his voice calm but firm.

The irony wasn’t lost on anyone—especially considering that Veylor himself was a wolf beastkin.

“Gah! Undeveloped wolves! Kill them all!” Veylor snarled, his towering, muscular form looming beneath his armor, his own crimson eyes blazing with battle lust.

The wolves lunged from every direction, their movements swift and relentless.

But Atlas and his troops were ready. It was time for their first nighttime workout!

They would continue this process for at least three more weeks, until Karian and Milo’s teams could finally join them. By then, they would have accumulated enough Dominion Points to secure their victory over Azure Dunes.

During that time, two possibilities remained—

Either they could successfully carry out this mission undetected, steadily draining resources right under the noses of the other lord alliances…

Or the enemy would arrive first, disrupting Atlas’s carefully laid plans.

***

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