Floating Islands: SSS Gacha Lord-Chapter 393 - The Forest Doesn’t Burn Easily

The enemy island looked mostly shrouded in fog from a distance. Massive trees rose across the land, filling almost the entire island. Though calling them trees felt strange. They were more like dark, thorned growths that twisted and coiled, forming what looked like a natural outer defense.

No structures were visible from above. It was as if the owner of this island had designed it to be fully defensive, relying entirely on natural fortifications rather than artificial structures.

"We can use explosions and fire to burn away most of their defenses from the air, my lord," Edrik suggested.

"What about their ability, Edrik?" Atlas asked.

"Most likely poison based, or something similar," Edrik replied. "However, we have already prepared anti toxin measures. We should also be able to withstand any effects those massive thorny plants might produce."

Atlas nodded slowly.

Even now, the enemy showed no sign of their presence. They were completely hidden. Even the opposing lord had not revealed themselves. Normally, this would be the moment when both sides exchanged provocations, especially between attacker and defender.

Time drew closer.

Atlas prepared to launch his assault.

And the battle began.

Atlas remained in the skies, overseeing everything from above, ready to command how this attack would unfold.

Figures soon took to the sky, pouring in from the distance and filling the air above the enemy island. Serenith flew at the front, moving swiftly, a trail of fire following every motion of her wings. Close beside her was Goldy, the bird beast, keeping pace despite still looking like a newly born hatchling.

Other forces followed behind them. Most rode flying swords, launching themselves in every direction across the skies.

Then, a thunderous boom echoed.

A massive explosion was hurled toward the enemy island, detonating with a deafening roar. Even from where Atlas sat, his floating throne shook slightly from the impact.

Huge flames lingered for several moments, and the shockwave clearly rippled across a large section of the island. The blast left visible scars across the terrain. Still, these were random strikes, aimed without knowing the exact position of the enemy.

This was an opening assault. Its purpose was simple. Force the enemy to react, and map where they might be hiding.

Another deafening boom followed.

A second massive explosion erupted across a wide area of the island, forming a towering mushroom of fire on one side.

The rest of the troops began launching their attacks as well. Blast after blast, spell after spell, rained down in rapid succession.

From a distance, it almost looked like Atlas was bombarding nothing more than a defensive island built to absorb punishment. Even the massive fires burning at certain points faded far too quickly.

Was this explosive strategy ineffective against something like this?

"We should continue from above, my lord," Edrik said calmly. "As long as the enemy has not revealed themselves, we keep applying pressure with heavy damage. We have the stamina to maintain this. Serenith can sustain these attacks for quite some time."

Atlas watched in silence, his eyes fixed on the fog covered island below.

Explosion after explosion continued to rain down. And despite the resistance, massive flames finally began to take hold on one side of the island, burning a large section of the terrain.

Even so, the enemy still did not reveal themselves. There was no counterattack. No retaliation aimed at the flying troops assaulting the island from above.

"Is it time to attack from the ground?" Atlas asked.

Edrik nodded. "We can begin deploying ground troops from the western side, where the island has already taken heavy damage."

Atlas gave a short nod.

Moments later, multiple swirling portals formed along the outer western edge of the island. Troops surged out at high speed, spreading across the terrain.

Mira was the fastest among them. She darted forward, rising briefly into the air before shooting straight into the forested area below. Other units followed close behind her.

Their task was to spread out, scan the area carefully, and eliminate anything they encountered.

The problem was the island itself. With such dense natural coverage, even Atlas could not effectively use his skills without knowing whether his targeted areas would actually hit the enemy.

Technically, Atlas could still win by simply burning the island down little by little.

But… There was a reason the enemy remained hidden.

Were they deliberately allowing Atlas to attack first, pushing him to unleash increasingly brutal assaults, while they prepared a counterstrike for the moment Atlas ran low on resources?

Atlas and Edrik continued to monitor the battlefield closely, watching for any signs of traps or hidden movements. The ground troops pushed deeper into the island. Even so, they still failed to find the enemy.

"Make sure to scan carefully and do not act recklessly," Edrik ordered. "They are definitely preparing something for an ambush."

What about the poison?

The air below was clearly contaminated. Poisonous mist lingered around the battlefield, mostly leaking from the damaged thorny plants. Reports confirmed that the thorns themselves carried toxins with lethal damage.

If they fought deep within the forest, it would become an extremely unfavorable situation for Atlas and his army.

But if they continued launching random aerial bombardments, their stamina would drain faster than the island itself burned.

Then… Atlas noticed movement near the center of the island.

Something… someone was moving.

A figure shot upward from below at incredible speed.

Atlas tracked the motion with his eyes as the figure ascended rapidly, reaching the same altitude as his floating throne.

Moments later, the figure closed the distance and came to a halt not far from Atlas.

"The enemy lord," Edrik said quietly.

The man had long, messy hair and an unkempt beard that covered most of his face. He wore nothing but ragged cloth pants, torn and frayed. No armor. His body was dirty and scarred.

He looked more like a vagrant than a lord.

"Atlas!" the man shouted loudly.

"You will die here!" he roared next.

Edrik moved instantly, stepping in front of Atlas.

But before he could act, a massive burst of light exploded from the man's body, creating a blinding flash.

A huge dome of light expanded rapidly outward from the enemy lord, growing at terrifying speed until it engulfed the entire island.

In that instant, the floating throne beneath Atlas lost its effect.

It dropped.

Free fall.

The man screamed.

"Within my domain, only I decide what happens. Everything here is under my complete control!"