Floating Islands: SSS Gacha Lord-Chapter 93 - Masochist in Motion

One week.

Then, two weeks passed.

Atlas followed a grueling routine, repeating similar training every day. He ran laps, increasing the distance and the weight he carried each day, pushing his body to its limits.

In the second phase of his training, he faced monsters attacking from all directions, all while his senses remained completely shut off.

By the third week, the challenge escalated further. Atlas now had to run the same number of laps, but in an environment teeming with roaming monsters that would ambush him whenever he passed.

Several times, he stumbled or fell into streams of molten lava. The searing pain should have been unbearable, but by now, Atlas had grown numb to it. Pain had become just another obstacle to overcome.

Every time he was forced to retreat, he would recover as best as he could, then push himself right back into the fight.

Step by step, he grew stronger, his body adapting to the brutal conditions and the relentless onslaught of monsters.

Four weeks had passed.

Atlas now faced an entirely new challenge: battling his own troops in a simulation designed to test him to his limits. At first, it was a one-on-one skirmish. Then it escalated to two opponents, eventually culminating in a coordinated assault by four of his elite fighters.

This training was both intense and exhilarating. Unlike the monsters he had fought before, his troops were smarter and far more strategic.

They took full advantage of his blind spots. Though, to be fair, every spot was a blind spot for him. It was more about finding the gaps he couldn’t predict or cover in time.

Zara, with her archery, excelled at disrupting Atlas’s momentum. Her arrows struck the joints of his armor, throwing off his movements and causing him to lose balance at critical moments.

Garen capitalized on those openings with heavy, bone-crushing strikes, his sheer strength enough to send Atlas stumbling.

Meanwhile, Ronan unleashed relentless barrages of attacks from unpredictable angles, often using arrows or thrown projectiles to bombard Atlas. This constant pressure left him struggling to identify the direction of incoming strikes.

And then there was Kaida, whose fire magic delivered explosive bursts. Her fireballs hit with enough force to hurl Atlas across the field, leaving him scrambling to recover.

It was chaos, and Atlas loved every second of it.

The training sessions weren’t just about improvement, they became moments of bonding.

Every time a session ended, Atlas would take off his helmet and armor, only to be met with laughter from the group. They’d tease one another about the chaos of the battle.

By the sixth week, the real challenge arrived. The culmination of all his current session of training, the ultimate test.

Atlas stood at the center of the field, surrounded by low hills. He had no idea what he would face, only that this would be anything he’d encountered before.

The only clue he had? This was his first.

Suddenly, he felt it, a massive surge of elemental particles, moving with terrifying force from one side.

What?! This is too strong!

Before he could even react, something enormous, fast, and overwhelmingly powerful struck him like a battering ram.

The impact sent him hurtling through the air, slamming him into the arena’s terrain wall with devastating speed. His body embedded into the surface, leaving cracks spidering out from the point of impact.

Damn!

But, this is it! This is what I’ve been training for!

Hahaha... for some reason, he just laughed. A bright, carefree laugh. Completely unfitting for someone drenched in sweat, bruised from head to toe, and still breathing hard from relentless training. It was almost concerning.

Had the training finally broken his brain?

Some of the troops even whispered among themselves.

"I swear, the Lord’s a masochist."

"He enjoys this way too much..."

But Atlas only chuckled and waved it off, stretching his arms with a relaxed grin.

"But I have made a lot of progress, haven’t I?" he said casually. "Doesn’t that inspire you guys even a little?"

At that, several of the troops lowered their heads in respect. A few even dropped to one knee, bowing in admiration.

"Hahaha," Atlas muttered, scratching his head. "You guys are way too dramatic."

Still, he knew one thing for sure. No matter how brutal this training was, he wouldn’t die. That was a promise secured by Lyrassa, who always kept watch and would never allow his injuries to go too far. And if, if it ever came to the worst...

Well, there was one ultimate option.

He could always request to be converted into a vampire. If his human body couldn’t handle the extremes anymore, then maybe it was time to go beyond it.

Better to suffer now, than let some enemy slice off my head later.

He wasn’t ready for that. He didn’t want that.

He was a Lord now. And if he was going to walk this path, then he might as well aim for the highest peak. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

One of his own subordinates had lived for thousands of years. Why should he let himself go soft?!

Fight! Keep going!

And... "Wait, what kind of monster is that?!"

Atlas barely had time to pull himself free from where he was stuck against the side of the hill. Before he could move, another force, unbelievably strong, slammed into him!

"D-D-DAMN!"

"Urgh..."

His body crumpled under the impact. His ribs... they were probably shattered by now. Blood poured from his mouth as he coughed violently.

He struggled to free himself, only to realize something massive had grabbed hold of him. Whatever it was, it ripped him away from the hillside with terrifying strength.

Even with his body screaming in pain, his hand clung to his spear. Desperate, he jabbed wildly at whatever was holding him, hoping to pierce it. Panic surged through his mind.

What the hell kind of monster has hands this big?!

Before he could make sense of what was happening, the creature hurled him through the air. He shot toward the ground like a comet.

OARGH!!!

The impact was devastating. Every bone in his body felt like it had shattered. It was as if all his insides were trying to force their way out through his mouth. The pain was blinding, overwhelming.

Get up. I have to get up!

He told himself, forcing his broken body to move.

He knew he couldn’t stay down, no matter how impossible it felt.

But no! No! Hell no!

His body was grabbed again, and once more, he was slammed into the ground with overwhelming force!

OARGHGG!

He was flung mercilessly, his body crashing over and over again. There was no room for resistance. He was utterly powerless against an assault of this magnitude. His opponent was clearly a massive monster, towering and powerful, its hand so large it could easily grip him like a mere toy.

This time, Atlas forced himself to rise faster. He couldn’t afford to stay down.

Channeling his energy, he cloaked his body in the Water Element, summoning protective strength from the ground beneath him. He spun his spear rapidly, scattering elemental particles in all directions, creating a shimmering veil of energy.

Move!

He darted to the right at full speed, not knowing what lay in that direction but desperate to escape the monster’s reach.

Yet, before he could gain any distance, another attack came, slamming toward the exact spot where he had just stood.

It became clear, this wasn’t just random destruction.

Does this monster have a weapon?

"Damn it!"

Was that a club? A massive one at that. If it hit him, he’d be completely obliterated.

Atlas knew his body was badly injured, but staying still wasn’t an option. If he stopped moving, he would lose.