God's Atlantis

I took a seat where the other challengers were waiting.

Every last one of them was a man, and every last pair of eyes was locked on Li Mei.

I understood them perfectly. She was the only woman here, and she was beautiful on top of it. Beauties on Li Mei's level didn't exactly grow on trees.

And more than anything, the outfit leaves almost nothing to the imagination.

The pink cheongsam clung to her body like a second skin, every curve on full display. Look closely at those full breasts and you could make out the stiff little peaks pushing through the fabric. No bra—no question. The narrow waist, the heavy sway of her hips, those pale bare thighs. It was an obscenely provocative getup, the kind that set a man's blood on fire.

I want to fuck her.

I wasn't the only one thinking it. Most of the men here would jump her the second they got the chance—that much was certain.

Guys who use a place like this wouldn't bat an eye at rape.

Li Mei had to know that. And still she stood there in that outfit, working without a shred of shame.

Either she's confident in her own strength, she's got bodyguards hidden somewhere, or she's counting on something else entirely.

I stared at her, half-dazed. Objectively speaking, she reeked of danger. But that body was so damn hot that my wariness kept thinning out.

I should check between her legs at least once…

I swallowed hard.

Watching sexy Li Mei, time slipped by fast.

"All right, challenge time. Everyone, this way."

Li Mei stepped forward and waved the challengers over. They rose from their seats and approached her. The atmosphere among them grew heavy at once.

We gathered in front of the wooden door she indicated.

"Beyond this door is the Forest of Life. Getting Life Points in the Living Forest is simple—kill a living creature and you'll receive Life Points matching what you killed. Plants are a bit special, though. Only particular plants give Life Points. Setting the forest on fire won't dump a mountain of points on you, so keep that in mind."

"Does 'living creature' include humans?"

One of the challengers asked. Instantly, the others started eyeing each other with open suspicion. The mood was going to hell in real time.

"A living creature is anything that has life."

In other words, killing a human would earn you Life Points too.

"…Any other rules?"

"You can't leave the Living Forest until six hours are up? And if you die, everything you own becomes property of the laboratory. You're challenging for free, so I assume you have no complaints? Besides, if you just last six hours, you'll walk away with rewards."

None of the challengers said a word. Nobody had wandered in here blind. Every one of them had come chasing a fortune overnight.

"All right, challengers—in you go! I'll be rooting for you!"

Li Mei's pink lips curved into a crescent. There was mockery in that smile, but she was beautiful enough that it somehow didn't grate.

The challengers opened the wooden door and filed into the Living Forest.

Just before going in, one of them reached for Li Mei's chest. She slipped back lightly and avoided his hand.

"Mr. Pelot. What do you think you're doing all of a sudden?"

"Don't play so hard to get. Those tits have already been groped by plenty of other guys. Let me feel them once."

"You seem to be under a misunderstanding because of how I'm dressed… but I'm not a whore. I don't throw my body around. As hard as it may be to believe, I'm still a virgin."

"…Oh. Even if you say that, I can't just take your word for it. I'll have to check myself."

The man closed in. Li Mei retreated further. In that gap, her subordinates appeared and blocked his path. He clicked his tongue.

"Later. We'll pick this up when I get back. Look forward to it. I'll show you what a woman's pleasure actually feels like."

"How revolting. And at the same time, impressive. Aren't you afraid of the Black Pillar Alliance, Mr. Pelot? I'm only near the bottom of the ladder, but I am still an officer of the Black Pillar Alliance."

"Heh. If the Black Pillar Alliance has eyes, they won't let talent like me slip away."

"Ah, I see. So you're an aspiring member. Do your best. Once you're in, I'll make sure to torment you thoroughly."

"That could be fun too."

Pelot grinned. Before entering the forest, he pulled the spear he'd strapped to his back into his hands. I followed him in.

The moment the window appeared, I summoned Hwaryeonbido and drove it into Pelot's back.

"Guh—! Y-you…!"

Pelot swung his spear behind him. I caught the shaft with my left hand and called up lightning. Red thunder flashed along Hwaryeonbido's blade. Pelot convulsed and crumpled to the ground.

"Aaaagh…! Wh-why?! Did he send you…?!"

"Who's 'he'? There's only one reason you're dying. You pissed me off."

Thrust. Thrust, thrust, thrust.

I stabbed him a few more times through the gut, then ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠kicked his head. His skull smashed against a tree and caved in.

A notification window popped up.

Not an AP window. Looks like killing banished people in this space doesn't give you AP.

"You crazy bastard!!"

"Surround him!!"

The challengers moved fast, boxing me in. Their weapons leveled at me.

I looked them over slowly. Every face was tight with tension.

"What's this all of a sudden? Looking for a fight?"

"You started it! Why did you kill him?"

"He pissed me off, so I killed him. I don't have any particular feelings about the rest of you… but you're starting to piss me off too."

Crackle.

Lightning sparked. Killing all of them here for the Life Points wouldn't be a bad deal. If they all rushed me at once it'd be a little rough… but nothing I couldn't handle.

"E-everyone."

Li Mei's voice came from behind me. I turned. Beyond the open door, she was smiling with a faintly troubled look.

"Do whatever you like, of course… but from where I'm standing, you won't gain much by fighting each other. Humans are only worth a hundred points. If I may offer some advice—you'd be better off working together."

I lowered my blade. I eased the tension out of my shoulders, making it clear I had no interest in fighting. A few of them exhaled. The man directly in front of me frowned.

"This one's dangerous. He killed a man because he was 'annoyed.' If we don't deal with him here, he'll be a problem later."

"Why so high-strung? A guy gets annoyed, he kills somebody—what's the big deal? You never done that?"

A man with a scar across his face lowered his weapon as he spoke.

"…Didn't you see what he just did? He's the strongest one among us."

"That's exactly why I'm backing off. I've got no interest in bleeding for no reason. If you really want him dead, you go first."

"……"

"Heh. You don't want to die either, do you? Trying to stir us up so you can pull some clever little trick. We're not your buddies and we're not your subordinates. Honestly, the dead guy was getting on my nerves a bit too."

One by one, the men surrounding me started lowering their weapons. The one in front of me read the room and sheathed his sword as well.

"Fine. This ends here."

Thud.

I drove my blade straight through the heart of the man who'd just lowered his sword.

"Who the hell said this was over? You tried to kill me and thought I'd just go, 'Oh, all right then,' and move on?"

"You son of a—!"

He clenched his teeth and tried to swing. Too slow.

Lightning!

Red thunder raced through his body and fried him. Instant death.

I turned my head toward the others.

"Whoa, whoa. Easy. We get that you're pissed. We'll apologize. We don't have any hard feelings toward you. We were just startled by your little outburst. And the guy who just died went off half-cocked. Let's leave it here, pal."

"Shut up and become my points, you small fry."

"Son of a bitch! Scatter!"

They bolted in every direction at once. We'd only met today—not a single one of them had the slightest intention of fighting or dying for anyone else. I chased them down, swinging my blade and dropping lightning.

I burned through every stack of Charna and still let about four of them get away. Strong as I was, I only had one body.

Barely ten people dead and one of my stats went up.

I marveled at the absurd cost-efficiency.

Next reward's at three thousand points. Wonder if it'll be another stat boost?

Aside from a few fixed ones, most of the rewards were random. Stat increases were the best outcome; consumables like potions were the most common. And at a very low rate, you'd get high-grade gear or a skill.

I looked back toward the door.

There were still challengers who hadn't come through yet.

"You lot not coming out?"

The second they stepped through, I'd kill them. Easy hundred points each. Five left—five hundred points free for the taking.

"…I'm forfeiting the challenge. Come to think of it, I've ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠got plans this evening."

"I'm not feeling great today. Miss Li Mei, I'm out."

"Today isn't the only day that exists."

"Crazy bastard. Hope you die tangled up with that monster."

I stared flatly at the one who'd cursed me.

"Eek! I'm sorry! I misspoke! Please spare me!"

He apologized and fled before I could even open my mouth.

"My. It's been a long time since something like this happened."

Li Mei was as composed as ever.

"…A long time?"

"Yes. It's happened a few times. Usually the challengers just end up killing each other, though."

"…You're not challenging the Living Forest yourself, Miss Li Mei?"

"I'm an administrator, not a challenger. Number 62—I'll be rooting for you. Someone like you should be able to take a great deal out of the Living Forest."

Before the door closed, I threw my blade. Not at Li Mei—at a challenger standing near her. But the dagger never made it through. An invisible wall stopped it cold, and it clattered to the ground.

"I told you. You can't leave the forest until six hours are up."

"So you did."

"Y-you insane bastard! You tried to kill me! Damn it! Do you have any idea who I am?!!"

The intended target shrieked. I filed his face away. But I had no intention of hunting him down later. Too much of a hassle.

The wooden door shut. Feeling a twinge of regret that I could no longer see Li Mei, I turned away. I reverse-summoned the Hwaryeonbido that had fallen on the ground, then called it back into my hand.

I was about to leave the blood-soaked clearing when a presence drifted toward me. Not human.

It was a monster with a spindly green plant for a lower body and the head and torso of a crow. It flapped its wings but couldn't fly. Instead, the wings bristled with thorns, jagged and sharp.

I activated the skill. Five bolts of lightning shaped like the manji seal formed in the air and closed around the creature.

Kiiiiing—

The bolts of Manryeo resonated with one another, then detonated. Flash. Lightning erupted in every direction. The crow-monster at the center, of course, did not survive.

Twice what a human was worth. That didn't mean the monster was stronger than the men I'd just dealt with. This forest assigned points by species, not individual strength. The human race itself was simply valued at a hundred Life Points.

Which is exactly why there's no need to go out of my way hunting people.

Li Mei had stressed cooperation among the challengers, but this space had no concept of party play. Only the one who landed the killing blow got the points. Last hits were everything. Other people were just obstacles.

I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠started to move on, then stopped. Another monster's presence was approaching.

Drawn by the smell of blood? Looks like I've found a honey hole.

I gripped Hwaryeonbido and readied myself for combat.

Minimum target: fifty thousand Life Points.