Chapter 175
Chapter 175
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 175
Chapter Title: God's Atlantis
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I stepped out of the village chief's house and decided to wander around Nakil Village while waiting for Kang Myung-jin to return.
It was boring. There wasn't much to see. With a population of just 200, I could cover the entire village in about 15 minutes on foot.
'Nakil Mountain. The False Sun Challenger is at the peak.'
To be precise, it was the False Sun Challenger. Zone 406, Nakil Mountain, was cleared by defeating the False Sun Challenger. Taking it down would mean dominating this zone.
Defeating the False Sun Challenger granted an SS-rank item and an elixir.
'I have the Aegis Amulet. If I use it with Instant... it might be possible.'
I gazed at the towering Nakil Mountain behind Nakil Village. Unusually, there was a straight path leading right to the summit. If I ran without stopping for an hour, I could probably reach the top.
'It would take a regular person several hours, but my current specs surpass my real-world body.'
It might even take less than an hour.
'...Should I give it a shot? I want that elixir, at least.'
I knew how rock-bottom my talent was. I had no innate gifts. My victories in Dungeon Survival came from 'Lightning Bolt' and 'Acceleration,' plus some luck.
I was stronger than Kang Myung-jin and Joo Seo-hyun right now, but it was inevitable they'd surpass me eventually.
'Being weaker than them means I'd have to watch my step around them.'
I mulled it over.
Kang Myung-jin later defeated the False Sun God's idol and claimed its weapon, which played a key role at a crucial moment.
But that was years from now.
'There's a me in this world that didn't exist in the original. The future will diverge from the original at some point.'
Joo Seo-hyun, the heroine, was mine now. The original plot was already creaking.
'If the future's going to change anyway, I might as well force it now.'
Even if I defeated the False Sun Challenger, it wouldn't derail the early plot much. Kang Myung-jin, who knew 'God's Atlantis' inside out, would grow fine even without the elixir.
'Why should I care about the original now? This is my playground. I'll do whatever I want. Time to munchkin it up!'
I resolved to become a munchkin in this world.
With my decision firm, I headed for Nakil Mountain.
The moment I left the village and stepped onto the path, an alert window popped up.
I enhanced my vision with mana and spotted a man standing at the summit.
His black hair was tied in a topknot, his upper body bare to show off his chiseled muscles. He held a red bow in hand, with a sword at his waist.
The False Sun Challenger was a hero from Chinese mythology.
The archer who shot down nine of ten suns.
Yi (?).
Even as a false idol, he was a divine seat far beyond Lu Bu in power.
Yi opened his mouth as he looked at me.
"Exile, begone. I forbid entry to Nakil Mountain."
His deep, resonant voice reached me. Though distant, it felt like he was speaking right beside me.
"From today, Nakil Mountain is mine."
I boldly declared and sprinted toward the summit.
"Foolish. The sun may seem near, but it is not."
Yi nocked an arrow on his bow, aiming at me. An arrow materialized on the string. I swallowed hard at the sight.
'The arrow that felled the sun. Even a false god's can't be ignored.'
Luckily, I lacked solar properties. If I had them, dodging would be impossible.
The arrow flew. I triggered Instant in response.
Instant (刹那)
Remaining stacks: 4
The world in my vision slowed. Yet the arrow hurtled toward me at terrifying speed. No time for deep thought. I leaped right before it hit.
The arrow whistled past, cratering the ground.
BOOM!
A meteor-like impact formed a crater. I wiped cold sweat from my brow with the back of my hand.
'Shit. Regretting this already. Should I bail now?'
No. I couldn't back out now.
I charged forward again.
"You have the minimal skill to be this reckless..."
Yi drew his bow once more. Fortunately, unlike the first, subsequent arrows took time to manifest.
'He can't fire them in rapid succession like in the original.'
Instead, each arrow grew stronger. Yi could fire up to ten.
'Yi never fires the tenth. Because even he can only fire once. He's already chosen its target.'
In other words, only nine arrows. After that, no more bow.
'Yi's melee isn't exceptional. Survive nine arrows—or reach him sooner—and I win.'
The Aegis Amulet could block three. With five Instants, I could dodge the rest.
But one problem remained.
'That leaves one arrow I can't dodge. Better avoid the early weak ones.'
The first required Instant to gauge its speed.
'This is... dodgeable.'
The second arrow flew.
I dodged left on timing, then froze. It was faster than expected. My speed couldn't keep up.
'Instant!'
Instant (刹那)
Remaining stacks: 3
I dodged with Instant.
No choice. Without it, I'd be hit 100%. Couldn't waste the Aegis Amulet on the second arrow.
The third arrow came.
I tried dodging without Instant this time, but its increased speed forced me to activate it in panic.
Instant (刹那)
Remaining stacks: 2
Grazing with the Aegis Amulet equipped was impossible. That power would kill on contact. Complete Recovery required survival to use.
'Damn it. Plan change. Reach him before the ninth arrow.'
I sprinted at full speed.
Dodged the fourth and fifth with Instant.
Instant (刹那)
Remaining stacks: 0
No more Instant.
Yi drew for the sixth arrow. This one glowed white—different from before.
"I acknowledge you. You're no ordinary human."
The white-glowing arrow flew. The moment I sensed its flash, it was upon me.
A translucent hexagonal shield appeared, blocking it. A space-rending roar echoed as the shattered arrow fell.
I gritted my teeth and kept running.
Yi prepared the seventh arrow.
I extended my hand toward him. Close enough to reach.
'Ten Thousand Thunders!'
Thunder roared as azure lightning surged at Yi.
Yi leaped upward, dodging. Jumping over 5 meters, he fired the seventh arrow mid-air with perfect form.
The hexagonal shield blocked it before me. The shockwave uprooted surrounding trees.
'That bastard... drawing again without pause!'
The eighth required over 10 minutes prep—immensely powerful.
'...Will the Aegis Amulet hold?'
Against my fears, it blocked the eighth.
"Impressive. To force nine Falling Sun Arrows from me alone."
Cold sweat poured down. By pattern, the ninth would take 13 minutes.
'Can't cover the distance in 13 minutes. Not enough time!'
He dodged lightning effortlessly. Guns would be pointless at range.
'Beg for mercy? No, won't work. There has to be a way... a way!'
One idea surfaced.
The 'God's Atlantis' setting detailed the False Sun Challenger, Yi. I knew his goal.
'...That method has a chance, but...'
The watching divine seats concerned me. They'd likely react positively, but the Fallen Star might scheme.
'Screw it. Survival now. Gods can wait.'
It might even benefit the future.
'I've got the Lord of the Heavens and King of Demonic Heaven behind me. Even if I don't fully trust them, they won't let the Fallen Star meddle.'
Resolved, I shouted at Yi.
"Yi (?)! I know your goal!"
His stance unchanged, but curiosity flickered in his eyes.
"You claim to know my purpose? I've told no one."
Even the true Sun Challenger took interest.
Inevitable—the false Yi mirrored the real one's personality, values, and goals, barring special cases.
"I'm a regressor!"
Yi paused drawing. He stared intently, motionless.
"Regressor... from the future?"
"Yes!"
Regressor.
Not extraordinarily rare in Atlantis.
Settings noted regressors in the 2nd and 5th Atlantis. Humans remained human, even with future knowledge.
Futures weren't absolute, hard to exploit fully.
The 2nd and 5th regressors became great exiles but never the best.
"...Not enough to convince. Speak my purpose."
"You're waiting for the solar eclipse years from now!"
"...Correct. But insufficient. Do you know why?"
"The eclipse veils the sun with the moon—when they align. You're waiting to loose your tenth arrow at that damned woman on the moon!"
His arrows peaked against the sun. An eclipse shot hit the moon instead.
His goal: fully unleash the tenth arrow to slay Chang'e (姮娥) on the moon.
"You know all. A true regressor..."
Yi lowered his bow.
My lie worked partly due to my unique trait, 'Deception (SS)'.
"Time-traveler, tell me: Did I kill her?"
"You failed."
In truth, he never tried. Killed by Kang Myung-jin before the eclipse.
Even if he had, likely failure. Chang'e wouldn't take it sitting; she already watched him.
"...I see."
Yi nodded calmly, as if expecting it.
"What do you seek from me?"
"To dominate Zone 406. But I can't beat you as I am. So, a proposal."
"Proposal?"
"I swear to turn that moon bitch into my personal fucktoy! Grant me dominion over Nakil Mountain!"