Chapter 187
Chapter 187
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 187
Chapter Title: God's Atlantis
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Zone 1, the Temple of Beginnings. Only two days remained until departure.
The training was essentially over.
The priests of the Baekgyeol Cheonching Society had taught the new exile recruits basic knowledge about Atlantis and fundamental combat techniques.
Two weeks of training wasn't nearly enough to survive in this world, but there was no helping it. This world wasn't kind.
'What a racket.'
The Temple of Beginnings was currently packed not just with newbie exiles, but also with veteran exiles from legions active across Atlantis.
Their goal was simple: to recruit talented exiles.
'Not even 100 newbies will join a proper legion right from the start.'
Not every legion was a good place. Some among them were out to deceive clueless newbies and exploit them.
I plopped down on a bench in the temple garden. Thanks to not hiding my power like Kang Myung-jin had, I was known as one of the top geniuses. I'd just endured a barrage of recruitment offers from exiles.
I turned them all down, claiming I already had a legion lined up. I planned to join Kang Myung-jin's legion.
As I sat on the bench to avoid the hassle, someone approached me.
"The Lord of the Heavens watches over you."
He had curly golden hair and pale white skin. Over 190cm tall with a slim, muscular build. A handsome man with a beauty mark under his left eye.
I tensed up at the sight of him. I recognized who he was.
'Alterio Kephalas. ...He came to the Temple of Beginnings to meet me.'
Alterio was an executive in Tetricks Legion, one of Atlantis's top legions, which dominated over 30 zones.
"Got a moment?"
"...Yes. Sure."
Alterio plopped down right next to me.
"I'm Alterio of Tetricks Legion."
"...I'm Sung Yu-jin. What business do you have with me?"
"Ever thought about joining Tetricks Legion?"
"Sorry, but I've already committed to another legion."
Alterio nodded. Unlike recruiters from other legions, he didn't pester or spout empty promises.
It was the arrogance of a massive legion. After all, Atlantis's top legion was set in stone.
"Is that all?"
"No. I came to see you. As a fellow contractor of the Lord of the Heavens, I was curious what kind of person you are."
That was probably the real reason. Alterio was too big a deal to come just for scouting.
Golden Lightning Alterio.
A veteran with over ten years of experience, a powerhouse no one in Atlantis could ignore.
And like me, a contractor of the Lord of the Heavens.
"What do you think of me? I'm curious how the Golden Lightning rates me."
"...I don't know."
"Pardon?"
It was unexpected. I'd figured he'd be disappointed or impressed. From his perspective, I was just a weakling, but compared to other newbies, I stood out.
"You haven't even left the Temple of Beginnings yet. My judgment isn't sharp enough to evaluate you based on a glance."
"...Ah. Right. Makes sense."
My expression turned strange.
What did this guy even come here for?
"I thought you'd pick a fight when you got close."
"Why would I? This is our first meeting. No reason to be hostile. Besides, exiles fundamentally share the same goal."
"Conquering all zones of Atlantis and returning to Earth... that goal?"
"Exactly. We can't stay in Atlantis forever. This world..."
Alterio clamped his mouth shut. He must have decided it was too early to tell me.
I could guess the rest.
Living in this world forever without conquering Atlantis. Anyone would consider it at least once. No one wants to suffer needless risks.
But the system wasn't lenient. If it deemed the exiles incapable of conquering Atlantis, it would mercilessly collapse the entire place.
'Collapse means annihilation.'
All life in Atlantis dies. Exiles included, no exceptions.
Then the next cycle of Atlantis begins.
Only a select few knew this fact.
'It'd cause all sorts of problems if it got out.'
There'd definitely be scum who turn to crime, convinced conquest was doomed anyway.
Alterio stood up.
"Leaving already?"
"I just wanted to see the face of another Lord of the Heavens contractor."
"Safe travels."
"...Some advice from a senior in Atlantis: The Lord of the Heavens is a cold throne. If it doesn't like its contractor, it'll discard them on the spot."
Contract breaches weren't something thrones did lightly. But one like the Lord of the Heavens was different. Even without breaching, it could simply ignore the contractor entirely.
"I've met seven contractors of the Lord of the Heavens so far, including you."
"...That makes eight, including yourself."
This surprised me a bit.
High-ranking thrones having multiple contractors wasn't shocking, but eight was a lot. Usually two or three at most.
"Five of them were abandoned by the Lord of the Heavens. Keep that in mind. It despises the weak."
Alterio walked away.
"Alterio. Do you know? The Lord of the Heavens likes blondes."
"...What?"
Alterio turned back, frowning in confusion at the random comment.
For the record, Alterio was blonde.
"Just something I heard."
"...A joke? How pointless."
Alterio vanished from sight.
I sat blankly on the bench before asking the Lord of the Heavens.
"Lord of the Heavens. Are you going to abandon me?"
I waited a few minutes, but got no reply. Either it wasn't watching, or deemed the question unworthy.
Likely the latter. Two contractors meeting? It had to be paying attention.
'It'd be nice if it did ditch me. Then I could use that as an excuse to bang Hera. Even without the Lord of the Heavens, I have the lightning powers anyway.'
Without the Lord of the Heavens, I still had the King of the Demon Heavens. It wasn't quite on the same level, but still a top-tier divinity.
"Yeah?"
I nodded. It rang true. Every time I had sex with a woman, it felt like the Lord of the Heavens was always watching.
'More than the Lord of the Heavens, I need to watch out for this King of the Demon Heavens bastard.'
The King of the Demon Heavens was bound to betray me big time someday.
The night before leaving the Temple of Beginnings.
I cloaked myself in Deception (SS) and walked the dim corridor. I stopped in front of a mirror.
A mirror that teleported to one in Zone 406 when hot water was poured on it.
'Too bad to just leave it behind.'
I glanced around, removed the mirror from the wall, and stored it in my inventory. They'd discover the theft by morning, but they couldn't stop departing exiles.
'Kang Myung-jin would figure out I took it.'
Only Kang Myung-jin and I knew its special property.
And he wouldn't say anything. We were in the same legion. Plus, in the original story, Kang Myung-jin stole this mirror too. It was versatile if used right.
'Gotta visit Zone 406 now and then to bang the village chief's daughter-in-law.'
I grinned and vanished from the corridor.
A-Plan.
The name of Kang Myung-jin's legion.
Nothing special about the origin. It was just Plan A, as he'd plotted from the start.
I'd decided to join him.
A-Plan had seven members total.
Kang Myung-jin, Lee Min-jung, Kim Man-gi, me, Yoo Seo-hee, Yoo In-ha, and Joo Seo-hyun.
Lee Min-jung was Kang Myung-jin's clingy girl, and Kim Man-gi was a 30-something man he'd brought along. Back on Earth, Kim Man-gi had been an ordinary office worker. I didn't underestimate him.
'Anyone Kang Myung-jin brings can't be ordinary.'
Kim Man-gi's combat skills were mediocre. But he had a knack for administration.
Legions were like companies in some ways, so they needed someone for admin and logistics. Kim Man-gi would make a fine logistics officer.
'Kang Myung-jin offered me sub-master, but I turned it down.'
Higher position meant more work.
Sub-master sounded nice, but it was empty. Kang Myung-jin favored elites, so he didn't command many members anyway.
My condition for joining was that Yoo Seo-hee, Yoo In-ha, and Joo Seo-hyun come too.
Kang Myung-jin accepted immediately. Yoo Seo-hee aside, Yoo In-ha was a talented mage. And he knew Joo Seo-hyun would later be called the Sword Emperor, a genius with the blade.
'From his view, snagging me and Joo Seo-hyun was a win.'
After leaving the temple, we rented a cheap house on the outskirts of Starter City.
Kang Myung-jin told everyone we'd stay here about a month, gathering supplies and training.
After hearing him out, I returned to my room and muttered inwardly.
'End Playful Life.'
Back in reality, I instinctively reached for my smartphone. I paused Playful Life first, then slumped onto the sofa.
The power gap between my Atlantis self and real self hit me immediately—heavy body, drained strength.
'Gonna take hours to adjust.'
It felt like losing all my power. Unpleasant.
'With the Heavenly Demon Divine Art issue... stick to the plan and raise Mental Resistance first.'
Spent 50 points. Maybe placebo, but my head felt clearer.
7 points left.
Not enough. Could bump Agility or Intelligence by one, but it felt pointless.
'Right now, I'm itching for a Random Gacha.'
Good vibes. I pulled the trigger without hesitation.
Five were duds, but two were jackpots. More than covered costs.
'My luck never fails me.'
Auto Camera This AI-powered auto camera flies freely through the air, capturing high-definition footage. It reads its owner's brainwaves to move. Owner registration required. Price: 900 points
※ Note: Requires charging. Can be charged via electricity. Operates up to 36 hours max.
Fist-sized round camera.
I fiddled with it. USB port on the back.
Gripped it tight, and owner registration completed automatically.
The camera floated into the air.
'Film that.'
I thought hard, and it zipped around the house, recording everywhere.
'Heh heh heh. This'll make sex tapes way better.'
Random Mix Ticket Mixes various creations into a base creation. Completely random. Price: 7,000 points
※ Note: Requires an available Playful Life slot.
※ Note: Unknown number of creations will mix.
※ Note: Similar genres likely. Mixing may alter original content/settings.
Shaped like a movie ticket.
I tore the Random Mix Ticket without much thought.
'Random anyway. Now or later, same difference.'
If the creation sucked, just auto-end to the finale.