Chapter 310
Chapter 310
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 310
Chapter Title: God's Atlantis
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"So, are we done here now? What should I do next?"
"Not yet. One question remains. And there's one more person interested in you."
Interested person.
I looked around. Not Sparkle or Lion. The man leaning against the raccoon and the rock showed no reaction. I had to wonder if he was even alive.
'The remaining one...'
I looked up. Atop the highest rock stood a figure, proud and imposing.
A black cloak draped over them. Their hair was completely covered, and a mirror mask concealed their face, but their build and silhouette made it clear: a woman.
"She's Mirror. Might be a bit intense for you."
My reflection stared back from her mirror mask.
Me, in a ridiculous clown mask and black clothes.
For a moment, my body shook.
'...No.'
It wasn't my body shaking. It was an illusion. My consciousness wavered. And I immediately spotted the culprit. Only one person here could shake my mind like this.
I summoned Cheonma-gi into my right hand and threw a punch at her.
Cheonma Singong: Dragon Fist.
Cheonma-gi shot forward in a straight line, piercing her body. Her form blurred and vanished.
'...Where'd she go?'
I scanned the surroundings frantically. I spread out my senses, but detected nothing.
Thud.
The tip of a white-gloved finger touched the back of my head. I whipped around to see her there, mirror mask and all. I swung my fist at her—but then I realized the Cheonma-gi inside me, the mana, wouldn't move.
'Mana's there, so why...?!'
I could clearly feel the mana. Yet it wouldn't respond to my will. It was as if it wasn't mine anymore.
"No need to panic. I just bound your mana temporarily with magic. It'll move normally again in five minutes."
"What did you do to me?"
"You really don't know?"
"......"
"Sorry. I got curious about how much you know and cast it on impulse. I admit it was rash and foolish. I'm reflecting on it. Won't you forgive me?"
The blue eyes peering from her mirror mask flicked toward my fist. I was annoyed, but I unclenched my hand. No chance of winning.
"That reflection doesn't mean you'll cast your illusion on me more thoroughly next time, does it?"
A low chuckle emanated from the mirror mask.
"Busted."
"As expected, you knew it was an illusion. Not to brag, but few can wield illusions. Those with talent for it? One in a million... no, one in three million if you're lucky. Countless fall victim without realizing. And you didn't even succumb. Have you been caught in illusions before? Or do you know who I am?"
I listened to her. The situation felt a bit dicey, but her pleasant voice was stirring a reaction down below.
"......"
A description from the original story came to mind. Setting aside everything else, she was described as the empire's greatest beauty in terms of looks alone.
"Pleading the fifth, huh. Fine. But don't forget—silence is as good as affirmation. How much do you know about Helten?"
"...Not everything."
"Ahaha. Ambiguous answer. 'Not everything' works whether you know one out of a hundred... or ninety-nine."
"Is there something you want to learn through me?"
"Plenty. I'd love to tie you to a chair and interrogate you every day. But I'll hold back. Answer this one instead."
"......"
Her blue eyes gleamed sharply.
"What blocked my illusion? A skill? Trait? Item? Help from a Throne? Don't give me the absurd excuse of mental strength. No human in this world, no matter how strong-minded, could completely nullify my illusion."
She seemed really hung up on it. And for good reason—even the original story's powerhouse, Kang Myung-jin, had struggled for hours under her illusion. No ordinary mental skill could fully counter it. She was terrifyingly good.
'The reason I didn't fall... Mental Resistance, probably.'
Though if she went all out, even I wasn't sure.
"...A trait."
Not a trait from [God's Atlantis], but from [Playful Life App]. Simple wordplay.
And the system bought it. Not a lie, after all.
"...I see. So you're my natural predator. I thought no human had it... didn't expect one to exist."
She laced her fingers and prowled around me.
"'Strike while the iron's hot,' as they say. Should I kill you now, while it's easy?"
I tensed up. Less than five minutes had passed; my mana still wouldn't budge.
She continued.
"But if you're not an enemy, no need to kill."
This woman was genuinely debating whether to kill me or spare me.
"That's enough, Mirror."
Helten's leader spoke up.
"Cheonma is one of us in Helten. A colleague—no need to think about killing him. The moment you hesitated, you decided against it anyway."
"...True enough. Boss. Put this newbie under me. I'll judge his usefulness myself. And if he's useful, I'll raise him up a bit. Better to rack up favors with a natural enemy."
"Hm. Good. But you sure? You..."
"This guy knows my identity. No issue."
My opinion didn't matter, apparently. Not a bad deal, though. Mirror showing direct interest was risky, but she was an executive. Play it right, and I could climb to Helten executive faster.
"Got it. Cheonma's with Mirror, then... Cheonma. You didn't forget I still have a question, right?"
"Not dumb enough to forget something I just heard."
"......"
"......It was so boring I forgot."
"......Right. Here's the question. Cheonma, are you..."
He trailed off. An inexplicable anxiety gripped me. But I couldn't run from this.
Ask me to remove the mask? I planned to bluff my face with transformation magic, but it might not fool them. No, that wasn't a question.
As anxiety muddled my thoughts, he asked.
"...a regressor?"
"......"
Every eye turned to me. Boss, Sparkle, Lion, Mirror—even the raccoon peeking from the arms of the man by the rock.
Helten's leader, Boss, knew the events of Atlantis rounds 1 through 7. Rounds 2 and 5 had featured regressors. His question meant he sensed something regressor-like from me.
'This... actually not bad?'
I'd already bluffed being a regressor to the Lord of the Skies and the King of Ma-cheon. Only one answer possible now.
'If I say I'm a regressor, they'll have to make me an executive. Regressor knowledge is that valuable.'
Just meet the bare minimum conditions, and I'd be Helten brass.
Decision made, I spoke to them as they awaited my response.
"Something like a regressor."
Everyone but Boss looked shocked at my answer.
Boss, in his octagonal mask, nodded calmly.
"Got it. You're free to go. Mirror and Pesica will help with Helten matters."
Then Sparkle, in his gem-encrusted mask, jumped in urgently.
"Wait wait wait! Hold on, Boss!"
"What."
"This newbie's worth at least 100 billion... no, over a trillion penni! You really gonna let him walk?"
"Sparkle. A regressor's future isn't set. The moment they regress, the timeline twists."
"No, he's still a regressor! His knowledge has to be legit! Newbie! Do you know my identity?"
Sparkle asked me. I grinned.
"I know."
"Want a spoiler?"
"Yes! Please! Newbie-nim. I love spoilers. I even check the ending before watching a play."
Sparkle bowed politely to me. I brushed off his lie with amusement.
'I've already intervened anyway—the future's gonna diverge a lot from the original.'
Careful not to reveal too much, I spoke.
"Western tycoon, Harmo."
"Yes. Harmo here, Newbie-nim."
"You die within ten years. Cause of death: freezing. You freeze solid in an incredibly cold place."
"...Oh. Guess I need to stock up on fire-attribute items."
Sparkle turned to Boss.
"Boss! Let me take this newbie! With him and me, we can rule Atlantis! With money! Capitalism forever!"
"Don't make me laugh."
Mirror placed her right hand on my left shoulder.
"This guy's mine. Don't get pathetic, Sparkle."
"Mirror's right. One of our rules: first come, first served."
"No. Come on. Still!"
"No."
Boss shut it down firmly, and Sparkle finally backed off. But the look in his eyes as he stared at me was anything but ordinary.
"Fun life spoiler. Now I'm curious too. What happens to me in the future you know?"
Mirror asked me.
"You die within ten years too."
"...Hoo. How?"
"Your chest gets pierced by some random spearman's spear."
"...Unexpected. I figured if I died, it'd be to a god... but that spearman doesn't sound divine."
Mirror glanced at one person. The man gripping a spear: Lion.
"What."
"No. 'Spearman' just slipped out. Among spearmen I know, none are stronger than you."
"...If you betray me, that future might happen."
The air between Mirror and Lion grew colder by the second.
I wedged myself between them and addressed Lion.
"Lion. You die too—defeated in battle by that spearman."
"...Ha."
The eyes behind Lion's mask widened round, then curved into crescents.
"Hahaha! Me, dying to some spearman?! That's hilarious!!"
Lion slung his spear over his shoulder and walked off somewhere. Sparkle called after him.
"Wait! Where you headed? No questions about that spearman?!"
"Spoils the fun if I hear it now. Me dying in ten years means he's weaker than me currently. Gonna train while I wait for him."
"Ah, right."
Lion vanished.
Boss rose to his feet.
"Time to wrap up. We've all got things to do."
"Boss, you're not curious about your future?"
"I told you. Futures are twisted—means little."
"It means something! We make money off that something!"
"......Not interested."
Boss left too.
That meant only thirty minutes left here.
Squish squish.
The raccoon had sidled up and was pawing at my calf. I gave it a questioning look.
"What about me?"
Even hearing it again, that thick voice didn't match the raccoon's cute appearance.
"Don't know."
"I said I don't know everything earlier. Didn't even know Helten had an executive like you."
"......Boring."
The raccoon vanished along with the man who'd been leaning against the wall.
I was about to tell Mirror it was time to leave when—
"Hold on, Cheonma!"
I turned to Sparkle. He'd snuck right up to my face.
"We're colleagues, right? No long speech. Partner with me. I'll give you your full cut, of course. Grab my hand—you won't regret it. I'll set you up for life on a pile of cash."
"......What're you doing, Sparkle. This guy's mine."
"Same Helten colleagues. I'm not hurting him or anything..."
I looked into Sparkle's eyes and shook my head. He wouldn't back down easy. Even if he did here, he'd pester me later. Better to toss him some bait.
"Tycoon Harmo."
"Yes, Cheonma-nim. Please, go ahead."
"Let's make a deal."
"A deal... As expected of regressor Cheonma-nim—you know my unique trait."