Chapter 895
Chapter 895
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 895
Chapter Title: God's Atlantis
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Endlessly plummeting toward the ground, Elena stared blankly at the empty sky.
Sector 9,371. Drought Hell.
It was a sector she'd never heard of before. But she knew a little about hell-type sectors.
Unconquered sector zones. Among them, the ones located in the rearmost areas were hell-series sectors. They were notorious for having conquest difficulties close to actual hell.
'...No way I'll make it out alive.'
As she fell, Elena looked around. The sky was overcast, and the ground was a red desert. Just looking at the blood-soaked sand sent chills down her spine.
'Monsters are gathering.'
They were monsters she'd never seen before. All of them looked vicious, with an especially high number sporting horns.
'They're demonic beasts.'
Demonic beasts.
Monsters infused with demonic power.
Far more ferocious and powerful than regular monsters.
'Over 200 of them, easy.'
All craning their necks upward, waiting for her to drop. To the demonic beasts, it must have looked like food falling from the sky—cause for great joy.
'I have a year left... No, less than half a year now.'
When she'd saved Sung Yu-jin and fallen in his place, she'd used illusion magic. The black horse's authority—World Leaf or whatever it was called—was no joke, making it impossible to save him from afar.
'Good thing. I was tired anyway... and I've upheld the Valderte family's honor. The citizens saw my achievements with their own eyes, so the emperor won't touch the Valderte family.'
Elena had become the empire's hero. Her feats were legendary enough to warrant the name. An emperor mindful of public opinion wouldn't dare touch the Valderte family.
'The Valderte family will decline.'
The collateral line would take over as family head, but their limits were clear. There were no empire five-duke level talents among them. If they weren't demoted to marquis within ten years, it'd be a miracle.
'...Whatever. I've done my part. I failed, so I die. My life was lived for the Valderte family, and now I die for it. No regrets.'
Elena closed her eyes. Suddenly, Sung Yu-jin's face flashed in her mind. He could be frustrating enough to smack sometimes, utterly ridiculous at others, but he was competent in his own way. And above all, he hadn't betrayed her.
There had been plenty of chances for betrayal.
He didn't know, but she'd deliberately created over thirty opportunities to test him. She'd dangled money, sent beauties to tempt him. Yet Sung Yu-jin never betrayed her.
'If a bit more time had passed, I might have come to trust him. ...No. I'd already trusted him more than halfway, hadn't I?'
Either way, it was meaningless now. Elena erased Sung Yu-jin from her mind.
'Dying by falling into hell, huh. I always thought I might end up in hell, but I never imagined it'd be literal. ...Hm. Not bad.'
She'd plummet and die like this. Her head would burst on impact—instant death. At least she wouldn't be torn apart alive by demonic beasts. Small mercy.
Accepting death made the pain in her body vivid. She looked fine on the outside, but inside, she was a wreck. Every cell screamed on the brink of death.
'......'
Light flashed beyond her closed eyelids. At first, she dismissed it as coincidence. The sun sweeping across her face was common enough.
KABOOM!
A massive roar echoed. Like thunder.
'...Thunder?'
Elena involuntarily opened her eyes.
Countless blue lightning bolts were crashing down around her toward the ground. So many it was hard to count, they fell like lightning, massacring the demonic beasts gathered on the desert.
A beat later, deafening thunderclap shattered her eardrums.
And high above in the sky.
One man plummeted like lightning. Recognizing his face, Elena's expression twisted.
"Why the hell are you here, Yu-jin?!"
"Why do you think? I jumped in to save you."
"You lunatic! Do you even know where this is?!"
"Hell."
Sung Yu-jin reached out, grabbing her shoulder. He cradled her body carefully, like a princess. Elena felt his mana enveloping the surrounding space. Their descent slowed. Impressive mana control. With the Blessing of the Moon, Sung Yu-jin was stronger than Elena could have imagined.
"...You sure know how to ruin my sacrifice."
"Sacrifice? Who said that?"
"Can I smack you?"
"I didn't do anything wrong. You saved me on your own whim, so I'm saving you on mine."
"You're insane. You wanna die with me?"
"Dying with you wouldn't be bad, but living with you seems better."
"......"
Normally, she'd brush it off with a laugh. If the man before her hadn't plunged into hell himself just to save her.
"Haa."
Sighing, Elena raised a hand to her face like her head hurt. In truth, to hide her flushed cheeks.
"What exactly do you plan to do...?"
The words slipped out unconsciously. Were they for Sung Yu-jin? Or herself? Elena couldn't decide.
???
Thud.
Setting Elena down on the ground, I surveyed our surroundings. The red sands were littered with demonic beast corpses. I spread out my energy once. No living ones left.
'Dizzying.'
I didn't show it, but the situation was dire.
The only reason I could massacre those demonic beasts was the Blessing of the Moon. Once its buff wore off, I'd be prey in this hell sector. I'd need full power just for one beast.
'Space movement scrolls don't work in 9,000-series hell sectors.'
And 9,000-series hell sectors had a bullshit trait. They applied debuffs to entrants.
'It's started.'
Reading the alert, I swallowed my complaints. Didn't want to look pathetic in front of Elena. This was my chance to play it cool—I had to keep it up.
I glanced at Elena in my arms. She was covering her face with her hand. Peeking through her fingers, I saw her slightly reddened cheeks. Recalling her condition, I took off my cloak and wrapped it around her.
"What's this all of a sudden...? Treating me like a newborn, swaddling me up?"
Elena glared and grumbled. She knew that wasn't it—just embarrassed words. She stepped down from my arms onto the desert.
"Hecate Cape. It'll help you."
A cape with polar adaptation, natural healing (B), and stealth (S). Essential for Elena in her weakened state.
Draped in the red cloak, she fell silent for a moment before speaking.
"It feels weird saying this to you, who jumped into hell to save me, but I'm going to die soon. Used too much power. My body's worse than a normal person's now. Bluntly put, I'm dead weight. Ditching me would help your survival more."
"If that were the case, I wouldn't have come down here. Don't say that again. Even if I die, I won't abandon you."
"......"
"How much time do you have left?"
"Roughly half a year. Unfortunately, this is hell. Nothing but sand. No way to extend it here."
"One thing I don't get. How do you know your lifespan exactly? If your body's failing, can't you just use potions to recover?"
"I've researched lifespan myself. To make it simple: what I call lifespan is innate vital energy. It's the energy all living beings are born with."
Elena explained.
For normal people, as twilight years approach, the vessel of this innate vital energy shrinks bit by bit. Weak innate energy leads to chronic illnesses, and when it's gone, death follows.
"Innate vital energy isn't life force itself, but the vessel containing it. My vessel isn't just shrunken—it's cracked enough to shatter any moment."
"Can't spiritual medicines extend it?"
"Ordinary ones have limits. At best, a few weeks. And effects diminish with repeated use."
"......You took some before, huh?"
"Wouldn't it be weirder if I hadn't?"
Fair enough. Elena had the means to obtain them.
'Could my elixir fix it?'
High chance. Elixirs heal even congenital diseases and disabilities.
'Save the elixir as a last resort.'
Not because I was stingy. Elena was weakened, dependent on me. Prime chance to win her over.
Even if she showed no will to live.
"Elena. Let's move for now. Sitting here just means eventual death."
"I see survival odds under 1%. Wouldn't it be better to end it cleanly? If you're into my body, go ahead. I won't resist. Pointless anyway. Offering it as payment for dying together isn't bad."
"You drop some tough-to-parry jokes sometimes."
"I'm serious."
"Cut the nonsense and move. We need to find a way out."
I had zero intention of raping her. It wasn't like I never had chances. I had killer items like aphrodisiacs. If I wanted cheap thrills, I'd have done it ages ago.
'After all the time invested in Elena, why ruin it?'
"Haa..."
Glance. Elena looked somehow listless.
"Don't be so pessimistic. Food and water are fine—I've got sub-space. Everything else too. We just need to find a way out of this hell sector and extend your lifespan."
"...Survival rate up to about 5%, huh."
Elena said cynically. We walked the desert. Over two hours, nothing but red sand and demonic beasts—which I killed on sight.
Thud.
Elena, following behind, collapsed. I rushed to her, startled.
"Elena! Don't die!"
"...Not dead. Legs hit limit. Can't walk."
"Use mana..."
"Already using it to recover. Recovery magic isn't my specialty, and it'd be useless anyway. Worst case."
"Dangerous? Or not?"
"...Not dangerous. Just legs exhausted. Can't walk next few hours. Recommend leaving me."
"Told you, not leaving."
I piggybacked her.
Tried princess carry, but piggyback was better for responding to beasts. And I couldn't pass up the feel of her breasts against my back.
"You hopped on easy."
"No confidence in breaking your stubbornness. And it's comfy, honestly."
"Should've said from the start—I'd have carried you."
"You think I believe that?"
"Nah, with your personality, no way."
"...Change that thinking. Your back's comfier than expected. I'll use it. Got it? If you're not ditching and taking responsibility, see it through."
"Of course. To the end."
Squeeze.
Elena hugged my neck tight. Her hair and breath tickled my nape. The press of her breasts nearly got me hard.
"What?"
"...Ride's bumpy. Move smoother."
"Noble through and through. Demanding, huh."
"Mm. Better now."
Soon, her steady breathing came. Deep sleep. I carried her silently. Had to find safety before Blessing of the Moon ended.