Chapter 1073 – 1073. God’S Atlantis
“We have entered Sector 5,845, the one with the three walls.”
I moved to Sector 5,845, the headquarters of the Black Blood Alliance.
As the sector’s name suggested, it was a place with three walls. Three large walls stood in a circle, as if guarding the center.
I didn’t know much about Sector 5,845. It wasn’t mentioned in the original [God’s Atlantis] or even in the setting books. I had done some research, but I couldn’t find any significant information.
Li Mei also didn’t know much about this sector.
“According to those who attacked this place with the Black Blood Alliance leader in the early days… it wasn’t a very difficult conquest.”
“I heard there were a few easy sectors in the early days of Atlantis. It seems this was one of them.”
The difficulty of conquering sectors in Atlantis varied greatly. Some sectors were practically conquered just by entering, while others were so difficult that even entering was a challenge.
“Yes. The method for conquering this sector was… to cross the three walls and reach the center.”
“The walls are about 50 meters high. Are there any gates?”
“There’s one each on the west and east sides. But during the conquest, they didn’t use the gates and flew over. That was recognized as a valid conquest.”
“They got a free pass on a sector. I’m jealous.”
Li Mei and I put the prepared items in our mouths and chewed.
「Wind Leaf
Allows you to fly for 10 minutes.
Type: Consumable
Rank: B」
It was a green leaf. Unlike its tough appearance, it was crispy and savory like a delicious cookie.
Our bodies floated into the sky. We easily crossed the 50-meter wall and headed towards the center. Glancing down, the inside of the first wall was empty.
“There’s nothing here. I thought there would be a village or something.”
“They say there were monsters in the early days. But they’ve all been defeated, so it’s safe now. And the Black Blood Alliance leader was planning to build a village inside the wall, just like you said. Or rather, fortify it.”
I looked down again. There was no sign of human habitation.
“There’s no one here?”
“The problem was supplies. The sector was located in the middle of nowhere, not big enough to be self-sufficient, and there were no other advantages.”
We crossed the second wall. Inside the second wall, there were signs of people living there. Crude-looking wooden houses and piles of trash on one side.
“They say they used it as a base in the early days. But as the Black Blood Alliance grew, there was no reason to stay here.”
We crossed the third wall. In the center of the sector, there was a large five-story building. It was a palace built in the Chinese style. It looked quite magnificent on the outside. Unlike the inside of the first and second walls, there were signs of people.
“But why is the Black Blood Alliance so attached to this sector? They could move their headquarters somewhere else.”
The Black Blood Alliance controlled many other sectors besides this one.
“I don’t know about that. Maybe it’s because it’s the first place the Black Blood Alliance leader controlled, so he’s attached to it?”
“Well, maybe.”
Li Mei and I landed on the ground. People with weapons rushed out and surrounded us.
“It’s Li Mei!”
“I heard you betrayed us, but you dare to show up so brazenly.”
“Did you come back to apologize to the leader and beg for forgiveness?”
“It’s been a while, but your beauty is still the same. Even if it’s Li Mei, this time you’ll offer your body to the leader.”
“That masked guy… isn’t he the Heavenly Demon who’s been famous in the west recently?”
Chinese people swarmed around us. They were just chattering among themselves, but no one stepped forward. There was no one in charge.
I put my hand on Li Mei’s shoulder.
“Li Mei, you’re popular, aren’t you?”
“It’s not something I particularly want…”
Li Mei clicked her tongue. She wasn’t intimidated by the gazes of countless men. I didn’t take my hand off Li Mei’s shoulder. I had to protect her in case of an emergency. And it was quite fun to show off Li Mei to the men. Some of the jealous looks directed at me even contained killing intent.
The person in charge appeared. It was a man wearing black armor and wielding a large glaive. The man, who was missing one ear, stood boldly in our path.
“It’s Lord Salon, it’s been a while. We’ve come to see the leader. Would you mind stepping aside?”
Lord Salon. He was the Black Blood Alliance leader’s personal guard.
“That won’t do. I haven’t received any instructions from the leader. I’ve just sent someone to the leader, so please wait a moment. But who is the masked man next to you? Is he your lover?”
“What if he is?”
“Don’t be so sensitive, Li Mei. You’re a smart woman. I don’t think you betrayed the Black Blood Alliance.”
“I appreciate you trusting me. If you didn’t have a weapon in your hand, I would have trusted you too, Lord Salon. And the person next to me… I think you can guess, right? The masked ones. Aren’t they famous enough?”
“Hmm…”
Lord Salon looked at me and groaned. Leaving aside the Heavenly Demon’s reputation, a Black Blood Alliance executive would have heard of Helten. Helten’s executives basically wear masks when they operate.
Lord Salon closed his mouth. A silent standoff ensued.
‘If they don’t move within 10 minutes, I’ll have to force my way in. That Lord Salon guy is no pushover, and there are a lot of grunts… but I don’t think I’ll lose.’
Before 10 minutes passed, Lord Salon’s subordinate appeared. The subordinate whispered something in Lord Salon’s ear.
“The leader has granted you permission to enter. I will guide you myself. Follow me.”
Lord Salon turned around. The men who had surrounded us lowered their weapons. Li Mei and I followed Lord Salon into the palace.
“Entering the palace… does the Black Blood Alliance leader think he’s a king or something?”
“Maybe not a king, but he probably thinks he’s a noble, right?”
I couldn’t be fooled, especially since I was actually a noble in the [Baekhwan] world. The interior of the palace was inadequate.
‘The exterior looks quite impressive, but the interior is poorly managed. There are a few servants wandering around, but they’re clumsy. It’s proof that they haven’t been trained properly.’
This palace was just a facade.
We arrived at a large space. Judging by the atmosphere, it seemed to be an audience chamber.
A man was sitting on a large chair. He was an obese man who easily weighed over 130 kg. Short black hair hung over his chubby cheeks. He had a smile on his face, so his impression was surprisingly good.
He was Wang Xuan, the leader of the Black Blood Alliance.
“Welcome, Heavenly Demon. I never thought the Heavenly Demon of the west would be affiliated with Helten.”
“You know me?”
“You’re quite famous.”
It had been quite some time since I had taken control of a part of the western desert, so it wasn’t strange that the rumors had reached this place. Especially since the leader of an organization like the Black Blood Alliance would be sensitive to information.
“I’ve prepared a banquet for you.”
“Do you think I came here to enjoy a banquet?”
“…I wanted to show you the essence of Chinese cuisine… what a shame.”
“Let’s get straight to the point. From now on, Li Mei will take the Black Blood Alliance leader’s position. You will step down and leave quietly.”
Lord Salon’s body twitched. I didn’t let my guard down against him and waited for Wang Xuan’s answer.
“Is there a reason why I should follow your words?”
“Let’s make it easy. You don’t want to die either, do you?”
“…To be honest, I doubt that you are truly an executive of Helten.”
“The one who was in charge of the Black Blood Alliance was originally Mirror.”
“…That’s right. Mirror Mask. Where did that woman, whose true intentions were unknown, go, and why are you here?”
“I’ve been assigned to the Black Blood Alliance. Don’t doubt it. You know what happens to those who impersonate Helten.”
“……”
Wang Xuan sighed. He looked around once.
“…The Black Blood Alliance grew with the help of Helten. It was an unavoidable choice for the rapid growth and stabilization of the Black Blood Alliance. Looking back, it was the only blemish.”
“So, what are you trying to say?”
“I will correct that blemish. The Black Blood Alliance will remain solely as the Black Blood Alliance.”
I chuckled.
“You don’t know anything about Helten.”
Why is Helten called a legend? It’s because there is no force in this Atlantis that can handle Helten. Even the Justia Empire failed to eradicate Helten.
“I’ll return those words to you. You know nothing about the Black Blood Alliance.”
Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!
A sharp sound like scraping metal was heard.
“Aaaaaaah!”
Li Mei, who was next to me, grabbed her head, screamed, and collapsed to the floor. Her face was contorted with pain.
「The Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation has been activated.」
「You resist some of the effects of the Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation with your superior mental strength.」
「All stats are reduced by 20%.」
「The efficiency of skills and traits is reduced by 15%.」
「Damage taken is increased by 10%.」
It was a festival of debuffs. Seeing Li Mei collapse to the floor in pain, it seemed like it was also a mental attack.
Kiiiiiiiiiiiiing. Kiiiiiiiiiiiiing.
I looked around. Waves were emanating from something embedded in the ceiling, floor, and pillars. That was probably the Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation.
“You are indeed impressive. You don’t even flinch. But you are already at the center of the Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation. Lord Salon, kill him. Leave Li Mei alone. She will pay the price for her betrayal separately.”
“Understood.”
Lord Salon charged at me. I summoned Stormbreaker in the form of a sword and blocked his glaive. Clang. I was pushed back, unable to withstand his tremendous power.
‘…Am I being pushed back in pure strength?’
It was surprising. I was in my Heavenly Demon state. My physical abilities were enhanced by the Heavenly Demon Body and Heavenly Demon Divine Art. It didn’t make sense that I was being pushed back so easily.
“You seem surprised. Let me tell you, Lord Salon’s contracted divine seat is the Hegemon-King of Western Chu.”
The Hegemon-King of Western Chu meant Xiang Yu. In Atlantis, Xiang Yu’s contractors were quite famous. Xiang Yu only granted his contractors one skill.
‘The Strength to Uproot Mountains and the Spirit to Cover the World. A cheat skill that doubles strength and further increases it during combat.’
There was also a drawback. Other stats decreased during combat.
‘Even with that penalty, it’s the best skill for warriors.’
I gave up on overwhelming Lord Salon with strength and decided to focus on technique.
Heavenly Demon Divine Art, Heavenly Demon Sovereign Step, Wave Form.
I took a step.
An invisible shockwave spread in all directions. The formation shook.
「The effect of the Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation is temporarily reduced.」
Twitch.
Lord Salon’s momentum slightly decreased. Unlike the debuffs it gave me, the Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation had definitely buffed him.
I rushed at him and swung my sword with rotational force.
Heavenly Demon Divine Art, Heavenly Demon Sword, Heavenly Rotation.
Lord Salon was pushed back. A drop of sweat ran down his cheek.
“Hmph. Impressive power and sword. What’s your strength stat?”
“Do you think I’ll tell you?”
“There’s no reason not to tell me, is there? In the end, a fight isn’t about numbers, it’s about who’s stronger. My strength is 135. That’s my strength after the skill’s effect.”
“That’s right. 106.”
“…You’re a monster.”
He sighed.
A stat difference of 30.
That difference was almost absolute. It was like the difference between a child and an adult. But despite the 30-point stat difference, I wasn’t being pushed back by him. Considering the influence of the Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation, it was natural that he was shocked.
The glaive fell from above. I blocked it by holding my sword sideways and rotating it. The glaive was deflected to the side. An opening appeared in Lord Salon’s defense. I was about to swing my sword, not missing the opportunity, when I sensed a presence falling from the ceiling.
‘An assassin. They’re not targeting me, but Li Mei!’
I use [Moment]. Remaining stacks: 4
I cut off the head of the assassin who was targeting Li Mei.
“Foolish. Why is that woman so important?”
I felt condensed killing intent and power from Lord Salon, who had taken my rear.
