Chapter 492 – 492. God’S Atlantis
492. God’s Atlantis
We discovered a fountain spewing out dark, deep green water instead of clean water. The gruesome liquid from the fountain was slowly flowing through the waterway.
“It’s a swamp fountain. Everyone, put on your gas masks.”
We all took out our gas masks from our bags and put them on our faces.
「Purification Gas Mask
Purifies the air.
Rank: C」
It was a custom-made item for this moment. It even had a rank, but we would have to throw it away after using it a few times.
There were two reasons for wearing the gas mask.
One was to block the pollutants generated in this swamp. If you tried to pass through here without a gas mask, you would soon learn what the pain of your insides rotting feels like.
The other reason was…
“Eww… Bugs! They’re disgusting! I knew they’d be here, but there are too many!”
Yoo Seohee, looking disgusted, grabbed the special insecticide spray she had prepared in both hands and began spraying it everywhere. Innards flies, curse mosquitoes, anesthetic moths, parasitic cockroaches, and all sorts of harmful insects died as soon as they touched the insecticide.
The second reason for wearing the gas mask was to avoid inhaling this massive amount of insecticide.
“Yoo Seohee! Don’t waste the insecticide!”
Kang Myungjin shouted. A lot of money had gone into making this insecticide. To Kang Myungjin, the legion master, it probably looked like she was spraying money instead of insecticide.
“Ah! Yes!”
“Don’t be too discouraged. You were a bit excessive.”
“I know. But Yujin, you… didn’t need the spray?”
Zzzzt. Zzzzt! Zzzzt!
The insects that approached me were instantly fried by electricity mid-air and fell to the ground. I had deployed an electric field around me using lightning.
“What happened to the spray you took last time? If you don’t need it, give it to me.”
“Oh… that? I left it behind. I forgot.”
“What? Myungjin will be furious if he finds out.”
“It’s a secret. A secret. But why do you have two? Wasn’t it one per person?”
“I got an extra one because there were some left over. Should I give you one? It’ll be a disaster if Myungjin finds out.”
“Yeah. Give me one.”
I got tired of spraying and just walked while deploying the electric field.
“Sung Yujin! Don’t waste mana, use the spray! The spray!”
“Okay, okay.”
In the end, I ended up getting nagged by Kang Myungjin.
“…But isn’t drinking a mana potion more economical than using the spray?”
“That’s… true. But still, use the spray. The mental fatigue that builds up from using your abilities can’t be recovered with potions.”
“If you put it that way, I have nothing to say.”
I quietly sprayed the bugs.
Bugs fell down in droves.
I glanced at the side of the waterway.
‘I hope Yuria found her way properly.’
It wasn’t like the wasteland from before, so a compass wasn’t necessary, but I was still a bit uneasy.
‘Ah. I want to get my hands on the sleeping princess soon.’
***
“Good work. You can take off your gas masks now. Let’s rest here for a bit.”
Having escaped the swamp fountain area, we immediately took off our gas masks. Most of us were covered in sweat. The faint breeze felt refreshing.
The legion members didn’t look back. No one wanted to return to the bug-filled place.
I looked straight ahead.
It was a garden full of thorny vines. It wouldn’t be easy to move without dealing with the thorny vines. Here, it was inevitable that we would have to deal with the thorny vines somehow.
‘I might find traces of Yuria who went ahead here.’
If Kang Myungjin saw traces of someone who had gone ahead, he would definitely think it was strange. He might even think that the strategy had been leaked.
‘I have no choice but to accept that.’
We filled our stomachs with the food we had prepared and then stood in front of the thorny vines.
If you looked closely, you could see the thorny vines moving as if they were alive. If you made a mistake and fell into the thorny vines, they would immediately wrap around your body and shred you with their sharp thorns.
Like a blender.
“…I can’t go ahead and explore here. There are paths in complex mountains and jungles, but there are no paths in these thorny vines.”
Lilsne surrendered. It was the right decision. If you recklessly approached the thorny vines, you wouldn’t even be able to collect your bones.
But Kang Myungjin wasn’t fazed at all. He knew about the existence of the thorny vines.
“If there’s no path, we’ll make one.”
He took out a torch and an axe.
Everyone had a look that said, “Here it comes.”
The labor was about to begin.
***
“Eheradiya~!”
I swung the fire-heated axe with all my might, uttering meaningless words.
Crack!
The thorny vines were easily cut. Despite being harder than steel, they were very weak to fire, probably because they were plants.
“Amazing. That endless stamina… I can see why the Master trusts you, Sung Yujin.”
Ji Youngbin said next to me.
Currently, Ji Youngbin and I were clearing the thorny vines and making a path. Everyone else was resting in the wide area behind us.
“…It’s because my stats are high.”
“Everyone knows that raising stats isn’t easy. I’ll formally introduce myself this time. I’m Ji Youngbin.”
“Sung Yujin.”
I said curtly. I had no intention of getting close to a guy. But Ji Youngbin seemed different.
“Haha. You have a cold aura. You didn’t seem like that… Do you perhaps not like me? From your perspective, I’m just a newcomer.”
“It’s not that. I’m just a bit shy.”
“That’s a relief. Ah, I used to work as a mercenary. I met the Master by chance at a tavern, like fate.”
Ji Youngbin started rambling on and on. Unlike his bear-like appearance, he was very talkative. I listened with one ear and let it out the other while swinging the axe.
However, a name that I couldn’t easily ignore came out of his mouth.
“Are you and Yoo Seohee lovers?”
My axe swing momentarily stopped.
Ji Youngbin’s face, when I turned to look at him, was very serious. It seemed like this question was the main point.
“Why are you suddenly asking that?”
“I’ll be honest. I fell in love with Yoo Seohee at first sight. My heart pounded the moment I saw her. But… Yoo Seohee is always looking at you.”
“The fact that you’re asking me that question… means you don’t think we’re lovers.”
“It’s ambiguous. Sometimes you look like lovers, but other times you look like close friends. I asked other people too. The Master said he wasn’t interested and told me to ask you directly, Minjung said you were lovers. But Inha insisted you weren’t. Joo Seohyun glared at me and ignored me for some reason, and I haven’t asked Yoo Seohee yet…”
I pondered for a moment.
What should I answer? That we were lovers? There were pros and cons. The pro was that Ji Youngbin wouldn’t bother me, and the con was that it could cause problems when trying to pick up other women.
“Seohee and I are close, but we’re not lovers.”
Ji Youngbin’s face lit up at my answer.
“I see! Thank you for your answer!”
“Is it that joyful?”
“If you’re not lovers, doesn’t that mean I have a chance!”
“Seohee doesn’t seem very interested in you.”
“There’s no tree that won’t fall after ten chops, and the brave get the beauty! I believe in those words!”
Ji Youngbin’s eyes were gleaming. I knew it, but he was a troublesome type. And also an easy type to take advantage of.
“Anyway, do your best.”
“Sung Yujin! Can you help me?!”
“You should ask Yoo Inha instead of me.”
“Inha flatly told me to figure it out myself. She didn’t seem like she had any intention of helping me. Sung Yujin! Please! Please!”
That Yoo Seohee is my personal fuck toy, though?
Those words reached the tip of my tongue but then went back down.
“Seohee’s ideal type is a man with good stamina.”
“…Stamina? That’s a relief! I’m confident in my stamina! I’m still behind you and the Master, but I’ll definitely build up my stamina and become a man worthy of Yoo Seohee!”
Ji Youngbin shouted and swung his axe.
‘The stamina I’m talking about is stamina in bed, though….’
When Ji Youngbin becomes useless later, I’ll have to tell him the reality.
And an hour later, we finally arrived at the 6,333rd area, the Obsessive King’s Castle.
***
Yuria, having parted ways with Sung Yujin, walked through the garden. She deliberately avoided the easy path and walked on the dirt path full of dangerous plants. It was to leave as few traces as possible.
A plant stem popped out of the dirt and aimed for her ankle. But Yuria, as if she knew it was coming, calmly dodged the stem and ran forward.
When plant monsters blocked her way, she didn’t avoid them and just passed through them. She was already taking a detour to avoid overlapping paths with the A-Plan Legion. If the paths overlapped, traces could be left behind and she could be discovered. This plan had to be completed quickly and secretly.
Rustle, crack.
The tree in front of her moved and blocked her path. Yuria dodged all the dozens of branches that rushed towards her without changing her expression and passed through. The same went for other plant-type monsters.
Mere plants couldn’t stop her two legs. If necessary, she used shadow movement, risking mana consumption.
What bothered Yuria was something else.
「The system acknowledges your existence.」
「Are you human? If you affirm, I will grant you the power of the system.」
Yuria ignored the system’s message as if it were natural.
The power of the system? It must be referring to the unique traits, stats, and things that Sung Yujin uses in this world.
Yuria thought that the power she had was enough. Besides, she was going back to her original world in 30 days. It would be convenient to have it, but Yuria couldn’t trust the system.
「The King of the Heavens sends you a message.」
「Where did you come from? I want to know where you came from.」
「Let’s make a deal. I’ll give you power. The price is your identity.」
「You have outstanding talent.」
「What do you want?」
「I saw earlier, you seem to love Sung Yujin… I’ll help you have Sung Yujin.」
Yuria’s legs, which had been moving non-stop, stopped.
She looked up at the sky. Her eyes shone sharply.
“Please, shut up. I’m not free enough to deal with you.”
「I like you more and more.」
「Here. A gift for you.」
Space rippled, and a sword appeared and was stuck into the ground.
It was a black sword that emitted an eerie aura.
A sword that anyone would call a demonic sword.
She couldn’t get detailed information about the sword. Because Yuria didn’t have the power of the system.
Yuria felt the overwhelming power emanating from the sword. Just by holding that sword, an ordinary person could gain power that they couldn’t obtain even if they spent their entire lives.
But she wasn’t interested in it from beginning to end. She passed by the sword.
「Detected illegal activity by the King of the Heavens.」
「Imposing a penalty on the King of the Heavens.」
「No, wait. Just kidding. Just kidding. Nothing happened as a result, right? This penalty is too harsh. I object to the ruling.」
「Objection dismissed, adding a penalty.」
「Guilt by association?! What did I do?!」
「Do not ignore the system. Adding a penalty.」
Yuria was annoyed by the message windows that appeared in front of her eyes. But since there was no way to get rid of them, she moved again, feeling anxious.
Soon, she discovered a waterway with a swamp flowing through it. She immediately took out a gas mask from the shadows and put it on, holding an insecticide spray in her hand. She chose a path that wasn’t noticeable and ran while spraying insecticide.
And then she arrived at a place with densely packed thorny vines. Yuria quietly recovered her stamina.
Sung Yujin had taught Yuria a strategy. A way to go safely, though it would take time and be difficult.
But that method would leave traces.
Yuria narrowed her eyes and examined the thorny vines.
Black aura swirled around her shoes. Having finished her preparations, she ran through the thorny vines. The thorny vines tightened as if they had been waiting. But she was already gone. Yuria’s running speed was faster than the thorny vines’ reaction.
Yuria opened her mouth.
She was out of breath, and sweat was dripping from her forehead.
Her stamina, which she had managed perfectly until now, was starting to waver. Her legs were getting heavier, but she couldn’t stop.
And she broke through the thorny vines.
