## Chapter 617 – 617. God’S Atlantis
617. God’s Atlantis
After clearing the dungeon, I handed over the dungeon information to the association. The information included newly appeared monsters and murals within the dungeon.
The association received the information we provided with a cautious attitude, without making a fuss.
Although it was a great discovery and a special experience for Han Harin and me, our information was just routine for the association. Globally, dozens of dungeons are cleared every day, and new information from dungeons is constantly increasing.
‘Still, I received compensation from the association for providing the information. The rest is up to the association.’
More important to me than that was the B-rank hunter promotion test in three weeks. I was confident, but the promotion test above C-rank was by no means easy. The success rate for the B-rank promotion test was only about 20%.
‘In the end, what’s important in the promotion test is specs. Most hunters who haven’t awakened their mana can’t get promoted to C-rank, and to get to B-rank, you need to have the power befitting B-rank.’
The main content of the B-rank promotion test was clearing a dungeon with other test takers. If you acted like a troll, lacked prior knowledge, or if cooperation between hunters wasn’t smooth, you would be mercilessly dropped from the test.
‘If you fail once, you can’t try again for three months, so I should prepare a little.’
And three weeks later.
I passed the promotion test and became a B-rank hunter.
•••
Entering the world of God’s Atlantis, I checked my status window.
「Name: Sung Yujin
Class: Lightning Cutter
Title: Fate Destroyer
Divine Seat: Lord of the Sky
Affiliation: AL 401 Earth
Strength: 81 Agility: 70 Stamina: 76 Mana: 91 Luck: 32
Unique Trait: Deception (SS)
Trait: Lightning (S)
Skills: Astrape (B), Manroe (B), Lightning Speed (D)
(Status window in effect)」
As a member of A-Plan, I cleared areas and increased my stats through training. Of course, I didn’t do it myself; I fully utilized auto-progression.
‘Nice.’
I felt it as soon as I came to this world. I’m much stronger now than I am in reality. This body could at least rival an A-rank hunter.
‘If I turn on the Heavenly Demon status window, it’ll be even more than that.’
Speaking of the Heavenly Demon, the error in the Heavenly Demon Divine Art comes to mind.
[Ascension to Light] An error in the Heavenly Demon Divine Art discovered by the Heavenly Star System of the world.
‘There’s no way a mistake could have happened by chance in the incantation of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.’
The Heavenly Demon Divine Art was created not by a human, but by a god.
And not just any god, but a god who, even by rank, belongs to the highest tier.
‘A martial art won’t produce the proper effect if even a small part of the incantation is different. Especially the Heavenly Demon Divine Art. It’s a martial art more precise than any complex machine. There’s no way the King of the Demonic Heavens would have made a mistake.’
No matter how much I thought about it, it wasn’t a mistake but a deliberate change that he told me.
‘The problem is, I don’t know the reason.’
The Heavenly Demon Divine Art that the Heavenly Star modified was more efficient, but that was all. The demonic nature of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art disappeared? No way. The Heavenly Demon Divine Art isn’t called the Heavenly Demon Divine Art for nothing. There’s no way its demonic nature would disappear just by changing a part of the incantation.
‘The Heavenly Demon Divine Art is a martial art that uses demons. If you take the demon out of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, it’s no better than trash.’
No matter how much I racked my brain, it was just speculation, and I couldn’t be sure.
‘Let’s use the Heavenly Demon Divine Art directly. The King of the Demonic Heavens is still watching me, so he’ll react to something.’
「Name: Sung Yujin
Class: Heavenly Demon
Title: Immortal
Divine Seat: King of the Demonic Heavens
Affiliation: AL 401 Earth.
Strength: 81 Agility: 70 Stamina: 76 Mana: 91 Luck: 32
Unique Trait: Deception (SS)
Trait: Heavenly Demon Body (A)
Skills: Heavenly Demon Divine Art (S) Subjugation (S) Demonic Wind Divine Art Transmission (SSS)
(Status window in effect)」
‘King of the Demonic Heavens. If you tampered with the Heavenly Demon Divine Art to kill me… I will never let it go.’
I couldn’t just take it lying down. It’s my nature to give a knife wound if I get punched.
‘No matter what it takes.’
I began to circulate my energy, reciting the incantation of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art that the Heavenly Star System had corrected. And as soon as I succeeded in circulating the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, a system notification window popped up.
「You have gained enlightenment.」
「You awaken the true Heavenly Demon Divine Art.」
「Heavenly Demon Divine Art (S) rises to SSS rank.」
「Heavenly Demon Body (A) rises to S rank.」
「This is an unbelievable achievement.」
「You have gained the qualifications of a true Heavenly Demon by awakening the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.」
「The title ‘Heavenly Demon Venerable’ is granted.」
「All stats increase by 5.」
‘…What?’
I frowned. It wasn’t just because of the unexpected notification window. Other ways of using the Heavenly Demon Divine Art were entering my mind.
Not forms. Something alien that couldn’t be explained by forms. It was closer to magic or sorcery.
‘For now, it’s not harmful to me.’
「The King of the Demonic Heavens is astonished!」
「The system is astonished.」
「The system suspects the King of the Demonic Heavens!」
「The system is checking the King of the Demonic Heavens’ logs!」
「The King of the Demonic Heavens is indignant.」
「I swear on my name! I didn’t do anything!」
「The system still suspects the King of the Demonic Heavens.」
“What the hell is going on? Let me know too. Explain it to me.”
I spoke to the system and the King of the Demonic Heavens. According to the original rules, giving information to exiles or continentals was forbidden. But the current situation could be an exception. I had already received the reward. What I wanted was an explanation for the reward I had been given.
「The King of the Demonic Heavens sponsors 1,000 AP.
“The Heavenly Demon Divine Art I originally gave you was in a degraded state.”」
“So you deliberately tampered with part of the incantation of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art. Did you plant a trap or something?”
When I spoke with hostility and murderous intent, the King of the Demonic Heavens’ message popped up urgently.
「The King of the Demonic Heavens shakes his head in denial.」
「The King of the Demonic Heavens sponsors 1,000 AP.
“I had no choice. If I hadn’t deliberately degraded the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, I wouldn’t have been able to give it to you. The system wouldn’t have allowed it due to balance issues.”」
“The Lord of the Sky gave me lightning without any problem.”
「The King of the Demonic Heavens sponsors 1,000 AP.
“He and I are different. Likewise, lightning and the Heavenly Demon Divine Art are different.”」
“……That’s true.”
I couldn’t deny what the King of the Demonic Heavens said. The Lord of the Sky’s rank was higher than the King of the Demonic Heavens.
The Lord of the Sky, Zeus, was a chief god and a god representing a mythology. He could be considered one of the highest gods of Atlantis.
The lightning that Zeus gave me was SS rank. This alone was an unprecedentedly enormous sponsorship.
‘Generally, the value of skills is higher than items. Considering the King of the Demonic Heavens’ position… it’s not something I can’t understand.’
If he hadn’t degraded the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, the system wouldn’t have allowed him to give me the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
‘I should let this go. If I make a fuss over this, my relationship with the King of the Demonic Heavens will be strained. I can’t afford to strain my relationship with him yet. There’s so much I can still squeeze out of him.’
I closed my eyes and circulated the Heavenly Demon Divine Art. Perhaps because it had risen to SSS rank, circulating it was much easier than before.
「The system still suspects the King of the Demonic Heavens.」
「The King of the Demonic Heavens is going crazy with indignation.」
「I didn’t tell him! If you investigated, you’d know! System! You know that guy is weird!」
「The system requests an explanation from Sung Yujin.」
I was going to ignore it, but I opened my mouth.
“I suddenly gained enlightenment while having sex.”
「The system does not believe your lie.」
“Hey, system. Have you ever had sex?”
「The system says that sex is merely a reproductive activity accompanied by pleasure.」
“Judging by the way you’re talking, you haven’t. Sex is truth. Is enlightenment that comes suddenly while practicing truth such a big deal?”
「The Lord of the Sky nods.」
「The King of the Demonic Heavens chuckles.」
「The system sighs.」
The system didn’t question me after that. It knew that I wouldn’t give a proper answer.
I closed my eyes again and focused on the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
When I opened my eyes again, Elena was sitting on the opposite sofa. She was quietly picking and eating grapes one by one. Looking at the bare grape stems on the table, it seemed she had already eaten three.
“If you were here, you could have said something?”
“I know you’re in the middle of mana training, would I bother you?”
Interrupting someone’s concentration during mana training by touching them or shouting was the same as attempted murder. If mana exploded or flowed backward inside the body, internal injuries were a given, and there was a very high chance of becoming disabled or dying.
“You have no manners. Watching someone else’s mana training while eating grapes. Is that okay for a duchess?”
“That’s right. If this wasn’t my office, I would have knelt down and begged for your forgiveness.”
In conclusion, the fault was mine. I had come into her office and recklessly circulated the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
I know it was a hasty act. But it also meant that my relationship with Elena had grown closer.
‘I’m dissatisfied that it’s not a romantic closeness.’
Even if someone else had come instead of her, it wouldn’t have mattered. The Heavenly Demon Divine Art wasn’t a martial art that could be understood just by looking at it, and even if someone touched me, I had complete recovery.
“The decennial festival starts in three months.”
Elena, who had swallowed a grape, got to the point.
The decennial festival.
A grand festival held every 10 years in the capital of the Yustia Empire.
A festival to give thanks for the past 10 years and pray for peace in the next 10 years.
This decennial festival is especially significant. It’s the first decennial festival to be held in Atlantis.
“That’s unexpected. I didn’t think you’d be interested in the decennial festival.”
Elena wasn’t very interested in the decennial festival. She didn’t attend the decennial festival in the original story either. The decennial festival was held in the capital, and even if she attended, it would only make the imperial family, who were the closest to the emperor, shine, and she wouldn’t gain much.
“I’m not interested in the decennial festival itself. I’d like to ignore it if I could.”
“Then ignore it.”
“But I’ve been doing a lot of things lately. If I remain silent and don’t move, those who look down on me will run wild without knowing their place. I’m already busy, and I don’t have the time to deal with them one by one. And above all, the imperial family and all the other imperial dukes are pressuring me to come to the capital for the festival.”
“It’s not like you’ll die if you go to the capital, so it doesn’t matter?”
Even if she went to the capital, all she would get was a scolding from the emperor or other dukes.
The crown prince, her main enemy, wasn’t at a level where he could say anything to Elena. In the Yustia Empire, the power of the dukes was something that even the emperor couldn’t ignore. They weren’t called the pillars of the empire for nothing.
“There’s something you need to do before the decennial festival.”
“As long as it’s not something absurd.”
“And I want to take the A-Plan Legion with me this time.”
“What? Why?”
“It’s trendy among the imperial nobles these days to support legions and form close relationships. I can’t be left behind by the trend. I’ve been supporting the A-Plan Legion since before. Don’t I have the qualifications?”
Close relationship, my foot. There were few who didn’t know that the nobles were trying to exert influence through the legions.
“…The A-Plan Legion is far inferior to you.”
“I know that the A-Plan Legion is gaining popularity. With your and the legion master’s reputation, it’s enough to decorate my name.”
I pondered for a moment and then nodded roughly.
There was nothing bad for the A-Plan Legion. They would be envied by other legions, but that was all. The A-Plan Legion could handle it now.
“Tell the A-Plan Legion Master the details. I’m not the legion master.”
“That’s what I intend to do.”
“What’s the thing I have to do?”
“It’s to deliver a letter to one of the imperial dukes.”
“A delivery job? That’ll be easy.”
“It might not be so easy.”
“What’s the reward?”
“What do you want?”
“I know there’s a ball at the decennial festival. I want to attend that ball as your partner.”
“…That’s an obvious ploy. But well, I owe you a favor, so I’ll grant it.”
Before getting up from my seat, I asked Elena.
“Elena. How much do you trust me?”
“I trust you about 60%.”
I grinned.
I was probably the person Elena trusted the most in this world.
