Chapter 2681 – 2681. God’S Atlantis

I came through the mirror. I must have rushed, because I lost my balance and fell to the floor. I quickly got up and looked around.

It was a cold, gray castle. Next to me, Elena was kneeling, her head bowed.

Kang Min-jin, Lilsne, and Joo Seo-hyun were running towards us. I checked on Elena first.

“Elena!”

“…I’m fine. There’s nothing wrong with my mind or body. I did use up about 30 years of my lifespan fighting the Thousand-Year Artisan, but I can still use over 70 years.”

I helped Elena up. She didn’t resist my touch and slowly stood up. Her body, which had been that of a child, had returned to its original adult form.

“You don’t look so good?”

“…I have a lot to think about. About my father, and about the Thousand-Year Artisan.”

“What did the Thousand-Year Artisan do to you that you were subdued so easily?”

“The Thousand-Year Artisan… When I met his gaze, I felt the difference in our levels. Immense information and terror took over my mind and body in an instant.”

“Immense information?”

“Yes. Information so vast that even I couldn’t process it. It was like a mental overload. As an illusionist, if I was like this… any other ordinary human would have had their mind collapse and die instantly. If my father hadn’t helped me… it would have been dangerous.”

“Was it information related to the Thousand-Year Artisan?”

If so, it might be a good thing. Judging by the monstrous form of the Thousand-Year Artisan, we needed more information.

“It was disorganized information… I don’t know. I was too busy being swept away by the information. It was a way to protect my mind. There’s almost no information left in my head now. However, I have a feeling that it was a very old memory.”

Elena sighed softly. Her complexion returned to normal. Her expression was the same as usual. The arrogant look of a noble, as if looking down on people.

“Whatever the result, we achieved our goal. There is a way to deal with the Thousand-Year Artisan’s mental overload. We can build a stronger mental barrier, avoid meeting his gaze from the start, or twist and scatter the information itself with illusions. We were caught off guard because we didn’t know, but if we know, we won’t be caught again.”

I pondered for a moment, thinking about the Thousand-Year Artisan.

The Thousand-Year Artisan’s eyes were dragon eyes. I’ve fought and killed dragons several times, so my judgment couldn’t be wrong. But that alone doesn’t mean the Thousand-Year Artisan is a dragon.

‘The form the Thousand-Year Artisan showed at the end was too monstrous to be called a dragon.’

It’s not like only dragons can have dragon eyes. Kang Min-jin is human, but he has dragon eyes. Although Kang Min-jin is being corrected by the system.

‘It’s getting complicated.’

There wasn’t much information about the Imperial Kong, except for the Emperor, Kang Min-jin, and Elena, in the original work or the setting book.

‘The Emperor and Kang Min-jin’s goals are aligned. There’s no reason for them to be hostile to each other, and no reason to cooperate directly.’

But Kang Min-jin would probably know about the Thousand-Year Artisan.

“Illusionist Lord, are you alright?”

Kang Min-jin, who had approached, asked.

“…It seems we were the last to arrive. As you can see, I don’t have any major injuries. Are you all okay?”

“Yes. We’re fine. We successfully entered the Winter Castle and dealt with the enemies nearby.”

“Enemies?”

Kang Min-jin pointed to the wall. There were broken corpses at the base of the wall. The remains of the emaciated corpses, as if they had starved to death, were frozen solid.

“They are frozen undead. They are annoying enemies that emit cold air, but they weren’t difficult opponents. What’s really dangerous here is the master of the Winter Castle, so… we were waiting for you and Eugene.”

“You’re capable. Let’s rest for a bit and then go kill the master of this castle.”

Elena pulled out a chair and sat down. She leaned back deeply into the soft backrest and closed her eyes. She seemed to be organizing her complex emotions. There was an atmosphere that was hard to approach.

Kang Min-jin came to my side.

“Eugene. Can I ask what happened?”

“I was running wild in a fake past. It’s related to the Valdert family, so it’s hard to explain in detail.”

“I see.”

I hesitated for a moment and then asked Kang Min-jin.

“Do you know about the identity of the Thousand-Year Artisan?”

Was it an unexpected question? Kang Min-jin was silent for quite a while before answering.

“Sometimes, just mentioning it can make the opponent notice and become hostile. At least, I can’t say it in this space.”

“…Is the Thousand-Year Artisan that powerful? Is he a god or something?”

“……”

“Ah. I guess he is.”

Thinking about the Thousand-Year Artisan’s appearance at the end… it seemed like he was.

Now I’m really curious about the Thousand-Year Artisan’s identity.

I pressed Kang Min-jin, but his heavy lips didn’t open easily.

“Eugene. If I were to give you advice… it’s best to avoid getting involved with the Thousand-Year Artisan and the Emperor as much as possible. They are not enemies. The Emperor sincerely wants to conquer Atlantis.”

I stopped asking about the Thousand-Year Artisan.

“Then what about Helten?”

“…Those guys are enemies. Helten did step up to conquer part of the volcanic island area, but their real goal isn’t to conquer Atlantis. But there’s no need to fight them. We just need to conquer Atlantis in our own way.”

After that, we rested quietly. Lilsne glanced at me and Elena with a complicated expression, and Joo Seo-hyun glared at me as if she wanted to kill me, as always. Today, her hostility seemed stronger than usual.

Shaaa.

A cold wind blew into the mirror castle. That was all. Those here were not weak enough to shiver from the cold wind.

“We’ve rested enough. Let’s move now.”

Elena said.

Kang Min-jin moved ahead. The destination was the Winter Castle’s audience chamber.

The door to the audience chamber was not just closed, it was frozen shut.

Kugugugung.

As we stood in front of the frozen door, it opened on its own without us touching it. The ice attached to the door shattered, and ice dust scattered.

Sitting on the frozen throne was a black knight with an emaciated face.

「The false winter awakens.」

The Black Knight of Famine opened his eyes. Instead of pupils, blue ghost fire blazed. The ghost fire, which felt like flames, only felt cold instead of warmth.

All the windows inside the audience chamber opened, and a cold wind entered.

「The Great Famine engulfs you. Hunger begins. The more you hunger, the more you lose your reason.」

「A dry winter descends. Coldness slowly seeps in. Your body becomes sluggish.」

Tap.

Elena tapped the floor with her staff.

The space changed.

Sunlight poured down from the open ceiling, providing a warm heat. Thanks to that, my stiff body loosened up. Elena even manipulated the cold wind with her illusions.

“…Hunger is something even my illusions can’t handle. Is the system directly involved? We probably have 10 minutes. Finish it within that time.”

Lilsne shot an arrow. The black knight deflected the arrow with his sword. I, Kang Min-jin, and Joo Seo-hyun ran towards the black knight from different directions.

Kang Min-jin would take the front, and I and Joo Seo-hyun would attack from the sides.

The black knight held a scale in his other hand. We already knew about the scale’s ability through Kang Min-jin. However, even Kang Min-jin didn’t expect the black knight to take out the scale from the start.

“Eugene!!”

Kang Min-jin shouted my name.

[Using Acceleration. Lasts for 10 minutes. Remaining stacks: 2]

[Using Instant. Remaining stacks: 1]

Thunder Sky Style (雷天流) Gale Lightning (疾風迅雷).

Thunder Sky Style (雷天流) Flying Thunder God (飛雷神).

「Using Lightning Speed.」

I, the fastest among us, became lightning and dashed to steal the scale. At this distance, the leap of lightning was the best, but there was no time to concentrate.

I quickly arrived in front of the black knight.

[Using Instant. Remaining stacks: 0]

As the black knight pulled the scale back, he swung his sword at me.

‘My body is temporarily turned into lightning with Lightning Speed, but… the black knight’s sword is too dangerous. If I get hit, I’ll be done for. I’ll sacrifice my left arm.’

Instead, I just need to take the scale. Then we can win without any variables.

Swoosh!

The Lightning Speed state was forcibly canceled, and my left arm was cut off. My left arm fell, but no blood flowed. It froze before the blood could come out.

But my right hand didn’t stop and reached for the scale.

Whoosh.

The black knight’s ghost fire blazed fiercely.

「The gaze of winter freezes you.」

My body froze.

Not only did he take out the scale as soon as the battle started, but he also used the gaze of winter? The black knight was very determined.

‘But thanks to Kang Min-jin telling me in advance, I knew about it.’

[Activating Heavenly Heart. Lasts for 1 minute.]

My freezing body regained its freedom in an instant. Blood dripped from my severed left arm.

I roughly snatched the scale that the black knight was carefully holding.

“You should have held on tight if you didn’t want to lose it. Ah, then you wouldn’t be able to activate the scale?”

The black knight didn’t answer my provocation. Instead, he pulled back the sword that had cut my left arm and swung it.

That short preparation movement was enough time to dodge.

I pulled my body back with Flying Thunder God.

The black knight naturally approached me and swung his sword. But an arrow shot by Lilsne hit the black knight’s shoulder. The damage wasn’t great, but it was enough to stun the black knight.

Using the gap that Lilsne had created, I successfully created distance.

“Good job.”

Kang Min-jin said as he passed by me. Then, Joo Seo-hyun rushed at the black knight.

I smiled from behind and watched the black knight get beaten up. Without the scale and the gaze of winter, there was no way the black knight could win while fighting Kang Min-jin and Joo Seo-hyun at the same time.

“Tsk. You’re carelessly leaving your arm lying around.”

Elena approached. A blue butterfly landed on my shoulder and then disappeared. Nothing happened.

“What are you doing?”

“…Why didn’t my illusion work? I was going to restore your arm.”

“Ah. You can try again in a minute.”

It seems that Heavenly Heart judged Elena’s illusion butterfly as a status ailment.

After a minute. Elena tried her illusion butterfly again. My left arm was completely restored.

And the black knight, who had been holding out for a while, fell. The scale in my hand also disappeared.

「Area 8,840, the Winter Castle, has been conquered.」

「The temperature of Atlantis returns to normal.」

「According to the will of the ruler, the influence of the Winter Castle on the volcanic island disappears.」

「Acquired the title, Winter Overcomer.」

「Mana stat increased by 1.」

「Acquired 10,000 AP as a conquest reward.」

Kang Min-jin must have taken the dominion rights. Unless it’s a special area, killing the ruler gives you dominion over that area.

‘From the beginning, the area conquest rewards were supposed to go to the A-Plan Legion.’

It was decided that Kang Min-jin would take dominion over this area.

I wasn’t interested in this area at all.

‘It’s an area where there are no living beings, including people. There aren’t even any plants. It’s more barren than the desert.’

At least there were people in the desert.

Winter Castle? It’s just a damn big castle. There are no treasures.

The area itself didn’t have any benefits other than the AP that came out every month. Instead, the three items that the black knight left behind after dying seemed quite useful.

They were a helmet, a sword, and a scale.

‘Should I check the information?’

I could have one of the three.