[175] Gods of Atlantis [19]

After stepping out of the village chief's house, I decided to look around Nakil Village while waiting for Kang Myung-jin to return.

It was boring. There wasn't much to see. With a population of only 200, I could see the entire village in about 15 minutes.

'Nakil Mountain. At the very top is the Adversary of the Sun.'

To be precise, it's the Prestige, Adversary of the Sun. Area 406, Nakil Mountain, is cleared by defeating the Prestige, Adversary of the Sun. If I can defeat just him, I can take control of this area.

Defeating the Prestige, Adversary of the Sun will grant me one SS-rank item and one elixir.

'I have the Aegis Amulet. If I use this and Instant… maybe it's possible.'

I looked up at the tall mountain behind Nakil Village, Nakil Mountain. Uniquely, there was a path leading straight to the summit. That path was a straight line, and if I ran nonstop for an hour, I'd reach the top.

'For an ordinary person, it'd take several hours, but my current body's specs surpass my real-world body.'

It might take less than an hour.

'...Should I give it a try? Regardless of anything else, I want that elixir.'

I know just how talentless I am. I have no talent. The only reason I survived the dungeon was thanks to "Lightning" and "Acceleration." I also got lucky.

Right now, I'm stronger than Kang Myung-jin and Joo Seo-hyun, but given time, they'll undoubtedly surpass me.

'If I'm weaker than them, it means I'll have to tiptoe around them.'

I pondered deeply.

In the original story, Kang Myung-jin later defeats the Prestige, Adversary of the Sun and obtains a weapon. That weapon plays a fairly important role later on.

But that's still years away from now.

'I exist here, someone who wasn't in the original. The future will diverge from the original at some point.'

The heroine, Joo Seo-hyun, is now mine. The original plot is already going off the rails.

'If the future is going to change anyway, it doesn't matter if I change it now.'

Even if I defeat the Prestige, Adversary of the Sun, the early parts of the original won't be drastically altered. Kang Myung-jin, who understands the lore of "Gods of Atlantis," will grow just fine even if I take the elixir.

'Since when did I care about the original? This is just a game world. I'll do as I please. I'll become an overpowered character too!'

I've decided to become overpowered in this world.

With my resolve firm, I headed toward Nakil Mountain.

As soon as I stepped onto the path leading out of the village toward Nakil Mountain, a notification window appeared.

[The (Prestige) Adversary of the Sun gazes at you.]

[The King of Demons watches with anticipation.]

[The Lord of the Sky strokes his beard.]

[The Golden Collector narrows his eyes.]

[The Fallen Star cheers for the (Prestige) Adversary of the Sun.]

[The Adversary of the Sun gazes at you.]

I enhanced my vision using mana and saw a man standing atop the mountain.

His black hair was tied in a topknot, and his bare upper body displayed his well-defined muscles. In his hand was a red bow, and at his waist hung a sword.

The Prestige, Adversary of the Sun, is a hero from Chinese mythology.

His true name is Ye.

A hero who shot down nine of the ten suns with his bow.

Even though he's only a Pseudo-God, he's an incredibly powerful constellation, far beyond someone like Lü Bu.

Ye opened his mouth as he looked at me.

"Outcast, turn back. I will not permit entry to Nakil Mountain."

His deep voice reached me. Despite the distance, it felt like he was speaking right beside me.

"Starting today, Nakil Mountain is mine."

With bold words, I began running toward the summit of Nakil Mountain.

"Foolish. Just because you see the sun doesn't mean it's close."

Ye drew his bowstring and aimed at me. An arrow materialized on the string. I gulped as I looked at it.

'An arrow that shot down the sun. Even if he's a Pseudo-God, I can't underestimate this.'

Fortunately, I don't possess the attributes of the sun. If I did, I wouldn't even be able to dodge the arrow.

The arrow was loosed. I activated Instant in response.

[Instant has been used. Remaining stacks: 4]

The scenery in my vision slowed down. Even so, the arrow flying toward me was still incredibly fast. I didn't have time to think deeply. I jumped to the right just before the arrow reached me.

The arrow shot past me and embedded itself into the ground.

BOOM!

A crater formed as if a meteor had struck. I wiped the cold sweat from my forehead with the back of my hand.

'Fuck. I'm suddenly regretting this. Should I just run now?'

No. I've come this far—I can't back down.

I started running forward again.

"You possess at least enough skill to be reckless…"

Ye began drawing his bowstring again. Fortunately, unlike the first time, the second arrow took some time to materialize.

'Just like in the original, he can't fire arrows in rapid succession.'

Instead, each arrow grows progressively stronger. Ye can fire up to ten arrows.

'Ye never fires the tenth arrow. He can only fire it once, and he's already decided where to aim it.'

In other words, Ye can only fire nine arrows. After that, he won't use his bow anymore.

'Ye's close-combat abilities aren't exceptional. If I can endure nine arrows or reach him before then, I win.'

The Aegis Amulet can block three arrows. And with five uses of Instant, I can somehow dodge the rest.

But this leaves one problem.

'I'll have no choice but to take one arrow head-on. I should try to dodge the earlier ones if possible.'

I had to dodge the first arrow with Instant to gauge its speed.

'At this level… I can manage.'

The second arrow flew toward me.

I tried to dodge left but hesitated. The arrow was faster than I expected. My reflexes couldn't keep up.

'Instant!'

[Instant has been used. Remaining stacks: 3]

I barely dodged using Instant.

I had no choice. Without Instant, I would've been hit 100%. I can't waste the Aegis Amulet's charges on the second arrow.

The third arrow came.

This time, I tried to dodge without Instant, but the arrow's speed had increased even more, forcing me to use it again.

[Instant has been used. Remaining stacks: 2]

Even trying to graze past it with the Aegis Amulet in my inventory was impossible.

Judging by its power, even a graze would kill me instantly. My last resort, Complete Recovery, only works if I'm alive.

'Damn it. At this point, I'll change tactics. I'll reach him before he fires the ninth arrow.'

I started running at full speed.

I dodged the fourth and fifth arrows with Instant.

[Instant has been used. Remaining stacks: 0]

I could no longer use Instant.

Ye drew his bowstring, preparing the sixth arrow. The sixth arrow was different—it began glowing pure white.

"I acknowledge you. You are no ordinary human."

The shining white arrow flew toward me. The moment I saw the flash, the arrow was already in front of me.

A translucent hexagonal shield appeared, blocking the glowing arrow. With a sound like space tearing apart, the shattered arrow fell to the ground.

[The Aegis Amulet has 2 charges remaining.]

Gritting my teeth, I kept running.

Ye prepared the seventh arrow.

I reached my hand toward Ye. At this distance, I could reach him.

'Manroe!'

With a thunderous roar, a blue lightning bolt surged toward Ye.

Ye leaped upward, dodging the lightning. Jumping over 5 meters high, he fired the seventh arrow midair with perfect form.

The hexagonal shield appeared again, blocking the arrow. The shockwave alone sent all nearby trees flying.

'That bastard…! He's already drawing his bowstring again without pause!'

The eighth arrow took over 10 minutes to prepare. That alone spoke of its power.

'...What if even the Aegis Amulet can't block it?'

Contrary to my fears, the Aegis Amulet stopped the eighth arrow.

"Impressive. I never thought I'd have to use nine Falling Sun Arrows on a single person."

I was drenched in cold sweat. Based on the pattern so far, the ninth arrow would likely take 13 minutes to prepare.

'I can't cover the remaining distance in 13 minutes. There's not enough time!'

This guy dodges lightning effortlessly. Even if I pulled out a gun and tried a ranged attack, it'd probably be useless.

'Should I beg for mercy? No, that definitely won't work. There must be another way. There has to be…!'

One idea came to mind.

The "Gods of Atlantis" setting book details the Prestige, Adversary of the Sun, Ye. I know what his goal is.

'...That method might work, but…'

What worries me are the constellations watching me. I think they'd react positively, but the Fallen Star might try something sneaky.

'Screw it. Surviving now is what matters. No need to worry about the constellations.'

Thinking long-term, this might even be for the best.

'The Lord of the Sky and the King of Demons are behind me. I don't fully trust them, but they won't let the Fallen Star interfere.'

Having made up my mind, I shouted at Ye.

"Ye! I know what your goal is!"

Ye's stance didn't change, but curiosity flickered in his eyes.

"You know my goal? I've never told anyone my purpose."

[The Adversary of the Sun furrows his brow as he gazes at you.]

Even the real Adversary of the Sun was paying attention.

That's only natural—even though the Ye before me is a fake, he's based on the real one. Unless under special circumstances, Pseudo-Gods share similar personalities, values, and goals with their true counterparts.

"I'm a regressor!"

Ye paused mid-draw. He stared at me intently, unmoving.

"A regressor… You mean you've returned from the future?"

"Yes!"

[The Adversary of the Sun's eyes widen.]

[The Fallen Star disbelievingly tugs at his ears.]

[The Lord of the Sky strokes his chin.]

A regressor.

In Atlantis, they're special but not overwhelmingly powerful.

According to the setting book, regressors existed in the 2nd and 5th iterations of Atlantis. Even if a human returns to the past, they're still just human.

Knowing the future doesn't mean you can exploit it fully—the future isn't absolute.

In fact, while the regressors of the 2nd and 5th iterations became outstanding outcasts, none reached the very top.

"...That alone isn't enough to convince me. Tell me, what is my goal?"

"You're waiting for the solar eclipse that will happen in a few years!"

"…Correct. But that's insufficient. Do you know why I await that day?"

"A solar eclipse is when the moon blocks the sun—the day the sun and moon align. You're waiting for the eclipse so you can use the tenth arrow to kill that damned woman on the moon!"

Ye's arrows only unleash their full power when shot toward the sun. If he fires at the sun during an eclipse, it's no different from shooting at the moon.

Ye's goal is to fully unleash the tenth arrow's power and kill the woman on the moon—Chang'e.

"You know everything. You truly are a regressor…"

Ye lowered his bow.

One reason my lie worked might be due to my unique trait, "Deception (SS)."

"Time-traveler, answer me. Did I kill that woman?"

"You failed."

In the original, he never even got the chance—he was killed by Kang Myung-jin before the eclipse.

Even if he had fired the tenth arrow during the eclipse, he likely would've failed. Chang'e wouldn't just stand there and take it. More importantly, she's already watching Ye.

"...I see."

Ye nodded calmly. It seemed he had already expected his own failure.

"What brings you to me?"

"To take control of Area 406. But as I am now, I can't possibly defeat you. So I propose a deal."

"A deal?"

"I swear I'll turn that bitch on the moon into my six-winged steed! In exchange, grant me dominion over Nakil Mountain!"

[The Adversary of the Sun's mouth falls open.]

[The King of Demons snickers.]

[The Lord of the Sky applauds in admiration.]

***

[T/N: I don't know what the author meant by six-winged steed as I didn't find any reference with this sentence but what Eugene proposed was to make Chang'e into his sex slave or something.]

***

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