Chapter 1365

<Chapter 1365> 1365. The Spirit’s Atlantis

Jackson is a native of the 6,700 Zone. This meant he had lived in the 6,700 Zone since the beginning of the eighth Atlantis.

The 6,700 Zone appears glamorous on the surface, but upon closer inspection, it’s filthy enough to make your teeth chatter.

Jackson had encountered situations like this a few times before.

‘In times like these, you gotta stay calm. First, back up the data on the server…’

While tapping away at his machine, Jackson glanced out the window. Black cars stopped in front of his studio, and men in suits poured out. At their center was Director David.

Gray hair neatly slicked back, stark white skin, sunken cheekbones, hollow eyes. Naturally, he wore a black suit—his appearance reminiscent of the Grim Reaper.

‘Dammit. Looks like they brought the goons too…’

The 6,700 Zone is considered safer than other zones. At least, most people in the 6,700 Zone think so. But if you look closely, that’s not entirely true. All kinds of crimes happen in the 6,700 Zone—they’re just not easily visible to the public eye.

The Kingdom of Entertainment gains AP based on popularity each month.

AP.

Atlantis Points.

A higher-tier currency than the common Penny used throughout Atlantis.

In the 6,700 Zone, simply maintaining popularity earns you AP every month. Large entertainment agencies typically receive over several hundred thousand AP per month—it’s equivalent to being a regional ruler in some other zones.

AP earned through entertainment activities alone offers relatively low risk with high returns. That’s why the flies keep buzzing around.

‘Goddamn goons…’

Most of these goons are exiles from outside who managed to get lucky and secure residency permits for the 6,700 Zone. They settled down thanks to their superior physical abilities compared to ordinary humans. Only other goons or the police responsible for maintaining order in the 6,700 Zone could handle them.

‘The cops are useless bastards too, which is the problem.’

Still, holding onto a faint hope, Jackson reported the situation to the police. But as expected, the call disconnected after only two rings. The police had intentionally hung up.

BOOM BOOM BOOM!

“Director Jackson. It’s David. I know you’re inside. We’ve even brought you a little gift… Would you kindly open the door?”

“……!”

Jackson sucked in a breath. His heart pounded wildly. If it were Director David, today might be his last. Should he just tell David everything?

‘…No. If I do, that lunatic might…’

Images of Sung Yoojin cruelly torturing and killing Robert AD surfaced in his mind. Her bloodthirsty expression made his fingers tremble. Jackson feared Sung Yoojin more than Director David.

“Director Jackson. Are you in danger? If I don’t hear from you within ten seconds, I’ll have no choice but to force my way in! Ten. Nine. Eight…”

“Hold on! I’ll open the door now, so don’t do anything!”

“Oh, you’re safe. Thank goodness.”

Jackson stared at his smartphone while heading toward the entrance. Sung Yoojin had read the message but hadn’t replied. Whether she was deliberately ignoring him or reading it while on her way here remained unclear. If she were coming, it would take her at least ten minutes.

Managing his expression, Jackson gripped the doorknob.


Director David emerged more peacefully than expected. That is, he’s open to conversation.

We can buy some time until Sung Yoojin arrives.

The entrance door opened. Director David gave a faint smile and slightly bowed his head.

“Supervisor, I apologize for visiting so late at night. Feeling guilty, I couldn’t come empty-handed, so I’ve brought gifts. Please take a look.”

“Gifts?”

Jackson’s gaze shifted behind David. The goons in suits were holding boxes—lots of them.

“What did you bring?”

“The latest electronics and seasonal fruits.”

Gifts.

Under normal circumstances, Jackson would’ve cheered with joy. But now, he felt as uncomfortable as sitting on a bed of thorns.

David, the director of Nar Entertainment, was originally an exile who worked as a mercenary in the Outer Zone.

He was thrilled to come to Atlantis. With his skills and intelligence, he believed he could thrive there.

But reality didn’t match his expectations.

Atlantis was a savage world.

Is the law closer than fists? Ha, what a joke. Knives were closer than laws. A world where brute force outranked power and money.

Being smart? It doesn’t matter when facing someone stronger. One word from the strong can change everything.

David came to Sector 6700 because there weren’t many powerful people there. With its many restrictions, strong individuals found Sector 6700 more suffocating than attractive.

“Better to be the head of a snake than the tail of a dragon. That’s my motto.”

David looked at Jackson sitting opposite him. Despite Jackson’s arrogant attitude, fear shone unmistakably in his eyes.

David smirked and narrowed his eyes. He activated his unique ability.

「Using Lie Detector.」

「Lie Detector

Can discern lies.

Type: Unique Ability

Rank: A」

“The task I asked you to do…”

“You’re doing fine. Don’t interfere.”

「Lie.」

“Yes, understood.”

Despite Jackson’s prickly response, David’s expression remained unchanged. His mind, however, was working rapidly. The task given to Jackson was simple: just roughly produce Fobitz’s music video. Literally, just rough it out.

But it wasn’t going well. Something was off.

David decided to bring up another topic first.

“Do you know where Robert AD is?”

“How would I know? That guy vanished without a word during work. Probably sleeping at home.”

「Lie.」

Jackson’s voice trembled.

『Fear』.

David thought Jackson feared him, but if that were true, he wouldn’t even make eye contact. No, Jackson fears something else.

“Director Jackson. Even minor information would help. Do you have any leads about Robert AD? Are you hiding him?”

“Why would I hide that guy?”

It wasn’t a lie.

Jackson wasn’t hiding Robert.

“…Actually, I assigned a separate task to Robert AD. Are you aware of it?”

“Nope. How would I know? Stop asking me about Robert.”

「Lie.」

“So you do know. I asked Robert AD to secretly film Fobitz changing clothes.”

“…That’s disgusting. David, this has nothing to do with me.”

“Director Jackson, you’ve been fearful since the start. What are you afraid of? Did Robert AD die?”

“…”

Jackson’s pupils shook violently.

“If not, say so.”

“Don’t… don’t know. Robert probably took your money and ran. That’s what he does.”

「Lie.」

“He’s dead.”

“I already said I don’t know!”

“Could it be Lilith Entertainment? They’re coming down hard this time. I knew Lilith Entertainment didn’t shy away from dirty work, but murder…?”

“Shit. I don’t know! Stop jumping to conclusions…”


“Get out this instant!”

「That’s a lie.」

“Did you get threatened by Lilith Entertainment? Director, please join hands with me. I’ll save you, Director. Just trust me and follow my instructions. Lilith Entertainment won’t dare touch you. I swear it on my name.”

David bowed to Jackson, feeling quite pleased at the thought of putting a leash on him. Lilith Entertainment’s bold countermeasure? He had anticipated it to some degree, so it was fine. No, he had even hoped for it. Lilith Entertainment would stumble because of this.

‘Lilith Entertainment acted too hastily. That’s their mistake. If they want to fight in the dirty places… then I welcome it. First, let’s coax Jackson into revealing everything…’

Thud.

A dull sound came from behind.

When David turned around, something fell from above. It was a severed human head. The face belonged to one of the bodyguards he knew well.

Jackson’s face entered his field of vision. Jackson’s pale expression was horribly distorted with fear. The bodyguards moved before they could even scream.

Thud, crash, bang.

There was no sound of battle.

Instead, the sound of bodies falling was heard. A severed head dropped, and blood pooled on the floor. All of his bodyguards were dead. Someone stepped through the puddle of blood, approaching David.

Cold sweat trickled down David’s neck. He felt as if a sharp blade was enveloping his whole body.

“Hey.”

“……”

Slowly turning his head at the call, he saw a man standing among the corpses, gripping a crimson sword.

“Are you David?”

“…Yes. I’m David, working for Nar Entertainment. And you are…?”

“How should I kill you? Since you messed with my woman… don’t expect an easy death.”

“I… I haven’t met any woman recently. There must be some misunderstanding…”

“Forbes. You tried to install a hidden camera, didn’t you, you little punk. Some guy named Roberts already spilled everything.”

Sung Yoojin swung her Hwaryeonbidoh in annoyance. The nearby car that belonged to one of the fallen bodyguards was cleanly split in two, spewing blood and guts.

David grabbed his trembling hand. He immediately understood. This was a crazy person who couldn’t be reasoned with. During his time as a mercenary, he had encountered such madmen twice, and their stench was unmistakably strong here. One only killed boys, and the other enjoyed cannibalism. Both of those lunatics had been stronger than David.

“Please spare me! I’ll do anything. Anything at all!”

David got down on his knees on the floor after getting off the chair.

“Oh? Bowing your head right away? You seem like a smart one. It’s good we can communicate. I’ll spare you.”

「That’s a lie.」

I’m going to die.

The opponent has no intention of sparing him.

He snapped back to reality. He had survived encounters with crazies twice before. If he just stays focused, he might survive again.

“I’ll do anything. I’ll give you all my fortune. Please… please spare me!”

“I said I’ll spare you. Look up. Let me see your face.”

「That’s a lie.」

David looked up.

The psychos he’d met hated being asked to repeat themselves twice.

“It’s been a long time since someone pissed me off this much. I probably won’t forget your face anytime soon. Right arm or left arm? Which one should I cut first? Hm?”

“My inherent ability is a lie detector. I can judge lies by hearing someone’s voice.”

“…Oh? Interesting. So?”

“I’ll become your personal lie detector. Please spare me.”

“I said I’ll spare you, didn’t I?”

「That’s a lie.」

“If you tell me to bark, I’ll bark. If you tell me to kneel, I’ll kneel. I’ll expose all the corruption at Nar Entertainment. I’m sure I’ll be useful to you.”

“The secrets of Nar Entertainment, huh? Now that does pique my interest. How about the entertainers there… can they provide sexual favors?”

“Yes. I can summon them immediately if you wish.”

“Hmph. I did need a useful dog anyway… You’re growing on me. I’ll spare you.”

「That’s a lie.」