Chapter 1353

<Episode 1353> 1353. The Atlantis of the Gods

Zone 6,700, the Kingdom of Entertainment, truly lives up to its name with a population rivaling that of an entire nation. An impressive 10 million people fill this zone to the brim.

Of course, having a large population doesn’t automatically mean it’s all good. In [Atlantis], what matters most is the power of each individual.

The humans in Zone 6,700 lack the strength and experience gained from battling monsters. Since this zone is abundant and free from monsters, there’s no need for them to grow stronger. External entry and exit are also strictly controlled by the system, so they never feel any danger.

This is why Zone 6,700 has no army.

In other words, Zone 6,700 is like a greenhouse, and its inhabitants are like delicate flowers within it.

“Whether they’re weeds or flowers, I don’t care. What matters is that the population is 10 million. There’s no way there won’t be at least one girl who fits my tastes, right?”

I wandered around the famous spots in Zone 6,700. These were places with high foot traffic, where I planned to find a girl who caught my eye and charm her. In short, street casting.

However, after three hours, I realized I had underestimated the task.

“How is it possible that not a single girl catches my fancy?”

A city with a population of 10 million. And in areas with heavy pedestrian flow, I spent three solid hours observing. Most passersby were young, with excellent hair designs and fashion sense. I did spot quite a few eye-catching beauties. But if you asked me whether their beauty was enough to make them idols… absolutely not.

“Compared to Joo Seo-Hyun, they’re just average. If I paired them with Joo Seo-Hyun as idols, the group would fail instantly. The beauty gap is too wide; they’d end up as backup dancers at best.”

What I wanted wasn’t someone to be Joo Seo-Hyun’s backup dancer but rather her peer. After all, girl groups don’t work alone.

I walked around the streets for an additional two hours.

It was wasted effort.

Five hours down the drain.

There was no girl who matched Joo Seo-Hyun’s level.

“Come to think of it, another agency wouldn’t leave a beauty on Joo Seo-Hyun’s level untouched. Joo Seo-Hyun herself received a contract offer from Lilith Entertainment as soon as she arrived here.”

Zone 6,700 is called the Kingdom of Entertainment for a reason.

It’s a unique zone dominated by entertainers. With over 100 entertainment agencies in this zone, they’ve likely already scooped up all the decent beauties.

“There’s nothing I can do. I’ll have to change my plan. I’ll charm some decent-looking girls and create a girl group where Joo Seo-Hyun is the only standout member.”

Top-tier idol under contract with Lilith Entertainment? Joo Seo-Hyun alone could achieve that.

“If it doesn’t seem feasible, we’ll just go our own way.”

So, I lowered my standards and approached a reasonably attractive girl.

“Hello. Could I have a moment of your time to talk?”

I politely asked a lady exuding elegance. She scanned me from head to toe. She…


Ah, you sure got some guts on you, huh? Looked like someone forgot their manners today~

“Uh… this doesn’t feel like regular work. Did you come from a talent agency or somethin’?”

“Oh, yes! You caught me!”

“This is your 17th time, right?”

The lady stuck out her hand at me. I panicked. Was she asking for money? Just in case, I fumbled through my wallet and placed some cash in her palm.

“What the heck are you doing?!”

“…You didn’t ask for money, did you?”

“Who do you take me for, a beggar? I said hand over my business card, ya dense lump! No wonder you’re at the bottom of your company.”

“Haa… basic skills missing here. Which agency are you even from?”

She gave me a sharp glare, probably ready to dismiss whoever I’d name. Could anyone really turn down Lilith Entertainment, one of the top agencies even in Zone 6700?

I opened my mouth confidently, expecting her attitude to change.

“Lilith Entertainment.”

“…You’re not lying, are you?”

“Why would I lie? If you don’t believe me, I can even connect you with President Lilith herself.”

“Well, if you insist… I guess I believe you. Haa… so Lilith has fallen THIS far, huh? Guess those rumors about Lilith losing its edge were true after all…”

“Let’s talk somewhere nearby… maybe at a cafe? Nothing bad, I promise.”

“Alright then. Here, take this.”

She waved her hand at me, and the bill I’d given her flew back at me like a flower petal in the wind before landing on the ground. People around us started whispering.

My mind went blank. Did she just… try to make me pick up money off the floor? Like some kind of power play?

“Wasted my time there.”

She coldly remarked.

“YOU LITTLE-”

Before I knew it, my hand had swung out and slapped her across the face!

She fell onto her butt with a thud, clutching her now-red cheek as she looked up at me.

“Did you think I’d just let you treat me like some pushover? Looks like someone’s got some serious misunderstandings. You ain’t pretty enough to pull that diva crap on me. Watch me eat you alive, bitch!”

Fear flashed in her previously haughty eyes.

“KYAAAAAAH!”

As her scream rang out, I felt a chill run down my spine. The people around us were already recording everything on their smartphones. In Zone 6700, we’ve got our own special internet network. If this scene goes online… things are gonna get messy real quick.

“WHAT THE HELL?! PUT AWAY YOUR PHONES!”

Most people ignored me completely.

“Dang, this is epic.”

“She just straight-up slapped her!”

“Wait, she’s from Lilith Entertainment?”

“Lilith’s reputation’s totally trashed now.”

I approached the nearest guy – red-dyed hair, silver piercings on his nose and ears. The punk didn’t flinch when I got close, instead looking at me with an unimpressed expression.

“Hey, I told you to put away your phone! Why aren’t you listening?”

“Hah, what makes you think you can boss me around? That’s my phone, none of your business.”

CRACK!

I kicked him square in the shin. His leg bent unnaturally outward, clearly broken.

“AHHHHHH!”

As he lost balance and fell, I stomped on him repeatedly, putting all my strength into each stomp. For good measure, I wrecked his other leg too.

“GAH… STOP! PLEASE STOP! I WAS WRONG! SPARE ME!”

“You should consider yourself lucky, punk. Normally I’d just kill someone like you… but since I’m on vacation today, I’ll settle for leaving you a cripple.”


Hey. You should count yourself lucky that I’m not a murderer.”

Having reduced the delinquent to mush in ten seconds flat, I surveyed my surroundings with an icy gaze. People were already fleeing from me.

I clicked my tongue.

If the videos people took start circulating, things are gonna get annoying. Not only will Lilith Entertainment be embroiled in controversy, but it’ll also cause trouble for Ju Seo-hyun’s debut. Lilith will likely disown me while cleaning up the mess…

“But debuting Ju Seo-hyun without me? What a joke. Ju Seo-hyun is *my* idol.”

I had to fix this. The first solution that came to mind was hacking—hacking all the smartphones in the vicinity and deleting the footage.

“…But there are way too many people for that.”

So, I opted for another method.

Crackle-zzzt.

A surge of blue lightning sparked around me. Focusing my energy, I stepped into the stance, unleashing a circular electromagnetic pulse that spread outward from me, disabling every machine in its path. The smartphones of fleeing bystanders instantly became bricks, and the neon signs hanging on nearby buildings went dark in one fell swoop.

“Huh? My phone turned off!”

“Me too! Mine too!”

“What’s going on? It won’t turn back on!”

As they panicked, I decided it was best to make my escape.

「The Lord of the Skies gazes upon you with intrigue.」

「The Lord of the Skies finds this amusing.」

Glancing at the system notifications, I smirked.

Find it amusing, do they?

To be honest… it was *wildly* entertaining.

Street casting clearly wasn’t working.

It’s hard to find a girl who catches your eye, let alone confirm she has the talent necessary to become an idol.

So, I changed my plan.

Instead of searching, I’d poach trainees from other agencies using sweet-talking persuasion. After all, if another agency has already trained them, they’re bound to be suitable idol material. I targeted a smaller company—smaller meaning weaker.

Fleur Entertainment.

A three-story entertainment building. Compared to Lilith Entertainment’s towering skyscraper, it was barely even half as big.

“According to the internet, there are idols here set to debut soon… Let’s snatch them.”

Just as I confidently strode toward the entrance, a man in a black suit blocked my way.

“I’m sorry, but Fleur Entertainment is restricted to authorized personnel only. Did you have an appointment? If you tell me who you’re meeting, I can check immediately.”

“……”

BAM!

I landed a punch straight into the guard’s face, sending him reeling unconscious. I shook my hand—it tingled slightly. Clearly, this guard wasn’t just some ordinary guy.

“…Using regular civilians as guards would be weirder in this world.”

[Hack successful.]

[CCTV hacked for 2 hours.]

I didn’t forget to hack the CCTV either. And just in case, I used my innate ability, Deception (SS), to alter my appearance. Confidently, I headed upstairs to the second floor where the practice rooms were located. No one stopped me—probably because I looked so authoritative.

Inside the practice room, seven young women wearing training outfits danced energetically to upbeat music. Each one was stunningly beautiful. These were Fleur Entertainment’s trainees. There were no instructors or staff present, which worked perfectly in my favor. Closing the door behind me, I approached them.

“Hello there, ladies.”

Startled, the girls paused their routine and tilted their heads, looking confused.

“Wh-who are you?”

“I’m from another agency. I’ve got a great offer for you all—if you hear me out, you won’t regret it.”

I grinned wickedly as I stared them down.