Tower of Heaven

"You said your name was Harmon, right?"

There was something particular about Atlas' alias. He only learned after he entered the Tower, but it seemed that the Divine Being he was named after was alive in this ecosystem. His name was practically blasphemy. It was only considered differently because of his circumstances.

He found himself facing those circumstances when he had to find an alias to use consistently.

There wasn't a problem when mortals did it. They didn't know any better. Atlas' name was given to him by his parents, so no God could question its veracity.

However, the situation would be different if he personally chose to steal a God's name for an alias. That level of disrespect would not be tolerated.

Atlas didn't know much about the Gods, but he knew that they were entities he could not offend at his current level. Therefore, he chose to use the name of someone he used to know instead.

Harmon was an individual who didn't need to be spoken about for a long time, but he was relevant enough to Atlas' history that his name came to mind.

Perhaps his story could be explored in the future, but he...

He was not someone who had the fate to exist into the modern world whether through life or legacy.

Nevertheless, as the group started their journey into the tomb, Atlas found himself chosen as the conversation partner of a certain bird-headed man.

The twins were not very welcoming people, so he decided to let them do as they pleased. Atlas was also not a very welcoming person, but he was only one person, which made him a far easier target.

"Indeed," Atlas replied succinctly.

It wasn't that he was averse to conversation, but he also wasn't focused on it at this time.

They were already walking into the tomb, which meant that their trial could start at any moment.

The man named Horus didn't seem to mind at all. Despite the clear danger signs and the blood stains covering the walls, he continued to yap like he was in the safest place he could possibly be.

Luckily, he was still focused on the trial, so Atlas didn't have to be too worried.

"The problem with Cumulative Trials is that people are not allowed to post hints about them on the forum. This trial especially is rarely mentioned by even Ascenders who have cleared it," he said.

"I'm truly curious about what awaits us in such a mysterious place. Is it safe to say that you are the same?"

"Excitement is a natural feeling for any cultivator approaching danger, for it is that very danger which gives us strength," Atlas responded.

"Haha, it is indeed so. However, is death truly so exciting?"

Horus' tone was strange. Atlas took note of it, but didn't draw attention to it.

"Death is not exciting."

Atlas could confirm that with his own experiences. Death was not exciting in the slightest. It was dark and hollow, a force that truly could not be escaped.

"What garners excitement is opportunity. In this tower that is filled with nothing but opportunity, death becomes irrelevant. It is only a consequence faced by those who cannot reach their ambitions."

"And you believe you're different?"

"I believe just as much as anyone else. It is my actions that will determine the rest."

Horus smiled slightly.

"As expected, you are an interesting one."

They spoke about nothing in particular, but that was the extent of what they could do at the moment.

Horus never intended for this conversation to yield anything useful about the trial in the first place. Rather, he wanted to learn more about his teammates and competitors.

Atlas was the only one who entertained him, but he was maintaining a colder tone that made it clear that he did not want to share more than he had to.

As for the twins, they'd completely closed themselves off. Their attitude was one of leeching off of others' achievements until they found an opportunity to get ahead.

Those kinds of people were easy to read. Their facial expressions and mannerisms said more than words ever could, so Horus could easily predict their actions.

People like Atlas were different.

His mask was already hiding most facial cues. He didn't give anything about himself away in his mannerisms either.

'If there's one thing I have to take into account, it is that he is always ready for battle.'

Horus could feel that Atlas would be ready to counterattack even if he chose to make a move at this very moment when they had yet to encounter danger.

'He will be a reliable teammate, but if his strength is the same as his attitude, then he will be just as troublesome of an opponent.'

Horus was a person who liked to analyze those around them and understand all variables.

Atlas was the same, but he wasn't focused on people nearly as much. To him, the environment was far more important at a time like this.

'It is safe to say that the entire tomb is my enemy.'

His irises swirled indiscernibly as the [Eyes of One] activated.

For tomb raiding, it was truly a blessed ability. The structure of the walls was broken down, and Atlas was even able to gain just a small amount of information about what the outside world looked like.

More importantly, as darkness and light were banished into the world of grey, he was able to see far into the distance.

'This entire corridor is filled with traps.'

As he observed his periphery, he realized that even the ground they were currently standing on was laced with countless mechanisms that could activate at any second.

'However, those in this section of the tomb are worn down. It seems that enough Ascenders have participated in this trial to exhaust the earliest trap systems.'

The casual walk they were able to take for the first twenty or so meters of the corridor was only possible thanks to the deaths of hundreds before them.

'The next section…'

The next section was far more prepared for new intruders.

To the best of his knowledge, Atlas was the only one able to actually detect the trap mechanism in front of them.

Yet, the entire group stopped.

After all, there was a dead body in the path that made it obvious to them all.

"That man is…the one from earlier," Horus said with narrowed eyes.

Atlas nodded. He was indeed the person Horus was thinking of, the first person to walk off when he first suggested they work as a team.

"This is the price of his arrogance," Atlas sighed.

"There must be a wire or a pressure plate somewhere. Be careful to watch your step."

Of course, Atlas knew exactly where it was, but it was not his duty to share its location with the rest.

It was easy to make the assumption that he was a kind man due to his actions as a Guide for five years, but that was a misunderstanding.

Atlas knew how to be kind, and he chose to exercise that trait of his in moderation.

He could help the Ascenders who were trapped in the intermediary floors and unable to progress, but why would he show the same courtesy to his direct competitors?

At this moment, they were not just Ascenders climbing the tower together. They were people competing to reach the same goal.

'In practice, this trial is an individual activity.' Atlas thought to himself as he carefully crossed the path, avoiding the many pressure plates in the ground.

He stepped over the dead man's corpse and continued, reaching the other side in a relatively succinct fashion.

'We have been summoned as a group, and we are to help each other in theory, however…'

The "description" section of the trial window was easy to overlook. It gave some minor context about the trial's lore, but it didn't have anything to do with how the trial was actually cleared.

Whether they were on the twentieth floor or the fiftieth, Ascenders had a tendency to overlook the description window and only pay attention to clear conditions.

This trial was an exception because of only one sentence.

'The Fallen Immortal's Legacy.'

Clearly, nobody knew what it was. It didn't matter regardless. The legacy of an Immortal had the potential to change everything for a cultivator who was still in the Mortal Realms.

Everyone here was thirsty for that legacy, so this was a land of betrayal and competition, not one of team-building.

Atlas watched as his group members also made their way over the trap. Horus found his own path, while the twins followed the paths that had been laid out for them by their two teammates.

'It may be easy now, but they will not survive for much longer if they plan to act like this.'

The twins were a lost cause. After observing their behavior for these brief ten minutes, Atlas had confirmed that they weren't worth paying attention to.

That man called Horus, on the other hand, was different.

A golden light shined in his eyes. It was difficult to register as his eyes were golden from the start, but Atlas was able to pick up on it.

'An ability similar to the Eyes of One, and a demeanor as if he already knows what is in store for us…'

As expected, the tower was filled with interesting people.

Atlas refocused his attention on the path ahead.

This tomb was a Cumulative Trial, but it was also a piece of history that could only exist because of the tower.

Atlas never forgot his main goal in this place.

He wanted to unlock the secrets behind his own existence, and through his search, he wanted to know how the world changed so much in the time he was gone.

These Cumulative Trials were his biggest clues at the moment.

As such, he couldn't be satisfied with ordinary results.

'As he said, it will be difficult to take hold of the hidden reward.'

But, it was something Atlas wanted to do as long as he had the ability.

And if it was only his ability that he needed to worry about, then he wasn't worried at all.

There was nothing he trusted more than exactly that.

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