Tower of Heaven

[Exploding Runes]

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The atmosphere was filled with explosive heat. The grass died and became a charred black color instantly, and the surrounding trees didn't take kindly either.

However, what could they do? They were not the old and wise sage trees who could convey their thoughts. They merely existed, and so they died.

The explosions blinded Gloria's vision and messed with her control over the shrapnel rain. Atlas used the cover to his advantage and activated his mask's skill, vanishing entirely.

His chain sickles had already been retracted. He held the blades in his hands and pierced the veil with his eyes, focusing his attention entirely on Gloria.

Slowly, he emitted a qi that was different from what he usually used.

'I have to do this quickly so Aria doesn't notice.'

Nevertheless, if he wanted to end the battle without letting Gloria fight back, there was only one solution in his current repertoire.

'Alaric, you old bastard. You were wrong.'

For Atlas possessed power that even he was unaware of.

An ordinary Sky Sage? Who knew how they would do when they faced his challenge?

However, a fake Sky Sage? A product of experimentation?

Atlas looked down on such an existence. Cultivation had no purpose if one didn't struggle desperately to attain it. And to prove that point, he was going to kill this imposter and deny everything that she believed was her strength.

Water qi wrapped around his body and blades. Atlas' eyes swirled as the world slowed down in his vision. He lowered his stance like a cheetah preparing to pounce, and…

[Flow Like Silk]

Smooth, effortless, unassuming, yet deadly.

A move that became one with the wind and flowed like a quiet stream in the middle of an isolated mountain range, but also a move that contained within it the currents of a raging ocean.

Xiu!

The sound was like an arrow cutting through wind. The only sight was a faint line of aquamarine qi.

However, Atlas was gone. He was moving so fast that he became the ray of light in the eyes of anyone who could have been watching him.

His path was a straight line. If time slowed down, one would be able to see it. He cut through all of the ongoing explosions and arrived in front of Gloria. Her eyes widened as she recognized his presence, but the qi that surrounded him immediately threw her into a confusion.

While she tried to reason with it and hurriedly escape, she'd already lost her chance. She'd lost her chance not only to escape this interaction, but also to prove anything that she was hoping to prove.

She only heard those words before her vision went black.

"In the end, your neck is still human."

In the next moment, a blade slashed through it and cut it in half.

A great spurt of blood flew into the air along with the severed head. Atlas moved several more meters in the same direction before he stopped his momentum and turned around.

'Tch.'

His opponent was dead, but it wasn't yet time to be happy. He immediately took his chain sickles out and flung them towards Gloria's body. She could no longer command it, so there was no resistance as they wrapped around her chest and stomach.

'Khhhh…'

Atlas pulled with all his strength. He spun with his feet dug into the ground and used his momentum to carry the weight of the mostly metallic body, dragging it into the air before releasing it.

It may have been considered a desecration of the dead in any other circumstance, but that kind of respect couldn't be given to someone like Gloria.

BOOOOM!

It was a massive explosion, enough to put light in the dark sky for several seconds. Metal shrapnel sharp enough to murder its victims rained down and flew through the air. If the same explosion happened on the ground, it was sure to have caused collateral damage.

'I barely managed to sense it. What a subtle usage of qi.' Atlas commented inwardly.

In that moment, if he hadn't noticed Gloria activating such a mechanism right before she died, then he would have suffered the consequences.

Now, the same rain of shrapnel that would have severely wounded him at the very least was easily pushed away. With Artemia also noticing the explosion and blocking the shards, it wasn't a problem at all.

'I should return.'

Atlas and Gloria had moved relatively far away from the campsite in their battle. He had to cross a few meters before he returned to the original source of fire.

Artemia had already freed the other young geniuses of the divine beast clans. When Atlas returned, they were in the middle of conversing.

"Seriously, when did you get so strong? I thought we would be able to compete this time!"

The one currently speaking was a young lady with red hair who had to be a phoenix. She was one of two red-haired women, while the other two were a man and a woman with white hair and a man who looked more like a boulder with a unique black and green hair color.

These divine beasts had very exquisite transformations, but they kept their features in some ways. As Atlas had learned by spending time with the Tatsuya Clan, it was easiest to distinguish a divine beast in human form by the color of their hair.

The conversation continued while Atlas approached, but it stopped when he got close enough. The geniuses of the divine beast clans had never met him or heard of him, after all. His appearance here was both curious and untrustworthy.

"Ah…!" Artemia exclaimed after noticing the atmosphere.

These five were trapped in the tent when they arrived. Artemia had to release them from qi-blocking chains and sensory deprivators, so it made sense that they were wary.

"Guys, this is Atlas. He's a friend I made a while back, and he's actually the one who killed that Sky Sage. Basically, he's good! He may be a little boring, but that's about it!"

It was a very Artemia-like introduction, but it definitely eased the nerves of these five geniuses.

It had to be noted that his true name was used. Artemia knew not to spread it to just anyone. He had made his desire to remain concealed clear. However, for her to use his true name here meant that she trusted these people with her entire soul.

If they were not outsiders, then they were not outsiders.

'And my name… no, it's fine.'

Atlas threw away that train of thought and nodded in greeting to the members of the other divine beast clans.

"If what Artemia says is true, then you are our savior. Thank you for your aid. Truly."

The white-haired man from the White Tiger Clan stepped up and bowed with his hands clasped.

The others did the same as they heard his words, sharing his sentiment.

"There is no need. I have become quite associated with the Tatsuya Clan recently, so it isn't too much to call us allies."

Idle conversation was nice when there was time for it, but now was not such an occasion.

Atlas scanned the crowd before his eyes landed on the woman from the White Tiger Clan. She had a toned and muscled body and dressed like she had a similar personality to Artemia.

More importantly, though, her qi was the strongest of the group.

Atlas tossed the second amulet he received from Mireiya at her as he addressed the five of them as a whole.

"That amulet will allow her to use her full power. The five of you can move together to the Tatsuya Clan's temporary base in Rona to collect amulets and talismans for the rest of you. As long as everything goes to plan, this conflict will end soon enough."

There was no need for Atlas to explain more. They would learn from the people at the base.

The white-haired man, whose name was Bai Jun, nodded slightly.

'He recognized Jingyi's strength immediately. He is not simple.'

Considering how Artemia was also not objecting, he decided to listen for now.

'Atlas, she said…I will remember it.'
Enjoy more content from m-v l'e|m,p| y- r

It was a short interaction that ended with the two parties going different ways. Alaric originally told them to work together, but that plan had to wait until they'd equipped themselves properly.

Until then, there was too much work that he and Artemia could do for them to join the five on their way back to Rona.

"Dad said there's another camp around here, didn't he?" Artemia said.

"He did, however, it may not be something we can handle. Gloria was likely the weakest of the perpetrator's disciples," Atlas responded.

Artemia shrugged in response.

"I know, but we can at least have a look, right? If it really isn't something we can handle, then we can leave."

"Haa…"

Atlas would've rubbed his forehead if he wasn't wearing a mask. What else could he expect from Artemia? Of course she wanted to dive into danger without looking back.

But…

'In this instance, I also wish to do the same.'

Because even if it was dangerous, there was definitely something worth seeing about a camp headed by an even stronger member of the same group that Gloria was in.

'She herself was weak, but those artifacts…'

Those artifacts were unlike anything Atlas had ever seen before.

The perpetrator's other disciples surely had unique artifacts of their own, and Atlas wanted to see them.

He wanted to see how far the world of artifact crafting and forging had grown in the time he was away.