Chapter 92: Focused Cultivation [1]

The man was large, at least twice the size of someone like Atlas. The pressure of his natural aura was also something most people would be unable to bear.

In all ways, the man looked and felt like he truly deserved the title, [Calamity Dragon].

Yet, his attitude remained that of a grandfather that every child loved dearly, the same kind of grandfather who made his own children endlessly sigh in weariness.

'Kallos was also this kind of person, and until my final day, I was never able to win against that attitude.'

He learned that it was just better to accept it and go along with it. So, that was exactly what he did even in this moment.

"It is a pleasure to finally meet you, sir. I have long heard of your great name."

He decided to be cordial. Alaric was not someone he could treat as a friend even if his attitude suggested it. He was a powerhouse of unbelievable strength. His words weren't fooling anyone. The look in his eye and that aura filled with blood were not friendly in the slightest.

"Hmm…"

Alaric rubbed his beard, scanning Atlas up and down.

"So, my wife sent you here?" He asked, somewhat dropping his original demeanor.

"Yes. She said that we both may find something by meeting," Atlas responded.

Alaric scratched his head.

"Well, if she said it, then it must be true. Since you are Ari's friend, I don't mind spending some effort on you, but you'll have to prove yourself first."

"Sorry?" Atlas said with confusion.

"What? You came here to become my disciple, didn't you? I won't just accept you because you look good," Alaric replied.

"No, I–"

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"Anyway, let me see what you're capable of. Everything else can come after."

In the seconds that followed those two sentences, Atlas had that thought.

'I truly should have ran.'

BOOM!

Alaric disappeared, only becoming visible enough when he was right in front of Atlas.

[Intrinsic Foresight]

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'He has lowered himself to my level.'

The fact that Atlas could see him was enough proof.

When the attack finally struck, Atlas was already prepared. He dodged to the side and slammed his foot into the ground.

[Exploding Runes]

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The impacts occurred directly on Alaric's skin. They did no damage whatsoever, but they did their job well enough.

While his body was covered by their light, Atlas moved behind his target and jumped into the air. Two chain sickles appeared in his hand, and in the next moment, they were striking towards Alaric's neck.

"Good battle sense!"

They were mere words spoken in a direction facing away from Atlas, but the force they created was massive.

Each syllable felt like an explosion that made Atlas' ears ring. He was thrown back on three separate occasions before he could stand up again, and when he was finally reoriented, he was already in the midst of another collision.

'This speed…'

Alaric did nothing but throw punches. He didn't even mobilize a fraction of his qi, using purely a fraction of his physical strength.

Yet, none of that mattered. This was never a fight that Atlas could win. It was merely a place for him to show off his skills.

BOOM!

Atlas crossed his arms and took the attack. The shock reverberated through him, but the actual level of damage was surprisingly low. There were a few cracks in his forearms, but they could be easily regenerated without wasting too much mental power.

Plus, the strike allowed Atlas to make some distance. He threw a chain sickle at Alaric and another one at a faraway pillar. Naturally, a chain sickle wouldn't do anything to Alaric, but by the time he was slapping it away, the second blade successfully stabbed into the top of the pillar and anchored itself.

Atlas gripped the chain with all his strength as he saw Alaric gearing up for another approach. Just as the man disappeared from his sight, Atlas was able to make his move.

'Return.'

The chain sickles were able to extend infinitely as long as Atlas gave them qi. This was the same in the opposite direction as well. As long as the sickle was anchored properly, the moment he retracted his qi…

Whoosh!

Alaric appeared in front of thin air. Atlas flew into the air on a path to the pillar he was anchored to. Turning around, he raised his hand and mobilized as much qi as he could reasonably allow.

[Hidden Flame Lance]

The technique was used three times in quick succession. As the flame lances moved towards Alaric, Atlas dropped to the ground and prepared for the next attack.

He knew that the array of explosions ongoing at the other side of the arena meant nothing.

As he expected, a shadow appeared amidst the chaos, walking through the flames to reveal itself as an unharmed Alaric.

"Interesting! You are at the Core Formation Realm, yet in control alone, you surpass a common Earth Sage. Still, your skill is shallow. You clearly have something to rely on, but you are choosing not to rely on it."

Alaric spoke and slowly approached. Atlas maintained a stance prepared for battle only until he confirmed that he was no longer interested in fighting.

"Relax, kid. That was enough. I've seen your level clearly."

Those words, along with his lack of sudden movements, gave Atlas some assurance. He put his weapons away, but he did not stop circulating his qi, just in case Alaric was bluffing.

Fortunately, he was not.

"You don't need my help when it comes to comprehending the Dao. It's probably not something I can help you with anyway. If my wife wants me to help you, though… I guess there are some things I can teach you."

This was the story of how Atlas unwittingly became the disciple of the Calamity Dragon. He never asked for it or planned for it, but as the days passed, he realized that it was better for him to stay and learn properly.

First and foremost, there was nothing embarrassing or shameful about becoming the disciple of someone far stronger than oneself, especially if that person could truly improve one's strength.

The matter of the soul that he wanted to solve originally was put on hold as it was not something to be easily understood. Nevertheless, when Atlas finally settled into his temporary life with the Azure Dragon Clan, he found that the things he received here were too good to pass up because he didn't directly desire the situation.

This was an environment where he could truly accomplish everything he came to Vanatos for, and he could do it at a far faster pace than if he did it alone.

'My mind tells me to walk a lonely road, as it is the only road that I have ever known. However, in this life, I am being thrown allies from all directions. It is almost as if some higher entity is trying to send me a message.'

He couldn't walk this path with absolute confidence because of that worry.

'Does it originate from the darkness?'

The darkness originated from the mysteries of his past, and the worries impeding him originated from the darkness.

At the end of the day, the only solution was to climb the tower, continue to develop, and find the truth.

And if the Azure Dragon Clan was destined to be a part of that fate, then he was more than happy to ignore his instincts.