Chapter 114: 21st Floor [1]

"Will he be okay?"

It was a question asked to Alaric by a member of his blood. As they awoke to greet the new day, they found that the man who had been visiting their palace had decided to leave.

Though he never spoke of them, they knew of his troubles. They weren't going to accept him so happily without checking his background.

However, since he didn't ask for any help, Alaric decided not to provide any.

"It will definitely be hard for him, but there isn't a disciple of mine who'd fall to a challenge like this."

In the end, he was confident in his young disciple.

"I don't know where his fate is going, but it's bound to be a road filled with troubles. A person like him…he will not enjoy peace until a long time passes. It's better for him to adapt to struggle when he's still young."

Mireiya told Alaric things that she withheld from Atlas.

She told him about the crimson heavens that Atlas was fated to face, about the pure aura of blood and death that plagued his prophecy.

It was not a path that anyone should have been walking, but Alaric wasn't one to interfere in the destiny of others.

He only wishes his disciple good fortune on his journey.

And if worst truly came to worst…

'...then I can only promise that I will not become your enemy.'

***

The difficulties began the moment Atlas stepped back into the Tower. His body appeared on the 21st Floor. He had a second to gather himself and observe the surroundings, and in the next moment, he was surrounded by attacks.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The entire entrance area of the floor was completely destroyed. Sixteen Sky Sages attacked all at once, leaving not a single bit of room for anyone to survive.

When the smoke cleared, there was nothing left in the center. An uninformed observer might believe that they'd eliminated their target in body and soul, but these experienced assassins knew better.

"He has escaped using a teleportation talisman. Notify the brothers. The target has entered the field."

A man dressed in a black robe adorned with the symbol of a setting sun commanded his people. Atlas would have preferred if they waited to strike him, but that wasn't going to happen.

The news of the Blood Moon Phenomenon also served as news that Atlas was still alive. The moment the depictions spread through the Tower, the Cerulean Cross who stood at the head of the Dusk Society mobilized his assassins and took control over the 21st Floor entirely.

This was not a half-baked scheme meant to end in Atlas' benefit. It was a plan that the leaders of Dusk had five years to craft.

Every single corner of the 21st Floor from the most hidden caverns to the highest peaks had been mapped. Both Celestial Ladders were blocked behind an ironclad defense, and if Atlas wanted to even complete the main trial of this floor, he would need to go through Dusk assassins.

It didn't matter what he'd been through in the past five years. He never told anyone about his conflict with Dusk or the mark they were using to track him, so it was still there. It was still giving his relative position away to any member of Dusk who wanted to know.

For the time being, he could only make a hasty escape and plan the rest after.

'It's a shame to use one immediately, but it's better than dying.'

Atlas sighed. He received three teleportation talismans. With one used here, he would need to be extra careful about how he used the other two.

'My defenses are prepared. I am ready to fight, but it should only be done in the worst-case scenario. This is different from the 11th Floor.'

The 21st Floor was essentially a country of its own. Even the task was unique when compared to what the Tower had presented him thus far.

'Mercenary work, it says.'

The trial was more "human." It required Atlas to complete mercenary tasks that he received from guild buildings scattered across the floor. Once he received 500 contribution points, he would be able to move on to the next trial.

'Well, that is the normal procedure.'

For Atlas, it was a little different.

'Firstly, I cannot easily enter any cities. I will have to find tasks in secluded places. As I am being tracked, I also run the risk of having my task ruined before I can complete it.'

This was Atlas' first introduction to what the Tower called "Replicas." They who looked and acted like ordinary people were actually nothing more than projections of the Tower made for the sake of the trial.

The effect such replicas would have on Atlas remained to be seen, but what he was worried about after first seeing the explanation was the assassins of Dusk messing with the Replicas that gave him his tasks.

If he completed his mission and returned to a dead Replica, then wasn't it all for naught?

'I am truly trapped.'

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Atlas had at least some hours before the people from Dusk caught up to him. He used them to map as much of the realm as he could.

'From the highest vantage point I could find in a short period of time, the most I can see is roughly a third of this realm. If I wish to plot the rest, I must do it while evading the assassins.'

Atlas didn't bother checking if the Celestial Ladder was a viable escape route. It naturally was not.

'Despite taking some days to ponder over it, I have not found a way out of this situation. In the worst case…'

[Treacherous Phoenix watches you intently.]

[Great Sage, Heaven's Equal says he is excited to see how you escape this one.]

[The Sly God says he hopes this spectacle can make up for the ones he missed.]

Atlas shook his head. He had not yet reached the worst case.

'I can do as much speculating as I want, but it means nothing. At this point, the only thing I can do is continue forward.'

He had to find a way to complete the trial of this floor.

With that thought in mind, he went to work.

He descended the peak he stood atop as the assassins of Dusk scaled it. He traversed the same forest as them, using everything in his power to keep himself hidden.

There were multiple collisions in the next few weeks, but there wasn't anything that could be considered serious.

The assassins of Dusk tracked Atlas and followed him no matter where he went. They cornered him several times by using numbers to their advantage. However, Atlas always managed to escape. He used a great deal of resources to do so, but he still made it out of every situation he found himself in. Sёarᴄh the nôvelFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

'The most valuable takeaway is that they cannot see my exact position.'

They could see the area that he was in. This information was supported by their knowledge of the realm, but Atlas was able to spend a decent amount of time moving between hiding places to get past them.

The foremost reason why Atlas was able to evade them was even more simple. He hadn't stopped moving yet.

Before starting the 21st Floor trial, Atlas ran across its entire length to find the most optimal position to approach from.

It took two weeks. In two weeks' time, he understood the best route to take.

The time for the true confrontation between Atlas and the people who wanted his head would begin now.