Tower of Heaven

Chapter 121: 21st Floor [8]

With the information from Scarlet Fox, Atlas learned exactly how many people were sent to deal with him.

'Including the reserve force that is laying in wait.'

Within the next few days or weeks, they were certain to appear to pressure Atlas even further.

'The twenty-two who were originally following me are the only ones currently on this floor who have been given orders to chase me. That confirms that there are only four currently active.'

The instant Atlas finished his task and registered his contribution points, He was already gone. The third teleportation talisman was used, and he arrived at the opposite side of the realm.

There was a way to control the random teleportation so he could arrive roughly where he wanted to be. Essentially, if it could not find a destination to place him in, it would direct all of its energy the opposite way.

If Atlas got close to the corners of the realm, he could ensure that he'd arrive somewhere near the opposite corner.

Using that strategy, he once again arrived relatively close to the first Replica he found and far, far away from his pursuers. While they tunneled their way out of the ruin, he turned in his Ironblood Hound heads and took his contribution point total up to 280.

'During this period, I can enter the cities freely.'

He didn't need to travel far for the next task. When Atlas entered the city and started interacting with the Replicas, he started to understand what this trial was like for the ordinary Ascender.

It was definitely not stupidly easy, but it was completely different compared to Atlas' experience.

The tasks in the city remained in the city. There were small tasks that awarded a few tens of points and larger ones that gave hundreds.

Atlas first spent three hours doing small tasks. He found people's missing pets, caught petty thieves, and even cleaned a Replica's storefront. He did whatever work he could do in a short period of time, gaining ten points from every task.

Soon enough, he had acquired 350 points for himself. With only 150 left before he had the 21st Floor trial completed, he moved on to larger tasks.

The highest-paying tasks had to do with exploration.

'If I had not submerged the ruin to trap those assassins, I could have earned two hundred points just from its discovery.'

He had to let it go. Hunting tasks paid him well enough, and since they were all on the outskirts of the city, he was able to remain in the area and work efficiently.

Three days. In three days, Atlas was able to do more than he could in the past month. In three days, he went from two hundred and eighty points to five hundred.

And though he knew that these three days gave the assassins more than enough time to escape, find him, and once again start chasing, he was more than satisfied with what he saw.

[Ascender [Atlas Vaun] has completed the 21st Floor Trial.]

[You have been awarded 1 Tower Point.]

It was an abysmal reward. Atlas completed in a month what usually took others a week or less, after all.

If the reward was the only thing he wanted, he would have been extremely disappointed.

'However, this time, I was rewarded with freedom.'

The Tower trapped Ascenders on the same floor until they'd completed the trial. The Celestial Ladders were blocked, so Atlas couldn't easily escape, but he now had the chance to. It was no longer impossible for him to leave.

When it came to the 21st Floor, this was one of Atlas' most joyous moments.

It was one of the only joyous moments, and the last until he left.

In the past month, Atlas had already scoped the Celestial Ladders. He knew what kind of forces he was facing. Was there really a way for him to get past those kinds of defenses?

After the Law Sea Realm, one would become a mortal emperor. One would attain power on an entirely new level from what could be experienced before. People in the Law Sea Realm were able to glimpse that new realm.

They were almost at that next peak, which made them incomparable to an ordinary Sage Realm cultivator in the Earth or Sky Sage Realms.

'Even if their actual cultivation has been suppressed to Sky Sage, I do not want to risk it.'

When their numbers were so high, when they were concentrated in the same place and prepared for his arrival, he didn't believe his odds.

'I am confident, but I will never be arrogant. I am still one man. I cannot yet face an army and ensure my victory.'

He had no choice but to spend more time around the Celestial Ladders.

He made his way there, knowing that he was being followed. The assassins had already found him after three more days, but they stood back and allowed him to do as he pleased.

They weren't being kind to him. Rather, they were just allowing him to understand reality.

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His actions in completing the floor trial were commendable, but that was the end of it. He could not advance and he could not retreat.

'They are packed even more tightly than before, and there are no mistakes in their operation. These soldiers are not like the hastily assembled troops of Heaven's Gate who acted carelessly. These are the highly trained members of a Society with a genuine desire to use its resources against me.'

He gritted his teeth in frustration. He already had enemies to his front and back. The last thing he wanted to see after days of searching for a solution was the arrival of enemy reinforcements.

However, that was exactly what happened. The reserve force of another twenty Dusk members arrived. They received information from their colleagues and instantly became aware of his position, movements, and abilities.

The number of active enemies had effectively doubled. Atlas' chance of escape dwindled.

'They will be on me within the hour.'

The power of a great influence.

When it was supportive, it was the greatest blessing in the world. When it was hostile, it truly made the world feel hopeless.

Atlas couldn't think of a single way for him to reach the Celestial Ladder and escape. The environment had been cleared out, leaving him no cover or advantages and the cultivators were too strong.

'I do not have a moment to sit down, think, and find a way to get through this one.'

Not anymore.

As Atlas sat there, unable to find even a clue, hope came to him in an unexpected form.

[Treacherous Phoenix looks at you.]

[Treacherous Phoenix asks if you would like to make a deal.]

Atlas looked at the notification in surprise.

"A deal?"

[Treacherous Phoenix nods at you with an indiscernible expression.]

The words that appeared in the air made Atlas' heart race.

[Treacherous Phoenix claims that they will help you escape.]

They would help him escape. Somehow, in some way, they promised to do so.

But that kind of help was never free. Atlas watched the air in wait until that message eventually came.

[Treacherous Phoenix says that they will take all of your Tower Points in return.]

Was it a good deal, or was it a scam?

Atlas had no idea, but if he wanted to escape the 21st Floor…

'...I have no choice but to accept it.'