Tower of Heaven

Chapter 234 Realm of Death [1]

The next several moves Atlas would make against Dusk were made with one purpose, to gain the attention of Gods.

The Gods that normally followed Atlas were those who only sought "entertainment." Back then, when he was on the 11th Floor, [Treacherous Phoenix] personally told him so.

'I thought all Gods were the same, but that isn't the case. Actually, sponsoring Ascenders brings them many benefits and even aids their cultivation. Most Gods are searching for Ascenders they can use.'

It was demeaning to an Ascender to be a tool for a God's cultivation, but that kind of perception went away when the God provided several benefits in return. This kind of mutually beneficial relationship was one of the foundations of the Tower.

'Gods of Death are the most picky of them all. Because Death has so many forms and perceptions, they exclusively look for those who manifest Death in the way they approve of. There is not enough information about Gods for me to choose which one sponsors me, however…'

As long as he continued to walk on the edge of death and entertain it at every step, at least one would take interest in him.

'And, with enough time, I can turn a curious God into a supporter.'

If death was his goal, then he couldn't focus on areas like the recruitment centers. He had to find actual populated Dusk bases.

'I am not a cultivator who will be known for bullying the weak either.'

He was going to find and challenge people who could match his strength, because only then would his achievements truly be respected.

'If that world is not accessible, then I can only target bases in the outside. If I want to find the most quantity in the smallest area…'

He took a look at the information Scarlet Fox gave him.

'The 23rd Floor.'

It seemed like an odd place to concentrate a Society's forces. It would have been if they chose it for any other reason.

'The Societies in the Tower have to get their resources somewhere. Definitely, a portion of them come from the contributions of the Ascenders that climb the Tower under the banner of those Societies, however, that is not enough to provide for the sheer number of people in a Society the size of even Dusk.'

The Dusk bases on the 23rd Floor were concentrated in such a location because Dusk had established an array of mines and quarries there.

'Scarlet Fox couldn't find exactly what they were mining for. Their security is quite strict.'

If she spent some more effort, there was no doubt that they could find the information, but what she provided was more than enough.

Her resources were focused on the creation of her own guild and needed to stay that way. The information Atlas asked her for, at least for now, had to remain as nothing more than a side job. He also accepted this, and he was actually the one who tried to maintain this as much as possible.

'Tight security indicates that there is something valuable present there. If I can take that resource from them, or if I can destroy the source…'

Atlas didn't waste any more time on thinking. After saying his goodbyes in Vanatos, he immediately used the Celestial Ladder to reach the 23rd Floor.

It was his first time here. This was one of the three floors of the Tower that he skipped when he jumped into the abyss.

'I should never doubt [Treacherous Phoenix] too much.'

If he had decided to ignore their advice, he would have arrived on a floor that Dusk controlled with a stigma of their creation marking him as an enemy to any member of their influence that saw him.

It would have been the end for him. Much worse than the pain of the abyss would have been the pain of dying to a horde of thousands of Dusk members.

'What they're acquiring is unknown, but I have an understanding of their numbers and strength.'

Other than the miners and ordinary workers, who were being kept as slaves, everyone else present was at the very least an Earth Sage. They were one thousand highly trained and skilled cultivators that Atlas would have to face.

After arriving on the 23rd Floor, Atlas naturally took a few days to observe and surveil before attacking. He wanted to look for an opportunity when only Dusk members would be present.

There wasn't such a moment. Everyone who worked on the sites stayed on the sites. It was the complete opposite of the dormitory situation of the recruitment center.

'My best opportunity is in the middle of the day when the sites are active.'

At that time, most of the slaves were concentrated in their work areas, and most of the Dusk members were outside. Those supervisors and others with similar roles could be handled afterward or ignored if necessary.

Once it was decided, there wasn't anything else for Atlas to prepare. There were eight work sites in total. The first one he targeted was a mine.

Even when he was walking up to the entrance, he was met with six guards who blocked him and questioned his identity.

His cold eyes were the last thing they saw before they were engulfed in flame.

The mine itself was at the very back of the site. The rest of the space was taken by buildings that housed administrative members, soldiers, and other members of Dusk.

Some of them also existed as dormitories for the slaves to use, but those would be destroyed just like everything else.

In the end, after this, they would no longer be slaves unless they chose to return to Dusk and turn themselves in.

Atlas made a scene at the entrance. He didn't act covertly. When those six guards died, he was able to get past the very first border gate, but his troubles had only begun.

For that reason, Atlas never withdrew his qi. He kept it in the world, constantly ready to attack.

Like that, he made his charge.

Flames ran rampant, consuming buildings and people. The enemies who expected flames started to fight back with the weaknesses they could manifest, but they soon encountered a flurry of qi that came from a completely different vein of the Great Dao.

The cold and indifferent energy of water qi quietly slithered through the blazing inferno and found its targets unaware. It crept up their bodies and sliced their necks, moving like a contortionist with its unbelievable dexterity.

At the same time, on the other side, a green energy did the same. It was calmer and more graceful with its movements, like a beautiful woman walking barefoot through the forest. When it found enemies, it wrapped them in its embrace, lulling them into a blissful sleep of nothingness.

In reality, they would be left as husks that had been drained of their life force, but the warmth they felt during death was what would remain with them in the afterlife.

And…

[Presence of the Mountain]

For the first time, Atlas approached a battle with confidence that he could wield the weak earth qi in his body as a technique. A "fourth" force compounded on top of the energy of the first three Daos. A scene where one attacker possessed the energy and power to cause chaos that even four individuals could not replicate started to play out.

There were a thousand enemies. It was no small amount. If Atlas wanted to fight them one by one, it would be absolutely impossible.

However, that was not the approach he chose.

He fought in a way that he knew would bring him victory.

And victory was what approached him with every passing second.