Tower of Heaven

Cain was suddenly surrounded. It truly happened in an instant.

He could have never expected it, as cultivators at their level were barely at the threshold of using qi outside of the body. They shouldn't have been able to create qi projections that didn't come directly from them.

So, as Cain was forced to suddenly pause his momentum, when a ring of razor-sharp flame blades that looked like the tips of massive spears appeared around him, he was nothing short of befuddled.

But he didn't have time to feel that emotion for long.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The blades didn't attack all at once but moved essentially at the same time. The slight delay between them allowed for an explosion that grew larger and larger without collapsing in on itself.

The force compounded and slammed into Cain's body, leaving him with nowhere to run.

Atlas peered through the dust and smoke and watched his attacks strike their target. Yes, Cain was confused, but he was not wrong.

As someone who reincarnated, Atlas already understood the principles of controlling qi that wasn't directly coming from his body. However, he wasn't able to use it yet.

He still had to grow, as his body first needed to form a better connection with the world around him.

Nevertheless, using some tricks, he was able to replicate the effect to an extent.

A small string of his qi attached all of the blades to his body, and when it was released, they naturally fired in the opposite order through which they were assembled.

Cain's physical body was incredibly strong. Though his current form was a clone, it was a direct reflection of the strength he himself held.

Atlas realized it after fighting him a second time. These clones weren't as simple as corpse puppets. They were the creation of an intricate technique that almost allowed Cain to exist in two places at once.

He could feel all of the pain this fight caused with his main body, and when this clone died, he would feel the effect of that as well.

Merely, that pain didn't harm him. It did not make him miserable.

No, it was this very pain that he enjoyed so much. It was the thrill of standing on the line between life and death, never knowing if he would survive, that drove him to live every single day of his life.

If it weren't for that pain, he was better off dead.

That was why he grinned.
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In the midst of those flames, as his body crumbled to pieces, he grinned wider than he'd ever grinned before.

'This is it.'

What a euphoric thing!

'This is what I was searching for.'

He looked at Atlas through the fire. He could see that the other man was ready to attack again whenever he needed to. In a sense, this was a battle he'd already lost.

'But he won't show me everything yet.'

Even if they continued this battle, Atlas would not show him more than he'd already revealed.

'That's no fun.'

What was that mysterious ability that changed his qi? What else was he hiding?

If he wanted to find these things…

'...then I have to lose now.'

"Atlas!"

He yelled as the flames died down. His flesh had melted away already. He essentially remained as a half-melted skeleton knight whose armor had been destroyed.

"Next time, I will face you properly. You have earned my respect!"

Atlas' expression didn't change in the slightest.

"Sure. Do better next time, then."

Cain's eyes widened. He only saw it for an instant before the connection between himself and the clone was forcefully destroyed.

A clean black blade, a blade different from the ones he'd seen before.

It was a blade that looked unassuming, but it slashed through every layer of armor he had like they were made of butter.

"Hahaha…HAHAHAHAHA!"

It was a situation where anyone else would have screamed. Cain's main body was suddenly enveloped in the pain of death. Every single impact he suffered during the battle was compounded into a single burst of pain that followed the death of his clone.

He laughed where he should have screamed. He cried as he felt an immense sense of pleasure from the pain that paralyzed his body.

"Atlas Vaun….Atlas Vaun…"

His eyes rolled into his head.

"It would feel so good to kill you…"

In an unknown location, Cain reveled in euphoria.

However, compared to how much he valued their battle, Atlas was mostly indifferent.

***

'It is good training. I have to admit that much.'

It was the extent of his thoughts. Cain was a strong opponent and every time they fought, Atlas could feel himself noticeably improving.

Nevertheless, he definitely wasn't a person he'd want to keep around. That person was dangerously insane. Atlas didn't understand why he loved pain so much, but he didn't want to be the one who satisfied the other man's urges.

'I can use it for the next few floors in order to get used to my current strength, but that is the end of it.'

Cain said the game would end if Atlas could either kill him or escape. As he didn't know the location of the main body and didn't want to dedicate that much effort, escaping was the route he chose.

'The 30th Floor has gained a lot of importance recently.'

Suddenly, it was the place where he could get rid of all of his pursuers and be free to do as he pleased.

The group he left behind wasn't far away. They were waiting in a nearby forest where they'd established a campsite. They were not going to leave him behind by any means.

Naturally, it was a trial mechanic, but it would make any true knight feel incredibly honored.

After rejoining them, Atlas spent the next few weeks entirely free of any distractions.

It was almost unfathomable. Well, it would have been unfathomable if he didn't already understand why Dusk had been unable to bother him since the 21st Floor.

Regardless, it was still hard to imagine.

'The entire force of Dusk is being held back by a group that follows Cain.'

According to Scarlet Fox, four assassination groups had already been slaughtered, every time at the very moment they came through the Celestial Ladder.

Dusk was being forced to stand back and wait until the "game" ended if they didn't want to needlessly waste troops.

In fact, Cain was quite a known figure on the lower floors. He was only climbing the Tower now, but he'd spent time on the 10th Floor Neutral Zone building a force of great proportion for many years beforehand.

When he first started climbing, he created a festival of blood that alerted the entire Tower to his existence, and ever since then, these "games" had become inescapable for both the cultivators trapped in them and those who wanted to interfere.

'Or so that is how the story goes.'

Naturally, Atlas didn't plan to become just another step in Cain's Legend.

'Rather, it would be more entertaining if I was his first complete loss.'

The 26th Floor's task neared completion faster and faster with every passing day.

It was only a matter of time before they faced each other again.