Tower of Heaven

Atlas and Scarlet Fox separated after speaking for a few more minutes. They couldn't speak in depth about their plans in the current environment, so once everything was confirmed, they parted on good terms.

Their next communication would happen outside of Heaven's Eye. That was when things would truly take off.

Nevertheless, Atlas now had the materials in his hands. He thought he would have to climb a few floors before gathering everything, but with the way the situation turned out, he would leave the 25th Floor with a completely healed and refreshed body.

After arriving at the nearest city and finding an alchemy association, Atlas paid a small sum of money to rent a room to perform his own alchemy.

It was a small area only enough to fit a cauldron and the person using it, but it was more than enough. Atlas sat down and withdrew his own cauldron from his spatial ring and placed it on the ground in front of him.

The Caridian Flesh Tree Sap, the Dragonroot, and all of the supplementary ingredients were placed to the side as he took a moment to close his eyes and reach a calm mental state.

The precision of alchemy required one to empty one's mind of all other thoughts. Only through a clear mind could a perfect pill take shape.

'In terms of process, this is also simple. The ingredients do not need any special care and only need to be melted down into essence and combined.'

The difficulty in this particular pill was that combination stage. At that point, Atlas would need to carefully maneuver his will so that the Caridian Flesh Tree Sap didn't entirely overwhelm the Dragonroot and destroy itself.

Slowly but surely, he began the alchemy process. Unnaturally, he actually started with the bed of supplementary ingredients. They entered the cauldron and were melted before being sent to the side to clear space for the next steps.

The Dragonroot went next. Its flaming yang energy turned the cauldron a bright color and it even had an aroma that forced tears into Atlas' eyes. The effects were slightly lessened by the presence of those yin-based secondary ingredients, but it was still a huge impact.

Dragonroot was specifically the root of a Twisted Doom Tree that had been drenched in the blood of a dragon. They were rare, but as Dragonroot could also be formed with the blood of lesser draconic species over a longer period of time, it was still accessible.

And when it came to what Atlas was about to place in the cauldron, this level of heat and fiery energy was necessary.

The Caridian Flesh Tree was a very dangerous being if left alone without supervision. When such a tree found itself in a state of gaining sentience, it would be polluted by its own demonic aura and turn into a slaughter tree that craved blood.

The sap within was pure now, but it had the potential to turn as red as the blood moon and become even more malevolent.

Those properties existed in this Caridian Flesh Tree Sap, but they were muted by the fact that they hadn't awakened yet.

When the sap entered the cauldron and interacted with the flames and Atlas' will, that changed.

Those properties immediately awakened, and the entire alchemy room was clouded in darkness in but a moment.

The huge yin aura was difficult to control. Atlas gritted his teeth and did his best, barely bringing it under his control.

'The Dragonroot…!'

He moved his will, bringing the yang-attributed ingredient closer to the sap essence. Its flames erupted out of the top of the cauldron, mixing with the scene caused by the sap and burning the darkness away.

But the goal was never to completely get rid of it. At a certain point, rather than fighting, the two forces began to coalesce into one. Yin and Yang came together and calmed each other. The eruptions outside of the cauldron died down, and as Atlas gained control over the materials within, he was able to start the merging process once and for all.

The Caridian Flesh Tree Sap and Dragonroot came together. The essences of the supplementary ingredients pushed into their fusion and stabilized them further.

A small ball of milky white and red liquid was created, and in the next ten minutes, it was condensed into a single pill.

Once he had it in his hand, Atlas swept the sweat off of his brow and sighed.

"Done."

The Enhanced Demon Heart Pill was not easy for him to make. It was a Heaven-Grade Pill at the very least, making the one Atlas created quite impure.

'However, it is more than enough to strengthen my meridians as I originally intended.'

And, it was good practice. Atlas gained some confidence in attempting to make Heaven Grade Pills in the near future.

He had an entire day in the alchemy room, so instead of leaving, he decided to take the pill immediately. Its warm essence flowed through his blood and qi channels, arriving at his every meridian and filling them with the aura of life.

It was a feeling almost similar to a breakthrough in that Atlas felt like his body was going to burst from all of the energy for a moment, but it was far more subtle than a breakthrough feeling.

Atlas guided the energy gently and made sure not to waste a single bit of it. In another hour, he had completely absorbed it.

'With that, I have done everything I intended to do.'

He had accomplished all of his current short-term goals.

'Now, the main focus is the 30th Floor.'

Not only was it a Cumulative Trial he had to surpass, but it was also the location where he could get rid of Dusk's constant watching eye.

After spending the rest of the 24 hours he had reserved to practice alchemy, he immediately found his way to the Celestial Ladder.

But, there was something…

Something he had forgotten about that was supposed to happen when he started climbing again…

Well, it wouldn't take long for him to be confronted by it head-on. Perhaps, at that time, he would finally remember.

When he arrived on the 26th Floor, he was greeted by the same notifications that he'd now become used to.

It got quiet when he was doing the 25th Floor trial, but ever since then, the Gods had refused to leave him alone in case something else happened that threw them for a loop.

Amidst their random messages and occasional requests for him to become an Apostle, Atlas made his way into the scenic environment.

Just like how most of the different ecosystems on these floors between the 20th and 30th were similar, the trials were similar as well.

Within these forests and lakes that looked too picturesque to be true, Atlas found himself in an interesting position.

'This floor's task is to act as a knight, is it?'

The concept of a knight was something similar to a personal bodyguard for a person of high status. It was also a term used for military purposes, but the status it held there was originally defined by the importance they carried as the protectors of kings.

Atlas personally had never been in a position where his entire life revolved around protecting another.

Once again, it was an interesting experience.