Tower of Heaven

It was different.

Atlas entered the Celestial Ladder and used the journey to the next floor as time to heal. The Death Qi left by Cain was troublesome and liked to attack the qi that tried to get rid of it, but its resistance was futile as it was still merely a strand of qi.

With the strength of a Sky Sage, such a qi strand could only maintain its power for some hours. It would eventually fizzle out on its own if left alone, but it left his body even faster because Atlas was intentionally targeting it.

Nevertheless, he focused more on the 30th Floor's Cumulative Trial. He had some expectations for it, after all.

He expected to arrive and survey the environment just as he did on every floor, but it was different.

In his perception, it was as if he never left the Celestial Ladder. His vision went black, and when he awakened, he was no longer himself.

He looked down at his body in confusion.

'A royal garb like someone of very high status, but a trained body like someone very focused on cultivation.'

It wasn't nearly as developed as his own body, but it was definitely impressive. This was even an abnormal physique for someone who lived the lavish lifestyle that his clothes told of.

'The spiritual affinity of this body is… Wood.'

As Atlas took in his current state, the panel he awaited appeared.

[30th floor Cumulative Trial: Abandoned Empire]

[Description: The Empire of Ataraxia was a prosperous land where even the common people lived luxuriously. The Emperor was a noble man who helped the land rise from a small kingdom to an empire spanning the entire continent.]

[But fate wasn't so kind. Through years of scheming, the Third Prince killed his other siblings and poisoned the Emperor, taking his throne and leading his Empire into ruin.]

[You will enter the scenario [7] days before the Third Prince kills the Emperor, and [18] days before he takes the throne.]

Time Limit: 30 days

Conditions for success:

1. Bring the story to a proper conclusion.

OR

2. Kill the other Ascender who enters the simulation with you.

[Reward: Based on contribution]

[If your opponent reaches the appropriate conclusion first, you will be forced to experience the ruination of this world with your body and soul.]

'So this is what Scarlet Fox was referring to.'

As she said, this trial was going to make him do something he had never done before.

The moment the trial description appeared, his mind was assailed with memories and information.

The Third Prince of the Empire was once a kind child, so nobody expected him to take such actions in the end.

It all happened so fast that nobody had time to react. The First Prince fell comatose and the Second Prince vanished into the Beastly Forest, leaving only the Third Prince to take the throne when the Emperor unfortunately fell.

As the story went, the Second Prince was framed for the assassination of the Emperor, and his disappearance was assumed to be his fleeing after committing the crime and being caught by his younger brother. The truth would only reveal itself several years later, when it was already too late.

Ascenders entering the trial were granted a random role within the world that would give them different means to complete the trial. Everything, from the fate of the world to the reward at the end, was determined by the path one took.

'Usually, I assume Ascenders would be placed in better roles.'

See, sharing information about Cumulative Trials to those who had not passed them yet was absolutely forbidden in the Tower. Cultivators who chose to do so would be punished severely or even killed.

Scarlet Fox knew this, so she didn't tell Atlas anything about the trial. Merely…

'The Knight King is common. So is the Third Prince.'

That was a sentence she spoke with no context. Atlas could not understand it until he understood the trial itself on his own.

'Those are the roles that most Ascenders are assigned. I assume that everything she said afterward was also related to how to clear the trial through those roles.'

For instance, the phrase, "Destroying everything would be easy for a prince," was mentioned several times.

'Unfortunately, I will not be able to heed much of your advice.' Atlas thought wryly.

After all, he knew whose perspective he was viewing the world's progression through.

The Third Prince, a kind and innocent child who didn't even seem to desire the throne. He had a close relationship with everyone in his family, so it was truly confusing when he started to act distant.

The First Prince fell ill not long after. It was hard not to suspect the changes in the Third Prince.

The Second Prince started to feel like his life was in danger. That was the original reason for his search. He delved deep into the world, developing his suspicions into valid worries sooner than he ever expected.

The capital was riddled with the seeds of darkness and corruption, and it all seemed to lead back to the mysterious Dark Forest whose legend had been told for centuries.

In order to search for clues as to what could possibly be assailing his brothers, the Second Prince entered the Dark Forest.

Right, the Second Prince entered the Dark Forest because he knew that something sinister surrounded the dark fate of his family and he refused to leave it unearthed.

'However, you met your end in this forest, and your story could never be told.'

Atlas found himself standing in that very Dark Forest. He saw a story that nobody else had ever seen.

'You, Second Prince, were a very foolish person.'

He did find something. He found remnants of a mysterious force inside the forest and had been chasing their trail in hopes of unraveling their plans.

In the end, he was slaughtered mercilessly. He wasn't nearly cautious enough with his approach.

'The easiest way to end this trial is as the Third Prince. As long as you stop the other Ascender in time, you only have to wait for the world to end to succeed.'

If you were the Knight King, you could use your great power to kill the Third Prince and end everything just as easily.

The Second Prince did not have those kinds of opportunities, for he was a character meant to be dead throughout the entire story.

However, as Atlas felt the emotions in the depths of the memories he received, he felt sympathy for the Second Prince who only wanted to save his family. He started to feel unresigned to the cruel fate the Second Prince suffered.

And the fact that he had only briefly focused on…

'There is someone else here. If they succeed, I will be eliminated alongside this world.'

He didn't know what role that person was in. They could very well be the Third Prince himself, in which case, Atlas only had eighteen days.

'Seven days until the Emperor dies, and eighteen before the end of the scenario.'

In that time, Atlas had to understand the Second Prince, unravel the schemes behind everything, and bring about the conclusion he saw in his mind.

Easy, right?