Tower of Heaven

"So, Horgen, are you satisfied? It looks like you did all this to prove something, but it didn't go so well for you, did it?"

As Artemia threw the first taunt, the six races below came to an agreement. They had to stop fighting. It was simply too tiring to continue this cycle.

"It went about as expected."

Horgen's response was dry. It was the opposite of what Artemia expected from a person like him, who was known for being hot-blooded.

"It's a shame. If that's all you expected, then I guess Cosmic Dragons have really become weak."

Horgen flinched, but he did not respond. His calmer demeanor made Artemia frown.

She didn't have a personal grudge against Cosmic Dragons, but she always saw them as a competitor that had to be kept at bay. When a Cosmic Dragon came and challenged her like this, she expected something from it.

She was disappointed by his performance and even more disappointed by his attitude, so her words slowly became harsher.

On the other side of the table, Horus and Tyrion were having a more tranquil conversation.

"I saw that your fire giants were extremely lacking in qi control, but they never seemed to get exhausted. Why was that?"

"Simple. Giants are naturally gifted in qi usage. If they are allowed to grow properly, they will gain qi reserves that far surpass most other races. Along with this control, it is about battle formation. It isn't that my giants never ran out of qi, it is that they left battle when they did and were replaced by new fighters."

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Horus gave a proper explanation before asking his own question.

"I assume that your qi problem came from the strict way you raised them, but this also led to a new possibility I didn't expect. I think that if some of your ideas are combined with the primordial techniques I used, we could create an even better Giant Race. How did you make them acknowledge your control?"

Tyrion answered happily. He was originally a researcher, though he did have a personality that helped him get along with brawlers. A conversation like this was not just about the Giants they raised. The things he learned here would help him in experiments he had planned for the future.

While these two scenes played out on the sides, Drya awkwardly sat between them. Atlas was clearly focused on the scene below, so she was left without a conversation partner. Without a choice, she also turned her attention to the scene everyone else was ignoring.

The treaty between the two continents was only followed on the surface at the beginning. Both sides made attacks back and forth for the next several years, as their grudges had not yet been entirely resolved.

There was a great hatred between the common people of the two continents, making it impossible to initiate anything like trade.

However, the Khanii Neurics were a greedy race. They saw the new continent as a new land of materials and resources that would allow them to forge new treasures.

Since they did not want to go to war again, they decided to use a method engraved in their history. Starting ten years after the great war, a martial tournament was established.

There, the top geniuses of the two continents came together and tested their might. New geniuses without affiliation were scouted to sects and influences on both continents regardless of their origins, and slowly, a partnership was formed between the two sides.

Tensions lessened with the passing of time. Much later, trade was established, and even later than that, the hostility that always kept them apart dissipated completely.

The warring period became nothing more than history, and the world became filled with overall peace.

Atlas didn't know why his attention fell away from the world below. He didn't know what made him turn his ears to the conversations of the people around him, but he did.

"Why go to such lengths? We have never directly tried to harm any of you, at least not without being provoked."

"You wouldn't understand. You hear history from the mouths of those who want to hide the truth. You would never understand the plight of my people."

"Please. Azure Dragons don't lie. Everyone knows this. Are you sure that your ancestors aren't the ones lying to you?"

Artemia had absolute confidence in her clan and their reputation. They were a good people who were known for being absolutely just. The thought that they were oppressing people and were the cause of the Great War of Dragons that took place all those years ago was preposterous in her eyes.

But Horgen shook his head instead of responding. When Atlas looked at his eyes, he saw a coldness he wasn't expecting.

"Your people have always been like this. Uselessly prideful and unwilling to listen to reason. That's why you oppress anyone who thinks differently, and that…"

Suddenly, a massive killing intent filled the space.

"...is why you are falling for a simple trick like this."

Horgen grinned, a reaction completely opposite of what was expected from him. For the past several minutes, Artemia had only been jeering at him.

"Did you think I came here just because I wanted to challenge you in this trial? Is there any point in something like that?"

He sneered, finally saying what he had been holding back all this time.

"It's over for you, Azure Dragon cub."

A wave of discomfort flowed over Atlas.

When he looked back at this moment, he realized that he should've noticed something wrong from the beginning.

He didn't know Horgen, but he knew Cosmic Dragons and he knew how Artemia had described him. The person called Horgen Incendio was from a clan of fire dragons known to be belligerent and outspoken.

He should not have been able to take any insults lying down. He should have been fighting far more fiercely and desperately to surpass the Heavenly Dragons he hated so much.

He definitely put in work, but he didn't try nearly hard enough if he knew he was facing Artemia.

And, after the trial, he had merely been sitting there and allowing her to speak. He stared at her with cold eyes without saying a word. That should have been enough of a clue.

But Atlas was too focused on what was happening below. He didn't realize even a single thing until Horgen finally let his hostility loose.

A massive killing intent filled the space. Was it coincidence or did he plan it this way? The scene below ended and a slew of messages appeared before them all.

[Ascender [Atlas Vaun] has completed the 40th Floor Cumulative Trial.]

[You have earned…]

There was no time to look at them. Within that killing intent, Horgen raised his hand and summoned an item. It looked like a cube with a ball of purple-black energy floating inside. As his qi flowed into it, he smiled cruelly.

"Tell your sister I said hello."

He stared directly at Artemia and said words only she could understand. Her eyes widened in rage, but it was already too late for her to do anything.

Tyrion and Drya were safe from the energy as it did not flow in their direction, but Artemia, Horus, and Atlas were all in its line of fire. The purple-black qi flooded their side of the table and consumed them entirely.

For a long time, the only thing Atlas saw was blackness.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om