Tower of Heaven

Ruru had been waiting in the forest for several days. Though he knew that Atlas was his savior and a friend to dragons, he still felt concern.

A forest like this was exactly the kind of place where he was slumbering when he was captured. In the past year, Ruru's perception of the entire world had been clouded by a veil of fear.

He would not be able to return to the pride and arrogant demeanor of the dragon until he was able to conquer that same fear.

However, since his savior told him to wait, he waited.

In Atlas' own words, "If you wait, you'll see something good. I promise."

Atlas knew that the real Ruru was already gone. He had died in the tomb without seeing the light of day again. Still, he hoped that helping him get revenge in this dream world would appease his spirit wherever it was.

Perhaps this Ruru could return to his people with a positive mind and regain his pride.

Those kinds of meaningless thoughts were what drove him to not immediately kill the five officials he'd caught in the tomb.

After tying them up in one large package, Atlas dragged them out of the tomb through the same secret entrance they used to maintain the place.

He dragged them through the surrounding forest, scraping their bodies against the ground and forcing them into a bloodied state while they pleaded with him.

However, he did not listen to their cries. He only noticed when they came to an abrupt halt.

Those five people.

[Frederick, Gerald, Jared, Hama, Praten.]

Their names were said in the tongue of a dragon.

Their eyes widened in horror. Standing in front of him, completely healed aside from his wings, was the same dragon they'd captured. They recognized him well, as they'd spent the last year with him.

He was speaking to them with cold eyes. He was speaking, something they thought he was unable to do.

That was when they realized the extent of their mistake. This dragon was a much greater creature than they had originally thought, and it was now free, completely uninhibited.

The Sacred Artifact…it didn't mean anything anymore, because the dragon had a human companion with strength that could not be touched by the Sacred Relic.

Ruru, who had been waiting hesitantly in the forest, completely changed his attitude the moment he sensed Atlas on the horizon.

He sensed the "gift" his savior had prepared.

What commenced then was one of the most brutal scenes of slaughter that Atlas had seen in his current life.

Ruru truly expelled all of the hatred and hostility he'd been holding in for the last year in the best way he knew how.

It was the same way they'd taught him.

'There are six more still out there. They will start to question the disappearance of these five once the last one's disappearance is noticed, so I must take care of all of them beforehand.'

While he took care of his revenge, Atlas thought about his task.

The first four were explained away, but the fifth would be a cause for concern.

Atlas knew he had to act fast.

He waited for Ruru to finish his meal before saying his goodbyes.

"I have to return to the city. There are still more of them to be taken care of. Will you be coming with me?"

Ruru looked at him for a second. His face was covered in blood, but his eyes really did still look like those of a child.

[I…want to see my family.]

Atlas nodded in understanding.

"Then go. Nothing is stopping you, and in this world, as long as you are strong enough, nobody will ever be able to stop you again. Be safe on your way and find your family. They must be worried after you've been gone for so long."

Ruru clearly looked like he wanted to say something, but with Atlas ushering him away so fervently, he could only nod his head and accept. Explore stories on empire

[Just one more thing before I leave. Please tell me the name of my savior]

His expression was too firm for Atlas to deny him.

With a smile, he shook his head.

"Atlas Vaun. That is my name. It is nice to make your acquaintance, Ruru."

[Yes. I feel the same way. It truly was a pleasure meeting you. I hope that someday in the future, we will be able to meet again.]

It was almost as if both of them knew it wasn't going to happen, but they didn't say a thing.

With a cheerful goodbye, Ruru turned around and disappeared into the forest.

Atlas, on the other hand, went back into the city.

His job was not yet finished.

His target was the City Lord's Manor. All of those involved were high officials who worked in the manor every single day of their lives. As long as nothing strange happened, they would still be there today.

Believing that they were still in the clear, they would go about their activities and not suspect a single thing.

Then, they would die without leaving behind a corpse.

As Atlas thought such thoughts, he snaked through the city, blending in with the townspeople, and arrived at the very prominent building near the city center.

It was blocked by a large and ornate gate that was connected on both sides to walls that protected the entire residence. There was a large yard leading up to the house and no clear entrance for an outsider to take.

There were guards stationed at several points around the perimeter and workers in the gardens keeping them beautiful. "Sneaking in" was not something just anyone could do.

To say that it was easy for Atlas was even too much.

He didn't have an invisibility skill at the moment, nor did he know any martial skills from the Dao of Light or the Dao of Illusion that could mimic such effects.

At the moment, he only had the ability of every cultivator to hide his presence and withdraw his qi into his body. He made himself completely undetectable as long as he was not seen with the naked eye.

Getting over the wall was the easiest part.

[Cloud Step]Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Atlas' own body turned into an illusory entity as he gracefully climbed up and over the wall. He landed on the other side with a step that did not disturb the grass, leaving behind a trail that seemed more like an ordinary breeze had just passed by.

Like the methodical person he was, Atlas carefully observed the positioning of the guards around him and skillfully moved between them until he finally reached the manor.

From there, it was as easy as finding a door or window. To pick a mortal locking mechanism was as simple as existing for the average cultivator.

Atlas snuck through the manor, disguising himself as the first butler he encountered. He saw many people who were the talk of the city's gossip, but only after around half an hour did he see his first target.

He was walking down the hall after leaving a nearby washroom and saw his target right there.

On one side of them, there was a wall bordering the outside world that was home to several windows, but nobody was present to see into them.

On the other side were several doors leading to several different rooms, but most of them were either locked or quite heavy due to the luxury material used in their creation.

The man walking down this particular hallway didn't know that the butler in front of him was actually a masked cultivator from another time. All he saw was the image of an ordinary butler bowing to him as he walked by.

However, he wasn't anything of the sort. The person who was bowing directly next to him was a trained killer here for only one thing.

His head.

The perfect opportunity came.

Atlas jumped forward with his chain sickles drawn. His target, a man named Caster, did not have nearly enough time to notice the abrupt change whatsoever.

However, his expression still shifted into one of horror.

After all, as Atlas' blade punctured his neck and drew blood…

Another blade pierced his chest and ripped his heart into two.

Looking past Caster's head, Atlas met eyes with the man standing on the other side.

And it was clear to anyone watching that he was not happy in the slightest.