Tower of Heaven

[Sacred Moon Fowl is paying attention to you.]

[Great Sage, Heaven's Equal is paying attention to you.]

[Treacherous Phoenix is paying attention to you.]

[Many Gods are paying attention to you.]

[Many Societies have taken interest in you.]

'This…!'

Atlas almost jumped in shock as the notifications poured in. He almost forgot this specific part of the tower system.

Gods, the beings who embodied everything an Ascender wished to achieve in life. Although they weren't present within the tower, their influence was widespread.

[The Gods are always watching. If an Ascender happens to catch their interest, they may have the opportunity to become a God's Apostle.]

[Gods may not directly interfere in the Tower unless they pay a sufficient price.]

[Gods may not initiate communication with Non-Divinities through the use of True Voice.]

[Gods may not…]

The list of rules pertaining to Gods went on for ages. Atlas once again had to thank his eyes for allowing him to comprehend all these rules without going through the extraneous process of reading them.

But just as soon as the Gods' gazes congregated on him, they vanished.

'Hm, it should be expected from Gods. Even if my tutorial performance was above average, I did not stand out enough to warrant their continued attention. Nevertheless, it is better this way.'

[Treacherous Phoenix watches you curiously.]

"You are still here?" Atlas raised his brow curiously, but in the end, he ignored the presence of the mysterious God.

What could he do either way?

Instead of getting his head muddled with useless thoughts, he closed his eyes and focused his senses on his internal body.

'This body's talent is nothing special. But as if that damn treasure was aware of my problem, it tempered my meridians first. Future cultivation should progress smoothly.'

When Atlas first regained his memories as the Heavenly Emperor, he realized the problem with his body's talent, but he wasn't able to ponder on it.

He was led by this life's dreams to enter the tower and was later preoccupied with the trials. He finally had the time to check on the fundamentals.

'Besides my meridians, my bones and muscles were further strengthened by the healing pill from earlier. At least until I enter the upper Sage Realms, I should not encounter any major roadblocks.'

It still wasn't ideal, but it was more than he originally had, whether as Atlas or the Heavenly Emperor. If he wanted to improve his talent, he would simply need to find treasures able to do so.

And with the tower system, this task was far easier than it was in his previous life.

'Speaking of, how long has it been?'

The question was far too late considering its relevance. What was the date, and how long had it been since the Heavenly Emperor died?

Unfortunately, there were no myths or legends of his existence in the Mortal Realms. Perhaps it had been so long that history from his time was already forgotten.

Then again, it could also be something deeper.

'Regardless, I will not gain anything from pondering on my own. I should find traces of civilization first and connect with other Ascenders. Information is still my main priority.'

But first, he readjusted his mask and concealed his aura.

He was no longer in the Tutorial. The Tower wouldn't protect him from other Ascenders. To ascend the Tower and answer all the questions swimming through his mind, he first needed to survive.

'A Beast Companion…quite troublesome.'

Atlas was used to moving alone, so a Beast Companion wasn't ideal for him. If the need came to be, he would abandon it without hesitation.

'Personal power is key. I should not become dependent on external help.'

As he affirmed his short-term goals, Atlas descended the mountain from which he spawned. His steps had no meaning or direction, but he trusted them to take him where he needed to go.

After 6 hours, he succeeded in descending the mountain. His body was rapidly healing from the battle scars he received along the way.

Night fell, but Atlas continued traveling without pause. Because it was the direction he was facing when he first arrived on this floor, his steps guided him East as far as he could go.

Night came and went, the sun rose in the sky and made its trek until it was halfway through its journey.

Only then did Atlas finally arrive at his intended location.

If one walked East as far as one could go, one would find themselves arriving at the Azure Dragon City.

The name paid homage to the Azure Dragon of the East, and even more than that, the city was a territory under the rule of Divine Sanctuary.

"Divine Sanctuary?" Atlas's voice interrupted the narration. The man in front of him looked annoyed for a second before answering his question.

After arriving in Azure Dragon City, the first thing Atlas did was find an information broker. As for money, he had more than a few beast corpses stuffed in his inventory.

After selling them, he made more than enough gold to get by.

Whether inside or outside the Tower, the currency remained the same— Gold. Whether it be items from the Tower Shop or trades between Ascenders, gold was the only currency used.

Regardless, Atlas didn't use his money frugally. He splurged on the information broker, getting as much possible information on the Tower as he could, even if that information didn't matter to him quite yet.

Thus, the man continued to give Atlas information as he was paid to do. Since the masked man was clearly a newbie Ascender, he gave a little extra detail free of charge.

"Ack, since you're a new Ascender, you won't be needing detailed information on societies until you at least ascend past the 20th floor. Instead of wasting your money, I will just give you a brief description.

"The Tower is filled with large and small societies where Ascenders group together for various purposes. Of them, there are five major societies that rule the tower together.

"Heaven's Gate is by far the strongest. I've heard their leader, the Allfather, is a peak Galaxy Core Realm cultivator. But, you should be careful of them. They are extremely arrogant and domineering."

"Second comes Divine Sanctuary. Divine Sanctuary is filled with mythical beasts and strong cultivators. It is jointly run by the 4 Divine Beast Clans. Azure Dragon City also pays homage to the Azure Dragon Clan of the 4 Divine Beast Clans, hence what I was saying before you interrupted me."

"..and in my opinion, Divine Sanctuary is the best of the five societies."

The man wasn't subtle at all in his meaning, causing Atlas to roll his eyes. Even information brokers could be biased as long as their bias didn't leak into their work.

And seeing that Atlas ignored his suggestion, the man also moved on professionally.

"Third comes Ars Goetia, the land of demons. They're a bunch of reckless barbarians. Fourth is Den of Mysteries. Their society consists mainly of scientists and researchers. I've heard nasty rumors about them."

The man stopped his words, his eyes darting around and his spiritual sense spreading. He said his next words in a hushed whisper.

"As for the final society, it is called the Nihility Council. They are the most mysterious group, and nobody can find any relevant information on them. But. I've heard some rumors about them…

"Apparently, their goal is the destruction of the Tower."