Tower of Heaven

Kallos Rivehan.

He was not a being who lived an easy life.

Born a member of the Behemoth Race, he was left abandoned to fend for himself and learn his path to strength.

The path he took was filled with cruelty and blood, yet the man himself retained his righteous heart.

Though, it was not by his own efforts alone.

When Atlas first met Kallos, the Behemoth was rampaging in the south of the Desolate Dragon Continent, completely rid of his sense of reason. It was only after being severely wounded in battle against the Heavenly Emperor that he came back to reality.

That was also the start of their friendship.

Atlas was still growing at that time and had many of the same issues as Kallos. The two were able to bond rapidly and become the brothers closer than those related by blood.

With a support system behind him, Kallos was able to separate himself from the belligerent nature of his race and strive for something more.

He started an empire.

With his own power, he stood at a position above millions of people, adored and revered. He only became more stable with the passing of time, taking interest in secondary professions and aiding in their rapid evolution.

For this, the Behemoth Emperor became a name known to all.

That man, that glorious personage who should've gone down in history, was now reduced to nothing more than a Beast Soul on the 11th floor of this heaven-piercing tower.

Atlas couldn't accept this conclusion.

He lost himself in irrationality, letting out a flurry of emotions completely against his character.

He couldn't contain it.

He banged against the bars of the cage in rage. He screamed out, holding onto the sliver of hope that his brother would open his eyes and say something.

Yet, impossibility was not something easily overcome.

Atlas' body slumped to the floor again, almost lifelessly.

'Has time truly been so cruel to us…?'

He died in ways unknown and was forced awake in this unknown world with his identity vague, while those he remembered were reduced to states he could never imagine them in.

It was infuriating, maddeningly so.

[Trait: [Perfect Adaptability] has activated.]

His spiraling thoughts calmed in an instant.

Atlas' mind cooled scarily fast, a fact which he acknowledged yet could not express his distaste for.

'I must find a way to regain my memories.'

Continuing like this was not something he'd allow.

Anything he wished to do could only be accomplished once he understood the past and present of this world.

How his dear friend became like this, how he became like this, he needed to know these things before avenging their fates.

He stood up slowly, steadying his breath, and looked at the rampaging Beast Soul solemnly.

"Brother, do not worry. I will free you from your misery."

Beast Souls could not be destroyed in their natural states. Without anything binding them to reality, they were as everlasting as the Spiritual Energy in the atmosphere.

In consequence, they had no will or ability unless bound. They were eternally trapped within their own existences.

Atlas had two choices in this moment.

He either left his brother's vestiges here to rot or took the Beast Soul, his legacy, for himself.

"You wished to see the peak, however, your first lifetime failed you. I will a take you with me. I will take you to the peak you chased so foolishly, and I will find a way to bring you back in the process."

It was a foolish promise, but Atlas declared it with his heart.

He created a small blade of qi and sliced a gash in his hand, swiping it out so his blood flew into Kallos' cage.

Flash!

A bright light covered the two.

The process of binding a Beast Soul wasn't complicated, but it was extremely involved.

One had to tame the wildness in the soul's nature and bring it into submission. To do so meant battling the soul itself in imaginary combat, a task that killed many a brave cultivator.

Atlas was completely prepared for this battle and intent on achieving victory no matter the cost, however…

As smooth as a flowing stream at the height of spring, a contract began to form.

Kallos' massive form dispersed, and the essence of his existence flowed into Atlas.

Was it due to the prior connection between their souls, or was it a sign that Kallos' will was still alive?

Regardless of the answer, Atlas chose to entertain the latter.

Newfound power flowed through his body, a sign that the contract was properly established.

[Ascender [Atlas Vaun] has completed the 11th Floor Trial.]

The system notification confirmed it.

Possessing a Beast Soul had many benefits.

One would inherit some of its traits and abilities, and later on, one could even summon it to fight by their side.

Finding a Behemoth Soul to bind was extremely rare, and establishing a proper contract with said soul was even more difficult.

Therefore, despite having done just that, even Atlas didn't understand the full extent of his gains!

'For the moment, I cannot see this soul as Kallos. If I am to utilize his power properly, I cannot allow my emotions to cloud my judgement.'

The distinction was easy to make with the aid of [Perfect Adaptability].

Now that he acquired what he came for, he needed to find a way to leave this place secretly.

The Tutorial's Ascender protection no longer existed. There was no convenient mechanism that could teleport Atlas to the 12th floor.

In addition to completing the trial, one needed to locate the Celestial Ladder that could transport people between stages.

Without it, inter-floor travel was impossible!

Atlas was safe now because nobody else had found this place. Once they realized he'd taken the treasure, a bounty would undoubtedly be placed on his head.

To–

'Hm..?'

His thoughts were interrupted by a faint pulsing glow emanating from the wall behind the cage.

'That was not present before.'

He walked up to it cautiously and observed it.

This pulsing…

'Is it connected to me?'

There was resonance within his body, as if his heart was beating along with the pulsing light.

He put his hand up to the wall instinctually.

Rumble!

The entirety of the Fallen Emperor's Tomb trembled.

Atlas' body phased through the wall, arriving in a new space.

The entrance solidified behind him and the light phenomenon faded as well, but there was no need for it any longer.

For this new space was lit by the splendorous rays emitted from an object at its center.

That light bounced off hills of gold to illuminate its surroundings, giving Atlas a clear understanding of exactly where he was.

'This is…Kallos' treasury.'

As every tomb did, this one had a secret area filled with the treasures of its owner.

The amount of gold alone was enough to support Atlas for what he felt was an eternity.

But if it was just that, would it truly be the tomb of the Behemoth Emperor?

'Luck…a true misnomer. Can this be anything other than the work of Fate?'

Outshined by the grandiosity of its peers yet so very present in Atlas' vision, sitting by its lonesome just a few meters before him…

…was a bottle of Hundred Flower Dew Wine, accompanied by a discolored recording crystal.

It seemed…this was a gift meant specifically for Atlas.