So, they fought.
Really, it was a greeting. They already had Atlas as a point of connection, so they knew they weren't enemies. However, as geniuses of the sa caliber, they had to see each other's strengths.
Their exchange lasted for no more than ten blows before it ended. And, by that point, the two were already friends.
"You're pretty good!" Artemia comnted with a grin.
"You're not so bad yourself," Horus responded in kind.
"If you both are done playing around, can we start moving to the trial?" Atlas chid in with another sigh.
"Eh? We're going together?" Horus said in surprise.
Atlas shrugged. He also didn't think he'd ever be the one offering others to team up, but he was interested in this combination. The three of them could achieve great things together, and he wanted to see it.
"Why not? Moving in a group is more fun, isn't it?"
"I can't argue with that, but these trials are a little too easy to be done in groups. Unless there's sothing else…"
"Oh, I have that," Artemia said.
"If we get up to the 37th Floor, there's a hidden piece location that I know about. Atlas has crazy perception abilities, too, so we should be able to find more on the way."
She wasn't wrong. Atlas definitely did have good perceptive abilities.
"But I won't be needing those. I have an informant I can contact. With her help, we should be able to get the most out of every floor."
It was a great setup. Atlas had made good connections during his ti in the Tower thus far, Artemia had a great backing that she could mobilize whenever she needed to, and Horus also had many people supporting him.
They would not be assisted when it ca to battle and climbing, but information…?
When it ca to information, it was impossible for them to have a deficit.
Their cooperation began there. The three of them moved as a team and easily conquered the 35th Floor's ruin. When they arrived on the 36th Floor, Atlas briefly separated from them to et with Scarlet Fox.
"How is everything going?"
"Not bad. There is still plenty to set up, but we should be functioning on a small scale soon enough."
"Good. Let know if you need more funding. As for the information I asked for…"
"Take it. This kind of stuff is easy to find, so just add the fee to your sponsorship."
"Noted."
The two had a very simple interaction. As they had exchanged communication talismans, they had the ability to contact each other whenever they needed to. rely, they had to et so the exchange of information could be done securely.
Atlas didn't have money to give Scarlet Fox, but raw gold wasn't the only way to pay.
"Here, there are ten pills in each vial. They should sell for a decent price, since they're Peak Earth-Grade pills. I can get you more money soon, so just take this as a thanks for the information alone." Stay connected with empire
At most, she could get a few thousand gold for each pill. As there were five vials, it was indeed a good amount of money, but it was nowhere near what she needed.
If she wanted to create an information guild that surpassed Heaven's Eye, even funds in the millions wouldn't be nearly enough.
But, both of them knew that. They were taking slow steps to create the guild and expand its influence first. They could worry about competing with the greatest information guild in history afterward.
"Okay. This floor is boring, there's the one I know on the 37th Floor and another one, and there's sothing good on the 38th as well. This is pretty good information. Even my family didn't know about this last one," Artemia comnted as she read off the information.
"There's no need for us to think about that. Since we have this information now…"
"Right, let's go treasure hunting."
All three of them grinned. Atlas had a mask on and Horus had a beak instead of a mouth, but their expressions translated just as well as Artemia's did.
Together, they once again set off on their adventure. They scoured ruins, searched for hidden pieces, and journeyed together like true companions.
Though, the treasures they found weren't all that great. In many parts of the Tower, there were hidden locations and areas where massive rewards were hidden. The Xuanying Treasure Pagoda was enough of an example.
However, if these treasures were everywhere, would they still be so rare and sought after?
When they visited the first "hidden piece," they only found so ancient pills hidden in a mountainside cave. Only three of them were still usable, and they were unsuitable for Atlas' cultivation. In the end, he gave them up to the other two.
The opportunity that Artemia already knew about was sowhat different. She had them approach the realm border and stand on the edge of the abyss.
Surprisingly enough, there was a platform roughly thirty ters out into the blackness.
"We are not doing this," Atlas imdiately said.
He refused to have any more contact with that abyss.
"We're totally doing this!" Artemia said.
"There's an armor piece I need over there, and there should be so other assorted rewards too. Just co with !"
"Why should I co with you? It has nothing to do with ."
"Oh, co on, Atlas. You can't be scared of the abyss, right?"
"So now even you're taunting , Horus."
It was an unfortunate situation of two against one. Atlas felt like a frightened cat in front of the coldness he felt at that ti. He couldn't approach it no matter what.
Well, that was unless he was being pushed.
The path to the platform was made up of many small floating platforms that they had to move between. When it ca ti to make the first jump, Artemia went first, and when Horus' turn ca…
"Unhand !"
"If you struggle, you'll fall into the abyss."
"Dammit!"
Atlas was completely fooled. Horus grabbed him and jumped before he could do anything. With the abyss forcing him to stay still, he was dragged onto the first platform.
From there, did he even have a choice?
They moved one at a ti and jumped to the next platform. As Atlas' feet left it, it disappeared entirely.
"So, one person has to be standing on the platform at all tis if we don't want it to disappear," Artemia muttered.
"Yes, but there is too much distance between them. There are three of us, so we can occupy at most two platforms. All of us will have to make long jumps across the abyss if we want to make it back," Horus added.
"That is likely the intended solution, but there is also a riskier thod…"
Atlas sighed.
"Fine. Let be the one to reach the final island. Horus, you wait here. Artemia, co with until we reach the sixth platform from here. That is where you will wait."
If he was already here, he was going to make sothing out of the situation. His body and soul inherently feared the abyss due to their interaction with it at that ti. It would beco a limiter for him in the future if he allowed it to remain.
'I'll just conquer it all here.'
The abyss was a terrifying place of almost guaranteed death, but if Atlas didn't touch it, it couldn't touch him.
He would use this opportunity to prove it to himself.
And, while he was at it, he could get his hands on what Artemia promised would be a worthy treasure.
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