Tower of Heaven

Atlas found himself in the middle of a lush forest full of healthy vegetation. There was even a sky above his head, making him doubt whether he was still in the tower. But the prompt in front of him argued otherwise.

[Beginning the trial of Floor 6: Trial of Attrition]

[Description: Battle is something that can end in a second, but also last for a lifetime. The previous trials allow one to understand their strengths and weaknesses, while this one tests your fortitude.]

[You have proved your ability to endure in a controlled environment, but can you do the same in battle?]

Qualifications: Pass the first 5 trials

Time Limit: 1 Day

Conditions for success:

1. Kill at least 10 beasts within the tide

2. Do not lose consciousness for the duration of the trial

3. Sustain the least amount of injury possible

[Rewards: Mortal Grade weapon or armor]

"Shit."

The change in pace and difficulty was too jarring, causing Atlas to inadvertently curse.

It wouldn't be the first beast tide he had experienced, but that wasn't the problem. He had never fought before in this life.

Enduring pain was fine, he did that constantly for 7 years. Testing his intelligence was fine, his insight alone could handle that. But combat experience was something he still had to gain.

Simply having memories of fighting didn't mean he'd be able to replicate his old feats. His body was completely different than it was back then, and he only had minimal physical training.

This trial was geared towards attrition, and it was a field in which he was lacking. Still, he needed to complete this trial. There was no point failing before he even truly entered the tower.

'Besides, a weapon would be nice.'

He thought of the sword he used in his previous life and slightly reminisced. It had been his partner for thousands of years, and he couldn't help but wonder where it had ended up.

Suddenly, he remembered something he had ignored due to his focus on the trial ahead. The previous trial had left him a reward.

[Access to Tower System Granted.]

[Status window for Ascender [Atlas Vaun] has been unlocked.]

[Access to Tower shop barred until tutorial completion.]

[Ascender: Atlas Vaun]

Trait(s): Eyes of One

Title(s): N/A

Realm: Qi Seed

Skill(s): Superior Regeneration

'What is this?' Atlas thought as he gazed at the information presented to him. Most of it was self-explanatory, but he had no clue what skills were, nor about the supposed trait he possessed.

As if responding to his thoughts, the window in front of him expanded to show more information.

[Eyes of One]

[Insight]-

-Ability to gain insight into the nature of all things.

-Increased comprehension ability.

{Evolvable}

[???]

[???]

[???]

'As expected, anything granted by that damn treasure couldn't be normal.'

From the moment he opened his eyes for the first time, he was aware that they would be special. He just didn't know how.

The information was limited, but he realized one thing from it. The tower system was powerful. He had expected it to take many years of experimentation to slowly learn these abilities, but the tower had only taken a moment to do the same.

'Hmm, insight must be the reason my intuition has been spiking recently.'

Regardless of whether it was the ease at which he comprehended the tower rules, the speed at which he regained a portion of his previous flame control, or even the way he could maneuver the labyrinth from earlier, [Insight] made it all much more logical.

It didn't matter how powerful he was in his previous life. At this moment, his being was only in the Qi Seed Realm. The clarity of his memory and the way he was quickly regaining his old skill couldn't be explained any other way.

It was thousands of years' worth of time and an indecipherable amount of arduous training that got him to his previous peak. Even if he had the memory, he would once again need to train. Luckily, this new ability would make it much easier for him.

Not to mention, it could be evolved. He figured that the level of insight and speed of comprehension would increase as time passed.

However, most abilities such as this one had a much more profound effect when actively used. Thinking this far, he poured his qi into his eyes.

And he immediately saw results. The metaphorical storm within his grey eyes began to thunder. His vision sharpened and the lush greenery around him lost its color. In this grey world, he felt waves of information enter his mind.

'The habitat of beasts judging from the patterns and droppings on the ground, the cycle of absorption and replication of the fauna…and traces of other humans or humanoid races.'

With only a single glance, he was able to decipher many things from his surroundings. As for the one that piqued his interest the most, naturally, it was the final observation.

'So from now on, there'll be multiple people partaking in the trials together.'

He couldn't say he was surprised, as it would be weirder if the tower had a specific tutorial for each individual who entered it. Still, it was good to know this information before whatever beast tide would be approaching.

It would be in his best interests to follow their tracks and either meet up with them or trail them for the sake of this trial. Facing many with many was much safer than facing many with few.

However, before he headed in that direction, there was one more thing he needed to check.

[Skills]

[Skills are single-effect abilities provided by the tower to players based on their achievements. They are classified as supportive, defensive, or offensive type abilities with varying effects.]

[Superior Regeneration]

[The Ascender is granted the ability to heal at a superior pace compared to others. Within a matter of seconds, one can do what others do in minutes.]

The information provided on skills was limited, especially considering his level, but it was enough for him to grasp the basic concept.

Cultivation manuals also provided skills, but it seemed this concept was somewhat different. He wasn't sure if it used spiritual energy as a base, but the wording suggested that these skills were something unique to the tower.

'Interesting. Just what is this tower?'

Something like this should be impossible from Atlas's understanding of the world. However, he was aware that he was a frog in a well.

The memory was extremely vague, almost to the point where he forgot about it, but he knew that near the end of his previous life, he had discovered the existence of a higher world.

Still, he wouldn't be ungrateful. Since such a concept was possible, he'd accept what was given to him as long as it could aid him in his path. Just like the previous trials said, a cultivator needed to be flexible.

He now had a basic understanding of the so-called "status" presented to him, so he felt it was time to move on. After all, time was ticking.

Without hesitation, he began to move in the direction he noticed those humanoid people had gone.