Tower of Heaven

The entire first corridor was polluted by traps.

It was a shame that Atlas' group didn't see them in action, but it couldn't be helped. He and Horus had visual abilities guiding their paths and the twins followed without missing a beat.

As neither Atlas nor Horus was intentionally trying to kill them, they also didn't step or trip on anything that triggered danger.

The corpses littering the ground, however, were enough for them to understand what would have happened if they decided to work alone like the rest of their group.

The corpses of those people were all in this corridor. They made it to varying distances, with one woman even reaching the final trap formation.

Nevertheless, they all died. Did it matter how far they got if they were unable to pass even the first corridor?

The corridor looked like it would end soon after the final trap, but that was nothing more than an illusion.

When Atlas and the rest arrived at the end, they were not met by an open area, but instead by a crossroads.

There were three paths leading to different places. Whether it was Atlas' [Eyes of One] or Horus' skill, neither could judge the danger within the corridors.

'My ability is being hindered.'

He didn't think it was possible, but the [Eyes of One] weren't absolute. Just like any other visual ability, they could be inhibited using the proper means.

In this case, it was an array.

The Formation Spark in Atlas' soul trembled, revealing its details to him.

'A fifth-rank array. It is at the very limit of what the Mortal Realm can produce.'

Meaning, Atlas did not have the power nor the knowledge to break it.

"What do you think?" Horus asked.

"Logically, it is better for us to take separate paths," Atlas replied.

He glanced at the twins.

"I suggest we split into teams of two. This way, we can determine the safety of our paths forward while remaining secure. If we find that our path is incorrect, we can simply return and try again."

It was a little bit stupid in Atlas' opinion, but he was the one who suggested it.

Without understanding the other arrays in the tomb, it was impossible to say that they could even return once they'd chosen a path.

However, he did not want to carry dead weight around for too long.

It was fine if the twins wanted to travel with them, but that was only if they were contributing.

Since a perfect opportunity had arrived, he planned to get rid of them sooner rather than later.

'After all, it was not only once or twice that I encountered these kinds of people.'

There were only two situations that came out of allowing people like them to do as they pleased.

The first was betrayal, and the second was a worse betrayal.

'At the very least, Horus is worth keeping as an ally for now. Moreover, he seems to know something about this tomb.'

His behavior had been strange from the beginning, but clearing the first hallway gave Atlas a reason to be suspicious.

Regardless, it was no more than a baseless suspicion at the moment, so he did not entertain it too thoroughly.

The twins were very obviously not willing to separate. However, Atlas didn't look like he was going to budge, and Horus refused to say anything about the situation.

Frankly, the two of them were not the quiet type. If it were any other situation, they would have already started a fight.

They were forced to act tame in front of Atlas and Horus. They could sense the immense gap between them.

They would have already died if they didn't follow those two. If either Horus or Atlas felt remiss about them continuing on as part of the group, they could easily make use of the tomb's mechanisms to kill them.

Rather than risking that situation, it was better for them to try their luck alone.

Before those cold gazes, the twins chose the left path and scurried away.

Meanwhile, Atlas and Horus deliberated for a moment before choosing the middle.

"Did you abandon them knowing they would die?" Horus asked as they moved.

"Pardon?" Atlas responded.

"Those two. It is highly likely that they won't survive for much longer on their own. Did you choose to sacrifice them while knowing that?"

Atlas glanced over. It was hard to read the expressions of a man with a bird head, but he somehow managed to glean what was contained in Horus' eyes.

His expression was serious, but it didn't feel like he was trying to criticize Atlas' decision.

If he was asking out of pure curiosity, then…

"I did not sacrifice anyone," he responded.

"Their fortune is their own, as is their misfortune. They already chose a path that will lead them nowhere. It is their decision whether they wish to continue following it or become true cultivators."

'And if they die in the process, that's on them.'

Horus thought the part of the sentence Atlas refrained from speaking.

Truly, it was not the mentality that an Ascender on the twentieth floor of the tower should have developed.

Rather, it reminded Horus more of the perspectives of higher powers who had experienced the world long enough to grow numb to its tragedies.

He wasn't put off by this fact. Rather, it was more interesting.

What kind of experiences did he have for him to develop that attitude? Who was the man who called himself Harmon?

'Is he the same as me?'

If so, then he was even more dangero–

Horus did not have time to think further.

Suddenly, with no warning, the corridor they walked turned into an expansive chamber.

Together, the two men halted their steps and cautiously spread their spiritual sense.

The chamber was over a hundred meters tall and roughly thirty meters wide. It was empty in the center, but the walls were home to several cavities that housed robust statues.

It was like a hall of heroes, meant to honor those who had fallen. The mosaics and paintings decorating the walls and even the large ceiling supported that assumption, depicting scenes of heroism and war.

There were ornate golden linings sectioning off each individual piece of the artwork, and overall, the room had a sense of congruity.

That image was only broken by the hundreds of mirrors that floated in the air, ever so slightly drifting and spinning but never leaving their designated areas.

Both Atlas and Horus refused to take the first step.

It was undeniable that they'd reached the first real trial of this tomb. However, while Atlas frowned, Horus had an odd grin resting on his beak.

"It always starts with a fight, right?" He said, bumping his fists together.

Atlas shook his head wryly.

"Indeed, it always starts with a fight."

He flexed his fingers and withdrew his chain-sickles. At the same time, the bracelets Horus wore around his wrists shined and transformed into a pair of form-fitting gauntlets.

They took a single step forward.

A single step was all it took.

RUMBLE!

A huge sound echoed off the walls of the chamber. It was the sound of sixteen stone statues turning their heads in the same direction.

It was practically a hidden rule of thumb among cultivators.

"If you ever enter an empty room filled with statues, then the statues are going to come to life."

How did that become a rule of thumb, one may ask…?

Well, that was obvious, wasn't it?

To date, not a single cultivator who found themselves in a similar situation had experienced statues that didn't come to life.

So, by the time these particular statues stood up from their posts and raised their weapons…

…both Atlas and Horus were already on the attack.