"How was it? Seeing your siblings again after all this while?" Alas asked Shanxi. Both Sarong and Sharon were nowhere to be found. All that remained were the traces of their battle against their brother Shanxi. For the formerly orderly hall was now disorderly.
The thick special walls that couldn't be dented even by the hand of an Earth Realmer now sported several sabre scars that were half a finger deep. On the ground of the specially made floor were axe marks as well. The entire room was filled with the results of a 'friendly' duel. And the furniture that adorned the place were now destroyed, completely turned to dust. And since there was no furniture to sit on, both Atlas and Shanxi were seated on the ground. Yet even such positions didn't diminish the elegance or charm that they carried.
"You know I love seeing them. It was great as always." Shanxi had a leisurely smile on his face as he spoke of his siblings. His skin was slightly ruddy, and the pent up stress that had been accumulated over the past few years was no more. And all it took was a brief meeting with his younger siblings. Oh and bashing them on the head for good measure.
"It is you who has problems. When the guards come here to repair and clean up the place, they are going to spread more untrue rumors about how heavy handed you are with your children." Shanxi chuckled and said.
His words brought a wry smile to Atlas's face. For he knew that his son was right. He suddenly wished that he had the talents of a Spiritualist so that he wouldn't have to put up with this. He could have just reversed their damage all by his lonesome. It didn't help that both Sarong and Sharon left this place with their clothes dirty and tattered in some areas. And people would likely mistaken their faces which were reddened from excitement, to those reddened from rage.
"It isn't like it could get any worse," Atlas sighed pretentiously, and Shanxi smirked.
"It could. You could get a new nickname you know – the Celestial Bullying Emperor. I like it. Hahaha." Shanxi's loud laughter caused Atlas's brows to twitch in annoyance. Yet he could do nothing but sigh helplessly. This boy had always been like this. Teasing and cracking bad jokes were his forte.
Suddenly Atlas stood up and walked towards the inner chamber. Shanxi's laughter stopped upon witnessing his father's actions. And this time it was he that let out a helpless sigh.
"Don't be like that," Atlas saw Shanxi's reaction and shook his head. Then he beckoned his son, who got up and followed without so much as a little hesitation. Both walked into the inner chamber silently. They didn't speak, and the relaxed atmosphere from before was slowly drained away with each step they took that led them further into the depths of the chamber. The chamber was a large one, and was twice the size of the throne room. Yet their goal wasn't even in this chamber. It was what lay hidden by it.
"Do we really have to do this?" Shanxi asked when both reached the end of the chamber, and Atlas proceeded to push one of the stones in to open up the passageway that was known only to him and his three older children.
"I know it is dangerous. And I know that this puts not just our family, but the entire empire at risk. But what choice do we have?" Atlas had a tired look on his face as he spoke. And one couldn't help but take pity on the man who was grinning so foolishly only moments before.
"We have a choice. We always have a choice. You taught me that." Shanxi protested his father's statement by reminding him of his own teachings. Yet all Atlas did was to sigh before replying,
"Not this time"
Atlas moved several stones around to widen the passageway, and soon it was large enough for even Shanxi to fit through. The two of them entered through the broad hole, and made sure to close up the gap once they were on the other side.
"What do you mean not this time Father?" Shanxi asked, a bit of irritation on his face.
"They were the ones who cast you out! They were the ones to toss you aside! They were the ones who sought to have you do their bidding yet as one striped of his status as one of them. They were the ones who did all this. So why do you have to clean up after him?! Why?!"
Shanxi's voice shook the entire passageway, and its groaning reminded him of this. Yet its pain couldn't be compared to the large man's confusion and rage.
"Because I didn't tell you the true story," Atlas had a complicated look on his face when he spoke. The passageway was lined with several strange stones that lit up the place, albeit dimly. So it made it easy for Shanxi to make out his father's facial expression.
"So what is the true story," Shanxi took a deep breath to calm himself before asking. It was fascinating that the Celestial Emperor could be bashed by his son so, yet have no other reaction to it but sorrow. He was far different from the rumors that circulated concerning his nature outside these walls.
"Everything I told you is true. Why I left…how I left…and what I lost. All of it is true. But the ending is different. When I refused the rule of the Selfish Titan King, I was bound to die. Cronos didn't take lightly to rebellion within his own ranks, especially from his own family. To him, everything that didn't have him at the centre was rebellious."
"Selfish fool," Shanxi spat out, interrupting his father's speech.
"Yes, he was Selfish, hence his name. But what could we do about it. However, he was no fool." Atlas shrugged helplessly. He didn't mind Shanxi's actions, and he never had. Slowly the two walked down the passageway, with Atlas speaking of his past.
"And since I didn't believe in his ways, he tried to kill me. And he almost succeeded. He pursued me all the way to the edge of Olympus itself, trapping me and almost definitely sealing my fate. Yet, at the last second, someone saved me."
"A white haired young man who smelled just like Cronos appeared on the scene and fought against the Titan King. I watched in awe as the one who had driven me to desperate straits was pushed back slowly by the overwhelming power of the young man. In that battle, Cronos received the greatest shame of his life. For he lost a toe. He lost a toe to one he considered a child."
Atlas had a complicated expression on his face as he spoke. And he hesitated for a while, before deciding to continue. Shanxi noticed his hesitation, but didn't egg his father to continue. It was unwise to do so.
"The young man was strong, but an angry Cronos was more than a match for anyone. It was amazing that he was able to last that long in the first place. And that was only true because Cronos didn't think me worthy enough to have him use his most treasured artefacts. The Clock of Eternity for instance, was left in his residence when he came chasing after me. He basically came after me naked."
Listening to his father enlightened Shanxi somewhat. He had always heard that Cronos was strong, but he reckoned that his father could give the man a good fight. But he was more than aware of the fact that his father was weaker than he was in those days. For in those days his father possessed his true form. Without that form, he was about 30 percent weaker. Yet here he was, being told that his father in his prime was no match at all for an armless Cronos!
"But the young man also wasn't using any artefacts. And my trained eyes could tell that he hadn't received any formal training either, for his blows were rough and blunt, very much unlike Cronos's practiced fists. I couldn't help but wonder then what he would become."
There was a bit of respect on Atlas's face when he spoke of the white haired man who saved him. He clearly admired the youth.
"But things weren't looking good for him. It was at that point that Gaia appeared. And I understood why the young man smelled so much like Cronos. For he was Cronos and Gaia's son! He was a child that had escaped the greedy palms of his father. And unlike the others trapped in the pits of their father's belly, this one was free!"
"By now I'm sure that you know who this person was," Atlas asked, and Shanxi nodded his head.
Shanxi knew of this story. And that was because he had long guessed who this white haired man was. This man was Zeus. And everyone knew of Zeus story to power. Yet no one knew that his first clash with Cronos had been because of Atlas.
"Together with Gaia, Zeus was able to drive Cronos back. It was at that point that he appeared before me and ushered me to leave. He was young then, so his eyes were still filled with naivety and kindness – and rage towards his father. I could tell that he did what he did for my sake and mine alone. There was no other reason. For if he had hidden and trained longer, he would have been able to handle a solitary Cronos confidently. Such was his talent."
"He provided a path of escape for me. He offered to kill me."
Shanxi's eyes fluttered open in surprise. How was that a way of escape? Death was no escape! Atlas saw his son's expression and let out a low chuckle.
"I know what you're thinking. It was funny to think about then. But as I said, he was highly talented. And he embarked upon a path our people hadn't thought of before. Not only did he deviate from Body Wielding into Energy Wielding, he was a powerful Scholar Emperor at the time."
"I was tired of running, and would have accepted death from anyone but Cronos, so I agreed to die at Zeus's hand. Once my answer was given, he forced a technique into my mind and pushed my understanding of it to the Mid-level. It was then that I understood what he was trying to do."
"Perpetual Rebirth! He gave you Perpetual Rebirth!" Shanxi exclaimed in realization. That technique was his father's pride and the secret to his reign!