Atlas spent the whole night sleeping peacefully. The meeting with that peculiar young man didn't ruin his mood. Instead, it made him even more curious about the Divine Sect.
"Huu... Sure enough... it was another freezing night... luckily I made proper preparations..."
The tent was a unique artifact with powerful formations. A valuable treasure made from Grandpa Mold. So, he spent the night safe from those gelid winds and restored his tired heart.
Soon, the pair resumed the journey and took the only path available toward the canyon entrance.
Atlas already knew what was waiting for him there, and he was a bit worried but not scared.
After the Land of Eternal Desolation, the next obstacle between him and his target was the Maze of Despair, a complex underground ravine full of pitfalls.
This was one of the most terrifying places on the continent, and the Divine Sect primarily used it as an entrance test. Clearly, for the courageous soon-to-be disciples, it was slightly different, but it remained a challenge.
There were no records of the actual dangers hiding inside because they kept it a secret. However, there were rumors about dangerous creatures, even for Epoch Descendant Ruler, Eon Redemption Overlord, and even higher major realms.
It took him half an hour to reach the vast entrance. It wasn't a natural formation but a well-excavated tunnel.
As he expected, he found a tall stone stele on the right side, with some words engraved on it...
"For those with a brave heart... The Maze of Despair is the holder of death and wonders... If you dare... take a step toward the unknown!"
Atlas wasn't intimidated by them and took a step forward, ignoring the red lines below...
"... As for those who seek revenge, death, or are just foolish enough to anger us... return before it's too late and forget about past grievances!!"
|||
Ruuuom!!
Far away from Atlas's position on the southern part of the continent, a vibrant noise shook the quietness of a hidden place. This place was filled with a dense quantity of Chaos Energy, a paradise for those seeking the Martial Path's peak.
As soon as that sound reverberated throughout the valley, people of various genders, ages, and races emerged from their homes.
The last time they heard that sound was only half a year ago, so they were a bit surprised.
"Another fool..."
"Hehehe... such big words... the last one made it out alive... maybe we'll see another miracle."
"Impossible... that brat is an existence beyond ordinary humans... we can't compare him to other people."
Discussion of various kinds erupted in the valley, but most were saying the same thing...
That another fool was going die.
Somewhere in the deepest part of the valley, where the Chaos Energy was denser, a group of individuals was discussing this joyous event.
"Hey... Another human brat is coming. What do you think?"
They weren't all humans, but dwarves, elves, and some other strange races were also there.
"Well... the last one did something incredible, breaking every record since ancient times... Unfortunately, another monster can't appear so soon."
"You humans are always bearers of surprises... truly marvelous creatures."
"Hehe... indeed, some of you are even scarier than those brutal beasts inside the Maze."
Inside their hearts, they were hoping for another miracle, but they kept those thoughts for themself for some reason.
"Well... we will talk about him if he can reach the other side alive..."
There was a moment of silence until the same man spoke again: "Speaking about crazy people... where is that little fellow?"
"He went out a month ago for a mission..."
|||
Atlas was unaware that his arrival had brought a surprise to the entire valley where the Divine Sect resided.
In fact, he was walking toward the darkness, entirely focused on the hidden dangers lurking at every angle.
Luckily, he wasn't alone. Uranus was at his side, neither one step ahead nor one step behind, but in line with his master.
Growl...
The superb senses of the creature detected something from the right side where one giant passage was waiting for the next challenger.
"A crossroad... surely something is hiding on the right path... what should I do?"
Atlas halted his steps briefly but resumed soon once he had chosen the correct path.
Taking the left path, Atlas moved deeper, yet after some minutes, he felt a strong presence ahead.
"Fuck..."
Growl!!
Even Uranus reacted to the presence, yet the timing was terrible.
GRARGL!!!
A bestial roar shook the walls of the giant passage.
Atlas and Uranus prepared for the inevitable battle, and sure enough, a gruesome creature leaped out of one of the many crevices in the wall.
GRARGL!!!
ROAR!!
Uranus took the lead, smashing his left paw on the creature's left side.
Also, Atlas stepped forward, cutting one of the creature's many legs with his loyal companion, Astra.
"Uranus... be careful of its poisonous jaws... the Six-eyes Sciarius is famous for its necrotic poison."
GRARGL!!!
ROAR!!
Smelling the putrid green blood from the deadly spider, Uranus roared in rage and activated one of his powerful innate abilities, the gravity field.
Crack... crack...
Subjected to unnatural gravity, the creature fought back and planted its seven paws into the ground, gaining a solid stance.
Alas, Uranus wasn't alone. In fact, Atlas appeared behind it and chopped down one of the rear legs, making its stance even more unstable.
GRARGL!!!
GRARGL!!!
The duo acted separately, yet their combination was deadly for the enemy.
One blow after another, the creature suffered severe injuries.
It lost four legs in a couple of minutes, and its huge belly was bleeding profusely.
The spider tried to put up a fight.
Unfortunately, it was all for none because, with one last charge, Uranus slammed his two paws over the creature's head, fracturing its skull irreparably.
Pure Chaos Energy filled the long passage, a clear sign that the enemy was dead.
As usual, after a fight, Atlas absorbed all the available energy, stepping further into the realm.
Both had grown up since the beginning of their journey, but they weren't the only ones.
Indeed, his loyal companion, Astra, had reached a new level too. The small gem at the base of the handle was different from before.
An obscure amethyst stood where once was the shiny sapphire, giving the pickaxe a different kind of aura. It was more powerful and majestic, indicating that it was a Primordial Artifact.
Unfortunately, there was no new Chaos Rune inscribed on the weapon.