Tower of Heaven

'She did not say anything meaningful, but… it isn't that she gave me no information.'

Rather, after hearing his story, the fact that Mireiya still said nothing was more concerning than anything else. It meant that the matters involved in his fate were too severe for her to reveal.

'I knew it would be like this. It is not necessarily surprising.'

He was reincarnated. Reincarnation wasn't a strange thing. It was said that it was a process that all souls eventually went through.

However, being reincarnated with memories of the past was entirely unique. Atlas had never heard of a single case where something similar happened.

'Mireiya reacted calmly, but that is only because of her position.'

As she said, people with powers like hers couldn't relate to the emotions of ordinary people. She just processed the information differently. She wasn't calm because she'd seen the situation before.

In fact, her choice to confront him outright suggested the opposite. Even someone like Mireiya couldn't help but be curious about what she interpreted from her visions. She had involved herself in his fate because it was simply too much for her to stay away from.

It made Atlas worry even more, despite the fact that he needed to worry less.

'Hmm…'

[Perfect Adaptability] was a good trait. His worries could be viewed from a more objective standpoint because of its influence. They plagued his mind, but only as questions. They could not impact his actual state.

Atlas pondered over many things as he walked the halls of the Azure Dragon Palace. Eventually, he arrived in a familiar place.

It was the arena where Alaric trained him during his stay in this realm. Here, he only ever felt pain, but it was a location filled with fond memories.

It was open to the sky, surrounded by a circular array of pillars that were connected in a ring in the clouds. Past the pillars, one could see a view of the palace and the territory beyond, a beautiful scenery filled with life and calmness.

The breeze blew against Atlas' face as he closed his eyes and took the moment in.

'Nothing can be determined.'

He had to be patient. If he rushed for results, he'd only face consequences in the end.

'How troublesome…'

Atlas was forced to open his eyes as he had the thought. His entire thought process was interrupted by the large hand that landed on his head.

"Kid, what are you thinking about so deeply in a place like this? Since you're here, don't expect to leave without a fight."

Atlas looked up at the man towering over him.

"It's nice to see you again, Master."

Alaric frowned slightly and removed his hand with a sigh.

"Alright, spill it. What the hell is going on with you?"

Atlas? That guy who always liked to be snarky was calling him "Master?" Clearly, he wasn't in any sort of mind state to fight.

"Haa…"

Sighing, Atlas did as he was told. In the end, Mireiya did tell him to find Alaric if he wanted help with emotional matters. Something like this couldn't be solved just by thinking about it. Just being able to say the words out loud was helpful enough.

Of course, Atlas kept his reincarnation a secret. While disguising his story as an issue more related to a vast and mysterious origin, he told of the problems he had and the mysteries that surrounded him.

Alaric listened while scratching his head.

"So, basically, you're just overthinking."

That was his only response. Atlas wanted to refute him, but before he could, he was already being dragged away.

"Come with me for a second."

They flew through the air with incredible speed and arrived atop a mountain before Atlas realized it.

When his eyes were able to comprehend his surroundings once more, he saw it.

The entire scenery of this realm, from the lush green forests to the beautiful aquamarine lakes and rivers, to the cities where people lived their lives in happiness and peace, was displayed before him, blanketed by the soft light of the setting sun.

"Look at it," Alaric said.

"What do you see?"

Atlas answered without much of a thought.

"Life. An atmosphere of life unlike any other."

"Hmm…" Alaric rubbed his chin.

"Life it is, then."

He pointed out into the world and continued.

"This vast canvas is life. It is the life you live, filled with vitality and desire. However, you can only see it that way because you're here at the peak looking down. You can see the dark places where bloody aura is more prevalent than anything else, and you can see the peace that is established in the cities where order prevails."

The scenery changed again in a matter of a single second. In that short period, they'd arrived at the foot of the mountain.

"But what do you see now?"

The setting sun's light could not make its way through the canopy of trees. In front of Atlas was a dark forest filled with bloody aura and the howls of beasts.

"Darkness."

"Right. Darkness. It's all you can see right now because you're still at the foot of the mountain. When you climb some more, you'll be able to see over the canopy and understand that the light really does exist. When you go higher than that, you find yourself above the light itself, able to see even it as just a part of the world."
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Alaric put his hand on Atlas' shoulder. There was an inexplicable warmth within that Atlas had only ever felt from two people.

"You're in the darkness now because you have only just started. Kid, do you understand how young you are? You haven't seen anything or done anything yet."

Alaric only knew the Atlas of this life who had lived for thirty-odd years, but it felt as if he was speaking to the 10,000-year-old Heavenly Emperor inside.

"You have seen a peek of something greater than you. It can be considered a good thing sometimes, but it is also a curse. You've become so engulfed in the view from the top of the mountain that you have forgotten the work it took to arrive there."

"Because, in your mind, it was a mere flight that took one second. However, in reality, how long did I have to refine my strength before it became so easy to scale the mountain? I get it. Time is a hard thing to fathom because you can't do anything about it, but it isn't as if you are just waiting and doing nothing."

"With every step you take up the mountain, you are a step closer to the picture you saw from the peak. But if you decide to walk into that dark forest instead…"

"...then I'll just die there, not ever knowing that the answer was up the mountain the entire time."

Atlas finished his sentence.

With every dark thought in his mind, he sunk further into the forest. The mountain on his back became further and further away, making it impossible for him to ever see what was stuck in his mind.

No matter how difficult it was, no matter how frustrating it was, he could only climb the mountain one step at a time.

Because if he didn't take the first step, then he'd never even be able to see over the canopy.

"Huu…"

Atlas took a deep breath.

"Very well."

His mind became truly calm without the help of [Perfect Adaptability] for the first time in a long time.

And he had to say…

'It truly does feel nice.'