Tower of Heaven

Atlas followed the winding tunnels that the qi channels flowed through. If he were to follow the same path without deviating at all, he would have circled all the way back to the place where he started.

In reality, the web of tunnels that connected all of the tomb's mechanisms and traps was more like a labyrinth. To those who knew its structure, navigating it was simple and efficient. To an outsider, however, it was like an infinite maze.

When he realized that finding his way to the final destination wasn't so simple, he immediately channeled his qi into his eyes, activating [Intrinsic Foresight].

He couldn't perfectly see through these walls, as they'd been reinforced with qi, but he could see a vague picture of what was beyond.

As long as he had it, he could at least choose which few paths seemed best and compare them instead of moving randomly.

And so, that was exactly what he did. With his eyes opened wide, he walked the winding and twisting tunnels, moving between systems and encountering several artifacts and machines.

Atlas was practically able to see the hidden side of everything inside of the tomb while he was moving through these tunnels. It was an interesting perspective, especially for someone who could properly respect these innovations for what they were.

Nevertheless, they were never the main goal. What Atlas looked for as he scoured the tunnels was a path that led to an opening, a clearing, or a room of some sort. He wanted an entrance that would lead him into the most confidential parts of this tomb's owner's existence.

Naturally, it took time, but he eventually did find it. As he walked through another curved pathway he spotted a small indent in the wall.

After being in the maze for so long, he knew that even these indents could be clues. After stopping to observe it, he managed to find the right spot on the wall to push into.

A hidden corridor made itself known. Unlike the rest of the space, this corridor was reinforced by metal and looked very modern.

It was an entrance into a completely new space that held a completely new aesthetic.

Atlas nodded as if this was exactly within his expectations and proceeded into the corridor, following it into the small room that it opened into.

On the adjacent wall, there was a dark mirror that could be seen through from the other side and a door. Within the room, there was almost nothing.

'The seal on this room is a little strange. It is built for isolation.'

Noting this, he opened the door, finally reaching where he wanted to be.

It was a massive amphitheater-shaped cavern filled with equipment. The floor was covered in ornate patterns and murals, and as if the human intervention in the room wasn't enough…

'Well, that certainly isn't what I expected to find.'

Unlike the amphitheater itself, the main spectacle within was enough to make even Atlas' eyes go wide in surprise.

Laying down in the center of the room, chained to the ground with its wings shredded, was a dragon.

'It looks like it is sleeping.'

Atlas approached it carefully. It was absolutely a Dragon, a Cosmic Dragon at that, but its aura was incredibly weak. It didn't pose a threat to Atlas or anyone else in its current state.

For that reason, he didn't have any fear in his heart as he got closer. His body faced the dragon, but his eyes glanced around at the various papers and journals strewn about, gathering any information he could from a quick glance.

At some point as he did so, his presence was evidently noticed by the other party in the room.

ROAR!

The dragon opened its eyes, realizing that there was another presence in the chamber. It opened its eyes and saw an unfamiliar guest. Immediately, wariness and apprehension filled its gaze. A clear hostility shone through its roar, as if it was telling Atlas to stay back if he didn't want to die.

He looked up at it without a change in his expression.

It thrashed in its chains, trying to get as far away from him as possible. It kept its mouth open even after its roar ended as if it was waiting for its breath to appear, but it never did. "Qi" was something made impossible for this creature to attain.

It looked like a vicious creature even at a glance. With its foaming mouth and rows of sharp teeth, its vengeful expression and its battle-scarred body, one couldn't be blamed for believing it was a brutal and violent killer.

However, Atlas saw a different picture. See, he looked beyond those signs and into that dragon's eyes, and he sensed its fear.

He sensed its vigilance and its sadness, its mournful gaze as it thought that the time had come for it to endure more pain.

Perhaps the ordinary person would miss such signs, but [Intrinsic Foresight] made Atlas see all of them as if they were happening in slow motion.

"Haa…"

A sigh leaked from his mouth. It was followed by four words.

[Can you understand me?]

Those words came out in a voice unlike his own. It was deep and hoarse, containing a mysterious power.

Hearing it, the dragon's eyes sharpened and softened at the same time. It lowered its body and stopped violently thrashing. The "fear" and "vigilance" in its eyes shifted into "hesitation" alone.

[You…can speak our tongue. You are not like those people.]

The dragon that was treating him with malice and wariness changed its attitude within a second.

He, who had been trapped for over a year and acting like an unintelligent being, finally spoke the words of a civilized species once more.

It was clear that Atlas was also a human. He was just like the people that captured him, at least in terms of race.

However, he could speak Dragon Tongue. This meant that there were dragons who trusted him and were willing to defend his identity with their lives.

That was enough to gain at least basic respect from any dragon.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Atlas nodded in response to its words. It was good that it had calmed down.

He actually learned Dragon Tongue from a variety of sources. From Kallos and some friends in the past, and more recently, from Artemia. As she taught him the language and quirks of the new era, she also decided that he should learn to speak the language of dragons.

In her words, it was so that he would "get along with any dragons in the future and bring them into Divine Sanctuary," however, he felt like it wasn't a reasoning that fit her.

Besides, while Dragon Tongue was an amazing weapon for the Dragon Race, it was nothing more than a language to those without their bloodline.

Nevertheless, she refused to explain more, only saying that dragons felt an affinity with those who knew their language. He decided that it was better to shut his mouth and just learn it.

Now that it was showing itself to be useful, in a quest with the overall purpose of saving Artemia no less, Atlas was definitely grateful for her efforts.

[You said you have been trapped here…]

He started cautiously, not wanting to rile the dragon up more.

[I came here for an unrelated matter, but I never expected to find a dragon. Please tell me how you found yourself in this situation.]

Atlas thought he would have to search around to find clues for a very long time, but he found himself something much greater.

Instead of having to search for clues, he could hear the story from a direct source.