The world spun sideways.
Atlas groaned, his head pounding as consciousness clawed its way back. Dirt filled his nose, his vision swayed—and for a long second, he couldn't tell which way was up.
Then gravity reminded him.
"...I'm what?"
The blood rushed to his head as his eyes finally adjusted.
"I'm f*cking tied to a tree. Upside down," he muttered flatly. His face twisted in disbelief before a dry laugh escaped him. "Great. Just great."
He hung there like a slaughtered animal, the thick ropes biting into his ankles. His sword was gone, his limbs bound, and the faint ache at the base of his neck told him he'd been drugged—or worse, poisoned.
Before he could piece together the fragments of what happened, a voice drifted in from below.
"How do you like your new position?"
Atlas's jaw tightened. He didn't need to see the face to know who it was.
"Blake," he said, his tone flat enough to cut steel.
The blond-haired boy grinned stupidly, squinting up at him. "Man, that look suits you. I should've done this sooner."
Atlas resisted the urge to roll his eyes—mostly because it might've given him a headache. Instead, he glanced past Blake and caught sight of the small group gathered behind him. His brow furrowed.
And then his eyes landed on her.
"Sylvia?" he said, disbelief lacing his tone. "You too? I actually rated you."
The girl's silver hair glinted faintly in the light filtering through the canopy. Her expression was unreadable, her icy eyes fixed somewhere beyond him.
"Keep your mouth shut, dog," Blake snapped before she could respond. "Your life's literally in my hands, and you still have the nerve to run that mouth?"
Both Atlas and Sylvia rolled their eyes at the same time.
Sylvia folded her arms, making no move to intervene. In fact, she looked almost…curious.
Atlas sighed, tilting his head. "So what now? You gonna kill me or what?"
While he spoke, his eyes darted subtly across the clearing—searching. Somewhere in the shadows, there had to be the archer. The same bastard who'd poisoned the arrow that knocked him out mid-fight.
Blake smirked. "Oh, nothing that dramatic. I was gonna burn you alive, but then I had a better idea."
He leaned close, voice dripping with amusement.
"I'll just leave you here till nightfall. Let the orcs have their fun."
Atlas stared at him blankly. "…You're creative, I'll give you that."
Blake turned to leave, waving lazily over his shoulder.
"Hey!" Atlas called after him. "I wiped the floor with you once. You really wanna test that again? Come on—loosen these ropes and let's see what happens."
The cocky grin vanished from Blake's face.
Atlas kept his expression neutral, his mind working fast. It's not like I can't get out of these ropes, he thought. But it's better they still think I'm unawakened.
Blake froze mid-step. Veins bulged at his temples.
"You trying to die faster?" he hissed, voice dropping dangerously low.
Atlas's lips twitched. Great. He's easy to provoke.
That was the plan. If he could get Blake angry enough to use his flames, maybe he'd burn through the ropes. Atlas was confident his resistance could handle an F-rank's fire.
But instead—
BANG!
The punch came out of nowhere, slamming into Atlas's face and spinning him like a pendulum. His head throbbed, though more from annoyance than pain.
"Damn, girl," he said lazily, voice muffled by blood in his mouth. "You hit like a b*tch."
Blake's expression went cold, his teeth grinding audibly. Flames flickered to life in his palm, bathing his face in orange light.
Before he could release them, Sylvia's voice cut through the tension.
"Don't," she said simply.
Blake shot her a glare. "Stay out of this, Sylvia."
"It's not worth it," she replied coolly, eyes half-lidded. "Use your head for once. Fire will draw monsters. Just leave him here."
The words hung heavy in the air. After a tense pause, Blake clicked his tongue and let the flames die.
Atlas said nothing, but his eyes narrowed slightly.
Is she trying to protect me?
The thought lingered only a moment before he brushed it aside. Sylvia wasn't the type. She was known as the Ice Queen even before her awakening—a prodigy with a heart as cold as her magic. The academy staff admired her; the students worshipped her. But to Atlas, she was unreadable. A strategist, not a savior.
She must've had her own reasons for traveling with Blake's group. Atlas could see it in her calculating gaze—the kind that weighed everyone as tools and threats.
His attention shifted to the last figure—half-hidden under a hood and mask, a bow slung over his shoulder. The archer.
The man's gloved hand tightened around his bowstring as their eyes met.
"He shouldn't be conscious this soon," the hooded figure murmured under his breath. "Thirty minutes? It should've taken four hours…"
Atlas's eyes narrowed. So it really was you.
A faint chime interrupted his thoughts.
[Congratulations, Host defeated an opponent above his level.]
[System Reward: +2 Levels]
[Hidden Quest Reward: Skill – Regeneration (Lv.1) (Upgradable)]
[Skill Description: Gradually heals physical damage and fatigue over time.]
His heart hammered despite his calm face.
A hidden quest… and a regeneration skill? His mind raced. So the system gives extra rewards for higher-level kills. Then what about hidden penalties?
He didn't linger on it. A new icon blinked beside the skill tab.
"Huh. So some skills can evolve now?" he muttered under his breath.
"System," he whispered silently, "how do I upgrade skills?"
[By constantly using the skill. It evolves through experience.]
"Ooh. Simple enough."
He nodded faintly, forcing himself to look bored as Blake and his gang turned to leave. The last look Blake threw him was filled with venom.
"I hope you don't die out here," Blake said with a twisted smile. "Because when you crawl back, I'll kill you myself."
Atlas met his gaze coldly. "Looking forward to it."
The group disappeared into the forest. The wind whistled.
Then—
Ding!
A chill ran down Atlas's spine. He frowned. "I don't remember leaving any messages unread…"
[New Quest Issued: Pride of a PRIMORDIAL]
[Description: You were struck down unfairly. Kill the perpetrator.]
[Quest Reward: ???]
[Penalty: ???]
Atlas blinked. "Well… he does deserve it. But isn't killing him a bit much?"
He didn't really mind killing when necessary, but the idea of being compelled by an outside force set his teeth on edge.
Another notification cut through the air.
Ding!
[Quest Accepted Automatically.]
Atlas sighed. "Of course it's automatic."
He hung there in silence, the ropes creaking faintly as the wind stirred the leaves.
Then, a slow grin spread across his face.
"Guess I've got my next target."
His eyes flicked upward, a faint crimson glow rippling beneath his skin. The ropes trembled—then split with a sharp snap.
Atlas landed silently, crouched among the roots of the tree.
He rolled his shoulders, cracking his neck. The ache faded almost instantly as faint green light traced along his wounds—Regeneration activating on instinct.
"Not bad," he murmured. "Looks like we're evolving, huh?"
He turned toward the direction Blake had gone, his expression hardening into steel.
"Pride of a Primordial, huh…"