Just then, a whisper entered his mind.
"You are looking for a way to enter the city. I presume you have obtained a key. I can help you, but you will have to give me a key in return."
Aleron was stunned by the voice and quickly turned to the side, scanning the area where the sound might have come from.
However, even after searching for a while, he could not locate the source of the voice.
Moments passed in silence before the voice echoed in his mind once again.
"I have already stated my terms and conditions. All that remains is for you to hand me a key."
Aleron remained silent for a moment before responding.
"I can't even see you. What reason do I have to trust you?"
The voice fell quiet after that, and slowly, a shadow began to form on the wall beside him.
Aleron's gaze shifted toward it, and his entire body tensed in an instant.
He had not sensed the presence of this shadow before, and now, it stood there, as if it had always been part of the scenery.
Origin ability.
There was no doubt about it. Aleron could tell immediately that the mysterious figure possessed an origin ability.
He narrowed his eyes at the shadow, wary.
"That's still not your true form," he muttered under his breath but quickly shook off the thought.
"You said you could help me get into the city without a token?"
"Exactly," the voice replied again, though the shadow itself did not move. The sound continued to echo only within Aleron's mind.
"Apart from the standard method of entering the barrier city, there is the underground. There, you do not need a token. As long as you possess sufficient strength, that alone is enough."
Once the voice finished speaking, the shadow turned its head slightly, as if observing Aleron more intently. Though its face lacked any real features, it somehow seemed to express emotion.
After all, the shadow had been present for a while and had witnessed Aleron's brutal extermination of the countless Abominations.
Aleron stared at the dark figure but said nothing.
If the only requirement was strength, he had no concerns. He was confident in that aspect.
The shadow spoke again.
"So? Do you have a key to the Tower of Heaven?"
Aleron hesitated, his face unreadable. After a brief pause, he finally opened his mouth.
"Yes. I can give it to you, if you truly show me the way to the Tower of Heaven," he said in a calm yet firm voice.
The shadow trembled slightly, clearly overjoyed.
"Good. Very good."
"Now, head in the direction of..." The voice in Aleron's mind began to relay the details of the underground passage.
Aleron listened carefully, memorizing every word while his thoughts raced.
The path described by the voice seemed plausible. It aligned with what he knew about the city's layout.
Still, he decided to wait until the dragon had fully recovered before setting out.
Sensing that Aleron had stopped responding, the voice disappeared. The shadow dissolved quietly into the air, vanishing like a wisp of smoke.
Nonetheless, Aleron knew the being was still nearby, simply concealing itself.
A faint thought flickered across his mind as he closed his eyes to rest.
Would the karmic backlash trigger?
Since the unknown entity had shown him goodwill, it was only right for the karmic backlash to activate.
Yet nothing happened. All was quiet.
Aleron did not dwell on it for long.
Hours passed in the blink of an eye.
Ashkar stirred from his slumber, groggily lifting his head and looking around. His golden eyes gleamed softly in the morning light.
He had felt exhausted earlier, but after some rest, his energy had returned completely.
He turned his gaze toward Aleron, who was not far away.
"Dad, what are we going to do next?" he asked curiously, his youthful eyes filled with anticipation.
Aleron turned toward the dragon and gently patted its head.
Due to his recent breakthrough, Ashkar's power had grown significantly.
The dragon's size had more than doubled, and Aleron sensed that it could now carry him to some extent.
Though Ashkar was still a little short of being able to fly while bearing Aleron's full weight, he could at least support him in short bursts.
However, Aleron was not ready for that just yet. When the time was right, he would ride a dragon high into the skies.
That sensation he had felt before, while riding the owl, would pale in comparison to the thrill of flying with Ashkar.
"We'll eat first, then head to the city."
Ashkar blinked, puzzled. He could clearly recall what had occurred at the city gates.
Even though he had been fused with Aleron, everything outside had remained visible to him.
He remembered vividly how Aleron had been denied entry. There had been no way through the gates.
If that was the case, how did Aleron plan to get in now?
Aleron noticed the dragon's confusion and smiled faintly.
"Are you still there?" he asked aloud, his voice firm.
He needed to confirm whether the mysterious figure was still around, and more importantly, whether the karmic backlash had affected him yet.
"Yes, I am," came the eventual reply, calm and quiet.
Aleron nodded at the response and then shifted his gaze to the dense forest not too far away.
It was time for their meal.
Nightfall came swiftly.
Now that Aleron had stepped into the Origin Adept realm, his vision was no longer confined to the day. Whether bathed in sunlight or shrouded in darkness, he could see clearly without effort.
After their meal, he and Ashkar rested for a while before setting off under the guidance of the voice.
Though Aleron did not fully trust the disembodied speaker, he had little choice.
The voice had yet to reveal its identity, and Aleron needed to reach the Tower of Heaven.
Each time he thought about that place, an inexplicable feeling stirred within his body.
It was almost like a calling, an invisible pull that seized his thoughts and refused to let go.
He believed that by reaching the Tower of Heaven, he might finally understand this strange sensation. Perhaps there, he could either cure it or uncover the reason it existed in the first place.
Aleron also wanted to see what awaited him inside the tower. What secrets, what rewards, what trials could be found within its walls?
If there were any to be found at all.
Under the silent lead of the voice, Aleron approached a desolate area far from the pile of abominations he had slaughtered earlier.