Atticus's Odyssey: Reincarnated Into A Playground Chapter 1187: Challenge

"Segnts?" Atticus asked.

"Think of it like a solar system," Whisker said. "Eldoralth, along with several other worlds, orbits one massive star. That's one segnt. In another place, there's another star, another orbit, that's another segnt."

"And these segnts are divided by what? Boundaries?" Atticus asked.

Whisker nodded. "Your star is everything. It gives your world life. When it dies, so does everything else. But it also regulates your segnt. Now, imagine four of these segnts lined up horizontally. That makes up the lowerplane. Each segnt has its own boundary, maintained by its star."

"And Eldoralth, the Zorvan world, and the others, they're all in the sa segnt?" Atticus asked.

Whisker nodded.

"Can we access the other segnts?"

"Only if the stars allow it."

"What are the stars?"

Whisker grinned. "Good question." He paused, then added, "I don't know."

Atticus raised a brow, but before he could speak, Whisker continued.

"They've been there since the beginning of creation. We call them regulators. There are a ton of theories about what they are. All we know is that the stars are interconnected, and sohow… each has its own ego. That's why the planes are divided into territories."

Atticus exhaled, taking it all in. "So you're telling … there might be other worlds in the lowerplane stronger than Eldoralth?"

Whisker nodded.

"Then why is everyone fighting so desperately over Eldoralth when there could be stronger or more valuable worlds?"

Whisker shook his head. "I get the confusion. The thing is… we can't access the other segnts. In fact, the lowerplane is supposed to be completely inaccessible to the midplane."

Atticus didn't even need to ask. Whisker understood his look perfectly.

"As for how we got in…" Whisker continued, "we're still not sure. But centuries ago, my father discovered that the boundary in this segnt had a hole. Sothing powerful made it. He didn't care who, only that it was an opportunity. The hole was healing, but with his power, he squeezed so of us through it, claiming we'd conquer worlds and ascend."

"So?" Atticus asked. "You have more siblings?"

Whisker chuckled. "Of course. The man has so many wives it's basically an army. I've got a ton more."

"Great," Atticus muttered. "Where are they?"

"So already rule planets as gods under the Nature faction. Others chose quieter lives. Only four of us ca down here."

'The Spirit King must've found the hole too. That's why he targeted this segnt,' Atticus thought. Still, another question nagged at him. 'Who made the hole?'

His best guess was the bastard who reincarnated him, but he had no proof. Still, he couldn't shake the question. What was that being's goal?

The words from that day still echoed in his mind.

'Entertain us.'

Even now, just rembering them sparked a flicker of rage.

But he pushed it down, focusing on the present. He turned to Whisker.

"You said there are other factions in the midplanes. Why are you and the Spirit King the only ones here?"

Whisker humd. "Honestly? I don't know how the Spirit King found the hole. My father kept its discovery tightly sealed."

Atticus nodded slowly. "Can people from other segnts access this one?"

"Only if the star allows it, and it almost never does."

"So… possible, but barely," Atticus muttered.

Whisker nodded.

Atticus fell silent for a mont, then asked the real question. "Do we need to go to other segnts to reach the midplanes?"

Whisker shook his head, "No, no. After you beco Eldoralth's god, and I give you the Zorvan core, even though their people are basically extinct, you should have enough power to take on the challenge to ascend."

"Of course there's a challenge," Atticus said, unimpressed. "What's the challenge about?"

Whisker shrugged, "I don't know. You'll find out when it's ti, I guess."

Atticus sighed. "Alright, so why are you telling about the other segnts now? They're irrelevant."

They weren't going to capture any more worlds in the lower planes, nor was there any real chance of being attacked by worlds from the other segnts. So why was Whisker speaking like they mattered?

Whisker only smiled. "Once more, good question," he said. "I'm just trying to prepare your mind for what you'll have to face before you ascend.

"From what I understand, one star alone can't take a world to the midplane. The stars have to reach an agreent and select one from their candidates."

"How is the one selected?" Atticus asked.

Whisker looked at him, "Easy. You play a ga for it. And the winner gets to ascend."

Atticus frowned. "You an I have to face other gods that are trying to ascend before I can reach the midplane?"

Whisker nodded. "You have to face them, and win."

"What if you fail?"

"You die. And your world gets absorbed. So just… don't fail, okay?"

Atticus exhaled heavily. Then he turned to Whisker. "You know, a part of thinks you enjoy dropping a whole lot of information at once and watching struggle to accept it."

Whisker chuckled. "Oh please. You call this struggle? Most people would still be denying reality after hearing all of this. But not only are you calr than , you've already started thinking of a way forward."

Atticus smiled. Whisker wasn't wrong. He had already accepted it. His will had grown past worrying over anything. He took things as they ca, calmly.

He was already thinking of the next step.

Atticus turned away from Whisker.

"Tell everything you know about the midplanes."

—

So ti later, after Atticus finished speaking with Whisker, they eventually separated. While Atticus headed back to the newly ford encampnt, Whisker, as expected, had declared one of the most absurd things Atticus had ever heard.

"I need a vacation. I've worked too hard. So, I'll find so chill spot on Eldoralth to relax. Oh, and yeah, I've dropped the remaining apex at yours. Also, when you need the core, just shout my na and I should hear you. Hopefully."

Atticus had only shaken his head and walked off without another word.