The battle with the giant had ended swiftly, with Atticus as the winner.
As the announcent rang out, Atticus returned to the group. None of them had shown any visible surprise. A one on one duel with Atticus wasn't sothing anyone expected another person to win.
"Nicely done," Anorah praised as he neared.
Atticus responded with a smile. Ozeroth grumbled sothing incomprehensible, but Atticus ignored him. The prideful man could be a big baby in so cases, especially when battle and pride were involved.
He turned to face the opposing army. A death like silence had settled over their people, while his own roared and cheered at the top of their lungs.
"Lord Atticus!! Splitter of giants!"
"Burn our enemies next, my lord!"
"Marry my entire family!"
"Flatten like you flattened him!!"
"Atticus-sama!!! Step on !!"
"My lord! Please bear my children!"
The praises were endless, and only beca more unbearable as the seconds went on. Atticus had to stop himself from blurring his hearing.
Multiple flashes of glow drew his attention. As he turned, he saw the champions of the god he'd just killed disappearing.
It was followed by a sudden jerk of his will.
'The count's will…'
Atticus gritted his teeth as he staggered back. Tens of thousands of worlds had just crashed into his will, trying to overwhelm him.
'It's more than before,' Atticus thought gravely. But there was a major difference between Atticus now and Atticus then.
The last ti, he had scarcely five thousand minor worlds and had needed to assimilate more than twenty five thousand. Now he held more than thirty thousand.
This, coupled with his true will, and his recent breakthrough and sharpening, made his will stand like an unmoving mountain.
The thousands of worlds hamred at it, trying to break through, but the image of a figure wreathed in dual flas flashed in his mind, and Atticus felt his will flare. The count's will beca docile before rging with his.
"Are you okay?"
Atticus opened his eyes to a worried Anorah.
'It's not only her.'
All eyes had turned to him, each one narrowed. Even the cheers of the crowd had stopped. The entire region was silent as they stared at Atticus.
Atticus cleared his throat, then nodded.
"I'm fine." He said, then blocked sound around them so only his people heard. "It's the count's will."
A chorus of "Ahhs" left the group as they nodded in understanding.
"So, what do you plan on doing with them?" Whisker gestured to the opposing army. With their god dead, their territory now belonged to him.
'Let's see how this works.'
Atticus appeared before the army. Every soldier gazed fearfully, unable to et his eyes.
""My na is Atticus Ravenstein." His voice carried through the entire army. "I have just defeated your god and taken control of your territory. You've beco prisoners of war."
The words deepened the tension. More soldiers trembled.
"But I believe in a fair world. A world where everyone deserves a right to live in peace and without conflict. So I'm offering you a chance to be part of this vision. Submit yourselves to ."
Atticus could feel the shocked eyes of his people behind him, Anorah even more so. Even he had no idea where this ca from. All he knew was that he ant every word. His vision had always been a gentle world. That hadn't changed.
There was a mont of deep silence before multiple clatters and thuds resounded as the opposing army dropped their weapons. A mont later, they each sank to their knees, bowing deeply.
'Good.'
The next events involved the assimilation of the newly gained territory and its people.
Atticus was faced with the option of combining the territory or leaving them separate.
After multiple assessnts and suggestions from Whisker and the others, he eventually decided to do the forr.
Leaving them separate would make him miss out on many perks. Though he would lose the advantage of having two separate bases, he was also avoiding the possibility of having to defend from two fronts.
Surprisingly, the assimilation of the people went smoothly. Aside from the soldiers, he had to repeat his speech to the civilians too. They submitted without much resistance.
How easy they were to control was the one thing Atticus could thank the Verge for.
After their surrender, they automatically obeyed every order he and the others gave.
As the territories combined, Atticus felt his awareness increase even more and his will density rise.
A brief glance at the territory rank brought a smile to his face.
Arcane.
The ranks were as follows; Prehistoric. Ancient. Classical. Imperial. Mythic. Arcane Age. Celestial Age. Eternal Age
It was a major jump from the bottom. The territory was coming along well, and Atticus felt good seeing it grow.
After ensuring everything was in place, Atticus vanished to a more secluded location. He had taken the liberty of building a training room for himself.
Though after being caught, he had to build for Ozeroth and Ozerra too, as they wouldn't stop whining. But to him, the silence was worth it.
Sitting cross legged in the middle of the room, Atticus let out a deep exhale. It was a lot being in a group filled with dramatic personalities.
'If only all of them could be like Magnus.'
It would be a dream co true.
Clearing his mind, Atticus focused inward. The world slowly blurred out, and his will churned within him.
'That's a lot of worlds…'
He'd gathered about thirty thousand worlds from his carnage in the viscount layer. But one kill in the count layer had granted him triple that.
'One hundred and twenty five thousand total.'
It was an astronomical amount. And Atticus couldn't help but think of himself a few days ago before the Ascension Gas. He barely had less than ten minor worlds!
The sheer difference in a few days was insane.
After calming down, Atticus focused on the changes.
'I have new wills.'
Absorbing other people's will had always increased his power. But Atticus had discovered sothing else long since, he could use the wills of the people he absorbed.
He had always gawked at the prospect and potential of his elusive bloodline. The ability to control any and every elent.
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