Whispers followed the man as he stepped forward and ca to a stop before Atticus. The mont eyes settled on him, they widened. "Atticus Ravenstein!"
Shock rippled through the crowd instantly. The news about his participation had already spread across the Core, but none had expected to actually see him. "I finally found you… Atticus Ravenstein."
Orvain spoke with a confident smile as he closed the distance between them, staring straight at Atticus with a gaze filled with utter disdain. "You—"
Wham!
Atticus's hand abruptly connected with Orvain's cheek, sending him crashing through several gods and champions in a aggressive tumble before coming to a stop.
Every single soul watching gasped at the sight.
"—!"
"You dare?!"
The Twin Pyres drew their katanas in unison, but the mont they moved, Atticus's aura slamd into them and forced their knees into the ground. "Hurk!"
"You—!"
Their heads trembling as they struggled to rise, but they froze the instant their eyes t Atticus's rciless gaze. In that mont, he looked less like a man and more like a savage beast barely restrained.
There was no mistaking that gaze. He was going to kill them.
The onlookers could only stare in sheer disbelief. Had Atticus just neutralized Archduke Rhexan's son, and the Twin Pyres, within a single second?
"You bastard!"
Orvain had dragged himself up in the distance and was staring at Atticus with hate filled eyes. His will surged violently around him and he took a furious step forward, only for a man to appear directly in his path.
"I'd calm down, if I were you."
The newcor's presence was quiet. Faint blue hair frad his face with light red eyes. His aura carried a peaceful stillness that stood in sharp contrast to Orvain's raging will.
"Nature's spawn!"
"Don't tell he's participating too?"
"What's wrong with this year's Resource Wars?"
The whispers buzzed around him, but the man paid them no mind and maintained his composed smile as he looked at Orvain.
"We're standing in the chosen grounds of the Resource Wars," he said calmly. "Do you really think the Eternal Span isn't present?
"But—!"
"You'll get your chance when it starts. Settle it then," he continued. "Unless you're willing to risk offending the Span."
Orvain's will continued to climb for a few tense monts, before he finally exhaled sharply and turned away, stomping off.
The man shifted his gaze back toward Atticus.
"The sa goes for you. If you don't want to anger the Span, keep yourself in check."
"…"
"Hm?"
The man's eyes moved past him and settled on Whisker standing just behind, whose brow was raised. "Hello, uncle," he said lightly. "I'm pleased to finally et you."
"…"
Receiving no answer, the man chuckled softly and gave a small nod.
"Well then, I suppose we'll et again soon."
The man said, calmly walking away. …
How does soone grow that strong in such a short ti?"
"The better question is what those fools in the lower parts were doing. Why would they let him kill them and grow his power unchecked?"
"Is that really what you think happened?" At the Iron Archduke's composed voice, the room turned toward him. He sat with his narrowed eyes fixed on Atticus's image displayed across the large screen, his expression unreadable.
"No matter how you look at it, the gods of the lower parts have lived for millennia," he continued. "None of them would lower their guard, even against soone weaker. If he defeated them, then he did so because he had the power."
Silence spread through the hall at his words.
The Archdukes of the great families had gathered in a single hall for one purpose alone, to watch the Resource Wars. Under normal circumstances, each of them would observe from the comfort of their own estates, but this ti was different. This ti, they had chosen to watch together for one reason only.
The hunt for Atticus Ravenstein.
"So that's why you chose not to go after him," soone said coldly. "Because you're afraid."
Due to the bounty placed on Atticus, every Archduke present, save for the Iron Archduke, had dispatched their successors in hopes of claiming it. Each of them had nurtured geniuses ant to serve them. and unlike the well known useless fifth son, they were all confident that Atticus would be unable to stand against their chosen heirs.
"The Iron Will fears no one."
The Iron Archduke turned his icy gaze toward the Abyss Archduke. "And yet," the Abyss Archduke replied with a thin smile, "you run from him like a frightened kitten."
For the first ti, the Iron Archduke's composure cracked. His eyes flared dangerously as his presence sharpened.
"Retract those words."
"Or what?"
The Abyss Archduke's smile widened as he released his aura, eting the Iron Archduke's head-on. The collision sent pressure rippling through the hall.
"Enough. Don't forget why we're here."
At Eras's words, the Iron Archduke held the Abyss Archduke's gaze for several long monts before finally looking away. "…Fine."
"Good. Now we can watch the ga in peace."
As the Archdukes returned their attention to the screen, no one noticed Archduke Rhexan clenching his fists beneath the table as he stared at Atticus's image with fury.
Though he hadn't expected much from his useless son, Rhexan truly believed that the only reason Atticus had overpowered the Twins was because he was a god and they were rely champions.
But that belief would not last much longer.
'When the battle starts… you'll be dead.'
…
'One of yours?'
'Unfortunately.'
'I don't need to worry about you asking to spare anyone, do I?'
'Bwahaha… don't worry about that. I'm not exactly the elder-brother-of-the-year type like golden boy over there. Honestly? I'd rather see my entire family dead."
Whisker flashed him a grin as though he had just made a casual joke, but Atticus wasn't sure how he was supposed to react to that. His first instinct had been to say good, but that didn't feel like sothing a person should say out loud to anyone else.
He couldn't imagine what soone would have to go through to reach the point of wanting their entire family dead.
'I'll have to ask him later.'
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