The silence was out of this world. The shock that enveloped every single person watching this scene was insanely palpable.
Mortrex the indomitable had appeared on the battlefield.
None of the students watching knew exactly who he was, but his presence was undeniable; they knew someone powerful had appeared, an opponent Atticus couldn't take lightly.
But it was different for the millions of people of the bone race watching. There was no one among them who didn't know who this man was, but none of them even had the time and opportunity to comprehend the situation before the hundreds of small artifacts suspended in the air streaming the events suddenly imploded.
Simultaneously, the hundreds of screens that the people of the bone race were watching the events through abruptly disappeared, leaving the distraught masses in a state of confusion.
The majority of the civilians still in the city immediately began running towards the gate and into the forest where Atticus had fled, intending to find and join the battle.
Their Ossarch had appeared! They must also join the battle!
Since the small artifacts had been destroyed, the audience spectating the scene had reduced considerably, leaving only the millions of students of the academy and the instructors watching.
Gon had long since found a seat. He was no longer commentating and was instead gazing upwards at the sky absentmindedly, daydreaming about how he would spend the money he had just won.
Once again, they all watched in silence.
Mortrex's presence was expansive and thick. It was as though an unknown powerful being had descended on the battlefield. It was so heavy that everyone, Atticus included, found it hard to breathe.
Atticus's gaze narrowed, his instinct screaming at him like a blaring horn.
He ignored the incredible amount of pain emanating from his right arm, his figure suddenly distorting before disappearing.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"})Instantaneously, he reappeared 30 meters away from where he had been before, sheathing his katana soundlessly.
Atticus didn't need to be told, nor did he waste a single second. His body moved smoothly and swiftly, sturdy water forming beneath his feet as he got into a stance in the air.
A drop of crimson blood fell from the sky, hitting the earth with an imperceptible sound. It was just a single drop, but to some people, it carried great significance.
No one was left unmoved by the power Atticus had just unleashed or the magnitude of the massacre that occurred, but the shock that enveloped Viviana and Mortrex alike could not be compared.
It had been brief, but she had seen it clearly before the screens disappeared from the city: Mortrex was bleeding.
'What is that weapon made of?' Mortrex's gaze narrowed slightly, fixing on the sheathed katana at Atticus's waist.
The sturdiness of a Grandmaster's body was something that many couldn't dream of comprehending.
The gap between a grandmaster and the lower ranks was so large that even a master+ rank's strongest attack couldn't hope to hurt the body of a grandmaster. It was that large.
And yet, a boy radiating an aura of an Advanced rank had hurt him?
Viviana's expressionless gaze darkened as a platform made of bones materialized beneath her feet. From the middle of her chest, a white viscous substance streamed out, immediately engulfing her entire body.
In an instant, a radiant white armor formed, her figure resembling an incarnation of a white goddess.
The bone platform shot upwards, a multitude of bone-like spikes materializing behind her.
A dangerous glint passed through Viviana's gaze, and with the speed of a bullet, she shot forward, leaving a trail of sonic booms in her wake.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"})Mortrex raised his arm, focusing on his bleeding finger. He had used a finger to stop the attack, an action he felt was sufficient given the power level of the attacker.
But at the end of the day, he was a grandmaster rank. The wound didn't even take a second to close up as soon as it formed.
However, he didn't have time to ponder the matter as an overwhelming thick aura suddenly descended upon the area, followed by a roar,
"HOW DARE YOU!"
Vertebrae bellowed, his raging voice making the earth tremble.
Atticus and the others felt their eardrums vibrate, threatening to burst.
Vertebrae suddenly appeared between Atticus and Mortrex, his seething gaze focused directly on Atticus.
To the people in the area, the aura was already familiar; another grandmaster had appeared.
The perception of a grandmaster was hard for normal humans to comprehend. Before he had even reached the scene, he had already seen and understood the state of the situation.
The warriors of the Ossara family, hundreds of youths whom he had painstakingly raised and trained from their childhood, the future of their lineage, had all been killed in a matter of seconds.
The intensity of the rage Vertebrae was feeling was akin to the eruption of a volcano.
Vertebrae erupted, his full grandmaster rank aura immediately blanketing the whole area.
Atticus felt danger the likes of which he had never felt before. He had never been one to hesitate; immediately upon Vertebrae speaking, his hand had already moved to tap his artifact.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "663633fa8ebf7442f0652b33", id: "pf-8817-1"})Atticus had gained an incredible amount of points from the massacre he had just committed. From the very first time Atticus had killed Zekaron in the forest, he had discovered that depending on the strength of those he killed and his own strength, he was rewarded accordingly.
At Intermediate+ rank, Zekaron had given him more than two thousand points, but now he had killed almost 500 Zekarons at Advanced rank. Atticus was insanely rich in points.
Atticus didn't bother to check as he unlocked everything. From his rank to his exosuit, a black suit enveloping him instantly.
Atticus was many things, but a coward was not one of them. He was not one to cower even when the odds were stacked against him.
Atticus's aura suddenly exploded, his katana moving slightly from its sheath as he prepared to attack.
Just as the aura was about to hit, it suddenly disappeared as though it were an insignificant breeze.
As though the weight of the world had suddenly descended upon him, Vertebrae's figure plummeted from the skies at fast speed, hitting the earth with a cataclysmic impact.
"Am I a joke to you?"
A voice boomed at the next instant, its intensity palpable. Vertebrae found himself pinned down face-first on the earth by Mortrex's aura, unable to move an inch no matter how much he struggled.
"I am Mortrex the Indomitable! How dare you question my authority!"
Mortrex's chilling gaze fixed itself on Vertebrae, his aura exploding as it increased in intensity once more, causing Vertebrae to sink deeper into the earth.
Vertebrae's hand clenched, his teeth gritted hard.
Despite both of them being in the grandmaster rank, he knew deep down that he wasn't a match for Mortrex—no one was.
He couldn't even lift a finger, and this was just his aura! Blood streamed out of Vertebrae's palms and teeth, his eyes turning red as he stopped fighting back, his aura receding.
'This embarrassment will not be forgotten,' Vertebrae promised inwardly.
Seeing this, Mortrex released his aura, freeing him.
"Take your son and leave now," Mortrex commanded.
Vertebrae listened, appearing in the sky beside his frightened son. He suddenly turned, his seething gaze meeting Atticus's cold one.
"This will not be forgotten," he said. Before Vertebrae could disappear, he received a response from Atticus that made his heart tremble:
"I will end your family."
Vertebrae locked eyes with Atticus for a second before suddenly vanishing without a word. The area descended into silence for a moment, the gazes of Mortrex and Atticus meeting in a silent clash.
The impacts from the explosions had already sent the others a significant distance away from the scene, but the arrival of multiple powerful individuals didn't go unnoticed.
The group had gotten on Zoey's dragon construct, about to reach the scene before Zoey abruptly stopped midair, 50 meters away from where Atticus and Mortrex were, her worried gaze narrowing.
'What do you mean there's no need for fusion? I can't help him without transforming!' Zoey questioned.
'Calm down, Zoey. I don't feel any hostility coming from him. I don't think there's a need to do anything. Just observe, you can always step in if anything happens.'
Zoey was reluctant, but her spirit was never wrong, and she knew that very well. She turned and explained everything to the rest of the group.
Mortrex observed Atticus with scrutiny, his mind racing as he attempted to comprehend what he had just witnessed.
"So you're the reason for this whole thing," Mortrex suddenly spoke.
Atticus's hands still held his katana tightly. He had already unleashed everything—from Aerokinesis to burst, he was ready to go at any time.
Atticus didn't offer any response, causing Mortrex to narrow his eyes slightly. He had seen everything.
Atticus might have been using conceal, but unfortunately for him, he couldn't hide his rank when he was releasing his restrictions. Mortrex had seen the burst of mana every time he leveled up.
Despite looking older, Mortrex could tell that Atticus could not be more than 16.
An Expert+ rank 16-year-old—it was insane.
Multiple thoughts flashed through Mortrex's mind before he finally decided on what he wanted to do.
"I am Mortrex the Indomitable, the Ossarch of the bone race!"
Mortrex suddenly bellowed, his voice permeating the space.
"Human! I hope you will remember this favor in the future when you stand at the top."
Atticus's expression changed, but before he could comprehend his words, Mortrex suddenly spoke, his words cutting through the tension like a blade.
"Domain."
