Atticus's Odyssey: Reincarnated Into A Playground

1131  Vanished

Atticus had done it earlier, and although the consequences had been manageable, Atticus had felt it then.

It had almost cost him his life.

But now, things were different.

His mana was stronger. His negation energy was stronger.

The effects would be even more devastating.

Regardless, it was the only way he could think of.

He couldn't even begin to imagine how insane the Gardener's perception was right now, especially considering his Will had already engulfed most of Eldoralth from his clashes with Whisker.

Atticus could feel it pressing against him even now.

Although the Gardener was battling Whisker, he was also keeping an eye on him.

But that was about to change.

Atticus started walking toward a random direction.

Whisker and the Gardener were fighting across Eldoralth, their battlegrounds were ever-shifting, razing the land and changing the terrain permanently.

But Atticus had no intention of chasing after them.

Not with how little time he would have once he became a singularity.

Becoming a singularity would erase his presence from the world, even from the Gardener's Will. For a brief, crucial moment, the Gardener wouldn't be able to find him, no matter how hard he looked.

And when that happened, Atticus intended to be close enough, and powerful enough, to make full use of the opportunity.

"Fuse."

The word rolled off both Atticus' and Ozeroth's mouths at once.

He stood taller, his muscles more defined and bulkier. His body still seemed to burn, but now with wild, flowing flames of white and purple.

His eyes, once pure white, had shifted into a swirling mix of white and yellow.

Right now, Atticus was no longer just himself.

He had fused with both Ozeroth and the soulkin.

And his power…

The very air around him twisted and warped under the pressure.

Cracks formed along the ground where he stood, small arcs of force sparking across the earth.

His spiritual energy had been amplified to staggering levels.

And also, his Will had blazed higher than ever before.

Without hesitation, Atticus cleared his mind.

He drew the mana within his body and the force of negation together, holding them just inches apart, so close they trembled violently against one another.

Then, he closed his eyes and focused.

The world fell silent.

The distant cries from the people enclosed within the Aegis Shield.

The earth-shaking booms of battle tearing across Eldoralth.

All of it faded away.

In the entirety of Eldoralth, Atticus focused on only one thing.

The Gardener.

And then, he waited.

Waited for the perfect opportunity.

…

Flashes of green and blue ignited across the skies of Eldoralth as Whisker and the Gardener continued their relentless clashes, shaking domains and reshaping the terrain with every strike.

He had believed he could win in a direct clash against Solren, but it appeared he was wrong.

Solren had been right about him.

Whisker had always been the youngest, and by extension, the weakest among their father's children.

After everything he endured, he had trained harder than anyone to reach his current strength.

But still…

His Will wasn't as firm as Solren's.

It wasn't as stable.

Although, on the surface, they appeared evenly matched, that was a completely false assessment.

With every clash, Whisker could feel it, his Will was starting to wane.

If this continued, one of their collisions would eventually break his Will… and his being, leaving an injury he would never recover from.

The situation was dire.

Whisker's mind raced, desperately trying to think of a solution.

Meanwhile, for the Gardener, his expression had twisted into pure, utter shock.

He couldn't believe what he had just sensed.

'Elderish lost.'

His heart was pounding hard in his chest.

He had fed the man eight cores.

Amplified him countless times.

By all logic, Elderish should have been unstoppable, able to wipe out the entirety of Eldoralth if he wished.

But a weakened boy had defeated him?

'Impossible!'

The Gardener couldn't comprehend it. He had crafted a perfect plan earlier.

Sensing Elderish's loss, he had grown the monstrous tree that attacked the humans, forcing Atticus to send his bond to the human domain, thereby weakening himself.

Everything had been perfectly set.

But despite all that, Atticus had still managed to kill Elderish.

The Gardener felt a violent surge of rage tear through his body.

He was seething.

Time and time again, this foolish boy had ruined his plans.

It was infuriating!

'I'll kill him.'

Now, the Gardener wanted nothing more than to erase Atticus from existence.

His gaze snapped back to Whisker as they clashed again.

'He won't last,' the Gardener thought coldly.

Whisker's Will was faltering.

Soon, one final clash would shatter it and he would be rid of him for good.

Regardless…

'Then I'll go after him myself.'

The Gardener's focus narrowed once more on Atticus. He couldn't afford to let him escape. Not with the eight cores of Elderish, and whatever unexplained power he now possessed.

'I have to make sure he doesn't get away.'

The Gardener filtered through his Will, drenched across Eldoralth, zeroing in on the ruined human domain.

'There he is.'

His eyes turned cold.

His Will flared violently.

As he clashed with Whisker once more, the force sent Whisker hurtling backward, at a speed that tore across the skies directly above the human domain.

The Gardener tore through the air after him, reaching above the domain just as Whisker regained his balance and fired back toward him.

They collided, and the skies erupted once more in bursts of blue and green.

But the Gardener's mind wasn't even focused on Whisker anymore.

Through their violent clashes, his perception zoomed in on Atticus' location.

'I've got you.'

The Gardener's eyes gleamed with killing intent.

Just as he was about to narrow in to trap him… Atticus vanished.

The Gardener's eyes exploded wide.