Atticus’s Odyssey: Reincarnated Into A Playground

"Do you also feel it?" Atticus asked inwardly. Although he and Ozeroth were currently separated, they could still hear and read each other's thoughts clearly.

"Yes, bond…" Ozeroth's response came, and they both instantly locked eyes.

And in perfect sync, they both concluded:

'They're not… dead yet?'

Though it was a conclusion, it felt more like a question. Neither of them sounded sure. In fact, they sounded more confused than ever.

Jezenet's corpse had been reduced to nothingness by Ozeroth. The same was true for Eletantron. There was nothing left in their place, pure, complete void. And yet, Atticus and Ozeroth both sensed the same thing.

Somehow… they were still alive.

They couldn't explain it. It was faint, barely there, but it existed.

Then, a second passed… and both of their eyes flew wide open.

Atticus had felt it from the moment they died. A feeling so familiar it made his blood run cold.

How could he forget? The same thing Lucas had once used to trap him back at the military training camp.

'Life force!'

Both Atticus and Ozeroth echoed in unison. And the moment the words rang out, they didn't wait, they didn't even think.

Their bodies moved instinctively, blipping out of place, vanishing as they raced away from the location.

In the Ravenstein control room, Anastasia and the others startled.

They stared at their sudden retreat, utterly confused. Even the paragons were taken aback.

Streaks of light shot across the sky as they zoomed to the location Atticus had fled to. Though they still couldn't bypass the Aegis Shield, they appeared just beneath him.

Avalon's voice rang out first,

"Son! What's wrong?"

Magnus and the other paragons kept silent, their gazes locked on Atticus, waiting for his answer.

But Atticus didn't turn. He didn't even blink. His eyes remained fixed on the point where Jezenet and Eletantron had perished.

Ozeroth had already merged back into his body. Both of them were now together, perfectly still, and ready for anything.

Then, Atticus suddenly spoke.

"Something's coming."

The words froze the paragons. Their expressions morphed into dread.

Atticus's words weren't just heard by them. They traveled, spreading across the entire domain. And when the people saw the serious look on his face, paired with those cold words, the cheers that once filled the air fell silent.

They gripped the hands of their loved ones once more, and their gazes slowly followed Atticus's.

There, exactly where Jezenet and Eletantron had fallen, two glowing golden orbs began to form—one at each point. And with each passing second, they grew brighter.

'The Gardener?'

Atticus's eyes scanned every inch of the orbs, dissecting the glow, identifying the energy. It was the same thing he'd felt from Lucas back then.

Life force.

Because of that alone, Atticus steered far, far clear. Right now, he was hundreds of kilometers away, and he had no intention of going anywhere near those orbs.

'I still can't wield it.'

Of all the questions Atticus had asked Whisker that night, life force had been one of them. He'd referenced Lucas and the way he'd been trapped.

Whisker had explained that life force manipulation was indeed possible, especially in the upper middle planes.

But it wasn't something Atticus could use. Not yet. Not with his current, still-developing mastery of Will.

So, instead, he had asked Whisker something else: Was there a way to fight it? Defend against it?

And Whisker had confirmed his thoughts.

As long as Atticus didn't touch the one using it, or the energy directly, its effects wouldn't be absolute.

He had carried that truth into his battle with Eletantron. The Gardener was from the middle planes, just like the siblings controlling the Obsidian Order and the Zorvan, the one who created the life artifacts.

There was a high chance… he too could utilize life force.

Because of this, throughout the entire battle, Atticus never made direct contact with Eletantron.

Ozeroth did the same with Jezenet. Every strike had been buffered with layers of energy, a thin veil that always separated their bodies from their enemies.

Still, Atticus remained cautious.

He couldn't wield life force. Not yet. So, he had to avoid it. Entirely.

'It's starting, bond.'

Ozeroth's voice echoed once more in his mind.

Atticus's gaze sharpened. He cleared his thoughts and focused on the scene unfolding in front of him.

The orbs' brightness continued to grow, intensifying with each passing second, until, suddenly, both golden spheres shot toward each other at frightening speed.

They collided in midair, fusing instantly. The merged orb surged with light, growing even brighter, more radiant, until its glow reached a crescendo…

Then, it erupted.

A blinding burst of brilliance exploded outward, so intense that the humans watching instinctively shielded their eyes. Gasps filled the air. The cheers had long since died. Now, there was only dread and fear.

But Atticus didn't flinch. Neither did the paragons.

They stared straight into the brilliance, eyes unblinking. They weren't willing to miss a single moment.

And Atticus saw it first.

Within that overwhelming light, something took form. A small, black object, barely a speck. But Atticus recognized it instantly, even from this distance.

'A seed…'

It looked harmless. It should have been harmless.

But Atticus had never felt more on edge.

The golden light around it dimmed, and its form was revealed to all. But it didn't remain still.

Not even a second passed before it began to grow.

The seed pulsed, then split open. From its core, thick roots burst out like spears, writhing and coiling in the air.

Then, it rose.

A massive trunk exploded upward, stretching higher and higher until it pierced the clouds.

Branches the size of mountains spread wide, and a canopy of glistening, otherworldly leaves bloomed in an instant.

The tree towered above all, divine and terrifying.

Then came the roots.

Thick, black roots slammed down from its base, crashing directly onto the Aegis Shield that surrounded the human domain.

The impact echoed like thunder, shaking the entire human domain and rattling bones. And then, like veins, the roots began to spread, wrapping along the dome's surface.

An intense fear surged through the bodies of every single person watching as their expressions morphed back into horror.

Slowly, instinctively, they all turned toward their Apex, only to see that his expression had darkened.

While they each felt fear… Atticus felt something else.

A pull.

It was sudden. Violent.

Before he could react, his body shot forward, dragged toward the tree by an insane, invisible force.