Following the parting of ways with Avalon, Atticus wasted no time. He made a beeline for the training facility, eager to put his newfound power to the test. The katana, vibrating with palpable excitement.
He entered the training room and quickly selected the data of the 14-year-old Magnus. The platform lit up, and after a few seconds, the robot formed, with lightning crackling around its form.
He quickly changed the room settings to a dojo and walked to one end, the robot the other end.
During the beheadings, after Atticus unlocked his heightened perception, he gained the ability to discern how the man manipulated mana within his body. It was easy as the man made no effort to conceal it.
The man released mana from his core in controlled bursts. Atticus had made an initial, ill-fated attempt to replicate it upon witnessing it, resulting in one of his fatal mistakes where his body had erupted due to the uncontrolled mana pressure.
This painful lesson left him acutely aware that, if done carelessly, it could lead to catastrophic consequences, due to the unmanaged pressure and mana. He completely devoted his focus to the man's movements and how he moved his mana.
It took him some time to grasp but he eventually painstakingly deciphered the precise pattern of the mana bursts.
In addition to the pattern, he discovered that executing this technique safely required adopting a specific body posture.
With his eyes focused on the robot, Atticus took a stance.
With a firm grip on the sword hilt and his right knee bent forward, Atticus released his mana from his core in controlled bursts, adhering to the rhythm of 'two short, one long, one short and one long.'
With a muttered command,
{Transcendent Slash: Godspeed Grace}
Atticus moved with a velocity that surpassed the robot's imagination.
In an instant, Atticus materialized behind the robot, who remained unaware of the severed connection between his neck and body.
Unaware of the impending peril, it attempted to pivot and launch an attack at Atticus. However, before it could execute his move, its head abruptly disconnected from its body, causing its intended strike to falter and its 'life' to be extinguished.
Atticus's inner thoughts raced, 'I didn't anticipate it being this strong. Just 20% of my mana, and I hadn't even manipulated the air to boost my speed.'
His exhilaration was palpable. The katana's vibrant vibrations added to his elation, causing a smile to grace Atticus's face.
"I guess i should give you a name." Atticus murmured, and the katana responded with a joyous vibration.
"Hmmm, naming isn't my strong suit. How about we go with 'Katara'?" Atticus suggested. However, the vibrations of the katana seemed to cease, almost as if it were expressing its disapproval of the chosen name.
"Alright, alright. We're going with that for now. I'm pretty exhausted, It's time for some rest," Atticus chuckled, noticing the subtle change in Katara's vibrations, as if reflecting a hint of sadness. Then he left the training facility and headed to his room.
After a few hours of sleep, Atticus awoke and made his way to the dining area. As he entered, his eyes fell upon a familiar face he hadn't seen in a while. 'I suppose it's about time he returned,'
"Atticus!" Caldor's voice rang out, and he stood up, extending his arms for a warm embrace. "I've missed you!"
A small smile curved Atticus's lips as he embraced Caldor, "I see you're still as cheerful as ever."
"It's hard not to be cheerful when you're around," Caldor grinned, giving Atticus a playful punch on the shoulder.
Atticus chuckled, "Well, someone has to keep things lively."
Caldor chuckled in agreement before gesturing to the empty seat beside him. "Come, sit. It's been too long. How have you been?"
Atticus took a seat and sighed, a mixture of exhaustion and contentment in his expression. "Busy, to say the least. Training, learning, and dealing with all sorts of challenges. But I can't complain, it's all been worth it."
Anastasia and Freya simply stared at them, clearly happy they were getting along so well. Ember was always distant, but they were happy Caldor didn't change much.
"So, how was camp?" Atticus asked.
Caldor's expression lit up as he recounted his experiences. "It was tough! Intense competition, rigorous training—"
"But it looks like it paid off. You seem much stronger," Atticus interjected with a genuine smile, sensing the formidable aura radiating from Caldor. 'He's advanced to intermediate rank,' Atticus realized.
Anastasia chimed in, a teasing glint in her eyes. "Caldor here has been quite the topic of discussion lately. Seems like you've been making quite the waves."
Caldor scratched his head bashfully. "Well, I guess so, haha."
"How's Ember?" Atticus asked.
A shadow crossed Caldor's face as he sighed, his voice carrying a touch of concern. "Ember has been... distant. She's been keeping to herself, avoiding interaction with others. No friends, no socializing—just focused on training."
Anastasia's gaze grew somber, and she exchanged a glance with Freya. Ember's isolation wasn't news to them, but hearing it spoken aloud brought a sense of heaviness to the room.
Atticus, too, sensed the gravity of the situation. He knew that Ember had been through a lot, and her withdrawal was likely a reflection of her inner struggles.
Caldor noticed this and quickly changed the topic. "So are you ready to go to camp next year?"
"I should manage" Atticus said with a chuckle.
Caldor playfully raised an eyebrow. "Confident, aren't we?"
Anastasia's smile returned, but a flicker of sadness passed through her eyes as she glanced at the empty head seat at the table. She couldn't help but think, "If only he could forgive himself..."
As the evening wound down, they each retired to their respective rooms.
***
The next day, Atticus and Caldor could be seen facing each other in the training ground, each with wooden swords on their hands.
"I've gotten way stronger Atticus. You think you could keep up?" Caldor said with a smirk.
"We'll see" Atticus replied calmly.
Caldor's cheerful demeanor faded as his focus sharpened into that of a skilled fighter.
'It still freaks me out anytime I see Caldor like this,' Atticus thought, his mind wandering back to the first time he had sparred with Caldor.
That abrupt transformation had caught him off guard, akin to witnessing a naive child instantly transform into a battle-hardened veteran.
With a sudden burst of movement, they lunge towards each other, their swords colliding in a flurry of strikes and parries.
Caldor was surprised by how strong Atticus was. The power in Atticus' strikes were equal if not more than his.
He couldn't perceive Atticus's rank, as not everyone possessed Atticus's perception ability at such a low rank.
While they might eventually be able to perceive it as they advanced, an intermediate rank person couldn't accurately tell the rank of an individual. The only way they could know was if the person openly released their aura.
As their swords clash, Atticus focused on the wind, granting himself an unexpected burst of speed.
Caldor, caught off guard by Atticus's sudden acceleration, struggled to react in time. Atticus seizes the advantage and deftly maneuvers his wooden sword, pressing it against Caldor's neck.
Caldor paused, his surprise turning into a grin. "Well played, Atticus. You got me there, you little monster. When did you awaken your bloodline?"
"Not too long ago," Atticus replied casually, maintaining a poker face. He was determined to keep the actual timing a secret, aware that such information could make him vulnerable at this early stage of his growth.
"Damn, a 9-year-old intermediate rank. And you awakened a useful element too! I simply awakened the water element. I can only heal a little bit currently!"
"Water element can be pretty versatile too," Atticus replied, trying to be reassuring. "Healing is important, Caldor. It can save lives in critical moments.
"Yeah, yeah, I know. But it'll be cool to be able to increase my speed or blast something to oblivion," Caldor retorted sulkily.
"Well, life isn't fair. Besides, I awakened 4 elements, hehe," Atticus said with a chuckle.
Atticus thought hard about whether he should reveal this information or not, but he eventually decided to.
'It'll be a major handicap if I can't use my bloodline freely. Besides, there have been cases of people having multiple elemental powers before, but not all 4. Hopefully, it won't be that bad.'
Caldor stood there dumbfounded, "4??! Show me now!"
Atticus then manipulated the elements simultaneously, leaving Caldor staring with his mouth open.
"Life really isn't fair," Caldor said absentmindedly, his mind racing with questions about how this was possible.