Atticus had been shocked for two reasons.
Firstly, the figure standing in front of him was most definitely not human. It was so apparent that even the blind would notice.
Atticus instinctively knew that he was a male, a young adult at that.
Standing at 6 feet 1 inch tall, he possessed a slightly bulky physique and was adorned in an ornate, elegant golden robe.
His complexion was pure white, marred by long red marks that trailed across his face and down his entire body. His head was completely bald, and his eyes glowed with yellow pupils.
Thick, short, bone-like protrusions curved slightly from the back of his wrists, ankles, elbows, shoulders, and forehead. Even his ears bore multiple white bone-like structures above their tips.
There was no need for thinking; this was most definitely not human.
'An alien? Or is this simply a simulation?'
The second reason Atticus had been shocked was that he hadn't felt the boy's presence nor heard any movements or sounds before he had spoken.
Granted, he hadn't been actively using his perception, and his senses had weakened considerably because of his restricted powers.
However, Atticus was still confident in his senses.
As Atticus scrutinized the alien, he got his answer.
'Shit, Advanced rank,' Atticus discovered.
He had long since figured out what his rank had been lowered to: Intermediate+ rank. It had been a stark contrast, especially compared to his original Expert+ rank.
The alien suddenly hit his chest with his fist, a sound of hardness meeting hardness permeating the space, his expression becoming serious as he spoke.
"My name is Zerakon the Unyielding, third son of Mortrex the Indomitable, the current great Ossarch of the Bone Race! I have come for your he-"
Zerakon was unable to finish speaking; he didn't need to.
Atticus almost made the stupid mistake of believing there was a chance for a peaceful resolution, especially when he saw that he could talk, but those last words snapped him out of that dream.
Atticus moved deftly and with practiced ease as he unleashed three precise shots, each of them targeting the alien's forehead, neck, and heart.
However, before the attacks could land, three distinct slashes suddenly appeared between each of the shots, their forms disappearing in the air.
"How despicable! This is not how a warrior should act!" Zerakon thundered, seeing as Atticus had chosen to sneak attack him. There was nothing more cowardly than attacking a warrior who was introducing himself.
But Atticus didn't give a crap about honor, especially in this situation. He maintained his cold gaze as he focused on the device hanging on Zerakon's robe, just beside his neck.
'That must be some kind of communication device he's using to speak. He can't speak the human language,'
Atticus was venturing further and further away from the assumption that these people were a simulation.
What if they were real?
Atticus instantly deadened that thought as it sprung up in his head. It didn't matter if they were real or not; he had already made his peace about taking lives.
Whoever tried to kill him would be killed, no questions asked.
This alien in front of him had come from who knows where and had asked for his head? There was no need to speak.
'I have to finish this fight fast and go for Aurora.'
The alien's angry scream had barely fallen when Atticus had already shot forward.
With his form undisturbed, Atticus unleashed multitudes of shots, each of their forms moving at supersonic speeds appearing in front of the alien in the next second.
Just as they were about to hit, a deep yellow barrier suddenly materialized in front of him, effortlessly blocking each of the shots.
"Despicable despicable,"
Zerakon locked his intense yellow eyes on Atticus as his form bent, he shot forward with speed, both Atticus and the alien colliding in a series of blows.
Undoubtedly, the alien was faster, way faster than Atticus.
It would seem that the whole warrior persona wasn't for naught. His every blow was fierce and at the same time free. His movement coordinated as he deftly changed stances, unleashing brutal blows after blows in rapid succession, attacking from every angle.
However, despite his low rank, Atticus had the one thing even an Advanced rank individual would only dream to have: perception.
Currently, Atticus had unleashed his perception in full throttle. His every attention, every being was focused on one thing, the alien in front of him.
He focused on capturing every single detail, every nuance of the alien, every twitch of a muscle, every direction his gaze suddenly focused on, every attack unleashed without the full intent. Everything was taken into Atticus' mind and broken down into pieces before formulating the best possible course of action. All done in under a second.
A punch was unleashed, one with a speed faster than what Atticus's body could react to.
But Atticus's form was already out of the trajectory of the punch, his mind having predicted it and his form moved before it was even unleashed.
The alien's gaze narrowed, a frown appearing on his face. He wasn't a novice in battle. Somehow, despite the fact that he was powerful and faster than him, the boy appeared to be able to predict his movements before they were even made.
"I guess you taking out those men wasn't a fluke. Regardless, I shall have your head!"
Zerakon's form abruptly stopped, his leg tensing, as he suddenly shot backward, creating space between them.
The pores of his skin seemed to enlarge, pure white skewer-like bones jutting out of them. With lightning-fast speed, the staggering amount of bones shot towards Atticus.
Atticus reacted instantly. With the speed at which they were coming and his limited abilities, he had no way of avoiding them.
He crossed both his arms in front of him, his form bending down slightly as his legs coiled back.
Atticus moved, his form dashing through the wave of bones and appearing in front of Zerakon in the next second.
Zerakon's gaze morphed into a slight shock, not expecting Atticus to take on the full brunt of the attack like that.
Atticus' cold, piercing blue eyes landed on the alien, completely ignoring the pain racking his whole body.
Just as he was about to unleash an attack on the surprised alien, Atticus' gaze widened as he watched the bones sticking out of each of Zerakon's limbs suddenly grow in length, each of them becoming as long as scythes.
Before he could formulate his next move, Zerakon's form swirled in the air, a vertical slash appearing inches away from Atticus' head.