The area was eerily quiet, with only the sound of a finger tapping the screen permeating the space.
The tension was so intense that it was hard to describe in words.
Spineus had already unleashed his aura, his thick expert aura descending on Atticus and the others.
The others showed visible reactions, tightening their hold on their weapons, their auras exploding in an attempt to mitigate the weight. But Atticus showed nothing.
Spineus had just spoken, making multiple declarations that should have deserved an appropriate answer.
However, all he got was the scene of Atticus raising his hand and tapping his artifact. The small bone made platform carrying the mana contract had gotten close enough to the group, but Spineus was so baffled that he unknowingly made it stop.
But it wasn't only Spineus who was baffled; the different crowds watching the scene showed confused expressions on their faces.
One couldn't blame them too much. Many of them didn't bother with learning the rules of the summit, choosing instead to enjoy the battles.
To them, Atticus's actions appeared like those of a madman. But for his companions and the students who had actually bothered to read the rules…
A small smile appeared on Hella's and Lucas's faces as they watched the scene.
"FINALLY!" Nate screamed a second later. One could only imagine what had happened that made Nate read the rules.
Zoey, Ember, Aurora, and Sirius shook their heads with small smiles, and Kael's aura dimmed ever so slightly.
Zoey had been baffled at why her petite spirit was laughing, but now she understood why very well.
There was only one reason anyone of them would be tapping their devices during this situation.
Yet, despite all these baffled reactions, Atticus still kept on tapping on his artifact silently, his face expressionless.
Did he just threaten his loved ones?
Atticus was finding it hard to come to grips with this fact. It was so baffling that he wanted to laugh, but not a single chuckle escaped his mouth.
Because of the massacres he had just committed, plus the one from earlier, Atticus had been able to gather a significant amount of points.
He was glad to find out that regardless of whether it was a target or not, the 500 points gain remained unchanged.
Before he had unleashed both massacres, his points had been a measly 35 SP, but now:
Summit Points: 14,535 SP
Many would be envious or at the very least show a shocked expression. But instead, Atticus calmly navigated out of that section and straight to his locked abilities section.
Then, Atticus only unlocked two things.
The first was his rank. According to the pricing, it would take three thousand summit points to rank up to the next rank, with an addition of (n-2000)+3000 for any subsequent rank up.
This meant that Atticus would have to pay 3000, then 4000 for the next rank, and 5000 for the next.
Atticus tapped on this twice, advancing to the advanced rank, feeling an overwhelming amount of mana coursing through his veins.
Atticus simultaneously unlocked the next item, an ordinary looking sheathed katana appearing in the air in front of him in the next instant.
Spineus's gaze narrowed, his heart beating oddly fast. 'What is that feeling?' He suddenly felt a slight chill engulfing his whole body, with no idea of the source.
But it wasn't only him. Sweeping his gaze around the area, he couldn't help but notice many of the warriors of the Ossara family turning their heads left and right as though searching for something.
'Am I missing something?'
Spineus's perception wasn't at the level where he could perceive the strength of an individual at just a glance.
At most, he could only perceive the aura a person was emitting, and with Atticus's innate ability to conceal, he couldn't tell his actual current rank nor did he know that he had just broken through.
He had a bad feeling about this. But despite the feeling, Spineus didn't act on it. He couldn't show any form of weakness here. Millions of the people of the bone race were watching!
Instead, Spineus's aura exploded, the weight engulfing Atticus and his group intensifying.
They had each only unlocked their ranks to the Advanced rank; an Expert rank was far too strong.
They felt their legs buckling, their figures trying hard to withstand the pressure.
But regardless, it was as though Atticus wasn't even affected at all, despite most of the aura being focused on him.
Spineus's gaze narrowed even more as his aura exploded once more. He needed Atticus to sign that mana contract before the battle, or else he wouldn't be able to get the finishing that would satisfy the people of the bone race watching.
The increase in aura made standing harder for the group, but it didn't stop Atticus's actions for even a second.
The katana landed soundlessly in Atticus's outstretched palm, and despite the intense situation, Atticus still chose to fix it slowly to his waist.
His whole demeanor was the personification of calm and serenity, akin to a tranquil lake. It was as though he was currently in the middle of a peaceful and beautiful body of water. Nothing could rush or break his calm.
Atticus suddenly lowered his arm and raised his head upward, gazing at the figures of the warriors that surrounded the area.
The chilliness they felt intensified.
And then, Atticus slowly took a step forward.
…
"Oh Magnus, you're not even trying to mask your excitement. Just what are you anticipating?"
With a small sip, Oberon turned towards Magnus and remarked with a small smile. The latter currently had his hands gripping the armrest of his chair tightly, eyes focused on Atticus on the screen.
Magnus cleared his throat awkwardly; he had lost himself for a second there. Seeing as Magnus had no intention of responding, Oberon shook his head and took another sip of his tea, turning back to the screen.