Hearing Zoey's retort, Atticus couldn't help but be slightly baffled. 'If she isn't jealous, then what the hell is happening?'
Zoey's next words gave Atticus an inkling into what was going on.
"Why would I be jealous? I mean, it's not like we're going out or anything. So tell me, why would I?"
Zoey's words were supposed to sound like ramblings, as though she was pondering something out loud, but they were anything but that.
Every word was spoken slowly and given emphasis as though she wanted to make sure Atticus heard her clearly. To put an icing on the cake, she spoke while locking her amethyst eyes with Atticus's.
'Ah, I see. I guess I'm the stupid one for waiting this long to ask.'
Atticus suddenly smiled and cleared his throat before suddenly grabbing Zoey's arm, startling her.
Then, Atticus spoke, each word making Zoey's flawless face change to a new shade of crimson.
A few minutes later, Atticus and Zoey walked back hand in hand towards the platform where everyone was. During the past minutes, most of the contestants had left the area already, most leaving in shame.
A girl with vibrant red hair fixed her gaze on the back of the retreating Atticus, her expression unreadable. The shaking figure of Dell hid behind her like a scared puppy who had seen the scariest of things.
The stare lasted for a few seconds before she suddenly turned and started walking away, along with the trembling Dell and the rest of the Alverian youths.
Lila hadn't been the only one staring at Atticus; Dante too had his gaze focused on him. Unlike Seraphin, he wasnt broke.
He had purchased a healing potion from the academy store and used it. His deformed features were already close to healing.
'I warned you,' Dante thought, shifting his gaze from Atticus.
His eyes landed on Zoey's slightly flushed features, his hands by his side suddenly clenching hard.
Then he turned and walked down the platform, leaving the area.
The number of stares that Atticus got was staggering, each one filled with different emotions.
The minutes had passed, but the chanting and cheering of Atticus's name were still ongoing with full force.
The atmosphere was electric, the emotions in the air filled with positive energy as students screamed at the top of their lungs.
No one knew how they had done it or when, but as Atticus reached the platform together with Zoey, the loud and intense screams of Nate and the other Ravenstein youths of all years suddenly resounded.
Atticus only had enough time to turn around, curious about what was going on, before the ripped figure of Nate suddenly grabbed and lifted him upwards, tossing him high into the air.
Just as Atticus started descending, the platform suddenly became filled with other Ravenstein youths, gathered around in a circle.
Atticus found himself held by multiple hands before his body got sent flying upwards again with the chanting of his name intensifying.
History had been written, the bar set to a new high that might remain unbroken for generations to come. A first-year had effortlessly defeated the higher years and crowned himself the strongest in the academy!
It had never been done, even during the times of Magnus and Avalon. It went without saying that the standing of the Ravensteins in the human domain had increased to a
New level in the eyes of everyone, with the name Atticus Ravenstein being known by all.
The white-haired devil, the monster of the Ravenstein family.
The booth the instructors were watching the unfolding situation from was a lot quieter, with the instructors engaged in different conversations, each one speaking about the events that had just occurred.
Atticus's feat had not been small, even the higher-year instructors who had wanted one of theirs to win had long since shut up. Each of them were now discussing the implications that were to come.
Learning that a first-year had such power was shocking on many levels, and the majority of the instructors couldn't help but wonder.
What would happen now?
Would everything return to normal with each of them ignoring that they had a monster in human skin in their midst?
Isabella abruptly stood up from her seat. She could see that many eyes were on her, many of the instructors' gazes focused on her.
If there was anyone among them who would know the answers to their questions, it would be Isabella. But unfortunately, Isabella had no plans of entertaining anyone.
'Not even I know what's going on in that man's head,' she thought before suddenly removing her gaze from the screen and walking out of the booth before they could approach.
Jared, instead, was sprawled on his seat, both hands folded behind his head. He released a loud burp, using his left arm to rub his bulging belly.
Two large carts, initially filled with food, were beside him, now filled with bones and empty plates.
"Ahhh~" Jared suddenly let out a satisfying laugh. He had really eaten his fill. "What a competition," he remarked.
It wasn't only his belly that was full; even his eyes were completely filled. It had been a long and eventful day.
After a few minutes and seeing that the chatter of the other instructors was getting increasingly annoying even for him, Jared sighed, stood up, and started walking out of the booth.
'I can't wait for the second year to begin!' Jared thought with absolute excitement. It was as though he didn't care about the fact that Seraphin had just basically disgraced the Stellaris family in front of millions of people.
…
Click.
The sound of a teacup hitting a hard surface echoed across the large hall.
"I must say, Magnus, you've shown me something interesting today. I truly am grateful. These days, it's getting hard to find something even the least bit entertaining,"
Oberon suddenly turned towards Magnus before continuing, "Oh, I have a great idea. Why don't I meet him? It'll be a good chance for him to—"
The air in the entire hall suddenly became electrified. The hairs of Harrison and the Enigmalk instructor standing up straight.
A small smile appeared on Oberon's face as his gaze collided with Magnus' intense stare. Magnus made no attempt to mask it. Even without his godlike perception, Oberon could see it.
Magnus said nothing, but his eyes spoke volumes.
It was a warning.
It wasn't only Oberon that the other paragons were wary of. Each paragon had different characteristics that their counterparts were wary of.
Be careful what you show when Oberon is present. This was for Oberon. But Magnus' was completely different.
For Magnus, it was simple: don't push your luck.
Magnus never tolerated nonsense nor did he waste time on anything. His no was a firm no. There was no bending him.
Most of the paragons acted carefully among themselves because none had any intention of battling against each other.
A battle between paragons was cataclysmic. It wasn't an event that should be taken lightly; sectors could be flattened in a matter of seconds and billions of lives lost.
They were all aware of this fact and chose to avoid such scenarios from occurring.
But Magnus did not care about any of this. Once an enemy was identified, he would strike.
If anyone was stupid enough to threaten him or the Ravensteins with war, the war would begin right there and then, with him directly attacking without wasting a second.
The other paragons had learned to accept this trait because it had happened more than once, with the other paragons having to step in to stop the battle from escalating. The madmen of the human domain wasn't for decoration.
So when Oberon met Magnus's gaze, he knew exactly what he was dealing with.
The smile on Oberon's face widened. "Ah, apologies. It seems I misspoke."
Hearing Oberon, Magnus maintained his stare for a few moments before suddenly looking away. There would be no further warnings.
Just as Magnus was about to leave, Oberon's next words suddenly stopped him.
"You should visit my domain during your journey. It will only benefit him."
Magnus remained silent, not saying anything. After a few seconds, he replied, "We'll see."
Magnus's succinct words were followed by his abrupt disappearance, taking his imposing presence with him.
Oberon turned his gaze back towards the screen, focusing on Atticus's figure being thrown up and down.
"Hmmm."
With a slight chuckle, the air in front of Oberon suddenly began filling with golden glowing letters, despite him not moving an inch.
In less than a second, the glowing intensified and encompassed him. Just like Magnus, he abruptly vanished.
The figures of Harrison and the Enigmalk instructor remained in their bowed positions for a few seconds before standing up in unison and leaving the hall.
The cheers lasted for a long while before each of the students received notifications to return to their divisions.
After saying lots of goodbyes, Atticus and the other Ravenstein first years were teleported back to their division, where another round of cheering and celebration began.