The darkness sanctum was different from the other sanctums in terms of teaching. This was mainly because of the sanctum master's unique teaching methods.
'Unique' was simply a polite way of saying lazy. The man was utterly lazy. If it wasn't for the fact that some people were naturally gifted, many would wonder just how he reached his level of power.
Unlike the other sanctums, a new person entering the darkness sanctum might not meet or speak to anyone for months. It was general knowledge to stock up on food in your space storage before entering the sanctum.
During the first month, the sanctum master would only speak to the new member once, saying, "This is the darkness sanctum. Feel the molecules and meet your fellow students and instructors."
That was all.
Throughout those months, the sanctum master wouldn't speak to him or her again. Each of the instructors and members alike were forbidden from talking or even making their presence known.
Throughout these months, new members would remain completely alone with only their thoughts.
Only when they figured out how to feel and manipulate the darkness molecules could they make contact with the other members and instructors.
This process typically took months, and most members and instructors chose to watch over them during this time. Many made bets, while others shared jokes.
The same had been for Atticus. The situation was different in the darkness sanctum. The sanctum master had whined continuously for days when he heard that he would have to teach a 16 year old personally.
Of course, he had been careful with his words because it was their paragon's orders, but the fact was that each member and instructor knew about Atticus and that he was coming.
Bets were made, jokes and laughter were shared, and many were amused by Atticus's situation.
However, this all started to change after Atticus formed his darkness field just minutes after getting instructions from the sanctum master.
His situation had been worse, with the sanctum master not bothering to explain anything. They had been too shocked, and the earlier laughter and talks all ceased.
The area took on a more serious atmosphere as Atticus expanded the darkness field to a staggering 50 meters.
What the hell was happening?
This was the thought in each one of their heads.
And this was exactly why, when Atticus suddenly moved forward and approached one of the instructors standing beside a building, the said instructor had been completely flustered.
He truly had to check and see if he was using his darkness element correctly.
"Y-you… how did you know I was here!?"
Atticus's smile widened. 'So I was right.'
"I created a darkness field 50 meters wide and there are some spots I can't accurately feel. I think you can figure out the rest."
The man was speechless. He knew what Atticus had done; he didn't even have to ask, but it was just so unbelievable that he had to confirm.
"I-I see."
The instructor released his hold over his molecules, and an aged man appeared in front of Atticus. Just as he had sounded, he was thoroughly flustered, his crimson cheeks giving him away.
"So, where can I find him?"
The man was brought back to the situation when he heard Atticus speak. Seeing that one of the instructors had been found out and hearing Atticus's explanation, the others reasoned that there was no point in hiding anymore.
They released their hold over their darkness and appeared, each with different words:
"How did he do that?"
"I heard the family head's son was a genius, but isn't this too much?"
"He formed a 50 meter wide darkness field in just minutes of reaching here. How in the world is that possible?"
Atticus heard the sounds, followed by different men and women becoming visible all around the area.
They all appeared beyond shocked at what they had just witnessed.
It took a few seconds before they each came to terms with it, and although reluctant, the instructors eventually shakily pointed in one direction.
Atticus nodded in thanks and started making his way towards where they had pointed, with each of the others' gazes fixed on him.
Soon enough, Atticus reached a large house and walked in without hesitation.
The interior of the house was as ordinary as it could get, and just as Atticus had expected, there was only one room.
In the middle of the room, a weird scene was playing out.
An old man, shirtless, lay on an extended chair with a holographic display in front of him. There was currently an open bag of chips in his left hand, with his right reaching for a handful before shoving it into his mouth in the next second.
The whole room was littered with wrappers and food remains scattered about.
Atticus paused at the entrance. He was far too baffled that he just had to stop. 'Please, I really hope he's not the one that's going to teach me,' he hoped.
The old man, with his white bushy beard filled with remnants of food, was currently watching a drama with a serious expression on his face.
He hadn't even realized that Atticus had entered in the first place.
Atticus gathered himself and approached the old man.
"Ahem."
Seeing that the old man still wasn't aware of his presence, Atticus audibly cleared his throat, causing the old man to startle.
"W-what, who's there!"
The old man turned his gaze and saw Atticus, his whole body freezing.
"Y-you… what are you doing here!?"
He jumped off his chair as though he had seen a ghost. His shock was evident.
He had literally just told Atticus to find him some minutes ago; he didn't even dare think the boy would figure out everything and arrive here in minutes.
It was an insane thought that he immediately killed in his head.
'N-no, it must be a fluke. He probably can't see me,'
The old man assumed the only thing that made sense to him: Atticus had arrived here by pure luck.
The entire sanctum was covered by his darkness at all times, and unless one could manipulate the darkness molecules, they would never be able to see him.
The whole situation was just to baffling that he hadn't even noticed the darkness field Atticus had around him.
Making sure his darkness field was still activated, the man walked silently to the side, trying to change directions.
However, he couldn't help but pause as he saw Atticus's gaze following his every move.
The old man's expression changed as he mouthed,
"You can see me?" making sure it wasn't audible.
Seeing Atticus's prompt nod, his heart froze. 'Impossible!'
"What am I wearing?" the man mouthed once more, trying to make sure.
"You're currently shirtless and wearing pink baggy sweatpants. You have a slight potbelly, and your chest is already showing signs of sagging, probably due to your poor habits and old age. You ha-"
"T-that's e-enough!"
At this point, his cheeks had already turned crimson in embarrassment. Did Atticus really have to be that blunt? He only asked the boy what he was wearing!
Clearing his throat awkwardly, the old man regained his composure. "Ha ha, I guess you found me. Good job,"
Atticus could practically feel the sarcasm oozing from his voice. He didn't respond, leaving the room to descend into awkward silence.
"The lesson?" Atticus suddenly spoke up.
"Huh?" The old man was confused before he suddenly realized that Atticus being here meant that he would have to teach him the darkness element.
He groaned at that thought and after flashing Atticus a stare, he waved his hand and Atticus abruptly found himself inside pitch blackness.
However, the changed figure of the old man appeared clearly in front of him. He had changed and was wearing a simple black robe, covering his aged body.
"When, let's get this over with."
Hearing the man speak, Atticus cleared his thoughts and focused on his words. The man might look completely unreliable, but he was still the sanctum master of the darkness sanctum. He had to be the real deal, or else he wouldn't be here.
The old man's sudden change of demeanor proved Atticus's assumption right.
"Alright brat, listen up. My name is Ulithi and I am the sanctum master of the darkness element. My explanations will be brief and concise and my demonstrations only once. There will be no exceptions, so keep your eyes peeled and your ears open."
Seeing Atticus's serious expression, he continued.
"As you know, the main use of the darkness element is for concealment and deceit, but it can be used for way more than that. We'll get to those other areas later.
"Firstly, you've learned how to create your own darkness and control it, so we'll move to the next step: concealment. The process is simple. Tightly wrap the darkness molecules all over your body uniformly and use it to form an opaque layer that blocks out any incoming or outgoing light. Like so."
Atticus watched as darkness suddenly surrounded Ulithi and he disappeared from view.