This was the first time they were each seeing the darkness sanctum master outside his sanctum in a long time, and it was all because of the boy currently training down below.
Ulithi didn't even spare any of them a glance, keeping his gaze focused on Atticus.
'So he's a monster in the other elements too? Damn this is crazy. Is this really okay?' He wiped the truckload of sweat from his forehead.
The other sanctum masters remained quiet.
The fire sanctum master, Dekai, radiated intense heat around his figure. His expression was firm, but those who knew him could see that he was happy.
'He finished it all in less than a week!'
The water sanctum master had already lost her peaceful demeanor, staring down firmly. The wrinkles that had formed on her face from dealing with Atticus were still present.
Lastly, the earth sanctum master was quiet but constantly nodding in approval.
These were each powerhouses of the Ravenstein family, individuals with different personalities who stood at the top of the food chain.
However, they had each been subtly influenced by a 16-year-old boy.
'The future is sure to be interesting,' they all thought.
…
The lightning element was overpowered.
Its uses were so numerous that if not for his high intelligence, Atticus would have lost track of the number of things Magnus had taught him.
Truly, his title paragon wasn't for decoration.
Aside from electromagnetic fields and metal control, Atticus also learned how to enhance his sensory perception using electrical energy. It affected his sight, hearing, and even touch.
He also learned how to use lightning to accelerate healing, lightning discharge, and how to use each one of the abilities he had just learned on another person.
It could be for good, maybe to buff up one of his teammates, or he could use it against his enemies. Regardless, its possibilities were endless.
Training with Magnus had taken everything Atticus had, and by the time Magnus was satisfied and the training came to an end, Atticus slumped down on the floor and immediately fainted.
Tendrils of lightning wrapped around him and lifted him up gently. Magnus smiled at the unconscious figure of Atticus and muttered, "Good job."
He turned his gaze upwards and looked at each of the sanctum masters, causing them to sink onto one knee in the air as a show of respect.
"His training on the elements has come to an end. Thank you all for your efforts."
Magnus nodded, and just as he was about to move, someone suddenly spoke.
"Master Magnus,"
Magnus fixed his gaze on the one who had just spoken, Dekai. He gestured for him to speak.
"Forgive me for my ignorance, Master Magnus, but would it be possible for us to know what he is training hard for?"
Dekai, along with the others, had their theories about the whole situation but would rather hear from the source.
Atticus was supposed to be in the academy regardless of his talent. They each found it odd that he was trying hard to master the elements as fast as possible now.
Magnus had only told them that they all had three months to train Atticus, that was all.
Magnus went silent for a second, causing Dekai and the other sanctum masters to break into a sweat.
Even the usually bubbly Aeliana radiated a serious aura.
"He is to participate in the next Verietaga Nexus as our Apex."
"Apex!"
The gazes of each sanctum master widened. It all made sense now. He was training to get as strong as possible before the year for the Nexus arrived!
The shock lasted for a second before they each felt an intense amount of pride. An apex was emerging from their family!
"Thank you, Master Magnus!"
Each sanctum master shouted in unison.
"Mhm,"
Magnus simply nodded before disappearing from the area.
For some reason, Magnus had chosen to enter the Aegis ship normally, which enabled the crew members to see him and the unconscious Atticus wrapped in tendrils of lightning.
"We'll spend the night here and leave first thing tomorrow morning. Get ready,"
Magnus's orders caused a ripple of shock across the crew members of the airship.
Didn't that mean Atticus was done with the elemental sanctums? Many refused to believe it because of its absurdity. It had only been three weeks! It's even less than that!
Most of them had placed bets on him finishing the sanctum in six months! But he finished in less than one? It was unbelievable.
However, one of the two people they could ask was unconscious, and the other was in his shadow. No one even thought of questioning Magnus.
Magnus placed Atticus in his room and immediately left. As soon as the tendrils of lightning around him disappeared, every injury Atticus had sustained had been healed; however, his exhaustion still remained and could only be healed with enough rest.
…
Time passed quickly, and Atticus slept for more than 13 hours.
Atticus's eyes slowly flickered open, taking in the familiar ceiling of his room on the Aegis airship.
'Looks like it's becoming a normal occurrence to faint after each training session,'
Atticus attempted to sit up straight. He was ready for the intense pain that would come but was surprised to see that there was nothing.
"I guess he healed me this time around,"
The sound of something hitting the floor brought him out of his thoughts, and he turned and saw Yotad, who had just knelt down beside his bed.
'I almost forgot about him,'
The man hadn't made even a single sound when Atticus was at the elemental sanctums. He had almost forgotten that he existed.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm glad you're awake, master."
"Awake? How long did I sleep?"
"Thirteen hours, master."
Atticus breathed a sigh of relief. The man was making it seem as though he had been asleep for months. That would have been crazy.
"Stand up and stop making this situation awkward,"
Atticus rested his back on his bed, closing his eyes. He took in a deep breath before exhaling.
Then, he went through everything that had happened in the past three weeks.
…
Magnus, who had initially been meditating in the middle of a room, opened his eyes.
"Vector,"
The figure of a man abruptly appeared in front of him and knelt down in respect.
"Yes, Master Magnus."
"He's awake. Have the crew members head towards where we discussed."
Vector hesitated. It wasn't really his place to question his master, but even he couldn't help it this time.
"Master… are you s-"
However, he couldn't finish his sentence as he met Magnus's eyes, his whole body shivering.
"I apologize! I'll see to your orders immediately!"
He exclaimed and disappeared from the room.