Atticus was calm.
Ever since he advanced into the Master rank, his senses had been multiple times sharper than they had been before. He already knew the situation before he surfaced.
'I can't escape,' Atticus determined.
The person, or rather beast, who had just spoken was floating directly above Atticus, staring down at him as though he were an ant.
It was humanoid, much like the creature Atticus had encountered earlier. However, this figure had features closer to those of normal humans. Its hands and legs were of normal sizes, but its head was still spherical with crimson red eyes.
Regardless, this wasn't what Atticus was focused on. The aura of the creature was expansive and intimidating—an aura that Atticus could never mistake—a Grandmaster.
All around him, surrounding the waterfall, were multiple figures of the Master+ rank humanoid creatures, identical to the one he had seen before.
Even though he had recently advanced, there was no escaping this situation. However, Atticus held the hilt of his katana tightly, but he didn't unleash any battle intent or aura.
'I need to be ready to enter the katana at any moment,'
Atticus brought himself out of the river and stood up straight. Despite the dangerous situation, there was not a ripple of fear or uncertainty on his face.
"Do you resist?" The Grandmaster humanoid who had spoken earlier frowned as he saw Atticus holding his katana hilt. His lips curled upwards as he stared at Atticus with contempt. He was hoping the human would resist.
Atticus shook his head, "Take me to your Sovereign."
The frown on the Grandmaster humanoid grew deeper as he stared at Atticus for a few seconds without saying anything.
'Such composure,'
From what he had learned about humans, they were simple creatures. They were prideful despite being weak and always loved to assert their dominance, especially on their weaker counterparts.
However, when faced with an opponent they believed they had no chance against, there was only supposed to be one feeling—fear and hopelessness.
'So why is he so calm?' The Grandmaster rank humanoid found Atticus to be an interesting human.
It waved its hand and a platform made of blackened roots formed underneath Atticus and wrapped around him, lifting him up into the air.
Atticus didn't fight it or struggle and allowed himself to be carried. The other humanoid beasts who had come with the Grandmaster surrounded Atticus like escorts, and they shot through the air with speed.
The journey towards the peak was as uneventful as it could get, but the sights were enchanting. Atticus saw a myriad of creatures flying through the air and wandering the crimson forests. They were all new species, types that he hadn't seen before.
As he got deeper into the chasm, Atticus noticed a change in the type of creatures he was seeing. The redness of the forest became deeper, and Atticus saw more of the humanoid creatures.
The deeper he went, the stranger it became. The creatures seemed to increasingly resemble humans in their appearance. They seemed more intelligent and stronger, and Atticus soon sighted different housing structures and communities.
The Grandmaster rank humanoid could see the slight shock on Atticus' face and snickered.
"We're not just the mindless beasts that you humans see us as."
Atticus didn't offer any response and simply kept quiet, causing the journey to descend into silence.
Soon enough, they reached the peak that Atticus had been trying so hard to avoid this past month. The peak was incredibly high in the sky, almost touching the clouds, and they had to ascend that high up to reach it.
Atticus could feel a great pressure emanating from the peak, one that made him want to escape.
'This Sovereign… what is he?'
While Atticus' mind was working fast, the mountain parted open, and the group entered and found themselves inside a big hallway with a giant double door at the end.
"We greet the Vizier Niall!"
The two guards stationed at the entrance saluted the Grandmaster humanoid, Niall, who simply nodded and walked past them while dragging Atticus with him.
The hallway was plain and had no decoration. It only had a few magic lights illuminating the space. They soon reached the large double door, and Niall suddenly turned towards Atticus.
"Surrender your weapon. None shall wield any weapons in front of the Sovereign."
Atticus' hand holding the katana's hilt tightened as his battle intent suddenly exploded.
The surrounding soldiers immediately became alert, their cold gazes fixed on Atticus.
There was no need for Atticus to say anything; his action had spoken instead—he wasn't going anywhere without his weapon.
Niall frowned. Had this human still not learned his place?
'I should teach him,'
His hand immediately raised upwards, and just as he was about to control the roots holding Atticus, a voice that demanded compliance suddenly sounded,
"Let him enter."
The large doors opened simultaneously with a loud bam, but only a bright light met Atticus' sight as he tried to see what was in the room. Niall instantly stopped his actions and bowed towards the opened door where the voice came from.
Without wasting a single moment, he dragged Atticus through the door. The other members of the escort waited behind, leaving only the duo to enter.
As Atticus entered through the door, the blinding light obscuring his vision faded, and he was met with what was undoubtedly a throne room.
It was large and very expansive but at the same time plain. It was quite clear that their so-called Sovereign didn't have high tastes.
At the other end of the hallway, seated on top of a grand throne, was a man. Or at the very least, he looked like a man.
The man, or beast, appeared completely like a young man in his late 20s. He had a very handsome face with blue hair and crimson eyes, a lean build, and was currently dressed in a black robe.
The man suddenly smiled,
"I finally get to meet the human cub. Come, come, what is your name, child?"
The man waved his arm, and Atticus found himself standing in front of him at the other end of the hallway.
The throne was on top of an elevated platform, and he was standing at the bottom of the stairs.
'I was right,'
The hand holding the katana hilt tightened with such intensity that the whites of his hands were visible, and Atticus could feel his palms slipping. Sweat had begun to form on his forehead and body, drenching his clothes.
He had been right. The only one who could order a Grandmaster being with such ease was a Paragon.
Despite not actively trying, the man's aura was forceful and dominant, pushing against the boundaries of the room. Atticus felt the need to bow and worship.
However, he bit his tongue, crimson blood filling his mouth. In all the meetings he had with Magnus, the man had always restrained his aura because of his grandson. This Sovereign, however, had no reason to do such.
His advancement into the Master rank seemed worthless, and every thought of escaping this situation vanished from his mind.
A few seconds passed before Atticus answered the man's question through gritted teeth,
"A-Atticus," he tried his best not to stammer.
"You will speak with respect!" Niall thundered from behind Atticus but was immediately silenced with a glance from the Sovereign.
"I must apologize for Niall's rudeness. He still has a long way to go before he gains true sentience. Atticus, huh? Hmm, what a peculiar name. Tell me, Atticus, why did you bond with that parasite?"
Atticus's gaze narrowed. 'Wait, does he mean the Exo suit?'
"Parasite?"
Seeing Atticus's confusion, the man chuckled. "Don't tell me I misjudged your intelligence. You bonded with it without knowing what it was?"
From the man's words, Atticus inferred several facts. First, the man had been watching him since he entered the chasm. He had felt he was being watched but didn't know how.
Second, the man held him in high regard for some reason. Atticus focused on the second fact. This was something he could use!
'I might still have a chance.'
"Well, I wasn't given a choice," Atticus kept his answer as vague as possible. He could feel the rage coming from Niall behind him as he spoke, but paid it no heed.
"Hmm," the man scratched his chin, "You know, I find you humans to be the most fascinating creatures on this planet, even among the numerous races. You're so flawed, weak, and divided, yet you still manage to survive even the most extreme conditions. It's fascinating."
The man broke into an intense grin.
"Is that why you keep attacking us? Because we're fascinating?"
It was obvious already that this man was the cause of the attacks on the human domain. Despite the situation, Atticus felt this was a good chance to gain information. However, the hand holding his katana hilt never loosened.
The man burst into intense laughter that shook the hall.
"I guess you could say that. You see, we beasts have always strived for ultimate power, to grow stronger and dominate. This had also been my goal. When I achieved this absolute power and gained true sentience, I was exhilarated. However, a weird feeling engulfed me after a few years on this throne. It took some time to figure out what it was, but I eventually did.
"I was bored."