Atticus could hear the unwillingness and anger in Niall's tone as he spoke, but at that moment, he didn't care. The only thing Atticus got out of Niall's speech was that the battle was over and he had 4 hours to rest.
That was all he needed. Atticus felt his legs tremble as he lost all the strength in them. He slumped to the floor, his back resting on the uneven ground, breathing heavily.
Atticus body hurt like hell, and he felt an exhaustion that came from the depths of his soul.
He needed to rest.
Atticus used his last bit of strength to sheath his katana before hugging it closely to his chest.
Then, Atticus immediately entered a deep sleep, allowing his exhaustion to catch up with him.
Niall glanced at his sleeping figure as he walked out of the pit, clicking his tongue in bitterness before the door closed behind him.
Atticus had one of the best rests of his life, but unfortunately, it had to end. His body had already registered the four hours that Niall had announced.
However, he didn't dare sleep for the entire four hours. Atticus woke up after two.
His body still felt completely weak and drained, but he knew he had to wake up. In just two more hours, he would have to endure another round of torture.
And considering the power that Niall had displayed during the last seconds of the spar, Atticus was forced to believe the next spar wouldn't be the same as the last. It would be more intense.
'I have to learn to conserve my power while not holding back anything,' he thought as he started planning his course of action for the next spar.
'He's stronger than me, but I just have to be able to recognize the deadly attacks and react with my full power then,' Atticus reasoned.
He didn't have to actively utilize his full power all the time. He only had to use his newly improved perception fully and react only to deadly attacks during the battle. It would be draining, but Atticus could handle it.
'I only have to survive, not defeat. I have to work with that,' he resolved.
Atticus stretched and relieved his tensed muscles. He could feel that he was recovering at a fast rate due to the mana in the air and his rank, but it wasn't enough.
'I have to get some food,' he thought.
The beasts were a good source of energy, and Atticus believed he needed them to recover faster. However, just as he had this thought, something dropped from the sky and landed beside him with a thunderous impact.
Turning, Atticus saw that it was the corpse of a large dead beast. He looked up and saw a dot floating high in the sky.
He doesn't want me to leave the pit, huh, Atticus thought as he immediately got to work dissecting the beast, making a fire, and roasting it.
With each bite he took, he felt his energy returning at a rapid pace.
After eating his fill, Atticus sat down on the ground and immediately started meditating. He needed to imagine and envision how his next battle would unfold and plan his strategy.
Above the pit, high in the air…
"I can feel your anger, Niall. Does he get under your skin that much?"
Niall flinched and immediately bowed his head in respect.
"I apologize for that, great sovereign. I mean no disrespect," Niall replied.
The sovereign chuckled, fixing his gaze on the meditating Atticus. Since the battle had ended, he hadn't moved from his position and had been observing Atticus the entire time. Niall had only joined him later.
"You didn't answer my question," the sovereign said.
Niall bowed deeper as he realized his mistake.
"I apologize!"
"Stop apologizing, just answer my question," the sovereign ordered.
"I apo—"
Just as Niall was about to apologize for apologizing, the air around him suddenly changed, becoming more oppressive, and Niall immediately kept his mouth shut.
Niall met the sovereign's crimson gaze and felt his mind short-circuit.
"Answer the question truthfully and stop fucking apologizing," the sovereign commanded.
Niall gulped audibly before bowing.
"I'm disappointed in myself for not being able to kill him, and I am… frustrated that the sovereign is showing so much interest in a human," Niall admitted.
The oppressive aura receded, and the sovereign let out another chuckle.
"Niall, you're so narrow-minded. The fact that a boy as young as he could survive for 10 minutes against you is reason enough to be interested in him, don't you think?"
"But I—"
"You weren't serious?" the sovereign interrupted before Niall could continue, raising a high brow.
"Let's make a bet then. In your next bout and the subsequent ones, if you're unable to kill him, you'll become his slave and serve him to the best of your abilities."
Niall's eyes widened, and his hands clenched hard.
"Sov—"
Just as he was about to protest, he was silenced with another glance from the sovereign.
"What? You're scared you won't be able to kill him? And you call yourself a warrior?"
Niall subtly clenched his hands. He had deep-rooted respect for the sovereign, but even he had to admit that his ego had just been challenged.
His crimson eyes glowed an intense red, and his aura grew cold. Niall bowed.
"I accept, sovereign."
The sovereign smiled.
"Good. It's a bet then. I expect good results."
Although he had said that, it was difficult to determine what result he truly considered "good."
Atticus absorbed and recovered his lost mana. The beast he had eaten also added to his energy pool, and as the four hours passed, Atticus felt his body brimming with power.
His gaze flicked open, his entire aura cold. Atticus simply stood up from his seated position and waited on one side of the pit.
The seconds ticked by as he watched the door, waiting for Niall to arrive. However, the door never opened.
Instead, Atticus heard the atmosphere tear like fabric ripping apart. He turned his gaze just in time to see a figure plummeting from the sky, faster than a lightning strike.
The impact shook the pit, sending tremors through the ground.
Intense red eyes gleamed through the settling dust, cold and domineering.
Niall stood there, his presence suffocating. "It's time for the next spar. Are you ready to die?"
Atticus didn't flinch or respond in words. His response came with the sharp, metallic hiss of his katana sliding from its sheath.
Was he ready to die?
He'd like to see the beast try.
His gaze turned frigid, and with a surge of power that cracked the very air, they collided in a thunderous clash that made the earth shudder.