The human domain was divided into ten sectors, each arranged in concentric circles around the center. Atticus had only been to a few of these sectors: Sector 3, the Ravenstein family domain; Sector 1, home to the academy; and Sector 10, the Nebulon family domain, which bordered the other races.
Now, another sector would be added to his list: Sector 6, the domain of the Enigmalnk family, the smartest humans in the domain.
To the tiered families, Sector 6 was considered a safe ground for gatherings, especially those involving members of the tiered families.
The Enigmalnk were primarily runesmiths, so it was no surprise that every inch of their sector was covered in runes, both defensive and offensive.
During any gathering in their sector, the head of the family, along with their paragon, would always sign a mana contract, guaranteeing the safety of all visitors.
This served as a form of assurance, allowing everyone to lower their guard and focus on the gathering.
A circular hole opened up in the luminous pathway, revealing the magnificent view of the capital of Sector 6 in all its glory.
A translucent barrier surrounded the entire capital like a protective dome. Atticus could spot numerous faint runes, each one glowing briefly as the ship neared.
'There are no checks or guards?'
It was natural for a border into another sector to be well-guarded and protected, especially at the boundary between two sectors. However, Atticus couldn't see a single person coming to greet the large airship.
Given who was on board, he wouldn't have been surprised if a fleet of airships had come to receive them.
As the airship reached the barrier, it emitted a soft hum, shining a bright light that encompassed the ship. Suddenly, Atticus found himself engulfed in lightning, along with Niall, who was standing beside him.
"The entire airship just got scanned," Magnus explained, prompting Atticus to nod in understanding.
'It must be incredibly powerful for Grandfather to act like this,' Atticus thought.
The lightning that surrounded him had shielded him from the full intensity of the scan.
'It's crazy that the entire sector is covered by this barrier. Grandfather even shielded Niall, which means that even a grandmaster+ is powerless against this barrier.'
The scan was quick, thorough, and so subtle that not everyone on board noticed. Magnus had only shielded Atticus and Niall—Atticus, because of his secrets, and Niall, for obvious reasons.
As they passed through the barrier, the capital of Sector 6 came into full view below.
The city was magnificent, laid out in concentric circles that mirrored the overall layout of the human domain. At the center of the city stood the Enigmalnk Citadel, a towering structure made entirely of sleek, reflective material.
The streets radiating from the citadel were straight and orderly, lined with buildings that combined functionality with advanced design.
The architecture was simple, with smooth, clean lines and minimal ornamentation, yet every building seemed to be crafted with a specific purpose in mind.
As the airship descended, it passed through several more layers of runes, each one scanning, identifying, and processing the airship's passage until it finally reached the designated landing zone.
"Take your Ravenblade with you," Magnus instructed.
Atticus followed his grandfather's orders, nodding to Yotad, who could barely contain his excitement as he entered Atticus's shadow.
"The rest of you will remain here. Only I and Atticus will disembark," Magnus continued.
The rest of the crew nodded and bowed as Atticus and Magnus walked out of the airship.
…
The tension in the air was suffocating.
It was so intense that many could almost feel it pressing down on them.
The Enigmalnk Citadel—a building as grand as it was enormous—could easily contain a million people and still have space to spare.
The Enigmalnk had created it for one purpose, and it was currently being used for just that.
Inside the citadel was a staggeringly expansive circular hall, with exactly four rows of seats, each row at a higher elevation than the last. The seats overlooked a large, flat, circular marble floor below.
The hall was brimming with people—not just ordinary people, but powerhouses. The weight of the atmosphere was oppressive.
In the first circular row, which was at the lowest elevation, sat the heads of the tier 3 families of the human domain. In the second row sat the tier 2 families, followed by the tier 1 families in the third row.
Finally, the fourth row, at the highest elevation with the grandest seats that were more akin to thrones, was where the paragons were seated.
These were the powerhouses of humanity, the people who wielded all the influence in the human domain. Any decision made in this setting would undoubtedly affect the entire human domain.
"You all should smile more. Studies show that the happiest people live the longest," Oberon, the Enigmalnk paragon, spoke calmly. Despite his voice being loud, only the paragons seated nearby heard it.
"It's been more than 30 minutes. Who the hell does he think he is, keeping us waiting?" Octavius, the paragon of the Resonara family, responded with an irritated tone.
To be honest, he was feeling rather pleased overall. Although he was irked that Magnus had delayed them for so long, his satisfaction at the absence of the Stellaris family at this event far outweighed his irritation. He truly despised those loudmouthed "monkeys."
"Magnus has always been a gentleman; I wonder what happened," Seraphina, the paragon of the Starhaven family, added. Her soothing tone effortlessly calmed the minds of everyone in the hall.
Her entire presence was as enchanting as ever, and almost all eyes were drawn to her. However, a small smile appeared on her face as she remembered who she would be meeting today.
'Let's see how much he has grown,' she thought.
Out of all the tier one paragons of the human domain, only Luminous of the Stellaris family and Aric of the Stormrider family were absent.
The latter's absence was expected, but many couldn't help but wonder why the former was missing.