The air around the citadel became increasingly oppressive, so unstable that it felt as though even a slight push could cause the atmosphere to implode.
Outside the citadel, those who were aware of the powerful individuals inside began to panic. They understood that if what they feared was about to happen, the entirety of sector 6 would be in grave danger.
Panic erupted throughout the capital, with people bolting away from the citadel as quickly as possible.
Inside the citadel, the situation was even more dire.
The air was so heavy that the tier three family heads, all master+ ranks, struggled to breathe.
The tier two and tier one family heads found themselves freezing in their seats, their bodies betraying their fear.
Even the usually beastly Gale Stormrider, who was always ready for a fight, felt his heart quicken.
A paragon had just unleashed his aura. Not fully—not even halfway—but that slight release was enough to silence the entire hall and cause chaos throughout the city.
Magnus's simple question had shaken the hearts of everyone in the hall, but the paragons remained exceptions.
"Easy, Magnus. Don't forget the clauses in the contract," Oberon tried to diffuse the situation, but Magnus's aura continued to grow, and he didn't even turn to look at Oberon.
Thorne, the target of Magnus's wrath, narrowed his eyes and turned towards Magnus, his aura shifting in response. He didn't back down.
"I just stated the fact. Him signing a mana contract will be the best and most secure way to proceed. He's right here, why don't you let him decide?" Thorne challenged.
"Okay," Atticus's sudden response drew the attention of every paragon in the room, their shock evident. But no one was as shocked as Magnus. What was Atticus doing?
Among all the paragons, only Oberon was smiling. He had been disappointed by Atticus's blatant refusal earlier, thinking the boy might lack the intelligence to match his talent. But now, it seemed Atticus was playing a deeper game.
Thorne frowned, along with the other paragons. Why was Atticus suddenly changing his mind?
"You accept?" Seraphina asked, her tone baffled.
Atticus nodded. "But on one condition."
The gazes of the paragons flashed with understanding; they could see where this was going.
Atticus didn't wait to be asked and continued.
"I will sign a mana contract to never use my power against humanity as a whole, on the condition that all the paragons of the human domain sign a mana contract to protect me to the best of their abilities and knowledge without compromising my freedom until I reach the peak."
The expressions of everyone in the hall shifted dramatically. The tier two and three family heads were in complete shock, while the tier ones wore deep frowns. Gale Stormrider, however, had a wide grin on his face, and Oberon's small smile remained.
Thorne's frown deepened, along with the other paragons. Earlier, it had been only Thorne and Magnus emitting their auras, but now the other paragons began to apply pressure as well.
The air grew even more unstable, and the tier three family heads clutched their chests as they fell from their seats, their heartbeats slowing dangerously.
Almost all the paragons looked at Atticus coldly. What he had just asked for carried profound implications. Thorne no longer felt the need to push his demand.
Atticus had demanded too much.
To ordinary onlookers, it might seem like Atticus was merely seeking protection so he could safely grow and defend the human domain. However, none of the paragons saw it that way.
Atticus was essentially demanding the allegiance of all the tier-one families in the human domain! Should any family provoke him, he could retaliate and rely on the paragons to protect him if he were in danger. No family would dare to anger him or the Ravenstein family!
The Ravensteins would ascend to a level of influence they had never achieved before.
It was a demand as audacious as it was ingenious.
Each paragon couldn't help but stare at Atticus. Was this truly a 16-year-old child?
Octavius had long since lost his composure, his face contorted with rage. Fissures and cracks spread across his seat, looking as though it might implode at any moment. It was clear that he was barely restraining himself from attacking Atticus.
Atticus was asking them to sign a mana contract! The sheer audacity! But Octavius remained silent, fearing that he wouldn't be able to contain himself again when he heard Atticus's nonchalant response to his words.
"Do you understand the significance of what you're asking us to do?" Thorne asked coldly.
"Yes," Atticus nodded.
"And you understand that what you're asking is impossible to fulfill?"
"It's only impossible because you deem it so. If you're going to bind me into protecting humanity, then the least you all can do is protect me too,"
As Atticus's nonchalant response echoed in the paragon's ears, Octavius could no longer contain himself.
"WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE!"
It felt as though the very concept of sound exploded—a sonic boom with a radius that kept expanding outward in every direction.
At first, the bustling sounds of the world echoed in everyone's ears, and then, in the next instant, there was deafening silence.
The grandmaster+ ranks of the tier-one families felt their brains rattle in their skulls, blood leaking from their ears.
The grandmaster+ ranks of the tier-two families felt their eardrums shatter and a brutal pain in their chests, each of them spitting a mouthful of blood.
A golden glow suddenly enveloped the master+ ranks of the tier-three families just before the wave could reach them. Only death awaited them if it had hit.
However, as the wave spread outward further, approaching Atticus at a speed he couldn't react to, thick, dark clouds suddenly covered the skies above the citadel.
Then, a single lightning bolt descended.
The lightning bolt phased through the citadel building as if it weren't there and struck the ground directly in front of Atticus.