The anger in the air kept building.
Even as the golden dome vanished, causing the sea of water to fall into the pit below, the anger continued to rise.
Carius had escaped.
The reality of those words felt heavy—so heavy that Atticus didn't want to accept it. It felt like an enormous burden.
It took some time for the truth to settle deep within Atticus. And as soon as it did, the anger simmered down significantly.
Atticus's gaze remained as cold as ice, but his mind had already started working. And when he thought about the entire situation, a cold fact brewed within him.
He just had to kill him another time.
From his brief interaction with Carius, Atticus had already raised his name to the top of his list of kill targets.
He hated when someone threatened his family; he hated it to the core. But that wasn't even the most dangerous aspect of Carius.
'He's a planner.'
Carius was smart, patient, and calm. Atticus had felt intense anger emanating from him multiple times during the battle, and yet, Carius hadn't acted on impulse. He had maintained his composure and chose planned action instead.
To Atticus, he was the most dangerous type of enemy to have—one who kept his word. Now that Atticus had defeated him, showing how dangerous he could be, Carius would likely try his best to crush him.
'There's nothing I can do for now. I'll deal with him as soon as I can.'
Atticus's guard was raised to its peak. He had no idea what Carius would plan next, and that fact worried him.
He decided to stop dwelling on it and focus on recovering his strength instead.
'I should still have about two battles left.'
The second round was 4 vs. 4, which should leave only 4 apexes remaining. Atticus couldn't help but wonder who was left and how strong his next opponent would be.
He quickly deactivated his domain fusion, his body reverting to its normal state. He could feel a wave of fatigue hitting both his mind and body.
Even though he had been able to mitigate some effects, it was still a significant strain on him.
He found one of the remaining hovering platforms in the arena and sat down cross-legged, instantly beginning to meditate.
'I should focus on my will.'
He had used his will significantly during the battle and when he utilized his water domain fusion.
If his will stat were like a consumable resource, Atticus had about 26 points left. It was incredibly low, and if he entered the next battle like this, he wouldn't be able to use his domain fusion again.
MWhen my exo suit recovers, it will help with my mana and fatigue.'
His mana was low, and he was feeling intense fatigue. But recovering his will required his utmost concentration, and he chose to prioritize that.
Atticus quickly formulated a plan in his head and entered a deep state of meditation.
Contrary to what the people outside were expecting, Atticus had no intention of entering his next battle unless he had recovered his strength to an acceptable level.
Time passed quickly, and many watching couldn't help but groan in frustration at what they were witnessing. Every bit of excitement they had felt was snuffed out.
'Why is he just sitting there?!'
They were all staring at Atticus's meditative form. He had been sitting there for more than three hours already!
They understood that he was trying to recover, but wasn't this too much?
Many had been excited for the final to begin, eager to see who the winner would be. The human apex had performed miracles since the event began. Who was to say he wouldn't perform another?
A human winning the Verietega Nexus was a thought both inconceivable and thrilling.
The humans, in particular, showed no impatience; in fact, they approved of what Atticus was doing.
They wouldn't mind if the Nullite apex gave up due to boredom!
The onlookers felt different emotions, but the cause of it all, Atticus, didn't care.
All he cared about was regaining his will. Fortunately, his exo suit had recovered a few minutes ago, allowing him to regain his mana at a rapid pace. His fatigue was also washing away as his suit continued to absorb mana from the air.
'It's easier.'
Atticus couldn't fully explain it. Even he didn't understand it. But ever since his will had increased significantly, he found it easier to recover while meditating.
It also helped that he hadn't depleted it entirely.
Atticus took deep, measured breaths, steadying his heart rate. There was a lot on his mind, but he silenced each thought.
His will, body, and mind were all recovering, and that was what mattered most right now.
Now that the rules of the world had changed, Atticus didn't have to worry about his life anymore; it felt as though a huge burden had been lifted off his shoulders.
However, this didn't mean he would let his guard down. He still wanted to win the Nexus.
Two more hours passed, and Atticus felt that he had recovered to satisfactory levels. He hadn't fully recovered, but he subtly preferred it this way.
His battle intent was still active and as high as ever, and his senses heightened. Any more rest, and he could risk losing his edge. He was in his optimal state for battle.
Atticus checked his inventory and reviewed the list of flags in his possession:
White Flag: Automatic victory in the event of a tie.
Violet Flag: Change the terrain of the arena randomly for 30 seconds.
Orange Flag: Create an impenetrable shield that encompasses both you and your opponent for 1 minute.
Cyan Flag: Summon an army of random beasts. Note: The beasts cannot distinguish between ally and foe and will attack everyone and everything.
'I still have the orange flag.'
Even though Carius had used it, Atticus still had the flag.
'Orange and Cyan, a good combination.'
After checking everything and seeing that all was in order, Atticus mentally confirmed his readiness, and a golden glow enveloped him, transporting him away from the scene.
An intense roar echoed through the arena and the human domain as the screen flickered, showing Atticus appearing in the arena.
The final was about to begin!