After explaining everything, Avalon and Anastasia left the training room, leaving Atticus and Magnus alone.
Atticus turned to Magnus with a pleading look, and Magnus smiled.
"Go ahead."
Atticus needed no further encouragement. He immediately channeled his mana into the art in his hand, and a surge of information flooded into his mind. But it was overwhelming.
Atticus staggered backward.
"Are you okay?"
Magnus quickly caught him, his expression filled with concern. Had the superior races done something?
Magnus shook his head. There was no way Avalon and Anastasia hadn't been careful. He had watched the ambassador sign a mana a contract confirming that the art was safe.
"Urgh," Atticus groaned, clutching his head. "I'm fine. It's just… it's too much."
Streaks of lightning materialized around Atticus's head, soothing him. Though Magnus was helping him, he felt relieved. He now understood the situation.
"How is it now?" Magnus asked.
Atticus took a deep breath, steadying himself. "It's better. But I think I need to meditate."
Magnus nodded, giving him space to compose himself. Atticus didn't hesitate and sat cross legged, entering a deep meditative state.
He hadn't exaggerated, the surge of information was too much, even for someone of his mental capacity. Had it been someone else, they might have suffered serious harm.
As the seconds passed, the information continued streaming into his mind until it finally stopped. Atticus focused on organizing and assimilating it, and after a few moments, his eyes snapped open. He shot up from his seated position.
"What?" Magnus asked, noticing his sudden movement.
Atticus was at a loss for words. He truly didn't know what to say. The information he'd received had been that astounding.
"It's…" He took a moment to gather himself before beginning to explain. When he finished, even Magnus was left speechless.
Art Name: ???
Description: The ??? is a technique that fuses abilities from various races into a single, multi-functional art. This consists of supportive, defensive and offensive techniques, allowing the user to manipulate their body, energy, and surroundings.
Techniques;
1. Dimensional Loop (Dimensari race)
Effect: This ability allows the user to create a dimensional "trap" around an opponent, forcing them into a looping area of space that they can't easily escape. If an enemy attempts to advance, they'll find themselves moving in circles or returning to the same location repeatedly.
2. Predatory Perception (Vampyros race)
Components:
Fear Detection: The user can detect fear like a chill in the air, allowing them to locate fearful opponents even in total darkness.
Intent Awareness: The user senses intent as a form of pressure, letting them predict attacks or hostile actions before they occur.
Life Sense: This grants the ability to "feel" heartbeats, breathing, and even subtle changes in energy nearby, providing situational awareness that is impossible to hide from.
Aura Sensitivity: Allows the user to read the aura of those around them, gauging their energy levels, physical condition, and emotional states.
3. Slow Decay (Obliteri race)
Effect: By channeling this decay energy into a touch, the user can inflict a gradual but persistent degradation on whatever they touch. Objects or armor begin to weaken over time, and the effect intensifies the longer the user maintains contact.
4. Immunity Buildup (Evolari race)
Effect: This grants the user an adaptive resilience against toxins, diseases, and harmful substances. Repeated exposure to a poison or toxin gradually immunizes them, making it hard for an opponent to harm them with the same method twice.
5. Pain Resistance (Regenerari race)
Effect: The user's pain threshold is elevated, making them nearly immune to distractions caused by physical discomfort or injury. They can continue fighting through severe injuries without hesitation.
6. Aura Masking (Lucendi race)
Effect: This allows the user to mask their aura completely, making them invisible to perception based detection methods. Predatory perception, sensory abilities, and mana detection techniques cannot easily detect the user.
7. Revenant's Touch (Requiem race)
Effect: By making physical contact with an opponent, the user can "link" with that person's soul. Once this link is established, they are always aware of that person's location, regardless of distance or concealment.
8. Metabolic Boost (Transmutari race)
Effect: The user can convert stored energy in the body directly into stamina, strength, and speed. By fueling their body's processes, they gain a temporary boost in physical performance, recovering from fatigue or enhancing power instantly.
9. Nullification Field (Nullite race)
Effect: This ability creates a field around the user that nullifies mana-based attacks and magical effects. Any mana that touches this field dissipates harmlessly, rendering magical assaults ineffective.
..
The entire training room fell into a palpable silence. Despite being the one to explain it, Atticus's eyes were still wide with disbelief, his expression a mix of awe and shock.
If he felt this way, Magnus was even more astounded. He turned to Atticus, his own eyes wide. For the first time since the boy's birth, Magnus felt a hint of jealousy.
It was a game changer.
'They didn't use their main abilities, but…'
Atticus could tell his initial assumption was correct. The superior races had chosen to include their lesser abilities in the art instead of their primary ones, but he wasn't complaining.
'…they're all paragon ranked,' he thought, nearly breathless.
This was another mind-blowing fact. Every technique held the potential to reach paragon rank. All he needed was the talent to achieve it, and when had Atticus ever lacked talent?
A grin spread across his face, an intense excitement surging within him. He'd felt some wariness about joining the military before, but now, he looked forward to it.
He didn't know what the other races were thinking, but he guessed, 'Maybe they had no choice.'
It seemed likely. If the art had been pre-agreed upon, they'd have been compelled to release it. The fact that humans hadn't even known about the reward showed just how little respect they were given.
It could also be that the superior races believed a "primitive" human would be unable to master such a powerful art.
For others, that might be true, they might not reach its full potential. But Atticus was different. Not only would he reach the limit; he would shatter it.
Training began immediately, and Atticus threw himself into it. And just like that, another week passed.