Atticus gazed down at Yotad with a piercing look, scrutinizing every inch of him.
'He looks okay,' he thought.
He had completely forgotten about his Ravenblade. Yotad had been in his shadow during his fight with Blackgate. With how intense the battle had been, along with the overwhelming power surging through him, Atticus had been worried that Yotad might have been affected.
"Are you okay?"
Yotad didn't respond immediately. Instead, he lowered his head further, his clenched fist pressed to the ground. It trembled with such intense power that the air around it vibrated.
Yotad's current emotions and expression could only be described in one word: shame.
He was ashamed.
The Ravenblades of the Ravenstein family were trained through gruesome methods from childhood, indoctrinated with a single purpose: protection. Their pride, their reason to hold their heads high, was their unwavering duty to serve and protect their assigned master.
But ever since Yotad had been assigned to Atticus, he had never felt useful. Usually, Ravenblades were assigned during their master's youth, and while Atticus had been young when Yotad was assigned, everything changed after Atticus's fight with the Aeonian apex, Ae'ark.
Yotad had realized one undeniable truth: Atticus had been stronger than him from the very beginning. Because of this, he never had the chance to fulfill his sole purpose.
During Atticus's fight with Blackgate, Yotad had witnessed everything. While others had been blown away by the overwhelming force of their clash, Yotad had remained in Atticus's shadow, unaffected. But no words could describe the shame he felt as he realized he couldn't do anything, nothing at all, to help.
If he had stepped out for even one second, he would have been obliterated by their mere auras.
"Y-yes, master," Yotad responded after a long pause.
Atticus studied him for a moment, sensing something was off. Beyond being able to hear Yotad's blood flow and heartbeat, Atticus's senses had reached a terrifying level after mastering the vampyros technique. Coupled with his recent boost in strength, he could instantly detect Yotad's emotions.
He understood why Yotad felt this way. But Atticus had no idea how to handle the situation.
The man was ashamed because he couldn't protect him. But what was Atticus supposed to do? Pretend to be in trouble just so Yotad could save him? Against master ranks?
At this point, Atticus could one-shot grandmaster ranks. He couldn't imagine a scenario where he'd need Yotad's help. And anyone who could truly pose a threat to him now was far beyond Yotad's capabilities.
Still, Atticus decided it was best to let Yotad figure it out on his own.
He nodded and dismissed Yotad, who bowed before merging into Atticus's shadow. Though Yotad still carried the weight of shame, it was a burden he'd have to overcome by himself.
'I'm not about to stunt my growth just to make you feel better,' Atticus thought.
It sounded cold, but it was the truth. Yotad's feelings were his own, and Atticus wouldn't let them interfere with his path to strength.
Once Yotad left, Ozeroth followed soon after. The spirit had muttered something about needing to "rest his magnificent self" after wasting time talking with "lessers."
Atticus didn't bother arguing, simply rolling his eyes as Ozeroth disappeared.
Finally alone, Atticus slumped back onto his bed and exhaled deeply. He stared at the ceiling in silence.
'It's only going to get harder,' he thought.
Raising his hand, he clenched his fist tightly. 'But I'll make it work.' His eyes blazed with determination.
His thoughts then shifted to the state of his body. On the outside, it brimmed with power, but inside, he felt weak and drained. Though he had been asleep for a long time, he knew he needed more time to fully recover.
'I could speed it up,' he pondered.
His gaze drifted toward his exo-suit and the draconic armor gifted to him by the dragon race. Both were excellent for recovery. However, when he glanced at his wrists, his eyes narrowed.
'It's not there,' he thought.
The armor from the dragon race, which was supposed to be fixed to his wrists, was gone.
As he tried to piece it together, his mind returned to his battle with Blackgate, a clash between paragons so intense it had destroyed an entire sector.
'It must have been destroyed,' he concluded.
Atticus was both baffled and sad. The artifact had been a grandmaster-rank artifact, but it wasn't durable enough to survive a clash between two paragons.
What baffled him the most, however, was that he hadn't even had the chance to use it before it got destroyed.
'There's no helping it,' Atticus thought, accepting the loss. 'At least I still have the Aeonian's orb. Plus, I got a major power-up in return.'
Despite the loss, the rewards far outweighed what he had given up.
Since the draconic armor was no longer an option, Atticus's thoughts shifted toward his exo-suit.
As he focused on it, a pitch-black suit instantly enveloped his body like a second skin. Atticus immediately noticed the difference between this version of his exo-suit and the one he had used before.
Aside from its appearance change, he could feel it drawing spiritual energy and mana from the air, channeling it into his body.
It was invigorating.
'It seems spiritual energy really is the best for healing,' Atticus thought. He had already assumed that the Starhaven race possessed an incredible amount of vitality, and now he was experiencing it firsthand.
"It feels incredible," he exhaled, a soothing sensation coursing through him.
The intense pain and soreness that had wracked his body diminished significantly. He hadn't bothered using his pain resistance technique because he saw no point in it. If he used it now, his body would still remain in bad shape. It was better to endure the pain so he'd know exactly when he was fully healed.
With the exo-suit passively healing him, Atticus soon dozed off and entered dreamland. He wasn't worried about his safety. He knew Magnus was constantly watching over him, and he also had the most prideful being as a bond.
The hours passed quickly, and Atticus was woken by the sound of someone approaching the training room. He quickly dismissed his exo-suit and sat up straight to see who it was.
"How are you feeling now, honey?"
A smile crossed Atticus's face as Anastasia approached him, pushing a large tray. "I'm feeling better, Mum," he replied, the smell of delicious food wafting into his nostrils. "You brought me food?"
His stomach rumbled loudly.
Anastasia nodded and placed her palm on his forehead to check his temperature. She then thoroughly scrutinized his body.
Once she was satisfied that everything was fine, Anastasia served the food and sat quietly beside him as he began eating.
Anastasia had brought a buffet. The tray held a variety of dishes, each more enticing than the last. And yet, Atticus kept devouring everything in front of him. His stomach seemed bottomless, like an abyss.
Anastasia smiled as she watched him eat with no care in the world. To her, it was a good sign, much better than him having no appetite at all.
'Bond, save some for me!'
Atticus heard Ozeroth's voice in his head and scoffed.
'If you want some, come out and get it yourself.'
"…" Ozeroth went silent. Atticus instantly understood why, because Anastasia was present.
'Suit yourself.'
If it were even possible, Atticus's eating speed doubled as he shoveled food into his mouth faster. Minutes later, Atticus could feel Ozeroth's intense glare in his mind as he ate the last bite.
"So good," Atticus sighed in satisfaction, slumping back. "Thank you, Mom."
Anastasia only smiled warmly. She had watched him eat that truckload of food without saying a word.
After a few moments, Atticus sat up straight and turned to her. "So, how long was I out?"
Anastasia's eyes showed a flicker of sadness as she recalled the long time he had been unconscious. She shook her head, clearing her thoughts and reminding herself that everything had turned out fine.
"One month," she replied.
Atticus's eyes widened. "One whole month?"
Anastasia nodded.
"Wow…"
It took him a moment to process the fact that he had been asleep for so long.
'I knew I was biting off more than I could chew, but isn't this a bit much?'
One month felt like an eternity to him. He could have accomplished so much during that time, but instead, he had been unconscious.
'That's one month gone from the year,' he thought, shaking his head.
In one year, Atticus would have to join the military and take part in the war against the Zorvans. While he had gained immense power in a short time, he still felt like he had wasted precious time.
Turning back to Anastasia, he asked, "So, what happened while I was down?"
Anastasia gave him a knowing look, one that immediately told him what she was thinking. Atticus quickly raised his hands in surrender, a sheepish smile on his face.
"I have no plans to train, I promise. Not until I'm fully recovered."
Anastasia's gaze grew sharper as she studied him closely. "Are you sure?"
Atticus nodded.
"Hm. I'll trust you…"