Atticus gazed at his stats in bafflement.
"Wow."
It was the only word that came to his mind at that moment.
'I didn't think it was that insane.'
Because of the dire situation outside the space, Atticus had been in a hurry to leave and battle Yorowin.
Due to that, he hadn't been able to check his status.
The changes were immense.
'This happened because I bonded with one core?'
To Atticus, it was baffling. Sure, he had expected a power-up, but this was far too immense.
'Don't expect this boost from every core bond. This might be a one-time thing.'
Even Ozeroth was surprised by the changes. But he had watched Atticus battle Yorowin and the grand elders. To him, the current numbers simply reflected that show of power.
'What do you mean?' Atticus instantly asked.
'Check your race,' Ozeroth simply instructed.
Atticus did as he was told and turned to his race, seeing Human-Auralithian Hybrid boldly written.
Somehow, his mind worked before he even asked it to. But that wasn't what shocked him.
It was the speed.
It was a speed he had never experienced before, akin to lightning striking before thunder could roar.
In one instant, he saw the status.
In the next, his mind went through millions of possibilities and settled on one.
'My body underwent a change…'
Atticus hadn't just thought about it, he had scrutinized himself to confirm his assumption. Everything had been processed at a speed that left him utterly baffled.
'So this is how a paragon feels.'
He clenched his fist in front of him, the air vibrating from his power.
'Ungrateful bond.'
Atticus heard Ozeroth clicking his tongue in his mind, snapping him out of his thoughts.
'Ah, yes, thank you, thank you,' he replied, and although he received no answer, he could tell the pride the spirit felt at being able to help.
Ignoring the confused spirit, Atticus focused on his assumption.
What he had just figured out was significant, and he believed it to be true.
His race had originally been human, and to become a true Eldorian, he needed to gather eighteen different cores.
However, when he bonded with the first core, the transformation had been drastic, granting him a significant boost.
But the reason this first core had such an overwhelming effect was because his body had undergone a fundamental change, a metamorphosis to accommodate the remaining cores.
His very biology had begun restructuring itself, not just to contain the energy but to unify it into something entirely new.
Rather than being a simple accumulation of power, this was the first step in evolving into an Eldorian. The shift in his race designation to Human-Auralithian Hybrid confirmed it.
From this point onward, each additional core wouldn't grant a sudden burst of strength but would instead refine his transformation, pushing him closer to his ultimate form.
At this point, Atticus didn't mind that.
It didn't mean he wouldn't get stronger, rather, his control over his powers and abilities would become more refined.
Taking his gaze away from his race, Atticus focused back on his status.
He had been worried about his stats being stuck at 999, and now that they had each crossed the 1300s, he couldn't help but feel shell-shocked.
Currently, this number reflected the power surging through his body.
And he could feel every single point.
As his gaze reached his Intelligence, Perception, and Will stats, another surge of excitement shot through Atticus.
They had basically doubled.
'I should look into the different applications of will. Maybe it's time to advance my rune-engraving skills.'
His Will had reached such an incredible level that Atticus couldn't help but think about its applications.
The first time he met Whisker, the beast had been able to impose his emotions onto the world.
Atticus had been able to do something similar, but on a much smaller scale.
Before the Apex Competition, he had been able to influence the Apex candidates, inducing fear within them.
But now, he was certain it could be used for something even more profound.
Afterward, Atticus' eyes lowered to his elements.
They hadn't changed much, which was expected, considering he hadn't used them to advance in the first place.
However, as his eyes reached his locked element, they froze.
"Blood Element…"
Atticus was so shocked that he muttered it aloud.
To anyone else, it would be something trivial, the ability to control blood like the Vampyros wasn't new.
In fact, should Atticus continue toward his goal, he would eventually obtain the Vampyros core and, in essence, their power.
But to Atticus, this was different.
Blood Element.
Element.
It wasn't a singular ability, nor even a technique.
It was the ability to manipulate blood in its entirety.
Just like how he could control the elements, he would be able to control blood, regardless of its origin.
'I'm excited.'
A wide grin appeared on Atticus' face.
The future was looking bright.
He couldn't wait.
Atticus' eyes scanned downward, noting that his mastery over various abilities had increased.
Then, his gaze settled on the new additions, his Auralithian abilities.
Atticus only had one word for them.
Broken.
The ability to form a clone.
The ability to see one second into the future.
The ability to become invulnerable to physical attacks.
And then…
His gaze widened.
'Locked?'
Atticus almost pulled his hair out.
There were two abilities that were currently locked.
For him, the first three had already been broken.
But the last two?
They had to be insane.
Atticus shook his head vigorously.
There was no helping it.
They were locked, so it was better not to waste time debating over what he couldn't change.
Seeing as he had gone through all the major changes, Atticus closed his status screen and took in a deep breath.
'It's only going to get harder.'
'I know.'
He heard Ozeroth's voice, and with an unchanged expression, he responded calmly.
The Vampyros were up to something.
The other races would react to his sudden power boost and make demands.
The eyes of the entire planet would soon be on him.
Yet, Atticus was calm.
He would face whatever comes.
And he would be the ultimate victor.
Atticus exhaled and entered a deep meditation.
Time passed.
Soon, he felt a presence approaching his door.
Atticus smiled as, after a few moments, Avalon and Anastasia walked into the room.
Their expressions were wary.