Aside from handling Jezeneth, Atticus still had to account for the other grand elders of the Vampyros. The human paragons still couldn't match them without his will assisting them.
And in a battle against someone as dangerous as Jezeneth, he couldn't afford to have his attention split.
'Whisker.'
This was the only solution he could find. If Whisker could handle Jezeneth, he would be able to fight the grand elders and kill them. But the beast was too much of a wild card. Atticus just somehow knew that he would refuse.
'I also have to watch out for that person behind the scenes.'
'Looks like information is key here,' Atticus concluded.
For now, he needed information, information that wasn't easy to come by. The kind that even a master rank like Dario wouldn't be privy to.
'The Silent Nexus.'
It was time for him to make use of the Ravenstein family's resources.
…
In a brightly lit room, Lyanna Ravenstein sat with her legs crossed, gazing at a battered and bloodied man through a see-through glass.
The prison floor was covered in crimson blood, and the man's limbs were twisted beyond recognition, his figure slumped on the ground.
Lyanna's gaze remained fixed on him, her entire demeanor radiating a coldness that chilled the air. She looked at him like he was nothing more than a useless piece of meat.
"Spies within my ranks… How embarrassing."
She spoke audibly, clearly talking to herself, and yet, the two men standing straight behind her couldn't help but tremble.
After the paragon meeting at the border, Oberon and the other paragons had spread the news about the Vampyros and Dimensari imposters among select members of the tier-one families.
The tier-one families were the ones who controlled the human domain, holding sway over practically all of its important sectors. Oberon's plan had been to start from the root before spreading outward.
Naturally, Lyanna, being one of the leaders of the Ravenstein family, had heard.
She wasted no time. She gathered every single member of the Silent Nexus who wasn't on a mission in Ravenspire and conducted a thorough check using mana contracts.
The results had been nothing short of shocking. She had uncovered spies, a lot of them.
They weren't at the surface.
They were deep.
Lyanna clicked her tongue. She was in a bad mood, a very bad mood.
Her gaze shifted to the side, noting the different battered figures in the cells across the hall.
Her expression darkened further.
She was going to kill them.
Definitely.
But not before making them suffer.
"Mistress Lyanna."
Lyanna turned her cold gaze to see one of the guards kneeling in front of her.
"This better be important."
The guard trembled so hard he appeared as if he were vibrating.
"T-The Apex Atticus is here, Mistress."
Lyanna's gaze narrowed.
'The kid?'
She was a bit surprised. It was odd to see that monster child leave the estate, much less visit someone. But considering the situation, she understood why.
"Let's go."
She instantly stood up and left the room.
…
The Silent Nexus of the Ravenstein family was a group focused primarily on espionage, assassination, and intelligence gathering.
Despite their work seemingly requiring them to remain hidden from the public eye, they had open branches everywhere in the human domain where they openly bought and sold information.
Aside from this, they also had secret branches known only to high-ranking members of the Silent Nexus.
Their numbers were endless, scattered across the sectors.
However, a single question to Anastasia, and Atticus had found out exactly where to find Lyanna.
In one of their branches, the Silent Nexus had used a beast pet shop as a cover to mask their operations. The shop was filled with different people who had come to adopt pets.
And as Atticus stepped into the building, the commotion he caused was indescribable.
The chatter died.
People who had been mid-conversation froze, their words stuck in their throats as their heads instinctively turned.
It was impossible not to look.
His presence was unreal, something that demanded attention without asking for it.
He was like a force of nature, impossible to look away from.
They were all caught in a trance, their thoughts derailed as they tried to comprehend what they were feeling.
Atticus Ravenstein.
A living myth.
What the hell was he doing in a pet shop?
Each step rang out, sharper in the unnatural silence.
He reached the counter, where the female attendant stood rigid, eyes locked onto him as if she had been turned to stone.
Her hands trembled as she tried to steady her nerves.
Atticus didn't say anything, but the subtle shift in the atmosphere was enough to snap the attendant out of her daze.
She swallowed hard, struggling to find her voice.
"W-Would you like to browse our special section, Apex—s-sir?"
The room remained unnaturally quiet as Atticus nodded and followed the trembling attendant to the back of the building.
As they left, everyone snapped out of their daze, shaking their heads.
Then they felt it, regret.
They had been so close to their Apex and yet hadn't even spoken to him!
Reaching the back of the building, the attendant shakily gestured to a door, bowing.
As Atticus approached, a terminal scanned him before instantly turning green. The door opened, revealing an elevator.
The elevator took him down, and as he stepped out, Atticus was met with an expansive room.
It was brightly lit and resembled a control center filled with screens displaying different locations. Each station was manned by white-haired men and women, all of whom were staring at him as though they had seen a ghost.
'There's really no getting used to these reactions.'
At this point, Atticus was getting tired of people freezing whenever they saw him.
'It's natural. They're smart for recognizing greatness, unlike those bloodsuckers.' Ozeroth remarked.
Atticus found it amusing that the spirit was still annoyed by the Vampyros' actions.
He inwardly shook his head and scanned the entire silent room.
But he didn't have to.
A door at the far end opened, and Lyanna walked out.
"Well, this is a pleasant surprise." She smiled.