The pressure was intense.
As the paragons of all the other races arrived, a suffocating weight gripped the area like an iron vice.
If not for the fact that the platform had been created by Oberon, who had accounted for the pressure from people of their strength gathering together, it would have long since crumbled.
Regardless, it still shook with intensity as the tension skyrocketed.
'Just as expected.'
Atticus calmly scanned the area.
He had already anticipated this.
The other races hadn't just sent representatives to this meeting.
No.
Each of their respective leaders had come personally.
It wasn't every day one would hear that a seventeen-year-old had become a paragon.
It was a matter too serious to leave for representatives.
They had come to bear witness themselves and see if the news was true or not. But Atticus knew that this wasn't the only reason they had come.
Their gazes were fixed on him like predators watching prey.
They were shocked.
They were baffled.
And lastly—
They were threatened.
He was strong at such a young age.
His potential was unimaginable.
He would surpass them.
For most of the gathered leaders, upon seeing Atticus, these had been the thoughts that formed in their heads.
And undoubtedly, because of this, the pressure radiating from most of them turned oppressive.
This had been the second reason they attended the meeting themselves: a show of dominance.
From the reports, Atticus had fought seven Vampyros paragons and won.
His power had been that insane.
It was a situation too serious to send mere normal paragons.
They had to force Atticus to sign the alliance mana contract, and only through dominance could that be achieved.
They descended slowly, unhurriedly landing on the platform and taking their seats on the thrones.
The number of thrones exceeded their numbers, allowing them to avoid sitting close to one another.
'Looks like they figured it out, huh.'
Aside from the tension directed towards him, Atticus could sense a weird tension between the other races, especially the superior races.
Something was going on.
Something he had anticipated when he revealed the imposters to the human paragons.
As Atticus and the human paragons landed and took their seats, an intense bloodlust engulfed the entire platform.
"You have no right to sit with us, boy."
The paragons didn't turn towards the Blood Queen Jezeneth, who had just spoken.
Instead, they turned to the one she had been referring to—
Atticus.
He was sitting on one of the thrones, a seat that was at the same level as them.
Naturally, the seating arrangement would be divided between the superior, mid, and lower races, with the former at a higher position.
But the shock of seeing a paragon-rank child had made them brush it off, at least momentarily.
The implications couldn't have been clearer.
It meant that the child was of the same status as them.
Their gazes narrowed in unison.
She was right.
He shouldn't be allowed to sit amongst them.
But before anyone could add to Jezeneth's words, a voice, so calm it made the trembling platform freeze, sounded.
"The reason we're all here is because I have that right. You should make up your mind. A leader of a race shouldn't be so indecisive."
Atticus' words had been directed at Jezeneth, but the other paragons couldn't help but feel attacked.
The reason they had called for this meeting was because they believed that, as a paragon, Atticus had to sign a mana contract to join the alliance.
He was an apex, the representative of his race.
And he was a paragon.
He deserved a seat.
"Know your place!"
Jezeneth's aura flared, an abyssal black energy erupting off her body.
The air grew suffocating.
Regardless, Atticus' mismatched eyes remained placid.
He tilted his head slightly, looking at Jezeneth as one would look at a madwoman.
Jezeneth's anger peaked, her aura so heavy that cracks began snaking their way across her chair and the platform.
"Jezeneth."
The Dimensari paragon, and Carius' father, Azrakan suddenly spoke up, interrupting the scene.
"He's an apex, a representative of the human race, and, shockingly, a paragon. Let him sit."
Jezeneth didn't turn to Azrakan.
She didn't acknowledge him either.
Her rage was livid, and the bastard did not control her.
Regardless, her gaze narrowed, and her aura settled in the next second.
She could not attack the humans.
At least, not yet.
Azrakan was glad that Jezeneth had listened, but his face did not show any delight.
In fact, there was only coldness as he turned towards Atticus.
From the Nexus event, the Dimensari had hated the humans.
Back then, Azrakan had wanted to force Atticus to stay in the Dimensari domain under the guise of training, in order to acquire his core.
But Whisker had foiled that plan.
Atticus had entered his list of targets to eliminate since then.
Aside from the fact that Atticus had almost killed his son, Carius, the boy was too much of a threat to leave alive.
However, this wasn't even what soured his mood now.
Somehow, Azrakan knew Atticus was the cause of everything.
The humans had discovered the imposters they had inserted into their domain. He wouldn't have complained if that had been all.
But this action had a devastating ripple effect.
The other races had become wary when they found out about the situation.
Because of this, they had conducted inspections on their respective domains and also found imposters amongst their ranks.
Unlike the lower and even mid races, the superior races had been able to voice their outrage.
The backlash that the Dimensari received from this incident had been severe, and Azrakan was still trying to manage the situation.
And as Akarzan met eyes with Atticus' calm gaze, somehow, he knew—
He was responsible.
"Apex Atticus… or should I call you Paragon Atticus?"
Azrakan played the part of a politician well, masking his emotions behind a well-rehearsed smile.
"You've achieved such a monumental feat, and I think I speak for everyone here when I say that it still feels so unbelievable."
His voice echoed throughout the space, seemingly calming the otherwise tense situation.
"However, seeing truly is bel—"
"How did you achieve this power?"
Azrakan's voice was interrupted by the Evolari paragon Jenera Flux, who stared at Atticus as though he were a precious jewel.