The Evolari paragon, Jenera, gazed at Atticus with star-like eyes, as though he were a priceless treasure.
She loved change. She loved growth. She loved evolution.
And a seventeen-year-old boy becoming a paragon had activated that love.
She took a second before adding, "If you're willing to give me the unfiltered answer, the Evolari will ally with humanity."
The gazes of all the other paragons shot up in shock. Jenera's declaration had been that absurd.
It was a well-known fact that the Vampyros had declared the humans as their enemies, which meant that the Evolari making that claim practically meant they were ready to go to war with the Vampyros.
"What are you doing?"
Jezeneth's voice was cold, icy. Her feral gaze fixed itself on Jenera, her tone demanding.
Jenera diverted her gaze from Atticus, her expression losing its excitement, turning cold as it settled on Jezeneth.
"What do you mean?" she asked, calm.
Jezeneth's glare hardened.
"The humans are the Vampyros' enemies. Do the Evolari wish to make themselves our enemies as well?"
Jenera tilted her head slightly.
"Why should I care if they're your enemy or not? I see something I want, and I'm going for it. The Vampyros' grievances don't concern me."
Her fingers tapped lightly against the armrest of her throne before she continued, her words carrying an implicit weight.
"If we are attacked, we will retaliate. If war comes, then so be it."
Jezeneth's aura flared dangerously, abyssal black energy crackling around her, but before she could speak—
"We're not here for petty bickering," a sharp voice cut in. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I don't have the luxury of wasting an eternity on pointless disputes."
The Regenerari paragon spoke with a frown. He turned to Atticus before continuing.
"Human Apex. I'll go straight to the point. It is a law of the alliance that every paragon signs a mana contract confirming their allegiance to the alliance." His gaze narrowed. "That now applies to you."
"That said," Azrakan suddenly chimed in, turning to Oberon. "I seem to recall the lively paragon that interrupted us during the Nexus banquet. We've sent requests to have him sign a contract. Why hasn't this been respected?"
There was a smile on Azrakan's face, but his tone made it clear that he was not joking.
"Yes, I remember receiving many requests. Unfortunately, his whereabouts are unknown, and all attempts at locating him have been unsuccessful," Oberon responded.
The fact that they had sent requests for Whisker and had shown up personally for Atticus showed just how important it was. Regardless, they had received news that Whisker had matched Jezeneth. He was too powerful to be left unchecked.
"That is una—"
"The law is for paragons," Atticus suddenly interrupted, changing the topic. "I'm a grandmaster."
The paragons' gazes flickered with confusion at his words.
This overwhelming aura was a grandmaster's?
He might as well have called them imbeciles.
But as they each focused on him, their gazes narrowed into pinpricks.
Grandmaster rank?
"Your core is still at the grandmaster rank… intriguing, very intriguing," Jenera's excitement returned, looking at Atticus as though she might dissect him right there.
Your mana core was supposed to determine the rank and power an individual would have and be able to control.
Yet, a boy with a grandmaster rank core had the strength of a paragon.
It truly was intriguing.
The paragons gazed at Atticus as though they were looking at an alien.
But Azrakan brought them back to the matter at hand.
"Unfortunately, Apex Atticus, that does not exempt you from signing this contract. The law was established to ensure that those with the power to threaten the alliance are kept in check. Regardless of your mana core, the reality remains: your strength is on par with a paragon. That makes this contract just as binding for you as it is for the rest of us."
The platform fell silent.
Jezeneth was seated on her throne, staring daggers at Atticus as though she wanted nothing more than to rip him into shreds.
The rest of the paragons also had their gazes fixed on Atticus, each with different emotions.
Ae'zard, the Aeonians paragon and Ae'ark's grandfather, was still experiencing waves of shock from seeing the paragon-ranked Atticus.
He had watched the battle between Atticus and Ae'ark years back and had witnessed his level.
But now… it was insane.
The other lower races felt a mix of feelings. Humanity was a lower race, as were they, but this single boy was lifting them from their lower status, it was inevitable.
Even Oberon, Thorne, and Magnus were gazing at Atticus.
Oberon had left the task of finding a solution to this problem to Atticus, asking him to find one that wouldn't end up with them dead.
He had done that because there was no other choice.
Atticus was not the sort of person who could be bent.
He couldn't be forced to do what he didn't want to do.
Oberon had come to learn that about him.
Regardless, he wondered just what the boy had come up with.
Did he somehow find a loophole?
Was he simply going to refuse?
The trio wondered the same thing.
The silence was broken by Atticus.
"Okay."
The gazes of the paragons narrowed.
Everyone was shocked, and Oberon and the human paragons were no different.
Did they just hear him right?
They had all done their research about Atticus and knew his personality well. They had been prepared to have to force his hand.
But he accepted?
Just like that?
"Are you alright?" Magnus had to check, whispering in his ear.
Atticus' mouth twitched. He nodded reassuringly to him.
"Where's the contract?"
Azrakan had been so shocked that he didn't seem to register Atticus' words.
He shook his head, regaining his composure.
Is he planning something?
He brought out the golden mana contract that had been marked by the members of the alliance council, sending it to Atticus.
Grabbing it, Atticus didn't even bother going through its contents.
He signed it instantly, and it turned into motes of light that dispersed in the air.
"Is that all?" Atticus calmly asked, the paragons looking at him with disbelief.
Receiving no answer, Atticus stood up from his throne, followed by the other human paragons.
"Fine then. We will take our leave."
"Ah, wait—"
Before he regained his senses, Atticus and the others took off from the scene, leaving the paragons to grapple with what had just happened.
He signed the contract, just like that?