Atticus's foot landed.
A simple step. Nothing more.
And yet…
The cheers stopped.
The voices of millions cut off in an instant, as though the air itself had been stolen from their lungs.
The figures of Kael and Kahn still rushed toward him, the division leaders still ascended the mountain, but then—
The world slowed.
It started small.
A single quake.
A vibration so deep, so primal, it felt like a heartbeat. A pulse that synchronized with every single person on the mountain range, as though the very land beneath them had come alive.
Then—
Cracks.
They spidered outward from Atticus's foot, tearing across the vast mountain range, consuming everything in their path.
The lush green slopes fractured. The towering cliffs splintered. The deep ravines ruptured open.
From within the cracks, a blinding purple light burst forth, glowing like an awakening god.
Division leaders, thousands of them, froze in place.
Their gazes snapped downward. Their eyes widened. Their breathing stopped.
The mountain was breaking.
The Apexes, watching from high up, felt a jolt of disbelief.
He was going to destroy the mountain!?
This… was this human INSANE!?
But there was no time.
With a final, earth shattering crack:
BOOOOOM!
The entire mountain range exploded.
A detonation of rock and earth erupted into the sky, sending debris and dust roaring outward, consuming everything like a tidal wave of destruction.
The screens flickered.
Then, static.
All across the floating islands, the battlefield, the warships—
Nothing.
The entire world was blind.
An intense silence gripped the floating islands.
Then… the dust cleared.
The screens flashed back on.
And there, hovering at the highest peak of the sky—
Atticus Ravenstein.
Untouched.
Unshaken.
As though he was above it all.
And in his grasp was Aurora who was held up with ease.
The wind rushed past his flowing white hair, his azure and purple eyes gazing down at the battlefield with a calm, god like indifference.
And that was when it dawned on them. On every single person watching.
That mountain.
That colossal mountain range, spanning miles, large enough to contain thousands of division leaders, multiple Apexes, and entire armies—
Gone. Destroyed. Like it was nothing.
There was a slight pause.
And then—
The humans screamed.
Not just a cheer.
Not just excitement.
They ROARED.
They shouted with every fiber of their being, with everything in their souls, with a raw, primal energy that shook the entire floating island.
"ATTICUS!"
"ATTICUS!"
"ATTICUS!"
Fists pounded against chests.
Arms thrust into the air.
Their voices boomed, echoing across the skies, across the camp, across the gloomy world of the military camp.
It wasn't just celebration. It was worship.
Their blood pumped harder than ever before.
He defeated the Apexes of the other races and won them the Nexus. And now, he had just sent a message to every single race in the military training camp.
Humanity wasn't to be messed with!
A low but excited laugh echoed across the room as a wide smile appeared on Colonel Zenon's face.
"Even his mindset is a curiosity," he muttered under his breath.
It was no secret that Atticus was by far the strongest in the competition.
As an Evolari, Zenon had been beyond curious as to how Atticus reached his current power level.
A human being this strong was something that had never been seen before.
In fact, at his young age, it had never even been seen before among the other races.
However, Zenon had just found out something else he was even more curious about.
Atticus's mind. The way he thought.
He had wondered how Atticus would approach this competition.
Would he simply blip to the top, securing first place?
Would he assert dominance by defeating the Apexes along with the strongest division leaders?
Or would he defeat every single person on the mountain?
That had been his assumptions.
However…
'He destroyed the entire mountain.'
Zenon's smile grew.
Atticus had chosen to make the entire test obsolete. He hadn't sent just one message.
He had sent multiple, each intended for different groups.
For the recruits—
Humanity wasn't to be messed with.
But for Zenon and the other officers watching—
This entire camp was beneath him.
Zenon shook his head.
'I can't wait to have a conversation with him.'
What better way to understand someone than to talk to them?
He turned to leave the room, but then—
Staff Sergeant Venon's voice sounded.
"Colonel Zenon. He broke the rules and should be punished!"
Venon furiously pointed at the screen, where Atticus hovered.
The other sergeants turned to Venon with Sergeant Kosher's gaze narrowing.
Zenon slowly turned. His smile disappeared.
"What rules, Sergeant?"
Venon recoiled, surprised by the dangerous aura leaking from the colonel.
There was only so much he could push. He decided to take another approach.
His fist clenched before responding.
"The competition was meant to test the recruits, determine their ranks and order among themselves… but he destroyed it. He—"
Zenon's cold voice cut through his words.
"At the start of the competition, what were the rules given to them?"
Venon froze. His expression twisted. He knew where this was going, and he hated it.
"I asked you a question, Sergeant."
Venon flinched. His back straightened as he quickly saluted.
"They were told to reach the peak with any method at their disposal."
Zenon's eyes narrowed.
"Good."
His voice was low, calm.
"And where is he now?"
Venon hesitated.
His gaze darted back to the screen, fixating on Atticus.
The young man hovered high in the air, untouched by the chaos. Then, he saw it.
Venon's breath caught in his throat.
'That height…'
Many wouldn't notice it. But he did.
That had been where the mountain peak once stood. Atticus was hovering just above it.
As if he were standing on the peak itself. The realization hit him like a sledgehammer.
His mouth opened. Closed. But no words came out.
Zenon turned away, irritated.
"Next time, Sergeant Venon, think before you speak."
He left the room, leaving behind only the sound of gritted teeth.