Before Atticus could fully comprehend what was happening, a swirling portal suddenly opened about 30 meters ahead of him, and three figures emerged from it.
“I’m getting tired of these endless food runs,” one of them sighed, resting his head on his hands clasped behind him.
“We don’t have a choice, dumbass. What are we going to eat if we don’t hunt? Those bastards said they couldn’t deliver supplies to us for now,” another figure responded dismissively.
“I dare you to call me a dumbass again,” the first figure’s gaze narrowed as he unleashed his killing intent. However, the second figure didn’t back down and did the same. But before they could attack each other, a third voice intervened.
“Quit it, you two. We don’t have time for your bullshit. Let’s just kill some beasts and get back quickly,” the bulky man who spoke seemed to be the leader among them.
Hearing this, the duo quieted down, clicking their tongues in annoyance. The portal closed behind the trio, and they began moving quickly through the caves.
However, none of them noticed the white haired figure hiding in the shadows as they passed by.
Atticus didn’t move or speak, but his gaze was so cold it could freeze an ocean.
Those three guys. They were wearing sleeveless tops, but that wasn’t what Atticus focused on. They made no attempt to hide the tattoo on each of their arms—an insignia.
An insignia that Atticus could never forget: The Obsidian Order.
Atticus took a deep breath. ‘So this is where they were hiding,’
They had scoured the whole of Sector 3 and never found any of them. So this was where they were hiding.
Atticus calmed his racing heart. ‘This is why he said I wouldn’t mind,’
There was no way Atticus could say no to this. He had a history with the Obsidian Order that he had no intention of ever forgetting. He would be going against his nature otherwise.
‘From their conversation, it looks like they went to hunt for food, and those bastards?’ Atticus recalled one of them mentioning that the supplies that usually got delivered to them had suddenly stopped.
‘It has to be because of the Aegis ship above the chasm. Which means they’re getting support from the outside. Only one of the tiered families should be able to support such a large group and also move and remain undetected. Which one is it?’
Atticus had his suspicions but decided to leave this matter for later.
‘I should focus on how to get through that portal,’
Atticus’ mind worked quickly. Three people had come out of the portal. The two behind were at the master- rank, while their leader was at the master rank.
There were no guards in sight, but Atticus knew he had to take many precautions.
He carefully formed a plan in his mind and soon decided on his next course of action. Instead of following the group, he waited patiently in the darkness.
His patience soon paid off as the trio returned from their hunt after a few hours, surprisingly with nothing in hand.
‘They must have found a way to get past the storage space restriction,’ Atticus concluded.
The trio was covered in blood, but they appeared uninjured.
“Finally! I can’t wait to get a shower and eat! Having fun at the whorehouse also wouldn’t be a bad idea, hehe,”
The one who had just spoken was Atticus’ target. He was the same person who had complained earlier. He was walking behind the group and was the perfect target.
Atticus hid in the darkness, carefully watching as the trio walked past him, his mind replaying his assessment.
The darkness beasts of the caves were still everywhere, and it seemed the group had learned to coexist with them. Atticus was certain that none of the three possessed the darkness element and thus could not see in the dark. This meant they were relying solely on their perception to navigate.
Earlier, before they passed him, Atticus had realized all of this and used the principle of perception against them. Their perception worked by detecting the mana’s reaction to objects in the air.
Now that Atticus had reached the master- rank, his control over mana had become so advanced that it even surprised him. The Exo suit made this control even more precise. Once again, Atticus applied the principle of the ethereal cloak here.
The mana in the air reacted to objects because they had different properties and natures. So, what if Atticus engulfed himself in mana that had the same signature and properties as the surrounding air?
There would be no reaction, but this would make him appear as a large cluster of mana, which would be suspicious.
To counter this, Atticus moved closer to the walls before attempting this technique. Fortunately, the walls and ceiling were covered by darkness beasts, which made it seem as though the walls were naturally covered with mana.
This allowed him to go undetected. If Atticus checked his status at this point, he would notice a significant improvement in his ethereal cloak art.
The trio passed by, unaware of his presence, and Atticus watched them carefully.
To maintain their perception, they had to release pulses of mana into the air. His opportunity to act would be during the brief interval between each pulse.
As soon as that moment came, he moved like a phantom. The tiny pentagon-shaped pieces of the Exo suit formed into a sword in his hands.
An air barrier subtly formed around him and his target, and before the latter could react, his head was severed from his body.
Atticus enveloped the man’s body and head inside an air barrier, ensuring no sound or smell escaped, and then silently propelled it back through the cave.
Afterward, Atticus mimicked the man’s mana structure and walking posture.
While master- ranks couldn’t perceive the skeletal structure with their perception, they could see the mana structure, which essentially reflected the body’s shape—a child’s structure would appear as a child, and a man’s as a man.
Atticus maintained measured steps and followed the unsuspecting duo. They reached a location, a wall devoid of any darkness beasts, and the man stretched his hand forward.
A ring on his finger emitted a subtle wave, and a portal suddenly opened.
Without wasting a moment, the duo, along with Atticus, stepped through the portal.
