At the end of the day, Atticus and Magnus sparred for two days straight before Magnus finally allowed Atticus to rest.
The crowd that had gathered in front of the training room had long since dispersed as each crew member focused on their own intense training and sparring sessions.
As Atticus walked out of the training room, his body was drenched in sweat, and every muscle ached in ways he had never experienced before. All he wanted was some food and a good night’s sleep.
He noticed Yotad and Dario nearby, who immediately bowed upon seeing him. The other crew members also stopped their training and turned to face him, including Amara.
Raising an eyebrow, Atticus was about to ask what was going on when they all suddenly bowed in unison and said, “Thank you for reminding us!”
“What?…” Atticus was baffled. It seemed he wouldn’t be getting any answers today. After thanking him, the crew members returned to their training as if nothing had happened.
Shaking his head, Atticus thought to himself, ‘I’ll think about this later.’
He glanced at Dario and Yotad before heading to the cafeteria, where he got some food to eat. After his meal, he returned to his room, took a long, hot shower, and then collapsed onto his bed, falling into a deep sleep.
The next day came quickly, and Atticus met Magnus in the same training room. He wondered if this would be another grueling session but didn’t bother to ask. If he was honest with himself, he was starting to enjoy the one-on-one training sessions with Magnus.
Magnus picked up where they had left off the previous day. He made sure Atticus was becoming well-versed in determining the exact number of blows needed to output the energy he required.
Fortunately for Atticus, he was a fast learner. After meditating on the training and replaying everything in his mind, he was now able to gauge the amount of force needed with impressive accuracy.
Afterward, Magnus decided to shift focus to another aspect of battle. But before doing so, he asked Atticus a question that he had been expecting for some time.
“How did you increase your will in such a short time?”
Atticus smiled slightly and began narrating everything that had happened in the Abyssal Chasm. He had wanted to share this since leaving the chasm, but Magnus was a peculiar character, and Atticus wasn’t sure how to start the conversation. The opportunity had finally presented itself.
As Atticus explained, Magnus’s eyes lost focus for a brief moment—an action Atticus had never seen from him before.
‘He must be thinking about the next course of action,’ Atticus thought. ‘A paragon rank beast hiding out and observing the human domain right under us rings so many alarm bells.’
After a second, Magnus’s eyes regained their clarity.
“Did he do anything to you?” Magnus asked, his tone sharp.
“No,” Atticus shook his head, “well, not that I’m aware of—”
Before Atticus could finish speaking, tendrils of lightning materialized and snaked their way across his entire body. Atticus felt completely exposed, as though all his secrets were being laid bare, but he didn’t resist.
Magnus was thorough, taking almost a minute to scrutinize every inch of Atticus’s being. When he was satisfied and sure there was nothing amiss, the lightning disappeared.
‘I have to be completely sure. I’ll have him check him,’ Magnus thought to himself.
“Anything?” Atticus asked, curious about the result.
Magnus shook his head. “I couldn’t find anything. But unfortunately, that doesn’t mean there’s nothing there. We’ll do a more thorough search later.”
‘That wasn’t thorough?’ Atticus wanted to blurt out but held himself back.
With that out of the way, Atticus’s curiosity piqued. “So what are you going to do?”
“Nothing. We paragons have tried to breach the chasm many times but failed. It’s clear this entity is either stronger than us or is simply adept at creating barriers to block us out,” Magnus replied.
Atticus noticed the slight change in Magnus’s demeanor. ‘Is he feeling bad for putting me in that situation?’
“But just in case, we need to make the necessary arrangements to prepare for any eventualities,” Magnus added, his voice firm again.
With that settled, Magnus shifted focus to something new: Atticus’s will. Specifically, using his will to affect the surroundings and people.
This wasn’t about controlling the surrounding mana like Aerokinesis; instead, it was about imposing his will directly on the environment and others.
It hadn’t been too difficult for Atticus, given his already strong will. All he needed was practice in channeling his intent. Depending on what he wanted to accomplish, Atticus would need to send a clear intent through his will before it could manifest.
It took some time, but Atticus began seeing improvements, learning to empower himself, create shields, and even influence the emotions of others.
He couldn’t achieve that last part with Magnus, of course, but Magnus praised him and assured him he was on the right path.
The possibilities seemed endless, and the days passed by quickly. Atticus continued his rigorous routine, training every day with Magnus. Soon enough, exactly five months had passed since Atticus left the academy.
Now, Atticus stood in front of Magnus, his aura calm and dominating. The training had been intense, but Atticus had learned so many things he hadn’t even considered before.
Magnus had also taught him new ways to utilize his elements in battle, particularly the lightning element.
“It’s about time we take a pause and have you focus on another aspect. I’ll let you choose this time,” Magnus said, his tone inviting Atticus to consider his next move carefully.
Atticus pondered his choice, weighing his options. What aspect should he focus on?
‘Domain…’ The thought had been nagging at him ever since his battle with Alvis and Ronad, and after witnessing Avalon’s overwhelming display of power. He needed that power.
“My elements. I want to focus on them and attempt to form a domain,” Atticus replied, his voice steady.
“Hmm. A domain would significantly increase your battle power, but it’s no easy feat to achieve. It’ll take time—a lot of time—even for someone like you. You won’t be able to focus on anything else. Are you sure?” Magnus asked, his gaze intense.
Atticus immediately nodded, his gaze resolute.
Magnus smiled. “Alright. Let’s head back to the elemental sanctums,”
