The power of the Nullite race was profound. Being able to negate mana in a world filled with people who relied on it made them seem like gods among men.
However, after years of wars and countless deaths, the people of Eldoralth began to see that they weren’t as overpowered as they seemed.
Like any other race, they had weaknesses. And out of those weaknesses, Atticus had chosen to exploit one of them.
In Eldoralth, all abilities, even the most basic, were somehow tied to an individual’s will. Just like the Dimensari race, a Dimensari with a weaker will couldn’t impose their dimensional rules on someone with a stronger will. The same held true for the Nullite race, though it was a bit different.
Atticus’s entire body was enveloped in an intense crimson as he activated his will. As Karn’s domain enveloped the world, Atticus felt the atmosphere change.
The mana in the air became dormant, neutralized by the energy permeating the environment. He sensed a force clashing against his will, trying to reach the mana within his body, but his will was as strong as ever.
BOOM!
The sky exploded with a thunderous BOOM as Atticus and Karn collided mid-air, sending shockwaves rippling outward. The force of their clash shook the air, making the entire arena tremble.
Karn’s gaze, which had held slight surprise, now widened in shock. Despite being in close proximity to Atticus and clashing weapons, he couldn’t seem to negate Atticus’s mana.
Karn’s body was bulky, and his hammer was massive. Although they collided, Atticus had no intention of challenging him head-on. That would’ve been foolish.
In the next moment, sparks ignited as Atticus’s katana scraped across Karn’s hammer, the blade screeching against the metal as he expertly redirected Karn’s momentum.
Karn’s bulky form shot upward, the momentum of his redirected force propelling him into the sky.
Atticus swerved mid-air, his body flashing crimson as he evaded the hammer’s trajectory. His katana left a streak of red in its wake as he shot upwards, closing the distance between him and Karn.
His blade flashed, aiming straight for Karn’s neck.
However, Karn was already in motion. Using the momentum from his initial swing, he twisted in the air, his hammer descending with immense force.
It clashed with Atticus’s katana, the impact ringing out like a thunderclap.
Sparks flew as metal met metal, and Atticus’s eyes suddenly flashed. In a burst of speed, he closed the gap in the air, the tip of his katana thrusting toward Karn’s neck.
But just as it was about to connect, Karn’s body surged forward with blinding speed, a trail of dark energy streaking in his wake.
The thrust missed by a hair’s breadth, and Karn’s hammer whipped around, its massive form hurtling toward Atticus’s side.
Atticus’s eyes narrowed into pinpricks. That burst of speed—he hadn’t expected it! He had only a split second to react.
His will surged, converging on his hand as he braced himself for the impact.
The hammer collided with his side, and the impact felt like a detonation, the shockwave tearing through the air as a streak of red energy cut through the sky.
Atticus was sent hurtling sideways, his body plummeting and skidding across the ground with force. A deep trench formed in his wake as he came to a stop, his cold gaze fixed upward.
But Karn didn’t waste a second. The air screamed as he tore through it, the sound of multiple sonic booms echoing through the arena.
Both their eyes locked onto one another, ice cold. Atticus responded instantly, launching himself from the ground. The two figures collided with a force that split the air.
Crimson streaks clashed with darkened brown as their figures disappeared and reappeared in the sky, their movements too fast for the crowd to follow.
Each collision sent shockwaves through the air, and the sound of their weapons echoed like explosions.
Karn’s attacks were heavy, each swing of his hammer a force of pure power, his muscles bulging with every movement.
His hammer tore through the air, creating violent vortices of wind as it moved, as if each strike was meant to crush and overwhelm.
But Atticus was his opposite. He focused on speed and lethality. Every swing of Karn’s hammer was met with a deft parry, every powerful strike redirected and countered with agility.
His katana aimed for vital points—throat, heart, joints—each attack calculated and deadly.
The two apexes moved like blurs, the arena becoming a mixture of streaking energy and clashing power.
The crowd outside watched with wide eyes and held breaths, as crimson and brown streaks collided repeatedly in the air, neither giving an inch.
The people of the human domain had been utterly terrified when they first saw Atticus’ opponent, especially those who knew how the elements were formed.
The elements were the Ravensteins’ strongest advantage in any battle; they would be crippled if they were unable to utilize them. Karn Voss and the Nullite race were practically their bane.
However, to their utter shock, Atticus was still holding his ground! This boy had shown them miracle after miracle, and none of them had a shred of doubt anymore.
No matter how they tried, they couldn’t see it—none of them could imagine a scenario where he would lose.
The clashes were explosive. Despite facing a massive hammer, Atticus remained unaffected. He expertly timed each parry, redirecting each attack with precision.
Regardless, he knew he couldn’t keep this up for much longer.
‘My will isn’t infinite.’
Every second he used his will, Karn’s domain, coupled with their close proximity and the fact that they were directly clashing, was draining it. He could feel his will depleting at a fast pace.
Currently, Atticus’s will acted as a barrier between Karn’s aura of negation and his mana. For Karn to negate mana, his aura had to reach it.
This was the main method Magnus had taught him in case he couldn’t escape Karn’s aura.
He could use the mana in his body, but he couldn’t tap into the mana in the atmosphere, which meant he couldn’t recover any expended mana.
In a prolonged battle, Atticus would be at a major disadvantage.
He had to end the battle quickly.
