Atticus's Odyssey: Reincarnated Into A Playground

Chapter 1754: Underground

’Focus.’

Atticus bit the inside of his cheek, stopping himself from getting swept away in his emotions. Still, he had found no holes in anything Asmerion had said.

In fact, he was beginning to believe him. Then he remembered everything his mother had told him. None of them could truly comprehend what went through the minds of Primordials.

"My child."

Atticus emerged from his thoughts to find the Primordial Star watching him.

"I understand this is a great deal to take in. Unfortunately, the universe has chosen a rather inconvenient moment for reflection. Vaelos and Elysion are on the verge of a breakthrough. We need Solvath revived as quickly as possible."

"...How?"

"You currently possess seventy percent of the fragments. The remaining thirty lies elsewhere."

Asmerion raised a hand. An image shimmered into existence above the table. A sprawling metropolis stretched into view, built among a vast mountain range.

"The Elysion Sanctum."

The image shifted, closing in on the largest mountain in the city. A colossal structure had been carved directly into its side.

"You will find the remaining fragments there. They must be retrieved immediately."

Across from him, Attimax had long since stopped drinking his tea. His gaze was fixed on the image, his expression as serious as Atticus had ever seen it. ƒreewebηoveℓ.com

"We will be outnumbered. We will be outgunned. We need a champion, my child. And that can only be you."

His eyes met Atticus’.

"Can we count on you?"

Atticus fell silent.

...

The air felt damp, the soil moist beneath their feet. Atticus imagined there was a water source somewhere nearby.

Idle thoughts. They were preferable to the storm raging inside his mind. His mother’s gaze kept finding its way to his back, silently pleading with him to change his mind. That it wasn’t too late to turn back.

But ever since the day Grandma Freya died, it had been too late to turn back. He ignored it. Around them marched heavily armored men and women.

The Ensim. His mother’s soldiers. Raised, trained, and forged by her hand.

They were tall and broad, bodies built for war. Their eyes carried a fierce intensity, and each were blessed, radiating power with every step.

Atticus silently hoped they would be enough for what they were about to do.

They were currently deep within a tunnel far west of Rion, moving toward the Elysion Sanctum. Judging from the map he had been shown, they were only a few kilometers away.

’This should be enough.’

Any closer and they risked being detected. His mother appeared to reach the same conclusion.

"We stop here."

The column immediately came to a halt. Soon, a fire was lit, and the hundred soldiers, along with Atticus and his mother, gathered around it in silence. The plan had already been drilled into them. There was nothing left to discuss.

Unfortunately, Ilyshkara seemed to have other concerns. She kept glancing at him. Again. And again. Eventually, Atticus could no longer pretend not to notice.

"...Something the matter?"

Ilyshkara stared at him for a moment before casually waving a hand. A barrier rose around them, isolating them from the soldiers. None of the Ensim reacted. Apparently this was normal.

Atticus glanced at the barrier.

"...Is this necessary?"

"Yes." Ilyshkara narrowed her eyes. "Why have you been avoiding me?"

"I haven’t."

She simply stared. Atticus looked away.

"See? Like that." She sighed. "You spoke to Asmerion days ago. Tell me about the meeting."

"There’s nothing worth telling, Mom. He told me everything you already know and asked whether I was with them or not."

"Hm." She leaned forward slightly. "So what do you think? Bullshit or not?"

"Not." He lied.

The truth was that there was simply no way he could completely trust anything a Primordial Star said. Especially when it sounded too good to be true.

There was no telling what was true or false. For all he knew, the other Primordials truly were trying to descend into the world. Atticus simply didn’t know. Still, the only reason he was here was because this was the only path toward his goal.

The peak.

His current limitations had been placed upon him by a Primordial. He couldn’t break them on his own. To shatter those shackles, he needed the same level of power that had forged them in the first place.

The power of a Primordial. Solvath’s fragments were his only hope. There was no way he could tell his mother that. He had no idea how she would react.

Ilyshkara frowned, clearly unconvinced. Atticus reached out and took her hand.

"It’s going to be fine, Mom. I promise." He gave it a gentle squeeze. "Once all of this is over, there’ll be so much peace you’ll get tired of it." That was a promise.

Ilyshkara let out a long sigh, her resistance finally softening. Then she reached up and cupped his cheeks.

"I hope so, honey. Just be careful, okay?"

"Yes, Mom."

"Don’t be an idiot, okay?"

"...Okay."

"Be like Mommy, not Daddy, okay?"

Atticus caught the intensity of her gaze and cleared his throat.

"...Yes, Mom."

"Good boy." frёewebnoѵēl.com

Only then did she release the barrier. Atticus withdrew into his thoughts and reviewed the plan once more.

They were underground, close to the Elysion Sanctum. Above them, Attimax and the full might of the Rion Sanctum would soon begin their assault.

Every sanctum in the Higher Planes was protected by a barrier empowered by its Primordial’s blessing. A barrier designed to prevent infiltration and deny outsiders entry.

His father’s attack was meant to shake that barrier, even if only for a moment, allowing them to teleport directly into the heart of the city.

They would have only one opportunity. One opening. The brief instant when the barrier was at its weakest.

Despite himself, Atticus couldn’t help worrying about his father. The Vaelos Sanctum was nearby. Reinforcements would undoubtedly come. His father would be facing two avatars.

Atticus couldn’t help but remember what Attimax had said before they parted. After the strategy meeting, his father had called him outside.

There, beneath the open sky, he had simply looked him in the eyes.

"I’m proud of you, Atticus. So proud."

Atticus closed his eyes and let out a slow breath. He needed to focus. To push aside every distracting thought. The worry. The uncertainty. The fear. Soon. Soon all of this would be over.

Crack!

A faint tremor rippled through the underground tunnel.

The ground shivered beneath their feet. Atticus’ eyes snapped open.

It had begun.