Chapter 1203: Stubborn

Reactions varied.

Many dropped cross legged to meditate, instinctively trying to absorb this sudden blessing.

Some who had been stagnant for years, instantly broke through to the next rank.

The streets were filled with noise as all wondered. Everywhere, people asked the same thing: What’s happening?

Back inside the training room, Atticus stood calmly and turned toward Avalon and Magnus, who were still staring at him, speechless.

He decided to explain.

"I just linked myself to the world. The energy levels adjusted based on mine."

Magnus nodded like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Avalon, on the other hand, just shook his head. He didn’t even know where to begin understanding what his son was saying.

Still, they carried on.

"Are you ready, Grandpa?" Atticus asked.

Magnus gave a sharp nod.

Atticus gestured to the space in front of him, and Magnus sat cross legged, unmoving.

"Alright. I need you to calm your breath and your mana."

Magnus obeyed, his breath slowing, his energy gradually settling.

’So weird,’ Avalon thought as he watched the scene.

Atticus stood in front of seated Magnus, giving instructions like a master to a disciple.

’Father became the student.’ He almost laughed.

Sure, Atticus had done something similar for him before, but seeing Magnus in this position was... surreal.

Still, Avalon smiled. To have the men of their family gathered in one room again, it felt right.

’Well... except Caldor,’ he chuckled inwardly.

"I’m going to start now, Grandpa."

Atticus’s voice cut through his thoughts, and Avalon immediately focused.

Atticus closed his eyes and raised his arm. Instantly, he entered a state of complete focus.

’It can only be that way.’

Whisker had advised him to create strong soldiers that would defend Eldoralth. But he had only suggested a goal, not a method.

Meaning, the idea of turning people into true Eldorians was just that, an idea. He hadn’t told Atticus how to achieve it.

That part... Atticus would have to figure out for himself.

Because of this, he had pondered endlessly over how to achieve something like this. He sifted through dozens of ideas, tested countless theories in his mind.

Eventually, he arrived at just one conclusion: Mana signatures.

’The Apexes still have their power.’

Atticus had once copied the mana signatures of the Apex cores. And because his own core was more complete, closer to becoming a true Eldorian than theirs, the world had accepted his copy as the original.

This principle... it was what he intended to build on.

’Since I now hold the World Core, it shouldn’t matter how many copies I make.’

Now that he possessed the complete World Core, Atticus believed he could replicate any signature he wanted without consequences.

’I’ll make a copy of all the races, and fuse them with him.’

But even as he reached this decision, he understood just how daunting it was.

’This would’ve taken a while...’

The first time he had bonded with a core, it had been the Auralithis core. Back then, he instinctively knew he wouldn’t be able to attempt another for two weeks, until his body fully recovered.

’I can make it shorter for him.’

While he had once been stronger than Magnus, now that he was a god, Atticus could accelerate the process. He could force Magnus’s body to recover instantly.

’I’ll start with Vampyros.’

Atticus raised his palm. With a thought, mana began to gather at its center, twisting and condensing.

Avalon had already stepped back, giving him space to work.

Moments later, a blood red core materialized above his palm, pulsing with power.

"This is going to hurt, Grandpa."

Magnus’s eyes didn’t flinch. He nodded.

With a single motion, the core shot forward, streaming into Magnus’s own.

Instantly, Magnus gritted his teeth as molten pain tore through his veins. It was as if fire had replaced his blood.

His body twisted under the force of it, radiating a fierce, blinding light as his every being was changed.

Still, not a sound escaped his lips. He endured it all silently.

’Of course,’ Atticus thought. He himself had screamed during his first transformation.

But Magnus who was in front of his son and grandson... there was no way he’d do something as "belittling" as scream.

’Reminds me of Ozeroth, somehow.’

The light reached its peak. Glowing veins streaked across Magnus’s skin. His eyes flared with a deep, vivid red.

Boom!

The light exploded outward in a violent burst.

With a thought, Atticus stopped the shockwave before it could ripple out any farther. He focused all his attention on Magnus.

The man was hunched forward, his breathing ragged. Sweat drenched him from head to toe and pain was written across every inch of his face. But his eyes still burned.

He was holding on with sheer willpower.

Atticus smiled.

"I’ll heal you now, Grandpa."

He raised his arm, and a bluish dome of energy settled over Magnus like a veil.

He felt relief hit instantly.

The pain evaporated. The burning vanished. His body felt lighter, stronger... whole.

He wasn’t just back to normal. He was better than ever.

"How do you feel?"

Magnus stared at his clenched fist, his eyes trembling slightly. "Good."

Atticus smiled. "Alright, I’ll give you a moment to rest before we start the next one. We’ve got seventeen more to go."

As Magnus took some time to steady himself, Atticus’s thoughts shifted towards himself.

’Nothing happened.’

He had expected some form of backlash, some sort of toll, but his energy reserve hadn’t even dipped. Even the world’s own reserve hadn’t budged.

’Maybe it’ll all come at the end,’ he guessed. Still, Atticus couldn’t help but marvel at the reality of his current strength.

’It’s insane.’

What he had just used on Magnus wasn’t healing. Not truly. He had rewound his time.

He had reversed his state of being.

With his connection to the world, Atticus now had control over all of Eldoralth’s natural laws, including the flow of time.

However... he could feel it. There were restrictions.

’I can’t maintain it for too long, and I can’t rewind time too far.’

Any attempt to push past those limits felt like slamming into a wall, the will of the universe itself.

He couldn’t explain it, not yet. But he could sense it.

There were more laws, more limitations... and he’d have to explore them later.

For now, his focus returned to the matter at hand.

Magnus raised his hand, signaling that he was ready.

Atticus nodded and began creating another copy.