Chapter 1227: Not Hopeless

Chapter 1227: Not Hopeless

A quiet sigh of relief swept through the group. At the very least, it wasn’t as hopeless as they thought.

“Who will you select, Supreme Ruler?”

At Oberon’s sudden question, many tensed. Five champions were required for the Virelenna, which meant Atticus had to choose four of them.

It was a dangerous role. One where lives could be lost, especially with the strength of their opponents still unknown.

Suddenly, the gazes of the Eldorians narrowed. Something had washed over them.

Battle intent.

Heads turned and landed on Aric Stormrider. His expression was rabid, a savage grin spread across his face.

The eight sheathed swords around his waist vibrated, begging to be released. Aric locked eyes with Atticus, and there was no mistaking the message behind that wild look.

Choose me.

The expressions of the others darkened. Aric had ignited something in their hearts. They had been focused on the danger, on the cost. On death.

They had forgotten the most important thing. They were protecting their world. The honor behind it. The meaning. The pride.

Their backs straightened, and one by one, they fixed their determined gazes on Atticus, waiting for him to make his choice.

But Atticus was about to speak when he suddenly felt a pull.

‘Quiet Flame…’ he turned his gaze to the sky.

“I’ll be back soon,” he said, and before anyone could react, his crimson Will enveloped the world, and he vanished.

…

Atticus appeared inside the ruined world of collapsing floating islands.

This time, he didn’t have to wait. In the next instant, he was seated on a high throne, directly in front of a silent Quiet Flame.

Quiet Flame sighed when he met Atticus’ intense gaze. “I had no idea they were going to be there. They took me by surprise too.”

Atticus shook his head. “That may be true… but you still kept the fact that the factions of the Middle Planes are supporting the other gods.”

Quiet Flame fell silent.

Atticus was completely right. He had hit the nail right on the head. How did he know about that, especially so soon?

‘I underestimated him again,’ Quiet Flame chided himself. He was a being who had lived for millennia and was still being seen through by a child.

Quiet Flame’s silence spoke volumes, but Atticus wasn’t interested in arguing. He only had one question.

“Why?”

At Quiet Flame’s tilted head, he decided to be more specific. “Why are the other stars allowing this?”

“Delusions! Nothing but delusions.”

For the first time, Atticus felt something other than sadness coming from Quiet Flame.

“Those fools are as old as they are and are still stupid enough to trust the Middle Planers this blindly. Idiocy! Nothing but idiocy!”

Quiet Flame breathed heavily and calmed himself. He couldn’t lose composure in front of his god.

“The other stars don’t know the Middle Planes like I do. They think they’ll keep their promises, but they have no idea that all those bastards want is more power. More worlds to strengthen themselves.”

“What promises?”

“The promise to grant the privilege of joining their faction to any ascending world. They’d provide resources, protection, and space to let the world foster and grow to its full potential.” Quiet Flame still couldn’t contain his anger at how stupid the other stars were being.

“They’re stars,” Atticus suddenly said. “Beings that have supposedly lived for thousands of years. Experienced the end of civilizations, of worlds. It’s hard to believe they’re that naive.”

“That is the problem. It seems their years of not having me around have affected their thinking faculty. Stars aren’t supposed to be this stupid. Yet here we are, looking at their idiocy with our bare eyes.”

He looked straight at Atticus before he continued.

“This is not the first time this is happening,” he said, causing Atticus’ eyes to narrow.

“They’ve done this multiple times before, allowed many of their ascending worlds to fall into their hands. So far, they’ve kept their word, but it’s only a matter of time before the Middle Planers reveal their true colors.”

“You kept another information from me again.”

Atticus’ words caused Quiet Flame to curse under his breath. ‘I’m getting really sloppy.’

Centuries of being inactive were clearly taking their toll. How the hell had his mouth gotten so loose today? He had the prefix ‘Quiet’ for a reason.

Quiet Flame looked at Atticus with a troubled look. ‘He’s too perceptive for his own good,’ Quiet Flame thought, just as Atticus began speaking.

“You said the respective star benefited when a world won the Virelenna and ascended. But this benefit didn’t stop there, did it?”

Quiet Flame gazed at Atticus silently for a moment. The monster boy was right on the mark. He sighed before nodding.

“Yes.”

“So you just keep benefiting for life?”

“In a sense, yes. As long as our ascended world keeps growing in power, their origin star also grows. We’re forever bound by the makings of the universe.”

Atticus regarded the cloaked man for a second.

‘I don’t like the sound of that.’

And from the surge of emotion he felt from Ozeroth, he didn’t like it either.

“What about the other worlds already in the Middle Planes? I assume many have grown to the peak of that world. They have to have started from here, right? Why aren’t you guys affected?”

“Stars, as endless and immortal as we seem, can die. There are beings beyond understanding in this universe, beings who look down on us as though we’re nothing but ants.”

Atticus felt another surge of anger coming from Quiet Flame, but it soon disappeared.

“But to answer your question… let’s just say, gods aren’t the only beings that can ascend. Stars can too.”

‘That would make more sense.’

Now a picture was beginning to form. Why the stars tried so hard to make gods capable of ascending.

Why the other stars were colluding with Middle Planers to make sure their gods survived long enough to supply them with power.