Atticus's Odyssey: Reincarnated Into A Playground

Chapter 1319: Escort

Atticus watched Whisker vanish in front of him silently.

They had both just spoken about an unusual topic that made him feel weird and awkward.

Creating a cult, Whisker had called it. The man hadn’t even tried to mince his words. He had been completely blunt.

And when Whisker explained the process of gathering a following, he too was forced to admit it, it was a cult.

A doctrine. That was what they had spoken about extensively before he left.

To gather a following, people had to join Atticus’ Will Path. This meant he had to share the core components of his will.

Whisker had assured him that it came with no ill consequences. A true Will Path could only ever belong to one person.

Even with all the information, the best anyone else could do was mimic his will, which would eventually end up funneling power back to him.

The questions Whisker asked had been straightforward and pointed.

What birthed his will? What pivotal experience, emotion, or revelation ignited his concept?

Why did it manifest the way it did? What did the burning mean, destruction, cleansing?

What was the core concept of his will? What did his flame represent philosophically?

How did he interpret that concept?

More importantly, what was the emotional anchor? What emotion fueled the will?

What ideology sat at the heart of his path? What did it mean to follow him?

They had discussed all of this at length, and Atticus hadn’t truly considered any of those questions until Whisker asked them.

But he answered, awkward as it was.

And he also told Whisker to give the Eldorians a chance to follow him or not. Though he saw the importance of gathering a following, he still wanted to offer them a choice: follow the path of forming their own true Will, or fall under his.

Having more warriors with true Will was valuable in its own way.

Atticus cleared his thoughts and focused on the present. With that out of the way, the next thing on his mind was Kariot.

The world felt like an extension of himself. And though it was currently separate from Eldoralth, Atticus could feel everything occurring there too. His will also engulfed that world.

‘Or else the plane will would have killed the people.’

Atticus focused and willed the worlds to merge. A blinding glow engulfed the land, and in the next moment, Kariot merged with Eldoralth.

He felt the shift immediately. A new mana signature blended with the world’s, and brought with it a whole new energy.

‘Not exactly mana,’ Atticus noted, glancing toward the people of Kariot. The energy permeating their world had now mixed with Eldoralth.

‘It’s more dense.’

Just then, Kancilot and his circle members approached.

“Y-your eminence,” the king stammered as he bowed.

It was a comical scene. Atticus was incredibly tall, but his lack of beard and young looking face made it obvious he was still a child.

Meanwhile, the king looked every bit as old as he was. Yet Atticus’ presence made it impossible for his limbs not to tremble. His circle members behind him were no different.

“Just Atticus will do fine.”

The king cleared his throat. He’d just met the boy, but calling him by name felt like blasphemy. He decided to avoid using any title at all.

“W-we would like to serve as your escorts.”

Atticus raised an eyebrow as Kancilot and the other circle members sank to one knee. “Escorts?”

“Y-yes. We’ll follow you around and deal with mundane things beneath your level.”

Bodyguards was the word Kancilot would’ve liked to use. But the thought of it nearly made him laugh. Them? Guard this monster of a child? Impossible.

But Kancilot didn’t want to pass up the opportunity. They had seen numerous powerful warriors since arriving. If they didn’t act now, Atticus might not see any use for them, and they’d be forgotten in a sea of strength.

Atticus’ silence made Kancilot and his circle members nervous. But to their shock, he nodded.

“When it’s possible. And only when I’m off world,” he said. “Now go calm your people and make them fall in line.”

“Thank yo—”

Atticus waved his hand and they vanished before the king could finish his words. He stared at the space where they had stood and let out a deep breath.

‘School, huh.’ He thought.

His last school had been something. Annoying was the word. And though he knew it was futile, he hoped this one wouldn’t be the same.

Still, he was excited about something else, Will Arts. A whole new power. A whole new experience. And the best thing about it, it was limitless. There was nothing he couldn’t do with it. Nothing he couldn’t form. He loved when powers were like that.

Atticus suddenly felt a call. ‘Noctis.’

He vanished the next moment, appearing on top of his hill, only to be immediately attacked by a mass of white fur that drenched his face with slobber.

“I’ve missed you too, Noctis.” Atticus chuckled, holding the little creature out in front of his face with both arms.

The little guy blinked, looking at Atticus with big, wide eyes. His ears drooped when he realized Atticus had stopped him from licking. He just looked so cute.

“Alright, just a little bit.”

Noctis beamed, and the instant Atticus let go, he was upon him again, licking his face with fervor.

Atticus tried his best to ignore the furry assault as he made his way toward the mansion. Anastasia stood at the entrance.

“At.”

“Hey Mom.” Atticus greeted her with a hug. Somehow, Noctis still didn’t stop, but as annoying as it was, Atticus didn’t have the heart to ask the little guy to stop.

As they separated, Anastasia tucked a strand of his silky white hair behind his ear, and Atticus instantly noticed the difference in her eyes. They still held warmth, but now, there was also a hint of determination.

‘Not a hint,’ Atticus realized. He could feel her emotions. Frustration. Acceptance. Resolve.

Something was coming. Something he probably wouldn’t like.

“I want to fight.”