Read Novel Full Chapter 1520 Settle
Chapter 1520 Settle
Atticus repeated the usual strategy for the sentinel's challenge.
Though the Willguard's appearance had been truly shocking, he didn't allow that fact to pull his focus away from what he considered the true crisis.
The abyss faction.
Though the Willguard were not to be taken lightly, and in some ways could be considered even more dangerous than the major factions themselves, the uncertainty of the abyss faction somehow refused to leave his mind. Unlike the other major factions, they held no moral compass. His first impression of them had been nothing short of horrifying. To target children…
They carried the feeling that, no matter what line they had to cross, no matter how low they had to stoop, they would do it without hesitation if it served their goal. Atticus had always found enemies like that far more dangerous than any others.
And currently, they were on their way toward his territory. He had no idea what to expect.
"We'll wait until the last minute to accept," Atticus said, earning firm nods from the others.
Under the piercing glare of the sentinel, the group left the scene, appearing back in their territory.
Atticus looked at each person one by one.
Ozeroth stood with his chest puffed out, confidence radiating from him like heat. His chin was slightly raised, as if daring the world to challenge him.
Ozerra was no less composed, arms folded, expression cool, her composed carrying a quiet sharpness. The gloom showed in the others' demeanors. Anorah's eyes were narrowed, filled with calculation and concealed worry, her mind clearly running through possibilities faster than she could voice them.
Magnus's eyes were alert, steady and hardened, his expression one of grim readiness, the look of a man prepared to do whatever needed to be done.
The others appeared tense in their own ways, each wearing their unease openly across their faces.
"We need to prepare our army." Atticus finally spoke up, his eyes sweeping through the group. He could feel the thick tension hanging in the air and straightened his posture, trying to radiate as much confidence as he could.
"Granpa, Ozeroth, Ozerra. Can I leave that part to you?" he asked. "The rest of us will confirm if the abyss faction made any contingencies we don't know of."
With firm nods, the three, and Champion, vanished, leaving only Atticus, Anorah, Whisker, and Noctis, who remained perched silently on Anorah's head.
"Let me guess," Whisker said. "We're not fishing for spies, are we?"
Atticus shook his head. "No, we won't."
Anorah's eyes narrowed immediately.
"Then why—?"
"The Willguard," Atticus exhaled. "We need to discuss our plan against them."
When it came to direct combat, the Willguard were even more dangerous than the major factions. Their unknown technology, their shocking effects, were all still things Atticus was completely clueless about. The battle on Asterra was still fresh in his mind, and he couldn't shake the frightening thought that they had even more hidden, things they hadn't bothered to reveal. To win the upcoming challenge, he needed every advantage he could get. And right now, only these two were his best source of information.
"Remember my ambush on the willess world?" Anorah said, glancing between Atticus and Whisker.
"They somehow managed to negate Solvath's power."
Atticus's eyes sharpened at her, a flicker of surprise in them. Why was he just hearing about this now?
"I'm sorry, Attic." Anorah offered a small apologetic smile. "At the time I was still trying to understand it myself. And the attack on Asterra only made things worse."
Atticus exhaled. 'Let's move on.' There was no use dwelling on past events.
"Tell me everything about that night," he said.
Anorah nodded and recounted the events from that night in precise detail, leaving nothing out. When she finished, Atticus fell deep into thought, his expression growing still.
"A ball…" Atticus murmured. According to her narration, the Willguard had used some kind of sphere and weapon to stop Solvath's attack.
Atticus felt his mind spinning.
'It's bad.'
They already had their hands full dealing with will negation. But now he had to worry about something, someone, capable of negating Solvath's power itself.
'Who are they?'
What sort of organization could create a technology that not only affected, but negated the power of a primordial star? Who truly were the Willguards…?
"The way I see it, there's only one way to handle this." Atticus turned toward Whisker, who held a sharp glint in his eyes. The man had remained silent the entire time, choosing to listen rather than interrupt.
"What way?" Atticus asked. If Whisker had an answer, he wanted it now.
"Simple," Whisker said with a growing smile. "We just have to…"
…
The day went by in a blur. After his talk with Whisker and Anorah, Atticus wandered around the territory, making sure everything was in order.
After discovering the abyss faction's plot, he'd erected a massive wall around the territory to prevent any further infiltrations.
Aside from that, he moved from place to place, checking on every citizen, ensuring there were no unexpected additions and nothing out of place.
His speech in the square had worked better than he expected. The citizens who had once cursed his name now cheered him again, returning to their usual praise and reverence.
Atticus had been relieved, thrilled, even, that they'd managed to repair his image before the Willguard's challenge arrived. It made the next step easy: a territory wide draft. He'd sent a message across the entire territory, calling for any and all citizens willing to fight for their home.
The response had exceeded even his expectations. Nearly 90% of the population, excluding children and the elderly, responded their lord's call.
Ozeroth, Magnus, and Ozerra were overwhelmed long before the day ended as millions surged toward the training grounds. Atticus had to personally intervene just to keep things moving. The newcomers were quickly taught the basics of combat and fitted with weapons and armor forged by Atticus himself.
By night, the clangorous sound of metal meeting metal filled the air as the people trained. Ozeroth, Magnus, Ozerra, Anorah, and even Whisker barked orders at them with varying levels of intimidation and impatience.
Atticus watched everything unfold from the sky.
'Only a few hours more till morning.'
By then, he would have to accept the sentinel's challenge. The theme of the battle was still unknown, but Atticus intended to be ready for anything.
He turned toward the distant horizon.
'They're also not here yet.'
The scout had reported the abyss faction being only five hours away. That time had long passed, yet their army still hadn't arrived.
'What are they planning?'
A foreboding weight sank into his chest. Whatever they were attempting, it wasn't going to be good.
'We'll be ready.'
Atticus allowed his thoughts to settle as he slowly shut his eyes.