Atticus's Odyssey: Reincarnated Into A Playground

Chapter 1521  Divine Confrontation

Dawn arrived swiftly. By then, Atticus floated at the edge of the territory with the others. The morning air was cold and gentle, sweeping through their clothes in a soft cadence.

A sheen of golden light reflected from below. Atticus looked down at the millions upon millions of soldiers stretched out beneath them. They were clad in gleaming armor that caught the morning sun in a harsh flare, turning the entire army into a sea of gold.

Each stood tall, eyes sharp, posture unwavering. The night had been long, but Atticus had ensured they were given enough rest. They would need it for what lay ahead.

Still, he was satisfied.

'They're ready.'

He glanced at his people. Ozeroth. Whisker. Anorah. Magnus. Noctis. And even Ozerra. Aside from Whisker, they had all donned armor in preparation for the battle.

His gaze stopped on Ozeroth. Though he'd initially been shocked that the prideful man actually wore armor, a practice Ozeroth normally disdained, Whisker had cleared up the confusion.

 He hadn't worn it for protection. He'd worn it purely to look the part of a general.

His armor was sleek, radiating golden light that caught the rising sun. His chest was puffed out, chin raised, posture announcing exactly what he thought he was.

A general.

Atticus turned to face the front. The Willguard army still stood perfectly still. They hadn't moved an inch since they arrived.

He finally shifted his gaze toward the sentinel's heavy stare. From the moment they appeared, the man's attention had been locked entirely on Atticus.

"You're right," Atticus whispered to Whisker. "He'll definitely be ugly under that mask."

"See? I told you." Whisker snorted. "A glare like that? That's the face of someone who's been angry at the world his whole life. Only way to match that level of hate is if you're ugly as fuck."

A chorus of laughter rippled through the group. Atticus felt the sentinel's killing intent spike in response.

"Accept the challenge," the man seethed.

As his will churned around him, Atticus's eyes flickered.

'Got it.'

This little act had been Whisker's idea. A simple provocation meant to reveal just how powerful the sentinel's will was.

'Just above five hundred thousand minor worlds.'

It was an astronomical amount, a count sitting on the higher end of the power spectrum. Still, since arriving on the count layer, Atticus had faced all kinds of opponents. Some overwhelmingly strong. Some pathetically weak.

Regardless, in the eight days he'd been on the count layer, his own will had grown to an insane degree. Atticus shut his eyes and focused, feeling the countless wills roaring within him.

'Five hundred thousand minor worlds…'

The number alone was frightening. So frightening that Atticus couldn't begin to imagine the changes Eldoralth would undergo after the games.

He was going to need more Eldorians.

Atticus allowed his mind to settle.

'It's going to work.'

He glanced at the others, receiving firm nods. Then he looked at his army, millions of eyes burning with resolve. He nodded back.

"I accept."

The world around him blurred instantly, melting away into an endless expanse. The sentinel stood just ahead of him, his figure oppressive.

"I'll gouge those eyes of yours out before I crush your bones and show you your place. Filth."

The sentinel's eyes blazed with violent light. His killing intent settled over Atticus, but Atticus's expression didn't shift an inch.

 He simply glanced away from the man dismissively like he wasn't worth acknowledging.

The sentinel's teeth ground audibly.

A voice echoed through the empty space the next moment.

"The challenge has been accepted.

Challenged: Atticus Ravenstein.

Challenger: Beladona Norwin.

Beladona territory is noted at Arcane, and Atticus at Arcane. Factoring all variables now."

The tension rose with every passing second. The chosen theme would determine whether Whisker's plan had any chance of working.

'Our territories are the same age…'

Atticus had initially wondered what factors the system used when selecting a challenge theme. The rules had vaguely stated that "many things would be taken into account," without naming any of them.

But his first battle against the giant had responded most of his questions. The chosen theme had favored him heavily, and he realized that was because of the difference in their territory ranks.

The disparity between both sides was the biggest deciding factor.

But the sentinel's territory and his shared the same age… and their strength was roughly equivalent. Meaning…

'A direct clash.'

Atticus's eyes grew cold just as the voice returned.

"Theme Selected: Divine Confrontation

Rules: Each god shall enter the battlefield with their registered champions. Gods may fight directly. Champions may fight directly. Anything goes. Victory is achieved when one side is unable to continue."

'So gods and champions vs. gods and champions…'

Atticus narrowed his eyes slightly.

'It could work.'

"The battle will begin in five minutes. Both sides, prepare yourselves."

The blurry world receded. As Atticus appeared before the group once more, he felt every gaze snap toward him.

"Well?" Whisker asked immediately.

"It's me and my champions vs. his."

A wave of reactions spread through the group. Magnus and Ozeroth nodded with hard, resolute expressions. Noctis straightened his tiny body, tail wagging with fierce enthusiasm. Anorah and Ozerra's expressions darkened. Atticus immediately felt Anorah's hesitant eyes settle on him.

"Don't worry." He met her gaze directly. "We'll be fine."

Anorah gritted her teeth but nodded. It was obvious she wanted to join the fight, but there was no choice in the matter.

"Be careful," she said softly. "I will."

She stepped forward and pulled him into a deep hug. Atticus held her tightly before she reluctantly let go.

"Hey, little guy." Atticus caught Noctis as he leapt into his arms, staring into those round, determined eyes. "Are you ready to fight?"

"Kuu!" Noctis nodded vigorously, tail whipping side to side.

Smiling, Atticus ran a hand through his soft fur before placing him atop his head. He turned, finding Ozeroth, Whisker, and Magnus positioning themselves around him, each wearing a serious, grounded expression.

Atticus smiled faintly.

These were his people. His champions. Somehow, he couldn't imagine them losing.

Moments later, he stood with them on one side of the field, facing the sentinel and his champions. The tension between both sides was thick, almost physical, settling across the entire area like a weight.

"The battle will begin in ten seconds."

The world blurred again as a golden dome formed, encasing both teams. Atticus watched his armies vanish, the terrain stretching out into an endless expanse in every direction.

 It made sense, the scale of the battle to come demanded a world of its own.

As the countdown ticked down, Atticus looked at his people one last time.

A sharp grin from Ozeroth.

A firm nod from Magnus.

A casual shrug from Whisker.

A raised chin from Noctis, tail flicking like a tiny warrior.

They were ready.

"Begin."