Chapter 1252: Penalty
The champions all turned to face Atticus, who calmly stood up, eyes meeting theirs. He gave them a nod and spoke. “Get ready.”
The atmosphere shifted. Calmness was replaced with raw, unfiltered battle intent. Everyone stood at the ready, hands close to their weapons as the seconds ticked by.
The minute went by fast. The group’s eyes all stayed on each other as a blinding light started to engulf them.
Atticus felt the pull. He was being teleported. He didn’t fight it, and in the next second, the group vanished.
There was only nothing but darkness until there was only anything but light.
It flooded his eyes, and all Atticus could see was white. A second passed, and the light began to dim until it vanished.
Atticus ran through three things the instant the light vanished. First, his surroundings.
’A large, cavernous space.’
Faint light shone down from the ceiling, illuminating the cavernous space clearly. The stone walls were rugged and layered.
The ground was cracked in many places, and all around them were different paths. Briefly trying to peer into their depths only brought back utter darkness.
The second thing Atticus focused on was his companions. His scan of the surroundings showed they each stood directly behind him, each gaze serious, cautiously scanning the area.
And the third, himself. ’No suppression.’
He was glad. His power hadn’t been suppressed in any way. His will, elements, and katana were all intact.
“Anything?” Zenon asked in a whisper. It was clear Atticus’ perception was the greatest of the people present.
“Nothing.” Atticus shook his head after a moment. His eyes couldn’t seem to pierce through the veil of darkness in each of the pathways.
“Well, we can’t just stand here, bond.” Ozeroth spoke up, sounding eager to move. “I say we choose one of those pathways.”
Atticus instantly shook his head. “We wait.”
“Wait for what?”
The others also focused on Atticus, who simply said, “The rules.”
During the first scenario, the rules had come after some seconds. Atticus would like to believe the same applied here too.
Just as Ozeroth was about to ask what the hell he was talking about, a voice rumbled across the entire space.
“Kill one opposing king to advance to the next scenario.”
Atticus’ gaze narrowed.
’King? Does that mean god?’ he wondered.
The eyes of his champions had also focused on him, clearly thinking the same thing. Were they supposed to kill another god to advance?
Before they could ponder the matter further, a small light ignited in the middle of the space. As it dimmed, it revealed a golden crown radiating an intense light. The voice came next,
“The one who wears the crown becomes the king. Any king shall be afflicted with a penalty. You have one minute to select your king, or one shall be selected at random.”
Atticus’ gaze narrowed. ’We can choose who gets to become the king?’ he pondered.
If that was the case, then it was a good thing. A very good thing. They had the advantage of strategic maneuvering. Still, Atticus couldn’t help but focus on one thing…
’A penalty.’
He wasn’t surprised they hadn’t told them what the penalty was. There always had to be a twist, after all.
But it begged the question,
’Who will be the king?’
Atticus just couldn’t comprehend a scenario where the other gods would choose themselves to become the king. The gods were their group’s greatest weapons, and with an unknown penalty in play, none would risk it.
And neither would he.
’There’s a high chance that the penalty would affect the king’s overall strength…’ Atticus’ mind ran fast.
If that was the case, then it was a no brainer that he wouldn’t choose himself. However, Atticus sent a glance toward his champions. They each stared at him too, waiting for his orders.
’I can’t make any of them become a liability.’
It was obvious that anyone who became king would become a target. If he gave it to either Magnus, Aric, or Zenon, they would become weaker than they already were. They would become liabilities. Which left…
“Ozeroth,” Atticus began, turning toward the golden spirit.
“No no.” Ozeroth instantly shook his head. “No way, bond! You want to shove the penalty down my neck! How will I show the world my greatness if I am weakened?”
Atticus maintained a straight face. “Look how shining the crown is.”
Ozeroth shook his head even more. “You’re trying to trick me again!” he said.
Atticus shook his head and continued. “Think about it. Putting the crown on would obviously make the other gods come after you. You’ll be a walking target and you’ll get to fight multiple gods, possibly.”
Ozeroth stopped shaking his head and listened.
“Also, wouldn’t people sing your greatness more when you defeat a god even with the penalty imposed on you?”
“Ah!” A grin slowly climbed onto Ozeroth’s face. His attitude took a turn as though a switch had been flipped. He could already imagine the scene.
“Hmm, you’re not wrong,” he said after a second. “But what if the penalty makes me too weak to fight?”
“You’re the great Ozeroth,” Atticus said with a confident nod of his head. “You’ll find a way. You always do.”
“Hmm.” Ozeroth seemed to ponder his words with a thoughtful look, and the others couldn’t help but stare at Atticus with bafflement. He was a master manipulator!
“Alright, bond! You’re making some sense. I’ll become the king.”
Atticus held back his smile and lifted the crown with air. It floated toward the group, and he handed it to Ozeroth, who stared at it carefully.
“Good. It matches my color,” he said before putting it on.
A golden glow flashed from the crown, enveloping his entire body. Suddenly, it was as though Ozeroth became as bright as a sun. Brighter than the normal Ozeroth!
Ozeroth was grinning from ear to ear, reveling in his new appearance, when he felt the sudden surge of weakness hit him.
His eyes widened. “This…”
“What’s the penalty?” Zenon asked, and the others had their gazes fixed on him, waiting for a response. But Atticus, being his bond, already felt the change.
“These rotten bastards!” Ozeroth roared in the next moment.
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