Atticus emerged from the coliseum, the cheers of the crowd a distant echo in his ears. He navigated the throngs of students, their excited chatter a meaningless buzz against the backdrop of his churning thoughts. His steps were mechanical, his gaze fixed on a point far beyond the bustling campus grounds. As the seconds ticked by, the light in his eyes seemed to fade further, replaced by a chilling remoteness."Atticus."The voice, laced with a hint of concern, pierced his introspective fog. He stopped abruptly, his head snapping towards the source. There, framed by the afternoon sunlight dappling through the trees, stood Xu Hua. Her usual self-assured demeanor was replaced by a flicker of unease, a subtle shift in her carefully constructed facade. "Are you okay?" she inquired softly, her voice barely above a whisper.Atticus hesitated, the question hanging heavy in the air. A simple "no" escaped his lips, a single word that spoke volumes of the turmoil within. He wasn't sure how
As Atticus, Xu Hua, and the ever-present Rocus savored their meal, the atmosphere in the Drunken Dragon shifted gears. A band of musicians, their faces obscured by the dimly lit corners, launched into a lively tune. Their instruments, however, remained unseen. The melody flowed, rich and vibrant, a testament to their ability to channel their cultivation into audible magic. Suddenly, a group of students, their faces flushed with excitement and ale, materialized at their table. Their leader, a burly young man with a shock of red hair, addressed Atticus directly."Bloodhound!" he boomed, his voice tinged with awe and a hint of nervousness. "You're Atticus, right? The champion of the Bloodfest?"Atticus, momentarily startled by the intrusion, nodded curtly. Recognition, it seemed, was a double-edged sword."Amazing performance out there!" the redhead continued, his eyes wide with admiration. "We all saw it! You were… incredible!"A chorus of murmurs echoed his sentiment. Atticus, still a
A tremor of unease ran through Atticus, not from the approaching figures, but from the memory they stirred. The boisterous atmosphere of the tavern seemed to dim for a fleeting moment as a group of burly students lumbered towards their table. Atticus, however, remained composed. He'd faced far worse than a few boisterous students in the coliseum. He glanced at Xu Hua, a silent question in his eyes. She shrugged, seemingly unfazed by the interruption.At their head stood a man Atticus didn't recognize. He was broad-shouldered with a thick beard and a scarred face, radiating an air of gruff confidence. His gaze fell on Atticus, a flicker of recognition followed by amusement crossing his features."Well, well," the man boomed, his voice surprisingly jovial for his imposing stature. "Looks like the Bloodhound's finally decided to show his face!"Atticus met his gaze evenly. "Can I help you?" he asked politely, more curious than threatened.The man chuckled, a hearty sound that fi
The day blurred by in a flurry of activity as Atticus, Xu Hua, and Rocus made their way back to their dorm. The events of the previous night, the unexpected challenge, and the growing possibility of the tournaments, all swirled in their minds. The next morning dawned bright and crisp, the air buzzing with anticipation as they headed for the combat faculty. Today was their final taskforce training session before they began taking missions as a team.Master Wei, a wiry man with a fierce glint in his eyes and a shock of salt-and-pepper hair that defied gravity, stood before the assembled students in the echoing combat hall. The air crackled with nervous energy as the students fidgeted in their training gear, their weeks of drills and maneuvers culminating in this very moment."Today," he boomed, his voice cracking with a hint of amusement, a sound that sent a tremor of excitement through the room. Master Wei, known for his unorthodox training methods, had their full attention. He held up
Each group of four from the taskforces, their faces grim with determination, were faced simultaneously with their elite counterparts. Atticus locked eyes with the leader of the opposing team, a fiery young man with a shaved head and a cocky smirk. But beneath the bravado, a flicker of uncertainty flickered in his eyes – a tremor of recognition from Atticus's performance in the Bloodfest. It was a subtle hint, but enough to confirm his suspicions. Atticus, with his enhanced strength and honed skills, was a force to be reckoned with.A surge of confidence coursed through him. He was certain he could take on the entire team himself, even with his self-imposed handicap of not using his raw physical strength. Years of training had given him an arsenal of spells at his disposal, trump cards waiting to be unleashed.Master Wei's booming voice echoed through the hall, "Begin!"A collective roar erupted as the taskforces and the elite squad surged forward. This wasn't just a training exercise;
Atticus, a predator no longer detached but with a simmering bloodlust rising within him, cast a hungry glance across the arena. His display had silenced the initial roar of the crowd, replaced by a tense, watchful hush. The tide had indeed shifted, and the taskforce team, emboldened by their leader's prowess, pressed their advantage with renewed vigor. Ignoring the remnants of his own defeated opponents, Atticus set his sights on another group – a team led by a hulking youth clad in crimson armor, wielding a pair of massive swords that pulsed with a faint orange glow. A cruel smirk played on Atticus' lips as his fingers danced in intricate patterns, the air around him crackling with anticipation.Master Wei, a seasoned instructor who had witnessed countless battles through the years, felt a jolt of surprise course through him. He'd expected Atticus to allow his teammates to finish the fight, not wade into the fray himself. But what truly took him aback was the raw power emanating fr
"So from here on this would be the task force's last training session like I stated earlier. From now on different teams of the taskforce will be designated to different parts of the neighboring towns You should already know by now that the Elite students will also be participating in the specter purge." Master Wei explained."Yes sir, I already assumed this." Atticus at first had found it odd that the taskforce which was supposed to be a mixture of the most talented students from different faculties did not involve the elite students. But now their appearance in the last training session had given a possible guess on their status. Instead of joining the taskforce, they were rallied to form their own teams. Atticus actually didn't expect the amount of elite students to be much, but he was proven wrong as from their numbers they managed to form 6 teams which already rivaled the team of taskforce members."It's time I address you all together, let's go." The professor said as he got up
Xu Hua stood at the edge of the frost peak where the ice spirit qi was abundant. She took a deep breath then exhaled a large amount of white mist.This is her place of peace and where she always came to relax. All around the peak were several plants and flowers and all of them had a clear similarity which was the light blue tint at a part of their petals or stalk.A trained alchemist eye would notice how precious every plant present here was. So important in potion making that it was odd that it was left to grow wildly at this mountain.Someone who knew what the frost peak was would say otherwise of course. While it was still a region under the jurisdiction of the academy the first peak couldn't be accessed by just anyone, be it student or professors...as for why Xu Hua could be here, her situation had always been a little special."What are your thoughts on the boy?" "You keep asking me this same question every time.""I wouldn't have to if you were truthful with your answers.""I a