Atticus's Odyssey: Reincarnated Into A Playground

Chapter 939  Traitor

An intense, blinding light flooded the eyes of Candence and the warriors of Fort Echohelm as they reached the surface.

They all felt it before their eyes could adjust, three figures with a presence so overwhelming that their bodies refused to move hovered in the air.

'Paragons!'

The word resounded in Candence's head. It was an aura impossible to mistake, the kind that made them want to bow and worship.

A chill gripped the entire group. But in the next second, they each exhaled as a wave of relief washed over them.

There was no bloodthirsty aura. No feeling of being watched by a predator. It wasn't Vampyros. They had hidden underground because of the force of the battle. If not for their quick thinking, they would all have perished from the sheer destruction unleashed above.

As the eyes of Candence and the warriors adjusted, their gazes landed on the figures. Then, their knees shot downward in unison, hitting the ground with force as they bowed and greeted with reverence.

"We greet the paragons!"

None of them uttered any other greeting. They had seen three individuals in the skies, two paragons they each knew well, along with someone who was supposed to be a child. However, the sheer aura radiating from him eclipsed even the other two.

As far as they knew, there were three paragons in the sky.

"Raise your heads. The battle is over. Head over to our base in Sector 10 and await further instructions," Octavius took charge of the situation. Fort Echohelm was run by the Resonara family, so it wasn't a surprising scene.

"Yes, Master Octavius!"

Candence and the other members of the fort answered in unison.

Octavius nodded and, just as he was about to turn and leave, a cold voice cut through the air.

"You."

Everyone froze.

A chill engulfed the entire area, so thick that even Magnus couldn't help but raise an eyebrow as he stared at Atticus.

Their eyes followed Atticus's gaze and landed on the figure of an aged man. The instant Candence saw who it was, his gaze trembled.

'Vyn…'

They had left the fort, weapons blazing, with the intention of supporting their apex, but they had walked into a trap instead.

Candence's mind had been working intensely as they battled for their lives, and he had come up with a speculation that had made his heart rate spike.

Vyn was a traitor.

As every gaze in the area focused on Vyn, the aged man recoiled in shock, as though he was baffled as to why Atticus was calling him.

He shook his head and quickly bowed. "Yes, Apex Atticus."

"You're a Vampyros."

Atticus's voice was blunt, direct, and simple, but it sent a wave of shock through everyone present, including Vyn.

The chill in the air intensified.

Octavius frowned. "What are you talking about?" he said, staring at Atticus.

Because the fort was an important and strategic stronghold of the Resonara, Octavius was aware of everyone stationed there. Vyn had been present for decades, and he was bound by a mana contract. It was inconceivable that the latter could betray them.

Which meant… he was an imposter?

It was another thought Octavius quickly discarded. He was a paragon, and he couldn't detect anything strange about Vyn.

The expression of the man in question appeared shocked and baffled. However, inwardly, his heart was utterly calm.

Vyn had suspected that Atticus knew about him from the very beginning, and while he didn't know how, he was sure of his methods. It couldn't be uncovered.

He had covered his tracks well and was completely sure Atticus's statement couldn't be proven.

The confusion was shared by all as they waited for Atticus to explain, including Vyn.

With a flicker of Atticus's gaze, Vyn's figure shot upwards at incredible speed in the next instant. His entire body felt immobilized, and before he could even process what was happening, he appeared in front of Atticus, held by the neck.

However, Vyn had miscalculated something, the sort of person Atticus was. From the very beginning, Atticus hadn't planned on proving anything.

He had never been a planner; it was a waste of his time and energy, especially when it wasn't needed.

The only reason he declared those words was because he wanted them to know what he intended to do. Whether anyone believed him or not was none of his concern.

With a flicker of Atticus's gaze, Vyn's figure shot upwards at incredible speed in the next instant. His entire body felt immobilized, and before he could even process what was happening, he appeared in front of Atticus, held by the neck.

Vyn's still heart began beating fast.

'He wouldn't…' he tried to convince himself that Atticus couldn't just kill him. But as he met Atticus's placid gaze, his eyes trembled.

"Wait—"

But Atticus didn't wait. He applied pressure and then—

Crack.

The brutal sound of bone snapping resounded in the area.

The people watched, unable to comprehend what had just happened.

Had he just…

Just like that?

"Apex Atticus! What is the meaning of this?" Octavius demanded, his frown transforming into a cold expression as the air around him shifted.

Vyn had been a member of the Resonara family. Even if Atticus's claims were correct, he had no right to kill him. The proper action would have been to leave it to the Resonara family to handle.

However, beyond killing him, Atticus hadn't even bothered to prove his claims! He had done as he wished without regard.

Atticus didn't seem to hear Octavius. Or rather, he didn't care.

He let go of Vyn's corpse as his gaze flicked, and more people were dragged up from the gathered crowd. Their heads snapped before they could even react.

The people started panicking, each wanting to stand, but they couldn't move an inch under Atticus's overwhelming pressure.

'He's also there,' Candence had been about to speak when his eyes fell on the corpse of the scout that Vyn had brought to them earlier.

His gaze narrowed. Maybe Atticus was right…

But Octavius had no such thoughts. His aura exploded, blanketing the entire area like a suffocating shroud.

He stared at Atticus with an icy expression, and just as he was about to act, Magnus's voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Calm down, Octavius. Look."

Octavius paused, his anger still boiling beneath the surface. However, he glanced towards where Magnus had pointed, and his eyes instantly widened.

There, on the ground, were the corpses of the people Atticus had just killed. They were supposed to be humans, members of the Resonara family. Instead, the figures of crimson-eyed bodies littered the space.

Octavius's gaze trembled as his body froze.

Vampyros.

It wasn't just him; the forms of Candence and the others close to the bodies shot back in utter shock.

Their shock was immense.

The Vampyros race had been living under their noses all this time…

And their disguises had been enough to fool even paragons. The thought sent waves of disbelief through their ranks.

But Atticus didn't give them time to process. He still didn't look at Octavius and instead turned to Magnus and spoke.

"I'm sure there are other spies in the other fortresses. We should pay them each a visit."