Novel Full Chapter 1087 - 1087: Shit
That night, humanity celebrated.
Avalon’s breakthrough into the Paragon rank had stirred a different set of emotions across the tier one families of the human domain.
Many had been openly and utterly shocked, but soon, that shock gave way to something else. A surge of joy, of relief, raged through their hearts.
In the past, this reaction would’ve been unthinkable.
Back then, the tier one families were locked in constant rivalry, vying for dominance at every given moment.
Any advancement from another house would’ve been met with suspicion, bitterness, and caution. A new Paragon? That would’ve meant civil unrest, power shifts, and the rekindling of old grudges.
But this wasn’t the past.
War was coming, one that wouldn’t spare anyone. The threat that now stood against them demanded their unity.
The rivalries that had once been their center of attention had crumbled, replaced by understanding.
Now, even the most arrogant of families found themselves extending olive branches, growing more accepting of one another.
Avalon’s ascension into the Paragon rank had not sparked jealousy or fear. It had sparked relief. It had sparked expectation.
None of the other Paragons cared that the Ravensteins now possessed three Paragons. That thought hadn’t even crossed their minds.
After all, Atticus alone was more powerful than the collective might of every human Paragon. A few more would change nothing.
If anything, they were grateful.
Humanity had gained another Paragon to stand on the frontlines of the coming war.
That night, a grand banquet was thrown.
The elites of every race and family across the human domain were invited. The Aegis nodes were failing. The shield that protected the human domain would fall. Chaos was mere weeks away.
And yet… they came.
Despite the coming war, they flooded into the Ravenstein estate, answering the call to celebrate. After all, it wasn’t every day one witnessed the birth of a Paragon.
Small airships from every corner of the domain hovered above the estate, descending one by one. The Ravenstein hall, vast as it was, soon became a sea of the Tiered.
Conversations sounded throughout the hall, and laughter and murmurs echoed as the Tiered families mingled freely.
Despite the overwhelming crowd, there were barely any guards in sight.
Even the Ravensteins had stepped away from their posts, joining the festivities scattered across the estate, drinking, laughing, and cheering at the top of their lungs.
Of course, allowing so many powerful figures into their domain posed countless security risks. But it wasn’t that the Ravensteins were careless. No.
They simply didn’t need to be cautious.
There were now two Paragons among them. And more importantly, humanity’s strongest, humanity’s blade, was here.
Anyone stupid enough to cause trouble tonight probably deserved what was coming.
And yet, through all the celebration, all the noise and cheer, humanity’s strongest found himself trapped in a situation he dreaded more than anything.
‘Another banquet.’
Atticus sighed heavily as he took a glass of wine from one of the passing waiters, taking a small sip as his calm eyes swept the hall, bored.
He’d rather be fighting a horde of beasts than standing under these chandeliers.
“Apex Atticus, your aura is… magnificent,” a young lady said, brushing her fingers through her silky hair as if it had personally saved the human domain. “Is it true you once blew away a mountain just by frowning?”
Atticus blinked. “…No.”
With just that answer, she giggled anyway, as if he had just proposed.
But before he could retreat, another appeared like she had always been there.
“Apex Atticus…” she purred, stepping a bit too close. “I hear your bloodline is incredibly rare… I wouldn’t mind bonding over our… family histories.”
“…I’m sure your ancestors are proud,” he said, sipping his wine.
And just as he thought he had earned a moment of peace, a third voice chirped, “I made this dress myself! It’s woven with light silk and embedded with mana-reactive crystals! See? It sparkles when you talk to me!”
Atticus stared at the glittering mess of fabric blinding him.
“I see.”
He turned slowly, face stoic.
The training room never felt so far away.
He retreated to a quiet corner of the grand hall, moving like a shadow, doing his best to make himself as unnoticeable as possible.
Unfortunately, this wasn’t just any banquet. It was a celebration in honor of his father’s rise to the Paragon rank. Disappearing entirely wasn’t an option, at least this early.
With the brief respite he had earned, Atticus allowed himself a moment to breathe, his eyes sweeping across the hall.
Chandeliers glowed with soft blue light, laughter filled the space, and the smell of fine wine and roasted meat lingered in the air.
In the center of it all stood Avalon and Magnus, side by side.
Atticus’s lips curved faintly.
‘I’ve never seen him like this.’
His gaze settled on Magnus, whose expression hadn’t changed much… at least to those who didn’t know him.
There was no wide grin or blatant show of emotion. Just the faintest upward twitch at the corner of his lips.
But for those who knew Magnus well…
That was happiness.
Together, the two Paragons received the endless congratulations of the Tiered family representatives, some offering heartfelt words, others giving long-winded political speeches disguised as compliments.
Through it all, they stood tall, together, happy.
As Atticus watched, Magnus suddenly turned his head. Their eyes met across the sea of people.
And then, he gave a single, quiet nod.
Atticus blinked, momentarily surprised by the gesture. But even without words, he could feel the gratitude radiating from that nod.
Atticus smiled.
It was not the polite kind nor the cold one. But a real one.
Then he returned the nod.
Unfortunately, his brief moment of peace was painfully short-lived.
He felt them before he saw them, numerous presences converging on him from different corners of the hall, subtle as shadows, but far more persistent.
‘Ah, shit.’
This might have been a banquet to honor Avalon’s rise… but everyone knew who the real centerpiece was.
Atticus Ravenstein.