Novel Full Chapter 1602 Rule
Chapter 1602 Rule
“Pyrren. Pyrrik.”
At the archduke’s call, two figures materialized beside Orvain and fell to their knees in unison.
“Archduke.”
“My Lord.”
“T-the Twin Pyres? W-why…?”
Orvain could only stare at them in shock. They were identical in every sense, right down to their attire. Shining bald heads and blazing red beards that swallowed most of their faces. Their frames were slender, almost unassuming, yet there was no mistaking the danger radiating from them. They were the Twin Pyres. Identical twins whose name alone carried weight across the Core and the mid parts of the Span. Legends said they had once killed a Duke despite not being gods themselves, a feat unheard of, and one that had permanently carved their reputation into the minds of everyone who mattered.
“They’ll be joining you in the competition.”
At Rhexan’s words, confusion appeared across Orvain’s face.
“But why, father? Wouldn’t it be better to bring other gods?”
The resource competitions of the past were infamous for their brutality. They were nothing more than survival of the fittest. Gods from all over the mid parts participated, and while the rules allowed for subordinates, bringing non gods was considered insanity.
The Verge laws that restricted god versus champion battles didn’t apply here, and any champions taken along usually ended up slaughtered like livestock. The Twin Pyres were champions, which was exactly why Orvain couldn’t understand why his father would even consider sending them.
Yet despite his son’s confusion, Rhexan remained calm.
“The distinction won’t matter this time. I’ve acquired a main rule from the Span.”
“Y-you did?”
“Mhm.”
Rhexan nodded slowly. His son’s reaction was expected. The rules of the resource wars were said to remain unknown until the competition itself began, but Rhexan had long since learned how false that claim was.
It had taken him decades to realize that, in the Span, anything could be bought, for the right price. As long as one had enough to barter with, the Span was always willing to trade.
It was an open secret among the higher echelons, and many of them had taken advantage of it without hesitation. Though the cost had been astronomical, Rhexan had managed to secure a valuable source of information.
He fixed his calm, crimson gaze on his son.
“In this war, world will will be rendered obsolete. Gods won’t receive the amplified power of their domains. Everything will be decided purely by personal will.”
“That’s…”
Orvain’s eyes widened as the implications sank in. “If that’s the case… then Atticus Ravenstein doesn’t stand a chance.”
As a smile appeared on his son’s face, Rhexan’s eyes glowed an ominous red light.
‘The rewards are mine.’
…
‘What should I do?’
Atticus leaned against the side of a building, staring at the scene unfolding in the narrow alleyway ahead of him. Whack!
A fist slammed into the face of a small boy, sending him tumbling to the ground. His tiny limbs shook violently as he struggled to push himself back up, glaring at the three boys surrounding him.
“You rotten cunt. That’s what you get for not knowing your place.”
The large boy standing in the middle spoke with a cold, satisfied smile. “I told you already, didn’t I? Every time you see me on this street, you bow. Or are you too stupid to remember?”
“Hah… just break his legs. That way he won’t forget who he’s supposed to look up to.”
One of the others chimed in eagerly. “Yeah!”
The other two boys burst into laughter, circling the fallen boy and throwing jeering looks his way.
“N-never.”
The boy forced himself upright with visible effort. He clenched his bloodied teeth, lifting his head just enough to glare at his assailants with fierce, unyielding eyes.
“Still acting tough? I’ll pluck those eyes of yours.”
At that, the boys’ expressions hardened and they rushed him from all sides.
Still, as the scuffle continued, Atticus found his thoughts drifting. ‘It’s different from what I imagined.’
He had pictured a compact, purpose driven city when he first heard of the Core. A place where gods gathered solely to trade, scheme, or test themselves against one another.
Instead, what he had found was an entire world.
From what they had learned while wandering, the Core wasn’t a single city at all, but a collection of sprawling cities, each with its own purpose and rulers scattered across the land. The one he stood in now was merely the capital, the place where the most important events took place.
What had surprised him even more were its inhabitants.
This wasn’t a realm populated solely by gods or will wielders. Entire cities were filled with ordinary people going about their daily lives, to the point where non will wielders far outnumbered those who possessed will. It was precisely why scenes like the one playing out in front of him could exist at all.
‘I should intervene… right?’
The area he’d chosen to linger in was largely deserted, save for the occasional shifty or unhinged looking passerby who spared the commotion no more than a glance before moving on.
Objectively, stepping in was the right thing to do. But Atticus had never been someone who acted based on right or wrong. He didn’t know the boy. Had never seen him before. By any reasonable measure, it wasn’t his concern.
And yet, his gaze remained fixed on the scene.
‘He’s fighting back.’
The boy was clearly losing, there was never any doubt about that, but the fact that he refused to yield, stirred something within him.
‘Damn… I’ll intervene when it gets dangerous.’
The boy’s stubborn resilience had managed to catch his attention, and Atticus settled on a simple decision: he would only step in if the boy’s life was truly at risk.
None of them possessed will, and the force they were using felt crude and unfamiliar, which meant that ending the fight, if necessary, would be effortless.
Several moments passed. By the time the boy had been beaten into a broken heap, barely able to move, Atticus released a quiet sigh.
‘I guess it’s time.’
“The stars… stop! What do you think you’re doing to him?!”
‘Hm?’
Atticus paused as a silver haired woman suddenly stepped between the battered boy and his attackers. “That’s enough. Leave. Now.”
Her brows were drawn together as she tried to project menace, but her small frame and the softness of her round cheeks undercut the effort, making the display far less intimidating than she likely intended.
“Who the hell is this?”
“Beat it, lady, before you get hurt.”
The others burst into mocking laughter. “Heh—”
“That’s enough.”
“…!”
A broad yet slender man stepped into the alleyway the next moment. His silver hair matched the girl’s, though unlike her, there was a palpable danger constantly clinging to him. The boys stiffened the moment his gaze settled on them, and their laughters died instantly.
“Leave.”
“O-okay! Okay!”
They nodded hastily and fled the alley without a second glance.
“I had it handled!”
“I know. I was just helping.”
The girl puffed out her cheeks and folded her arms in protest, while her brother, clearly accustomed to her behavior, let out a quiet sigh.
A low, pained groan drew her attention back to the boy on the ground. She flinched, and immediately crouched beside him to tend to his injuries.
‘Who are they?’
Atticus watched everything in silence. The girl was weak, there was no mistaking that, but the man was something else entirely.
‘He feels… sharp.’
Atticus couldn’t pin down his will concept, but whatever it was, it carried the unmistakable sensation of cutting.
‘I guess I don’t have to step in anymore.’
He was about to turn away when the girl abruptly straightened and looked directly at him. Atticus’s eyes narrowed slightly as their stares met.
‘Did she recognize me?’