Atticus's Odyssey: Reincarnated Into A Playground - Chapter 1293: Information

Chapter 1293: Information

Atticus noticed a few men too, but most had their heads down and shoulders slumped, walking meekly.

It was an odd sight.

And it reminded him once again that the world was now bigger than ever, full of new societies and customs.

‘This’ll take some getting used to.’

Atticus shook his head, deciding to ignore it for now. He narrowed in on their location: the massive palace at the center of the city.

He vanished again, appearing inside a large coliseum where battle was raging.

The arena was cracked and ruined, with large craters everywhere. The air was heavy, bloodlust saturating the space.

In the middle of the chaos stood a man cloaked in gold, Ozeroth. He had no weapon in hand. Just a wide grin on his face as he faced a group of Amazonian women staring at him cautiously from the far end of the arena.

Smoke still billowed from a spot on the wall where one of their own had crashed moments ago.

“You foolish fiend!”

A shockwave cleared the smoke, and Atticus’ gaze locked on a familiar figure.

‘Isn’t she…’

It was the same Amazonian woman Ozeroth had spanked during the Virelenna. Just like then, she gripped her massive hammer tightly, her eyes gleaming with murderous rage.

“You’re despicable! I’ll kill you!”

But Ozeroth only smirked. “My flame’s too bright for your kind to handle.”

Whisker’s voice cut in like a whisper beside Atticus. He was seated casually in one of the coliseum seats, popcorn and drink in hand.

“You’re getting there,” he called out to Ozeroth, “but you’ve got to put more authority into it. A man who wants to create a harem has to be absolute!”

Ozeroth nodded with a gaze more serious than Atticus had seen in a long time. Then he raised his hand and spoke again.

“You will bow before your man.”

The Amazonian women froze. Then, their expressions twisted in fury.

Killing intent exploded from their forms. Even those who hadn’t joined the battle now brandished their weapons and released their auras.

“We’ll kill you!”

They roared in unison before charging at him. Explosions rocked the entire coliseum as they clashed.

Atticus appeared beside Whisker.

“Really?”

Whisker turned slightly. “Oh come on. You followed me. That’s kinda creepy, you know.”

Atticus stared at him.

Whisker sighed. “Listen, the poor guy’s just trying to build a harem. Don’t ruin it.”

“Since when is Ozeroth poor? And…” Atticus looked at the chaos. “Do you really think those lines would ever work?”

“Hell no.” Whisker grinned. “But he doesn’t have to know that.”

Atticus glanced at Ozeroth, pity flashing in his gaze. “He chose the wrong person to teach him about women.”

“Did you hear that last line? I almost died from laughter!”

Ozeroth’s voice rang out again at that moment. “Lazy man! What next!? They still won’t surrender to my greatness!”

“They just don’t want to seem cheap! Give it time, I can already see them on their knees, begging!”

Atticus shook his head as Ozeroth beamed and flashed a thumbs up.

Whisker chuckled. “Isn’t he the best?”

“We don’t have time for this.” Atticus sighed. “We’re heading to the Midplanes in less than a week.”

“Ugh. You don’t have to remind me.”

“You don’t sound happy.”

“Because I’m not.” Whisker slumped. “The lower planes are peaceful. No idiotic gods randomly attacking your world. No cursed games to deal with every goddamn time.”

‘Games.’

Atticus echoed the word in his mind. Whisker had explained them before. They were the single biggest reason most newly ascended worlds didn’t survive, and the fact he called them ‘cursed’ made perfect sense.

“There’s no helping it. We’re ascending soon. Why don’t you help us survive instead of whining?”

Whisker turned to him. “Has anyone told you you’re rude?”

“Yes. Seconds ago.”

Atticus replied calmly, Lyress’s image flashing in his mind again.

“I don’t even want to know.” Whisker muttered, then sighed at the look Atticus gave him.

“Alright, alright. How can I help?”

“You’re my only source of information,” Atticus said, sitting beside him. “So give me information.”

“I’ve told you what matters.”

“You’ve told me what you think matters. What about what I think?”

Whisker paused, and finally decided to talk. “The Midplanes are split into three sections: The Verge. The Span. The Crown.”

Atticus had heard it before, but he still listened, just in case there was anything new he’d miss before.

“The Verge is the lowest section. That’s where new worlds, like Eldoralth, appear after ascension. For now, that’s your only concern.”

“What about the major factions? The Iron Crown said they wouldn’t take it lightly if I didn’t join one of their factions. If that makes them enemies, I need to know what I’m dealing with.”

“Relax. As insane as the Midplanes are, there are rules. They can’t bully you.”

“Their base is in the Crown, right?”

“Yeah. That’s where they operate from. But their influence extends downward. Think of the three sections like different realms. To get to the next one, you have to battle, absorb more worlds, and grow stronger. All fights follow strict rules, even the big guys follow them.”

“So they can’t enter the Verge?”

“Not without restrictions.”

“Then how do they influence it?”

“Through followers.” Whisker turned to him. “Like I said, if you want to gain power like the major factions, you need followers.”

“Followers…” Atticus repeated.

“Yeah. Think of them like a cult, people who walk the same Will path as you. The boost you get from them is nothing like what you get from regular citizens. The more you have, the stronger you become.”

Atticus nodded slowly, gaze drifting back to Ozeroth, still fighting.

‘There’s a lot to do.’

He still asked a few more questions, and Whisker answered them all. At the very least, the wild man was useful for something.

When they were done, Atticus vanished again, reappearing at the top of his hill, already mapping out his next move.

It wasn’t long before Oberon appeared, holding the ideas for restructuring the new Eldoralth.