Atticus's Odyssey: Reincarnated Into A Playground - Chapter 1630 Progress

Chapter 1630  Progress

At Atticus’ heavy stare, Garvin Emberforge slowly halted his hammer.

“….”

A faint trace of sadness flickered through his eyes. He was clearly unhappy at being interrupted.

‘Again…’

Atticus was beginning to grow accustomed to this scene. Garvin was almost always in the smithy, almost always with a hammer in hand. Catching him in his free time was nearly impossible. Unfortunately, that meant Atticus inevitably had to interrupt him, which always earned him that same wounded look.

‘And he looks like that…’

Seeing such a towering and broad shouldered man react like a child whose toy had been snatched away was a comedic sight.

“How’s the progress?”

“Good.”

Garvin motioned toward the large container at the side, where only a thin layer of glittering silver sand remained.

 It had once been filled to the brim with will-conducting ores that Atticus had crushed, but now it was nearly depleted.

‘Good.’

Atticus smiled. He had personally crushed the will conducting ores he received from the Span, and seeing that Garvin was close to finishing their refinement pleased him.

“I’ve been thinking about something. What would you say to having a few assistants?”

Atticus asked after a brief pause. Though Garvin seemed full of vigor, Atticus did not miss the subtle fatigue within them.

“…That’s fine.”

He nodded readily, having no problem with it.

“How soon can production start?”

“By the end of the month.”

“Alright.”

With a satisfied nod, Atticus turned and left Garvin to his work. The hulking man resumed hammering almost immediately with more vigor than before.

“…the day I met her mother was the day I discovered true pleasure! I mean—”

Atticus shut out Whisker’s rambling voice, which had yet to stop, and withdrew into his thoughts.

‘I won’t have to worry about their will negation anymore.’

While he could now easily counter the Will Guard’s will negation, his family and those close to him were another matter entirely. But once the armors were completed, they too would no longer be vulnerable to it.

‘Now…’

His gaze shifted toward the door at the far end of the room, and moments later, he advanced through it into another vast cavern. Unlike the relentless clang of steel behind him, this space was quiet.

The cavern was an immaculate white, stretching seamlessly to the ceiling. A large rectangular worktable dominated the center, surrounded by an array of intricate alchemical instruments.

“…!”

Zair, who had been seated at one corner of the laboratory, stiffened the instant he noticed Atticus and immediately rose to his feet and bowed.

Atticus acknowledged him with a curt nod before walking past him toward the other silver-haired figure in the room. Lyra stood before a large transparent cauldron, her eyes fixed intently on the trembling liquid within as it shifted and changed hues.

“Hey—”

Before he could finish, she thrust her palm back sharply without turning.

Atticus paused, mildly taken aback. She hadn’t even turned to acknowledge him. Instead, her full concentration was on the unstable mixture before her.

“She’s too focused, master. She won’t answer you.”

Zair said as he stepped closer.

“Trust me, I learned that lesson growing up. You don’t interrupt her mid-experiment.”

Zair looked at his sister with a faint trace of bitterness. He had clearly suffered through it more than once.

“I only wanted to ask about the progress.”

“I can tell you.”

Atticus gave a small nod. It didn’t matter to him who delivered the report, so long as he received it.

‘He’s changed.’

Even so, Atticus found himself observing Zair with subtle surprise. A month ago, the man rarely bowed his head in his presence, and there had always been a faint amount of resistance when he was given instructions.

Now, it was gone. It was as though he had fully settled into the role of a proper subordinate.

“As you know, master, she’s been trying to fuse Will and mana. She’s close, but it doesn’t hold. A minute at most.”

“Side effects?”

“Mental drain. Pretty severe.”

“…I see.”

Atticus’ brows drew together slightly. In battle, such a thing could be invaluable, but if mistimed, it could just as effortlessly become a liability.

“Let her continue. At least make it last longer.”

“Yes, master.”

Atticus casted a brief glance at Lyra, a faint trace of approval flashing through his eyes.

‘She’s truly valuable.’

From the moment he learned of her Will type, Atticus had seen her potential worth. A potion capable of merging Will and mana, even briefly, would greatly benefit those whose Will strength were little. But this was only her most recent project. Over the past months, she had produced several other things. An enhanced Will recovery potion. A concoction that temporarily sharpened cognition and amplified one’s Will. And asides all that, the insane meals she constantly prepared. Despite himself, he, along with Whisker, Ozerra, Ozeroth, and many others, often found excuses to gather in the lab just to eat her food.

For once, Atticus felt truly glad to have enslaved someone. After a brief pause, he turned to leave.

“E-em…”

“Hm?”

He stopped and looked back, frowning slightly at the sight of Zair staring at him hesitantly. It was the first time he had seen the man act like this.

“There’s something I’d like to discuss with you.”

“What is it?”

“Not here… can we speak outside?”

“…Alright.”

Intrigued, Atticus gave a small nod. A moment later, both of them vanished from the laboratory.

…

Zair swallowed as he reappeared within a vast, endless stretch of barren land. Atticus had taken his request for privacy seriously; there wasn’t a single trace of life visible for hundreds of kilometers.

‘I have to do this.’

He clenched his fists as Atticus regarded him in silence. Over the past few months, he had carefully observed Atticus, trying to discern the kind of man he truly was. Atticus was undeniably brutal, someone Zair would not wish upon even his worst enemy. Yet when he watched him interact with those close to him, Zair had seen another side. Beneath the ruthlessness, beneath the blood and detached decisions, all he sought was the protection of his family. That realization had resonated with Zair deeply, and it was then that he made his choice.

Drawing in a steady breath, Zair suddenly dropped to his knees, bowing with complete sincerity.

“I wish to become your subordinate!”

“….”

“I-I can fight. My Severance Will can cut through stronger Wills. I can help protect this world. I can handle your daily matters too. Clean, organize, whatever you need—”

“….”

As Atticus remained silent, a surged of panic ran through Zair’s chest.

‘D-does he not want me…?’

He curled his fists ‘Of course…’

Unlike his sister, Zair had little value beyond his blade.

 And after witnessing Atticus’ overwhelming strength firsthand, he understood the gap between them. It was akin to pouring a single drop of water into a boundless ocean.

“Are you not already my subordinate?”

“!!?”

Zair’s eyes widened in shock as he stared at Atticus.

‘I see… I misunderstood.’

So he had thought of him as a subordinate all along… Zair had assumed they were nothing more than slaves in his eyes. This plea had stemmed from his desire to cast off that slave title and stand properly among Atticus’ people.

His clenched fists slowly relaxed, an unexpected sense of relief washing over him.

“Then… I’ll follow you and—”

“You don’t have to force yourself.”

Atticus replied plainly, clearly not liking the idea of having someone trail behind him at all times. For a moment, Zair reminded him of Kancilot, and he made a mental note to check on the aging king later.

“You are my subordinate. That’s enough. Just don’t betray me.”

Zair swallowed as the atmosphere grew heavy. Atticus might as well look like a divine being at that moment. His heartbeat quickened.

‘Only a fool would betray him.’

And in a world drowned in slaughter and bloodshed, Zair was no fool.

“…yes, master.”

…

Not long after leaving Zair, Atticus appeared elsewhere within his territory. Here, the land shimmered like a vast sea of silver beneath the pale, ethereal moonlight.

At its center was a lone structure. A modest building devoid of any special features.

But the instant Atticus appeared before it, the ground beneath his feet illuminated. Intricate inscriptions blazed into existence before fading just as quickly.

“….”

Without a word, Atticus moved forward with calm steps. Passing through the doorway, he entered a space that far exceeded the building’s small exterior. A vast grassland spread out before him, and at its center stood a small structure.

“You’re here!”

He had barely taken a single step when an excited female voice echoed across the field. His gaze settled on a black-haired woman in the distance, who had been idly playing atop a massive beast.

She leapt down and hurried toward him.

“You finally decided to show up? I was starting to think you’d abandoned me. I swear, I was this close to dying of boredom.”

She smiled brightly as she reached him, clearly happy about his arrival. The woman had striking features and a confident bearing, yet Atticus’ attention was instantly drawn to the empty space at her left side, the stump where her hand should have been.

She was none other than the Fragment Bearer he had met at the climax of the Resource Wars. Thora. “Hm? So… are you here to take responsibility now? Because thanks to you, who’s going to marry me?”

“….”