Chapter 649 Vorpal Nova

Chapter 649 Vorpal Nova

Darkness.

That was all Atticus saw before it receded, leaving him standing at the edge of a familiar serene dojo.

'I have to be quick,' he thought. This was his only option given his current situation: entering the katana realm. He needed every thing he had for the fight that was to come.

Atticus's eyes landed on the figure seated in the middle of the dojo— a man with white hair, now aged considerably more than Atticus remembered.

"Ancestor Cedric?" Atticus's gaze narrowed as he began approaching the center of the dojo.

"The young monster," Cedric replied, flashing Atticus a warm smile, causing the latter's eyes to widen in surprise.

"What happened?" Atticus immediately asked. While Cedric had been old the last time they met, he hadn't been this frail and worn out.

Back then, his body had been filled with vigor and life, and Atticus could feel the power radiating off him.

However, Cedric's current state was the opposite. His back was hunched, and he leaned on a walking stick. His entire body appeared lifeless, as if he might die and turn to dust at any second. It was a stark difference.

"Haha, is it that bad?" Cedric smiled gently, but Atticus didn't respond, his expression only becoming more serious.

Cedric sighed. "It was the only way you could survive that situation. An advanced rank fighting three expert ranks, even with the power of the life weapon, was impossible,"

Atticus's eyes widened. He had already suspected there would be repercussions for receiving that much pure power, but he hadn't expected that Cedric would be the one to bear the cost.

"What's going to happen to you?" Atticus asked, his voice tense with concern.

Cedric smiled warmly, noticing the worry in Atticus's expression.

"My actions led to the life force holding my spirit together waning significantly. It's unfortunate, but this will be my last rodeo,"

Atticus froze, an overwhelming sense of guilt settling in. He hadn't been particularly close with Cedric, but the man had saved his life—at the cost of his own.

"Don't give me that look, child. I chose to do this on my own; it's not your fault. Don't blame yourself,"

Seeing that Atticus was still troubled, Cedric decided to change the subject.

"On a more important note, I've been watching all your exploits and achievements. You've done well—too well, in fact," Cedric praised, muttering the last bit to himself. He had wanted to commend Atticus, but suddenly remembered everything the "little monster" had done. It was overwhelming.

"Listen, boy. None of us have ever accomplished everything you have, and none of us have ever come so close to surviving. If you continue on this path, you'll have a chance against those other monsters!"

Cedric's words snapped Atticus out of his thoughts. He still felt guilty, but he had more pressing matters to address.

There was a question that had been on his mind since the last time he was in the katana realm. for new novels

"Let me fight it once and see where I stand. I don't have to worry about dying in reality, right?"

Cedric smiled and shook his head. "No, that only happens when you're learning the fourth art. Step forward."

Atticus obeyed, stepping forward, and the avatar's eyes snapped open. A frigid gaze seemed to immobilize Atticus in his tracks.

The man stood up calmly, unhurriedly, with the grace of a king.

In an almost ethereal movement, he descended from the elevated platform, landing soundlessly a few meters behind Atticus.

Atticus swiftly turned to face him. 'Damn, this is crazy,' he thought, noting that the aura emanating from the avatar was far stronger than what he felt the last time he faced it. The difference was so vast that it was hard to believe this was the same entity.

The man simply stood there, his face expressionless, his attire billowing in an invisible breeze. Atticus knew what this meant—he had to make the first move.

'I don't have my exosuit or elements. Only mana and katana,' Atticus reminded himself, steeling his mind.

His hand reached for his katana. But just as he grabbed it, a blinding flash of light moved before he could react, phasing through him. Everything went blank, and the emotionless voice of the avatar echoed in his ears.

"Katana series, 3rd art:

.

.

.

Vorpal Nova"

Atticus's eyes snapped open, and he immediately ran his hands frantically over his body. 'What the hell just happened?'

Cedric's laughter brought him out of his thoughts.

"What happened?" Atticus asked, still in shock.

"What do you mean? You died, of course," Cedric replied, gesturing towards the middle of the room.

The life weapon's avatar was still standing in one spot, but in front of him was a scene that made Atticus's scalp tingle with shock.

A deep gash, as wide as any canyon, traced along the hallway, splitting the grand stairs and throne in two. It didn't end there; the gash continued, cutting through the wall and building, revealing the darkness that surrounded them.

And the man simply stood there, unmoving, as if he wasn't responsible.

It was an overwhelming display of power that made Atticus's heart race.

"I'd like to learn the third art normally, please," Atticus declared absentmindedly.

Cedric laughed again. "Good choice."