Chapter 671 Own It

Chapter 671 Own It

Atticus slowly lowered his hand before releasing Amara from the vice grip on her neck.

Amara had a look on her face that Atticus hadn't expected to see. Ever since he had met her, she had been vibrant and overly confident. However, now, she looked lost.

"Are you okay?" Atticus asked.

Amara snapped out of her deep thoughts, forcing a smile and nodding weakly.

"That's a lie. You seem down. Are you sad because you lost?" Atticus's straightforwardness was surprising on many levels.

Those who knew him well would know that he normally wouldn't care about something like this. She had initiated the spar, and he fought and won—why should he care if she was feeling bad?

It wasn't that Atticus had taken a particular liking to her; he just treated people based on how they treated him. She had been nothing but kind, so he saw no reason not to help out, considering the fact that she had been helpful to him.

Amara was shocked by Atticus's question and immediately forced a smile. "No, young master. There's no reason for me to be sad. The better person won."

"No, not better, just stronger. I won because I'm stronger than you. It's as simple as that."

Atticus's words might have sounded boastful, but they were simply factual. Amara immediately grasped that. He hadn't won because he was a better person, but because he was stronger.

"If you want to win, all you have to do is become stronger."

Amara clenched her fist. She couldn't hold it in any longer.

"That's easy for you to say," she retorted.

"What do you mean?" Atticus asked.

"You have endless talent! You can grow stronger just by breathing! But I've... I've already reached my limit. 'Just grow stronger than you'? What a joke..."

At this point, the entire crowd was listening to their conversation. They could all feel what Amara was feeling.

"So?" Atticus responded, his tone calm.

"What?" Amara was baffled by Atticus's nonchalance.

"I just told you what you have to do to defeat me. I never said it was possible."

Amara was confused, unable to understand his logic.

"Look, I'm going to keep growing stronger and stronger, no matter what. Even if my body hits its limit, I will never let it stand in my way. I will break it and rebuild it again. I will never stop until I stand at the peak. That's the difference between you and me, Amara. I have unmatched talent? So what? There are beings in this world who could end my life with a flick of their wrist. So what if you've hit your limit? There are people in the human domain who can't even get past the novice rank—does that mean they should wallow in their tears and never live their lives?

"You're the architect of your own life. You choose whether to give up or keep pushing. You've hit your limits? Own it. Think of a way forward instead of making yourself feel bad. Ultimately, it's your choice."

Atticus watched with a slightly baffled expression as this woman, well into her 30s, fidgeted nervously with her fingers.

"Speak your mind; I'm not going to do anything to you," Atticus said calmly.

Amara took a deep breath before looking Atticus straight in the eye.

"I'm sorry!" She bowed. "You were right about everything, and I shouldn't have reacted the way I did. It was just..."

"What did you decide?" Atticus interrupted.

"Huh?" Amara looked up, confused.

"I don't need to hear your life story, Amara, but I want to know what you decided," Atticus clarified.

Amara's right eye twitched. She felt a wave of embarrassment, but Atticus's casual gaze gave her no respite.

Both her hands clenched as she recalled her thoughts.

"I will never give up," she declared firmly.

Atticus smiled. "Good, I look forward to that. I'll see you soon, I guess."

"Yes!" Amara replied with determination.

With that, Atticus continued his walk toward the hatch. After a minute, his feet touched the scorching ground of the Fire Sanctum.

He didn't waste time and moved toward the grand gate. However, a figure suddenly combusted a few meters away from him, accompanied by the loud sound of a walking stick striking the ground.

Atticus smiled slightly as he fixed his eyes on Dekai, who stood before him. But Dekai wasn't smiling.

Atticus's smile widened. 'This old man,' he thought, noticing how the temperature of the fire molecules around him was rapidly changing.

However, Atticus's gaze flashed red, and then everything returned to normal.

Dekai's eyes widened in absolute shock. "Master rank and such strong will..." he muttered absentmindedly. 'Oh, now I'm scared.'

Atticus's talent had always been impressive, but now it was terrifying. No one should be this talented.

"You even came out to meet me. Sounds like you're happy to see me," Atticus teased.

Dekai snapped out of his thoughts and snorted, hitting his stick on the ground and turning away.

"Get your facts straight, boy. Only the Sanctum Master can open the Sanctum gates. That's all there is to it. Now quit wasting time and let's go!"

Atticus chuckled but said nothing. He could see the corners of Dekai's lips were raised. The old man was happy.

Atticus followed Dekai through the grand gates of the Fire Sanctum, a slight smile on his face.