Atticus's Odyssey: Reincarnated Into A Playground novel Chapter 1064

Chapter 1064 Declarations

The elders of the Evolari stared at Zenon with intense gazes. Their queen had just placed the fate of their race into his hands, and though none among them doubted Zenon's wisdom or insight, this was no small matter.

This was everything.

His decision would shape the future of the Evolari.

Zenon exhaled deeply, and his eyes turned steady as he looked at Jenera.

"My queen…" he began, "with respect, it would only make sense for the final decision to come from you. You've led us for decades without fault, not once. Your judgment has preserved our race through drought, betrayal, and war. But…" he paused, sending a glance to the elders, "I will still speak my mind."

The wind stirred gently around the platform as he continued.

"When I first arrived at the military camp… Atticus Ravenstein was already the most powerful person there. Most didn't realize it, but I did. And so did he."

The brows of a few elders furrowed.

"Back then, he was stronger than me. And he also held a higher rank."

Murmurs spread through the elders. Their eyes widened.

Stronger than Zenon?

Zenon was among the peaks of the Evolari, perhaps the strongest of them. If Atticus had surpassed him then, what level had he reached now?

The thought alone made their spines shiver.

Zenon's voice continued steadily.

"There were millions of youths at that camp. Sergeants, officers… prodigies from every corner of the alliance. We were sealed off from the outside world. With the power and rank he held, he could have done anything he wanted."

He let the weight of that fact linger. Then, Zenon glanced around at the circle of elders.

"Do you know what he chose to do?"

The elders shook their heads. Silent.

"He trained."

A stunned silence fell over the council. Not scheming. Not gathering influence. Not asserting dominance.

He trained.

Zenon nodded, as if reading their thoughts.

"From what I've observed of that child, he lives simply. He avoids needless interaction. He doesn't seek out conflict unless someone steps on his path. He's never wavered from his goal."

Another pause.

"The Peak."

The words echoed over the still lake.

Zenon's tone grew heavier.

"My point is this, his path hasn't changed. Even now, even if he seeks to take control of Eldoralth, I don't believe it's out of greed or lust for power. I believe… it's the way he decided to protect what he cherishes."

He looked at Jenera.

"Peace."

A solemn silence fell again, but Zenon wasn't done.

"He defeated a Zorvan colonel at nineteen. Among many other impossible feats."

He let that fact settle in their minds.

The Vampyros declared war on humanity.

The Dragons declared war on humanity.

Three apex races.

One common enemy.

And humanity stood alone.

The alliance of Eldoralth was forged upon a mana contract with clauses that enabled unity and limited any betrayals.

Amongst one of its clauses, war had been addressed.

In order to prevent any backstabbing or sneaky acts, should any race want to go to war with another, they were mandated to announce it, not only to the alliance, but also to their opponent race.

This had been what the three races had done.

And after their declarations, the word spread like wildfire in a forest drenched in fuel.

Across the alliance. Across all the races. And finally, across the human domain.

The humans couldn't believe their ears. To many, it was as though the world was ending.

A year ago, the Vampyros had declared them enemies. This had been enough for a riot to start, as most of the people had already assumed their end.

But this… this was different.

They hadn't minced their words. They hadn't tried to sneak around. No, they made their intentions very clear.

War.

And humanity was alone.