Atticus's Odyssey: Reincarnated Into A Playground novel Chapter 1630

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 stepped 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 easily 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.

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