Atticus's Odyssey: Reincarnated Into A Playground novel Chapter 628

Chapter 628 Began

Atticus entered a completely surreal state. It was like a state of limbo where the entire world paused, and everything around him was darkness.

In this state, Atticus' thoughts roamed freely and without pause.

He had been foolish.

How could he have been so foolish?

This question kept repeating itself in his mind. He had just learned a lesson—a very big lesson that he felt he should have known from the very beginning.

It was a no brainer. Why the hell would he hold back in a life and death situation? Was his head filled with air!? Niall was stronger, faster, and trying to kill him. Why, just why, would he hold back!?

Atticus' eyes slowly flickered open, and his heart immediately froze. Niall loomed over him, his fist rocketing forward with intense momentum. If that punch landed on his head, it could only result in his skull imploding like a wrecking ball hitting a watermelon at high speed.

Atticus saw his life flash before his eyes, an intense wave of fear gripping him.

Memories passed through his thoughts.

He saw Anastasia first, her face illuminated by that radiant smile she always wore when she looked at him. The way her eyes sparkled, full of warmth and love. He could almost hear her laugh, feel the gentle touch of her hand in his. The thought of that smile, that light in her eyes, fading to darkness because of him—it was unbearable.

He saw the numerous times Aurora had nagged him like a bratty younger sister and the smile he always wore when he teased her. The image of her breaking down, sobbing uncontrollably, crushed his heart.

Then there was Ember, the one who understood him without words. She was aloof, yes, but Atticus knew how deeply she cared, even if she rarely showed it. If he were gone, if his absence made her retreat even further into herself, made her colder, more distant—he couldn't let that happen. He couldn't let his death become another scar on her heart.

Each memory, each face, twisted the fear in his chest into something else—something fierce, something unyielding. He couldn't let them suffer because of him. He couldn't let their light be extinguished, their smiles fade.

A roar erupted from deep within him, a primal, desperate sound that reverberated through his entire being.

He didn't want to die.

He would not die!

His grip on the katana tightened, every muscle in his body tensing as his figure erupted in a mixture of red and blue.

'Huh?'

Niall only had time to think before a razor sharp blade appeared inches away from his neck.

Niall's eyes widened, his hand retracting from the punch. His stance shifted, and his hand erupted upwards to block the blade.

The razor sharp blade and Niall's chitin like armor covering his arm met, an intense spark erupting.

However, Niall's eyes narrowed in the next second.

'What…'

His armor, the same armor that could withstand a bombardment of multiple elemental attacks from a peak master+ rank with just a few scratches, was being cut by an ordinary looking blade?

Niall acted immediately, his center of balance shifting as he deflected the blade to the side.

But it was far from over.

The ground trembled. The air hissed. Countless azure slashes erupted toward Niall from every angle, blazing with intense speed.

'Such speed,'

Niall's figure blurred, leaving afterimages in his wake. His stance shifted rapidly as he evaded each strike, but Atticus was relentless. His figure suddenly erupted, and the katana's blade appeared inches away from Niall's neck once again.

Niall's gaze narrowed, his mind racing. 'This isn't the strength of a master- rank!'