The old man appeared powerless and at the same time, he felt profound. Only a fool would completely dismiss him as simply an insignificant old man.
Atticus didn’t even have to think about it; he knew immediately who he had to approach among the people kneeling.
He stood silently and waited.
But he didn’t have to wait long. The Aegis airship suddenly took off from the platform and ascended upwards.
A few seconds passed, and the old man stood up shakily from his kneeling position, his piercing eyes immediately landing on Atticus.
“Atticus, I presume?”
His voice was sagely as though it was filled with wisdom. Atticus couldn’t help but be slightly surprised.
The old man had a very long white beard that reached his waist. He had a surprising amount of wrinkles around his face and body, and he appeared insanely old.
His back was hunched forward, and he had a long and thin pitch-black walking stick he was currently using for support with both hands.
Upon seeing this man, only one thought would come to anyone’s mind: he was not far from his deathbed.
However, appearances could be deceiving.
Atticus took his gaze away from the man’s body, and their eyes met.
It felt searing.
To Atticus, it was as though he had suddenly been engulfed with searing hot lava. It didn’t affect the surroundings but him directly.
Atticus felt his temperature rising at an alarming rate, his clothes becoming drenched in an instant.
Drops of perspiration streamed down from his face as his thoughts raced.
‘What the hell?’
Atticus was at a loss for words. He didn’t have to be a genius to figure out that this man was the cause of what was happening. But what was most baffling about this was the fact that the man wasn’t controlling the temperature around him; he was controlling his temperature!
Atticus couldn’t help but feel pissed. The audacity of this man was palpable. It was as though he was telling him that he could control his fire anytime he wanted as though he were insignificant.
‘…No, it’s not that. It’s a test,’ Atticus suddenly realized. It was the only thing that made sense at this point.
The man knew his name, which meant that he knew Magnus had sent him. Atticus doubted the old man was doing all this to showcase his dominance. Plus, Atticus felt absolutely no ill intent from him.
‘I have to find a way out of this,’ Atticus’s thoughts spun. From this short display, the old man obviously had superior control over the fire element than him, so superior he couldn’t even dream of wrestling control over it. Which meant that he had to find another way.
Atticus’s intelligence operated at mind-numbing speeds, thinking of ways he could get out of this situation.
He thought about using his other element for a nanosecond, being able to use ice would neutralize the effects of his hot temperature but Atticus was quick to dismiss it.
He didn’t know the rules, but utilizing another element in a school meant for fire elementalists should be nothing short of blasphemy, a capital offense.
So he had to figure out another way…
It felt as though a light bulb lit up in his head as a thought suddenly sprung up. ‘It should work,’
Atticus abruptly closed his eyes and entered a complete state of focus. The old man who saw this couldn’t help but feel slightly intrigued.
‘He didn’t panic or even ask me why I was doing this. Good, he can use his brain. But what is he trying to do?’ The old man wondered.
Atticus had been right about this; it had been a test, but to the old man, Atticus had already passed it. It was a test of character, to see how Atticus would react when faced with an unexpected situation.
Atticus was never meant to regain control over his temperature in the first place. However, what happened next came as a huge shock to the old man.
A crimson glow suddenly erupted from Atticus, engulfing his whole body in an instant. Atticus’s gaze snapped open, his initial piercing blue eyes now having a hint of red in their irises.
The crimson glow enveloping his figure clung to his body like a second skin. With a long breath, Atticus released a deep exhale, his temperature simultaneously dropping back to normal.
His intense gaze landed on the shocked old man in a silent declaration: no one would control what belonged to him.
‘A-amazing! He used his will to take control over everything in his body. Since I was using only the fire element, I lost control over it. He knew he couldn’t wrestle control over the fire with me, so he decided on an alternate method. Such incredible judgment in such a short time frame! And at such a young age!’
The old man was going through a whirlwind of emotions within him, but only a small smile appeared on his face as he gazed at the small monster in front of him.
Atticus didn’t release his control over his will; he was still using Aerokinesis just in case the man decided to do something stupid once again.
But it was all for naught. The old man had been far too impressed to think of doing anything.
He nodded his head, snapping out of his thoughts.
“I have been informed of what is necessary, and I am aware that time is of the utmost importance, so we will go straight to the process. My name is Dekai, but you may address me as Teacher. I will be your instructor during the duration of your term in this sanctum.
“You are most probably used to being worshipped because of your high status, so I would like to get it out of the way from the beginning: do not expect that from me, nor will you force anyone here to do that. This is a place for learning, not for fueling your ego.”
Dekai’s left hand left the handle of his walking stick, raising it in front of him, and instantaneously, the figure of a woman combusted and appeared in front of them.