Atticus's Odyssey: Reincarnated Into A Playground novel Chapter 1016

Draktharion stood straight and utterly still as he faced this enigma of a man in front of him.

Carius Valarius. The Apex of the Dimensari Race.

Among all the Apexes, he had been labeled the most dangerous of them all. Back when the other Apexes hadn’t even met each other, when many of them were still struggling to grow stronger and undergo their third Life Weapon Trial, Carius had already been active.

He had already been planning ways to whittle down the competition and end up as the sole remaining reincarnator on Eldoralth.

He was cold. Ruthless. And most dangerous of all, he was a planner.

Draktharion wasn’t much of a planner. He was prideful, a brute to his core. However, even he was smart enough to realize the danger of people like Carius.

As soon as he felt Carius’s presence, Draktharion had raised his guard to the absolute peak. His entire body had tensed, and he was ready for battle at any given second.

Yet, despite all of these precautions, Carius’s first statement had shattered everything.

Draktharion’s eyes narrowed to the point where they were barely visible. His voice rumbled, thick with restrained fury.

"What did you just say?"

Carius watched, unbothered, as Draktharion’s rage grew.

The Dragon Apex’s muscles coiled like tightly wound steel, his molten eyes burning dangerously.

His wings twitched. His claws flexed, as if seconds away from rending the Dimensari Apex into pieces.

Yet, despite all of that,

Carius stood still. He observed Draktharion like he was studying an inevitable outcome.

"You’re not worth repeating myself for."

"You said you would help me see my family again?"

Draktharion’s voice was gravel, his teeth clenched so tightly it was a wonder they hadn’t shattered.

Carius’s abyssal gaze remained fixed on him.

"I will grant you the privilege of seeing your family again." He corrected.

BOOM!

Draktharion stomped forward, his sheer presence shaking the void itself.

"Bullshit!" he roared. "How is that even possible!?"

Carius’s tone remained leveled.

"By submitting to me and following my orders."

A faint glow flickered in his abyssal eyes, a small ripple. But Draktharion was far too enraged to notice.

"No!" He snarled, slamming his fist into his palm. "That’s not it. How will you make me see my family again!?"

His breathing grew heavy. His heart pounded.

He knew, he knew, he wasn’t supposed to believe a single word coming from Carius’s mouth.

He was a planner. A manipulator.

But the moment those words had left Carius’s lips, something inside him fractured.

A weakness.

One he couldn’t ignore, no matter how absurd it sounded.

The Dragon Apex shook his head.

"Some being reincarnated all of us into this world!" His claws flexed. "You’re in the same position as all of us! What makes you think I would be stupid enough to fall for this nonsense!?"

His breath quickened, nostrils flaring.

"What lies are you yapping about—"

Then, his thoughts stopped.

"Wait a second… How do you even know about my past!?"

Silence.

It was a horrifying realization, one that Draktharion was struggling to comprehend. He had never told anyone. Not a single soul.

So how did Carius know?

But Carius didn’t speak. Didn’t blink. Didn’t move.

He simply stared at Draktharion.

In manipulation, the most effective tactic was to let the manipulated fill in the blanks themselves.