Atticus's Odyssey: Reincarnated Into A Playground novel Chapter 1140

Darkness.

It felt as though he were floating in an endless void.

Atticus had been through this situation far too many times to not recognize it instantly, his mindscape.

'I fainted… again.'

At this point, it had become a regular occurrence. Gain a sudden, overwhelming power-up, then black out right after.

'I wonder how long I'll be unconscious this time.'

If he remembered correctly, the last time he had been out for a month. It was a single blip to him, but an eternity in the real world.

But as the memories of the past surged into his mind, his thoughts froze.

He remembered everything.

The battle with Elderish.

The battle with the Gardener.

Killing the Gardener.

'Shit.'

There was never a worse time to faint than now, or ever, really.

'Please tell me it's not going to be long this time…'

The usual calm he wore like armor cracked, giving way to panic.

Even though he and Whisker had dealt with the Gardener, though the latter still couldn't be fully trusted, especially with his family involved, the planet's situation was far from resolved.

'The Zorvans…'

Jenera had filled him in on the 15 days of the Hollow Sun. If there was ever a perfect time for the Zorvans to launch a full assault, it was now.

'I have to wake up.'

Atticus strained his mind, roared at the top of his lungs, tried everything he could think of, but the darkness remained unchanged.

'This doesn't make any sense.'

He was clearly conscious within his mind, so why hadn't he woken up? Why was he still trapped here?

'Was I captured?'

The thought hit like ice. It made sense. He could be in some kind of mental stasis or illusion, unable to awaken.

Which meant… things had gone horribly wrong on Eldoralth.

His mind turned cold. He needed to escape, fast. The longer he stayed, the more dreadful the possibilities became.

'My will.'

His will had always been his greatest weapon, especially here, in his mind. If anything could get him out of this, it would be that.

Atticus shut everything out. He focused deeply, diving inward, toward the burning crimson at the core of his soul.

Instantly, a faint flicker of light sparked in his mind. Just as he began to make it grow, distant sounds brushed past him, almost imperceptible.

"…bond…"

"…dada…"

The voices were faint, like whispers carried by the wind. But they were growing clearer.

Atticus's eyes shot open.

"Ozeroth? The Soulkin…?"

He turned, scanning the void for the source, but his eyes narrowed. The voice was coming from everywhere.

"OZEROTH!" he bellowed.

If he couldn't find them, he would make them come to him.

He kept shouting, louder and louder, Ozeroth's name echoing through the dark. And it worked. The voices grew stronger, closer.

Then, just as they felt almost within reach, Atticus's eyes widened.

He felt it. A pull.

It seized him before he could react, yanking his consciousness forward.

And then, he vanished into the darkness.

…

An intense light suddenly flooded Atticus's vision as his eyes flickered open.