Atticus’s Odyssey: Reincarnated Into A Playground - Chapter 1083

Chapter 1083: Bulky
As the Nullite core fused with his core, a surge of energy slammed into him the next second, wild and intense.

Atticus staggered, his breath stopping in his throat. Power flooded through his veins like molten steel.

His body tensed all over, muscles straining, skin tightening, bones grinding against each other.

The bulging veins were in full force, pulsing with violent intensity as his body convulsed.

He was getting transformed.

‘It’s different,’ Atticus noted calmly, even as every nerve in his body screamed. His mind still remained detached and sharp, observing and analyzing every change made to his body.

When he had bonded with the Dimensari core, the energy had run through his body, reshaping his internal structure in ways that were subtle but deep. The Auralithian core had done something similar, aligning with his mana flow and enhancing its resonance.

But this? This was something else entirely.

The Nullite core invaded his body and targeted his bones first, reinforcing them until they felt like compacted alloys rather than marrow and calcium.

Then his muscles followed, swelling under the pressure, reweaving tighter, denser, leaner. It felt like each fiber was being optimized for absolute output.

His nervous system adapted next. It shortened response times, dulled unnecessary feedback, streamlined focus. Even his skin thickened slightly, becoming more resistant to damage.

This was the essence of the Nullite. There were no flashy powers. Just pure control and power.

Because of the nature of their ability and the inability to use mana, the Nullite made up for it with insane physical prowess.

This was exactly what Atticus was going through. The Nullite could fight without mana because their bodies were their weapons. And their presence was suppression.

And now all that power… was becoming his.

His body soon radiated an intense brown, drowning the training room in its overwhelming radiance.

Atticus gritted his teeth, and his fists were clenched tight as the pain tore through him.

He didn’t scream. He didn’t want to. And soon enough, the final stream of the core’s energy surged through him like a tide, before funneling back into his core.

Then there was only silence.

His transformation was complete.

Atticus slumped down, resting his back on the ground, trying to catch his breath and regain control.

He drew in a deep, calming breath, then another, steadying himself.

‘It was better this time around.’

The first time he bonded with a core had nearly broken him. He remembered writhing on the ground, muscles seizing and his vision almost blackening. It had taken many moments to even think clearly again.

The second time had still been hell. But compared to the first, it was tolerable. Barely.

This third time, though…

‘It was still painful, but very bearable.’

He hadn’t even felt the urge to scream. His body had adapted, evolved.

‘Does this mean that I don’t have to wait two weeks to absorb the last core?’

“…”

Atticus frowned, his thoughts drifting. He hadn’t directed the question to Ozeroth, but still, he had expected the nosy spirit to say something.

He narrowed his eyes. “Hmm… Ozzy… don’t tell me the Nullite power negated your brain…”

“…”

Atticus’s lips turned into a smirk. There was still silence, but the surge of bristling anger raging through his body gave everything away.

Unfortunately, Ozeroth couldn’t hide his emotions from him.

“What a shame,” Atticus said, “I’ve always thought the great Ozeroth’s mind was different, but to think a primitive energy like this was enough to turn him into a retard…”

Before he could finish the thought, the dam broke.

“You disrespectful brat! Who are you calling retarded?!” Ozeroth’s voice thundered through Atticus’s mind.

Atticus blinked, acting surprised. “Oh? You can talk? When you were so silent, I thought maybe the energy got to you.”

He could feel Ozeroth grinding his teeth, the spirit’s anger practically vibrating against his soul.

“Impossible! No power in this universe can turn the great Ozeroth retarded! In fact, those words shouldn’t be used in the same sentence!”

The voice raged on, louder now.

“I was silent because I wanted to teach you a lesson! You ignore me too much when I spill greatness. It was high time you got a taste of your own medicine!”

Atticus simply smiled and shook his head, before exhaling quietly. Sometimes, it was hard to believe that Ozeroth was truly centuries old.

“And what’s that supposed to mean!?” the spirit snapped.

Atticus shrugged lightly. “It’s nothing, nothing.”

“Hmph. You better listen to me anytime I speak. It’s a privilege to hear my wisdom. Now—”

But as Ozeroth launched into another ramble, Atticus tuned him out again, an action that was turning into a familiar habit at this point.

‘A crybaby,’ he thought with a smile.

Ozeroth screamed instantly at the thought, but Atticus didn’t respond. Instead, he slowly stood from his seated position.

‘I’ve grown stronger.’

His perception of his body had reached such an advanced level that he could now notice even the most minute changes, every subtle shift, every refined change. And it was clear, his body had strengthened.

‘My bones got stronger and…’

A ripple suddenly appeared in front of him, a wave of water forming into a mirror, reflecting his current self. Atticus examined his new appearance.

‘Damn.’

Before now, his body had always emphasized compact strength, toned, lean, and efficient. He appeared slender but his power was ready to explode.

But now he had bulked up. Not drastically, but enough to be noticeable. His frame was denser. His shoulders slightly broader. There was a hardened edge to his presence now.

Even his expression looked sharper.

‘Let’s see your powers…’

The water collapsed as Atticus dismissed it, his focus turning inward.

This felt nothing like the race art he had acquired during the Apex competition.

That technique had required him to become something else entirely, to alter his entire mana signature. In doing so, he lost access to every other ability.

But this… this was different.

This wasn’t something he was forcing onto himself.