Bloodbound Codex: I Grow Stronger in Secret

Once all four of them placed their hands on the petal, it glowed slightly before an unknown force belonging to the Laws entered their bodies. Atlas immediately recognized the sensation because he had already experienced something similar before, but this time he didn’t resist it and simply allowed the force to enter him.

He could feel the contract establishing a connection between all five of them before the sensation gradually disappeared, ’Hmm, I hadn’t asked what the consequences of refusing the terms in the contract were previously, but I guess they must be severe...’

Atlas turned toward the four Mermaids and narrowed his eyes slightly as Melina began explaining everything that had happened after they arrived on this barren World. He could immediately see the reaction on their faces as they listened to Melina explain their encounter with him.

Their eyes widened in pure shock and horror.

Even when they had only heard about the battle from Melina’s perspective, it was still enough to make them realize how completely outmatched she had been. The fact that Atlas had been able to resist her Law of Death, completely nullify her attacks and eventually force her into accepting a contract made them understand that they had encountered a dangerous existence.

Once Melina finally finished explaining everything, Atlas remained silent for a moment before speaking, ”Alright, now that that’s done, you all come with me to my World and explain all the critical information about the World Core, World Will, and more about the Galaxy to the people I will be taking you to.”

Melina’s expression immediately stiffened, she slowly turned toward Atlas with widened eyes and swallowed hard, ’A-A World where this monstrosity came from? D-Doesn’t that mean we are going into a monster’s den?’

The thought alone made her body tremble slightly. She had already experienced how terrifying Atlas could be, and now she was being told that she would have to enter the World where he lived? Wasn’t that just going on ’Death’s Door’ willingly?

Jest also swallowed hard after hearing about the battle between Atlas and Melina directly from her. The same thought immediately entered his mind, ’We’re actually going to his World...’

The other two Mermaids weren’t any different. Their bodies trembled slightly as they imagined what kind of World could produce someone like Atlas. They had already understood that Eliomor couldn’t possibly be an ordinary World if an existence like him had emerged from it, but they still couldn’t imagine what kind of place awaited them.

Melina suddenly gathered enough courage to speak, ”T-Then, Sir Atlas... C-Could we keep the World Core and take it with us? I-I don’t think you would need it, right?”

Atlas fell into thought after hearing her request, ’Hmm, it is something extremely valuable, and losing it might mean making a fool of myself when the opportunity is right in front of me. But...’

His eyes narrowed slightly, ’What if they exploit the power governing the Worlds somehow and uses it to target me? That wouldn’t violate the contract. I should first see how they do it, and when the time comes, I can simply take the Core from them.’

The thought quickly settled in his mind.

Atlas then looked at the four Mermaids and calmly replied as he pretended to speak the truth, ”Alright, you people can take the Core. I don’t need something like that. Knowledge about the Galaxy and everything related to it will be more than enough for me.”

The four Mermaids’ eyes immediately lit up, they had expected Atlas to refuse, especially after learning how valuable a World Core was. His willingness to give it to them without asking for anything in return immediately relieved some of the tension inside them.

However, another thought surfaced in all four of their minds at almost the same time, ’Someone this powerful came from a World where they don’t even know about the Galaxy and its basic things?’

The question bothered them.

Atlas was clearly powerful enough to make Melina, a Law user, surrender without being able to fight back, yet he seemed unfamiliar with something as fundamental as World Cores and the wider Galaxy. The contradiction was difficult for them to understand, but they quickly dismissed the thought.

It wasn’t their concern, they were already being forced to travel to whatever World Atlas came from, and thinking about his origins wasn’t going to give them any answers, ”T-Thank you, Sir Atlas. We needed the Core desperately because our World’s life force is nearing its end.”

Atlas narrowed his eyes slightly after hearing those words, ’Oh? A World’s life force also has an end? It isn’t indefinite as I thought...’ He silently stored that information in his mind before nodding.

”Let’s go for now, but before we leave...give me those two objects you found when you came here.” Melina immediately nodded.

She extended her hand and cut open the space in front of her. Two objects emerged from the spatial opening before slowly floating toward Atlas. One looked like a small piece of tree bark, while the other was a strange mirror. Atlas caught both objects and examined them carefully for several moments.

The two objects were clearly different from ordinary items, and the fact that Melina had called them Divine Relics made Atlas even more interested in them. However, he didn’t have enough information to determine their exact functions yet, so he decided that he would examine them properly after returning to Eliomor.

He then raised his hand and cut open the space beside him, a completely empty spatial storage area was created as he altered the logic of space, and then Atlas placed the two Divine Relics inside before closing the space again.

With that done, Atlas turned his attention toward the distant portal, ”Alright, now where is the Core?” he asked.

Melina immediately answered, ”It’s in the center of the World, where the temperature is as high as fifty million degrees Celsius because of the radiation of energy the Core emits.”

Atlas arched an eyebrow, ’Fifty million degrees Celsius...’

The number alone was difficult for him to imagine.

A temperature of that magnitude was far beyond anything an ordinary living being could withstand, and Atlas couldn’t help but wonder whether even SSS-rank or Ex-rank Explorers from Eliomor would simply be turned into ash if they entered the area, ’It’s obvious things will be this difficult. After all, it is an entire World’s Core.’

Atlas wasn’t going to underestimate something that represented the fundamental foundation of an entire World. If the Core were truly as important as Melina had explained, then protecting it with an environment that could kill most beings was only natural, ”Alright, I understand. Lead the way, then. After securing that Core, we will immediately go to my World.”

All four Mermaids nodded, ”Please follow us, Sir Atlas.”

The moment they finished speaking, all four vanished from their positions and began moving toward the center of the World. Atlas watched them leave for a moment before calmly following behind them.

He didn’t bother flying after them.

Instead, Atlas altered the logic of his senses, keeping track of their presences before altering the logic of space to immediately appeared beside the four Mermaids, matching their movement without difficulty.

The four of them glanced toward him at the same time, none of them had even noticed when he had arrived.