The Perfect Environment

Will had been standing just beside him. He was filled with anticipation as the wave of mana washed over him, instantly connecting with his affinity for the metal element. As the wave settled around him, he felt a surge of warmth and familiarity, as if the metal element had unlocked a hidden part of his own being.

Lyra gazed at his companions with a mixture of excitement and fatigue in his dark eyes. He had hoped that Elemental Focus would prove to be beneficial for Will and Achilles as they were metal element cultivators, and it seemed that his expectations were met. There was something inexplicably profound in watching the transformation unfold before his eyes with Call of the Forest active. The fact that he was in harmony with the nature around him gave him an ephemeral feeling that made him feel as if he was more a spirit than a man of flesh.

As the wave of mana continued to spread, Lyra glanced around and saw Frozen Asgard ladies high above in the skies, their expressions shifting from surprise to amazement. It was as if their dormant connections to the metal element had been reignited, their affinities suddenly magnified. The air crackled with renewed energies, each cultivator growing more attuned to the very essence of metal.

All Frozen Asgard Maidens had to have Water and Metal Gates along with a negative energy constitution. Since they were mages and Truthseekers, they had great talent in the field of mental energy and in Truth manipulation as well. So they profiled very similarly to Will and his friends. Thus they understood just how valuable the current environment was to cultivators like them.

Now, Lyra's Elemental Focus increased the concentration of a specific element over a wide region. This resulted in a domino effect that improved multiple attributes.

Lisa squeezed her fist as she concentrated on the mana around her, "I'm confident that my ability to cast has improved. I can cast metal element spells at 6 times the output with a tenth of the casting speed."

"He isn't just increasing the element concentration, he is also affecting our soul force's ability to manipulate mana." Added Giselle.

"Doesn't that mean this spell can also increase affinity as well?"

The other mages were also amazed because buffs that increased elemental concentration in an area affinity were incredibly rare. Buffs that improved elemental affinity were even rarer.

"He is still immature, so the buff is indiscriminate, that's why we were also buffed. But this is not good news at all. This spell has changed the status quo." Giselle and the others trembled, their actions subconscious as they instinctively explored their heightened metal element affinities

It wasn't just the girls that were stunned, even Achilles was impressed, "Last time all it did was triple output and reduce the time needed to cast skill by a fifth. Now the effect has almost doubled! It also increases my own affinity temporarily as well. It couldn't do that last time. Could this be an effect of Call of the Forest and this environment?" No one replied to Achilles as they were too busy enjoying their newfound sense of power.

Will explored the sudden surge of energy coursing through his veins as his connection to the metal element deepened with each second. He could sense the raw power flowing through him, ready to be harnessed. Excitement mixed with uncertainty filled Will's mind as he realized the potential that lay before him.

"This combination of Call of the Forest plus Elemental Focus is ridiculous," Will exclaimed.

With his newfound affinity, he imagined all the possibilities for his future growth as a cultivator. He had always had a knack for resonating with metal, but now he could feel it on a whole new level.

"Bloodlust stems from the metal element. If I could use it now, the results would be insane." Will thought to himself as he considered the many possibilities.

As the wave of mana gradually subsided, Will glanced around and saw that the others wore similarly awestruck expressions. They too had experienced a horrendous amplification of their abilities and still had trouble adjusting.

Lyra grinned at Will with a knowing look. He recognized the spark of excitement in Will's eyes, the kind that only ignited when one discovered a deeper connection with their chosen element. Lyra approached him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I won't lie, I'm almost out of mana," he said with a hint of fatigue.

Will laughed and took an object out of his storage ring. It was a small pill that looked like an ordinary painkiller from Earth. Will threw it to Lyra who caught it in confusion.

"Eat it, trust me, you will like the effects. One of the gifts we got from storming the ogres and wiping the floor with those retards that attacked us after."

Lyra saw the pill and felt the rich dense mana within. Just holding the pill made him feel like he was already recovering. The mana was neutral and ownerless by nature, which was a hard trait to apply to a pill.

Lyra did not hesitate and instantly ate the pill. The moment he swallowed it, it turned into a warm torrent of energy that rushed through his spiritual passageways.

Lyra was stunned by the fact that his originally empty reserves started to fill up. Most pills only supplied World Energy, which needed to be converted into mana or qi over time. This pill on the other hand provided Lyra with pure mana that had no spiritual imprint, allowing him to refuel back to his peak condition within a few seconds.

"How do you feel champ?" asked Will with a cheeky grin.

"Like a million drachma."

Lyra had an uncharacteristic grin as he spoke. He was usually calm, but now he looked no different from an excited child.

"How long can you keep this Call of the Forest-Elemental Focus combo going?" asked Will.

Achilles raised a brow because one would expect Will to ask such a personal question via intent. Achilles got lost in his own thoughts as he tried to understand Will's reasoning, "Did he instruct Lyra to lie to fool the enemy? No…he is a straightforward Truthseeker, he wouldn't want to sully Lyra's state of mind with lies. Master either doesn't care, or he wants the ladies above to know. This will be amusing."

 Achilles was of quite a playful nature. He very much liked taking risks and flexing and appreciated Will's way of doing things.

Lyra pondered Will's question for a moment before replying. "I can continue for a few hours."

"Good, because I have 3 more of those pills. That means we can keep this going for about 2 hours. Achilles, use Guardian's Call [1] the moment they come out to give Lyra a chance to set up Mana Pool Connection. Once Metalos Surge is set up. Attract the stronger ones and leave the mobs to Lyra. Finish off the others using only True Strikes and Water Blade"

…

"Giselle, did I hear that correctly? Did he just say Metalos Surge and Mana Pool Connection?"

High above the trio, the ladies were having their own discussion via intent. Giselle wanted to answer Alison's question, but she still had to process what she had just heard. These were well-known spells often used by top-tier druid class wielders.

"If what they were saying down below is true, then he can use all four consecutively for an hour minimum. This man is born to be the ultimate offensive support mage!" Exclaimed Alison in admiration

Not only were these spells very effective across wide areas, they had great utility and could last for long periods. Their effects were also exaggerated under the right circumstances. Although druids had weak single target combat skills, they were excellent at fighting groups.

"Call of the Forest, Metalos Surge, Mana Pool Connection and a spell that can increase Elemental affinity. This man is a walking treasure trove of peak-tier spells. And he can keep all of these running. Who is that druid?"

Now the four women's attention was on the calm Lyra as he finished absorbing the energy within his body from the miraculous pill Will had just given him. Unfortunately, they could not gleam anything about him no matter how hard they looked. He did not wear any fancy materials, and he did not have any features of note. Achilles was also simply adorned, but his handsome appearance was still noteworthy.

More often than not, one's appearance correlated to the quality of their physique. It was rare to meet a prodigy who was unattractive. Although it was not a law that one's beauty was a metric for measuring talent, it was an accepted stereotype.

"Even that swordsman is quite charming when looked at objectively. If not for his insufferable mentality, he would be more pleasing to the eye." Noted Lisa as she carefully scanned Will. The man himself ignored the gaze directed at him and continued talking to his comrades. "I want you to use Mana Pool Connection with Achilles and Metalos Surge at the same time as Call of the Forest and Elemental Focus. Woodsy should have taught you how to cast them all at once and use them properly. If you use all four of these, how long can you keep up everything?"