Will Joins The Fray

"You did your job; now it's time for me to do mine."

Will's words carried a unique force that relieved Achilles and Lyra of a great mental burden. The duo had felt fear thanks to witnessing the mere form of the Agonized Banshee, but now that their leader was here, they felt confident again.

"The reason I'm really impressed is the fact that you were able to last through the 3rd wave without adding me to the Mana Pool Connection. I expected you to improve your understanding of concepts, but I didn't think Merlin and Woodsy had taught you so well."

Will, Letty, Alice, and Duke were busy forming and finalizing The Centralized Tripartite Soul Brethren Contract [1], hence they were unable to observe the training Woodsy and Merlin gave Achilles and Lyra. Tobias was staying at Tsimikas and had plenty of time to learn from them. Hence more time and resources were given to Lyra and Achilles.

Will only had a rough idea of what the duo could do after a report from the two Dragonheart Supreme Candidates. Woodsy was especially good at analysis and had even taken point in advising on who should focus on what concept. It was still up to Achilles and Lyra to choose, as only they knew which universal laws they resonated with.

Lyra and Achilles, though still fatigued, revealed expressions of contentment. They were indeed proud of the fact that they did not need help from him during the wave.

Above the trio, the Frozen Asgard Maidens had ghastly expressions because this conversation did not make sense to them at all.

Sophia couldn't resist her curiosity and turned to Alison, the library of the quartered, and asked, "Hey, does Mana Pool Connection benefit those that are added to the spell, right?"

Alison nodded with a grim expression on her face.

"Then why is Solitary talking as if his joining would benefit the others instead?"

Alison thought for a moment and said, "The only time someone joining the Mana Pool Connection becomes the benefactor instead of the beneficiary is…" Alison failed to continue her sentence and remained silent. She did have a response for this, but it was so unbelievable she found it hard to say, so she held back out of fear of sounding ridiculous.

Giselle witnessed her comrade's unsettled expression and decided to answer on her behalf, "Is when the new addition to the connection has a greater quantity of mana than the entire mana pool itself."

Sophia looked horrified as she realized the implications of these words. Alison had been hesitant, but after receiving confirmation from Giselle and realizing that her worst fear had been true, she felt a bit of despair. Mana Pool Connection allowed the caster to create an unstable source of mana that taps into the ambient World Energy. It was like a water tank that had a constant supply of water. The longer the Mana Pool is active, the greater its capacity.

This Mana Pool had been active for an hour; hence it was considerably large. Giselle could not quantify it, but after seeing how greatly it improved Achilles and Lyra's combat power, she derived a value in her own mind.

"According to my calculations, that mana pool must be capable of refilling Lyra and Achilles 5 times at the very least."

This time, Lisa's face also became grim. If Giselle's words were to be believed, this meant that Will had a mana capacity equal to 5 sets of Achilles and Lyra.

These two had just reached level 99, so their energy capacities had also improved as well. They were geniuses with the potential to rival the maidens themselves. Yet Solitary insinuated that his energy capacity was ten times the amount; this was absurd!

What made it worse was that Lyra and Achilles accepted his statement as if it were the most natural logic. This was what truly disturbed the girls. The ladies were affected, but they recovered because there was something else grabbing their attention.

The Agonized Banshee, a monstrous entity, towered over the frozen riverbank, casting a chilling aura of death that permeated the air. Its humanoid form, standing at a staggering 100 meters tall and dozens of meters wide, exuded an unsettling presence like that of a lich king adorned in regalia befitting a necromancer. As it let out ear-splitting screeches, supernatural phenomena manifested around it, sending shivers down the spines of those who dared to stand against it.

Leading an army of 1000 Devastated Banshees, each with poisonous claws and a frigid, deathly aura, the Agonized Banshee commanded the forces with an air of authority that instilled fear and submission in those who faced it. The yin qi released by the banshees brought the temperature to well below freezing, freezing the riverbank and killing off any weak life that crossed their path.

As the Devastated Banshees encircled the three men in the centre of the riverbank, the Agonized Banshee, with an ominous and disdainful air, floated above them, exuding a tyrannical aura that made it clear that submission or death were the only options. The banshees moved with an organized precision, a stark contrast to their previous guerrilla tactics, foretelling the impending danger that loomed over the three men.

Facing the Banshee, Will felt his blood boil as he tightened his grip on his sword, while Lyra and Achilles struggled to resist the spiritual attacks brought on by the screams of the monstrous entity. It was a battle against not only the physical forces but also against the overwhelming psychological and spiritual onslaught brought forth by the Agonized Banshee and its army of Devastated Banshees.

Will remained unfazed facing this onslaught and calmly eyed his target. "Lyra, add me to the Mana Pool," Will commanded. The druid responded by waving his hands and applying Will as a target. As soon as Will was added to the Mana pool, a great change occurred!

Achilles and Lyra felt a flood of Mana and Qi enter them through the mana pool, reinvigorating them greatly. They were so surprised they became silly for a moment. They quickly regained their wits about them, however, thanks to another sudden change. A large amount of spiritual energy flooded the mana pool and reinvigorated the duo more. Their minds and souls felt as if they had received a tonic of the greatest quality.

Their vessels even felt a subtle improvement in terms of quality, making them feel much stronger than before. Due to the unexpected flood of energies, the duo momentarily lost control of their cultivation, allowing their mana and Qi to leak out.

The Frozen Asgard ladies watched helplessly as Lyra and Achilles returned to peak condition within a matter of seconds. Their auras rose with undaunted momentum while their mental energy fields released fluctuations that could be felt from a large distance.

The World Energy around the Trio of Will, Lyra, and Achilles seemed to submit before them before being devoured into the mana pool.

"Solitary's presence has increased the pool's ability to absorb and transport energy! This means his spiritual vessels are of a very high standard! Possibly an S Rating!"