Solitary Sword Sovereign Part 2

Worthy of the Name

Hercule's large frame materialized in the skies above and put an end to the proceedings.

"And the winner is, Peerless Dao Master!"

No one mocked the name anymore. No one had the time to waste on such thoughts. The image of Will standing straight in front of a fainted bloody Gianluigi Remus had captured everyone's attention as if it was a Vanishing Point itself.

Will had already stopped taking in intent. But he was now receiving more attention than ever.

"Gianluigi lost! He actually lost!"

No one would remember who said these words, but everyone would remember the fact that Gianluigi Remus lost to an unknown mage under level 100, even after using an Omnidirectional True strike and The Unrelenting Hunt.

"This is unbelievable! He actually managed to seal an Omnidirectional True Strike! From a transformed child of Remus!"

"How did he do this? Something was odd about this match, I can't put my finger on it, but I'm sure Peerless did something!"

Others had already contacted friends and allies from across the universe

"It was a Frozen Asgard array that was set up in mid-battle to boost Mjolnir's Lockdown!"

"I don't care if talking is hard because of time dilation. You need to hear these details!"

"At first I thought he was connected to Loki but it turns out to be The Odinson! No, I don't know if there's actually a relationship between the two but who cares, how many people can commune with the Odinson without having some sort of connection with him!"

"He didn't use any Higher Power. Although he did something odd to the intent in the arena, I couldn't quite tell what. I will send you footage of an analysis. Don't miss a single detail!"

"I don't know what to make of it myself. They spent a long time posturing. I'm not sure why, but it definitely affected the result of the match. No, he actually used the array to gather energy with multiple attributes from the environment. He should almost be empty right now. He will lose to Rijkaard, but he has grabbed enough attention "

"For the last time, The Unrelenting Hunt was at full power! As for whether or not he is a Hydromancer I'm not sure, but that was Hydrolytic Fission. This was also the first time he spoke. His voice was probably tampered with in some way so don't trust the recordings. Focus more on the Omnidirectional True Strike. We might be able to learn something from that."

Multiple conversations of all sorts filled with surprise, indignation, thrill, and befuddlement filled the arena as the crowd failed to fully comprehend what they saw. There was simply too little information to work with and not enough time. Many were tempted to stop watching the other matches and simply analyze this match. There were many things to take away from what had just happened.

Gianluigi's Omnidirectional True Strike was imperfect and the Truth was slightly unstable. Compared to one launched by a high leveled expert, this one was much easier to analyze. Although it would be a stretch to say it was easy to reverse engineer, many Truthseekers would benefit from observing its use.

Frozen Asgard Arts like Valhalla Path and spiritual summoning spells that summon divinity were already a feast for the eyes. But these were even more impossible to copy and could only be used under extreme circumstances with the appropriate cultivation manual and physique. Whereas any talented Truth Seeker could unleash an Omnidirectional True Strike. Truthseekers were rare, but this was after all a gathering of Truth practitioners

Will walked steadily to the open exit amidst the cheers of the crowd, but it was not an easy journey.

"Yeah, Peerless walked out uninjured, that's the real kicker- eh? Wait, something's happening!"

The crowd went stupid as they saw a sight that was hard to comprehend. Will's pure white Frozen Asgard Mask membrane started to change color rapidly. It went from white to pink. Within seconds it changed to red, changing quickly into a dark shade of crimson.

The membrane started to deform, molten wax flowing down a blood-red candle. The wax-like membrane melted to the ground as Will's figure left behind a trail of what could only be described as a bloody path of pain.

Hercules stopped pumping weights as his eyes sharpened with a knowing gaze.

'His body was damaged by his movements. His energy pathways are all drained and damaged, causing him to lose control of the spell.'

Adelda could not help but frown at what was happening. Will had indeed come out victorious. He had achieved quite a bit in the battle. Successfully treading onto the Dao of Perspective. But it had come at a great cost.

'Maintaining the Vanishing Point and absorbing all that intent damaged his mind. It's no longer pure. Maintaining continuous use of spells under parallel casting overdrafted his soul. Moving at high speeds and becoming a host for violent divine energy damaged his body. All three of his vessels must be screaming in agony. He has shortened his lifespan with this.'

"The universe is fair. Especially to the gifted."

Odin's voice brought Adelda out of her stupor.

"He is a savant. Talent so great it causes harm to his overall state of being. Ulysses Rijkaard would be dead had he not had multiple seals placed on him. Even someone as gifted as Modus was only able to rise due to being restricted in a certain way. But in return, one gains great power."

Adelda could not help but frown as she saw Will walk, "But he is a mortal in a perilous situation. Lifespan is almost impossible to regain. I doubt you or Lord Modus would invest resources for lifespan on a mere mortal. His only hope of extending his lifespan is now-"

"Becoming stronger. Evolving, growing, and learning. Only by doing these will he grow. He is not my child, nor is he my obligation. He is a means to an end. Something the boy himself is aware of. He knows he is merely a piece. But I am not evil. He will reach his potential. As long as he impresses me in the next matches, I will improve his chances of survival."

Adelda was now somewhat attached to Will and felt saddened watching the boy suffer. She did not believe he could come out of this unscathed. Especially considering his next opponent. Odin was a master of teaching cultivation and the mystic way. But even he had limits. Will might be a savant, but an injured savant was useless. No matter how much she cared about the mortal lad, she was still responsible for nurturing him on Modus' behalf.

Alas, it was also Modus who brought in Odin, so he was effectively her supervisor and superior. In every way imaginable.

'Just a Veritas Core scion got him this damaged. What will Ulysses, a boy worth a hundred Core scions, do?'