Mercedes' Frustration

At another location, just outside the poisonous miasma, the rest of the Spectralian Group had made camp and were waiting to hear news of their companions. Odysseus and the other Olympians practised military drills, while the others were allowed to do as they wished so long as they remained alert and near the base.

"How is this possible?"

Seated within her tent, frustration etched across her features, Mercedes voiced her exasperation aloud. Natasha and the others had been gone for far too long, leaving her on edge. According to their plan, a teleportation circle should have been established by now, allowing Mercedes and her contingent to join them and provide much-needed support. However, a vexing delay had thrown a wrench in their carefully orchestrated plans. Palmer had briefed her on the general situation earlier, but the silence since then had left her unnerved.

All Mercedes had been able to discern was the relentless slaughter taking place. The torrents of experience cascading towards them indicated the sheer magnitude of monsters being vanquished.

Fafnir's True Grave, their current location, lay nestled alongside a riverbank near a sprawling lake at the base of the dungeon's towering peak. In stark contrast, Fafnir's cave awaited them atop the mountain. While the grave held a slightly higher elevation, it was from that same direction that the glimmers of light, symbolizing experience, emanated.

"Take a deep breath, Mercedes. The others are dealing with a horde of banshees as we speak. My people have been keeping tabs on the situation. Just a few thousand banshees and some experience. No need to fuss," Narcissus nonchalantly reassured, his gaze fixated on his own reflection shining back at him.

Ulysses frowned at Narcissus' casual tone, unable to shake the wariness that tinged his perception of the man. The memory of Narcissus dispatching the Silver Sword Fiends with ease, utilizing the enigmatic spell One in Ten Thousand, remained ingrained in his mind. Such a powerful ability required exceptional skills and experience. Although Narcissus seemed disengaged most of the time, there was an underlying danger that emanated from him, making Ulysses cautious.

"This mortal possesses an astuteness beyond his appearances. He subconsciously senses my uniqueness among the others," Narcissus observed to himself, the weight of Ulysses' wary glances not fazing him in the slightest. His mission, guiding Will, was progressing precisely as planned. Narcissus couldn't be bothered by Ulysses' suspicions.

The remaining members of their group, just like Mercedes, couldn't help but be stunned by the constant flow of experience showering upon them. It was undeniable that Natasha's group must be on an unparalleled killing spree. Yet, only the general-level characters, along with Narcissus, possessed the knowledge of their comrades' achievements. The rest remained in the dark, their curiosity and astonishment mounting.

"Where the hell is all this experience coming from? Is this experience from Natasha's group or Peerless' men? This distinction holds great significance," Mercedes pondered aloud, her nails now becoming the unfortunate victims of her mounting frustration.

Killing Intent flashed in Mercedes' for a brief moment before she reclined in her chair and closed her eyes. Her servants continued to fan her and attend to her while the other cultivators idled away, waiting for orders.

"If this is the handiwork of Peerless' men, then I must reassess my judgment of the man. But rest assured, Peerless, I will personally bring about your downfall," she resolved, her thoughts resolute, as she prepared herself for the uncertain future that awaited.

…

When the battle between Lyra, Achilles, and the Banshees reached its peak, a slight change occurred that the four maidens above noticed.

Lyra and Achilles' attacks on the banshees seemed to be becoming stronger with time. This was not a matter of the two men using different skills or spells. They were using the same abilities, but there was a significant change!

Lisa's eyes narrowed as she focused on Achilles' figure as he slashed his sword. A small fluctuation of the Dao could be sensed every time Achilles struck a banshee. This fluctuation gave rise to a feeling of extreme sharpness.

"This man, he has started applying the Sharpness Concept to his sword strikes!"

The other maidens nodded in acknowledgement as they gazed at Achilles' smooth movements. A sword hum, somewhat akin to a high-pitched whistle, was released outward one out of every handful of strikes Achilles made.

"That sword hum is a sign of one using the Sharpness Concept. Since he can apply this concept so often, it means he is in tune with the Dao of metal and the Dao of the sword. The fact that he has managed to apply a concept once out of every 6 or 7 tries before reaching level 99 has earned him the title of a prodigy."

In the cultivation world, a prodigy was one capable of achieving level 125. Level 100 and level 125 were the quantitative and qualitative evolutions of cultivations in the system. Concepts were a key point of the level 125 qualitative evolution. If one could apply concepts to their abilities before reaching level 125, they would be acknowledged as having great potential. Lower Worlds were typically led by those under level 100, while Middle Worlds were typically led by those under level 125. Achilles had revealed the potential to rule a low-tier Middle World. This put his level of talent on the same tier as Frozen Asgard Valkyrie Candidates!

"It's not just him who has understood a concept."

Alison's words caught the others' attention as the divine swords Lyra had summoned became more impactful. Their speed was the same, but the strikes they performed had greater destructive power with each blow. Like with Achilles, they released faint fluctuations of the Dao with each hit, alerting others to the presence of a Concept. His swords were originally intimidating, but their presence became even heavier, and their strikes stronger.

"This is the Armament Concept!" Lisa added.

Most naturally occurring metals were hard by nature. Not only that, they were malleable and volatile, allowing them to be freely shaped. Metals were used to fortify in construction. They were used to create strong shields. A coating of metal could increase the durability and defence of any object, while a metal skeleton could improve the structural integrity of any large-scale construction!

The Armament Concept was extremely useful. It not only improved inner and outer defence, but also improved damage output, as metals made for useful weapons as well.

"It is said that a level 125 cultivator that has mastered the Armament Concept can make an ordinary wooden toothpick pierce gold even without infusing a single iota of energy." Sophia gulped as she recalled a rumour she had once heard. 

Lyra's Metalos Surge Blades rained down with reckless abandon, reaping the lives of the banshees without much resistance. Lyra's application of concepts was better than Achilles' application, and this was visible because his damage output had surpassed Achilles.

"Why is the druid's concept application stronger? Is it because Armament is a higher-tier concept than Sharpness?" asked Sophia.

Giselle shook her head and responded, "Concepts are a cultivator's ability to resonate with the Dao and apply universal laws. Most concepts are the same in terms of tier. Although Armament is rarer and has more uses, its tier isn't so high that it passes Sharpness by much.

In actuality, Armament's slightly higher tier makes it more difficult to apply than Sharpness. Also, the druid is multi-tasking and applying one concept across multiple weapons while Achilles is applying a simpler concept on one weapon. What the druid is doing should be much more difficult."

Sophia tilted her head in confusion and replied, "Doesn't that mean the druid is amazing?"

"While the Druid is impressive, the warrior's Sharpness Concept is more suited to fighting one opponent, while the Druid's Armament concept is more suitable for fights against mobs. This puts the druid at an advantage. The druid is practically omniscient on this battlefield thanks to Call of the Forest, thus his sensory input is much higher, allowing his energy control and attack efficiency to surpass the warrior.

In actuality, although the warrior's Sharpness concept is weaker and less versatile, it has more potential for growth due to its simple yet extreme nature.

If they were fighting a single opponent strong enough to fight both of them one on one, the warrior would actually be at a much better advantage." Giselle's analysis of the situation left Sophia impressed. The fact that Lyra and Achilles had so much potential despite not yet being level 99 spoke volumes about their potential. Such characters were normally treated as inheritors in many low and mid-tier organizations.

Achilles and Lyra ignored the ladies above and focused on the battle at hand. They revelled in using concepts, and with each moment, they experienced growth in using each concept in a way that suited them.

Achilles' sword strokes became faster and swifter as the Sharpness concept reduced the air resistance his blade faced, while Lyra's Armament concept allowed the Metalos Blades to be used as shields as their large size made it easy to block attacks. Lyra was now using the floating Metalos Surge Blades to also block attacks for Achilles, allowing the latter to have greater freedom and focus more on attack.

A few moments later, the last of the third wave was over. With a swift blow, Achilles decapitated a Devastated Banshee with a True Strike imbued with Sharpness, while Lyra finished off the remaining Banshees with a shower of Metalos Surge Blades from the skies!