The same stunned silence gripped the people watching from USOV's command center, even the director himself had barely any mouth for words.
"Is that a summoning skill? He has that too?" Grey spoke to himself, his voice slightly above a whisper. The analysts watching from their terminals exchanged glances of disbelief, their previous assessments of Liam crumbling before their eyes. Summoning-type visors were not very common, and the best an average visor could achieve was only one summon with a relatively low level.
A skilled visor, or one considered a prodigy, could only summon three mythical creatures. Prior to now, that had been the highest recorded amount of summons, achieved by someone who currently was on the Ranking Board as a High-Ranked visor. Liam currently had five at his disposal, making him a visor even more skilled at summoning than anyone on record. It is important to note that summoners, much like Liam, entered into contracts with creatures as the first step to being able to summon them into the field.
With the descent of Liam's summons onto the battlefield, the Houndkeeper's beasts began snarling. Their massive bodies tensing with violent anticipation as all they waited for was the signal commanding them to devour the targets standing before them. The Houndkeeper materialized an elegant, long-shafted polearm with a large leaf-shaped spearhead on its right arm, stepping backward slightly to assess the new threat.
Liam stretched his hand out, causing his inventory screen to materialize as he pulled Storm-Edge from it. Lightning sparked around the withdrawal itself. He drew the sword completely, and with his electrical energy coursing through it, the longsword glowed differently—it radiated a silvery-blue electric energy
[Attack power: 30 → 80]
"Woah!" Due to Liam's natural affinity with the blade, he had unlocked its true potential, causing the attack stats to go up nearly 200%. The Houndkeeper stretched his lance forward toward Liam, a command for his gigantic wolves to ravage and attack the enemy. They all charged simultaneously, their massive limbs leaving craters in the ground as they moved with devastating force. Liam pointed his sword forward. "Get 'em." His summons rushed forward as well. It instantly became a war of monsters.
Ragar hurtled forward, going toe-to-toe with one of the beasts as his enormous claws clashed against the snapping jaws and razor-sharp teeth of a giant wolf. Two other wolves managed to flank him, but the Serpent lunged like lightning, its colossal body coiling around one wolf and attempting to crush it with the metallic force behind its scaled skin. The muscle boost skill Liam had shared with it further increased its strength, enabling it to contend against an A-level threat beast despite being only B-rank itself.
[Unity Weaving → Muscle Boost]
The other wolf attacking Ragar's flank was immediately blown backward by a powerful gust of wind released by Pip, sending it crashing through a building on the left side and emerging on the other end in a shower of debris.
Lazark's speed was incredible. Moving faster than one of the approaching wolves, twin blades gripped expertly in his hands, he weaved skillfully around their ankles, making precise slashes and cuts wherever he could reach. The wolves' skin was thick and could withstand certain attacks, but Lazark's damage output had been enhanced by Liam's active Unity Weaving skill.
[Unity Weaving → Crit Hit]
The Unity Weaving skill allowed Liam to share his abilities with his summons, and he had shared his Critical Hit skill with his ice elf, Lazark. This not only increased the damage output of each cut but also enhanced the paralysis and bleed effects by thirty percent. The wolf staggered and writhed in pain before becoming completely paralyzed, collapsing to the ground, unable to continue fighting.
The final wolf was handled by the Goblin Emperor, which floated above the battlefield. It waved its staff toward an abandoned vehicle, causing the car to levitate before slamming it into the last wolf that attempted to pounce on Lazark. The impact struck the beast mid-air, sending it flying several meters away. The goblin king utilized Liam's Sovereign Hands skill to telekinetically manipulate objects at that level, it was also the same ability that allowed it to float through the air.
[Unity Weaving → Sovereign Hands]
Team C observed the battle unfolding with bizarre surprise. It was clear that Liam had never truly needed their help from the beginning, especially as his summons gained the upper hand so effortlessly.
"He's like a…" Amir started, and as if Elaine was plucking the words from his mind, she completed the thought: "…a one-man army." Sarah made no comments, simply watching in silent amazement.
Liam's summons emerged victorious. Ragar successfully defeated his opponent wolf with a devastating punch that sent it tumbling. Pip gracefully maneuvered around her giant adversary, delivering counterattacks in the form of concentrated wind strikes. One after another, the beasts fell through the combined efforts of the summons and the additional power Liam shared with them.
However, they were careful not to kill any of the creatures or leave them with unrecoverable wounds. This restraint came from Liam's will and desires, which had been transmitted directly into their minds as they fought. Liam had planned to turn the wolves into his own summons, and what good would that serve if they were dead?
The Houndkeeper had been watching throughout the battle. It hadn't intervened on behalf of its creatures, keeping its focus locked on Liam instead. It somehow recognized that Liam was exceptionally strong, and if it, the Houndkeeper took its eyes off him to intervene in any of the fights where its hounds were being defeated, that momentary slip could cost it dearly.
Liam glanced at a UI screen displaying a timer showing how long he could maintain his summons. Currently, it showed a maximum of twenty minutes for each creature. More than half the time remained, but with his summons having gained the upper hand, he decided to dismiss the summoning. The final battle would be between him and the Houndkeeper alone, especially as he wanted to have some fun too.
"Now," he muttered, "let's dance."