Michael and his crew were not the only observers with an interest in Will. One could even say they were not even at the top of the list in that regard. The one's that held that honour were an entirely different type of group.
They were a group of ten maidens wearing white robes with blue runic designs. If they were seen on earth they would be thought of as a cult due to how they presented themselves.
They were all incredibly beautiful, seemingly without a flaw. They came in different shapes and sizes. From different backgrounds and nations. But they all had one thing in common besides their appearance.
The stoic emotionless expression that threatened to stamp itself on their faces was a trademark of their organisation. A cold air pervaded the room. The arrogance these ladies possessed had already embedded itself into their blood. Hence stirring up their pride was no different from Incurring the wrath of a hornet's nest.
"I still can't believe there is an unknown man using our sect's skills."
"How do you know that he is a man? The Frozen Asgard Mask isn't simply a facial mask but a membrane that covers the entire body. It can help one change appearance among many things."
"Hercules introduced him as a man, isn't that trustworthy?"
"You are going to trust an Olympic deity? Since when can their words be trusted so easily? May Freya forgive you for your ignorance."
"We are logical, not fanatical. Senior Sister Francis always tells us not to let our emotions get in the way. You are letting past grudges speak for you."
These were sisters from The Frozen Asgard Sect. One of the major powerhouses of the cultivation world. They held a great monopoly over the Frozen Asgard Manual and its arts. They only accepted beautiful women with uniquely prideful disposition and negative energy physiques.
Negative energy physiques were extremely rare. More so among men. If only one in ten thousand women had one, then only one in ten million men did. Even if one had the physique, there were still requirements on one's mental prowess and calculative abilities.
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The sect was very heavy handed and conservative. They had power over many worlds and had countless smaller organisations under them. They looked down heavily upon men and most of their disciples were taught to love women only.. The rest were either bisexual or remained chaste for life. They rarely interacted with men, and when they did, it was usually for short moments.
If any man was found to be cultivating The Frozen Asgard Manual he would be seen as an enemy of the Frozen Asgard Sect.
This was a type of mindset that almost all maidens in the sect propagated. And this situation was no different.
Their sect was very secretive in nature, and rarely showed fights between its disciples to the outside world. They were quite united and rarely had any internal fighting observed by the outside world. So it was unpleasant for many of the girls there to see a man with such skill in ice magic utilising a spell most of them could not even utilise with a chant and all the time in the world.
"The Frozen Asgard Mask needs constant mana regulation and a large pool of mana. While Ymir's Fist requires high elemental mastery and a great amount of foundational knowledge. To cast it chantless is a sign that the man is already well versed in The Frozen Asgard Arts."
The speaker was a tall and graceful figure with a veil. Her face was covered by a thin and transparent cloth, but there was no denying her charm. She was the most visually impactful of the group and held great sway. The other perked up their ears and threw down their airs when she spoke.
The maiden continued on, "Junior Sister Francis is about to fight. Many of you look up to her, but I advise you to focus on the opponent. He is obviously just as skilled as she is in magic, so many of you can learn from observing him. Put down your pride and keep both eyes open. I am confident that even Francis will seek to learn from her foe. I am no different. I will do the best I can to observe and try to find out who his teacher is. But brace yourselves, Francis could be in for a tough fight."
"Senior Sister Natasha is right. We can't be complacent! Let's find out who this pretender is!"
"Exactly! We will be careful not to underestimate him Senior Sister."
"Understood sister, but I am confident in Senior Sister Francis' chances. It's not like he learned from the All-Father himself."
"Indeed, his strength will have limits because of his origins. A small independent Lord can't surpass a certain threshold in the Conquest System."
The sisters all responded differently to Natasha but they did so with a certain modicum of respect. The only reason Natasha was not taking part was because she liked to keep a low profile and felt the gains of this mission were best suited for her Junior, Francis.
Among the youngest generation of Frozen Asgard Maidens she was among the most influential. Even the Emperor of a MIddle World had to speak to Natasha with a certain degree of respect.
As Will entered the Arena, the girls focused and quieted down. They were hoping that their sister would win, because Will was not the only foe to worry about.
"Have faith sisters. Junior Sister Francis will not lose."
"Yes sister!"
…
The fighters stood opposite each other in an oddly still manner. They had slowly walked to the center at the same time and took positions under Hercules' form. Will and his opponent did not do much and simply kept quiet.
Hercules' giant figure pointed at Will, "You are all familiar with him now so I won't waste many words on him. One of the tournament favourites and a Truthseeker of the Frozen Asgard Arts, Peerless Dao Master!"
The crowd cheered with great joy and went into a frenzy of shouts. Will's clean and efficient display earlier had won the respect of many. Especially mages. Will had been able to shut down an Eternal Night Assassin with little to no effort at all.
But the opponent he faced this time would not be so simple.
"But his opponent is no one to scoff at either. She is a candidate for one of the Valkyrie positions in the Frozen Asgard Sect's youngest generation. She needs no flashy introduction, she is Francis van der Merwe!"