Atticus didn’t respond immediately, only inhaling deeply.

’Not if I can help it.’

Though not initially, Whisker had become an invaluable part of the people he cared about. Atticus wasn’t going to let him die, no matter what.

The moment he exhaled, his world turned purple. He reached out, enveloping Whisker within a violet dome.

’Let’s see what’s causing this...’

True Will or not, Nature Will was something Atticus was familiar with. Unlike Crown Will, a higher-level will entirely, it was still manageable.

Atticus delved deep into Whisker’s mind and quickly found the source.

An orb of green light twisted endlessly within the darkness, constantly writhing around itself like a living thing. As Atticus focused further, he noticed a much smaller light hidden deep within the larger one.

’His true will,’ Atticus realized.

Though still dormant and unawakened, it represented Whisker himself. His actual being.

Right now, the larger will — Nature Will — was attempting to impose control over the smaller one. Atticus could already imagine what would happen if it succeeded.

One’s sense of self would slowly erode until nothing remained except a mindless puppet wearing the shell of the original person.

Atticus was genuinely stunned.

This was only happening because Whisker’s Nature Will had evolved into the Third Crown.

So this...

This was the fate of all false willers who ascended high enough. To eventually become puppets of the true gods they served.

Atticus suppressed the thought, forcing his focus back onto the real issue.

That was what mattered right now.

’If that’s the true will, then...’

He pierced forward, driving through the Nature Will like a hot knife through butter. Stopping just before the smaller orb, Atticus spread his own will outward, attempting to disperse the surrounding Nature Will completely.

With it gone, the crisis should end.

Grip!

Atticus frowned.

An invisible force from the smaller orb suddenly pulled the dispersing Nature Will back together.

’He doesn’t want to let go.’

Atticus understood.

Dispersing the Nature Will would mean Whisker losing every single power he had accumulated until now. Especially since he hadn’t even awakened his true will yet.

Atticus’ mind fell silent, his frown gradually deepening. If Whisker himself was refusing to let Nature Will go, then how was he supposed to help him?

The situation was akin to a body desperately clinging to a cancer-ridden limb while the doctor tried to sever it. It was completely insane.

But somehow... Atticus wasn’t surprised.

Whisker had always been insane.

Atticus sighed.

’Let’s see.’

Countless calculations ran through his mind, ranging from forcibly dispersing Nature Will to suppressing it entirely.

Then suddenly... Atticus froze.

’What if...’

He delved deeper once more before stopping before the tiny orb that represented Whisker’s true will.

What he was considering was as simple as it was absurd.

True Will awakened when one fully discovered and aligned with their true self. It sounded simple, yet in reality it was anything but.

One had to cast aside everything preventing them from becoming who they truly were. Lingering attachments. Hesitation. Fear. Restraint.

A killer would fully become a killer.

A chaos-driven person would spread chaos without restraint.

Simple in explanation. Difficult in practice.

Especially for someone like Whisker, who had spent his entire life cultivating the will of another being. His true self had been neglected for countless years.

However, one of the greatest difficulties in awakening True Will stemmed from the process of self-discovery itself. Understanding who one truly was. What they represented. What they aligned with.

But what if Atticus bypassed that entirely? What if he directly helped Whisker discover his true self? Wouldn’t that drastically shorten the awakening process and make alignment significantly easier?

Atticus mulled over the risks in silence, running through countless possibilities within his mind before finally making his decision.

Anything was better than leaving Whisker to die.

A moment later, Atticus reached out toward the energies of the world around them.

This was the method he chose.

With his ability to harmonize and de-harmonize forces, he could essentially create any type of energy he desired. It was like possessing an endless color palette capable of producing infinite shades.

And in this case, Atticus intended to form different types of will energy until he found one that resonated with Whisker completely.

Of the near-infinite number of possibilities, Atticus quickly realized he had his work cut out for him.

Yet he simply exhaled and began shifting through different forms of energy.

A full day passed in a blur.

Then suddenly... the tiny orb pulsed.

Atticus froze, stopping himself from dispersing the newly formed energy. As he carefully stabilized it, the orb began pulsing even harder, almost violently.

Atticus smiled.

’I finally found it.’

The tiny orb resonated deeply with this new energy, almost like it had found a long-lost kin. Studying it more carefully, Atticus couldn’t help but nod inwardly.

Honestly... It suited Whisker perfectly.

Exhaling softly, Atticus guided the energy around the tiny orb. The moment it wrapped around it completely, the orb pulsed even more fiercely than before.

’Now... it depends on you.’

Atticus had essentially helped Whisker discover his true self without any uncertainty. But discovery alone wasn’t enough.

Whisker still had to align with it himself.

For now, the only thing Atticus could do was suppress the surrounding Nature Will long enough for Whisker to focus.

Emerging from the mindscape, Atticus found Ozeroth seated beside the bed exactly as he had left him, eyes wide open and body tense.

The man had clearly stood guard the entire time.

The moment Atticus moved, Ozeroth straightened immediately, an expectant look appearing on his face.

"Well?"

"I found a way," Atticus answered, already feeling exhaustion settling into his mind. Using Solvath’s power for such a prolonged period meant constantly enduring attacks against his psyche. It was draining.

"Whether it works or not depends entirely on him, though."

Atticus briefly explained his idea. A moment later, Ozeroth stared at him, blinking once, then twice.

"...That’s possible?"

Atticus shrugged.

"Apparently."

Ozeroth continued staring at him in silence. Atticus could practically feel the disbelief moving through the man, though he didn’t bother commenting on it. It was understandable.

After all, it wasn’t every day someone reduced the awakening of True Will into something that sounded suspiciously close to cheating.

Eventually, Ozeroth dragged a hand down his face before shaking his head bitterly.

"You’re actually insane, bond."

Then he looked back toward Whisker.

"It’ll work," he said with surprising confidence. "The man is lazy about almost everything, but if there’s one thing Whisker refuses to lose at, it’s enjoying himself. He’s too shameless to stay dead in such a pathetic state."

"Let’s hope so."

Atticus looked toward Whisker. As the seconds passed, color slowly began returning to the man’s pale face.

However... he still didn’t wake up.

Atticus took a seat, exhaustion weighing heavily on his mind.

"How long was I in there?"

"A day."

"Hm..." Atticus frowned slightly. "Somehow that feels both shorter and longe—"

Atticus froze.

His head snapped toward a particular direction, his eyes gradually turning cold.

"Stay with him."

"Bond, wha—"

Atticus vanished.