The description was plain and simple, and Jonathan already knew what to do with it.

“Take it,” he said to Edgar. “You need it a lot more than I do. You might even be able to fix your problem with it.”

Instead of arguing, the other man swallowed his pride, and nodded. He picked up the orb, and it dissolved into a cloud of radiant motes. They sank into the man’s flesh, and he fell over, into a meditative state.

Meanwhile, Jonathan opened up his new skill description.

You have gained a new skill!

Void Slipstream:Epic

The benefits of power are many, but so are the downsides. One of the most noticeable is the effect that you have on the world around you. Even Tier 2s can cause sonic booms and shockwaves simply by moving. In order to live without destroying everything in your vicinity, or at least causing a nuisance of yourself, this must be rectified. By channeling the destructive aspects of the Void into the air around you, you can create a shell of disintegration that removes anything that might stand in your way.

The skill was the first non Legendary or greater Void related skill that he had acquired. Normally, the addition of something like the Void would catapult the rarity of a skill, but in this case, the effects were quite niche. They were certainly useful, but not game changing. At a higher level of mastery, he would likely be able to erase more than just the air, but for now, he was happy with the gains. As he waited for Edgar to finish with the orb, he started to train his Mana Manipulation skill. It had been neglected somewhat recently in favor of his other, more easily developable skills.

As he watched his mana core rotate serenely within his mindspace, he started to contemplate the nature of his mana. He had reached Journeyman Rank through his discovery of external and aspected mana, and the next stage was likely a continuation of that. Perhaps something to do with controlling mana that was not his own. The idea was simply enough in theory, but would be a nightmare to pull off. He would need to be able to control mana with different aspects to his own, while still working around the constraints of his True Affinity. Even worse, he would have to somehow connect his mana with the world around him. Even when he used his abilities like Mana Saber, what he was actually doing was extending his mana’s presence out beyond the confines of his body. He wasn't controlling the mana in the air.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

As he contemplated the way forward, he let his mind wander, searching for the truths that were so frustratingly elusive.

Some time later, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He opened his eyes, and turned, to see nothing there. Frowning, Jonathan tilted his head towards Edgar, who was smiling widely. Suddenly, a figure appeared out of the air in front of him, made from wind. Its hand rested on his shoulder.

“I take it that you managed to figure out what was holding you back?” Jonathan asked.

“Yes. The orb allowed me to analyze my life up until his point, providing me with hints and suggestions. It turned out that the problem was my intent. Elemental energy requires a firmer hand than I have been using on it thus far.”

The man seemed to be far happier than before, and his previously sullen mood had vanished. In all honesty, Jonathan did not begrudge the man for his feelings of inferiority. It would have been infuriating to constantly be in another’s shadow, in a dungeon where your talents were completely countered for the most part.

“How exactly does this intent help you though?”

“My elemental constructs have a lot more potential than I was letting them have. Each element is different in this regard, but the wind has a spark of freedom and life within it that lends naturally to autonomy. That’s where this summon came from,” Edgar replied, pointing at the spectral figure. “Quite a drain in combat, but proof of concept for my improvement.”

“Interesting. Perhaps I might be able to do the same with my Voiid powers at some point in the future,” Jonathan replied. With a glance at Edgar, he selected the option to travel to the next floor.

With Edgar’s newfound power in the realm of elemental control, they breezed through the next few floors. He was even better at crowd control now, and was finally able to hold his own in one on one combat. His attacks were more focused than before, and they were able to do a lot more damage to previously untouchable targets. Meanwhile, Jonathan simply kept improving naturally, and his Void powers made up the rest of the gap. The leveling speed was slow now, slower than it had been before, but it was still there. By the time they had reached the fortieth floor, Jonathan was at level 185.

Every floor was now akin to a tiny world, complete with its own storyline and sapient inhabitants. However, they took little time to savor this, in favor of butchering their way through the dungeon. Jonathan could almost taste the power waiting for him at the peak of the tier. It was intoxicating. The only thing that would stop him at that point from ascending to Tier 3 was the mana density of the world. Even with his rune, he would simply take too much power. He would slowly suck the atmosphere around him dry of mana, eventually running out. He would need to beat Granath at his own game.

Quite a few treasures were scooped up by the men, in hope that they could be used to shore up the power of the city defenders. Jonathan had already reached his maximum number of natural treasures, but they could always be given to others. Eva had a few set aside for her, and a few of the stronger members of the guard forces had some as well.