Not wanting to leave out Hushar from this boon, he took the others back to Mire with the token, letting them experiment with their new abilities on the local monsters. In the time since they had left, the small town had been fortified against invasion by Hushar. In the sky, small elemental clones of Edgar watched, ready to alert the defenders to any attack. Although it was far cruder than the city back in the Ash Heaps that they had made their base in, it represented more concentrated power than existed in that entire realm.

Hushar was roaming the surrounding mudflats, looking for prey to develop insight upon his new class. Meanwhile, Edgar was meditating upon his element, drifting ever closer to his goal of creating a True Affinity with the Air. He was drawing nearer and nearer, and he would likely achieve his goal before the end of Tier 3. He cracked one eye open as his sentinels noticed the arrival of the party, and made his way over, flying on wings of wind.

“How did things go in Tartarus?” The man asked, wind still swirling around his body.

“We chanced upon a hidden elemental spirit, who gave the Uthraki a boon,” Jonathan replied. “I did not partake, given my True Affinity.”

“Yes, we were greatly strengthened by it. We returned to offer the same to Hushar,” Maranta added.

“What exactly did you get from the boon?”

“A twenty percent increase to elemental cultivation of Fire, as well as a smaller boost to the potency of that element when we wield it.”

“I would kill for such boosts to my elemental cultivation,” Edgar replied, an uncharacteristic note of fervor in his voice. His pursuit of the Air was somewhat of a religious occupation for him. “Alas, it is not to be. I will have to wait to find my own elemental spirit.”

“I hope I find one too, but I have my doubts,” Jonathan said. After all, the Void was not a common element.

The others drifted off, to practice with their new abilities, and Edgar to continue his cultivation. Meanwhile, Jonathan got to work with his new weapons. Running through a few weapon forms in his mind, which he basically lifted out of the ether with his heightened intelligence, he started to practice using the club and the mace in a variety of ways. He was able to imagine fake opponents coming from all directions, with a variety of speeds and strengths. He moved in and out, using his weapons to block and attack.

His motions were crude at first, but he slowly got the hang of such mental practice. Using a weapon was fundamentally different from using his fists, as he did not have the same sort of tactile control over them. The weapon itself extended out for a few feet beyond his hand, meaning that he had to adjust to it. While this would not have been a problem normally, surprisingly enough, his Journeyman Rank in Martial Arts seemed to make it harder to pick up unrelated martial disciplines. It would get easier the more he learned, but it was quite annoying.

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Eventually, Hushar returned, right as Jonathan was going through an especially involved five way battle between himself and four spearmen. The Uthraki simply watched him battle, a curious expression on his face.

“What exactly are you hoping to accomplish there, lord? Are there unmoored spirits in this town?”

“Oh, Hushar. No, I was merely training. I am aiming for a combination skill of a few different blunt weapon types.”

“I haven’t heard of such combination skills before. Is this something unique to you?”

“No, I discovered it by bringing three synergistic skills to Journeyman Rank. Doing so allowed me to combine them into one, more powerful skill. I am attempting to do so with the rest of my skills.”

“That sounds intriguing. Perhaps I should attempt to create one for myself.”

“I agree. All of my allies should have as much power as they can get their hands on. After all, we face against a challenge that has remained unbeaten for the history of this universe.”

Hushar nodded. “Yes. Now, I saw the others practicing with what looked to be new flame related powers. What exactly happened when you were in Tartarus?”

“Right. I was waiting for you to return to explain that. In Tartarus, we happened upon the resting spot of an elemental spirit, which was tasked by the System to act as the arbitrator of a trial to improve Fire related elemental powers. I don’t know what the trial entails, as I followed a different element, but Tukar, Maranta and Bordeg seem to be happy with it.”

“So be it. Will you take me to this trial?” Hushar asked.

A few minutes later, Jonathan and Hushar stood in the center of the village, holding the token between them. A moment later, they were off, transported to the plains of Tartarus. They appeared in the small hallway that was lined with coffins, right before the elemental trial. Jonathan and Hushar strode down past the coffins and into the cavern. The elemental spirit still lounged in the lava pit, conducting energy around itself.

“So, you have chosen to return, and with another subordinate. Curious. You know, the tyrant that rules this realm will notice that you defeated that guardian soon enough, and his wrath will be brought down upon anyone in this area. You are powerful, but he is quite potent indeed.”

“We have enough time for one more trial taker,” Jonathan said.

Hushar stepped forwards, and bowed to the elemental spirit.

“Honored one, I would be grateful for you to extend your wisdom to me,” he said. It seemed that his elemental attunement gave him a greater degree of respect for the spirit.

“A polite one. How… refreshing. I have been sealed away here for centuries, devoid of all contact. In any case, I shall fulfill my task here.”

Hushar collapsed as his mind was transported to the trial, leaving Jonathan free to train once more. He continued to work with his weapons, trying to find a common theme between them. Still, weapon practice was nothing more than simple rote memorization of stances and attacks in the end, and there was only so much that could be added to it to make it interesting.