As Jonathan fought within the lava, Edgar and Hushar peacefully cultivated their elements, ignoring the display of butchery before them. Outwardly calm, Hushar’s mind was raging. He was from a species well known for their propensity to violence, and he craved nothing more than to embark upon a bloody journey of death and destruction against those who had taken his brother. However, that was tempered with reason, as he knew that he was too weak. That, more than anything else, was why he was so enraged. Hushar was not used to feeling weak. In Tartarus, he had been strong enough to carve out a small niche for himself, in a region where there were few creatures or people strong enough to challenge him.

Now though, he was back at the bottom of the pile. He was still overshadowed by his enemies, and his allies alike. He had gained a Legendary class, and was now Tier 3, but it simply felt like he had been taken from his previous lake and dumped into a far larger ocean in terms of power. The fight with Theodore had really pummeled the point home in terms of this, as he had felt largely useless. Only Jonathan had been able to defeat the man in the end.

Truthfully, he knew that even being able to survive against someone over forty levels higher than oneself was a great achievement, but it was not enough. He needed more.

Meanwhile, Edgar tranquilly meditated on the meaning of the wind, drawing upon his years of experience and the current conditions that he was in. The high speeds thermals up above stimulated his elemental connection, allowing him to gain greater insight than normal. He was closing in on his goal, but it would still take another few weeks or months to fully achieve.

Jonathan eventually returned, baptized in the blood of a few dozen high Tier 3 monsters. His level had skyrocketed from the experience, sending him up to level 238. Although it would dramatically slow in the coming levels, it was still good enough for now, especially after the essence drought in Mire.

He had a sizable bank of points saved up now, but he had no need for them yet. Instead, he joined the others in their elemental cultivation. He had it easier than most in terms of cultivating his element, as all he had to do was stop his breathing to truly stimulate the connection that he had with the Void. He sat down, closed his eyes, and shut himself off from the world, focusing on the orb of purple light that gently pulsed within him,

From his recent battles, he had quite a lot of insight waiting to be used. Every time he used the Void, especially in the context of his combination Pathway skill, he gained a little bit more knowledge of it. For that to be used though, he had to convert it into elemental mastery.

If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

As he meditated, he orbited the purple orb within his psyche, slowly drawing upon its power. Hours passed in the outside world, and before he could make a breakthrough, a sudden sense of danger from his Blessing sent him catapulting up and out of his meditation. The others emerged as well, and as soon as Jonathan saw what was happening, he readied himself for battle.

Standing before him was a small group of elite Uthraki fighters, who had just stepped off a flat bottomed barge parked in the lava sea. They were all around level 270, and kitted out for war. Unlike most Uthraki, they wore heavy armor that entirely covered their bodies.

Jonathan regarded them, but they remained in complete silence, until one of them stepped forwards.

“You are trespassers upon the realm of the Lord, outsiders. Either depart, or may your blood water the plains of Tartarus for your transgressions.”

“Be honest here. Would you really allow us to leave?” Jonathan said. The only response was a sudden explosion of heat and light as one of the fighters unleashed an elemental attack, cutting off their access to the Tartarus token for the next few minutes. Jonathan sighed. “I guess not.”

He sent himself hurtling forwards with a blast of stamina to his legs, breaking the sound barrier many times over. As he did so, he opened his third eye, noting the sudden heaviness he felt in his soul. At such high speeds, he was able to better realize the visions that his third eye sent him. He read the patterns within the nova of fire that surged across the ground before him, now with time to react due to his speed.

He slammed his palms together, and sent a pulse of Voidlight towards the incoming wave of fire. A person sized hole formed in the conflagration, and he dashed through. Behind it was a very confused looking group of Uthraki. To their vision, it seemed that Jonathan had used some sort of movement technique, and then performed it directly into the heart of the most dangerous attack on the battlefield. Then he emerged from the fire, and sank his fist into the nearest Uthraki’s armored torso.

The energy of the Void pierced through the armor as he channeled it into a spear of energy that sank into the metal like it was made of butter. The Uthraki coughed up blood as the attack ruptured his insides, but he was far from dead. Instead, the man sent another pulse of fire erupting from his form, knocking Jonathan away and searing his flesh. Jonathan rolled to his feet and sent his fist hurtling forwards, a bolt of purple light erupting from it towards his enemy.

The Uthraki crossed his arms, and tanked the blow. He was still sent flying backwards. Jonathan dashed in towards the fighters, leaning upon his martial mastery to supplement his power. They attacked in unison, showcasing a high degree of experience in fighting together. A cage of metal was woven in the air around Jonathan, but he managed to fight his way though, relying on his durability to tank the blows.