Jonathan realized that Edgar was staring at him, as he had been looking off at the wall for almost half a minute without speaking.

“Jonathan? What plagues you now?”

“Nothing, just some memories. It isn't anything important.”

The other man gave him a look, but then nodded, and let Jonathan get back to work. Jonathan started to use his mana bar once more, and he continued climbing upwards, excavating the rock and stone above him. Some time later, his hand broke through a thin layer of rock, and he could feel sand above him. They had finally reached the top of the rocky layer. He started to widen the hole, and found that there was some invisible barrier keeping the sand in place. Jonathan frowned, and then sent a fireball of mana upwards, turning the sand to glass, which he then shattered. More sand fell down to fill the gap, and Jonathan shattered it in turn after turning it to glass. It only took up a little bit of mana, and he was no longer in danger of running out.

Over the next few minutes, he turned the entire tube of sand above them into a smooth tube of glass, and he levered himself up into it, hitting the sides to create handholds. With a prodigious leap, Jonathan started to climb up the tube, and he reached the top moments later. Edgar was right behind him, and they popped out onto the arena floor within seconds of each other. There was nobody in the stands as of now, and Jonathan could not believe his luck. Perhaps they would be able to get away more easily than they had thought.

Then a blaring alarm started to sound over the arena, and guards charged out of the entrances, started to surround the two men. They were all quite powerful, around level seventy five, and Jonathan did not have the time to stay here and fight. Instead, he raced towards the nearby stands, and started to climb up them, thrusting his hands into the stone. Edgar followed in close pursuit, and the two men narrowly evaded the guards, reaching the tops of the stands. Projectiles started to arc up after them, arrows, bolts of mana, and even a few explosives in one case. Jonathan dealt with the mana bolts, and dodged the other attack. Edgar seemed to be unperturbed by this whole thing, and he kept pace with Jonathan, as they headed towards the exits.

The alarm was still going off, and the noise was quite loud, presumably extending out into the city as well. Unless they got out of here quickly, the entire city would come crashing down on them.

They reached the top of the arena, using the stands like steps, and then leaped over the edge. Jonathan absentmindedly hoped that Edgar was durable enough to survive the fall. They fell hundreds of feet to the ground far below, and as they fell, Jonathan got a good look at the city. It sprawled out in every direction, like some vast amoebic slime made out of bricks and dark stone. It was not an especially beautiful city, but its size made it imposing in its own way, and Jonathan could not help but admire it. Flying ships circled overhead, sporadically placed, and the ground teemed with life. He only had a moment to admire all of this however, before he landed.

He landed a few seconds later, creating a crater in the ground.Edgar landed beside him, grunting a little bit, but otherwise unharmed. They started running as soon as they landed, and were down the road in a matter of seconds, drawing curious glances from the passersby. As they ran, guards spilled out of the entrances to the arena, and the alarm grew louder and louder, until it covered the entire city. A dark cloud rose up from the center of the city, coming from a massive obsidian tower, emblazoned with a nine pointed circle that seemed to be made out of blood. The two men ducked into a nearby alleyway, and climbed up the sides of the buildings, trying to throw their pursuers. However, the noise of tramping footsteps echoed through the alleyway behind them, and Jonathan noticed a tiny thread of mana connecting Edgar's bracelet to something behind him.

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“Shit!” He exclaimed, drawing a look from Edgar.

“What inspires such foul language, Jonathan? We have escaped, after all.”

“They’re tracking your bracelet. We need to get it off now,” Jonathan said, summoning a concentrated ball of mana to his hand. Now that he had access to his mana again, this would go quite a bit quicker. “This might hurt though. Hurt a lot,” he warned Edgar. To his credit, the man simply nodded.

Jonathan grabbed his hand with his own, and then lowered the mana orb towards the bracelet, starting to cut into it. The bracelet began to melt under the concentrated mana, seeming to be only proof against mana coming from its wearer. Edgar gritted his teeth as the metal burned his hand, but he did not make a sound. A few seconds later, the bracelet had been cut off, and Jonathan tore it off, throwing it backwards. Edgar let out a gasp, and mana suddenly surged back into his form, visible to Jonathan.

“That feels much better. I can help out a bit more with our escape,” Edgar said.

Before Jonathan could ask the man what he meant, mana surged around Edgar’s form, and a sudden wind picked up around his form, causing his movements to speed up. The wind extended over to Jonathan as well, and he felt his movements increase in speed. A notification appeared in front of him and he read it as he ran.

You have been affected by a skill from an ally.

Gust of Haste

Your speed is increased by a considerable amount while under the effects of this skill and you fall at half the normal rate.

It was a very useful effect, and Jonathan would estimate that his speed had increased by about fifteen percent. However he still was not able to use it fully, as Edgar was slower than him at his top speed, even with the buff. It only meant that he was able to use more of his strength.

The two men scrambled along the rooftops and leaped across the gaps between the houses, drawing the eyes of the nearby citizens. The black cloud that had come from the center of the city was spreading across the city now, and it seemed as if it was trying to find them. However, it seemed more aimless than before,as if its tracking effect had been supported by the bracelet. As they ran, Jonathan had an idea, but he wasn’t sure whether his companion would appreciate it.

“Edgar, would you mind if I test something out?” Jonathan asked.

“Depends on what it is,” Edgar said, panting slightly. “Will it help us escape? If that is the case, then feel free to do so. You have proven to be a trustworthy ally so far.”

Jonathan gave the man a nod of thanks, and then scooped him up with his arms, placing him on his back. Edgar began to say something, but Jonathan picked up the pace, using his full speed. Buffed by the effects of the skill as he was, Jonathan tore across the city at hundreds of miles per hour, faster than he had been able to reach with Edgar running alongside him. He barely noticed his surroundings as he ran, so fast was he going. Edgar was completely silent, either too scared to speak, or too impressed with Jonathan’s speed. In any case, it hardly mattered. They had a city to escape.