His killing intent formed an island. A single safe place where he could move freely. His eyes widened as his enemy shot toward him. As death came for him. He reached for his recently improved dao. He wished he had taken a bit more time to test out how it had changed, but there was no better time than the present. He released his dao field at full power. Electricity blasted out of him in a wave of utter destruction. Every vulture within fifty feet of him had been destroyed. He had known that improving his dao would lead to an improvement, but that was nothing like the last upgrade. It was as if his dao had transformed from an electrical outlet into a transformer. He shook his delusions of grandeur and focused on the current situation. He had destroyed less than a fourth of the vultures. His display caused the rest to hesitate, but he couldn't count on that. He had lost a fourth of his mental energy with that. He wouldn't last a prolonged battle, which meant he needed to press forward. He needed to win.

  He activated and imbued Severing Disc. The skill practically absorbed his new dao, but that wasn't enough. He needed to amplify its offense. He forced the dao of Squall to join its brother. Wind and electricity formed around both discs. One amplifying the other until the twin blades formed. They screeched as if to dare the horrid creatures to challenge them. To challenge him. He lost another fifteen percent of mental energy as he launched both blades. Each one was the size of his torso. The blades tore through the air. Several vultures managed to get out of the way, but the majority were too slow. Much too slow. In the blink of an eye, his attacks bisected more than a third of them before they left the range of the trees. He followed up with an imbued Static Bolt and a rain of lesser darts. Though to call them "lesser" was incorrect. The darts were stronger than the skill, and by a wide margin. The improvement to his dao was manifold. In the same amount of time, he managed to create eighteen darts. Almost enough to be considered rain. He managed to take out another group before the vulture woke up.

  He wasn't sure if the monsters were smart enough to realize what he had done or if they were just too afraid to approach. The answer didn't matter. The vultures released their counterattack. A rain of blade-like feathers shot toward him, only to be met with the rainbow bubble of Prismatic Barrier. His defense held just long enough to stop the attack. Maximilian mentally plotted his next move. He couldn't afford to deal with another round of feathers. The offensive might of his new dao was amazing, but it was just that. Offensive. He had to go on the offensive. He formed a mix of electrical darts and wind blades. No sooner had he created them than he fired them at the vultures. The air filled with screeches of pain and fury as the vultures responded. They either couldn't use the feathers again or they were lost to fear. Many tried to flee, but how could he allow that to happen? He continued a bit longer before he decided to give up. He had slaughtered most of the nest, and he could no doubt do the rest. Yet there were diminishing returns. He counted fewer than ten, and they were not far enough away that he would need to chase after them. Something that would cost him both time and effort.

  No, instead, he decided to focus on his dao. He hadn't noticed the extent of the changes before, which was a mistake. Assumptions weren't good before the world ended. Now they were liable to get him killed. He made his way down to the base of the tree and sat down. He released his dao field, though he kept it close to his body. When he saw it clearly, he smiled. It was a night-and-day difference. The electricity hadn't changed in appearance, nor did it change in effect. It was still a field of arcing electricity. Yet comparing the two felt like comparing a candle flame to an inferno. His new field was definitely an attack with little defensive applications. He could tell that the paralyzing effect was still there, though it was hidden behind destruction. He figured that something would have to survive the initial attack to have a chance to be caught. Not that he minded. He conducted several more experiments, where he discovered something more important. Something much more interesting.

  He held out his hand and forced electricity to dance across it. It was difficult at first. A bit like trying to freehand a painting with his off hand. Yet it was working. His smile grew as his electricity slowly took on a defined shape. A proper shape. A true lightning bolt. He was pretty sure that real bolts of lightning didn't look like something Zeus would use, but he pushed that thought to the back of his mind. This was pretty cool, and he wouldn't ruin it with facts. He watched as the bolt was finished. It was three feet long with two deep corners, one at each end. He tentatively wrapped his hand around it. He had expected to be electrocuted or for his hand to pass through harmlessly. Instead, his hand found the bolt as if it were a solid object. He tapped it before he could stop himself. Part of him still believed that it would fail. Yet it hadn't. The electricity was solid. He loosened his grip and then launched the bolt toward a rock in the distance. The bluish-white bolt shot faster than the eye could track and then slammed into the stone. A stone that promptly exploded.

  Maximilian smiled as he summoned another bolt and launched it. Only this time, he didn't use his hands. His first shot was too far to one side without something physical to help him aim. He took a bit longer to correct that issue and was just about to fire another shot when his head exploded with agony. He yelped in pain and fell backward. He gritted his teeth and summoned a soul stone from his bag and absorbed it. He knew that one wasn't enough. He pulled out a second and a third before he felt better. His headache lessened, and he closed his eyes. He hadn't planned to use that many in such a short amount of time. It wasn't good, but it wasn't as bad as it appeared. The stones weren't exactly rare, and he was the only person who could really use them.

  When he felt ready to act again, he sat up and rolled his shoulders. From what he could tell, he could now make electrical constructs harder or perhaps solid. Technically, he could use it to create weapons if he wanted, but that was the furthest thing from his mind. He wasn't a hand-to-hand fighter by any means. He also had no interest in changing that. It did give him an idea that filled him with equal parts curiosity and fear. If he could make electricity, he could hold, then shouldn't he be able to make electricity he could stand on? Once again, part of him said that the idea was crazy. That electricity had no physical substance, and that he couldn't stand on it. Yet, he did an experiment that proved that wasn't true. Proved that he could reach out and hold on to it. He knew he could sit here and debate it within himself until the world ended again, so he stopped. He got to his feet and took a moment to hype himself up. When he was confident enough to ignore the voice of caution, he tried to shape a disc of electricity.

  His practice of his pseudo-skill had proven fortuitous. It took little effort for him to form a disc about the size of his foot. Though he wouldn't call it a disc. It was more like two circles, one inside the other connected by errant strings of electricity. Part of him wondered why that was the case, but he pushed that to the back of his mind and placed his foot down. When it held, anticipation surged in his chest before he pushed himself all the way up. He let out a sigh of several emotions when the platform held. Maximilian had to resist the urge to do a happy dance and forced himself to analyze the situation. He soon realized things weren't as good as he thought. He had to pay a maintenance cost in mental energy to keep the disc going. A cost he could offset with a bit of spiritual energy. If he didn't pay the cost, the disc would fade away over time. He estimated it to last about ten seconds or so. Which meant he couldn't stand there for long, but he could use it to travel. The biggest problem, though, was its mental requirements. He had to think about it. He felt somewhat sure he could let his subconscious do it if he trained. For now, though, he wouldn't be able to use it in combat as effectively as he would've liked.

  Altogether, he approved. The change was worth it, which prompted him to turn to the rest of his dao. A round of tests revealed that he couldn't quite do the same with them, but that was fine. He could mess with their properties more than he had. Wind could be layered around things like his arms or perhaps a weapon. Rain was a bit different. He could control the pressure of the water. Creating a jet of raindrops or even a gentle glove of water. He could even create a brace if he had to. One that would disperse the pressure of impacts. Part of him felt he could create armor out of it, but the cost in energy was so much that he would have to try it another time. The discovery made him turn his attention to his fourth dao. He knew it would be solid. Either earth or ice, though he would leave it to after he got his class. He felt like he had reached the limits of what his dao could do for him before that point. He might be able to upgrade one more, but he leaned against it. That and his gut told him he would get at least one dao once he got his class. Or to be more accurate, there had to be a mechanism to let people catch up. His physique gave him a boost, obviously, but there had to be a mechanism to catch up. At least he hoped there was.

  He pushed his worries to the back of his mind. There was nothing he could do about "fairness" or the Network. He wasn't strong enough, nor did he know if he would ever be. The Network felt like an abstract thing. Like a law or force of nature, there was no guarantee anyone could change it. He turned his focus to the desert. He wasn't ready to head back, so he would continue north. He was just about to run off when he had a better idea. He formed several discs of electricity and ran off. The first few steps were difficult. He had to watch his feet with every step, which made him feel like he had to relearn how to walk. Yet as he continued, he found it easier. He was still slower than his base movement speed, though that didn't take into account that he could now move in all three directions. He could move above things instead of around them. It wasn't a flight. Not by any means, but it was very nice.

  He was around one hundred feet off the ground. The wind rushed past him as his hair trailed like a mane behind him. He hadn't considered it an option until now, but he knew he wanted to fly. He wanted either to do it through his dao or find an item or advance far enough. The freedom of moving through the sky. A concept that resonated with his dao. He knew there was something there, but it wasn't enough. He would need some time before he could advance that dao. Not that he is ready to do so. His thoughts were interrupted when he caught sight of a set or pack of raptors about a hundred feet away. He could tell the dinosaurs were higher-level. If he had to estimate it he would put them around level 15 or so. The pack was four strong, which meant they could be a solid challenge for him. He also knew that was a lie. The Raptors might be tough, sure, but they couldn't fly. They couldn't reach him. He could bombard them at range. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't come up with a reason not to do that. Sure, he could make an argument for honor or other such idea, but why? The enemy were mindless beasts as far as he could tell.

  It would even give him more practice fighting if he did it from up here. He would have to split his focus between offense and control over the disc. No, the more he thought about it, the more the choice was obvious. He moved a bit closer to make the shots easier, though he knew he would have to train his long-range performance. His body was strong. At least he thought so, but if his current attribute distribution continued, he would be more focused. Thus, physically weaker. Which was fine. He had already committed to being a mage, and no part of him wanted to change that. Although the image of him with a sword in hand was epic, so was throwing the elements. He formed several electrical lances. He took a bit more time forming them than he did with his darts. He designed them to impale and then disperse their electricity. Ideally, if the initial attack didn't kill, the enemy would freeze long enough for the follow up. He turned his attention back to the dinosaurs who were eating the corpse of some other creature. Part of him wondered if there was a stealth bonus. Or if he needed a skill for something like that. Not that it mattered. None of his powers, except maybe water, was stealthy. That was never a part of the plan. He continued his work until he had thirty lances next to him.

  The effort required quite a bit of mental energy, but it should be enough to end the fight in one go. He had enough for every target to get six, with another two sets left over. Just in case something survived. He took another moment to verify that everything was fine. When he was ready, he launched his assault. He had imagined that the attacks would arc through the sky like missiles. That they would illuminate the sky before crashing down in an epic display. The reality was much less beautiful. Twenty-four lances shot forward as fast as lightning. His targets were killed before they had a chance to process; they were in danger. By the time the blinding light had faded, the sand where they stood had become glass. Their bodies no longer existed. If he hadn't received the energy as confirmation, he might've thought he had only fought an illusion. Or they had escaped. He was impressed. His gaze settled on the new patch of glass. An area that was more than two hundred feet across. He hadn't considered that, and in retrospect, he should've. Lightning was hot, and when you got sand hot enough, it turned into glass. He assumed there was more to it than that, but it was worth looking into. He might be able to add it to his repertoire.

  It was something to think about for the future. Since he couldn't collect the bodies, he figured it was time to move on. He was nearing his next level, which would also be the point at which his trip ended. The part of him that nagged at him for leaving without his mother had only grown louder. He knew it was too dangerous for her out here. Even if she was with him and that she would accomplish much more back in Nubia than by watching him. Especially since she had started gaining levels. He still wasn't sure what it was that helped her. He knew it involved him doing things and for her to govern more people, but that was about it. Neither she nor Nezha provided additional information, and he wasn't going to pry. He had his secrets, and she had hers. He got to his feet and formed another set of discs. A few moments later, he set off. The desert blurred as he scanned it for something new to fight. Most of the creatures he saw were on the weaker end, and he wasn't in the mood to exterminate a lot of weak opponents. He would prefer either a single strong opponent or a few stronger opponents. Something that would let him test himself. He had about resolved himself to fight a bunch of insects when his danger sense screamed at him. The suddenness of the warning forced him to leap to the side. Seconds before, a blade of wind almost as long as he was tall tore through the space he had stood. He shaped another disc in time to stop it from falling to the ground. When he saw what had attacked him, his eyes widened. This was definitely what he had been looking for. He formed several electrical lances as he prepared himself for a battle.