"You alright?"
Mason asked after rushing after the speedily disappearing figure of Zol. However, his eyes widened in surprise when he noticed the blood dripping from the corner of Zol's lips.
"I did that?"
He was in disbelief. He knew he would be stronger than Zol, but not to the extent where he would make him bleed.
"I'm fine."
Zol downplayed the damage done to him and asked him the most pressing questions about the form he just took.
"That was like 5% of my total mana reserves. And it seems I can still cast my abilities with the rest of the mana still left.
"Of course, the ignition still drains mana faster, but you and I can keep at it for a week with no problems."
"So, you're saying…"
"Exactly. I can use more mana and it would make me even stronger than what you just experienced." Mason clenched his fist with a burning gaze.
"…"
Zol remained quiet as his mind thought of the implications of his words.
'Hunters wouldn't have to necessarily let go of their abilities to increase their strength if they have more than enough to split between the two.'
This hypothesis came from the fact that Alex had all his mana ignited when he took the Manastorm form.
'We have to perform more tests to see where the limit lies…'
Looking back at Mason who was staring at him, he gestured for them to return to the planet.
.....
True to his words, Zol and Mason took it upon themselves to test out the limits of the Manastorm form on different hunters at different levels.
Though it took many trials for the majority to get the hang of it, they succeeded and from the trials, they were able to polish the explanations around the Manastorm state.
Additionally, they found out that those at Class D and below could only take the Manastorm form when they ignited all their mana and only those at Class C and above could spare some of their mana to use their abilities in addition to that.
Naturally, the duration of the state varied at each level. Those who took the Manastorm form in addition to using their abilities ran out faster than those who took only the Manastorm state.
The two hunters then carried out trials on void creatures to see if hunters could take on void creatures at the same level as them as this was previously a difficult feat.
And as they guessed, the Manastorm form allowed them to play around with the void creatures like kids running circles around the old.
Unfortunately, the damage they could deal to the creatures was limited as their attacks were mostly physical with the aid of their weapons.
For those who used their fist, the damages could accumulate until the creature was killed as a result of the mana coating their bodies.
Yet this also had its own issues as the void aura around the void creatures could affect them.
But that was just by the way… They didn't have to use their fists and legs.
Only those who could do both were able to take on void creatures at the same level as them without problems.
Times were changing and when the two hunters released the official technique to the rest of the empire, the commotion it caused could be imagined.
Those who had tried many times on their own and failed to achieve any results gritted their teeth for not taking the fame that came with it.
However, they were able to tell that they succeeded that quickly because they had the miracle boy himself as their guide while they had bits and pieces of information the AI systems collected from the event.
For the rest of the hunters, their excitement was through the roof as many jubilated for the power to take on void creatures at the same level as them with little to no effort.
Even with the technique available to everyone, many still had difficulty achieving the Manastorm state and had to enlist the help of others to achieve the same results.
With the advent of the Manastorm state, many hunters who retired early returned to the hunt just to experience the thrill of taking on void creatures on the same level as them.
This was not to say the dangers the void creatures presented were diminished. In fact, things had been getting a little heated out there in the larger universe. But this new technique changed a lot of things for the humans of the empire.
...….
Mars
Knight Mansion
"Finally!"
Julia exclaimed in joy and relief as she finally broke through to the ranks of Class E awakened, and she wasn't the only one as many first years who stayed dedicated to their cultivation broke through, achieving strength that finally put them at the same level of Alex in his base form.
"Finally, indeed."
Alex felt bitter about being left behind, his aura still as he remembered a year ago. He tried not to show it, but it couldn't be helped. The frustration he felt about his situation had kept him awake at night.
Sensing the bitterness in his voice, Julia smiled lightly and went to give him a hug, rubbing her face against his in an attempt to cheer him up.
"I know it's hard, but you will find a way."
"I know that, Julia. It's just so hard watching everyone grow strong and don't say anything about my Voidflare form.
"I may be stronger in that form, but it lasts shorter than the Manastorm. Moreover, I can't casually use it around people as my energy signature is dangerous to them."
After many trials, he better understood the limits of his Voidflare state as it heavily relied on the amount of void energy he could produce.
And the longest he had gone in that state was approximately 20 minutes, two-thirds of how long the Manastorm state could last.
It also left him feeling drained with its accompanying symptoms once he ran out of energy.
Yet, Julia and Ross could use the Manastorm form for over an hour and a half with no problem!
Now, with those two breaking through, it was only a matter of time before they beat his ass in his base form without issues.
He sighed with a lowered head, feeling Julia rub his back affectionately. There was not much she could say to him as she understood that would just be empty words.
What Alex wanted was a solution, something she couldn't give him as not even her uncle and Lord Mason had found a way.
Mason himself had returned to his domain some weeks back after they polished the ins and outs of the Manastorm technique.
The hunter was eager to test out his newfound strength and decided to go hunting.
'With the new academic year approaching, I'm not sure how to compete against others.'
His energy would be the lowest in his class, and that also meant running out faster than the others.
Will Alex find a way and catch up with his friends or will he be forced to watch them rise higher and higher while he remains stagnant?