Closing his eyes, Sam thought about what Earth really meant to him. The concept of solidity, of gravity, both real and metaphorical, all of the ways in which he had guided his path until this moment. All were laid bare before him, his E Rank mind cataloguing the insights like books in a library, ready for perusal. Sam tended to neglect his elemental cultivation, but in this place, surrounded by the lifeforce of Earth itself, he found it coming as naturally as breathing.

  Time passed without meaning as he cycled his elemental energy. In the outside world, the vortex of elemental power condensing down upon the Matriarch’s dome increased in intensity, drawing upon the entirety of the larger cavern for its fuel. What Sam was attempting to do was a process that should have taken weeks, if not months, while forcing it down into a matter of days.

  The Gemstone Spirits gathered around the Matriarch’s dome, watching as Sam wrestled with the limits of his own knowledge. All of them possessed more elemental mastery than him, more than was needed in fact, but that was moot, given that their Daos were useless for banishing the Shadow Raven.

  The elemental maelstrom around the dome grew to a hurricane as Sam meditated within, taxing the elemental gathering array to its utmost. Had he been some sort of elemental genius, perhaps the streams of yellow energy weaving their way through the air would have been less tempestuous, but his talent was one of the Dao. Eventually, there would be some overlap, but for now, he was essentially boosting his talent in the field of elemental cultivation far beyond the limits of its potential. That was bound to have side effects.

  Some time later, a ray of gravitational energy pierced the cavern ceiling, looking like a finger of pure yellow light as it impacted the roof. The entire cave shuddered as Sam stepped out of the dome, his eyes glowing with the light of his element. They soon faded, but the aura surrounding him did not. His helmet was off, and a slight smile was visible on his face. As he walked, Sam felt an upwelling of pride as he read over his System messages. He was a long way from the top in the realm of the elements, but he was getting there.

  For reaching 20% mastery of an element, you may now access a higher tier of elemental infusion. You may upgrade this infusion at every tenth percentage point mark, in addition to whatever other benefits you might earn.

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  10% Elemental Infusion: Stoneskin

  This Infusion imbues the body of its user with the might of elemental Earth in its most basic form, increasing their durability and strength. This increase can be heightened at the cost of reduced speed.

  20% Elemental Infusion: Mountain’s Flesh

  This Infusion dramatically increases the durability of the user, manifesting stony armor around them. In addition, it increases their resistance to knockback effects on the ground, as well as their weight. For a complete cessation of speed, the user may increase their defensive capacities tenfold. This may only be used when standing still.

  Sam could already see a host of uses for his new ability. The synergies with Terra’s Will alone were enough to make him happy. One of his weaknesses as a human was his size and weight, in a world where foes were often dozens of times larger than him, and thousands of times heavier. Now, he could access some of that power for himself.

  Testing this out for himself, Sam found each step reverberating across the cavern as a coating of what looked like granite covered his body. His weight shot up, until he easily clocked in at a few tons, if not more. While his Infusion did not increase his strength at a commensurate level, it hardly mattered. He could use this while midair, and plummet like a meteor. Had he been able to do this during his assault on Wyrm’s Haven, his flaming descent could have been utterly devastating, far more than then.

  “Went well, I take it?” the Matriarch said, walking out from amidst the crowd of Gemstone Spirits. She towered over them, both physically, and in terms of strength. Sam saw Turgluk standing nearby, and gave the diminutive elemental a smile before answering.

  “It did. Twenty percent elemental mastery. What’s next?” Sam asked, crossing his arms.

  The Matriarch smiled. “You have enough elemental power to resist the spatial warping of the outside world. However, only to an extent. The Shadow Raven is still beyond you.”

  Sam sighed. “Let me guess, I have to go beat up a few of its servants?” Then he nodded. “Alright. Sounds about par for the course.”

  “The creature extends its hegemony across the land through its progeny,” the Matriarch explained. “It has birthed thousands of lesser elementals, spreading them across the surface of this world.”

  Sam sighed again. “How many do I need to defeat?”

  The Matriarch regarded him with her sparkling eyes. “There are a few different tiers of strength among the elementals. Three to be specific, below the Shadow Raven.”

  “So I should try to defeat the first tier?” Sam asked.

  The Matriarch nodded. “Yes. That should lessen the overall elemental corruption. With your new elemental form, you should be able to resist more effectively than before.”

  “Alright. I’ll head out now.”