Ultimate Level 1
Chapter 500: Not Holding Back

Hovering in the air, Max stared down at the landscape below him. Sand stretched everywhere as far as his eyes could see.

Even up here where the air was thin and only his constitution allowed him to function, the view looked almost curved.

Bob had mentioned this to him once when they had flown this high before. It was cold and he didn’t fault Cordellia for passing out the one time he took the party higher into the sky.

This ones for you old friend… soon… we need to free you.

Cracking his neck even though it didn’t matter, Max smiled and used his Wind Mastery to fly across the sky.

He pushed the very limits of his ability, doing everything he could to move as fast as possible.

When he knew there was no more to be eked out, he attempted what Bob had said.

With his Elemental Mastery, Max formed a spear of air shaped around his body.

Carefully, he grew it against the base of his feet. Two pads covered the whole area of his soles, a tiny tip forming between the section where his feet didn’t connect in the middle.

It wasn’t the normal spear he would attack with, but it still counted as one. That was all that mattered Bob had said. He knew what would happen next or believed it should work.

[ Spell Burst ]

Surging forward as if he had been standing still, Max felt the wind tearing against his face, the cold managing to sting just slightly. Both of his feet were fighting to shift under the force of his spear, but his feet clamped together around the tip he had created for this purpose.

He wanted to laugh, shout, or pump his arms, yet instead, he was flying outstretched, both hands above his head, making himself as flat as possible.

Max’s grin grew as he went for broke.

[ Haste ]

A sound erupted as he surged forward.

In the empty skies thunder rang out and Max felt the pressure of his movement fighting against him.

Beneath him the landscape moved like waves of an ocean.

It was a blur, even from up here.

Slowly, he lifted his head up slightly, keeping the position he and Bob had worked on a few times, tight. He felt the air hitting his hands before washing over the rest of him.

The horizon moved. It raced toward him.

He wanted to laugh.

More than anything, Max wanted to tell Bob that it had worked.

Soon old friend, soon!

With his eyes fixed on the edge of the sand, Max smiled.

Even if his skill couldn’t answer, he felt like Bob was with him.

***

His body ached from the position he held.

Not needing to sleep, eat, and drink as often as most allowed him to do the impossible.

To do this.

He saw it just a few hours before day two was done.

The line of sand that stretched on forever ended. A line of blue began to appear.

His heart felt light for the first time as he mimicked the combo from the first day. He wished he could use Haste again, but knew it was still on cooldown for more than a day.

[ Spell Burst ]

The spear sent him flying faster and the blue color began to grow and stretch, filling his vision as the line of tan sand met its end.

Max still had over an hour before he would probably reach the dividing line, but knowing it was there gave him hope.

***

“FINALLY!” Fowl shouted as he raced out of the dimensional space and splashed into the water. “No more sand!”

“We’re still on sand!” Cordellia called out as she joined him. “Just not as much!”

Both laughed as the other two exited the space they had been tucked away in for the last two days.

“Cutting it kind of close?” Batrire asked. “I mean… how much time do we have before we would have needed to leave?”

“Less than an hour,” Max replied, pulling Tanila close. “Once those two stop playing in the water, we’ll check out the building to the north.”

After kissing the love of his life, Max sighed.

“You okay?” she asked.

“Better now. From what I saw in the sky, there’s a building like that every so often. They looked alike, but I still put us down about a mile from one so we could make sure nothing surprised us.”

“Like endless water?”

Groaning, Max saw their healer frown at Tanila.

“Tanila Gilmenor, don’t make me–”

Batrire’s words were cut off as Fowl had snuck up behind her, dumping a barrel full of seawater on her.

Sputtering, she spun, wringing the water from her beard, and saw the guilty culprit running back into the ocean.

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He stood there, holding Tanila as they watched the three play in the water, laughing and splashing.

“I’m guessing you don’t want to join them?”

Shaking her head, she pulled her golden braid over her shoulder.

“Nope… I don’t want to get this wet.”

***

Tan stones were formed together in a large square building about four stories high. A single door with runes that Max couldn’t read lined the outside.

“So I guess we just go in?” Fowl asked as they stood about a dozen yards away from the entrance.

“Don’t worry, I’ll go first,” Max stated as he moved forward, weapon and shield in hand.

Each step was exciting, and he was unsure what might happen, but the knowledge that they had finally found an end to all this sand made him rejoice.

Runes ran from the doorway, all along the floor.

As he drew closer, he could see inside, finding the building to be empty of anything but stone and a rune path leading to a portal.

No warning came from any of his skills as Max stepped onto the first rune, glad to see that it didn’t change at all, still shimmering the same white it had been before.

“The portal is in here!” he yelled at them. “Just stay behind me.”

All of them moved quickly to form up behind him, anxious to cover the thirty feet between them and the portal.

“It’s safe? Right?” Fowl asked as they got within the last ten feet.

“Only one way to find out. You can go first.”

Snorting, their warrior almost skipped as he moved, touching the shimmering blue portal and vanishing.

“Last one out–”

Cordellia’s words stopped as Max and the other two dashed forward, leaving her still standing there.

***

The moon barely peeked out from behind clouds, and yet every one of them breathed a sigh of relief.

“Finally,” Batrire said as she bent down and kissed the stone under her feet. “Solid ground.”

A guard moved to where Max and the others stood, surrounded by the lights that always illuminated the exit to the tower.

“Uh.. sirs and madams. I am informing you all that the tower is closed. There is–”

“An invading army,” Max said, cutting the man off.

“Yes… oh wait, it’s you!” Excitement filled the guard’s voice as he realized the ones before him. “We had heard rumors… but… the queens! They need to know!”

Max reached out and grabbed the guard who was about to turn and run off.

“Wait. Don’t. I need you to promise me you’ll tell no one.”

“But… the queens–”

“Will find out,” Max said as he motioned to the dimensional space he summoned. “I don’t want the elves to know we’re back so if you don’t mind.”

He watched as the young man’s face understood what he was being asked.

Snapping to attention, he nodded, saluting him before moving to where the other two guards were waiting.

“Gods, I’m beginning to think I need to set up my own room in that place,” Fowl muttered as he moved inside. “Spending more time in here than anywhere else.”

After they were all inside, Max stealthed and flew into the air, racing to the Faction property.

***

Opening the door to Everett’s office, Max smiled as both men turned, waiting to see who would enter uninvited.

Closing the door, he quickly unstealthed as a sword appeared in Tom’s hand.

“Dear gods! It’s you! For a second, I thought we were under attack.”

Both men moved forward and Max didn’t wait, summoning his dimensional space so his friends could exit.

“You all look horrible,” Tom said as he hugged Max. “Still, glad you made it home. Sorry you had to use a gem to leave.”

“Who says we used a gem?” Max replied with a wink. “We actually found the exit just an hour or so ago.”

“Really?!” Everett exclaimed as he drew close. “You managed to get out?”

Nodding, Max motioned to the couch.

“Can we sit? It’s been a crazy three weeks.”

Tom chuckled and nodded as everyone made their way to the soft furniture and plopped down upon it, ignoring the look the Faction leader gave for such an action.

“You do realize three weeks is normal at higher tower floors?” Tom asked.

“We do… but let’s just say that never fighting a single creature was… boring.”

“Those are hard ones, as often it can be tedious or boring, but still the chances of death are less. Still we’re glad you’re back. It turns out you were right about the other as well.”

Max saw Everett shift a little on his seat at Tom’s words.

“So you found the mole?”

“Found? No.. but somehow in the last day after spreading rumors about you all, two newer recruits… both elves have ‘vanished’ for no reason. With the tower being closed…”

“Then they were most likely spies,” Tanila said as Everett’s words trailed off. “Not an uncommon thing for sure. There still might be a few spies within the Faction but taking any action right now would require methods you might not want to employ.”

A nod came from both of the older men.

“We discussed that and would prefer not to go down that path,” Tom stated. “Part of the problem is we officially have no position about this war. Staying neutral is the objective of every Faction and yet… most of the members from a large majority of the other Factions have mentioned they will defend the walls.”

Tanila let out a small gasp and Max turned to see a smile starting to form.

“Is that good?” he asked. “I mean… I thought we weren’t supposed to be involved in these things.”

“Oh, it’s good for the city, bad for the invading army. While my father can easily defeat those who would attack him, he will have summoned a large portion of the guard and adventurers from Mylho Alora.”

Tom pulled out a roll of parchment and started to spread it over the table between the couches.

“Wait,” Max said as he grinned at Tanila. “Are you telling me your father has left his capital unprotected?”

“Well… I mean… yes, but you’d need to get past the walls and–” She covered her mouth and then laughed.

“Wait, what am I missing?” Fowl asked as he looked between them both.

“She just figured out what I’m going to do,” Max replied. “Tom, how long till the army reaches the city?”

“Based on our last intel… six… maybe seven hours?”

“Seriously?” Everett asked as he stood. “You’re going to leave here and do what?”

Max rose to his feet and stretched, moving to where the Faction leader was and put a hand on his shoulder.

“I’m going to remind Savantus that he’s not as smart as he thinks he is. Now then, if you all don’t mind, I’m going to suggest you use the bathroom, Fowl, and then be ready. I should return in a few with Rakonath and then we’ll head out.”

“Uh… about that,” Fowl said as he glanced at the three women who all groaned. “You… might want to not look inside your dimensional space. I… kind of had to go.”

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