Better control over his Etherium's, enhanced etherium flow within his body, increased core capacity and finally increased physical stamina.
These enhancements were what Tom got by breaking through the level 2 - physically -, he felt that his current strength was vastly different from just a moment ago.
Plus, his core size increased even more and was starting to take a bigger place in his head, but Tom didn't panic as he knew that it was normal, and focused more on his new strength.
'I think that I could have beaten the me of just a few minutes ago very easily' thought Tom as he flexed his arm, feeling the strength course through it.
'II thought that with hundreds of them, I would have reached at least mid-level 2, but I suppose that's to be expected. The gap between level 2 and 3 is so vast that it might take years for a normal person to reach level 3,' reasoned Tom in his mind.
'Well, I guess it's time to set them free,' thought Tom as he looked at the still kneeling wisemonkies.
They had been held captive for two weeks and were quite exhausted. Even though Mooglie and the others had taken care of their injuries and fed them constantly, it wasn't the same as being free.
"Release them," said Tom to Mooglie and the others, and he also lent a hand in this effort.
As Tom and his subordinates were busy freeing the new addition to the group, the old wisemonkey was observing them through Tom's shadow, which, like the others, didn't notice that there was something peculiar about it.
***
Several days later
"Temporal stasis" muttered Tom as he wrapped his temporal force around mooglie, forcing the latter to freeze in time, not even able to move a finger.
Mooglie was greatly shocked when he saw this, till now he had seen Tom stop things in midair, but never did he think that he would be able to use it directly on him.
'4...6...7...8...9' counted Tom.
He wanted to see how many seconds he could maintain his temporal stasis, and to his astonishment he lasted 22 seconds before he felt that he couldn't maintain the lock in time around mooglie.
'I don't think I can last this long against a level 2' reasoned Tom as he knew that the level of the one he was using the temporal stasis influenced how long he could last.
He had already tested this, by using his astralum on different of his subordinates with different strength and concluded that the strength of the one he used the technique on mattered.
After a moment, he dismissed the still shocked mooglie and started pondering on how to increase his mastery over temporal stasis or even how to create a new technique.
As he was thinking, his shadow moved and the old wisemonkey stepped out of his shadow.
"Huh ?"
Since the wisemonkey didn't release any sort of presence, it took Tom some seconds before realizing that the elder wisemonkey was standing just beside him!
With great speed, Tom sprang up from his meditative position and distanced himself from his previous location before fixing his gaze on the elder wisemonkey, who was standing still.
At the sight of this elder wisemonkey Tom shivered as he could instinctually feel an immense danger emanating from the old wisemonkey.
'I'm sure he is a level 2 like me, however...'
Tom glanced at the old wisemonkey and sensed an immense pressure bearing down on him. The wisemonkey might be at level 2, just like him, but he knew that in terms of danger, the wisemonkey was in a league above him.
' I can't beat him even with my time astralum' thought Tom in panic, just one glance at him and Tom could sense it instinctually, this old wisemonkey can kill him, and he was sure that he wouldn't even need to go all out.
The elder wisemonkey moved and Tom's heart skipped a beat, fearing that he would be attacked, however contrary to his expectation instead of attacking him the elder wisemonkey actually kneeled in front of him!
'What the hell is happening ?' Wondered Tom before this shocking sight.
'Don't tell me that-', before he could even finish his thought, Tom felt an incredible power course through his body, it was so much that he was almost overwhelmed, the sensation of euphoria being so strong that it caused him to fall on one knee.
The increase in power he was feeling right now was actually much more potent than the increase he received when he accepted the hundreds of wisemonkies as his subordinates!
In one moment, Tom felt himself reaching the middle stage of level 2 that he couldn't even sense just moments ago.
As he was experiencing the enhancement to his strength, Tom became aware of a crucial aspect of his bloodline that he had ignored.
The first time that he got a subordinate- mooglie- and awakened his bloodline, he was in a malnourished state and the only thing he had on his mind was food and didn't think about what had happened back then.
'I didn't accept mooglie as my subordinate, it was him that wanted to be my subordinate and just like that the bloodline recognized him as my subordinate, and with what is happening right now, I'm certain, my bloodline recognizes as subordinate every one that want to become my subordinate, I don't have a say in the matter' thought Tom as the enhancement was nearing the end.
'I don't know if I should be glad or worried about such a thing' wondered Tom as he stood up.
Now that the enhancement was finished, he could clearly feel that his strength had taken such a leap that even him seemed to not know exactly how much he was strong currently.
"As I thought, you become stronger each time you gain a new underling" suddenly uttered the elder wisemonkey.
Since he was busy thinking, Tom had forgotten about the current situation, but the moment he heard the elder wisemonkey he immediately refocused on the situation at hand, the elder wisemonkey might be considered as his subordinate, but it didn't mean that he couldn't attack him, he didn't know if his bloodline would stop one of his subordinate to kill him but wished that he wouldn't need to find out.
"Be at ease, if I wanted to kill you I could have done it long ago, but didn't do it and passed those several weeks observing you, that's actually how I knew that becoming your "subordinate" may allow us to have a discussion" said the elder wisemonkey making an emphasis on the "subordinate" to make Tom understand that he was yet to consider him as a master.
However, the only thing Tom could focus on after hearing him was the fact that he had been followed for weeks and wasn't even suspicious about something, thinking of such a thing actually filled him with dread, but he controlled himself to not let it show on his face and asked in a cautious tone:
"Who are you, and what do you want from me? Is your goal to bring back the others?"
Hearing him, the elder wisemonkey chuckled and replied with an amused smile "I actually didn't expect my "master" to be someone dumb, I already told you that I could have killed you whenever I wanted, don't you think that if my goal was to bring back these youngsters I could have done it by killing you?"
Tom was irked by the wisemonkey calling him dumb, but didn't say anything and let the elder wisemonkey finish what he was saying.
"As for who I am, well you could say that I'm the first ranked of the wisemonkies special unit, Midas"