Ethan just looked at him, deadly serious. He couldn't quite comprehend what was happening either, which led him to test it repeatedly. Each time, the result was the same.
"Page 38, sentence number 3: The integration between mana and aether seems not possible due to conflict with the meridians. Page 376, sentence number 9: While it is not possible to store different kinds of energy sources, an inner real-time converter could solve the problem. Page 75, sentence number 1: The breathing technique can help with mixing mana and aether to heal injuries, if the breathing technique includes the right exhaling part."
Ethan recited different sentences from various pages of the book to demonstrate to Oneiro that he wasn't kidding at all.
"I can tell you everything that is written in this book. What confuses me, though, is that I know for certain that I wasn't this fast before entering the dream world. Reading one book a day was part of my daily routine."
Oneiro stopped laughing, he could read Ethan's mind in this state and knew that he wasn't lying. But it didn't make any sense.
Oneiro decided to not beat around the bush and be straight forward. "Listen Ethan, do you know why the weakest and at the same time strongest ability is telekinesis?"
"Well it is said that the stronger the individual's telekinesis, the easier it is to overpower other telekinesis users."
"That's partially correct. The reason it is said to be a useless ability to awaken as first ability is because everyone who steps to the moon rank almost instinctively learns how to use telekinesis and while those who awaken with the power has a strong advantage, this advantage can be nullified by a stronger mental cultivation." Oneiro was not able to hide his excitement.
"And from what I saw in the last 5 minutes I was able to confirm it. You are the first person ever that was able to breakthrough the mentality of first rank as a newly awakened. Cultivating mentality should only be done at a moon rank cultivation level because that's when your mind limit gets broken. But somehow you were able to do it beforehand." Oneiro said with shining eyes.
"And that's where I will be helping you. Since you somehow mastered your gravity control the improvement won't be as exponential as if you would learn a completely new power. The power of telekinesis."
Ethan's eyes widened. "Did you just say it will be possible to wield two mana affinity's at the awakening rank?"
"NO of course not. If you even did that everyone else could just kill himself. Your telekinesis will be part of your mind power, so that even if you run out of mana you will still be able to fight with the telekinesis. But let me tell you that no being ever tried to use the power of telekinesis without having the affinity for it on an early stage like you are. It's acceptable to try it at the body refinement level since even some of them manage to succeed, but even by doing something like that one would be called a lifetime genius."
Ethan got happy. Wouldn't that mean that he would have a big trump card in his position if he would clash with the others again?
"So tell me Ethan, are you ready to test your limits even if that means that all the suffering you will get through would be in vain, if my training would lead to no results?"
Ethan did not need to think about it. If he felt like this was a dead end he could still hone his gravity control, but learning something from scratch seemed much more fun. "Let's do it. I am ready."
And just like that Oneiro started teaching Ethan about telekinesis and how to use it. Like that five days went by in the dream world.
******
"I don't get it, you should be able to use telekinesis with the mind power you possess. Frankly, I wouldn't even dare to claim my mind power is stronger than yours, and I'm four major realms above you. So, why can't you use telekinesis?"
Over the past five days, Ethan and Oneiro had tried everything to activate his telekinesis. It wasn't entirely fruitless, but the best Ethan could do was move a small rock about an inch before an overwhelming sensation of fear overwhelmed him. It wasn't fear in the dream world, but a physical fear that his body would explode if he persisted. Not his dream world body but his actual, physical body.
"Maybe I don't have any affinity with telekinesis," Ethan pondered.
"No, this has nothing to do with that. Otherwise, you wouldn't have been able to move the rock at all."
Oneiro made a suggestion. "Why don't you go and keep honing your gravity control? In the meantime, I will try to find a solution to the problem." With a snap of his finger, Ethan found himself facing 100 different beasts.
Oneiro didn't give him a chance to consider; it was more of an instruction than a suggestion.
Ethan stood in front of the horde of beasts, contemplating. "Is it perhaps too early for me to use a second ability? Maybe I shouldn't waste my time on it and focus on my training."
And just like that, Ethan once again began battling the horde of beasts.
******
""This is incredible, boss. This dungeon has resources equal to a peak C-Rank dungeon. We've only been here for 10 hours, and almost everyone found a mana enhancement fruit. All our late foundation stage Awakened broke through to the peak stage."
"You don't have to tell me. I've seen it myself! Instead of caring for this nonsense, you should tell me how it's possible that no one found any traces of the stupid boy."
As much as Eric wanted to enjoy the labor of his comrades, the defeat by Ethan's hand still nagged at his pride. It was too humiliating to know that there was a newly awakened individual who could defeat him. It just didn't sit well with him.
Eric's frustration was palpable, and his clenched fists revealed his inner turmoil. The memory of his humiliating defeat at Ethan's hands haunted him relentlessly.
One of his subordinates, a burly man named Jackson, attempted to offer some consolation. "Boss, we've searched every inch of this dungeon, but there's no sign of that kid. Maybe he managed to escape somehow?"
Eric's anger flared at the suggestion. "Escape? From us? Don't be a fool, Jackson! That boy must still be here, hiding like a rat. We can't afford to let him escape. He's not like any ordinary newcomer; he's dangerous. I need all of you to intensify the search. Check every nook and cranny of this dungeon. I want that kid found, and I want him brought to me."
The other members of Eric's group nodded in agreement, a sense of urgency now pushing them to redouble their efforts.
******
"Henry, we've discovered Charmweaver Spiders to the north. If what our elders mentioned holds true, then the Metaphoria Spring should be nearby."
"Lead the way, Amanda, and inform the others. And don't underestimate the spiders. If they begin draining your mana, you'll be in danger before you even notice it."
Amanda considered their options. "If we leave now, it'll take us 8 hours to get there. But what about the others? What can they do in the meantime?" Amanda, a young girl with a delicate face, she's not very tall, standing at around 1.5 meters. Her most noticeable features are her short blue hair and bright sapphire blue eyes, which make her look quite unique. With a soft and melodious voice, her smooth and fair skin adds to her charming appearance.
"8 hours?" Henry pondered. The dungeon was filled with resources all around him. Should he focus on the resources he could see and find nearby or follow the intel? "Okay, tell them to look for a cave in the nearby area without alerting any spiders. We will go there slowly and gather every valuable herb and fruit on the way. We can't afford to lose those 8 hours in vain."
Amanda didn't have an opinion on that and was only following orders. "Roger, but this could delay our arrival by up to 5 hours depending on the resources we find."
"It's alright. It's still better than losing our precious time completely."
"When can we start going?" Henry asked Amanda.
"We have 40 members in the nearby vicinity. If you want them all to come, it will take about 30 minutes."
"Perfect. Tell everyone to be ready in 45 minutes. This time should suffice. In the meantime, I am going to cultivate, so don't disturb me until everyone gathers. You have full command until I finish my short cultivation circle."
Amanda could see that he was not revealing everything on his mind. The defeat by a newly awakened still troubled him. He was supposed to be the strongest of his generation, and he had even chosen his own path instead of following the one his family had prepared for him.
"Roger, Captain." "His defeat seems to still weigh on him. I hope we meet him again and you can show everyone your true power, Captain."
And like that, Ethan's first fight was around the corner.