It turned out that Saleen's slow advancement was related to his personality. After being enlightened by Jason, he went to the Imperial City of the Abyss once to temper his resolve. That did the trick. Since then, Saleen's advancement saw some improvement. Although it still lagged behind some genius mages, the change was astonishing for someone of his innate talent.
This time, Saleen combined all the equipment he took pride in; he no longer wanted to have so many possessions. He did this for the sake of focusing on his progression, something he had learned from his teacher.
Saleen brought Rafel with him. Their bodies were wrapped in mist as they flew towards the forest. By this time, the magical tower was already under Jason's control. Pande's Maze could not obstruct Saleen, so he flew directly above the maze.
