The group could continue harvesting resources from the outer edges of the forest since that was still officially a fourth level danger zone, while the depths of the forest were a fifth level danger zone. But there was no telling when the entire forest would be deemed a fifth level danger zone. So without holding anything back, the group continued training and harvesting resources like crazy.
There were a few occasions when they went to the guild where people wondered how a third level mage could consistently bring back materials from the forest where not even fifth level mages could guarantee their safety. But as long as the materials they brought back were from the fourth level danger zone of the forest, it would be fine as long as the danger zone isn't upgraded. And it looked like that would happen sooner rather than later.
The city had also asked for reinforcements from other cities. Not to enter the forest but to stand by within the city in case there is a stampede. Although stampedes happened very rarely, with how frenzied the beasts in the Tumbling Thunder Forest were acting, it wouldn't be too strange if they welled out of the forest in the direction of Sleepless Brights.
Since Sleepless Brights was a city located pretty centrally on Roaring Skies, with a lot of other cities and towns around it, and because the highest level danger zone close to the city was a fifth level one, there was practically not a single sixth level mage or higher in the city. The few who were in the city couldn't easily leave their positions just for some trouble in the forest that the fifth level mages had trouble dealing with.
If the sixth level mages within the city were to leave Sleepless Brights and try to deal with the Tumbling Thunder Forest, the city wouldn't have any real defense if a stampede were to really occur. It wasn't even a guarantee they could deal with the stampede even if every mage stayed in the city since the forest, despite being a fifth level danger zone, would still have a few sixth level beasts.
However, despite how much of a ruckus there was in the forest, there weren't any signs of beasts moving from their territory and inciting a stampede. So while the request for investigation continued getting its reward increased, Toz and the cats kept doing what they had been doing for a few days after Lucy broke through. And eventually, it was Toz's turn.
His breakthrough didn't come as a surprise since he had reached the third level at the same time as Lucy, and while Lucy could spend most of the day training, Toz didn't have the same opportunities, Which led to Toz wanting to find a way to walk and train his mana at the same time even more. However, that would have to wait since he still couldn't figure out a way to do it without losing control of his limbs and falling to the ground every time he tried.
Even just moving his arms while he was training made it difficult to keep his concentration up, and either the mana he tried to convert and absorb would get dispelled, or his hand would fly into his face or not move at all.
Though, Toz didn't have the leeway to make such attempts when he was making his breakthrough since he needed to be fully focused on controlling his mana. The metal attribute mana, to be specific.
Since he had access to several different elements, his mana would also have different elements, and when he trained his mana, he would use one element at a time to increase his body's affinity to and his control over that type first. In order to break through to the fourth level, Toz prioritized his metal attribute mana, and in order to complete his breakthrough, he would have to go through the same process as Lucy did with his darkness mana.
Controlling and condensing the mana into a form more akin to liquid than its current misty shape.
Toz gathered the silvery grey fog in the center of his mana pool, pushing the other elements to the side. Although they would have their use, that would be after he condensed the metal mana fog into tiny droplets that formed a thick lump of shiny fluid metal mana.
Toz condensed all the metal mana in his mana pool, and technically he could finish things there, but that would make it more difficult for him to reach the next level, even more so the next division.
So when the metal mana in his pool was finished condensing, he converted the other elements in his mana pool into metal and condensed that as well, forming a slightly large lump of metallic goo in the center of his mana pool. But Toz didn't stop there as he did like Lucy had done and absorbed the mana in their surroundings frantically to further increase the size of his shiny lump of mana.
He didn't stop even when the size of the lump rivaled his entire pool. Instead, he kept pushing more and more mana into his pool, simultaneously thickening the liquid metal and forcefully expanding his pool, and increasing his mana storage capabilities.
He only stopped when it felt like his mana pool would shatter if he stretched it any further. And with a sigh, he let go of the control he had over his mana. The lumpy metal in his mana pool that had been restless and trembling eagerly calmed down, becoming smooth like a marble.
Just like Lucy, Toz also used his mana as soon as he finished his breakthrough. But unlike Lucy, who covered the room in shadows, Toz conjured a dozen couple of small trinkets that he changed and modified the shape of continuously before merging them to create a large blade.
Toz pushed the newly conjured blade against his old sword, and despite how much mana he had poured into the sword over the months since he first made it, it didn't take long for the blade to begin cutting through the sword's edge.
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