Chapter 25: Into The Time Chamber
As Sam entered the shimmering silver liquid barrier at the back of the wardrobe, it felt like he was walking through a cloud of silver mist so thick that he could not even see the end of his nose. It only lasted a moment, and he exited into a cave. He looked behind him, and the way he had come was a stone arch the same size as the wardrobe, with the same silver barrier.
Cool, he thought to himself. Once everyone was inside, they walked through a tunnel at the end of the cave and found themselves on a small tropical island with a blue sky above and a little jungle next to the short mountain that housed the cave. The island was surrounded by an endless ocean.
"This looks so real," Sam said as he looked around. "The humidity in the air, the ocean breeze, the smell of the sea... Just, wow."
Koga grinned. "It’s also enchanted to mimic a normal day and night cycle, accelerated so that it feels normal for us inside here."
Koga then pointed to a wooden house under the shade in the little jungle. "And we have that house just in case anyone didn’t bring a tent or would rather sleep under a firm roof. It’s equipped with a fully stocked kitchen and several bathrooms, plus enough bunk beds for everyone. Of course, if you did bring a tent and a sleeping bag and would rather use them, there are plenty of areas on the island to set up camp."
Everyone decided to stay in the house. There were no separate bedrooms, it was just one open area with the exception of the bathrooms. One half had the kitchen and dining room, and the other had rows of bunk beds and cushioned chairs.
Koga then pointed to a shelf along the far wall that had stacks of folded black material. "Those are duplicates of combat wear from the tournament that I was able to get from the organizers. Obviously, these don’t have your names on the back, but I got some of every size they had, so you all should be able to fit into them for training."
"Oh cool, thanks!" Sam said.
Everyone took turns using the bathrooms to change into the training gear, which same as before, were composed of sleeveless gi vests, loose-fitting pants, split-toe tabi ninja combat boots, shinguards, armguards, and a belt.
Koga then led them out of the little jungle, to a huge, circular stone platform near the beach. It had pillars every few feet around the outer edge, each inscribed with runes.
"Once you step onto the platform, you will feel much heavier, and the air will feel much thicker," Koga explained. "Gravity and air pressure are magically amplified within the pillars, so you’ll need to continuously channel Mana throughout your body to reinforce your organs, bones, and muscles. Those cylinders on your armguards work the same as they did in the dungeon, so keep an eye on them, and if they get too red, have Calista heal you. And of course, if it just gets too intense, you can step off the platform for a breather."
Sam felt it immediately as they passed by the pillars - a crushing weight pushing him down to his hands and knees. It was the same for everyone else except Koga. They were having trouble catching their breath, like the air was being forced out of their lungs. They began perspiring profusely. Sam watched as droplets of sweat fell off his forehead onto the stone under him.
"Focus!" Koga called out. "Channel your Mana!"
Sam closed his eyes and willed his Mana to flood throughout his body and into his limbs, into his lungs to force himself to exhale and inhale, and into his organs to reinforce them. As he felt the surge of energy, he barely managed to rise to his feet. Everyone else did it as well.
"Good job!" Koga said as he watched them stand, their legs struggling and shaking. "It will get easier over time. Using your Mana like this will build up your Power Levels very fast, and also teach you to instinctively thread Mana throughout your bodies with minimal focus."
That first day, they only did basic movements to get accustomed to the higher gravity and air pressure. Just a series of repetitive kicks, punches, and jumps. By the end of the first week, they had integrated push-ups, squats, and sit-ups into the workout routine, and more complex martial arts movements by the end of the second week.
During the third week inside the Time Chamber, Koga began creating wind clones of himself for the teens to fight. Sam willed a long stretch of emerald flames to extend from his hand and then solidify into a katana with a black hilt and a bright green blade. The clone he was up against grinned and summoned his own katana from wisps of winds, after which they began clashing with their swords.
The other clones focused on the strengths and weaknesses of the person they were fighting. The only one not battling was Calista, who was reserving her strength for healing. She was still using the gravity and air pressure to help increase her total Mana, but her focus was on support, not fighting directly.
And they continued that for an entire month. Each day, seven hours in the outside world equaled to seven days inside the Time Chamber. By the day before the Breeding Week Commencement Ball, they had accumulated roughly seven months of training and all managed to get to A-Rank, in addition to learning how to sense the Power Levels of other people. As they stepped out of the wardrobe after the final week, Sam brought up his stat book in his mind.
Name: Samreon Qhousalar
Race: Dracozian
Class: A-Rank Dragon Warlock
Specialization: Dragonfire Samurai
Current Mana Power Level: 580
Max Mana Power Level: 12,000
"Man, I always feel so much lighter after coming out of the Time Chamber!" Sam said excitedly as he hopped up and down a few times. His muscles were now absolutely shredded. It was the same for everyone.
"Ladarsa hasn’t attacked this whole month," Calista pointed out. "I wonder why he’s waiting?"
"I hate that you’ll be at the Ball without us, Sam," Lazula added. "I think we should all be nearby, just in case Ladarsa shows up with allies."
"That’s a good idea," Koga agreed. "There’s a tavern just a few minutes away from the Mayor’s Palace, so we’ll have a long dinner there and listen for any commotion."
"Okay, sounds like a plan!" Marmalade said with a nod.
None of them noticed that Ladarsa was hiding in a bush nearby, watching them closely through an open window.
"So it seems I wasn’t the only one training in a Time Chamber," he said to himself quietly. His lips curled into a sinister grin. "This Commencement Ball is sure to be a blast!"