After closing the red door of trials, they opened the golden door of training.
Loki leaned in to peek, but Sawada Tsunayoshi stopped her. "Loki-sama, don't stick your head through. Just try putting your hand in."
"So dangerous?" Her caution only made her more curious. Still, she didn't ignore the warning; she tentatively slid her hand past the threshold.
A crushing force yanked her arm downward. Tsunayoshi had expected it—he grabbed her wrist and hauled her back out before the weight could slam her to the floor.
"What was that?"
"The gravity," Tsunayoshi said once she was safely back. "This space exists to push the human body's burden to the limit. Only when the body hits its edge can training bite deeper. This room's whole purpose is to create an environment that drags you to that edge."
"Right now, gravity inside is one extra G. Daytime temperatures can reach fifty degrees; at night they can plunge to minus fifty. The air is extremely thin—nearly at the survival limit. In conditions like that, your body reaches its physiological limits much faster."
"Isn't that a little extreme?" Even hearing the specs made Loki feel the pressure—the heavy tug on her arm the moment she reached in had nearly flattened her.
Astraea voiced what Loki wanted to say, and Tsunayoshi wasn't surprised.
"I know it's extreme," he said. "But this setup is meant to wring out potential so ability scores can climb higher. For the sake of growth, a bit of extremity isn't excessive, is it?"
"Astraea-sama, think about it carefully: Is it better to face danger in the Dungeon, or here, in a controlled but extreme environment?"
With that, there was nothing left to compare.
"Here, of course," Astraea said. "Compared to the Dungeon, this room is merely harshly configured. Whatever danger there is comes from training pressure, not lethal chaos."
She understood that raising adventurers' ability scores required extremity. Only by throwing yourself into such conditions and grinding madly would the results show up on your sheet.
Even so, she raised one safety concern. "We still can't let people stay too long. If they train here for extended periods, the accumulated stress will cause serious harm."
"I agree," Tsunayoshi said. "I accounted for that when I built it. A pure-white space with brutal conditions—staying long is too much for mind and body. So I removed the time acceleration I'd planned, capped each session at a half-day, and required at least a full day between uses."
"So you thought of it already." Astraea finally relaxed.
"This isn't the only option either," Tsunayoshi added. "If someone wants something less punishing, they can use gravity bracelets. The key driver here is the added gravity; the other environmental factors just stack extra burden."
"In that case," Loki mused, "if Ais saw what this room can do, she'd never pick the bracelets…"
She glanced between the door and the idea of the bracelets and made her call. "Astraea—what about your girls?"
"I… sigh. After tasting despair and failure, they won't pass up a chance like this." Astraea looked up at the golden door. "They feel guilty because I saved them. Gods saving their children is only natural, but some things won't reach their hearts right now. If they learn there's a way to raise their ability scores, I'm afraid they'll dive in no matter how harsh it is."
Loki wore the same understanding look. She knew too well how hungry her own children were for strength; every one of them had a reason. With a chance like this, they wouldn't slack off. As long as it's within the rules, they'll practically live in that room.
Loki patted Astraea's shoulder. "Mine are the same. Still, we need testers first—to confirm this room actually yields results. That will decide how enthusiastic they get."
As she spoke, her gaze slid to Tsunayoshi.
"I'll go get people," he said, turning to leave at once.
As the door clicked shut and the room quieted, Astraea murmured with a hint of envy, "Your child has taken 'special' to the extreme. No wonder you're keeping everything sealed so tightly for his sake. If my familia had one like him, I wouldn't have to worry whether Alise and the others would face the same peril again."
Loki's heart warmed at the praise. "That child is the most special. Treating him in the most special way is only natural."
(End of Chapter)
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