After closing the red door that symbolized challenge, Tsuna opened the golden one that represented training.
Loki leaned forward curiously, ready to peek inside—but Tsuna quickly stopped her.
"Miss Loki, I wouldn't recommend sticking your head in. Just try putting your hand through instead."
"Oh? Is it that dangerous?"
That warning only made Loki even more curious.
Still, she wasn't reckless enough to ignore it completely. She cautiously extended her hand through the doorway.
The moment her fingers crossed the threshold, a crushing force slammed down on her arm, nearly dragging her to the floor.
"Whoa—!"
Tsuna had already anticipated it. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her back before the weight could drag her in.
"What the hell was that?" Loki gasped, staring at her trembling arm. "It felt like something was trying to pin me to the ground!"
"Gravity," Tsuna explained, steadying her.
"This space was designed to push the human body's limits. Only when the body hits its absolute threshold can it be truly strengthened. The entire point of this environment is to force that limit."
"Right now, the gravity inside is set to one times normal. The daytime temperature can reach fifty degrees, and at night it drops to negative fifty. The air is thin—almost at the edge of survivability. In an environment like that, the body reaches its physical limit much faster."
Loki blinked, dizzy just hearing about it.
This kid's out of his mind.
No wonder she'd felt that crushing pressure the instant she reached inside—it wasn't just heavy; it was oppressive enough to throw her off balance.
"Don't you think that's a little extreme?"
Astraea voiced exactly what Loki was thinking, though Tsuna didn't seem surprised at all.
"I know it sounds extreme," he admitted. "But the whole idea is to squeeze out every drop of potential from the body. That's how the Status grows faster. For the sake of improving their Status, being a bit extreme is acceptable, right?"
He looked at Astraea. "Think about it, Goddess Astraea—would you rather they face life-threatening danger in the Dungeon, or endure this controlled environment instead?"
When he put it that way, Astraea couldn't argue.
"Of course this is safer," she said. "Compared to the Dungeon, this space is just… harsh. But the danger here only comes from physical strain, not monsters trying to kill you."
Even if the environment was brutal, she could see why Tsuna designed it that way. Only by training under such extreme conditions could one's body truly evolve—and that evolution would show in their Status.
After comparing the two—the Dungeon's chaos and this space's safety—Astraea's concerns began to fade. Still, she raised one more point.
"Even so, you can't let people stay in there too long. If someone trains in such extreme conditions for an extended period, the physical and mental toll could be devastating."
"I know," Tsuna said with a small smile. "I accounted for that when creating it."
"The pure white environment and the extreme climate—it's too much for prolonged use. So I removed the time-acceleration feature and limited the training period to half a day. After each session, there must be at least a full day's rest before entering again."
That explanation finally put Astraea at ease.
"I see. You thought it through."
Tsuna nodded. "Besides, the Training Space isn't the only option. If someone wants a less brutal method, they can just use the Gravity Bracelet."
The core of the Training Space was the one-times gravity compression. Everything else—the heat, the cold, the thin air—was just there to make things harder.
Tsuna's original idea was for the adventurers to use the Gravity Bracelet even during their breaks, if they wanted extra conditioning.
"If Ais sees how effective this space is, she's not gonna settle for just the bracelet…" Loki muttered, glancing at the golden door.
Then she turned to Astraea. "What about your kids?"
Astraea sighed softly. "After the despair and failure they've just experienced… I doubt they'd turn down a chance like this."
She looked up at the golden door, her expression bittersweet.
"They've been blaming themselves ever since I saved them. To me, helping my children is just what a goddess should do. But some words can't reach them anymore."
"I know that once they realize there's a way to grow stronger, they'll throw themselves into it—no matter how cruel the conditions are."
Listening to her, Loki couldn't help but smile wryly.
She knew that feeling all too well. Her own children were just as hungry for power, each driven by their own reasons. With an opportunity like this, none of them would waste a second. They'd live in that space if she let them.
Understanding perfectly, Loki gave Astraea's shoulder a reassuring pat.
"My kids are the same," she said. "But we'll need to run some tests first—to make sure this Training Space actually works as intended. Once they see the results, they'll be hooked."
As she spoke, her eyes drifted to Tsuna.
"I'll find people for the test," he said immediately, turning and heading out of the room.
When the sound of the closing door faded, Astraea's gaze softened. There was both admiration and envy in her voice.
"Your child really is something special, Loki. No wonder you chose to descend for him. If I had someone like that in my Familia, I'd never have to worry about Alise and the others facing the same danger again."
Hearing the quiet longing in Astraea's tone, Loki couldn't help but smile proudly.
"That kid's the most special of all," she said. "So it's only natural we treat him in the most special way."
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Note: I fell asleep before I could post any more chapters yesterday... Sorry about that