From nine in the morning to nine at night—twelve full hours had passed.
Loki and Astraea had been sitting in the room the entire time, waiting patiently for results.
Click.
The golden door slowly creaked open.
Alise stepped out first, one hand braced against the doorframe. The exhaustion on her usually radiant face said everything—this training had been anything but ordinary.
Behind her followed Ryuu, Kaguya, and Lyra, all in the same state. Their faces were pale, their movements sluggish, and even their breathing came in shallow, careful patterns.
Alive—but barely.
That was the only way Astraea could describe what she was seeing.
"Alise, are you all right?"
Her concerned voice hit the girls like a jolt of energy. Even half-dead, the moment they heard their goddess's voice, they straightened up on instinct.
"We're fine, Lady Astraea... we're fine," Alise said between breaths. "Just... a little tired."
She inhaled slowly. The air entering her lungs wasn't scorching or freezing anymore, and only then did she realize—they had finally escaped that hellish space.
"Tired?" Astraea blinked in surprise.
This was Alise, the girl who never ran out of energy no matter how deep they ventured into the Dungeon. Hearing her say she was tired felt almost unreal.
"In that case," Astraea began, "you should all rest for tonight. We can update tomorrow—"
"No."
Alise cut her off immediately.
Her body screamed for rest, her eyelids heavy enough to fall shut any second—but before collapsing, she had to finish the Status update.
"Let's not put it off, Lady Astraea. Please update my Status now." Her tone softened with a tired smile. "I want to see how much I've grown in just half a day."
Astraea hesitated for a moment, then nodded. She was just as curious.
Alise quickly stripped off her top. Astraea pricked her finger and let a drop of divine blood fall onto Alise's back. In an instant, lines of glowing script appeared, revealing her updated Status.
Strength: H128 → F312
Endurance: H177 → F324
Dexterity: I77 → G289
Agility: I114 → F303
Magic: H153 → H154
"...!?"
Astraea froze.
Loki leaned in for a look—and even the mischievous goddess couldn't hide her surprise at the numbers.
This was just half a day of training.
At this pace, Alise would be ready for a Level Up to Lv.5 in less than two weeks.
Loki nudged the still-stunned Astraea with her elbow. "Hey, your kid's waiting for your verdict."
Snapping out of her daze, Astraea wiped at her eyes and stared again, confirming she wasn't seeing things.
Half a day—just half a day—and Alise's Status had skyrocketed like this.
She pressed a sheet of white paper to Alise's back, copying the numbers, and handed it over with a firm warning.
"Alise, when you look at this, don't scream. Don't freak out. Understood?"
"Yes, Lady Astraea," Alise replied, swallowing hard.
She took the paper, glanced down—
and her mind promptly short-circuited.
Now she understood exactly why Astraea had given that warning.
Because how could anyone not freak out after seeing growth like that?
"Alise."
"Alise!"
Astraea's voice brought her back to reality. She blinked, looked down again at the page... and blurted out the first thing that came to mind.
"Holy shit."
The words slipped out before she could stop them. Even the ever-cheerful captain of the Astraea Familia couldn't hold it in.
Except for Magic, every single stat had jumped by over 150 points—some by more than 200.
Was this growth? No—this was takeoff.
She turned to see Kaguya's stunned face and shoved the paper into her hands.
Kaguya blinked, looked down, rubbed her eyes, and then—
"What the hell!?"
Her reaction was just as loud.
Regaining her composure, she quickly passed the paper to Ryuu, then loosened her own kimono top with trembling hands. She couldn't wait any longer.
"Lady Astraea, please—me next."
Astraea smiled faintly and nodded. She was just as eager to confirm that this wasn't a one-off miracle.
Moments later, Ryuu's updated numbers appeared:
Strength: H125 → F367
Agility: I102 → F326
Magic: H123 → H124
"…So it's not a fluke."
Astraea exhaled slowly, realization dawning.
This kind of explosive growth couldn't be a coincidence—twice in a row proved that the Training Space's effect was real, and terrifyingly effective.
She studied the data in silence, thoughts spinning.
Even at Level 4, the improvement is this dramatic. Even if the effect diminishes with higher levels, it's still far more efficient than any training inside the Dungeon.
In this space, their Status can be pushed to the absolute limit. And with the other door—the Challenge Space—they'll sharpen teamwork and learn to handle unexpected situations.
A soft sigh escaped her lips.
Unbelievable…
Loki Familia's future growth would be unprecedented—not just in speed, but in potential. The only thing they'd lack now wasn't talent or strength, but Excellia—the experience needed for Level Up.
And even that shortage was temporary.
Once the monsters inside the Challenge Space could be fought individually, even Excellia would cease to be a problem.
Astraea smiled faintly, glancing at her still-dazed girls.
In the end, this was a blessing.
Thanks to Tsuna's creation, Alise and the others would walk a steadier, safer path—and their adventure would last far longer than before.