Rakan remained standing before the metallic capsule, breathing deeply as if trying to hoard the last traces of the frigid air he had inhaled in "Lordran." He could hardly believe that his body, which had been leaden with exhaustion only an hour ago, was now pulsing with an alien vitality. He stared at his hands, then turned to Leon with an eagerness unbecoming of a warrior of his stature.
"Owner!" Rakan barked, pulling another pouch of magic stones from his belt. "Take these—take them all! I must return at once. That hammer-wielding beast... I've begun to read his movements. I only need one more hour to crush his skull!"
Leon raised a hand calmly. Though he felt intimidated by Rakan's surging aura, the System's voice in his mind remained steady and resolute, granting him a sudden wave of composure.
"My apologies, Master Rakan," Leon said firmly, swiping through a virtual interface visible only to him. "The laws of the Dimensional Experience Center are absolute. Each soul is permitted only one hour every twenty-four hours. No exceptions—not even for all the treasures in Astoria."
Rakan froze, a look of pure bewilderment washing over his flushed face. "One hour? Are you jesting? I am a customer with coin! How can you refuse a cultivator seeking to temper himself?"
Leon gestured toward a small metallic plaque manifesting on the wall behind him, its letters etched by the System's arcane power: [Store Law No. 1: Time belongs to the System. One hour per human consciousness, daily.]
"It is not a matter of gold," Leon continued, observing the bitter disappointment in Rakan's eyes. "The neural strain you endured in Lordran is immense. If I allowed you back now, your psyche might shatter. Return tomorrow, once your body has integrated the energy you gained today."
Rakan let out a low, frustrated growl, yet he sensed an intangible authority in Leon's tone that commanded respect. He gathered his belongings to leave just as the door creaked open.
Curiosity Found in Stillness
Outside the shop, Elina stood mesmerized by the simple wooden sign Leon had hung at the entrance: [Dimensional Experience Center: Find Strength in the Heart of Darkness, and Peace away from the Clamor of Light.]
To a mage like Elina, such words sounded like a "false mirage" in a city with no escape from the glare. But the word that truly arrested her was "Peace." It had been days since she had tasted "Dusk Powder," and her head felt near bursting from the resonance of mana agitated by the perpetual heat.
Elina stepped inside, her eyes locking with Rakan's as he departed. She immediately sensed a shift; Rakan, known to be a crude and volatile warrior, now possessed an aura that was unnervingly "cool" and stable.
She turned to Leon, her confusion evident. "Forgive the intrusion... I read the sign outside. Do you truly provide... a place away from this light?"
Leon offered a natural smile, attempting to ease her wariness. "Welcome. I am Leon, the proprietor. What I offer here is a total immersion of the consciousness into another world. The price is ten magic stones per hour."
Elina hesitated—the sum was significant—but the craving for "Silence" was more powerful. She placed the stones down slowly and sat in the capsule, a tremor running through her fingertips.
Disarray in the Cell of Ash
When Leon lowered the helmet onto Elina, she was unprepared for the shock. Unlike Rakan, who had entered the world with a combative spirit, Elina entered with the consciousness of a "Mage," sensitive to every speck of energy.
She opened her eyes to find herself in a pitch-black cell. Panic seized her; suddenly, her ability to sense the elements around her had vanished. "Mana? Where is the mana?" she cried out in terror, clawing at the cold stone walls.
Her disorientation was twofold; the darkness here was not merely the absence of light, but a heavy, enveloping entity. Her breathing quickened, and she was on the verge of demanding an exit, when she suddenly stopped.
The cold.
She touched the floor with her bare hands, feeling the chill of the stone marble seep into her veins. The sensation was so exquisite that she ceased her screaming. She leaned her back against the wall and closed her eyes, listening only to the distant rhythm of dripping water.
"This is the silence he promised..." she whispered, weeping softly. She wasn't crying out of fear, but because the cacophony in her mind had finally gone silent.
Awakening Under the Cleaver's Shadow
After minutes of soaking in the stillness, Elina realized she had to move. Finding a key behind the door, she stepped into the corridor. A "Hollow" approached. Panic flared again—she carried no staff.
She attempted to summon the "Light Arrow" she had mastered, but nothing emerged save for a pathetic spark. The System said the laws here are different... she thought frantically as the monster raised its rusted cleaver.
With a racing heart, Elina focused on the "Cold" she felt in the cell, attempting to transmute it into power. Suddenly, her hand glowed with a pale blue light, and she loosed a small "Soul Arrow" that pierced the monster's chest.
The experience was both harrowing and exhilarating. The creature fell, and Elina felt the surge of "Souls" entering her physical body outside. She pressed on, dying and returning, falling and rising. With each cycle, she understood that her true magic lay in "Stillness," not in "Spectacle."
The Return to Reality
The hour ended, and Elina opened her eyes in the shop. She was still shivering slightly from her encounter with the "Asylum Demon," who had crushed her in the final moments, but her face held a radiance that hadn't been there an hour prior.
"I died... I felt death three times," she told Leon, stepping slowly away from the capsule. "But Owner... my mind is now as clear as a mirror. My magic, which was boiling from the heat, is now... obedient."
She extended her hand, and a sphere of cool, refreshing blue magic manifested. Leon watched in awe; she was truly gifted.
"That is the effect of 'Lordran'," Leon said, collecting the stones. "Return tomorrow at the same time if you wish to continue the path. And the One-Hour Mandate applies to you as well."
Elina nodded solemnly and left the shop, her mind already drifting back to that dreary grey sky—her new sanctuary of dreams.