Anon, Ion, and Gin ventured within the depths of the Evensong Forest.
They had been walking for the past five hours, and the sun was gradually descending, marking the approach of evening. Once night fell, the forest’s hidden monsters would emerge for their nocturnal hunts.
“Where exactly are we headed?” Anon inquired of Ion.
“You’ll find out soon enough; don’t worry,” Ion responded calmly.
“I’m only asking because the sun will set in about an hour. We should set up camp somewhere safe and continue our journey tomorrow,” Anon suggested.
“Let me ask you something, human. If your destination were right in front of you, would you go for it, or would you camp in front of it to claim it with ease and safety tomorrow?” Ion countered.
“Is our destination here?” Anon inquired with a grin.
“Just a bit further,” Ion replied as he resumed walking.
‘Fuck you, Old man.’ Anon thought as he showed him the middle finger from behind.
“I can sense that.” Ion spoke as he kept walking.
After approximately 20 minutes, they encountered a colossal banyan tree. This tree appeared ancient, its size and thickness akin to a five-story building on Earth. It was entirely enshrouded in aerial roots.
The roots were also long and thick, akin to a big rope. They were coming from the top all the way to it’s bottom.
“This is it,” Ion declared with a smile, looking at the tree.
“What? Our destination was a tree?” Anon questioned, perplexed.
“Follow me,” Ion instructed, heading straight toward the tree.
“Where are you—” Anon began, but before he could finish his sentence, he observed Ion mysteriously vanish into the banyan tree.
“What the heck?” Anon muttered, bewildered, as he gazed at the tree.
“Come quickly, kid,” Ion’s voice beckoned from the other side.
“Yeah,” Anon responded, walking toward the banyan tree. He tried to touch the tree’s trunk, but his hand passed through it as if it were an illusion.
“This seems like an illusion, but why am I experiencing it? I’m supposed to be immune to illusions due to my class,” Anon wondered as he entered the tree’s interior, with Gin following him.
Inside, he noticed a colossal spiral staircase spiraling down the tree, featuring ancient designs.
“What the fuck ? This tree is hollow from inside ?” Anon thought as he looked above the tree and then looked down at the spiral staircase.
“Come boy, we have to reach our destination before the night falls.” Ion directed, proceeding down the stairs.
“Where do these stairs lead ?” Anon inquired as he followed Ion.
“You’ll see; just keep following,” Ion replied with an evil smile.
“Where on earth am I being taken to and every time I asks, he just gives me that creepy smile. I mean who smiles like that ?” Anon pondered as he continued trailing Ion.
After the initial 100 steps, Anon sensed a change in the environment. The air grew denser with each step, making his progress more challenging.
“Ummm… do you feel it ?” Anon asked Ion.
“Don’t fret about the force; it’s intended,” Ion reassured.
Twenty minutes later…
The gravitational pull increased to five times that of the surface. Anon managed it with his mana, but Ion seemed unfazed, walking normally as if unaffected by the intensified pressure. He wasn’t even using his mana to protect his body.
Eventually, the staircase led to a massive iron gate.
“Where are we?” Anon inquired.
“For me, it’s akin to a playground now. But for you, I’d call it hell,” Ion replied with a smile.
“What do you mean by that?” Anon asked, puzzled.
“Hehehe, let’s discuss it inside,” Ion suggested, opening the door.
They entered a vast room furnished with various training equipment, such as large dumbbells, iron rods and weights, skipping ropes, and more.
*Thud*
Upon entering the room, the gates sealed shut, and a notification appeared before Anon.
[You have entered a area]
Anon felt his mana rapidly dissipating. As soon as it left his body, he was exposed to the immense gravitational force within the room.
Bwahhh
Anon vomited and fell to his knees.
“What…the…” Anon attempted to speak, but his tongue felt too heavy.
“Don’t worry, son; you’ll get used to this soon,” Ion said, taking a seat nearby and engrossing himself in an ancient-looking book.
Suddenly, the effects of the Null area ceased, and Anon could utilize his mana once more. He swiftly formed a protective barrier around himself. However, another notification materialized.
[You have entered a area]
Once again, he experienced the same sensation, collapsing to the ground.
“Let me clarify, kid. This room is constructed upon a Tier-7 Null array. It activates whenever you use mana inside the room and deactivates when you don’t. This will help you learn to control your desires and manage mana according to your will, not your needs.
Sometimes, you believe you’re commanding mana to move and shield your body, but it’s not you who’s in control—it’s your mind. It tricks you into thinking you’re in charge,” Ion elucidated.
‘Huh…?’ Anon suddenly contemplated this and realized that, even when he hadn’t explicitly commanded it, his mana automatically moved to protect his body when the Null area’s effects ended.
“Can you sense it?” Ion asked.
Anon nodded slightly.
“Good. Now, try to harness it and make your body comfortable within this room. You’ll experience this for the next seven days. The best part? We’ll only rest for one hour every 24 hours,” Ion announced, smiling at Anon before returning to his reading.
‘Oh no… I have no other option. The door is sealed, and I can’t open it in this state. I’m in deep trouble. Why did I agree to this?’ Anon fretted as his bones cracked and snapped, yet they were promptly repaired by the troll locket.
“Hmmm…?” Ion approached Anon and snatched the troll locket from his neck. 𝒷𝓭ℴ𝓋𝓵.𝒸ℴ𝓶
“What…are you…doing?” Anon asked in a faint, angered tone.
“Oh, good, you can speak now. I’ll be taking this locket. You won’t need it,” Ion stated, returning to his table.
Crack
‘I’m doomed,’ Anon thought as he heard his bones cracking.