As the group approached the ominous structure in the distance, Leana cast a glance over her shoulder at the three students following her. “Don’t you sense anything unusual?” she asked, her voice calm but curious.
Damon, Anaya, and Daveon exchanged puzzled glances before shaking their heads in unison. “Nothing out of the ordinary,” Anaya replied.
Leana sighed, her expression briefly tinged with disappointment. Just as she opened her mouth to elaborate, Damon’s sharp senses kicked in. He paused mid-step, his brow furrowing as he focused on his surroundings.
“Wait,” Damon said suddenly, glancing around. “The heat… it’s dropping.”
Leana’s lips curled into a grin, and she nodded. “Good. At least one of you caught on.”
Anaya and Daveon stopped as well, frowning as they concentrated. Moments later, they too felt it—the oppressive heat that had been suffocating them since their arrival was noticeably less intense.
“You’re right,” Anaya said, her voice laced with relief. “It’s cooler now.”
Daveon nodded in agreement, though his expression remained skeptical. “Why the sudden change?”
Leana gestured toward the structure ahead, resuming her pace. “That’s why,” she said.
The students followed, their curiosity growing with every step. As they neared the building, Leana began to explain.
“There are structures like this scattered throughout the First Layer of Hell,” she said. “They’re called Regulators. As the name suggests, they help regulate the temperature within a certain radius. They also serve as shelters for humans who venture into this hellscape.”
Damon tilted his head, his gaze fixed on the building. “Shelters? Who built them?”
“Some time ago,” Leana said, “a coalition of powerful mages and engineers designed these structures. They knew humans would need safe zones if they were ever to survive here. The pillars you see underneath the building absorb the majority of the heat and disperse it into the ground.”
Anaya’s eyes widened. “So, it’s like a cooling system?”
“Exactly,” Leana confirmed.
The heat continued to decline as they approached the Regulator, and by the time they reached its entrance, the air felt almost tolerable.
The building itself was unremarkable at first glance—a wooden structure shaped like a silo, raised slightly above the ground by sturdy pillars.
Leana led them up a short flight of steps and pushed open the door. Inside, the students were surprised to find a cozy interior that bore little resemblance to the harsh exterior.
The main room resembled a sitting room, with simple but functional furniture arranged neatly. The walls were lined with shelves holding basic supplies, and the faint scent of herbs lingered in the air.
“It’s… a house?” Damon said, his voice tinged with disbelief.
“More or less,” Leana replied. “Come on, I’ll show you around.”
The group followed her as she led them through the structure. The first room they entered was a meditation chamber, sparsely decorated but exuding a sense of calm.
“This room is designed for focus and recovery,” Leana explained. “It’s enchanted to aid meditation, making it easier to regain lost essence and calm your mind.”
Next, they moved to the third room, which turned out to be a bathroom. Unlike the other rooms, this one featured an unusual setup. Instead of faucets or switches, two small arrays were embedded into the wall—one glowing a shimmering blue and the other a faint crimson red.
“What are these?” Anaya asked, stepping closer to inspect them.
Leana gestured to the arrays. “These control the water. The blue array absorbs a small amount of your essence to provide cold water, while the red one does the same for hot water. It’s efficient, but you’ll need to manage your essence wisely.”
Continue your journey on empire
The students exchanged glances, impressed by the ingenuity of the design. Storing water in tanks in such an environment was basically almost impossible as it was sure to evaporate with time.
This was why the creators decided to use essence to generate water for users. All the had to do was expend a little amount of their magic essence.
After finishing the tour, they returned to the sitting room to await their next assignment. Damon, however, had other plans.
“I need a bath,” he announced suddenly, standing up and stretching.
Anaya raised an eyebrow. “Now? We just got here.”
Damon smirked. “Exactly. And I’ve been sweating buckets since we arrived. Might as well take advantage of the facilities.”
Before anyone could protest, Damon reached into his Void Key—the small, enchanted artifact designed to store personal belongings—and retrieved a bathtub. The sleek, portable tub appeared out of thin air, landing gently on the floor.
Anaya and Daveon stared in stunned silence, their jaws slightly agape. Never in their entire existence had they ever thought they would need something like that.
“Where… did you get that?” Daveon finally managed to ask.
However, Damon was different in that aspect.
Damon grinned, clearly enjoying their reactions. “I came prepared,” he said simply.
Anaya crossed her arms, her expression skeptical. “Prepared for what? A spa day in hell? You didn’t even know we were coming to hell till like an hour ago.”
“Hey,” Damon shot back, “you never know when you’ll need a good bath.”
Leana, who had been observing the exchange with amusement, chuckled. “At least he’s resourceful,” she said.
Ignoring their continued stares, Damon carried the tub to the bathroom and placed it beneath the red array. He activated the array with a small pulse of essence, and within moments, steaming hot water began to fill the tub.
“Enjoy your bath, Damon,” Leana called out as he closed the door behind him.
Anaya sighed, shaking her head. “I don’t think I’ll ever fully understand him.”
Daveon leaned back in his chair, a faint smirk on his face. “At least he’s consistent.”
Leana chuckled again, her eyes glinting with amusement. “Let him have his moment. Once we start training, he might not have time for luxuries like this since hell definitely be more immersed in it that any of you.”
As the group settled into the Regulator, they couldn’t help but feel a fleeting sense of relief.
For now, the hostile environment outside was a distant memory, and Damon’s antics provided a brief distraction from the challenges that awaited them.
“Then he shall have his fun.” Anaya shrugged as she moved over to a plush pillow.