Silence hung heavy in the Time Chamber, broken only by ragged breaths and the thud of a body hitting the floor. The metal floor trembled with each fall, sending up a fine cloud of dust.
Inside the chamber, Ethan watched Saruto struggle to walk again under the immense force of gravity. His steps were slow and heavy, as if every bone in his body ached. Sweat beaded on his face, and his clothes clung to his weary frame. With each step, he stumbled, then rose again with a silent determination, as if something inside him refused to give up.
He raised his head with difficulty, looked at Ethan, who stood before the system's screen controlling the gravity, and said, his breath ragged, "Increase it... I want to get back to where I was."
Ethan looked at him with a mixture of admiration and concern, then said, "You're still barely walking, Saruto... It's only been days since you started moving again."
But Saruto's resolve remained unwavering. He gripped the ground and rose again, his eyes blazing with determination. "I didn't wake up to retreat," he said, his voice low but filled with resolve. "I promised myself I'd come back stronger."
Ethan smiled, then touched the screen. The gravity numbers gradually increased—15x, 30x, 50x. With each increase, the ground pressed down on Saruto's body as if to crush him, but he resisted, continuing his slow, steady progress.
Hours passed in the outside world, but inside the room, they felt like endless weeks. He rose and fell hundreds of times. His muscles ached and recovered thanks to the autocorrect system that rebuilt his body stronger than before. His bones broke, only to return stronger. Even his spirit seemed to be refined with every moment of pain.
Gasping under the force of 100 times the gravity, he slowly raised his head and said with a small smile, "So far, so good."
He stood upright, his features radiating strength. His muscles were clearly defined, his energy more stable, a clear violet aura shimmering around him, dancing like a celestial flame.
The days passed quickly inside the room, until the day Saruto sat before the gravity screen and stopped his training. He sat silently, staring at his hands, which now glowed with an energy that was both familiar and strange.
He turned to Ethan, who was watching him from afar, and asked in a low but puzzled voice, "Ethan... I feel like my strength isn't what it used to be... It's much stronger, as if something inside me suddenly opened up. Why do I feel this?"
Ethan approached quietly, sat beside him, and smiled a deep smile that concealed a long-standing familiarity. Looking towards the horizon in the virtual room, he said, "Do you remember that huge explosion when you saw Eliza die in front of you?"
Saruto lowered his head, his expression changing. The image of that moment was reflected in his eyes. "Yes," he said softly. "I can't forget it. I completely lost control then."
Ethan nodded and said calmly, "That explosion wasn't just uncontrolled energy... it was a partial awakening of the Luwen blood that runs through your veins."
Saruto raised his eyebrows in silent surprise as Ethan continued, "We, the Luwen family, possess a unique energy. But it only reveals its full power when we experience a true shock... a shock that stirs the deepest pain, hatred, or sorrow within us."
Saruto listened silently as Ethan went on, "Before that shock, you were only using 45% of Luwen's power. Now... after what happened, after what you went through in that moment, that percentage has risen to 50%. That extra 5% isn't insignificant, Saruto... it's what distinguishes us Luwen family from the rest of the families."
A profound silence fell for a few moments before Saruto smiled faintly, looking down at his fist, which was now engulfed in sparks of energy. "So these emotional shocks make me stronger..." he said calmly.
Ethan smiled back, a proud smile in his own voice. "I don't want you to draw strength from grief anymore, Saruto... but from your own strength. The Luin bloodlines depend only on themselves."
Saruto stood up, extending his hand to help Ethan to his feet. "I've slept for three months, trained for months in this room... now it's time to return to the real world," he said, his voice firm yet filled with hope.
Ethan nodded, smiling, then touched the system screen and shut down the room. The surrounding light gradually faded, and gravity returned to normal. As the glare disappeared, Saruto emerged with a new look—not just that of a recovered person, but that of a reborn warrior.