Hyperbolic Time Chamber

"All right, I already knew about all that. Go find Mr. Popo. From here on, he'll guide your training. Don't be fooled by Mr. Popo's dull appearance—his skills are far greater than mine..."

Korin looked somewhat dispirited and waved his hand weakly. Chaya's blow had left him in no mood to test Selyne's progress any further. Still, Selyne's improvement probably would not be much worse than Chaya's. Their talents were both terrifying.

"Mm, thank you, Karin. Then we'll go find Mr. Popo."

Chaya smiled, then glanced at Selyne. She immediately understood and nodded, following him as they headed deeper into the Sacred Temple.

Watching their backs, Korin stood silently where he was and muttered, "I need to tell Kami this news, so he can be prepared. Sigh, there are far too many strong people in the universe. I just hope no one sets their sights on Earth. Come to think of it, Earth's martial arts have truly declined far too much over these past few centuries!"

Korin stretched, yawned, and headed toward Kami's residence.

In one of the Sacred Temple's corridors, Mr. Popo sat quietly like an enlightened monk in meditation.

When Chaya and Selyne entered from outside the Sacred Temple, Mr. Popo rose to his feet. His coin-like pupils remained utterly still as he watched them with a harmless expression.

"Mr. Popo saw your performance just now. Ordinary methods cannot teach you anything. Now, follow Mr. Popo."

With that, he turned and walked toward the depths of the Sacred Temple.

Chaya and Selyne exchanged a glance and promptly followed. They trailed behind Mr. Popo through several corridors and down one branching path after another, venturing ever deeper into the Sacred Temple. When Chaya looked back, he found that the paths they had taken had tangled together in every direction. Like a maze, they could easily lose their sense of direction.

Where is Mr. Popo taking us? We've been walking for so long; we should be almost there, right? Chaya silently wondered. They had already reached the bottom of the Sacred Temple.

Just as Chaya was thinking, Mr. Popo stopped before a golden door.

Pushing open the door, Mr. Popo said, "Inside is a Hyperbolic Time Chamber. One day outside equals one year inside. The environment is extremely harsh, and Mr. Popo will stay inside with you for one year."

"A Hyperbolic Time Chamber!"

Chaya was greatly shocked. He had considered many possible ways to train them, such as sending them to other worlds with a machine like in the original story, or taking them to a valley filled with lightning. He had never expected Mr. Popo to bring them directly to the Hyperbolic Time Chamber.

The air inside the Hyperbolic Time Chamber was thin. The temperature fluctuated between minus forty and fifty degrees Celsius, while the gravity was ten times that of Earth. Such conditions might be harsh for others, but for strong warriors like them, they were naturally nothing special. What truly tested them was their psychological endurance.

Spending an entire year in a vast, boundless, and utterly empty environment was an immense trial for the mind.

Those with weak wills or unfocused minds could easily suffer hallucinations.

In the original story, the Hyperbolic Time Chamber had been created to buy time before facing an enemy, and it held little value for training itself. Yet Chaya was already eager to try it, because what he lacked now was time.

Chaya had been in the Dragon Ball World for more than seven years. Based on how events were supposed to unfold, Frieza would probably soon lose patience and destroy Planet Vegeta. Though he did not know exactly how much time remained before Planet Vegeta's destruction.

In any case, it was not much.

By then, he needed to possess enough strength. He did not necessarily need to stop Frieza, but he had to at least bring Rebecca, Adri, and the others out in advance.

"Chaya, what is the Hyperbolic Time Chamber?" Selyne asked with a puzzled expression.

"The Hyperbolic Time Chamber is an extra-dimensional space built by deities. Time passes much faster inside than outside—one day outside is one year inside. It is highly suitable for cultivators seeking an urgent breakthrough. However, a person can only enter the Hyperbolic Time Chamber twice in their lifetime, and only two people can enter at a time."

Before Chaya could respond, Mr. Popo, who had been standing beside them, answered first.

"What an amazing place!"

By then, Mr. Popo had opened the golden door. Beyond it lay the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. From outside, they could see only a blurry expanse of darkness, as though some energy blocked their view.

Mr. Popo turned to Chaya and Selyne. "Since only two people can enter at once, you must enter in two groups."

"I'll go first..." Selyne leaped forward.

Chaya shrugged. One or two days made no difference anyway. Since Selyne wanted to enter so badly, he would let her go first.

Then he suddenly thought of something and asked, "Mr. Popo, didn't you say that a person can only enter twice in their lifetime? How many times have you entered before?"

"Mr. Popo was present when the deities built the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, so Mr. Popo does not have that restriction," Mr. Popo answered calmly.

Chaya's pupils contracted sharply. Mr. Popo's words revealed much to him. Mr. Popo had already been present when the deities built the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. By that estimate, Mr. Popo had to be at least several thousand years old. Such a long life had surely allowed him to see through many things.

But that raised a new question. Since Mr. Popo could enter and leave the Hyperbolic Time Chamber without limit, why was his battle power still so low?

Could it be because Mr. Popo was a divine servant?

Unable to figure it out, Chaya shook his head and decided not to think about it anymore. His gaze settled on Selyne as he said, "Then hurry inside. It'll be my turn in one day."

P.S.: Please vote with recommendation tickets if you have any!