"Mr. Popo, it's my turn to go in next, right?"
Arriving at the entrance to the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, Chaya spoke to Mr. Popo, who stood guard at the door with his usual simple-minded look. He also took several dozen Senzu Beans from his storage space to keep on hand.
"Mm. Since Mr. Chaya is ready, please come in with me. But there is one thing I must explain beforehand: Popo will only provide guidance. You will need to explore the actual training on your own." As Chaya approached the door, Mr. Popo suddenly reminded him.
"A master can only show you the door; cultivation is up to the individual. I understand that." Chaya smiled unconcernedly.
As they spoke, the two stepped through the doors of the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. The instant the doors closed with a bang, the two spaces were completely separated.
Because he possessed both time and space abilities, Chaya was especially sensitive to changes in spacetime. At the very moment the doors of the Hyperbolic Time Chamber shut, he sharply caught a trace of spacetime energy.
The reason it was called the "Hyperbolic Time Chamber," rather than simply the "Time Chamber," was probably related to the human mind.
Perhaps the original creator of the Hyperbolic Time Chamber had drawn upon the difference between the flow of time on the mental plane and that of reality, then combined it with the application of spacetime energy to create this chamber.
Could one of the ancient Kamis have once been an expert in spacetime?
Chaya pondered silently.
Of course, the spacetime structure of the Hyperbolic Time Chamber was not flawless. Though the chamber stipulated that a person could only enter twice in their lifetime, that was only true for most people. For powerful warriors capable of breaking through the barriers of spacetime, such restrictions were meaningless.
For beings as powerful as Super Saiyan 3 or Majin Buu, the rules of the Hyperbolic Time Chamber were utterly powerless, because their strength was already enough to shatter the limits of space.
This was the principle of breaking all laws with sheer force.
Then was there any space that even Super Saiyan 3 could not break open? The thought suddenly came to Chaya. He had great confidence in his spacetime abilities and believed that if he continued studying them, he would eventually be able to develop a flawless spacetime prison. It would be perfect for imprisoning or sealing enemies.
But it was far too early to talk about that now. Chaya shook his head and tossed the thought aside.
As Chaya and Mr. Popo proceeded farther inside, they passed through a long, narrow corridor. What appeared before them was a vast, empty expanse of white.
It was an enormous space: scorching hot, low in atmospheric pressure, and with gravity ten times that of the outside world.
They stood within a two-story temple, where trainees normally ate and slept. Yet even such a magnificent-looking structure appeared tiny within the immense empty space.
"Inside the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, the usual food is water and dry flour. It is stored in the storeroom inside," Mr. Popo reminded him.
Hearing Mr. Popo mention food, Chaya suddenly remembered.
The hardest thing about training in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber was not the drastic temperature shifts between day and night, nor the crushing loneliness. It was the torture of having no food. There was only water and dry flour here—how was a Saiyan supposed to live without fish and meat?
"No wonder Son Goku couldn't stand it after only a few months during his first time in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. If the Androids hadn't threatened Earth later and left him no choice, he never would have come in again!"
Food was extremely important!
Perhaps the god who had built the Hyperbolic Time Chamber had only prepared water and flour because there had been no way to preserve food.
So this was what people called "dry rations"?
Over the following days, Chaya began training under Mr. Popo's guidance.
At that moment, two people stood in the center of the vast, white plaza.
"I have already learned from Selyne about your previous training methods. They were rough, but they did have some effect. Karin should have taught you before that you must maintain your rhythm in battle and reduce unnecessary movements."
Chaya nodded. "Karin believed that we had already grasped the essentials well."
"Then you can continue adapting to this space shortly. Before that, I will explain the spirit of martial arts in greater detail." Mr. Popo was as expressionless as ever, but Chaya could sense his goodwill.
Chaya gave a slight nod, then watched as Mr. Popo explained his understanding of Ki and state of mind like a martial arts master.
Mr. Popo must be an incredible philosopher! That was how Chaya felt after listening to him.
Mr. Popo's guidance was extremely comprehensive, gradually making up for Chaya's shortcomings from beginning to end. The temperature fluctuations in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber were enormous, the air was thin, and the gravity was ten times that of the outside world. Once he put on his weighted clothes, the effects on Chaya became especially severe.
Movements he had once considered perfect inevitably revealed flaws at this moment.
"Here, here, and here—these are all unnecessary. Your punches are not decisive enough. Here, you should restrain your use of Ki..."
"Your heart must be calm, your body must be steady. While the body moves, Ki must flow smoothly..."
Mr. Popo observed Chaya's movements from the side and offered guidance from time to time. Chaya understood immediately and continuously adjusted his movements, striving to reach a state where great weight felt light and his heart remained still as water.
Chaya was already an excellent martial artist. He simply lacked guidance for the path ahead. Now, with Mr. Popo's instruction, he rapidly absorbed what he needed and made up for his weaknesses.
Time flew by.
Every day, Chaya grew stronger. Soon, an entire year had passed inside the Hyperbolic Time Chamber.
Chaya still wore his orange-red weighted clothing. He floated in the air with his legs straight, both arms crossed and intertwined before his chest. His head was lowered as though he were deep in thought, while beads of sweat the size of beans continuously dripped from his forehead.
Transparent waves of energy spread out around him, like a mirage, causing faint distortions throughout the space.
BOOM!!
A white blast of energy erupted abruptly. A harsh, icy wind swept up the dust floating around him, while the whirlwind stirred up by his expanding aura spiraled wildly.
Deep, dark-red spatial cracks suddenly appeared and spread in every direction. Those shadowy fissures resembled bloodthirsty venomous snakes, flicking their tongues without restraint. Their bloody dark-red color was enough to make one's scalp crawl.
Not far away, Mr. Popo watched everything with a blank expression. Yet at the instant the spatial cracks appeared, even a trace of shock flashed through those normally unruffled eyes.
Chaya exhaled softly and opened himself to feel his brand-new power. Satisfied, he withdrew his aura.
As his aura receded, the deep cracks covering the space also began to vanish. Under the space's own self-repair, they gradually closed and soon returned to their original state.
After Chaya withdrew his aura, the empty, boundless space returned to calm. What had just happened was like an illusion, appearing and disappearing quickly without leaving any obvious traces in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber.
No one could determine when the Hyperbolic Time Chamber had first been built. Apart from the two-story temple for living quarters, it was completely empty, white as far as the eye could see, and its conditions were harsh. Though it could not compare with the extreme environments of the universe, it was an excellent place for training.
Especially at critical times, it was the perfect place to buy time for cultivation.
In the center of the empty, scorching plaza, Chaya stood motionless with his eyes closed, adapting to his own strength. Each breath was simple and natural. Like a tender sprout about to break through the soil, he needed only a little sunlight and rain to grow strong.
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