On sun-drenched Hachinosu Island, the training grounds were a scene of feverish activity.
A group of brawny Imperial Guards were wholly immersed in hellish physical training. Sweat soaked through their clothes, glistening beneath the sunlight.
Allen lounged in a beach chair, sunglasses perched on his nose, leisurely holding a glass of chilled fruit juice.
Before him was a circle ten meters in diameter. The corners of Allen's mouth curled up slightly as he snapped his fingers and shouted, "Time Acceleration: Local Area: Tenfold Speed!"
In an instant, the space inside the circle rippled as though a boulder had been thrown into a still lake. Even the light itself seemed to warp within it.
The lackeys inside had been steadily doing push-ups, lifting weights, and fiercely sparring, but in the next second, it was as if someone had hit fast-forward.
Their movements became so fast they were dazzling, instantly leaving afterimages. Beads of sweat the size of beans sprayed from their foreheads like fountains, and their muscles swelled and trembled at a visible rate. Yet the intense training also caused those muscles to rapidly weaken.
Only ten seconds passed outside before Allen dispelled his ability.
It was as if all the lackeys within the circle had their bones removed. With a series of thuds, they all collapsed to the ground, foaming at the mouth with unfocused eyes, like a school of salted fish that had just run a hundred marathons. Their bodies were utterly limp and powerless. Only the violent rise and fall of their chests proved that a sliver of life remained in them.
Allen took a satisfied sip of juice and nodded slightly, talking to himself. "Hm, not bad. Ten minutes gets them the equivalent of an hour's training. Efficiency is life!"
With that, he casually opened a Space