Crossing through the massive metal gate marked Marshmallow's entrance into an entirely different world. As soon as he crossed the threshold, he felt gravity assault his body like an invisible, ruthless force. It was like being sucked into a black hole, with a giant invisible hand crushing him against the ground with unheard-of violence. The weight of the air had increased terribly, the gravity completely unlike anything on Earth.
Inside the crypt, the temperature was stifling, like standing in an oven, and the air was so thin that every breath was like inhaling fire. Marshmallow tried to walk, but each step was a Herculean task. He could feel his heart furiously pounding against his chest, as if trying to escape its ribcage.
Marshmallow collapsed to one knee, overwhelmed by the inhuman conditions. His head spun dangerously, and it seemed the accelerated heartbeats might send him into cardiac arrest. He felt like dying.
"Raven... I can’t... I can't breathe," Marshmallow gasped, his voice choked by the weight of the air.
Voltran and Raven, on the other hand, seemed unaffected by the extreme conditions. They walked with disarming calmness, almost indifferent to the environment crushing Marshmallow.
"Marshmallow," Raven began with a steady voice. "How did you think leveling up was possible? You probably thought there were two ways: killing monsters or taking down the Novgovians."
He approached the collapsed youth, his gaze inscrutable. "Well, there's a third way, probably the most efficient method. Training."
Voltran nodded with a half-smile. "Exactly. In this room, you're in a condition of gravity five times normal, with temperatures at 80 degrees Celsius and oxygen at a third of what's naturally present. Just surviving in this environment will allow you to improve exponentially."
Raven crossed his arms. "This is how great warriors reach unimaginable peaks of power. Pushing beyond their physical and mental limits, facing extreme trials like this one. If you really want to become strong enough to defeat the Depths of Vesuvietna, this is the way."
What a crazy thought. Marshmallow felt like a worm. He saw those two, comfortable in that environment as if it were nothing, and there he was, supposed to be the hope for the Wyolands, barely able to stand.
No way! I can't be this useless! I will get stronger and overcome this trial!
Yeah, he would never accept it. What the hell did it mean? He was the Jolly Rank, and this trial wouldn't defeat him.
Almost in support of Raven's words, suddenly three distinct notification windows flashed red on Marshmallow's internal visual screen.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITION INCREASED GRAVITY (x5)
+ 5 XP every minute
ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITION REDUCED OXYGEN (35%)
+ 3 XP every minute
ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITION HIGH TEMPERATURE (80°C)
+ 2 XP every minute
Raven squatted next to him with a half-smile. "As you can see, your very body has now become a training ground. The more you push beyond your limits, the faster you'll level up, the quicker you'll become more powerful."
"The suffering you're experiencing now," Voltran added, crossing his arms, "is the true path to becoming an elite warrior. Fight, Marshmallow, and your potential will have no more secrets."
With a Herculean effort, Marshmallow managed to stand up, his legs trembling. Every muscle screamed at him to give up, when suddenly, like a bolt of lightning, he had the intuition to open his Status.
STATUS
Player name
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Marshmallow
Rank
Jolly
Age
20
Faction
Wyolands
EXP
13811.2/15300
Level
16
Strength
20 + 1 bonus
Dexterity
16 + 1 bonus
Constitution
23 + 1 bonus
Stamina
19 + 1 bonus
Perception
47 + 1 bonus
Luck
8 + 2 bonus
Assignable Points
36
If surviving this hell can make me stronger, then I won’t let these challenges crush me. Raven has conquered challenges that would have destroyed many, and if he believes I can do the same, then I need to tap into every resource I have.
Marshmallow had to do something. Now, at any cost. The ordeal he was enduring was a deadly torture, he couldn't last much longer like this. He knew that, within minutes, if he didn’t act, his digital heart wouldn’t withstand the strain. It was pumping blood like never before, and sooner or later he'd have a heart attack or something.
But he knew he still had a trump card to play.
With his mind clear despite the chaos swirling around him, Marshmallow began to evaluate his current stats, reflecting on where he needed the most improvement. Strength was key, sure, but under these conditions, the ability to endure and keep functioning under extreme stress was even more crucial.
"Constitution and Stamina are the keys!" he concluded, as the numbers on the screen flashed, ready to be increased. "With more Constitution, I can better endure this unbearable heat and pressure. And with more Stamina, I can keep moving and fighting even when the air itself seems to want to rip the breath from my lungs."
Decided, he began to redistribute the points. He had 36 Assignable Points available and placed the first 13 on Constitution, bringing the stat to 37. He immediately felt his body become significantly more resilient, more capable of withstanding the hostile environment. Then, in the same way, he allocated another 13 Assignable Points to Stamina, increasing that to 33. The difference was palpable; his breathing became less labored, a bit deeper, enabling him to draw more oxygen from each difficult breath.
Finally, he moved the last 10 Assignable Points to Strength, raising it to 31. Marshmallow's muscles responded to the infusion of power, strengthening enough to allow him to lift his body, despite the gravity that was five times trying to crush him to the ground.
Eh eh, I can make it now!
Marshmallow smiled weakly, savoring the wave of new vitality that washed over him. He had done well not to randomly throw around all the Assignable Points he had saved up after the Prismatronic Core challenge. Although the torture environment still weighed on him like a boulder, he could finally move, albeit with a certain heaviness in his movements. Sweat still beaded his forehead and his breathing was still labored, but the flame of determination now shone brightly in his eyes.
Raven and Voltran watched the scene with amazement. This was a real surprise to them, seeing the improvements made by the young Jolly Rank.
"Did you have all these Assignable Points still available?" Voltran asked, raising an eyebrow. "It's impressive that you made such wise use of them." He concluded. Raven looked at him and nodded in approval.
"I'm ready to begin training," Marshmallow proclaimed with a voice firm and filled with honor. "This challenge is just one of many steps to be taken on my path of growth. I will overcome every obstacle, surpassing myself again and again!"
He exhaled with determination, letting the flames of willpower ignite his gaze. Now that his stats were boosted, the trial of the Crypt of Valor was no longer insurmountable. Rather, it had become the perfect crucible to forge himself into an elite warrior.
"Let the training begin!" Raven roared with a voice that resonated powerfully in the torture chamber. "Today, the Jolly Rank begins his ascent to a power beyond all imagination!"
***
Days passed like an eternity in a constant whirlwind of effort and deprivation. For Marshmallow, that torture chamber became the new reality, the proving ground where he would forge his strength.
Under the watchful eyes of Raven and Voltran, the young Jolly Rank pushed himself well beyond his apparent limits, transcending thresholds that would seem utterly insurmountable to most. The crushing gravity, stifling heat, and thin air became his daily sparring partners. In his training aimed at fortifying himself, mastering Unique Skills, and optimizing all his resources, the environment was adjustable, and the more he adapted to it, the more Raven made the conditions increasingly harsh, keeping the environment constantly challenging and exponentially increasing the EXP gained.
Moreover, the Crypt of Valor allowed the generation of enemy minions that Marshmallow promptly vaporized with his two new Unique Skills. Raven and Voltran were astounded by the power that two Unique Skills could have in a single body. With one hand, Marshmallow paralyzed the enemies, and with the other, he vaporized them with his light bombs. And if the enemies got too close, his Titan Hammer took care of them. When he was exhausted, he would rest in the designated resting area, refresh himself, and was already ready to return to training and vaporize increasingly powerful enemies. This further accelerated his leveling.
Day after day, hour after hour, minute after minute, his level rose more and more, more and more, at a speed previously considered unthinkable. He used the Assignable Points he gained to invigorate his body, multiply his energy reserves, and strengthen his mind.
In just seven days, Marshmallow had reached level 94. And when the fourth day finally came to an end, Marshmallow appeared before Raven and Voltran as a profoundly changed individual. His bearing was upright and proud, and his aura of resoluteness was nearly impenetrable. Yet, behind that diamond-hard gaze, lay a wholly new power, a burning fire forged in the furnaces of the most extreme privations.
"I'm ready," he declared with a voice that seemed to shake the very foundations of the Crypt of Valor. "The Depths of Vesuvietna no longer frighten me. No challenge is too daunting for one who has surpassed himself."