Max walked towards the time chamber with his heart beating fast out of his chest. He knew he had no choice here, he knew that he would come out of the other side much stronger than he went in, however, the very thought of not being able to see Asiva, Anna, Sebastian, Severus, Naomi, Ruby, Jake, Amy, Kartikeya and all his other friends for at least a century was making every step towards the chamber more and more heavy.
Max knew that if he thought about it too much he would not be able to step into the chamber and would probably get himself killed fighting Angakok, which is why he steeled his resolve and kept walking without faltering believing that he would become a god one day and all this would be nothing but a short period of his life when he looked back on it when he was 5000 years old.
" Have you prepared him mentally? " Angakok asked Kremeth directly not bothering to interact with Max.
" I did my part " Kremeth said emotionlessly as he looked Angakok dead in his eyes.
" Very well it's time to start training for you both then, I expect him to master wind by the time you request to open this door from within Kremeth" Angakok said as he opened the door of the time chamber and motioned for Kremeth and Max to step-in.
The training was to be completed in phases, not all god's would be present throughout each stage and Max would be left one on one with each mentor till he mastered their way.
The first training session was for him to complete [ Way Of The Wind ] from Kremeth, a technique he already had some foundation in.
As the two of them stepped into the chamber, Angakok sealed it back from the outside as time slowed down significantly for Max.
*******
( Inside the time chamber )
The time chamber looked like a white igloo from the outside that was barely sprawling a few metres, however, from the inside it was like a whole world of its own.
Vast plains, sunlight, fresh Breeze and some signs of life in the form of small tier 0 birds and animals was all present.
Inside the time chamber was a vast ocean, about a country's worth of land and a natural ecosystem of weather and small animals just like on any other planet that was intricately designed and created by the various god's together to stimulate the environment of the real world and to reduce the mental fatigue of the student who would live inside.
A small wooden hut was made near the forest tree-line which reminded Max about Kremeth's abode back in dragon's paradise as he soon realised that Kremeth had built this place from his own memories so that he could feel at home while tutoring Max.
' Well, at least I'm not stuck in a lifeless white prison wall ' Max thought as he sucked in the fresh air and felt a little better about his current situation which was a little better than his initial anticipation.
" Come sit, boy, today the first thing we do is you tell me about the journey you have been on so far and how the brat Sebastian is doing.
Then I explain to you what exactly you will need to do to master the wind element to give you a mental goal to follow.
Only from tomorrow do we start training.
The only good thing about this damned time chamber is that we have ample time, we can afford to take a few days slow if you want to and still only lose a few seconds in the real world " Kremeth said as he waited in anticipation about the accounts of Max's journey after he left dragon's paradise uptil today.
There were quite a lot of things that Max had to say and he took a good one hour or so to explain his account of events that had happened so far on how he made a name for himself in the Titus army, then became a vampire lord, explored some ancient ruins and was now preparing for the upcoming clan evaluation.
He also explained Sebastian's journey in great detail as he watched the genuine joy in the eyes of Kremeth when he began to realise that out of his two students the one to truly take up the way of the coward was Sebastian.
Max also explained in brief about Mira and her troubles back home and how he became a dragon slayer but Kremeth did not seem much concerned about that part.
Only when Max was done recalling his journey did Kremeth start to explain about the Way Of The Wind and the training they needed to undertake in the coming years.
" It's like this boy, way of the wind in great depth has 7 levels, but they can be surmised into 3 levels.
What you have mastered is the first level which is ' Perception '
You have learnt how to perceive the world from the subtle changes in the wind around you, a skill that allows you to see with your eyes closed and dodge attacks that have not yet been unleashed.
It gives you an overall competitive edge, however, does not increase your offensive or defensive prowess.
The second level of [ Way Of The Wind ] can be surmised as 'Harmony'. This is when you learn to harmonise your own energy with the wind around you.
In other words, this is where you learn how to manipulate the wind around you using your own mana.
It allows you to control the wind and use it to your advantage in both offence and defence. You become one with the wind, moving with it, through it. Your speed increases, your agility rises, and your ability to attack and defend becomes vastly superior.
This is the stage where you gain the ability to fly, for the wind itself becomes your ally.
However, this level requires immense understanding and control over your own magical energy and the ambient energy around you. Achieving harmony is not an easy task.
The final level, the pinnacle of [Way Of The Wind] is 'Ascendancy'. It's when you don't just harmonise with the wind, but become the wind yourself. You gain the ability to transform into wind, to move as fast as a gale, and your attacks bear the destructive force of a tempest. The wind is no longer just an ally, but a part of your very being. This level, however, demands extreme discipline, focus, and an almost impossible level of mastery over your energy.
Even I can maintain this form only for a few minutes without the help of the Vayu-Astra ".
Max listened intently, his eyes reflecting the fire of determination. Kremeth's words were daunting, but they also excited him.
He wanted to fly, he wanted to control the wind and use it to his absolute advantage! Although he did not ask for this, now that he was here, he was going to make the most of this opportunity.
Looking at the vast expanse of the time chamber around him, Max inhaled deeply, feeling the cool breeze on his skin. It was no longer just the wind. It was a part of his journey, a part of his path towards becoming a god.
—------
/// A/N - Chapter 2 of 6 for the day. Let's go!
This chapter has been sponsored by patron Cervantez91 please thank him in the comments for this one ///