Max's improvements were evident for everyone to see with their naked eyes, his whole aura had changed after undergoing training for all the basic elements and his worldview had shifted as a result.
No longer believing that physical attributes like strength and agility mattered as much as one's comprehension and ability to understand the elements on a deeper level, Max knew now better than ever that his whole approach to a battle was wrong before he began his training here.
Once one began to understand the language of wind and earth, one would realise that there were more ways than seeing to just estimate an opponents move and parry them, similarly, to neutralise an opponents move or to prevent them from deploying it perfectly, one only needed to disrupt them slightly before they were able to cast it, which Max was able to do perfectly now.
Not only could he transform elementally into fire/water/ air when he wanted to, this trick essentially ensured that he would not take physical damage as long as he had enough time to change into elemental form to avoid it.
He could life boulders literally as big as half a hill weighing several tonnes with nothing but his bare muscles at this point and the strike force behind those muscles was no joke.
Max had reached the pinnacle of what a warrior could be as a mortal after receiving guidance from excellent teachers.
Yet, the challenge and the teacher he was to face now were the worst of them all, as after his steamy night spent with Dharti came to an end, Angakok stepped into the chamber to personally inspect his progress.
" Ho- , I like the look in your eyes, the distaste for me is visible " Angakok said with a smile as he studied the look in Max's eyes.
Max reluctantly lowered his gaze as he realised that Angakok was right. His distaste for the shaman god had grown to the point where even the slightest unrest would lead him to abandon all reason and attack the man regardless of the consequences of doing so.
Angakok had forced him to spend a large chunk of his life training in this hellish time chamber as despite the results this training produced, the fact of the matter was that it was extremely hard on Max mentally and it was also something that was imposed upon him and not something that he had chosen.
If Angakok had allowed Max to come and leave as he pleased, allowing him to visit his friends and family even once a year, it would have been enough for him, however, Angakok robbed him off that opportunity, forcing him to endure decades of separation from them.
" I can see while you have improved on other stats your dexterity has only improved by 7 odd points in these past few decades, which means you are nowhere close to maximising it… '' Angakok said as he inspected Max's stat panel.
" Yes, I have maximised all stats except agility and dexterity and I'm very close to maximising agility as well.
Dexterity however has stagnated and I'm indeed far from maximising it " Max admitted as Angakok expressionlessly looked at his face.
" This time around I'm not going to help do it for you- , with the time chamber you have all the time in the world to maximise your dexterity stat.
I'll provide you with all the materials necessary, but you will spend every breathing second of your day working on it till you maximise it.
This is the last thing I want from you before you are free to go from the time chamber back to your little territory.
So remember, the faster you complete your training the faster you will be able to see your friends and family " Angakok said as he threw a manual on how to craft dolls and lots of raw material beside Max before reopening the entrance portal to the time chamber.
" I'll be back in a day boy " Angakok said as he stepped out as Max felt the pinch of his comment.
For the first time ever, he was truly alone in this time chamber with no-one to supervise him.
If Angakok returned in a day, it meant a year would have passed inside the time chamber, meaning Max was left all to himself for roughly 365 days.
If he wanted to, he could take it easy, since nobody was supervising him, but since Angakok mentioned that this was his last task, Max began to frantically read the manual on how to make dolls before getting to work.
He wanted to get out of here as fast as possible and for that he was ready to give even crafting all that he had.
—---------
[ A record of Max's crafting journey ]
Max's first days of crafting were nothing short of a disaster. With every stitch he made, the thread snapped. His hands, used to wielding weapons and casting spells, were too firm and uncoordinated for the delicate task. His first doll was a horrifying, unsymmetrical mess that had a macabre look to it, making him shudder.
Despite the disastrous beginnings, Max didn't give up. He picked up threads and needles again and again, stitched, unstitched, and re-stitched the dolls, trying to get it right. His fingers bled, he cursed under his breath, yet he remained patient, teaching himself the art of delicate movements and precision. His creations slowly improved, the horrifying figures turned into passable dolls.
Just like that a year had passed and then, one day, Angakok returned.
With a gaze scanning Max's work, he offered a small nod of approval before tossing him a miniature furnace. "Time to step it up, boy. Start making swords."
Angakok unloaded a large number of raw materials inside the time chamber, they included fine iron powder, copper powder, bronze, sulphur, zinc and many other metals that were used in metal refining and related processes.
He dumped a large collection of forging books on Max as well before leaving the chamber once again as he expected Max to shift from making dolls to crafting weapons.
Max, used to the swift pace of the training now, wasted no time in jumping into the next task.
His initial attempts at forging were no better than his attempts at crafting dolls. His first sword shattered under the slightest pressure, a common-grade trash sword that was far from being combat-ready.
Up until a month of making swords, he wasn't even able to make a sword which had no bends or cracks and looked remotely sleak, as all his creations would either be bent at horrible angles or chipped and damaged.
Although he understood the essence of crafting perfectly in theory, and had an unprecedented control over the flame that not even master crafters would have thanks to the Agni-Astra, Max still was not able to do the nimble task of crafting precisely because he was horrible at following a monotonous work sequence.
Max felt no thrill, no joy in hammering again and again on the same spot when he could just hammer the spot next to it and be done with the crafting as fast as possible.
He did not understand the true nature of being a craftsman which was why he worked like an industrial machine rather than a proud artist, but that mentality was slowly but surely changing.
Having understood that the essence of crafting was patience, precision, and repetition. He worked tirelessly, heating the metal, pounding it into shape, cooling, and sharpening it.
His swords gradually improved from trash common-grade to bronze, then silver and finally, a gold grade sword gleamed in his hands, a testament to his improved skills and dexterity.
In the third year, Angakok once again upped the ante, providing Max with materials he had never seen before - rare metals, exotic gemstones, and intricate designs.
He was asked to make jewellery, armour, chainmail, lamps and other structures that had nothing to do with combat.
He carefully studied the designs, understanding the properties of new materials before starting his work.
Over time his mastery over his craft reached a point where his swords started to take unique forms, each piece reflecting a part of Max's journey.
He created a sword that mirrored the fluidity of water, another resonating the stability of earth, one with the sharpness of wind and another embodying the ferocity of fire. Max, unknowingly, had become not just a blacksmith but an artist, his work reflecting his understanding of elements and his journey as a warrior.
By the fourth year, Max's hands danced with a life of their own over the crafting table. The delicacy of stitching dolls or the strength needed to mould metals, Max had mastered them all. He could switch between delicate and forceful movements in an instant, a clear indication of his maximised dexterity.
When Angakok arrived again, he found Max at the furnace, his hands delicately etching an intricate pattern onto a beautifully crafted sword. The sight brought a rare smile to Angakok's stern face.
Max had improved his dexterity by a whopping 50 points from the time when Angakok had first seen him and he was sure this was about his limit for maximisation.
" Are you done boy? Or do you have to spend another year inside this place? " Angakok asked with a serious voice that completely hid his true feelings of glee.
Max stood straight, a gleaming sword in his hand, sweat trickling down his face. His body was tired, but his eyes held a spark as he said " Oh I'm done, Not only have I mastered dexterity I've shockingly grown into a passable craftsman, it's something I would never have envisioned myself to become should I not be locked in here alone.
Apparently, cutting yourself from the world and being bored out of your mind can spark quite the creativity inside you"
Max's words made Angakok chuckle as he opened the portal to the time chamber and said " Come, after spending 52 years inside this chamber it's finally time for you to step out "
The time had finally come! Max had completed all the trials Angakok had placed for him and it was now time for him to return back to his lands.
A smile formed on Max's face as he stored every sword that he had forced over the past few years that were close to his heart in his inventory before following Angakok nervously.
He had successfully completed his training period but at what cost?
What was Angakok's final ploy in making him undergo all this?
The most pressing question still remained a mystery for him at the moment.
As Max finally stepped out of the time chamber and saw all three of his teachers standing outside looking towards him with feelings of pride and satisfaction, Max felt nostalgic and happy.
Today he felt like he was a student who had graduated from the most hellish university to ever exist in the universe! And the people who had helped him graduate were there to see him off as he took his rightful place in the universe.
—----
/// A/N - On that
note my dear readers, I'm happy to announce that I have finally graduated as well. Today was my last day in uni ///