Days passed by as the routine of training became a normal part of Nico's life. The crowd was gathered just outside the base of the giant tree, all doing their set routine of workouts.
With sweat and tears and day after day of rigorous training now a part of everyday life, Nico felt his body grow stronger, being able to lift things he would normally have a hard time on Earth.
After the heavy strength training leaving them bathing in sweat, they washed themselves on a nearby river, with sights of mystical fish swimming along the cold crystal water invigorating their senses. The crowd was separated into two groups of males and females, separated by a small waterfall- with the girls on top of the falls while the boys had the luxury of showering under the waterfall.
"Aren't we like, literally using the girl's bathwater to wash ourselves?" Kai said, cupping water between his hands and taking a sip.
"What?" Nico said, his face deadpan.
"Think about it." Kai pointed to the top of the waterfall where the girls were bathing. "The water flowing down-"
"No, I'm not going to think about it."
Nico splashed water on Kai's face.
After the morning bath came the scheduled study, where they went back inside the tree through double doors and hallways, arriving to a vast library with walls adorned with books. The time inside was used specifically for looking up martial techniques, researching group tactics and counter-strategies for each monster they would eventually encounter.
"Look here, Nico." Kai said, nudging his side as he pointed to a picture on the book with a creepy grin. "A giant tentacle monster."
"Oh god."
After that came meditation, where the crowd was once again brought outside on the grassy field with the cool breeze passing by, sitting with legs crossed and eyes shut to consolidate what they had trained and learned earlier.
The training consisted of those three fundamentals, which hones the individual's strength, mind, and spirit.
After all that, lunch came.
"Hey Kai." Nico said, fiddling with his empty spoon.
"Yeah?" Kai said, taking a mouthful.
"What do you plan to do after all this?"
"Well, of course I intend to climb the tower to find a way back home. Isn't it the same for you?"
"Nah, not really." Nico said, meeting Kai's gaze. "I actually plan to stay."
"What about the people from back home?"
Nico hung his head, staring at the carved-up wooden ceiling adorned with magic orbs.
"Don't get me wrong, I don't hate the people I've been with for the last nineteen years. In fact, I do love them. It's just, I always felt chained up with responsibilities and expectations back home."
"It's not any better here Nico. You think that now but eventually, once the training's over and we actually have to survive on our own out there, you're gonna think otherwise."
"I know that, and that's why I'm staying. The only responsibility I have here would be taking care of myself, and only myself. I have no accountability other than my own life. I have the freedom to live how I want here."
. . .
In the afternoon was sparring- the application of all the training they went through every day to apply what they'd gained. This part of the training was non-mandatory but still advised. It combines strength, mind, and spirit into actual combat experience.
Nico was face to face against Jason, with the usual crowd surrounding them with cheers.
They shook hands then took many paces back, now ready to fight at the umpire's call. Once the battle bell chimed, Nico chanted a spell, causing viridescent lights to flow around him which replaced his crumbling skin with greenwood armor. Jason on the other hand conjured a bulky metal armor and helmet from what seemed like iron mist swirling around him.
"Aight, let's do this."
Both of them dashed forward, leaving grass and dust in their trails. Nico shapeshifted both his hands to heavy wooden maces, with blunt force the better option for armored opponents. Jason instead conjured a large sharp blade.
Nico jumped then slammed his hand mace into Jason's chest armor, causing a loud thud as Jason countered with a wide horizontal swing of his sword. Nico backflipped as he barely dodged the blade, an open cut grazing his side.
"I can't believe I did that." Nico gasped in awe at his backflip.
Jason was heavy and slow with all the armor and therefore wasn't a match to Nico's agility and speed. However the weapon in his hands could easily cleave Nico in one sweep; all he had to do was land his sword, which proved very hard because of Nico's scrawny body.
Nico dashed again forward, slamming both his hand maces into Jason's sides like a jaw closing shut. Jason groaned as he swung his sword vertically, dunking his sword.
Nico sidestepped the slash, turning the momentum into a spin, then focused the spin's power to his hand mace as it slammed right into Jason's helmet, sending him tumbling and rolling.
Jason fell flat on the ground, his steel armor and weapon vanishing into the air.
With the signal of the umpire giving the win to Nico, Hena made her way to the downed Jason. Nico followed from the back after taking a breath or two.
Hena chanted a spell, manifesting a glowing white orb on top of Jason which descended slowly then dissolved into his body.
"You know, that spell really is full of miracles." Nico said.
"Not really," Hena said as she checked for Jason's pulse. "I can only heal superficial wounds, and even then I can't deal with life-threatening ones."
"Then how did that hole in my chest heal? I'm sure that looked very life-threatening."
Hena turned and poked Nico's wooden chest. "My healing was amplified by that regeneration of yours."
A loud groan came from the downed Jason as he opened his eyes. "You couldn't hold back?"
"The ladies were watching." Nico said as he placed an arm on Hena's shoulder.
"Sorry, this prize is already taken." Hena said as she brushed off Nico's hand. "Try someone else."
. . .
"Uhh, I don't think this is very ethical." Kristine said as she aimed her bow and arrow at Saira with the sharp end of the arrow glinting against the sunlight.
"Don't worry about it." Saira said unconvincingly as she took a quick glance at Hena, relying on her healing if something were to happen. Beside Saira was Marsh, a foot-tall cute slime with hollowed-out features. "Just don't aim for the face, or I'll seriously get even."
"I'm not exactly the best sharpshooter."
"Just get on with it already." Kai groaned from the crowd, earning the glares of both the girls and a nudge from Nico.
Kristine nodded to Saira with glowing yellow eyes then released the arrow, zipping through the air as it cleanly pierced Saira's arm. She groaned with pain but bit through it with adrenaline, ordering Marsh to spit out black blobs that sought out Kristine like missiles.
Kristine was amateurishly sidestepping and dodging black blobs one after another, then knocked another arrow to her bow as she aimed it again at Saira- however not realizing that she failed to dodge one blob that had now already stuck unto her waist, burning away at her white shorts like acid.
"Now that's just dirty."