"It's so heavy, what's going on? It feels like even taking a single step is an extravagance!"
At this moment, both Brian and Gazef felt that even speaking was exhausting, let alone moving. The pressure directly pressing down on them was incredibly terrifying, making it almost impossible for them to move an inch. Not collapsing was already considered fortunate.
"This is your training. I have placed the maximum pressure on you that you can currently withstand. Under this pressure, your training will be the most effective. However, for now, you need to learn how to walk!"
Asahi said with a smile. Now, both of them could barely move. Naturally, they needed to learn how to walk first.
"Walk? How can we move under this kind of pressure?!"
Brain tried to take a step, but as soon as he did, he lost his balance and fell flat.
"I've already told you, the pressure on you is at your current limit. You won't be able to move without using your maximum strength. Before moving on to the next phase of training, you need to be able to run under this pressure."
After Asahi finished speaking, both Brain and Gazef were speechless. Even moving a little was exhausting, so they couldn't imagine how they would run under this kind of pressure. It was truly a significant challenge.
But the two suddenly thought of the feeling of powerlessness that they would face in the future… They knew they had to try their best now. After all, one was known as the Nail Clipper, and the other was not even at that level.
Gazef was in the worse situation. After all, he had fought against the Dark Young and couldn't even leave a scratch. At least Brain had managed to cut Shaltier's nail in the end, but Gazef couldn't even clip a nail off the Dark Young.
Thinking of their tragic futures, the two began their training with renewed determination. Watching them struggling to walk like toddlers, Asahi was amused. He let them continue while he focused on integrating his own powers, as the power of Whis was nearing its limit.
Once he completed the integration of Whis's power, he could acquire new ability. However, the final stage was the hardest, and it had taken him a tremendous amount of time to make progress. The further he advanced, the more difficult it became.
In this way, half a year has passed, and now, both of them had progressed from barely moving to running effortlessly.
"Your first phase of training is complete. Next is the second phase. Now, you must defeat yourselves!"
Asahi waved his hand, creating two identical figures of them. Then, he increased the pressure on them again.
This made them feel like they were back to six months ago, once again moving slowly.
"Now you have to defeat yourselves under this pressure. By the way, your copies won't have any pressure on them. This is the second phase of the battle. Don't worry about dying; they won't kill you, but getting injured is a certainty."
"Of course, even if you die, I can revive you easily, so let's get started!"
After Asahi finished speaking, the two copies began to move. But with the pressure weighing them down, Brain and Gazef could hardly move and couldn't block their attacks. They were thoroughly defeated, making them started doubting life.
"Are these guys really us? I don't remember being this strong!"
Brain couldn't comprehend it. Was he really this powerful?
"This is the strength you have after half a year of training. You can't realize it because of the pressure, but now, you can see the results. You completed the first phase, so next is the second phase: you must defeat them. This will make you even stronger. As you can see, you've already improved a lot!"
After Asahi finished speaking, the two exchanged glances. Since the training was working, there was no need for further words. They just had to continue.
They picked up their weapons again. Although they still couldn't match their pressure-free copies, they had to keep trying.
The battles continued, and they were repeatedly beaten. However, they were happy because they could feel themselves getting stronger.
This time, it took them three years to finally defeat their copies, which was largely due to the pressure they were under.
But under this pressure, their strength had reached level 90. For the third phase, Asahi planned to push them to level 100 or beyond.
Without suitable equipment, they needed more strength.
"You've completed the second phase. Now it's time for the third phase. The third phase involves conquering the Great Tomb. This tomb is a simulation of the one that will eventually appear, and its strength is on par or even greater. You can't always fight yourselves; you need to fight enemies as well. Let's begin!"
After simulating the Great Tomb, Asahi directly threw Brain and Gazef into it. They didn't hesitate and immediately began fighting.
However, their pressure increased once again. This time, it wasn't so heavy that they couldn't move, but it did make their actions somewhat cumbersome and prevented them from unleashing their full power.
Upon encountering the inhabitants of the Great Tomb, they realized the Great Tomb's complexity. The lower-level minions were manageable, but the floor guardians were a different story, as each one was a max-level entity with incredibly powerful and extravagant equipment.
In contrast, Brain and Gazef only had their swords, making the battles particularly challenging. They couldn't even get past Shalltear.
The strength of the floor guardians was immense. It can be seen from when Ainz faced Shalltear, he had to use specific tactics.
Of course, Ainz was probing to find out who was behind controlling Shalltear. Otherwise, he wouldn't have dragged the battle out for so long. He wanted the person controlling Shalltear to reveal themselves.
However, the plan failed. Shalltear was controlled, but the one controlling her was ultimately killed by her before she fell. As the holder of the World Item that controlled Shalltear was killed by her in the end.
Thus, at that time, Shalltear was neutral, attacking anyone who provoked her.
In their first encounter with Shalltear, Brain and Gazef were brutally defeated. Seeing Shalltear in her full power made Brain realize that his previous success in cutting off her nail was entirely due to her underestimating him.
So this time, Brain witnessed Shalltear's true strength. Moreover, her ability to transform into the Bloody Valkyrie made her even more daunting.