After clearing the boss room 18 times over the next 45 minutes, everyone in the group reaches level 994. We could most likely push everyone up to 997 if we farmed here for a few more hours, considering the Minotaur Boss consistently appears at level 993 to 997. However, the minuscule gains aren't worth the extra time wasted right now.
So, we leave the Labyrinth back to the dungeons in the canyon.
The sound of heavy stone being pulled in wooden carts hits our ears as the red-orange morning sun rises over the sand dunes of the desert.
I float up out of the canyon and see the tired pack of grunts trudging my way.
They look pale, hungry, thirsty, and on the edge of death's door. Some of them even look angry at the sight of me, letting out grunts and sneers.
I sigh and order them to drink another vial each of suggestion elixir from my item storage to make all of them fall back in line. In my time away, the effects of this potion began wearing off.
However, if I work them any harder, they may actually die.
As that may be a fitting fate, their labor would still be useful in the future.
I activate my earth magic and disperse all of the stone in the carts. Then, I look far off the stone trail about 50 meters near the canyon's edge and instantaneously form five small worker huts in a line out of stone with nothing more than hard beds and a single table in each of them.
They have no windows, and an open door, but will be more than enough to keep these men out of the heat and keep them from dying. I pull out rations of food, water, and more elixir from my item storage and evenly distribute them in the huts using telekinesis from a distance.
I stand before the dazed grunts and point to the huts.
"Take your rest. Eat and drink up, make sure to take your elixir once you wake up and await my orders when I return."
They all let go of their carts and begin moving toward the makeshift housing. I move the carts off to opposite sides of the desert path in neat lines. They'll most likely be useful again at some point in the future. So, there's no harm in leaving them out here for now.
As my teammates follow behind and we approach the town, they have mixed thoughts on my punishment of the grunts. However, we take a slow and peaceful walk back to town on the stone path while I fill them in on the exact details of what happened in the town yesterday. After this, they're far more understanding of my harsh treatment.
Abby and Arie are especially on board and think I should be pushing them harder than that, even violent torture is on the table in their minds. Maria agrees with me almost entirely, believing that an eye for an eye is good punishment. Fisher, Lydia, and Monk don't care to make any comments on the matter.
Once we get back into the small settlement, the topic of conversation shifts to what the end goal is with all of these people.
They're from all over the Dark Continent and have no place to call home, they're stranded out here in Sector 2.
As we walk through the doors of the empty guild hall and down into the mana-shielded bunker, I respond to this point.
"I'll be giving all of them a few options shortly. I can tell they still need their rest, I'll wait to make a speech to everyone until they're all awake."
One by one, we walk down the spiral stairs, and right on cue, one of my doubles and Ember arrive from the sky. They too walk down and join us shortly after I open the middle wall and let everyone inside the mana-shielded base.
Once the initial awestruck moment of admiring the room passes, my double takes its item storage contents out to place in the center of the empty half of the room.
Two large isolation pods come out, and I immediately activate my craftsmanship skill along with other perception perks to examine them.
One says [Current Dilation: 8.7005x]. It must be the one set aside, using only one containment stone that Arie rested in before coming to train with us.
The other reads out [Current Dilation: 46.9209x].
My double turns to me, and I expect it to kill itself to share its memories with me, but it speaks up.
"Open up your storage, I have an item I need to transfer over carefully."
I create a small white portal, doing as it says. My double opens its spatial magic portal millimeters above mine, and a small white shimmering stone makes itself visible for a fraction of a second before falling inside.
It was only detectable because I was watching so closely and carefully. My double places a finger on its forehead the next second and the memories of a 2nd dungeon collapsing and that white stone falling from it just like the first rush into my mind.
"So the farming process is replicable..." I whisper under my breath with a grin.
I make a new double, and have him and Ember go off to continue making containment stones for later use.
Then, I'm left alone with my teammates and two lightly humming isolation pods.
One of them hums significantly louder than the other, it's clear there's a difference.
I turn and point to them.
"This here, is our next stage of training."
They all look at the pods with different expressions on their faces.
"Most of you already know these are isolation pods. Machines that allow us to rest for 6 to 8 hours in a trance-like state filled with dense mana while only an hour goes by in the outside world."
Monk's eyes open at the sound of that, but my other teammates have already witnessed their power.
I continue all the same.
"They're made with very dense mana shielding that isolates us from the outside world. No sound or external energy is let in other than the energy and mass circulated through the core of the machine at its top. This also means, whatever is inside, stays inside."
Of course, this seal isn't perfect, or it would act like my item storage system and no energy at all would ever leak out. But for my explanation, it gets the point across.
I point to the weaker pod. Then turn toward Maria, Abby, and Monk.
"When you take a Qi pill, and its total contents exceed your core's limit, the excess leaks out and dissolves into the air. However, when confined in a semi-closed place like a room in the monastery, the walls can trap excess Qi and the absorption rate of energy gathering increases in speed and effectiveness."
Monk speaks up at the weaker pod.
"So what you're saying is, I could gather Qi in a super saturated environment where no Qi could leak out while also taking advantage of time moving faster by almost ten times..."
I smile.
"Yes, precisely. Eight days in there would only be 1 day in the outside world. Plus, let's say you were to bring 100 Qi pills inside. You would be swimming in dense Qi, forcing your body to absorb it at a much faster rate than normal. The pod may be used up multiple times as well, its charge should last upward of a few years before it totally runs out of energy."
Then, I turn to the other pod that hums louder.
"This one is supercharged... We'll only get one shot at using it before it falls down to below 10x dilation. My guess is 36 to 48 hours is going to be its limit. The Dilation is nearly 50x, it's 46.9 to be exact."
Monk pulls out his silver briefcase and clicks it open.
I continue talking as the sea of white pills come into view.
"Ember and my double are off working on getting more materials to supercharge another pod. However, getting enough to bring this weaker one up to such a high rate will take another 12 hours to do. We could cut that time in half and use the materials from a 5 to 6 hour farm and bring a pod up to 30-35x. Though, I believe it's most efficient to try to bring them closest to 50..."
Monk whispers to himself, "That would be over 90 days... 3 full months of isolated Cultivation in a supersaturated environment. In just 2 days here in the outside world..."
He looks up to me and responds.
"I see... So you'd like to go one at a time then."
I nod.
"Well, we really don't have any other choice. The materials I use for these machines come from the 39th Floor. The Minotaurs only spawn in so fast."
He thinks deeply to himself, then speaks up again.
"So then the best candidate for the first round would be Maria."
I'm quite surprised at his response, but happy he sees my vision too. He's been wanting to try out my cultivation method all this time, and supplying all of us with precious resources, yet he still isn't jumping in to get first picks.
With a satisfied smile, I respond.
"A very logical deduction. That was my first choice too. If danger is approaching, we need to get our strongest fighters with the highest potential for growth a chance to take advantage of these pods first."
Everyone turns toward the blond-haired hunter dressed in silver, white, and blue. She doesn't say a word at first, just looking down at the Qi pills then back up right at me.
"You're right. I can still see that Soul Energy blade of the Dark Guard fresh in my mind. If I want to be able to fight back against a monster like that, a major leap in power is necessary."
She pauses again, but the determination in her gaze grows as she turns her head toward the strongest loudly humming Isolation Pod.
"I'll do it."
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