Chapter 225: “I’ll Train.”

"Uga. I was born ready for this." Jacob grinned playfully as they floated towards the door of the Tower, the energy pressure reaching all-time highs as they slowly closed the distance.

They eventually reached it. Without any sort of activation or command, the large obsidian door swung open on its own. A thunderous creak could be heard all around the space, echoing infinitely as the door revealed the mind-boggling interior of the Tower.

The moment they floated through the towering obsidian door, the world outside vanished. The entrance hall stretched so far that its polished white floor seemed to merge with the horizon, while the ceiling disappeared into an endless expanse of brilliant light. Massive pillars of ivory and gold rose like silent giants, their tops swallowed by the radiance above. Sunlight poured in from no visible source, bathing the entire chamber in a warm glow that left neither shadow nor darkness to hide within. Despite its impossible size, the hall was immaculate, every surface gleaming as though it had been carved from living marble.

The lobby was never still. Thousands of aspirants occupied the vast space, each immersed in relentless preparation. Some balanced effortlessly on a single finger, their bodies perfectly motionless despite the crowds flowing around them. Others stood atop the edge of a sword planted upright in the floor, meditating with closed eyes as if gravity no longer applied to them. Warriors traded blows in designated sparring circles, while others swung weapons alone, repeating the same strike until it became instinct. It was a place of constant motion and determination, where every soul carried the same unspoken ambition... to emerge as a victor.

Jacob gazed in utter stupefaction at the massive hall, his eyes drifting to every corner uncontrollably as he could not contain his own marvel.

’Now that’s how you wow someone.’ He thought to himself as the wide, black platform dematerialized from beneath their feet.

"This is the lobby." Uga said, beaming down at Jacob with those bright, endless eyes. "This is the starting point of every warrior that decides to accept the challenge. If you look very closely, you will see that each one has a Meereen beside them. This is our purpose: to guide you to the best possible result."

They had begun walking deeper into the hall now, but it seemed endless. People of all shapes, sizes, races, and genders; all walks of life. They all were there, ready to take on the rest of the fighters, whoever they would be paired with.

At the mention of guardian Meereens, Jacob’s vision became even more vivid. Different shapes of Meereens appeared beside each fighter, seemingly talking to them as they trained. There were short ones, tall ones, fat ones, thin ones; ones that floated above the ground effortlessly. There were also ones that seemed as though they would be too heavy to even walk, much less jump off the ground.

Even with the endless number of people that stood in these halls, the place did not seem crowded in the least. In fact, every single fighter had at least a boxing ring’s worth of space allotted to them.

"So what happens when a fighter dies under a Meereen’s guidance?" Jacob questioned without even looking at Uga, his hands behind his back as he strolled casually, maintaining his royal demeanor. "Would the Meereen be punished? Or..."

"We simply move on to the next." Uga looked ahead with a cold expression. There was a hint of disappointment in its voice that suggested that it had seen so many warriors come and go. "This is our purpose as Meereens. We’ve been charged with this singular task; whatever else does not matter. A Meereen will only be punished when it breaks a law... going against the Grand Regent or deliberately killing its mentee."

Jacob thought for a while. He was unaware of how much time he had before the next battle, so he wanted to ask Uga all the important questions beforehand.

"Have you ever guided someone to a tower victory, Uga?"

Uga paused, looking at the young man, still shirtless, with a striking appearance and hair that seemed to flutter under the soft breeze; eyes that mirrored the reflection of the sun itself.

"Some time ago, in the past."

"What’s his/her name?"

"Meereens are not allowed to disclose the name of a former mentee to a new mentee. I’m sure you understand the reason why. It has caused an obscene amount of conflict, even in the near past."

Jacob immediately understood what such a thing could cause. Even though it seemed like the Meereens did not care very much for human life, they did their very best to avoid interplanetary conflict.

"So when does my first battle begin?" the young man asked after clearing his head of all the thoughts that swirled within it. He was ready to fight now, eager to see what kind of challenge the Tower would present to him.

"I understand your eagerness. It is, however, evident how busy this lobby is, even to the untrained eye." Uga looked at Jacob, seemingly with a smile again. It was hard to tell if the creature was smiling or if that was just how its face looked. "But there’s no rush. As your guardian, my professional advice would be for you to train properly before you commence your first battle."

Jacob took in a breath as he heard those words. For him, there had always been a thin line between overconfidence and just knowing, and it was definitely not difficult to get the lines blurred sometimes, so he tried his very best not to be overconfident.

"I understand you, Uga. I have one last question though," Jacob said.

"Ask away."

"How does time function in this place? How much time passes in the real world with every second I spend here?"

"I believe it bends to the construct of whatever world the warrior comes from. Time moves differently across the galaxies, but the Tower of Sun is an all-encompassing entity and will adjust based on your personal world’s time construct." Uga responded in a calm tone, a voice so tranquil it could put an infant to sleep.

This caused Jacob to be somewhat awed as he thought about how powerful the Tower of Sun actually was.

"Okay, I’ll train."