Chapter 26: Entering Seclusion.
Now that Mark could resume his training uninterrupted, he, Runeas, Grimnar, and the young Celestine returned to Mark's training Bounded Field. The first time he made it he was much weaker than he was now, and could only increase the Time Dilation by 12 compared to the outside.
Now that he had gotten a massive upgrade to his power by becoming a True Dragon, it was time for the Bounded Field to follow suit. He drew Backbiter from the sheath on his waist and stabbed the sword down. He sent his mana through the blade causing it to glow bright and hot.
'Time needs to be faster, and gravity needs to be stronger. If it is to be anything useful it needs to match what I am now.'
Mark increased the time dilation inside to 35 times faster than the outside, while he increased the gravity to 25 times Earth's. It was a big increase, which Runeas and even Mark noticed when the gravity fell on her them.
Runeas grit her teeth as she struggled to remain standing. She looked over to Mark who had his eyes closed as he grabbed the handle of the sword he had in the ground.
"Mark, what did you do?"
Mark opened his eyes and saw that while she had not fallen to her knees, or had been crushed she was visibly struggling to stand. Mark stood up with some effort and pulled the sword from the ground before placing it back into the sheath.
"I made this place before I became a true Dragon, so it needed to be upgraded. Time is 35 times faster here than outside and gravity is 25 times Earth's. The perfect place to train. You can also use it if you want, but I won't force you."
Grimnar set Celestine on the floor who was not doing quite well now that she was awake. The little dragon was laying flat on the ground, but she was not in pain. She was just having difficulties moving which she was trying to change.
As for Grimnar he was like his master, troubled, but not impeded by the change in gravity. He was more focused on the young dragon on the floor who tried to get up. For Runeas, seeing how the dog and baby dragon was fine made her truly understand the power of dragon kind. Seeing a newborn dragon endure this better than she did made Runeas grit her teeth.
"Screw this, I am going to train on my own and prove to you that this is nothing."
Mark shrugged looking kind of uninterested.
"If you want."
She squinted her eyes as her two large bat wings extended which she used to fly off into the distance. She had to boost her strength with Demonic Power which made her feel ashamed for cheating.
When she had left Mark looked down at the Time Formation he had been using. He had no idea how to make one as he just brute forced his will on magic. This would not work with runes or magic circles as they needed to be understood.
For once, Mark did not sit in the Time Formation as the Bounded Field would be enough. Mark focused on himself and in an eruption of energy, he returned to his true demonic dragon form.
Now that he has stabilized his form the scales turned a shade of red so deep that they looked black. Though bright silver scales formed a large pattern around the Blessing of Ares on his chest and throughout his body.
As for his large wings, they glowed with the power of fire and the same energy which was found in the apple he consumed. He had yet to fully understand what it did, but he planned to figure it out.
He was also bigger now standing at 40 meters in height. Seeing this made Grimnar want to show his new form too. The dog began to grow larger as horns grew from each of his heads, his wings and spikes emerged from his back while his tail got longer and spikier.
At full size, the dog was 25 meters in length and 10 meters tall. A massive monster to be fair, but he still fell short compared to Mark's current form. Though Mark was bound to evolve as he had the scale of Ddraig and his blood to consume
As such this was not his final evolution, but it was a step in the right direction. As for Celestine, Grimnar picked her up with a claw and placed her on his right head. She collapsed onto the bridge of Grimnar's nose as Mark looked at both of them and spoke to them in a deep guttural voice.
"I trust you shall train her well Grimnar?"
The dog's three heads barked before he flew off with the younger dragon. Now that they had no mission or goal they could just focus on themselves. He sat down on the floor and as his form was bipedal he still managed to sit up.
Mark looked toward his left hand where Ddraig resided.
'What now?'
[Now, it is time for you to begin using the purified water of the River Styx. You have 10 vials in total, so try not to waste this chance. Black Dragons are masters of poison, acid and corrosion, so by the end of this, you better gain those affinities.
If you ever plan to take in the White Ones' powers you better be used to both pain and suffering. But the end goal of you being my heir will be for you to make the Principle of Domination and Supremacy yours. The White Ones's power. That is your last test besides you making your unique skill.]
Mark nodded.
'I understand, but for now, what should I focus on?'
[Once we finish this and you will have to stop doing this kind of training for a long while. While you are technically getting stronger, you will need time to master the use of those powers. And besides the Principle of Domination, there is a skill hidden in the Boosted Gear waiting for you, but if you want it, you have to use the Boost and Penetrate without the Boosted Gear.
But for once, stop focusing on your own power, Master the Boosted Gear, and make your subspecies Balance Breaker and the Juggernaut Drive alternative. Once the Boosted Gear becomes just a crutch and you take all my powers for yourself, it will be useless. That is when you can break me out, but help me form a new body.]
'Got it Ddraig.'
Mark nodded as he pulled out the pitch-black vial of Styx water. It was tiny in his large clawed hand, but just touching the vial caused his scales to sizzle.
'Down the hatch.'
When Mark tossed the vial of black water in his mouth, instantly he felt the pure power of acid and corrosion begin to eat him away from the inside when it reached his gut. His dragon body began to break down the water and absorb its power.
This process caused Mark agonizing pain as he was forced to try to fuse this power with his bloodline. From within his body, it began to be poisoned and corroded away, but Mark's regeneration was much faster than the damage.
At this point, Mark was an expert at this kind of training which allowed him to be quite skilled at this. Though it made him wonder what it would to do a regular human If even a Dragon like him was still suffering this much.
Despite the River Styx being so dangerous, Mark still pushed through with this training. He would never shy away from a challenge like this if it gave power. As for Runeas, she was off in the distance with her Demonic Power radiating off her body.
While she was good in the use of elemental magic, her true specialty was shaping raw Demonic Power. As the first Gremory, she had some of the most powerful Demonic Power among her siblings, the first-generation Devils.
Only her older brother, Zekaram Bael had a most powerful attack power than her, which was why she was so feared in the war. Now, she was waking up those memories she had repressed and old skills she had not used in millennia.
As for Grimnar, he began to coach his young apprentice on being useful to Mark. Because of Mark's use of Time Magic, they all managed to enter a true period of Seclusion unbothered.
---
Rias normally visited them every day for a few hours, but she did not visit them for two while weeks. She had listened to the words of Runeas and Mark about her wasting her talent so she talked to her brother.
She told him she wanted more training as she did not wish to waste the gifts she had received from Mark and Ares. Her brother was more than happy to train his sister any time, but she had dragged along her peerage with her.
During those two weeks, they all had specialized training by the members of Sirzech's peerage. The training had been harsh but had caused them to grow leaps and bounds.
Once they had been freed from it, Rias decided to visit Runeas and Mark. She felt bad for ghosting them for so she was here to apologize. Though she had brought her peerage for two reasons.
She wanted them to meet Mark and Runeas, but also she wanted to make use of Mark's training field. He had recommended it to her so she was here to continue the training they received from her brother and his peerage.
Her red teleport circle appeared in Mark's house. Runeas and Mark had given Rias access to the house and Mark's flaming castle, but there were areas in the castle she could not enter.
In a flash of light Rias and her peerage a group of teenage girls, all appeared in Mark's living room. Her queen, Akeno was 16, the same age as she was, her Knight Kimmi Yutta was 14, while her young rook Koneko was 13.
When they appeared in the living room Rias had expected to run into either Mark, Runeas, or Grimnar. She looked around looking for any of them, but when she did not see them she understood.
"Hold on, they probably are in Mark's special training field. Come on."
She was about to open another teleport circle but her queen stopped her.
"Rias, before we go anywhere, who is Mark? Is he the boy you have been seeing in secret? Or maybe an older man who is your sugar daddy?"
Akeno had a funny smile on her face as she did not know Rias was seeing someone. Rias had been very tight-lipped about Mark and Runeas for good reason. From the look of it, Kimmi also wanted to know.
The blonde-haired slim girl had a small polite smile on her face. Though visible intrest was on her face.
"Who is this guy Rias?"
Koneko the small rook pulled on her sleeve.
"Tell."
Rias just smiled and winked.
"You will have to see him yourself."
She opened the teleport circle under their feet and with her access teleported into Mark's training field. When they appeared in the Bounded Field they were all assaulted by the powerful gravity of the place.
All 4 of them instantly face-planted on the ground feeling like they were being crushed. Even Koneko the physically strongest had been forced to the ground leaving them without means to move.
Rias' eyes went wide as she tried to force herself off the ground. She sent her Demonic Power through her body to increase her strength, but it was not enough. She grit her teeth as she pushed off the ground with as much force as her body could muster.
She managed to get off the ground and onto her knees and palms, but just as she worried for their lives, the gravity weakened to normal levels. Rias gasped for air as a supriced voice called for her.
"Rias? What are you doing here?"
She turned around and saw Runeas in training clothes. Her Ancestor was wearing a red tank top that showed her midriff which had gotten signs of a six-pack. She also wore a pair of tight shorts that showed her legs which had gotten more muscular.
Not just that, Runeas who always looked like a 14 year old girl actually looked older. She now looked 19, a recent change as the more Mark trained the older and more mature he looked. She wanted to keep up with him to not look like a brat so she had made herself look older.
It also made her height,breasts, ass and hips all bigger. Rias could even notice that her arms had gotten a bit of muscle on them. Her hair meanwhile was tied in a long ponytail. Seeing her ancestor look different confused Rias.
"What the hell was that Ancestor? I felt like I was being crushed."
Runeas laughed a little as she barely noticed the gravity anymore. It had been 490 days inside the formation. To her, that amount of time was honestly not too long while Mark's sense of time had already been skewed.
In that time she had not just worked on her old skills she had even worked on some new ones with Mark and Grimnar. As for Celestine, the dragon had grown faster than normal as she had gotten great food, energy, and training.
"Mark increased the time dilation and gravity in here. Now it is 35 times faster here than outside and 25 times the gravity. Speaking of which, how long has it been outside?"
Rias got off the ground and helped up her friends one by one.
"Two weeks."
"I see. So we spent around 490 days in here? Not too long and I feel like my old self again. Though I am getting bored though."
Hearing her words made Rias and her whole peerage wonder if they would one day be like Runeas. Considering almost a year and a half to not a lot of time.
Runeas noticed how the three girls with Rias were looking at her with confusion. Rias for the time she had spent and her peerage as she had Rias' crimson hair so she was a Gremory, but who was the question? She looked at them and introduced herself.
"I am Runeas Gremory, the first Gremory. The ancestor of the Gremory clan, nice to meet you three."
They were instantly shocked. Akeno had learned a bit about Devil history and knew that only Zekarram Bael should be alive.
"But I heard you were dead? No, weren't all the First Generation gone?"
Runeas shook her head with a smile.
"I faked it, but I am alive. More importantly Rias, like Mark told you, neither I nor him have the time to train your peerage. I can only train you as we share the same ability so their training is up to you. But we both are preparing to get out though as we are bored."
Rias nodded as she understood this point.
"I understand, but where are Mark and Grimnar?"
Runeas smiled as from the sky the two giants flew down. They both landed hard not far from Rias and her peerage which caused the three girls to be struck by the force of the landings. Not to mention the power behind the stares made by Mark and Grimnar.
Following not behind Mark, flew in Celestine who was quite small. Only 5 meters long from nose to tail which let her rest on Mark's shoulder conformably. He was truly massive as he was 50 meters tall. All his training had pushed his body to the limit.
He had used half of the Styx water for himself and the other half had been used for Celestine. Her black scales had grown shineier and her power of acid and corrosion had been upgraded.
Plus, he had gained acid glands in his claws and fangs another weapon for his use. And he had developed a skill which Ddraig considered passable.
Rias was surprised as she had only see. Mark's dragon form once and it had gone through several changes after all this time. For starters, a black glow radiated from several of Mark's scales and his body had gotten much more muscular.
Mark's looked down at Rias and her peerage which caused the pressure of a dragon to feel like it was crushing them. As for Grimnar he too had gotten larger and both their auras pressed down on Rias and her three friends.
In an eruption of power, Mark's dragon form returned to his human form. Celestine had also gotten smaller and now rested on his shoulder like before. Though even Mark's human form had changed as he was taller now. He stood a massive 6'9 feet tall, and a black beard began to cover his face.
This was the biggest win in his mind as his glorious beard had begun to make a comeback. He had finally gotten rid of the Asian inability to grow good facial hair. The last curse of Issei had been destroyed making this body Mark's.
His black-slitted eyes glowed a multitude of colors, blazing red, all-devouring black, star-like light, silver, and purple all at once. But when he blinked this was gone as he put on his black sunglasses.
Now, his clothes were no longer made by Runeas as he made these by shaping his dragon scales. As for Grimnar, the big dog did not shrink down as he felt no need to do so. Mark placed his hands in his pockets as he looked at the three girls Rias brought with her. From the look of it, they could barely form words when looking at him as his aura was unrestrained at the moment.
Though he did push it back down as he looked at Rias. He smiled and walked toward her before picking her up in a bear hug.
"Rias, how have you been all this time?"
Rias felt like her bones had been broken and she was running out of air. When he set her down she took gasps for air.
"Mark, I almost died. I think I saw G.O.D laughing at me."
Mark laughed as he looked at Rias' peerage. From the look of it, the three girls were too busy gawking at him to say much.
"Welcome you three to my training field. I made this thing for me so it has not been calibrated for beings as physically weak as you three."
That seemed to hit their sore spot, but they did not dare to speak up against a dragon. When he noticed their silence he spoke up.
"That was not supposed to be an order for you to stay silent."
Akeno instantly spoke up trying to push past her nerves.
"Are you and Rias a thing?"
Mark shook his head.
"Not yet."
Rias was not sure if she should be happy or sad to hear him say that. For one they had not officially begun to date, but she hoped they did. Though his saying yet was a good thing.
Hearing that made Akeno smile a teasing smile.
"So, do I have any hope?"
Mark looked into Akeno's eyes and read her mind. He read through her entire life from the moment of her birth to this moment. He analyzed this information before he made a decision.
"As you are now, never."
Mark did not elaborate further as he walked toward the other two girls.
"You must be Kimmi the knight and Koneko the Rook. I have no advice to give you besides one, do not deny what you are and train in what you are best at. That is the only way you three shall not remain at rock bottom. Not even if you train here. For now, have fun."
Mark drew Backbiter and stabbed it into the ground. He had yet to reforge it as he had not had the time. He lowered the gravity to just 5 times Earth while Runeas stopped protecting Rias and her peerage from the gravity.
Only this time they were not crushed into pancakes. Once this was done, Runeas and Grimnar stood next to Mark.
"When you want to leave, just say so and you will be forced out. Have fun."
In a flash of light, they returned to Mark's house with their training being done for the moment. As for Rias she rubbed the back of her head as she looked at her friends. They all looked bitter at the moment.
"I swear he is normally nicer than that. He must be just tired from all his training."
Akeno cleared her voice as she looked at Rias.
"He might be or he is only nice to you. Who would reject me and so badly too?"
Rias knew why, but she was not going to say it. While Akeno could be stronger is she used her bloodline she was rejecting that side of hers.
Koneko had some things to say about Mark.
"Meanie dragon."
As for Kimmi she just looked bitter
"Well, not everyone is sociable so let's leave him be for now."
Rias sighed as she took the advice of her brother and made use of the training they had done for the last two weeks. How long they stayed would depend on them. She also wanted to talk to Mark and Runeas so she would try to finish this quick.
(I have made a few decisions. Mark's standard for the harem will be increased which will leave several popular options out.)
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone