A month passed in the Big World.
Inside Lucien, considerably more time had gone by.
The recovered small worlds had experienced three months.
The special training region had experienced five.
From the outside, it was barely enough time for the five continents to settle into another stretch of uneasy routine.
Most people carried on without realizing that somewhere beyond their perception, entire groups had already lived through a season of training.
Five months was not a long time by the standards of ancient experts.
But for people who had already been standing near the edge of another realm, five uninterrupted months under Lootwell's best facilities made an enormous difference.
Lucien saw that difference almost immediately.
•••
Midas was among the first to reach the point where further ordinary training stopped helping.
Lucien noticed it before Midas said anything.
