The sun had already started to set, painting the sky in deep orange and purple hues. A cool breeze brushed against his face as Alex stepped out of the villa.
His entire body was screaming in pain.
Every step felt heavier than the last. His legs trembled slightly with each movent, and his muscles burned like they were on fire. His shirt was completely soaked in sweat, clinging to his bruised and battered body. Even breathing felt difficult.
Viktor’s thods were brutal.
He hadn’t held back at all. For nearly four hours straight, he had pushed Alex to his absolute limit... correcting every small mistake, forcing him to repeat movents until his body gave out, and making him fight while completely exhausted.
Alex had never trained this hard in his life.
Just this morning, after defeating four veteran fighters together, he had started to believe he was becoming a truly strong fighter. But now, after training with Viktor, he realized just how many flaws he still had.
Alex paused and looked back toward the villa gate.
Viktor was standing there with his arms crossed, watching him with a calm, slightly amused expression. A small smirk played on his lips as he saw Alex struggling to walk.
"Co again tomorrow," Viktor called out in a relaxed tone. "I’ll be happy help."
Alex stared at him for a second, then shook his head with a tired smile. This nice-looking guy really beat him up ruthlessly just for so minor mistake...
He slowly made his way toward the car. His vision was slightly blurry from exhaustion, and his head felt heavy. Every ti he took a step, a sharp pain shot through his thighs and calves.
He stopped near the main gate, placing one hand on the car for support as he breathed hard.
"Haah... Haah..."
His breathing was ragged. His heart was still pounding heavily in his chest. He didn’t even have enough energy left to open the car door.
Right now, he looked like soone who had been through hell and barely survived. But even through the pain... there was a small, satisfied smile on his face.
Because deep down, he knew.
"This is nothing..." he told himself, even as his legs threatened to give out. "This is the price I have to pay."
With a tired groan, Alex finally managed to pull open the car door. He dropped heavily into the driver’s seat, letting out a long breath as he leaned back against the headrest. For a few seconds, he just sat there, eyes half-closed, enjoying the silence.
Then, a small smile appeared on his face.
He raised his hand and summoned the system panel.
A familiar blue screen appeared in front of him.
[Battle Sense: 9.63%]
Alex stared at the number for a mont.
"Woah..." he muttered, his eyes widening in genuine shock. "Isn’t it...?"
He blinked twice, then let out a short laugh.
"Haha... 9.63%? In just one training session?"
He leaned back in his seat, still staring at the screen with a wide grin. All the pain, all the exhaustion, all the brutal corrections from Viktor... it was all worth it.
"If it keeps increasing like this..." he whispered, "it won’t be long before I reach 100%."
The thought alone sent a wave of excitent through him.
But then, the soreness in his body reminded him of reality.
"Lilith..." he called out softly. "Please give so healing dicine..."
A soft voice imdiately echoed in his mind.
"You should not use healing dicine at this ti."
Alex frowned slightly.
"Why not?"
Lilith’s calm and clear voice replied:
"You should not rely on dicines for recovery. Your body has an incredible natural healing ability. If you let it heal on its own, it will adjust itself properly. Over ti, this will force your body to heal faster and more efficiently. The more you train and recover naturally, the stronger your natural recovery will beco."
She paused for a mont before continuing:
"Healing dicines should only be used in true ergency situations. Using them too often will only make your body dependent and slow down your natural growth."
Alex listened quietly.
He thought about her words for a few seconds... and then nodded slowly.
"You’re right," he said with a small smile. "I understand."
He closed the system panel and leaned back in his seat once again, letting the exhaustion wash over him.
Even though his body was screaming in pain, his heart felt light.
Because for the first ti in a long while... he could clearly see his path forward.
***
Alex finally reached ho and parked his car in the driveway. With a heavy sigh, he turned off the engine and leaned back in his seat for a few seconds, letting the silence wash over him.
’Bath... then straight to bed,’ he thought. His body was begging for rest.
He stepped out of the car, moving slowly and carefully. Every muscle in his body protested with each step.
Just as he was about to head inside, a familiar voice called out from the side.
"Hey... You’re here!"
Alex turned his head and saw Danny walking toward him, wearing nothing but a pair of shorts, his upper body completely bare. He had clearly been enjoying the evening by the pool.
Danny stopped in front of him and laughed the mont he saw Alex’s condition.
"What happened to you?" he asked, grinning. "You look like you got hit by a truck!"
Alex blinked, then suddenly rembered.
’Oh shit...’
This morning before going to practice, he had told Danny and Mike to co over and hang out after college. He had completely forgotten about it because of the brutal training with Viktor.
Danny didn’t wait for an answer. He walked up and gently grabbed Alex’s arm.
"C’mon, let’s go. We’ve been waiting for you."
Alex let himself be led as he asked, "Where’s Mike?"
"He’s in the pool," Danny replied with a chuckle. "Co on. You look too exhausted. A little ti in the pool will help you relax."
Alex didn’t have the energy to argue. He simply nodded and let Danny guide him toward the backyard, where the glowing blue pool waited under the evening lights.
As Danny guided Alex toward the backyard, the glowing blue water of the pool ca into view. Mike was floating lazily on his back in the middle of the pool, arms spread wide, clearly enjoying the cool evening.
The mont Mike noticed them approaching, he turned his head and imdiately burst out laughing.
"Pfft—! What happened to you?" he asked, grinning widely as he swam closer to the edge. "Look at you... Did they beat you up today or what?"
Alex gave him a tired glare but didn’t have the energy to reply.
Danny chuckled beside him. "He looks like he went through hell and ca back."
Mike laughed again, clearly amused by Alex’s miserable state.
Without saying much, Alex slowly started removing his clothes. He took off his shirt first, revealing the countless bruises and red marks covering his torso. Then he removed his pants, leaving only his underwear on.
He stepped toward the edge of the pool and carefully lowered himself into the water.
The mont the cold water touched his skin, Alex let out a sharp breath.
"...Haaah..."
It stung at first. The cold water hit every bruise and sore muscle like tiny needles, sending a wave of sharp pain through his body. But as he slowly sank deeper, the coldness began to soothe the burning heat in his muscles. The pain gradually turned into a strange, refreshing relief.
He closed his eyes and leaned back against the pool wall, letting the water support his exhausted body.
For the first ti in hours, he finally felt like he could breathe again.
Alex slowly opened his eyes.
The mont he did, he found both Danny and Mike right beside him, leaning against the edge of the pool. They were staring at him with wide eyes, clearly waiting for an answer... while trying and failing to hold back their laughter.
Mike was the first to speak, his voice carrying a mix of amusent and genuine fear.
"Was it really just from the training...?"
Alex looked at their faces for a second... and then burst out laughing.
"Haha... Yeah," he said, still chuckling. "It was just from the training."
He leaned back against the pool wall, a tired but satisfied smile on his face.
"Don’t worry," he continued. "You two should be ready too... because I already asked them to train you as well."
The mont Alex finished speaking, both Danny and Mike’s faces turned pale.
Danny’s eyes widened in pure horror as he quickly raised both hands.
"Please... No! We’re not into fighting... Really!" he said in a rush, shaking his head frantically.
Mike nodded rapidly beside him, his usual playful expression completely gone.
"Yeah! We’re not built for that kind of training!" Mike added, his voice slightly higher than usual. "We just ca to chill and hang out, not get destroyed like you!"
Both of them looked genuinely terrified at the thought of going through the sa brutal training Alex had just experienced. The way Alex was covered in bruises and could barely walk earlier had clearly left a strong impression on them.
Alex couldn’t help but laugh at their panicked reactions.
Alex laughed at their extre reaction, his shoulders shaking slightly as he leaned back and relaxed a little more in the water.
"Ok... We’ll talk about that later," he said with a small smile.
Danny and Mike visibly relaxed when they heard that. The tension in their shoulders eased a bit.
But then Alex asked casually,
"Anything interesting from college?"
The mont the question left his mouth, both of them tensed up again. They exchanged a quick glance before Danny spoke, his voice a little lower than usual.
"I don’t know if it’s true or not... but it seems like Pierce has gone missing."
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