Supreme Hunter of Beautiful Souls-Chapter 488: ...I should have stayed asleep.

Kael was upside down.

His entire body was supported only by his arms as he performed slow, controlled push-ups, each movement precise as if measuring strength and endurance simultaneously. His hands were firmly planted on the polished wooden floor of the training hall, and his body remained aligned with an almost rigid discipline, despite the evident accumulated physical wear and tear.

His red hair was tied in an improvised bun on top of his head, a few loose strands escaping with the repetitive movement, following the slight sway of each descent and ascent. Small drops of sweat trickled down his forehead, following the side of his face before falling to the floor below.

His breathing was steady.

Controlled.

But heavy.

He had been there for hours.

It was noticeable.

The muscles in his arms trembled slightly with each repetition, his abdomen contracted with continuous effort, and even his legs, raised in the air, showed clear signs of accumulated fatigue.

Still, he didn't stop.

One.

Two.

Three.

Each push-up was accompanied by a slight adjustment in his breathing, as if he were trying to keep his body functional despite having surpassed its limits some time ago.

The silence of the room was broken only by this.

Breathing.

Movement.

Effort.

And… voices.

On the other side of the room, completely outside the context of that almost obsessive physical discipline, a completely different scene unfolded.

Umbra, Inari, Amelia, and Irelia were seated around a small table elegantly positioned near one of the large windows of the room.

There was tea.

There were delicate cups.

There was a tray with small sweets carefully arranged.

And there was conversation.

A conversation that, to any outside observer, could easily be classified as something everyday.

Normal.

Almost trivial.

But there was something… wrong.

The contrast.

On one side, Kael was pushing his body to its limit, as if trying to release some internal tension through physical exertion.

On the other, four women chatted calmly, as if it were an ordinary afternoon, completely at ease while observing, from time to time, the upside-down figure continuing his tireless training.

It was a strangely unsettling scene.

Inari was the first to comment, bringing her teacup to her lips with a smooth movement before speaking.

"How long has he been doing this?"

Amelia tilted her head slightly, her eyes still fixed on Kael as he completed another repetition.

"A few hours."

She replied naturally.

"Basically, since he finished talking to us."

Umbra, sitting relaxed in her chair, rested her chin on her hand as she observed Kael with a curious, almost analytical look.

"Human emotions are interesting."

She murmured.

"He's clearly trying to process something."

Irelia adjusted the cup slightly on the saucer before answering.

"He always does this."

Her voice was calm, almost habitual.

"When something gets out of his control… he trains."

Inari let out a small, low laugh.

"That makes sense."

She commented.

"It's better than breaking things."

Umbra tilted her head slightly.

"Has he done this before?"

Amelia answered this time, a small smile appearing at the corner of her lips.

"A few times."

Kael, in the background, descended once more, his arms bending slowly before pushing his body back up with visible effort.

The trembling was now more evident.

But he continued.

As if completely ignoring the fact that he was being watched.

Or perhaps…

As if trying to ignore it.

Irelia took a small sip of tea before continuing the conversation.

"He doesn't like losing control of situations."

Umbra made a small, thoughtful sound.

"Interesting."

She looked at Kael again.

"But he never had control over me."

Amelia raised an eyebrow.

"And yet he tries to handle you as if he did."

Inari rested her elbow on the table, her chin resting on her hand as she watched Kael with an amused look.

"It's kind of cute."

Kael went down again.

And this time it took him a little longer to come back up.

The effort was clearly building up.

Umbra watched this with renewed attention.

"He's going to faint soon."

She commented, almost as a technical statement.

Irelia shook her head slightly.

"No."

She replied confidently.

"He'll stop before that."

Amelia finished.

"Probably when he realizes we're watching."

Umbra blinked slowly.

"He already noticed."

Inari smiled.

"Yes."

She said softly.

"He's just pretending he doesn't."

Kael clenched his teeth as he climbed back up, his whole body trembling more visibly now.

The silence between the four for a few seconds was almost synchronized.

Observing.

Evaluating.

As if that simple moment carried much more meaning than it seemed at first glance.

Amelia was the first to break the silence.

"So…"

She twirled the cup slightly between her fingers.

"Umbra."

Umbra shifted her gaze from Kael to her.

"Yes?"

Amelia tilted her head slightly.

"What's it like… to have a body?"

Umbra was silent for a brief moment.

The question seemed simple.

But it clearly demanded a more elaborate answer.

She looked at her own hands for an instant, opening and closing her fingers slowly before answering.

"Complex."

She said.

"And interesting."

Inari tilted her head.

"Interesting how?"

Umbra thought for a second.

"Everything is… more intense." She explained.

"Sensations, effort, even tiredness."

She looked at Kael again.

"Now I understand better what he's doing."

Irelia nodded slightly.

"And?"

Umbra tilted her head.

"It's inefficient."

Inari laughed.

Amelia also let out a small smile.

Kael descended again.

This time, his arms took longer to respond.

But he still climbed up.

He kept going.

Irelia observed this in silence for a few seconds before speaking again.

"He's persistent."

Umbra nodded.

"Yes."

She paused briefly.

"And stubborn."

Amelia added.

"Extremely."

Inari finished with an amused smile.

"But that's what makes him interesting."

Silence returned for a few moments.

Only the sound of Kael's breathing filled the space.

Heavy.

Controlled.

But clearly on the edge.

Umbra observed another repetition before commenting.

"He's really trying to ignore us."

Amelia tilted her head.

"Do you want him to stop?"

Umbra thought for a moment.

Then a small smile appeared.

"No." She replied.

"I want to see how far he'll go."

Inari chuckled softly.

Irelia brought the cup to her lips again, completely calm.

And Kael… continued…

…

Time passed almost imperceptibly inside the hall.

The light that had previously entered at an angle through the windows slowly moved along the walls, rising up the pillars, crossing the wooden floor and changing intensity as the hours passed. The atmosphere, which had carried a tranquil lightness in the early morning, began to take on a warmer, heavier tone, as if even the air itself were mirroring Kael's physical exhaustion.

And he continued.

The push-ups were no longer as controlled as before.

The perfect alignment of his body had given way to small deviations, improvised adjustments to compensate for accumulated fatigue. His arms trembled constantly now, not just at the end of the movement, but throughout the entire process, as if each repetition were an isolated battle against his own limit.

His breathing was no longer silent.

It echoed through the room.

Heavy.

Dragged.

Irregular.

Yet… he didn't stop.

One.

Another.

Yet another.

Each push-up seemed to demand more effort than the last, as if his body were slowly refusing to obey, yet still being forced to continue out of sheer stubbornness.

Across the room, the situation remained absurdly unchanged.

Umbra, Inari, Amelia, and Irelia remained seated at the table.

The tea had already been changed more than once.

The sweets had dwindled.

The conversation flowed.

And, occasionally, all four pairs of eyes turned to Kael.

Observing.

Analyzing.

Waiting.

Inari was the first to break the silence this time, resting her chin on her hand as she observed yet another particularly unsteady repetition.

"He's still at it."

Her voice carried a slight tone of amused surprise.

Amelia shrugged gently.

"I told you he'd insist."

Umbra tilted her head slightly, her eyes fixed on Kael as he descended again, this time taking longer than before to return.

"His body has been past its limit for a long time."

She commented casually.

Irelia replied calmly.

"Yes."

She brought the cup to her lips.

"Now it's just pride."

Kael climbed again.

But this time…

He almost couldn't.

His arms trembled violently, the movement stopping for a second halfway up before, with visible effort, he managed to complete the climb.

But his balance was already compromised.

His body wobbled slightly in the air.

Umbra watched it more closely now.

"It's almost over."

She murmured.

Amelia crossed one leg over the other, completely calm.

"It took longer than I expected."

Inari let out a small laugh.

"You always underestimate him."

Kael descended again.

And this time…

He didn't rise.

For a second, his body hung suspended in the air, his arms trembling violently as they tried to respond to the command.

But they didn't respond.

They simply… gave way.

His entire body lost its support at once.

Kael fell.

The impact against the ground wasn't violent, but it was heavy enough to echo slightly through the hall. He didn't try to completely cushion the fall, probably because at that point his body simply didn't have the strength for it anymore.

Silence.

For a few seconds, he lay there.

Lying down.

Breathing.

Heavily.

Each breath seemed to be a labored struggle, as if even that required effort now.

On the other side of the room…

Amelia let out a small, satisfied sigh.

"Finally."

Inari smiled.

"I was starting to think he was going to keep going until sunset."

Umbra tilted her head slightly.

"He lasted longer than expected."

Irelia gently placed the teacup back on the saucer.

"Amelia won."

Kael frowned slightly on the floor.

It took him a few seconds to gather enough energy to speak.

"…Won… what?"

His voice came out low.

Tired.

But clearly irritated.

The four of them looked at him.

Amelia answered first, with a small, almost amused smile.

"A bet."

Kael slowly turned his face toward them, still lying on the ground.

"...What bet?"

Inari answered this time, her tone light.

"How long it would take you to give in."

Kael was silent for a second.

Breathing.

Processing.

Then he let out a small, humorless laugh.

"...Seriously?"

Umbra nodded calmly.

"Yes."

She tilted her head.

"I said you'd fall in less than two hours."

Irelia finished.

"I estimated three."

Amelia crossed her arms, clearly satisfied.

"I said it would be more than four."

She paused briefly before smiling slightly.

"And I was right."

Kael closed his eyes for a moment.

"...You've been watching me this whole time?"

Inari answered without hesitation.

"Yes."

Umbra added.

"It was interesting."

Irelia completed calmly.

"And educational."

Kael let out a long sigh, letting his head fall completely to the ground.

"...This is disturbing."

Amelia just smiled.

"You are interesting."

Silence.

Kael stood there for a few more seconds.

His whole body heavy.

Exhausted.

But his mind… now strangely alert.

He opened one eye, looking in their direction again.

Four gazes.

Fixed on him.

Calm.

Curious.

And again…

That same feeling.

That intense attention.

That almost… excessive interest.

Kael felt a slight shiver run through his entire body, even though he was completely exhausted. And he let out a final sigh.

"...I should have stayed asleep."