Supreme Hunter of Beautiful Souls-Chapter 176: Plans begin to turn

The next day, the Scarlet Tower's training hall was even quieter than usual. The walls, always imposing and cold, now seemed to absorb even the sound of breathing. Kael, his eyes half-closed, could feel the throbbing pain in his muscles. What remained of his body was scarred from the day before - a reflection of Exelia's brutal training. fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com

He had barely slept, but had no time to rest. Instead, he was dragged into the center of the arena again, fear mixed with uncontrollable determination burning inside him. He knew what was coming. He had already seen the coldness with which Exelia treated her own subordinates. What he didn't know was how far she would go to "break" him.

This time, however, Exelia wasn't armed. Her purple cloak was flowing, her hair neatly tied back, but in her hands, she carried two heavy objects. Bracelets. They were neither ordinary nor beautiful, but forged from a dark, dense metal. The metallic sound of them hitting the ground made Kael shudder.

"These are the bracelets you'll be wearing today," said Exelia, with the same expression as always - cold, calculating, as if Kael's suffering was just part of her everyday life. She approached him with a subtle smile. "You're going to learn the true meaning of overload."

She threw the bracelets on the floor in front of him, and Kael looked at them, not knowing exactly what to expect. They were too heavy, and their presence in the arena seemed to annihilate any vestige of hope that remained.

"You can't expect to control your body with uncontrollable power without learning to use its limitations," she said. "Put them on."

Kael hesitated for a moment, but then reached for the bracelets. The metal seemed to burn in his hands. He immediately felt the weight, as if he were lifting the chains of a prison. When he put them on his wrists and ankles, the effect was almost immediate - his body felt heavier, more grounded. Gravity affected him differently. Not only physically, but also mentally, he felt the growing pressure of being something smaller, weaker.

Exelia took a step back, watching him with the same inexpressive expression.

"You'll have to move. Overcome the weight. But remember, Kael: the weakness you feel is not an obstacle. It's your only friend here. Use it to learn how to fight yourself."

Kael closed his eyes for a second, feeling the crushing weight of each movement. With every step, it felt like his body was being pulled to the ground, as if every muscle was rebelling against the force of the restraints. But he forced himself to take a deep breath. He couldn't allow Exelia to see him weakened. He was there to become something stronger, more unbeatable, not to let himself be crushed.

She waited for him to stabilize and then, without warning, made a sudden move towards him, advancing with inhuman speed.

"Now, you're going to try to hit me," she ordered. "With those bracelets, with the load you're carrying, and you're still going to fight."

Kael tried to move, but the weight stopped him. Every attempt to accelerate seemed to be slowed down by the metal surrounding him, every blow or spell seemed slower, more unsuccessful. His fists, normally quick and agile, were now slow and heavy as if he were fighting invisible chains.

"You're taking too long," said Exelia, her voice cutting like sharp blades. "This is just the beginning. Feel every movement, feel the pressure. And then, if you can, attack."

Kael felt the crushing pressure. His mind was confused, but at the same time, his spirit was on fire. He couldn't be beaten, not now. He lunged forward with a clumsy punch, a heavy movement without the precision of before.

Exelia had no trouble dodging, as usual. She just looked at him, bored.

"Your attacks are slow, Kael. You have to learn to fight with what you are, not what you hope to be." She approached, a gleaming sword in her hands, ready to strike a blow. "Now, try to avoid me."

Kael felt fear coursing through his veins. He knew that if he was hit again, the pain would be unbearable. However, his anger and his instinct for survival ignited something inside him. He raised his fists and tried to concentrate, trying to resist the crushing weight of the bracelets. His feet were heavy on the ground, but he took a step forward, forcing himself to advance.

But Exelia was already on the move, moving like a shadow. Before Kael could take a second step, she was already behind him, the blade of her sword slicing through the air.

"You're not learning to use the limitations, Kael," she said, before spinning her sword towards his ribcage, making Kael wince in pain. "You're allowing them to break you. You're not an iron man yet. You're a boy in a body you don't know how to use."

Kael gasped, falling to his knees again, feeling the tears mixing with the sweat running down his face. He looked at the bracelets, heavy and implacable, and then, with a primal scream, tried to get up again.

Every movement was an effort. Each attempt to struggle, more flawed than the last. But one thing was clear - he wouldn't give up. Not until Exelia saw it as more than just training.

"I can do this," he growled to himself, his fists clenched and his body trembling under the weight. "I can."

Exelia watched, unhurried, a subtle smile on her lips. She knew that he was only just beginning to understand the true cost of training. And she knew that, with each fall, he would be closer to becoming what she needed him to be.

Time passed slowly, but every second was forging Kael. The process was painful, but deep down he knew that this pain was shaping him.

"Get up," she ordered once again. "Let's keep going until you understand."

[Azalith...]

In the darkness of the night, a group of hooded figures gathered in an underground hall, lit only by the flames of black candles. The room was a labyrinth of secret corridors, part of a fortress hidden beneath the snowy mountains to the north of Azalith Academy. The atmosphere was impregnated with the smell of sulphur and rare herbs, and the only light that dared touch the walls were the faint reflections of the dark magic that flowed through the hidden corridors.

The leader of the group, a tall, scrawny man, wore a dark cloak that seemed to swallow up the light around him. His eyes were a deep red, as if they were burning from the inside out, and his face, pale and worn, displayed an expression of calculating coldness. He approached a table full of maps and parchments, where details of the Azalith Academy and the strategic points for the attack were sketched out.

"The plans have changed, as usual," he said, his voice soft but charged with a silent hatred. He turned to the others, who were lined up around the room, awaiting his orders. "The presence of this boy, Kael, was unforeseen. He killed our men and turned the situation upside down. The capture of Princess Sylphie of the Elves was supposed to be a simple task, but this boy... he had to interfere."

The room was immersed in a tense silence. The hooded figures exchanged furtive glances, as if assessing the gravity of the situation. The leader stepped forward, pointing to a large map of Azalith lying on the table.

"But now he's far away. Very far away. That prince..." The leader hesitated, as if Kael's name was a poison he no longer wanted to mention. "After everything that's happened, he's probably too busy with his torture and training lessons to worry about anything other than his pain and humiliation."

He paused dramatically, and the atmosphere around him seemed to heat up with his anger. His red eyes glowed brighter as he spoke, as if each word were a sharp blade cutting through the air.

"Now we can finally finish what we started. The way is clear, my followers. There is no one left to stop us. The princess is vulnerable. She doesn't know we're coming. And I... I will make Azalith Academy fall, like a rock crushing a flower."

A woman in one corner of the room, with golden eyes and silver hair, raised her head and said, her voice soft but threatening: "And what will we do with the princess, my master? She's a prize... but perhaps we should kill her. What do you think?"

The leader looked at her, a cruel smile drawing across his lips. "Kill her? No, that would be a precious loss. Sylphie of the Elves is the key to something much greater, something beyond simple destruction. She will be the trophy that crowns our victory. The greatest humiliation for the academy will be when she falls into our hands."

He took another step forward, now with a more upright posture and a confidence that only the most ruthless could boast. "I have plans for the girl. She will be a great source of profit."

He looked at the other members of his group, who awaited his orders with eager obedience. "Now is the time to act. We'll attack the academy in full force. Not just the students... we're going to destroy everything it stands for. We're going to destroy the pillars of magical education, culture and knowledge. We'll make them understand that no one is safe. When this is over, no one will dare to challenge our plans again."

A black-clad figure with a veiled face stepped forward. He spoke in a grave tone of voice: "What about the defense? The Academy of Azalith is well protected. We know that, in addition to the teachers and students, there are powerful magical forces there. It won't be easy."

The leader made a dismissive gesture, as if the problem was irrelevant. "It doesn't matter. The academy may have its defenders, its spells, its incantations and its magicians. But there's something they don't expect: we have what they don't have. The element of surprise. We have the best agents, the best assassins, the most powerful magical artifacts. And, above all, we have the advantage that Kael isn't there to disrupt our operation this time."

He turned, walking towards a stone altar in the center of the room, where a black crystal pulsed with red light. Placing his hands on the crystal, the leader closed his eyes and said in a low voice, like a somber prayer: "The fire of destruction that will burn Azalith will be lit by our hand. We will spread fear and death. When the floor of the academy is covered in ashes, the princess will be ours. And with her, we will take everything."

He looked at the others again, now with a glint of madness in his eyes. "That boy is no longer a threat. Now that we know he's far away, nothing can stop our attack from succeeding. The destruction of Azalith is imminent."

The whole room seemed to breathe with him, the air thick with pure malice. The members of the group nodded in unison, with sinister smiles and eager eyes, like predators about to pounce on their prey.

"Prepare yourselves," the leader ordered, his eyes flashing a dark fire. "We're going to destroy the academy. We will capture the princess and make sure everyone knows that there is no more refuge. No one will escape our wrath."

With one last look at his subordinates, the leader stretched out his hands towards the crystal and muttered a secret incantation. The crystal lit up with an intense red light, and the earth began to tremble, as if the underground castle itself was preparing to unleash its power.

The attack was about to begin.