Supreme Hunter of Beautiful Souls

Kael continued his strikes, sweat dripping down his face as he tried to ignore the growing pain in his arms. However, he couldn't help but notice when Irelia approached, her light footsteps making hardly any sound. She casually sat on a nearby rock, resting her chin on her hand as she watched him with a curious smile.

"So, why'd you accept this?" Irelia asked, tilting her head to the side. "I thought you didn't even know how to hold a sword."

Kael paused for a moment to catch his breath, but he couldn't ignore the playful tone in her voice. He wiped the sweat from his forehead with his forearm and replied dryly, "Your uncle forced me."

Irelia blinked, surprised for a second, but then let out a light laugh. "Oh, that makes sense. He's the type who doesn't take 'no' for an answer." She shook her head, still chuckling. "And it seems like you didn't have a choice."

Kael snorted, adjusting his stance to resume his strikes. "If I'd said no, he probably would've dragged me through the forest until I agreed."

Irelia laughed again, this time louder. "Yeah, that sounds exactly like him." She watched him for a few more seconds, her gaze softening. "But you know what? You're doing better than I expected. Maybe he really sees something in you."

Kael didn't respond immediately, focusing on landing the next strike with precision. Still, her words made something echo in his mind. Seems like both of them have sharp eyes... she seems to be hiding something too he thought, as he resumed the cycle of movements.

Irelia remained silent but stayed there, watching, as if curious to see how far Kael could go.

[Hours Later]

The convoy was finally ready to depart. The soldiers adjusted the horses, loaded the last supplies, and made sure everything was in order. Kael, for his part, remained in the same spot, completing the final strikes of his series with unyielding focus. Each movement was more fluid and controlled, as if he had already mastered something that should have taken days or even weeks to learn.

Adalric approached, arms crossed and his usual casual expression. He expected to see a young man exhausted, maybe even unable to lift the sword. But what he found was something entirely different.

Kael stopped, adjusted his stance, and gripped the sword firmly. His grip was solid, and the strikes that had once been clumsy now appeared incredibly precise.

Adalric was left speechless, literally. He walked up to Kael, inspecting him closely as if looking for a trick or deception.

"You... got the grip right in two hours?" he said, incredulity evident in his voice.

Kael wiped the sweat from his face, breathing deeply. "I guess so. You corrected me a lot in the beginning, so I just kept adjusting."

"'Just adjusting'?" Adalric repeated, as if the words were absurd. He placed his hand on his chin, still analyzing the young man. "This would take weeks for an average apprentice. Either you're a genius... or there's something very peculiar about you."

Kael didn't respond, just gave a slight smile. Thanks, system, he thought, reading the message in front of him.

[Current Target: Winged Swordsmanship Lesson (Lvl.1), Progress: 56%]

Adalric then let out a loud laugh, almost startling the soldiers nearby. "You really are interesting, kid! Now I'm even more curious to see what you're capable of. But don't get comfortable, we're just getting started. The real training hasn't even begun."

Kael felt a shiver run down his spine but kept smiling. If this isn't the real training, I'm screwed.

"Alright, let's get back on the road," Adalric said, turning toward the convoy.

Kael sheathed his sword and followed Adalric, while Irelia watched the scene from afar, an amused smile on her face. "He's doing better than I expected," she muttered to herself before climbing into the carriage...

...

The convoy continued along the road as the sun shone brightly, warming the surrounding landscape. Kael, however, was not enjoying the tranquillity of the journey as much as the others. Adalric was walking alongside Kael's carriage, holding a long, tight rope in his hands. He threw it to Kael, who climbed down from the carriage with a puzzled look on his face.

"You want me to... what?" Kael asked, holding the rope while staring at Adalric in disbelief.

"Run alongside the carriage, pulling this weight," Adalric ordered with a grin that was clearly amused. "If a swordsman has no stamina, he's just dead weight. Strength without breath is worthless in real combat. So let's work on that... also put those weights on your two legs, there's no such thing as too much exercise."

Kael sighed deeply, feeling that his luck had really deserted him. "All right. How long?"

"Until the next rest stop," Adalric replied casually. "It's only a few hours."

"A few hours?" Kael repeated in disbelief.

"Oh, and don't forget," Adalric continued, ignoring Kael's tone. "Stretch your arms while you run. If you don't increase your flexibility, you'll never master full control of the sword."

Kael narrowed his eyes at the knight, but had no choice. He began to run alongside the carriage, his arms extending and retracting as Adalric had instructed. At first, it seemed simple, but with every kilometer, the difficulty increased exponentially.

The soldiers, gentlemen and even Irelia watched him with expressions that varied between admiration and amusement.

"He's really trying," one of the soldiers commented, shaking his head.

"I'd say he's being tortured," replied another, laughing quietly.

Irelia, who was watching everything from the carriage window, leaned out, smiling. "Hey, Kael, don't forget to take a deep breath! If you faint, it'll be worse!"

Kael cast a deadly glance at Irelia, who was smiling provocatively in the carriage. 'Why, you little wretch... Why don't you get down here and do it too? He shouted mentally, while maintaining his outward composure, even though his frustration was evident.

It was then that Umbra appeared, hovering next to him with her usual mocking smile. "Ah, young love, so beautiful, don't you think?" she commented, crossing her arms as she watched the scene.

"Love?!" Kael grunted softly, panting as he tried to keep up his running pace. "Where do you get these absurd ideas?"

Umbra laughed mischievously. "Oh, don't be so naive, Kael. I had a quick look... you know, just to check out the 'competition'. And I can assure you of one thing..." She leaned closer, speaking with a conspiratorial tone. "That little girl's panties must be melting by now just seeing you like this, sweaty, working hard. If you want my advice, take off that shirt! Show her what a real man's manhood looks like!" Umbra demanded, his smile as cheeky as ever.

Kael stumbled for a moment, not believing what he had just heard. "You... SINCE WHEN DID YOU GET SO PERVERTED?!" He roared internally so as not to attract the attention of the others, the frustration evident in his voice...