The gym finally fell silent.
Everyone had gone. Only Bai Chen remained beneath the soft hum of the lights.
He exhaled, the breath steady as a blade's edge, and opened his system panel to check the day's progress.
Level: 14 → 15 (11 / 418)
Crisis Awareness (★2): +18 → Beginner (120 → 138 / 200)
Spirit Blade Breathing (★3): +20 → Beginner (180 → 200 / 300)
Titan's Physique (★7): +2 → Beginner (112 → 114 / 700)
Hyper Regeneration (★8): +2 → Beginner (1 → 3 / 800)
Blood of the Elder Dragon (★7): +142 → Beginner (4 → 146 / 700)
He let out a low whistle.
The numbers told the story—Blood of the Elder Dragon had skyrocketed.
Unlike normal techniques, that one grew stronger simply by consuming life-rich food. After the feast at Lillie's mansion, it had surged forward like wildfire.
Even Spirit Blade Breathing and Crisis Awareness had advanced far faster than training ever could.
A single real fight had yielded more than days of drills.
He smiled faintly.
"Combat really is the best teacher."
Bai Chen curled a three-hundred-kilogram dumbbell in one hand, the metal creaking under his grip. Sweat traced along the lines of his arm like liquid steel.
Across the room, Nergigante slept peacefully, chest rising and falling.
He couldn't help but feel a little envy.
As an Elder Dragon hatchling, she only needed to eat and sleep to grow stronger. After just one day of gorging, her level was already close to 4.
He had to grind for every drop of experience.
Still, he understood. She was a being of pure instinct and evolution. Growth came as naturally to her as breathing.
He glanced at her fondly.
"If she gets too strong, will I still be able to control her…?"
He chuckled, wiping his brow.
"Better not find out. Time to train harder."
He drafted a plan—his Super Training Regimen:
A thousand weighted squats.
Five thousand one-arm rows.
Endless sets of push-ups and lunges until every muscle burned.
Then he started.
The bar clanked; the air filled with the rhythm of his breathing.
Hah — hah — hah — !
Each exhale was sharp, controlled—the flow of Spirit Blade Breathing guiding every motion.
The Titan's Physique skill pulsed within him, reinforcing every tendon and fiber, while Blood of the Elder Dragon fed him near-limitless stamina.
And beyond all of that, Hyper Regeneration hummed quietly beneath his skin—repairing every micro-tear in seconds.
The effect was terrifying.
Where others needed forty-eight hours to recover between sessions, Bai Chen's body healed before the next rep.
He was growing stronger in real time.
The perfect loop.
Break → Repair → Grow → Repeat.
So long as his energy held out, he could train forever.
Meanwhile, upstairs—
Lillie sat at her desk, writing the last lines of her diary.
She'd already placed the shining Kulve Ore on her bedside cabinet, too heavy for its glass stand, and sent James to commission a proper display case.
Her pen scratched softly over the page.
Today… I met someone unbelievable.
By the time she finished, it was half-past nine. A maid came to announce that her bath was ready.
Lillie rose, but the first thing she asked was,
"Is Mr. Bai resting yet?"
The maid shook her head with a helpless smile.
"No, miss. He's still in the gym. It's been almost three hours."
Lillie blinked, then hesitated—before deciding,
"Let's go see him."
The two descended to the gym.
The moment she stepped inside, her cheeks turned crimson.
Bai Chen stood in the center of the room, shirtless, sweat streaming down his torso. His muscles rippled with each motion—every line honed to perfection, every movement radiating controlled power.
To Lillie, it was like watching a sculpture come alive.
He noticed her instantly.
"Oh? You're here."
Lillie froze, covering her face with both hands, voice trembling.
"S-sorry! I—I didn't mean to intrude!"
He blinked, a little puzzled.
"Weird? I saw a guy walking around in just shorts earlier. Isn't that normal in Alola?"
He was thinking of Kiawe.
To him, this was nothing out of place.
Lillie's blush deepened to her ears. She couldn't even explain why she felt so flustered. Peeking through her fingers, she stole a glance—then squeaked and spun away.
"I-I'll go take my bath! P-please continue your training, Mr. Bai!"
She practically ran out, her steps echoing down the hall.
The maid beside her just chuckled—and promptly pulled out her phone.
"Mr. Bai, may I take a photo with you?"
He scratched his head.
"Sure, give me a moment to put my shirt on—"
"No! Just like this!"
Before he could stop her, she hugged his arm, snapping rapid-fire selfies. The maid giggled as she admired the shots—Bai Chen's handsome face, those golden eyes, and that carved physique.
"Perfect! Absolutely perfect!"
She even poked his abs once, laughing like a child.
Bai Chen shuddered, catching a glimpse of the gleam in her eyes—predatory, like a starving predator spotting its prey.
He coughed awkwardly.
"Could you… get me some water?"
"Of course! Happily!"
The maid dashed off.
Bai Chen sighed in relief and rolled his shoulders.
Three hours of constant lifting, and he wasn't even tired. The system panel confirmed it:
Titan's Physique +20 Proficiency.
And yet his heartbeat was steady, his energy full.
It was as if his blood itself burned with endless vitality.
"So this is the true power of Elder Dragon Blood…"
He had stumbled into a bug-level loop.
Normal humans needed recovery. He didn't.
Muscles tore, healed, and grew in seconds—Hyper Regeneration feeding Titan's Physique, while Blood of the Elder Dragon refueled him endlessly.
It was perfect.
He had created his own Super Training Mode.
Where ordinary people collapsed after two hours, he could train for seven, eight, ten if he wished—and still keep going.
Each rep, each breath, pushed his skills higher and higher.
Bai Chen grinned, eyes glinting gold.
"All right… new goal."
He tightened his grip on the barbell, muscles tensing.
"Seven days. In seven days, I'll raise Titan's Physique and Spirit Blade Breathing from Beginner to Proficient."
The weight lifted. The floor trembled.
Sweat hit the mat like rain.
And somewhere within that relentless rhythm, the hunter's heart beat louder—steady, determined, unstoppable.