Chapter 125: Training in underpants.

Some of Lita’s suffering had reached Zyra’s ears. Achilles had sent a video to Hunter, and he sent it to her. She had watched it about ten times and paused it at the part where Lita was asked to kiss her husband’s portrait constantly because she could not stop laughing.

It was midnight, and she had risen to use the bathroom. Rather than sleep again, she decided to check on Spice’s progress and then watch the video again. Now, Zyra was in stitches as she sought Hunter out in the indoor gym his men had arranged. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

She found him sparring with big Vince and turned back. The man was obsessed with becoming stronger. He could compromise on everything but not that. His determination put her to a shame. She was weaker than he was, but she was not training as hard! She had reasons to push herself. Survival wasn’t a spectator sport.

So, she sent him a text, informing him of her plan to return to the frozen wild land for some hours. In their shelter, inside the beast pavilion was the teleportation base that the system had set up. Zyra keyed in the coordinates, and with a shimmer of light, she was whisked to the frozen wild land.

The air was sharp as it had been when she left hours ago. It felt like sharp knives in her lungs. She was not far from the fruit forest. There were no beasts around. It seemed like they had all retired for the night.

She shrugged off her warm clothes, stripping down to her underwear and immediately, her teeth chattered as the bitter air slapped her bare skin. The system’s voice immediately chimed in, dripping with sarcasm.

[Brilliant. Nothing says survival like frostbite chic. Shall I send Hunter your obituary now or later?]

Zyra rolled her eyes. "I am training Beauty. I need to feel the cold. It will toughen me."

[Or kill you. But hey, character development.]

She snorted. "Since when are you sarcastic?"

[Since you displayed the fact that you have mush for brains.]

Her face froze, and not due to the cold, but because she never thought a day would come when the system directly insulted her. She ignored it and retrieved her knife. It shimmered for a second, elongating into a sleek spear.

In the past, she couldn’t lift it at all, and when her strength was at 10, she couldn’t lift it without wobbling like a drunk penguin. Now, her muscles responded differently. She was stronger, so her grip was steadier.

She gripped the shaft, surprised at the balance even though she could feel the bite of the cold in her fingers.

The system, unimpressed, muttered: [Congratulations. You have graduated from baby with a butter knife to baby with a pointy stick. Humanity is saved and you can put your clothes back on.]

Zyra ignored it again. The spear’s surface pulsed faintly, adjusting to her grip. To her surprise, her virtual screen came to life, uploading a set of moves into her mind, tactical sequences designed for combat.

She planted her feet in the snow, spear raised. The first move was thrust and pivot. A forward jab followed by a quick sidestep, meant to pierce and evade. The second move was arc slash. A sweeping strike across the chest level, designed to keep enemies at bay.

Zyra repeated them, her breath fogging in the icy air. For five minutes, she fought the cold, muscles burning, skin prickling. Then her body betrayed her; shivers wracked her frame, teeth chattering uncontrollably.

Beauty snorted: [Impressive endurance. Five minutes. Truly the stuff of legends. I have seen beasts that have just been born do better.]

"Shut up." Zyra muttered, fumbling back into her warm clothes. She pulled on her coat, boots and gloves, feeling life seep back into her limbs.

[Ding! Shutting up.]

Maybe the system was not impressed, but she was. Five minutes naked in this freezing land was equal to a minute in a burning room. But she did not plan to give up so easily. She would continue bracing the cold, naked, every day until she grew accustomed to it.

Clothed again, she resumed training. Thrust and pivot. Arc slash. Over and over, until the moves etched themselves into her muscles. The spear hummed with each strike, its high-tech core adjusting angles, correcting her form.

Two hours later, her body screamed in protest. Arms heavy, legs trembling, shoulders aching like she had carried a mountain. Sweat dampened her clothes despite the cold.

The system, ever helpful, chimed: [Congratulations host. You have achieved the noble art of self-inflicted suffering.]

Zyra gritted her teeth. "And I am not done yet. Keep scanning the environment and teleport me away at the first sign of danger."

She trudged deeper into the frozen forest, spear in hand. Every shadow seemed alive, every gust of wind a whisper of beasts stronger than her. The moonlight was her only source of light. She stayed alert, wary of predators lurking in the snow.

[Ding! Red berries ahead. Edible beast food. Can be used to feed the ducks.]

She stopped and crouched. Ahead of her was a cluster of red berries. The first thing in this land of white that had color! It brought a smile to her face, but at the same time made her wary. Bright colored fruit in a land where everything else was white was suspicious. Like that warm cave.

"Can humans eat them?" She asked this while plucking one, holding it up. She didn’t want to be like Scotty, east first and ask questions after becoming a ghost!

[Edible. Restores minor stamina. Also, congratulations on not poisoning yourself. These berries can only be eaten by humans after soaking in water for a full day.]

Zyra released air from her mouth that she had been holding in. She was glad that she had not pulled a Scotty and eaten randomly, or else, the system would be charging her 100 high grade stones for an antidote.

She gathered as many red berries as she could and moved on. Further along, she discovered a patch of white leaves with green veins sprouting from the snow.

[Ding! Steak herb discovered. A healing herb. Can reduce inflammation when applied to a wounded beast.]

She opened her mouth, but it cut her off.

[Yes, humans can use it too. I feel like the teachers on your world failed you because your knowledge of plants on your own world is rivaled only by a brick.]