Chapter 131: Under water survival training.

They proceeded to the lake in the Beast Pavilion. When they arrived, Zyra’s eyes went wide. It had undergone changes lately. It was not just a single lake, there were numerous pools of all sizes, some incredibly deep and dark, others shallow and clear.

Right in the center was a big lounge area with a clear, crystalline rooftop that let the morning sun pour in. It was complete with artificial sand and swaying palm trees_ it looked exactly like a cozy, indoor tropical beach.

Zyra was busy admiring the beautiful scenery, completely distracted, until Hunter’s cold voice shattered her peace.

"Move to the lake and jump in."

Zyra walked to the edge of the lake, dipped a toe in, and immediately pulled it back with a shiver. "Hunter, it’s absolutely freezing! Can’t we at least activate the array to warm it up a little?"

[Says the person that trained in underpants in the cold last night. Why are you playing the damsel in distress now? Just strip to your underwear and jump in.]

Zyra did not get a chance to respond.

"Get in," Hunter repeated, his tone leaving zero room for argument.

With a long, dramatic sigh, Zyra braced herself and stepped deeper into the lake, dragging feet until the icy water immediately climbed above her legs and reached her waist.

"Keep going." Hunter blew his whistle.

Zyra groaned and continued, until the water hit her chest, stealing the breath right out of her lungs. "Ah! Cold, cold, cold!" she squeaked, treading water frantically.

Hunter waded in then, satisfied with where she was. Unlike her, he didn’t even flinch. The freezing water didn’t seem to affect him at all. He looked at her calmly and said, "Water training is not about leisurely swimming, Zyra. It is about surviving when the water itself wants to kill you or something inside is pulling you down. I have been in such a situation before. It is two times harder than surviving on land because you are at a disadvantage in every way. If you lose focus for one second, you are dead or you lose a part of your body."

Before she could process that terrifying thought, Hunter tossed a heavy, weighted leather pack he had carried over on his back toward her. "Put this on."

Zyra reluctantly caught the soggy straps and buckled the pack onto her back. The moment the heavy weights settled on her shoulders, they dragged her down like an anchor, pulling her down dangerously. She began to thrash, her eyes wide with sudden fear.

She forgot how to swim and started to flap, swallowing water in the process.

Hunter reached out, his strong hand gripping her arm to steady her. He looked directly into her eyes, his voice steady and firm.

"Rule number one," he said. "Do not panic. Panic will always kill you much faster than the drowning or the beast trying to drown you."

He had her practice floating with the heavy pack, removing it underwater while blind to the stinging, cold bitterness. He played the role of a beast, dragging her feet down when she didn’t expect it, making her fight for every opportunity to breathe and survive. He pushed her for what felt like endless, agonizing hours. Every single drill burned her muscles like liquid fire.

By the time she finally completed a grueling lap back to the shallow waters, she was gasping for air, her lungs screaming. Her eyes were red and she was sure she hated Hunter more than ever. The man had made his training so realistic that his nails had clawed her skin!

She crawled to the dry surface, and fell back, hoping this was the end for today.

[Count yourself lucky that Tyrant did not play the role of underwater beast.] Beauty commented.

Hunter stood over her, whistle in hand, glaring at her as if she owed him a fortune. "Again."

Zyra glared up at him through her wet bangs, her eyes shooting literal daggers. "You..." she wheezed, spit out a mouthful of icy water, and wiped her face. "You are absolutely enjoying this."

"I enjoy seeing you survive," Hunter replied, his face completely expressionless.

"You enjoy petty revenge because I laughed at night!" she protested, her voice cracking. "I am a Soul maiden, not a wild river otter!"

"An otter would have finished that lap to dry land three minutes ago," Hunter said, crossing his arms. "Stop wasting breath. Back in." He scoffed at her. She was unique, but she was also like every other Soul maiden. They loved to throw around their special identities to get out of anything that made them uncomfortable.

As the sun climbed higher, the drills only grew more ridiculously advanced. It wasn’t just swimming anymore; it was a survival obstacle course designed by a madman.

First, he made her swim laps while holding a heavy brick above her head to keep it dry.

"If your weapon gets wet, it might misfire," Hunter explained calmly from the poolside, sipping a cup of warm tea that Malia had brought him.

"My arms are going to fall off!" Zyra yelled back, her elbows trembling as she kicked furiously to keep her nose above water.

Next was silent movement. She had to swim without creating a single splash or ripple. Every time her foot kicked too hard and made a splash, Hunter would shake his head, and Tyrant would blow the whistle.

"Too loud," Hunter yelled. "A water-serpent would have eaten you by now!"

Then came the rescue drills. Hunter brought a huge, heavy wooden training dummy_ which he affectionately called Schmidt and threw it into the deepest end of the lake. Zyra had to dive down, grab the heavy unconscious teammate, and drag it back to safety.

"Why is Schmidt so heavy?!" Zyra gasped, coughing up water as she hauled the big block of wood onto the sand.

"Schmidt is a sturdy human who respects his diet," Hunter replied solemnly.

But the worst part was the rope drill. Hunter tied her hands loosely with thick hemp ropes, threw her into the deep end, and told her she had to untangle herself underwater while holding her breath. To make things even more fun, he made sure she did this only after she was already completely exhausted from doing fifty more push-ups and a sprint around the pavilion.

Underwater, the world was a silent, freezing blue. Zyra’s lungs burned. The rope was knotted tightly, and the heavy weighted pack on her back was dragging her down. Her mind began to fog. A spike of pure, icy panic shot through her chest. I can’t breathe. I’m going to drown. I’m actually going to die in a training pool!

"Beauty, send me into the beast domain."

[No. Get on with it!] The system replied.

She began to thrash violently, bubbles escaping her mouth as she fought the ropes instead of the knots.

Through the clear water, she saw a shadow approaching. It was Hunter.

He didn’t rush to grab her. He didn’t pull her to the surface. Instead, he swam down to her eye level, his expression calm and steady. He tapped his own chest, then pointed at her.

He slowly made a hand signal, Breathe. Calm down. Think.