She Used Me for a Dare… Now I Own Her Mother

The underground training hall was thick with the heavy scent of sweat and raw exertion.

Alex stood at the edge of the training arena, arms crossed over his broad chest, a small, satisfied smile playing on his lips as he stared at the two figures sprawled face-down on the cold floor.

Danny and Mike.

Both young men lay completely spent, their bodies drenched in sweat, chests heaving desperately for air. Minor bruises and red marks covered their skin, clear evidence of the brutal session they had just endured.

Their fingers twitched slightly against the floor, but neither had the strength left to push themselves up.

Behind Alex, Viktor stood with his arms folded, a calm and approving look on his face.

A few steps behind him, Damien, Dimitri, Andre, and Pavel watched silently, their expressions carrying a mix of respect and faint amusement. They knew exactly how punishing today’s training had been... especially for two newcomers.

Alex’s smile deepened slightly as he observed the pair.

’Not bad for their first day,’ he thought. ’They actually lasted longer than I expected.’

A low groan broke the silence. Danny stirred first, his fingers curling weakly against the floor as he tried... and failed... to lift his upper body. Mike followed a moment later, letting out a ragged breath as his shoulders trembled with exhaustion.

They had finally begun to regain some awareness of their surroundings.

Alex uncrossed his arms and walked forward, his footsteps echoing softly in the underground hall. He stopped just in front of the two exhausted young men and crouched down slightly, looking at them with a calm but approving expression.

”Look at you two,” Alex said, his voice warm yet carrying a hint of amusement. ”You really pushed yourselves hard on your first day. That’s impressive... but don’t break yourselves completely.”

Danny slowly lifted his head, sweat dripping down his face. Despite the exhaustion, a tired but genuine smile appeared on his lips. Mike managed to turn onto his side, breathing heavily, but he too looked up at Alex with the same exhausted, determined grin.

Before either of them could reply, Pavel stepped forward from behind Alex with a playful smirk.

”Hah! These two said they wanted to become as strong as the boss,” Pavel teased, folding his arms. ”So we gave them a proper welcome. They lasted longer than we expected, actually. Still... they got absolutely wrecked.”

The others chuckled lightly. Danny and Mike let out weak laughs, not denying it.

Alex smiled softly as he observed them. He could clearly feel their resolve... the burning will to grow stronger, to stop being left behind. It was written all over their tired faces.

He stepped closer and placed a reassuring hand on Danny’s shoulder, then glanced at Mike.

”You don’t have to carry any burden or rush like this,” Alex said gently, his voice warm and sincere. ”This is only your first day. Get used to the intensity first. Take it one step at a time. Train properly, rest when your body needs it. You’ll become excellent fighters soon enough. I believe in you.”

For a moment, both Danny and Mike stayed silent, letting his words sink in as they caught their breath. Then Danny slowly lifted his head, his eyes shining with raw determination despite the exhaustion weighing him down.

”We know that, Alex...” Danny said, his voice hoarse but steady. ”But we’ve been feeling it for a while now. You’re the one doing everything. You’re carrying all the burden alone... handling threats, making plans, protecting everyone... while we stand on the side, still too weak to help properly.”

He paused, breathing heavily, then continued with raw honesty:

”We want to help you, Alex. As much as we can. We don’t want to be dead weight anymore. We want to stand beside you... not behind you.”

Mike nodded weakly beside him, adding quietly, ”Yeah... Let us carry some of that weight too.”

Alex looked at both of them for a moment, then let out a soft chuckle. He shook his head gently, not in dismissal, but with clear fondness.

”Who said you two are useless?” Alex countered calmly, his voice steady and reassuring. ”And why do you think the only way you can help me is by becoming strong fighters overnight?”

He turned slightly toward Viktor, who was standing quietly behind him.

”Viktor,” Alex asked, ”how long have you been with me now?”

Viktor answered without hesitation, his tone respectful. ”It’s been almost a year, sir.”

Alex nodded and continued, ”And in that entire time... how many real fights have we gotten into?”

Viktor’s lips curved into a faint smile. ”Just one, sir.”

”Exactly,” Alex said, turning back to Danny and Mike. ”See? You don’t have to rush as if we’re constantly in danger. There’s no immediate crisis forcing us into life-or-death battles every day. You can take everything at a steady pace.”

He paused, letting his words sink in before continuing with a more practical tone.

”Aren’t we starting our own company soon? Right now, I need you two the most on that front... handling operations, managing things on the ground, and building something solid with me. Strength is important, but it’s not the only way you can support me. Right now, being reliable in the normal world matters just as much.”

Danny and Mike exchanged glances, then slowly nodded. The tension in their shoulders eased visibly as Alex’s logic settled over them.

With visible effort, Danny and Mike slowly pushed themselves up from the floor. Their legs trembled slightly, but they managed to stand, breathing heavily as they steadied themselves.

Andre stepped forward quietly and handed each of them a bottle of chilled recovery drink.

”Here,” Andre said calmly. ”Drink this. It will help you recover faster and reduce the muscle fatigue.”

Danny and Mike didn’t hesitate. They took the bottles and drank the cool liquid in one long gulp. Almost immediately, a soothing sensation spread through their bodies, easing some of the burning ache in their muscles.

Alex took a long, careful look at Pavel, then shifted his gaze across the rest of Viktor’s team — Damien, Dimitri, and Andre. A mix of surprise and admiration appeared on his face.

”You look... different, Pavel,” Alex said, his voice carrying clear surprise. ”You all do. More confident. More alive... even happier.”

Pavel couldn’t hold back his grin any longer. He stepped forward, chest puffed out with clear excitement.

”That’s because I finally broke through!” Pavel announced proudly. ”I reached the Peak of Enhanced Realm yesterday!”

Andre crossed his arms with a satisfied smirk and added, ”Same here. I hit Peak Enhanced three days ago.”

Dimitri let out a deep, rumbling chuckle. ”Four days ago for me.”

Damien adjusted his stance, a calm but proud smile on his face. ”Five days ago.”

The four of them stood taller than before, their presence noticeably stronger, their eyes brighter with newfound power and confidence.

Alex looked at each of them with clear surprise and genuine happiness shining in his eyes. A wide, proud smile spread across his face as he turned toward Viktor, who gave him a subtle, satisfied nod.

”Congratulations,” Alex said warmly, his voice filled with sincere joy. ”All of you. This is fantastic progress.”

He then looked specifically at Damien and Andre.

”You two broke through almost a week ago, right? Why didn’t you tell me?”

Damien scratched the back of his neck with a small, respectful smile.

”We were waiting for Pavel to catch up,” he explained. ”We wanted to inform you all together, as a team.”

Pavel stepped forward, unable to contain his excitement any longer. His eyes were practically glowing with enthusiasm as he grinned from ear to ear.

”I still can’t believe I finally reached Peak Enhanced Realm!” Pavel said happily. ”But honestly... I can’t wait to break through into the Apex Realm. I’ve heard it’s something entirely different from the Enhanced Realm... like stepping into a whole new world of power.”

Alex turned toward Viktor, his eyes shining with curiosity and expectation.

”What about you, Viktor?” he asked. ”How far have you come?”

Viktor let out a deep, hearty laugh, the sound echoing warmly through the underground hall. He rubbed the back of his neck, a rare, genuine smile breaking across his usually serious face.

”Yes... I’ve also broken through,” Viktor replied. ”I reached the Peak of Apex Realm three days ago.”

The revelation hung in the air for a moment. Alex’s eyes widened slightly in pleasant surprise.

Viktor continued, his tone humble yet confident, ”But I don’t think I’m ready to break through into the next realm just yet. I still need a bit more time to stabilize my foundation and perfect my control.”

Alex nodded slowly, a warm and proud smile spreading across his face as he looked at his most trusted subordinate.

Alex looked at the entire group with a bright, satisfied smile.

”Thank you,” he said warmly. ”All of you. You have no idea how happy this makes me. I knew you guys would push hard and achieve this... and that’s exactly why I brought you all a special gift today.”

The team’s eyes lit up with curiosity and excitement. Even Viktor raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

Alex gestured toward the exit of the training arena.

”Everyone, gather in the meeting room. I’ll explain everything there.”