Free Web NovelChapter 43: Chapter 43 I did it!
The final sit-up nearly broke her.
As soon as she dropped back onto the mat, Ivy didn’t even try to hold herself up this time.
She collapsed completely, gasping for air.
Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she struggled to breathe, her entire body limp with exhaustion.
For a few seconds, the world felt distant.
Then slowly....she sat up again.
Her movements were sluggish now, almost mechanical.
Reaching beside her, she grabbed the ten-kilogram keg of water. Her hands trembled slightly from fatigue as she turned it open.
Without hesitation, she lifted it.
Then poured it over her head.
Cold water cascaded down her body, soaking her completely. It ran down her face, her neck, her clothes....washing away sweat and heat.
Ivy let out a soft gasp.
At the same time, she tilted the keg slightly and drank directly from it, swallowing greedily despite how exhausted she was.
The water felt like life itself.
Then....
Ding!
{Congratulations, Host, for completing the fifty push-ups, fifty squats, and fifty sit-ups.}
{You may now take a thirty-minute rest before continuing.}
A wave of dizziness crept in, slow but steady, clouding her vision.
Her teeth clenched.
Is it because I just gave birth? she thought, her breath growing uneven. I’m still bleeding... my body hasn’t recovered yet...
{20... 21... 22...}
Her elbows buckled slightly.
"Damn it..." Ivy hissed, her body lowering abruptly before she collapsed onto the mat, her chest heaving as she struggled to catch her breath. Sweat soaked through her clothes, clinging uncomfortably to her skin.
"I don’t think..." she panted, her voice strained, "...I can make it to fifty..."
{Would you tell a monster you cannot defeat it simply because you are weak? Would you beg it to spare you and your children?}
"No!" Ivy shouted, her voice cracking as she forced herself upright again, her legs shaky but unyielding.
"I’m not saying I’ll quit," she continued, her tone fierce despite her exhaustion. "I just need a moment to rest before continuing! You said I have enhanced strength and I do but I’m still tired! I just gave birth!"
Her fists clenched tightly at her sides.
"Other women who just gave birth wouldn’t even be able to stand right now let alone do this!"
{Will you ask the monster attacking you to wait while you rest?}
{Will it show mercy or will it devour you and your children without hesitation?}
Those words struck deeper than anything else.
In an instant, the memories came rushing back....vivid, brutal, unforgiving.
The screams, blood, her children and their death.
A strangled breath escaped her lips.
"...Fine," Ivy whispered at first, her voice trembling.
Then, louder....
"Fine! I’ll continue!"
Her eyes burned not with tears, but with something far more dangerous. Resolve.
Ding!
{You will start over.}
Ivy closed her eyes briefly, letting the words sink in.
A tired, satisfied smile slowly formed on her lips.
"...I did it..."
"Mommy! Hope is crying!” Aria’s voice rang out from the hallway, urgent and slightly breathless.
Ivy immediately turned toward the sound, her chest still rising and falling heavily from the intense exercise. The faint, distressed cries of baby Hope followed closely behind, tugging at her already exhausted nerves.
At the doorway stood Aria, carefully holding little Hope in her arms, trying her best to soothe the baby despite her small size.
“What’s wrong, Mommy?” Aria asked, her brows knitting together in concern as she looked Ivy up and down. “Why are you all wet?”
“Oh... Mommy was just doing some exercises,” she replied softly, her voice warm despite the fatigue weighing on her.
She stepped forward and lightly brushed a strand of hair away from Aria’s face. “Come on, let’s go inside.”
Aria nodded, still holding Hope carefully, and Ivy guided her back into the house.
***""
Once inside, Ivy wasted no time. She quickly changed into a fresh set of clothes. After washing her hands thoroughly, she moved straight to the kitchen to prepare Hope’s formula.
Her arms ached. Her legs still trembled faintly from the squats. Breastfeeding right now felt impossible....she simply didn’t have the strength left in her body.
Still, a small smile formed on her lips as she glanced toward the living room.
She was grateful....truly grateful that her daughters were growing up to be so caring and dependable. Even at their young ages, they were already helping her in ways that made everything just a little easier.
“Here we go,” Ivy said a few minutes later as she returned, holding the feeding bottle. “Her food is ready.”
She gently took Hope from Aria’s arms, adjusting the baby carefully before sitting down. Then, instead of keeping the baby herself, she placed little Hope onto Aria’s lap, guiding her hands properly.
“Hold her like this... yes, that’s it,” Ivy instructed patiently.
Aria beamed, her earlier worry melting into excitement as Ivy placed the bottle into Hope’s mouth. The baby latched on almost immediately, her soft cries fading into quiet contentment.
Aria held the bottle carefully, her small hands steady with determination as she fed her little sister.
“I want to feed her next too, Mommy!” Lila’s voice chimed in from nearby, her lips forming a small pout as she crossed her arms.
Ivy chuckled softly and reached out, gently patting Lila’s head.
“Of course, sweetheart,” she said warmly. “You’ll be the one to feed her next when she gets hungry again.”
Lila’s face brightened instantly, her earlier pout disappearing as quickly as it came.
Satisfied, Ivy finally allowed herself to sit down. The couch felt like heaven beneath her tired body, and for a moment, she simply leaned back, letting the exhaustion settle into her bones.
It had been a while since she last checked her phone.
Curious and slightly uneasy....she picked it up and unlocked the screen. Without hesitation, she navigated straight to the post where she had left a comment earlier.
Her eyes scanned quickly... frёewebnoѵēl.com
...and then paused.
The girl had replied.
