Heretic Trainer: The Gym Is My Cultivation Method

Everyone stared at the twins, having just witnessed a miracle.

Dahlia was the first to speak, her eyes wide. "Already?!"

Arden's jaw dropped open. "They skipped the rest of the early stages?"

Garion nodded calmly, as if it was nothing special. "They earned it. The serums worked perfectly, didn't they?"

Rynor groaned, still rubbing his throat. "Worked? Master, it felt like dying, reviving, then dying again!"

Rynar winced beside him. "Yeah, the next time you say 'reward', please clarify the pain level!"

Garion chuckled, hands clasped behind his back. "Pain is just another form of progress. You two should be proud."

The disciples whispered among themselves, still reeling from the shock.

Some even took a step back, watching the faint glow of mana still radiating from the twins' bodies.

Clara muttered quietly, her eyes still on the twins.

"I can't believe they actually reached the Completion Stage already… they've left the rest of us behind."

Eliza let out a long sigh, shaking her head.

"Yeah… but after seeing what they went through, I'm not sure I envy them. That looked more like torture than progress."

The other disciples couldn't help but nod in agreement with her.

Garion only smiled, hearing them as he pulled out four more vials, glowing with different colours.

He then tossed one to Arden, one to Clara, and one to Eliza.

The three of them barely caught the vials before stumbling back.

"What... Master, what is this?" Arden asked, staring at the vial nervously.

Garion grinned. "Your reward, of course. The twins aren't the only ones who get special treatment."

Clara sniffed hers cautiously and immediataely frowned.

"Ugh… it smells like burnt metal and rotten fruit. Are you sure this is safe?"

Eliza held hers up with a flat look. "You call this a reward? It smells like regret in liquid form."

Garion chuckled, completely unfazed.

"Regret is just progress with flavour. And that flavour will carry you straight to the Completion Stage."

Arden blinked, frowning. "That's… not comforting at all."

Garion shrugged, his grin widening. "It's not supposed to be. Growth never tastes sweet."

On the side, the twins laughed as they leaned against the wall.

Rynar smirked. "Ha… finally. Not just us this time."

Rynor grinned painfully. "Yeah… let them suffer too."

Clara glared at them. "I hope your new muscles cramp for a week."

Eliza crossed her arms. "And if I die after this, I'm haunting both of you."

Garion laughed, clearly entertained. "Good! Anger and fear are two perfect motivators for progress. Now drink up."

Garion also didn't forget the fourth one. He tossed the last one toward Dahlia

She caught it smoothly but frowned the moment she saw its deeper colour. "This one... looks different."

Garion's grin widened. "Of course it is. Yours is a special version for the second realm cultivator."

Dahlia's eyes widened slightly. "So if I drink this, I'll reach Completion Stage directly?"

Garion chuckled. "Of course not. That would be too easy."

He tilted his head slightly.

"You'll reach the Propagation Stage instead. A quarter of your body will transform into Mana Core Cells instantly. A good step forward, right?"

Dahlia frowned, but there was a glint of excitement in her eyes. "So… faster results, more pain, right?"

Garion smirked. "Exactly."

She sighed. "Figures."

Arden, Clara, and Eliza still hesitated. The glowing vials looked like bottled nightmares.

Arden swallowed hard. "Master, are you… Really sure this is safe?"

Garion shrugged. "Safe enough. Even the twins survive, don't they?"

"That's not comforting!" Clara said sharply.

Eliza groaned. "If this ends up like those shakes again, I swear I'm quitting this sect."

Garion just laughed, hearing their complaints. "Just drink them now. There will be no problem."

The three exchanged uneasy glances but eventually nodded. Dahlia crossed her arms and smirked.

"Stop whining. Drink it. You all wanted to get stronger, right?"

Garion grinned. "Alright. Stop talking. On my count. Three… two… one."

All four of them opened the vials and drank.

The reaction was instant.

Arden's face twisted, his eyes watering. "Ugh! It's so sour! Why is it salty too?!"

Clara gagged, clutching her throat. "It burns! My tongue's on fire!"

Eliza dropped her empty vial, gasping for air. "It's sour! Why is it sour and salty?!"

Garion smiled proudly. "Perfect. That means it's working."

Dahlia gritted her teeth, refusing to show weakness as she drank it all in one shot.

But the moment it hit her throat, her face twitched violently. "Hot! Spicy! What the hell!"

Her entire body trembled, heat radiating off her skin. Sweat poured down her face, and her legs buckled.

She fell to one knee, trying to stay steady, but her vision blurred.

The other three were already on the floor, groaning.

But Dahlia's case was even worse.

Her body glowed brighter, mana pulsing wildly through her veins.

Garion watched silently, eyes narrowed in focus.

Her breathing quickened. "Master! My body... It's burning!"

Garion nodded calmly. "That's your cells transforming. Don't fight it. Just endure."

She grit her teeth, trembling. "Endure? I feel like I'm melting!"

Arden was rolling on the floor nearby. "Why does my tongue feel like it's trying to crawl out of my mouth!?"

Clara groaned. "I can't move… my arms…"

Eliza was panting. "I hate you, Master… so much…"

Garion crossed his arms and smiled faintly. "Good. Hate is energy. Use it to grow stronger."

Then, slowly, Dahlia stopped moving.

Her body was still glowing faintly, and she was breathing heavily, but she was awake. She couldn't move or speak, her entire body paralysed.

Dahlia's fingers twitched slightly, and she muttered weakly. "Can't… move… at all…"

Garion stepped closer, kneeling beside her.

"That's normal. The serum is forcing your mana core cells to replicate faster than your body can handle. The paralysis will fade soon."

She tried to glare at him, but her face refused to move.

Garion chuckled. "Don't worry, Dahlia. You'll thank me when you can punch mountains later."

Behind him, the other three were still groaning.

Arden whimpered. "Master… next time… can we get normal rewards?"

Garion smirked, standing up. "I'll think about it later, but don't think too much about it. I think the current one is good."

The disciples groaned again, but deep down, a strange excitement burned in their hearts.

Even through the pain, they could feel that their bodies were changing, evolving, becoming something greater.