Heretic Trainer: The Gym Is My Cultivation Method

Arden, Clara, and Eliza lay sprawled on the training hall floor, their bodies still faintly glowing.

Steam rose from their skin as their breathing slowly returned to normal.

After a few minutes, the three of them sat up, blinking in confusion, testing their arms and legs.

Arden stretched first, his eyes wide. "Wait… I feel… strong. Like, really strong."

Clara clenched her fists, veins pulsing with energy. "Same here. It's like my whole body's alive."

Eliza brushed her hair back, sweat dripping down her cheek.

"Alive? More like overheating. I still feel like my tongue's on fire."

Garion stood nearby with his arms crossed, watching them closely and smiling widely.

"Good. You've all reached the Completion Stage of the Mana Cells Refinement Realm."

The three of them froze.

"Completion Stage? Already?" Arden's jaw dropped.

Garion nodded proudly. "You did well. It's fast, efficient, and..."

"Painful," Clara cut in. "Very painful."

Garion chuckled. "Yes, that too."

Eliza groaned, rubbing her stomach. "Master, whatever that serum was, I'm never drinking it again."

Arden nodded quickly. "Yeah, me neither. Even if it gives me wings next time."

Garion raised an eyebrow. "Oh, you'll drink it again when the time comes."

All three of them tensed at once.

"What?!"

"No!"

"Never again!"

Garion only smirked. "Relax. You'll change your minds once you reach the next realm."

The three of them exchanged nervous glances but said nothing.

They could still recall the taste, a mix of sour, spicy, and bitter that felt like swallowing molten metal, accompanied by regret.

Even now, their faces twitched at the memory.

Garion looked around the hall, his eyes scanning over all five of them.

"Now that the five of you have all reached Completion Stage. One more step, and you'll enter the Mana Core Cells Realm."

The disciples looked both proud and nervous.

"However…" Garion continued, reaching into his storage again. Five glowing vials appeared in his hand.

"I still have five serums left."

The disciples' smiles instantly vanished.

"No way…" Rynor muttered.

Rynar groaned. "Not again…"

Garion grinned. "Yes again. But this time, I'll let you decide."

He pointed his finger at each of them. "Each of you will choose one disciple who will receive this reward."

The five of them looked at each other slowly, their eyes narrowing in unison.

"Choose?" Arden asked. "Like, we pick someone else to suffer?"

Garion nodded. "Exactly."

Arden blinked. "Master, that's kind of evil."

Garion smirked. "No. That's fair."

The disciples turned their heads toward the rest of the group, the ones who had been standing at the back, watching everything in silent horror.

One by one, mischievous smiles spread across their faces.

Rynar cracked his knuckles. "I already know who I'm picking."

Rynor grinned. "Same here."

Eliza's eyes glimmered with amusement. "Oh, this is going to be fun."

Clara leaned forward. "I'm going to enjoy this."

Arden looked conflicted but eventually sighed. "Well… someone's gotta drink it."

The outer disciples paled instantly.

"W-wait! Senior! Let's talk about this!"

"Master, please, mercy!"

"Can't we just… train the normal way?!"

Garion watched in amusement as chaos broke out.

Rynar pointed at a trembling disciple. "You! You're always skipping push-ups. You need this more than anyone."

The poor disciple dropped to his knees. "No! Please! I'll do double tomorrow!"

Rynor laughed. "Then you'll have enough stamina to survive it."

Clara walked around, her eyes scanning the crowd like a predator. "Hmm… who should I bless with strength?"

Eliza grinned. "Bless? You mean curse."

"It's the same," Clara said.

Arden sighed again, looking guilty. "Maybe we should just pick randomly…"

Rynar leaned over to him. "Or we pick the ones who laughed when we were screaming earlier."

Arden blinked. "Oh, that's actually fair."

"Arden!" one disciple yelled. "We cheered for you!"

Arden smiled awkwardly. "Yeah, but I remember one of you saying I sounded like a dying frog."

Garion chuckled softly, clearly enjoying the show. "So many volunteers. I'm touched."

Eventually, five unlucky outer disciples were chosen, each trembling as they stood nervously.

Garion handed each of them a vial. "Congratulations. You've all been rewarded for your seniors' success."

One of them stammered. "M-master… can I… refuse?"

Garion smiled faintly. "You could. But then, I'd force it directly on your mouth myself."

The disciple froze. "I'll drink it."

The others nodded quickly, tears forming in their eyes.

Dahlia finally stood, rolling her shoulders as the light around her faded completely.

Her body radiated strength, and even the air around her seemed heavier.

She rolled her shoulders, flexing her fingers, and smirked.

"So this is the power after having a quarter of my body transformed into Mana Core Cells… It feels incredible."

The floor under her feet cracked slightly as her mana pulsed out in a wave.

Even her hair shifted faintly with energy, as if the air itself bent around her.

Garion crossed his arms, nodding with clear approval. "Good. You've stabilized faster than I expected."

He then turned toward the five trembling disciples who had just finished drinking their serums.

Most of them were still lying on the floor, twitching faintly.

Garion turned back to Dahlia, calling her. "Dahlia."

She blinked, then straightened her posture. "Yes, Master?"

Garion gestured toward Arden, the twins, the girls, and the five disciples.

"You're stable now, so I want you to take charge. Teach them how to reach the Second Realm."

The disciples' eyes widened in shock. "W-wait, Senior Sister Dahlia is going to train us!?"

Dahlia crossed her arms, smirking. "That's right. Any objections?"

Rynor whispered to Rynar. "We're doomed."

Rynar nodded slowly. "Yep. She's worse than Master when it comes to training."

Dahlia cracked her neck loudly, overhearing them. "You two said something?"

They both stood up straight instantly. "No, Senior Sister!"

Garion chuckled. "Push them. Hard. I don't want them just reaching the Second Realm. I want them to earn it."

She smirked, her aura flaring slightly. "Understood. I'll make sure they beg for mercy by the end of it."

Garion turned to leave the training hall, glancing back once.

"Good. I'll prepare something new while you handle them. Show me how far my first disciple has come."

Dahlia nodded firmly, her grin widening. "You'll see, Master."

As Garion walked out, the room grew tense. All of them swallowed nervously while Dahlia cracked her knuckles.

"Welcome to your second realm training."