Heretic Trainer: The Gym Is My Cultivation Method

A few minutes passed.

Clara was the first to move. "Ugh..."

She groaned and pushed herself up from the ground, one hand pressing against her head as she sat up slowly. "...Why does it always hit like that..."

Beside her, Seira’s eyes slowly opened. Her breathing was already controlled, but her brows were still furrowed. "...It’s really unpleasant."

She sat up straight, brushing her hair back neatly, while Clara immediately turned her head and glared toward Mersha. "You..."

Mersha looked back at her and simply smiled, casually holding another bottle in her hand. "Come on. It’s the elder’s order, not something I decided."

Clara clicked her tongue. "Yeah... but it looked like you were enjoying it a lot for someone just following orders."

Seira nodded in agreement. "Exactly. Just admit that you enjoyed it."

Mersha chuckled softly, clearly not denying it, then turned away and walked off to prepare more elixirs for the other disciples.

Meanwhile, Clara and Seira were still frowning slightly, but neither of them denied it.

The effect of Mersha’s elixir was obvious. The moment they woke up, their bodies felt stronger.

Without wasting time, both of them stood up and returned to the bench.

Clara gripped the bar first, taking a steady breath. Seira followed right after.

This time, they managed to complete a full set at four tons. Although it was only for one set, it was already far better than before.

That alone was enough to showcase the strength of [Divine Training Elixir].

The only flaw was the taste, and due to its potency and flavor, the elixir was rarely given to those on the outer islands.

Most outer disciples could only take it once a month. Not because it was rare but because of the taste.

Some outer disciples had even fainted for an entire week after drinking it.

Rachel stepped forward, looking at Clara and Seira with a small nod. "Good. You both got stronger."

Clara crossed her arms and snorted. "Yeah... and the price is a numb tongue."

Seira nodded as well, lightly touching her lips. "...I still can’t taste anything."

Rachel ignored their complaints and turned her attention to the others. "Eliza... and the twins..."

But the moment her gaze landed on Eliza... she disappeared. She was gone in an instant.

Rachel clicked her tongue. "Damn it... where the hell did she go?"

She turned to Mersha. "Can you find her?"

Mersha shook her head. "No. Her unique physique specializes in hiding her presence. It’s hard to track her once she vanishes."

Rachel let out a quiet breath, then shifted her gaze toward the twins. "Rynar. Rynor."

Her eyes narrowed slightly. "I can see that neither of you can handle four tons yet."

The two of them stiffened immediately.

Rynar scratched his head, forcing a grin. "Mom... can we take it easy today?"

Rynor crossed his arms, nodding. "...We already trained hard."

Rachel smiled softly. "Of course not."

Her tone remained gentle but firm. "Because you are my sons... you need to do even better."

The twins froze.

Rachel turned her head toward Mersha. "Do it."

Mersha grinned instantly, pulling out two elixirs. "Come here, brothers..."

The twins’ expressions changed at the same time. "...Damn it."

They looked at each other for a split second and then... both of them shouted. "Run!"

---

The day finally came to an end. The training hall, which had been filled with noise all day, was now quiet.

Clara lay flat on her back, one arm stretched out, staring up at the ceiling as if it might offer her salvation. "This is abuse... Do you hear me? This is abuse."

Beside her, Valtor was still breathing heavily, one hand pressed against his chest as he let out a strained laugh. "Hah... What kind of abuse is it when we end up stronger?"

Rynar groaned from where he lay face down on the ground. "I think my arms are gone. I can’t move them at all."

Rynor lay next to him, eyes half-open, his voice sluggish. "They’re still attached to you, brother... barely. Meanwhile, I can’t feel my legs at all."

Seira, unlike the others, remained seated instead of collapsing onto the floor.

But the stiffness in her posture made it obvious. She was only holding herself together by sheer will.

A single touch would likely send her crumbling. Even now, she refused to let her composure slip.

I’ll die before I let anyone see me in a disgraceful state.

Clara turned her head slightly, squinting at her. "Hey, Seira... why are you still keeping up that elegance of yours? We’re in a damn gym. Elegance doesn’t matter here."

Seira slowly turned toward her, the movement clearly painful. "For you, perhaps. But for me... it does."

With deliberate care, she adjusted her posture, forcing her body to maintain its refined poise.

"My unique physique depends on my elegance. Of course I must preserve it."

Clara clicked her tongue and shook her head. "What a troublesome ability..."

Not far from them, Rachel approached with an easy, satisfied smile. "Good job, all of you, surviving today’s hellish training."

Clara lifted her head just enough to glare at her. "Who the hell are you? Where is our kind mother, Elder Rachel?"

Rynar groaned in agreement. "...We want the nice version of our mother back."

Rynor gave a weak nod. "Yeah... This one is broken."

Rachel looked at them, her smile never wavering. "Haha... you’re all quite good at joking."

She clasped her hands behind her back. "I am still your kind mother. But precisely because of that..."

Her gaze swept over them. "I put you through this hell so you can survive the war to come. That is the kind of mother I choose to be."

Clara wanted to argue, to throw something back at her, but she didn’t have the strength left.

Rachel simply smiled and turned away. "Now rest. We continue tomorrow... and it will be even more intense."

Clara stared at her retreating back for a long moment before letting her head fall back to the ground.

She exhaled sharply. "I really fucking hate this."