Raviel gritted his teeth as he lowered himself into another squat, sweat dripping down his jaw and onto the floor.

Thump.

The ground shook a little under him because the barbell on his shoulders wasn't normal.

It was loaded with 400 kilograms of plates, and his legs were trembling like overloaded pillars.

Raviel growled under his breath, veins standing out along his neck.

"Four hundred… was a terrible idea…"

Garion leaned against the wall, arms crossed, watching with a relaxed smile.

"Come on, Raviel. With that [Burning Storm Physique], this is basically a warm-up."

Raviel's eye twitched. He pushed up again, legs shaking violently.

"Warm… up…? I feel like my bones are melting!"

Garion hummed. "Good. That means it's working."

Meanwhile, a few meters away, Aveline was doing push-ups, except she wasn't touching the ground.

Her body hovered a few centimeters above the floor, held up only by her trembling arms as the [Divine Weight Straps] grew heavier each second.

Her face was red with effort.

"Garion… this… is not… a normal push-up!"

Garion walked over casually.

"Well, you awakened the [Nature Physique], so your muscle fibers are adjusting. You should thank me."

Aveline shot him a murderous glare as she lowered herself again.

"My arms feel like tree trunks being split!"

Garion brightened. "Oh? Good imagery. That means your mana sense is getting sharper."

Raviel nearly fell forward. "STOP complimenting pain!"

Garion clapped once.

"Alright! Next exercises!"

Both Raviel and Aveline froze mid-movement.

Raviel's squat halted halfway, his legs trembling violently under the weight.

"G-Garion… give me a second… My soul left my body just now."

Aveline was stuck mid-push-up, arms shaking so hard her elbows clicked.

"Next…? How is there a next? We're still dying from the previous ones!"

Garion ignored them completely and pulled out his massive workout list that was so long it needed its own shadow.

Both Raviel and Aveline stared at it in horror.

Garion pointed dramatically, like he was reading divine law.

"Come on, Raviel. You still have bench press, pull-ups, bicep curls, tricep pushdowns, chest fly, incline press, hammer curls, shoulder press, dips..."

Raviel's face drained of color.

"That's… that's an entire war campaign…"

Garion ignored him.

"And Aveline. You still have sit-ups, back extensions, squats, lat pulldowns, rows, farmer walks, leg raises, deadlifts, and the glute machine."

Aveline's jaw dropped.

"The what machine?!"

Garion smiled. "You'll see. It's fun."

"It's NOT going to be fun," Aveline muttered, terrified.

Garion clapped again.

"Alright! Raviel... bench press! Aveline... core circuit! Move!"

Raviel staggered toward the bench like a prisoner walking to execution.

He stared at the barbell.

"…Garion. This is heavier than before."

Garion nodded. "Of course. You got stronger."

"I hate that sentence," Raviel whispered.

He lay down, grabbed the bar, and pushed while his whole body shook.

"UP! Push with your chest, not your neck!" Garion barked.

"I AM trying! My neck is just… helping!"

Aveline, meanwhile, sat on the mat clutching her stomach after her 200th sit-up.

She glared at Garion with teary eyes.

"Why… does everything you teach… make me want to cry?"

Garion kneeled beside her and tapped her forehead lightly.

"Because crying builds character. Now lift your legs! Time for leg raises. Don't arch your back."

Aveline groaned.

"I'm arching because my soul is leaving my body…"

Garion stood up and raised his voice again.

"Alright! Switch! Raviel! Pull-ups! Aveline! Rows!"

Raviel dragged himself to the pull-up bar, grabbed it, and pulled once.

His arms vibrated like unstable mana.

"I can't feel my elbows…"

Garion nodded. "Good sign."

Aveline sat at the rowing machine. She pulled the handle… Nothing moved.

"Garion. This weighs more than my entire clan."

Garion smirked. "Then you'd better pull harder."

Aveline tugged with everything she had.

The machine's weight stack moved one centimeter.

"One centimeter… I moved one centimeter…!" she cried.

Garion gave her a thumbs-up. "Proud of you."

Raviel hung from the pull-up bar like a dead fish.

"Garion… Am I still alive?"

Garion glanced at him casually.

"Barely. But that means the warm-up is done."

Both Raviel and Aveline snapped their heads toward him.

"WARM-UP?!"

Garion clapped for the third time, eyes gleaming like a demon coach.

"We still have rope slams, sled pushes, battle tank rotations, weighted sprints, and cooldown stretches."

Raviel whispered, trembling, "…Cooldown? There's mercy?"

Garion smiled.

"No. The cooldown is where we increase the weight straps."

Aveline screamed internally, and Raviel screamed externally.

"GARION, HAVE MERCY!"

Garion clapped once, cheerfully.

"Nope. Let's go!"

Both of them stared at him with dead eyes, then dragged their exhausted bodies toward the next set of exercises.

The cooldown was not a cooldown.

Garion made them do slow squats with added weight and controlled breathing drills with resistance bands.

Aveline shook as she held a plank, sweat dripping onto the mat.

"My arms… my legs… even my hair hurts…"

Garion stepped on her back lightly.

"Keep your core tight."

"TIGHT?! It's already dying!"

Meanwhile, Raviel hung from the pull-up bar again, arms trembling like wet noodles.

"I don't even need demons… your training alone is enough to kill someone…"

Garion nodded proudly. "That's the spirit."

And finally... after what felt like a year but was only a day, the two collapsed onto the floor of the private training hall.

Aveline lay face-down.

Raviel lay face-up.

Both looked like they experienced all stages of grief in one afternoon.

Garion crouched beside them with a bright smile.

"Good job. You survived Day One."

Raviel coughed. "Day… ONE?"

Aveline weakly turned her head. "What is this path… death training?"

Garion just smirked and reached into his bag.

He pulled out two bottles.

Raviel's face drained. "Don't tell me…"

Garion shook them playfully.

"These are the protein versions. Drink up."

Both flinched like he was holding poison.

Garion continued, tone casual.

"They work better after a really heavy workout. They'll help your muscles recover… and prepare for tomorrow."

Aveline groaned. "There's a tomorrow…"

Garion tilted his head.

"Of course there is. You think strength comes in one day? Drink."

Raviel stared at his bottle like it was a death sentence.

"…If I die, make sure my clan remembers me."

Garion chuckled. "Just drink it."

Both of them raised the bottles and drank the shakes in one go and immediately... regretted everything.

Raviel gagged first, grabbing his throat.

"WHY IS IT SPICY AND SOUR AT THE SAME TIME! WHAT KIND OF DEMON BREW IS THIS?!"

Aveline slammed her bottle down, face twisted in disgust.

"BITTER! SO BITTER! GARION, THIS IS A CRIME!"

Garion laughed loudly as he walked toward the exit, waving over his shoulder.

"Don't worry! It builds character!"

The door closed behind him.

Inside the room, Raviel collapsed on the floor.

Aveline lay beside him, shaking.

"…I hate him," she whispered.

"…Same," Raviel croaked.

But even as their bodies trembled, a faint warmth spread through their muscles.

Garion's muffled voice echoed from the hallway:

"REST WELL! WE START EARLIER TOMORROW!"

Raviel and Aveline stared at the ceiling in despair.

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