The three juniors finally stumbled out of the machine area after finishing their "simple" circuit training.

Valtor collapsed on the floor first. "I… CAN'T… FEEL… MY LEGS…"

His arms twitched like he'd just been electrocuted.

Seira sat down slowly, her breathing sharp but controlled.

"My whole body is… overheating. The creatine's side effect is… stronger than expected."

Mersha lay flat on her back, arms spread out.

"My bones… feel like jelly… I think my mana is melting…"

Their faces were flushed red, their veins glowing faintly.

They were clearly suffering from dehydration and mana strain.

Arden crouched beside them, clapping his hands.

"Good work. You handled more than I expected, even with the side effects."

Dahlia leaned over them, hands on her hips."Alright, juniors. Get up."

None of them moved.

Dahlia narrowed her eyes. "Get up."

All three groaned in unison and rolled to their sides.

Valtor mumbled, "Five minutes… please…"

Seira closed her eyes. "One moment… I need to cool down…"

Mersha whispered, "I can't feel my arm…"

Arden tapped his clipboard. "If you don't stand up now, you won't get any food."

Valtor shot up immediately. "WHAT?!"

Seira blinked and forced herself to stand. "No food…? That's unacceptable."

Mersha wobbled to her feet with trembling legs. "I… need food… or I'll faint…"

Valtor frowned, wiping sweat from his forehead.

"But why? Usually we always get food after training."

Dahlia smirked.

"That's because before, the other disciples were busy learning anatomy. Their brains were fried, so the seniors weren't paying attention to food time."

Arden nodded.

"But now everyone's smarter. They finished their body lessons. Their time is free again."

Dahlia pointed at the hallway like she was pointing at a battlefield.

"So now the seniors are back to training full force. Which means..."

She leaned closer, grinning."They're all starving."

Valtor froze. "Starving… seniors?"

Seira frowned. "…Meaning?"

Mersha held her backpack tighter. "Meaning… what?"

Dahlia snapped her fingers. "Meaning the restaurant is a WARZONE."

Arden added calmly, "If you're slow, you won't get anything to eat. First come, first served."

Dahlia practically pushed the three juniors down the hallway.

"Go, go, go! If you're slow, you'll starve!"

Valtor stumbled forward. "I KNOW, STOP PUSHING!"

Seira kept her balance but glared at Dahlia. "Please stop shoving me."

Mersha just held onto her backpack like a shield. "I-I'm scared…"

Dahlia only smiled wider."You should be."

She swung open the restaurant doors...

And all three juniors froze.

The restaurant wasn't a restaurant anymore.

It was a full-blown battlefield.

Inner disciples and senior disciples were sprinting everywhere.

Everyone had glowing veins, probably from their own training and creatine shakes.

"HEY! THAT'S MY MEAT!"

"MOVE OR STARVE!"

"GET AWAY FROM THE SOUP POT!"

"I HAVEN'T EATEN IN SIX HOURS!!!"

Valtor's jaw dropped. "WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!"

Seira blinked rapidly. "This is… unbelievable…"

Mersha squeaked. "It's like… like hungry demons…"

Then they spotted the twins.

Rynar and Rynor were leaping between tables like wild monkeys, arms loaded with plates stacked with meat.

"OUT OF THE WAY!" Rynar shouted, jumping over a table.

"MEAT FIRST, QUESTIONS NEVER!" Rynor yelled back.

Valtor instinctively stepped behind Seira. "Why are they so fast?!?"

Seira pushed him back. "Don't hide behind me."

Mersha whispered, "They look so scary…"

Dahlia smirked, crossing her arms.

"Well? Are you going in or not?"

The three turned to her with horrified expressions.

Dahlia pointed toward the chaos like a commander pointing at a battlefield.

"If you want food, MOVE NOW."

Arden walked up behind them calmly and handed each a tray.

"Go. Quick. Before the meat is gone."

Valtor grabbed his tray like a weapon. "FINE! I'M NOT LOSING TO ANYONE!"

He charged into the chaos and immediately slipped, got bumped, then fought his way up again.

Seira stepped in more gracefully, dodging people with swift, elegant movements.

"I will get my share. No matter what."

Mersha tiptoed in carefully… only to be swept forward by a wave of hungry disciples.

"WAAAH!!!"

Dahlia clapped. "Good! They're adapting!"

Arden nodded. "Yes. Food survival training is essential."

Inside the restaurant...

Valtor shouted, "HEY, THAT'S MY CHICKEN! GIVE IT BACK!"

Seira calmly stole her plate back from someone. "This is mine."

Mersha hid behind a table. "S-so many people… so little rice…"

The war raged on.

Dahlia smiled proudly at the chaos she created.

"My juniors will survive."

Arden also smiled weakly.

"…Hopefully."

---

The three juniors finally limped out of the restaurant, trays empty, stomachs full, and dignity only partially intact.

Valtor wiped sweat from his forehead. "I almost died grabbing that last piece of meat."

Seira adjusted her hair calmly. "It wasn't that bad. You were just slow."

Mersha held her small bowl close, smiling softly. "I got enough… thank goodness no one tried to steal mine."

Valtor pointed at her. "That's because you look too harmless to fight."

Mersha tilted her head. "Is that… good?"

Seira nodded. "Yes. Very."

They reached a quiet spot in the training hall where Dahlia and Arden waited.

Dahlia grinned like she was about to cause more trouble.

"Good job surviving dinner! Looks like you all ate well."

Valtor groaned. "Barely…"

Seira nodded. "But we managed."

Mersha lifted her empty bowl proudly. "I finished."

Arden stepped forward, holding three dark bottles. "Alright, next step."

Dahlia handed the bottles out.

Valtor took his suspiciously. "Why do I feel like this is bad news…?"

Seira narrowed her eyes. "This looks familiar…"

Mersha smiled. "New supplement?"

Dahlia smirked. "Yep! This one is [Demonic Protein]."

Valtor almost dropped his bottle. "WHAT! Another demonic thing?!"

Seira frowned deeply. "This one probably tastes worse."

Mersha hugged hers. "I like trying new drinks."

Arden nodded in agreement. "This helps your muscles recover faster after today's workout. It's important you drink it before sleeping."

Valtor slowly unscrewed the lid, bracing himself. "…Is it spicy again?"

Dahlia shook her head. "Nope."

Seira lifted her bottle to smell it and her face instantly darkened.

"This is… bitter."

Valtor sniffed too. His entire expression died.

"Oh NO. NO. This smells like death."

Mersha sniffed hers and blinked. "It smells… earthy."

Arden encouraged gently, "Go on. Drink."

The three took a deep breath and drank.

Instant regret.

Valtor's whole body shuddered. "BLEUGH! WHY IS IT SO THICK?! MY TONGUE IS NUMB!!"

Seira's face twitched as she swallowed. "This bitterness… how is this allowed…?"

She covered her mouth, trying to keep it down. "It tastes like dirt mixed with ashes…"

Valtor gagged. "My mouth is dying! Help!"

Arden patted his back calmly. "This is normal."

Meanwhile…

Mersha lowered her bottle and licked her lips.

"Oh! It's kind of nice. A little bitter, but not too bad."

Valtor stared at her like she was a monster."WHAT do you MEAN 'not too bad'?!"

Seira looked at her with disbelief. "How are you okay…?"

Mersha swayed slightly and smiled.

"Just like I said before. Before, I drank poison for training every week. Compared to that... this is like mild tea."

Valtor dropped to his knees. "I can't compete with this girl…"

Seira shook her head. "Her clan is horrifying…"

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