Garion folded his arms, his expression turning a little more serious.

"Mersha, before you start working on supplements… I want you to make something else first."

Mersha blinked. "Something else? Not supplements?"

Garion nodded. "Correct. This comes first."

She tilted her head slightly, confused. "But… why? I thought supplements were the priority."

Garion smiled a bit. "Normally, yes. But we're on Demon Gate Island, remember?"

Mersha nodded slowly. "Yes, Master… this island is dangerous."

Garion crouched down slightly to meet her eye level.

"Yes, indeed, and also... Mersha, do you know what's going to happen in one week?"

She froze, not knowing it. "…Something… bad?"

Garion sighed softly. "I forgot that you're young. They probably didn't tell you."

He placed a hand on her shoulder.

"In one week, the demonic beasts on this island will start waking up. I'm talking about second realm… and even third realm beasts."

Mersha's eyes widened in shock.

"Th-Third realm beasts? Master, that's… that's extremely dangerous! Isn't that a calamity for God Gym?!"

Garion smirked, completely calm.

"For normal people? Yes."

He tapped his chest.

"But I'm here. Even a third-realm beast doesn't bother me."

Mersha stared at him in awe. "…Master, you're scary."

Garion laughed. "Good. That means you understand."

He straightened up and pointed to the glowing equipment behind her.

"That's why your first task is not creating supplements."

Mersha nodded quickly, trying to focus. "Then… what should I make?"

Garion raised two fingers.

"First: a healing potion. The disciples will need it during emergencies."

Mersha gulped. "Healing… I've only made poisons, Master…"

Garion waved his hand dismissively.

"It's the same thing. Like I told you, everything depends on the dose. You'll do fine."

Then he raised a second finger.

"Second: a strengthening potion. Something to boost their bodies for a short time if they need to escape or hold off a beast."

Mersha's expression tightened as she clenched her tiny fists.

"So… support potions. For protection."

Garion nodded. "Exactly."

She inhaled deeply.

"Master, I'll make them as best as I can. I'll study everything. I won't let anyone down."

Garion smiled proudly.

"That's the spirit. And don't rush. Quality is more important. If you need rare ingredients, take them. Don't hesitate."

Mersha nodded again, more firmly this time.

"I'll start right away."

Garion nodded once, satisfied, and walked out of the lab.

Behind him, Mersha turned toward the glowing equipment, rolled up her sleeves, and smirked.

"Alright… Let's make something amazing."

---

Valtor sat on a bench, sweat running down his forehead as he pulled the dumbbells up with shaking arms.

Each curl made the veins on his biceps bulge because the auto-adjusting weight kept increasing little by little.

"Hff… hff… DAMN… this one hates me…" He growled, barely lifting the next rep.

Beside him, Seira calmly pushed the leg-extension machine.

Her expression stayed cold, but her legs trembled with every lift.

The machine also kept increasing the weight on its own.

Valtor glanced sideways.

"Hey, Ice Princess," he muttered, still lifting. "You know why Master took Mersha away just now?"

Seira didn't look at him, but her eyebrows twitched.

"…I don't know. But since she's from a poison clan… it could be something obvious."

Valtor blinked. "Obvious like what?"

Seira pointed her chin toward the table where the glowing supplement bottles were lined up.

Valtor followed her gaze… then froze.

"Wait… WAIT... YOU DON'T MEAN..."

Seira nodded slowly. "Yes. Supplements."

Valtor stared at her in horror. "Master asked her to make NEW ones?!"

Seira kept training, her voice calm.

"It's logical. I've heard this since I was a child. The strongest doctors in the world were always the strongest poison makers."

Valtor swallowed hard. "So… Master wants her to improve the supplements."

"That's my guess."

"At least that's good, right?" Valtor forced a grin. "Stronger supplements! Better effects!"

Seira finally stopped her rep and looked him in the eyes.

"Valtor."

"…What?"

"You remember her reaction after drinking the supplements, right?"

Valtor's smile died. He remembered too well.

When Mersha drank the supplements, she always smiled and said that they were delicious.

His face paled. "Wait. WAIT. Don't tell me..."

Seira exhaled. "Yes. If she tries to 'improve' Master's formulas… the taste might get WORSE for us."

Valtor dropped his dumbbell on his foot.

"DAMMIT! NOOOOOOOOO!! WHY?!"

Seira stood up calmly, brushing her hair behind her ear.

"And you know what the senior disciples always say, right?"

Valtor gulped. "Wh-What?"

Seira ticked the points off with her fingers.

"Master Garion is insane. Master Garion is powerful. And most importantly, Master Garion made those supplements himself."

Valtor shivered.

Seira continued in her cold, steady voice.

"So if Master personally took Mersha away… There is a chance he told her to keep the taste that painful."

Valtor's soul left his body.

Behind them, Arden walked past while wiping sweat from his forehead.

He paused mid-step, brows furrowing as he caught a few pieces of their conversation.

"…What was that about?"

Seira turned to him.

"Senior Brother Arden, the supplements may get stronger… but the taste might get worse."

Arden froze.

Slowly… very slowly… he turned pale.

"Yes… that is logical," he said, adjusting his glasses with a shaky hand.

"If Mersha improves the formula using poison knowledge… the bitter or spicy components may increase."

Dahlia, who had been lifting a barbell, dropped it with a loud clang.

"GODDAMMIT! NO! IT'S ALREADY HORRIBLE!"

She pointed dramatically at Arden.

"Arden! Can't you stop them?!"

Arden sighed deeply, shoulders slumping.

"Stop Master Garion?"

He gave her a tired look.

"Sister Dahlia… If I had the power to stop him, the supplement would already taste good by now."

Dahlia's mouth twitched. "Fair point."

Valtor crawled toward them, grabbing Arden's pants.

"PLEASE... SAY SOMETHING HOPEFUL!"

Arden sighed again, patting Valtor's shoulder with a sympathetic expression.

"We can only leave it to fate. Just… pray that the improvement is good… and the taste stays the same."

The entire dojo fell silent.

Dahlia took a deep breath and crossed her arms.

"Well… whatever happens next… let's survive it together."

And somewhere far away in the Divine Cafeteria's secret lab, Mersha happily hummed while mixing glowing liquids.

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