Chapter 25: Supplements of the God Gym
Dahlia was now dragging herself into teh courtyard in the early morning, still yawning.
Her arms and legs still felt heavy from yesterday’s brutal training, but still, she braced herself for another day of "torture" for the sake of the tournament.
But what she saw made her blink in surprise.
In front of Garion sat three strange jars and a clay cup filled with something.
She tilted her head.
"Master... what are those?"
Garion turned, grinning.
"Supplements and special ones. They were made from the Dragon Tooth Flower I obtained in the last Treasure Realm."
Dahlia froze, her mouth dropped open.
"M-master, are you serious? That herb is super rare! I heard even big sects fight each other for it! Some people would see their soul to get one!"
Garion waved his hand casually.
"Don’t worry too much. You’re my disciple, and the tournament is close. If you win, the benefits will outweigh this flower a hundred times."
Dahlia’s eyes grew shiny, and her lips trembled. "Master..."
She pressed her hand to her chest.
"You’d really give me something that precious... just for me?"
Garion smiled faintly but kept his thoughts to himself.
Of course I’d give it to you.
The stronger you are, the more effective your training will be, and the stronger I will become. It’s an investment with guaranteed returns.
Out loud, he then said, "Naturally. You’re my disciple. That’s reason enough."
Dahlia sniffed, quickly wiping the tears out of her eyes.
"Master... I’ll definitely win for you."
Garion smirked, patting her shoulders.
"Good. Now, let me explain what these concoctions are."
Garion held up a jar filled with thick, creamy liquid.
"First, this one is Dragon Force Shake. It’ll give you explosive strength, harden your body like dragon hide, and speed up recovery after training."
Dahlia leaned closer, frowning.
"It looks... chunky"
"It’ll taste just fine," Garion lied with a straight face.
He then picked up the second one.
"This is Dragon Whey Powder. You use it by mixing it with water and drinking it."
"It will help you build steady strength and tendon durability. With this, your body can handle heavier training loads."
She nodded, eyes shining. "That sounds amazing."
Garion then pointed to the cup.
"And lastly, this is the Dragon Recovery Blend Tea. This will heal muscle tears, restore stamina, and cool your veins down."
"Drink this after training, and you’ll bounce back twice as fast."
Dahlia tilted her head.
"Master... since when are you good at making concoctions? I’ve never even seen you boil tea."
Garion laughed, scratching his chin.
"To train the body properly, you must also know the right herbs and recovery methods. Don’t worry too much. Just train hard."
He definitely wasn’t going to admit that the system had done everything automatically.
Dahlia was still doubtful but trusted him.
"Alright... which one do I try first?"
Garion quickly pushed the first one to her.
"Dragon Force Shake. You’ll need it for today’s workout."
She picked it up, staring at the thick, golden liquid.
"It smells... strong."
"Stop whining and drink."
Dahlia sighed and downed it in one go. She gagged a little, pounding her chest.
"Ugh! It tastes like burnt beans mixed with milk!"
Garion crossed his arms.
"Good supplements are bitter. Now wait for it."
A moment later, Dahlia’s body began to heat up. Steam rose faintly from her shoulders.
She coughed, and a thin puff of white smoke came out of her mouth.
"M-master! Am I breathing steam?!"
Garion grinned.
"It’s just a simple side effect. Don’t panic."
But before she could answer, she quickly fanned herself.
"What is happening? I feel... hot! My whole body’s burning."
Garion only smirked.
"That means it’s working. Try punching."
Still flustered, Dahlia clenched her fist and threw a jab into the air, splitting the air with a faint boom.
She froze, staring at her fist.
"...That was me?"
Garion nodded, smirking.
"That was you. Explosive power, just as promised."
Her shock turned into excitement.
"Incredible"
She threw a few more punches, steam hissing from her mouth with every breath,
"I feel like I could smash a boulder right now!"
Garion chuckled, arm crossed.
"Good. Use that energy on squats. Let’s see twelve reps."
Dahlia groaned but stepped toward the squat rack, shoulders tense.
She dipped under the barbell, steam puffing faintly from her lips as she braced herself.
Her movements were perfect, faster than usual. Her legs were like pistons.
Clang!
The bar returned to its place. She straightened, chest heaving.
But to her surprise, she wasn’t as tired as usual. Her eyes widened.
"Master! It really works. I feel like... I can keep going! I can do this more times!"
Garion smirked.
"Good. Then let’s add more weight. Harder is better."
Dahlia’s smile immediately collapsed. She froze, staring at him.
"W-wait a minute! That wasn’t a request, Master! That was just me being surprised!"
"Too late!"
Garion smiled as he slid another plate onto the barbell.
"Ninety kilos. let’s see how your ’dragon legs’ handle it."
Dahlia groaned, puffing more steam from her mouth.
"I think... I made a mistake drinking that shake..."
"Stop whining. Get under the bar!"
She obeyed with a pout, but deep down, she was shocked again.
Despite the heavier load, her body moved with unnatural strength, and her form held steady.
It really did feel like dragon power coursing through her.
By the time she finished, sweat poured down from her forehead, but she was still grinning.
"It’s amazing. I feel like my muscles are harder."
Garion nodded firmly.
"Good. That was just one supplement. We still have two more to test."
Dahlia’s smile froze.
She already knew the effects would be amazing, but that also meant the travel load would only get heavier.
"M-master, can we... maybe test them later?"
Garion chuckled, resting his hand on her shoulder.
"Of course. Those two are for post-workout anyway. Recovery and steady growth. No need to rush."
Dahlia let out a long sigh of relief, wiping sweat from her forehead.
"At least I get a break before the next torture..."
Garion smirked, pointing toward the weights.
"Exactly. So let’s continue."
Her shoulders slumped, but a slight grin tugged at her lips.
Even exhausted, Dahlia felt that she was growing stronger step by step.