Chapter 26: Whey Worse Than Death
That day, Dahlia pushed herself harder than ever.
Thanks to Dragon Force Shake, her movements felt faster, sharper, and more explosive.
But Garion wasn’t merciful. If she moved faster or lifted heavier, he increased the weight or doubled the reps.
"Up, Dahlia! Chest high! Don’t let your back bend!"
Garion barked numerous words as she struggled under the barbell.
Steam puffed out of her nose with every exhale, her body becoming hotter.
"M-master! You keep adding weight..."
Garion nodded, crossing his arms.
"That’s the point. Supplements aren’t for making training easier. They’re for letting me increase the load."
She groaned, but her legs didn’t buckle. For the first time, she finished the whole set without collapsing.
Garion smirked as a notification appeared.
[Disciple Dahlia completed one set of perfect squats. Owner gains 10x the results.]
He frowned slightly.
So even with supplements, the multiple stays the same. Still, the stronger she becomes, the better my gains.
After a few hours of training, Garion finally stopped her.
"Enough for today. Time for recovery. Drink these."
Dahlia’s eyes widened as Garion placed two cups in front of her.
One was filled with a brownish powder mixed in water, the other with golden liquid that shimmered faintly.
"Dragon Whey Powder first. Then the Dragon Recovery Blend."
Dahlia sniffed the brown drink and immediately frowned.
"Ugh. This smells worse than the first one."
"Just drink it." Garion’s tone left no room for argument.
With a groan, she gulped it down, face twisting as if she’d bitten into a raw bark.
"Blegh! It tastes like burnt beans mixed with sour milk!"
"Good. That means it’s working," Garion said with a straight face.
At first, nothing happened. She wiped her mouth, glaring at him.
"See? Just a bad drink."
Then suddenly she froze. In her forearms, patches of scale-like patterns appeared on her skin.
It quickly put her in panic, yelling at Garion.
"M-master! I’m growing scales!"
Garion leaned closer, studying them with interest.
"Don’t worry. It was just a side effect and a temporary one. They’ll fade in a day."
"Side effect?!" Dahlia flailed, smacking her arms.
The scales glistened briefly under the light before blending back into her skin.
"I-I look like some kind of lizard!"
Garion only shrugged.
"Looks more like dragon hide to me. Durable and stylish."
Dahlia was shocked by that and quickly cried out.
"Stylish?! Don’t make fun of me!"
Garion only chuckled.
"Calm down. With this, your body can handle heavier training. You’ll be able to endure more strain."
Dahlia mutted under her breath but eventually sighed.
"Fine. If it makes me stronger..."
Garion smiled as he handed her the last one.
"Good. Now, the last one."
Dahlia sniffed it and blinked in surprise.
"Wait... this one actually smells good."
She sipped, and her eyes quickly lit up.
"It’s sweet! Like honey with mint! Finally, one that doesn’t taste like dirt!"
She quickly drank all, licking her lips clean.
But within moments, her eyes grew heavy. She blinked rapidly, swaying.
"M-master... why do I... feel so sleepy..."
Garion smirked.
"It was just another side effect. It forces deep rest so your body can recover faster. Don’t fight it."
"But I don’t wanna..."
Her words slurred as she toppled sideways. Garion caught her easily, laying her onto a bed.
Immediately, faint snores escaped her mouth, then a low rumble vibrated from her throat.
Garion raised an eyebrow.
"Dreaming of flying already?"
Dahlia shifted in her sleep, arms spreading out like wings, steam puffing from her nose, mumbling.
"Mmm... Squats... Master... I’ll win..."
Garion chuckled and shook his head as he draped a blanket over her body.
"Rest well, disciple. Tomorrow, we push harder."
---
The next morning, Dahlia woke to the sound of weights clanging in the courtyard.
She groaned, rolling off her bed, her arms still tingling faintly.
When she looked down, she gasped. The faint scale-like patches on her forearms had vanished completely.
"Ugh... finally. No more lizard skin."
She stumbled into the courtyard, still yawning, and found Garion already waiting with a grin.
On the table, just like before, there were two concoctions waiting for her to drink.
"Master... don’t tell me..."
Garion smirked as he pushed both cups to her.
"Dragon Whey and Force Shake. Drink both before training. The recovery blend is for later."
Dahlia frowned.
"Both? Together? Do you want me to explode?"
Garion just waved her off.
"If you can still complain, you can still train. Just drink it. There will be no problem whatsoever."
She pouted, but grabbed the shake first. She held her breath and downed it in one go, coughing.
Garion chuckled.
"Good. That’ll give you the strength."
She then reached for the whey next, already grimacing.
"Ugh, the bean-milk nightmarae..."
Still, she gulped it down, face twisting.
"Disgusting! Why does this one taste worse every time?"
Garion shrugged.
"Because the better it works, the worse it tastes."
Dahlia glared at him, but then flexed her hands. She could already feel her body becoming stronger.
Garion then clapped his hands.
"Alright, let’s start with the squat first. This time, one hundred kilos."
Dahlia froze. "O-one hundred?!"
Garion smirked.
"You wanted to win the tournament, didn’t you? Then prove it."
Graoning, she ducked under the bar,
Her legs shook at first, but the power in her body helped her push down and up again in this workout.
Garion smiled.
"Good form. Do it lower and don’t even think of cheating. Do it three sets."
By the end, her legs were trembling, but she didn’t collapse.
"Next, push-ups. Don’t stop until I say stop."
She groaned but dropped to the floor, her arms snapping up and down.
By the time she finished all of her training, Dahlia dropped flat on the ground.
"M-Master... I think... I’m dying."
Garion only smirked and gave her the golden recovery blend.
"You’re very much alive. Now drink."
Dahlia sat up weakly and, upon noticing the drink, quickly gulped it all down.
But then, her eyes fluttered instantly.
"Not again... I’m... so... sleepy."
She collapsed back onto the floor, breathing slowly and steadily.
Garion leaned back, arms crossed, watching her sleep.
"Good. That will be her routine for the week, then."
"Force and Whey before training and recovery blend after training. With this, you’ll be ready to smash at that tournament."