Chapter 97: Vegetables? Over My Dead Body!
Garion walked into the training hall just as everyone was finishing their sets.
Sweat covered the floor, and the sound of heavy breathing filled the air.
Dahlia wiped her face with a towel and turned as Garion stepped forward. His calm voice attracted all attention.
"Now that Dahlia has finished her closed-door cultivation, and it’s already been three months since you all started cultivating and training..."
A smirk appeared on Garion’s face.
"I think it’s the perfect time for you all to go on the hunt for some Demonic Beasts."
The room went silent. A few disciples froze mid-stretch. Others exchanged uneasy glances.
"Hunt?"
"As in... hunting Demonic Beasts?"
Garion nodded once. "Of course."
The disciples tensed up. They had trained for months, but none of them had faced real beasts before.
"But Master, this is the famous, dangerous Demon Gate Island... Even the weakest beasts here are really strong and fierce Demonic Beasts!"
"Yeah, what he is saying is true. Their claws can tear stone, and their roars alone can stun people..."
Dahlia crossed her arms, watching quietly, wanting to see how her Master handled this.
Garion just stayed calm.
"You’ve all been training to get stronger, haven’t you? This island might be fierce, but that’s why it’s perfect."
A few disciples lowered their heads. Some bit their lips, unsure.
Their hands trembled slightly, a mix of nervousness and excitement.
Garion let the silence linger for a moment before his tone shifted.
"Well," he said, tapping his chin.
"If you’re all too scared, we could just stay here. It’s not like we’ll be eating dinner anyway."
The disciples looked up.
He continued casually.
"The restaurant’s out of meat. It was completely empty. So unless someone hunts today..."
He shrugged.
"We’re only going to eat vegetables for dinner and no meat."
For a second, everyone blinked. Then one disciple blurted out.
"Wait, what? No meat? At all?"
Another one gasped.
"You mean... no roasted demonic boar? No savory beast stew?"
Garion raised an eyebrow, smiling a little.
"Exactly."
That was all it took. The fear disappeared instantly. The disciples’ faces lit up with panic and determination.
"No way I’m eating dinner with only vegetables! Meat is life!"
"Yeah! We trained so hard for three months. How can we lose to a few beasts?"
A chorus of agreement followed. Some started stretching again, and others began grabbing their gear.
The earlier hesitation and fear had all completely vanished.
Garion smirked.
"Oh? Suddenly so motivated?"
Dahlia chuckled, shaking her head.
"You really knew how to handle them, Master."
Garion only chuckled, folding his arms.
"Motivation comes in many forms and in this case... meat."
Dahlia placed her hands on her hips, looking at the disciples scrambling to prepare.
"Alright, you heard Master. Gear up! Let’s see how strong you’ve really become."
"Yes, Senior Sister!" they shouted together.
Arden, on the other hand, stepped up beside Dahlua, adjusting his gloves.
"Sister Dahlia... Do you think we’re ready for real combat?"
She looked at him for a moment, then smiled.
"We won’t know until we try."
He nodded, still a little nervous.
Garion walked toward the large doors at the end of the hall, pushing them open.
"Remember. This isn’t just about hunting beasts. It’s about testing yourselves."
Garion pointed at the land outside the God Gym.
"Out there, you’ll face things that don’t care how many push-ups you’ve done. Stay sharp and watch your back."
The disciples straightened, their earlier playfulness fading into focus.
Garion looked over his shoulder, and a faint grin appeared on his face.
"Now move out. The battlefield’s waiting."
Dahlia cracked her neck and took the lead, her eyes gleaming.
"Let’s go, God Gym disciples! Today... we hunt!"
A unified shout rose behind her as they followed Dahlia into the wild, hearts pounding with both fear and excitement.
---
Dahlia stood at the front of the group, her jacket fluttering slightly in the wind.
Behind her, the disciples lined up. All of them were wearing the same black combat gear: sleeveless tops, long pants, armored gloves, and boots.
A few female disciples tugged their jackets tighter out of habit, while the guys kept flexing their arms, trying to look cool and brave.
"Make sure your wraps are tight," Dahlia said, glancing back."
"You don’t want your wrist breaking before the beast does."
"Yes, Senior Sister Dahlia!" the group shouted.
A few adjusted their gauntlets again, checking the starops. Others stretched their arms and legs, shaking off tension.
They don’t use any swords, spears, or other types of weapons. They only wore reinforced gauntlets and combat boots.
One of the girls laughed nervously.
"We’re really going in bare-handed, huh?"
"Not bare-handed," another replied, raising his fists.
"These are God Hands."
The others chuckled, loosening the air for a moment until a deep growl echoed from ahead.
From between the trees, a group of Demonic Boars emerged.
Their eyes glowed faintly red, and their tusks were jagged like broken blades.
Each one was as tall as a horse, muscles bulding under black fur.
They snorted, stomping the ground hard enough to shake the dirt.
The disciples swallowed hard. Even after their training, seeing real demonic beasts this close was something else.
Dahlia didn’t flinch. She stepped forward, rolling her shoulders.
"First Realm Demonic Boars. They were big, dumb, and full of juicy, tasty meat."
One disciple whispered.
"They look a bit... too big for dinner."
Dahlia grinned.
"Then eat more. After this hunt, all of you will be so hungry, you can eat a horse."
A few laughed weakly, but no one moved. The boar snorted again, pawing the ground.
Dahlia’s smile faded and her voice hardened.
"You all trained for three months and now... this is the time for you all to prove that you are indeed the true members of God Gym."
Her gaze swept across the group.
"Don’t think. Just move and trust the strength of your own trained body."
The disciples nodded, some breathing deeply, trying to steady themselves.
Dahlia lifted her hand and pointed toward the beasts.
"Go and attack those demonic boars."
Then she grinned widely, her teeth flashing.
"Tonight we feast on the tasty and juicy meats of demonic boars!"
That was all it took to make all of them go straight toward the tasty demonic boars.