Chapter 84: Dahlia’s Final Step
Garion went to Dahlia’s room, and when he reached her door, he knocked lightly.
"Come in," Dahlia called out from inside.
Garion entered, and Dahlia was sitting on the edge of her bed, drying her hair with a towel.
She looked up curiously.
"What do you want to talk about, Master?"
Garion sat down and turned toward her.
"It’s time to talk about the Mana Core Realm."
Dahlia blinked, surprised.
"Wait... really? You’re finally telling me how to reach it?"
Garion nodded.
"Indeed. But before that, I need to ask you something."
He crossed his arms.
"Are your mana pool cells already full? All of them?"
Dahlia frowned, thinking for a moment.
"Not yet. Around seventy percent, I think."
She tilted her head.
"But thanks to the Demonic Creatine, the process has sped up a lot. They should be full by the end of the week."
Garion smirked slightly.
"Good. Then when you’ve reached full capacity, I’ll tell you exactly what to do next."
Dahlia nodded. "I see."
Garion reached into his system storage and took out a single black bottle.
"Now drink this too," he said, handing it to her.
Dahlia’s eyebrow twitched.
"Master... do I really have to?"
Garion grinned.
"Didn’t you say earlier that the demonic supplements help you? Don’t hesitate now."
Dahlia sighed, accepting the bottle and began to sniff the inside.
"It doesn’t smell like anything..."
She took a small sip, and then her face twisted instantly.
"Ugh! It’s bitter! So bitter!"
Garion chuckled.
"Spicy creatine, bitter protein... They are unique, aren’t they?"
Dahlia glared at him.
"Unique, my foot. You’re crazy, Master."
Garion only smiled.
"You’ll thank me when you wake up stronger."
Dahlia sighed again, rubbing her stomach.
"I doubt I’ll even wake up after this taste..."
Her eyelids began to droop. The supplements’ drowsy effect kicked in quickly.
"Master... if I dream about bitter soup, I’ll haunt you..."
Garion chuckled softly.
"Rest well, Dahlia. Tomorrow’s another step forward."
Within seconds, Dahlia had fallen asleep, still frowning slightly from the taste.
Garion looked at her for a moment before leaving the room, thinking about the future.
---
The next morning, Dahlia woke up early.
Her eyes were half open, her hair a mess, and her face still frowning from the memory of last night’s drink.
She rubbed her mouth and groaned.
"Ugh... even sleep couldn’t wash that taste away."
Her tongue still felt coated with that bitter aftertaste from the Demonic Protein.
Then suddenly... Growl.
Her stomach let out a loud rumble.
Dahlia froze. "Oh no..."
She clutched her stomach, realizing what was happening.
"Damn it. I forgot about the second effect!"
Without wasting another second, she rushed out of her room, without cleaning or even tidying herself.
She sprinted down the hall and burst into the restaurant, quickly grabbing the first ray she could find and started piling food like a starving wild beast.
While she was stuffing her mouth, the other disciples had just arrived.
One of them blinked, confused.
"Senior Sister? You’re already eating?"
Dahlia glared at him with her mouth full.
"Mmph... yeah! Move faster or you’ll starve!"
The disciple froze, then quickly joined in, grabbing plates as chaos erupted all over again.
Garion appeared from the side, arms crossed, watching the madness unfold once again.
"Breakfast chaos again, huh?"
He watched Dahlia devour her food like a wild beast.
"She’s definitely adapting to the supplements faster than anyone else."
When breakfast finally ended, everyone looked like they had just survived a war.
The disciples stumbled back to their rooms to wash up.
The sounds of showers and groaning filled the dorm halls.
But that relief didn’t last long.
By the time they reached the training hall, Dahlia was already standing there, holding a crate filled with the fiery red Demonic Creatine bottles.
"Alright, everyone! You know the drill!"
The disciples groaned in unison.
"Do we really have to drink that again?"
"It’s so spicy it burns my soul..."
Dahlia smirked.
"Good. That means it’s working. Now drink!"
She tilted her own bottle and gulped it down without hesitation.
Steam rose from her shoulders again, her eyes glowing faintly red.
The disciples hesitated, but seeing Dahlua chug it like it was nothing, they followed.
And just like usual, one by one, they gagged from the spice.
"Hot! Hot! My throat’s on fire!"
"Why does it still taste like pain after drinking this straight for three days?!"
Dahlia dropped the bottle, trying to hold back the spiciness on her mouth.
"Hot! It’s really spicy but still... I’m awake, and you’re all awake. Let’s train!"
The training day was brutal. Dahlia pushed them through endless sets of numerous exercises.
At the same time, she also trained harder than all of them combined.
Her focus wasn’t just on teaching or training, but also on cultivation.
She was trying to fill her mana pool cells, wanting to push herself toward the second realm just like Garion.
By the time the sun began to set, everyone was lying flat on the floor again.
Garion clapped his hands once again.
"Dinner time."
And like always, chaos followed.
They devoured their meals, drank the bitter Demonic Protein, and stumbled to their rooms like zombies.
The following two days also passed the same way.
Breakfast chaos, spicy creatine, harsh training, dinner chaos, bitter protein, and finally a good sleep to end the day.
Then, finally, Sunday came.
Dahlia stood at the front of the training hall, her arms crossed and a serious look on her face.
The disciples noticed immediately. She wasn’t smirking or shouting. She looked... thoughtful.
They glanced at each other nervously.
"Uh... Senior Sister? Did we... do something wrong?"
Dahlia shook her head slowly.
"No."
She looked at them all, her eyes calm.
"There’s something important I want to tell you today."
The hall went quiet. Even Garion, standing in the back, raised an eyebrow.
Dahlia took a deep breath to calm herself, and then she finally started.
"Today is the final."
The disciples quickly became confused.
"Final?"