Heretic Trainer: The Gym Is My Cultivation Method

Paren’s legs were trembling so badly that even standing upright felt like some kind of negotiation with death.

Garion watched him suffer for a moment before casually waving one hand. ”Alright, don’t look so miserable. Let’s eat first.”

Paren slowly raised his head. ”Eat?”

”Yeah.” Garion pointed toward the exit of the [Divine Training Hall]. ”Training without food is stupid. Your body needs proper nutrients if you want to rebuild it instead of just breaking it down.”

Paren was far too exhausted to argue with that logic.

A few minutes later, the two arrived at the [Divine Cafeteria].

The moment the doors opened, warm air carrying the rich aroma of freshly cooked food rushed toward them.

Paren paused at the entrance.

Unlike the terrifying training hall, the cafeteria looked bright, clean, and strangely comfortable.

Futuristic food stations floated beside glowing formation kitchens, while divine cooking arrays processed ingredients with precise temperature and energy control.

Large transparent displays showed nutritional values, energy density, recovery effects, elemental properties, and even recommended meals depending on the customer’s current training condition.

Paren looked around with genuine surprise. ”This place is actually normal.”

Garion glanced at him. ”Of course. Food is serious.”

Paren raised an eyebrow. ”That sounds more believable than most things you say.”

Garion completely ignored that and led him toward a private table.

It did not take long before several plates appeared in front of them.

Thick slices of grilled beast meat covered in a glossy golden sauce.

Steamed star-grain rice that glowed faintly with spiritual energy.

Roasted marrow bones taken from some enormous horned creature.

A bowl of hot recovery soup filled with herbs grown inside Arden’s [Divine Garden].

Finally, there was a cold purple drink that looked suspiciously healthy.

Paren stared at the dishes for a moment before pointing at the meat. ”What beast is this from?”

Garion sat down casually. ”A few dangerous beasts caught on [Divine Star Gym Planet No.1].”

Paren’s hand immediately paused. ”Dangerous beasts?”

Garion waved him off. ”Relax. They’re already dead.”

Paren slowly looked at him. ”That is not the part I was worried about.”

Garion picked up a thick piece of meat and dropped it onto Paren’s plate. ”These beasts grew up in extreme regions. Their bodies adapted to violent environments, dense energy, and constant fighting, so their meat is packed with high-quality protein, body-tempering essence, and recovery nutrients.”

Paren looked down at the meat again.

Garion continued confidently, ”Basically, it’s delicious and useful.”

Paren hesitated for another second before finally taking a careful bite.

His expression changed almost immediately.

The meat was incredibly tender and rich, while a powerful warmth spread through his exhausted muscles the moment he swallowed.

The soreness in his legs did not disappear, but the recovery effect was obvious enough that even Paren noticed it instantly.

He looked at Garion in disbelief. ”This is... actually good.”

Garion looked pleased with himself. ”Obviously. God Gym might torture you, but at least we feed you well.”

Paren silently took another bite.

Then another.

For the first time since arriving at God Gym, he began to feel that maybe this entire training process would not be completely miserable.

Garion watched him eat and gave an approving nod. ”Eat more. You’ll need the energy.”

Paren continued eating, feeling slightly better about everything.

Garion casually added, ”We continue training right after this.”

Paren froze with his spoon halfway to his mouth.

His brief happiness died instantly.

---

After lunch, Paren finally understood one cruel truth.

Good food at God Gym did not mean mercy.

It was just fuel for even harder torture.

Garion stood up, wiped his mouth, and looked perfectly refreshed. ”Alright. Let’s move on to the next session.”

Paren slowly placed his spoon down. ”Already?”

Garion looked at him with obvious amusement. ”You’ve eaten, and with your Star Realm body, you should’ve already recovered quite a bit. Come on, let’s get moving. After all, you’re my important client.”

Paren stared at him for a few seconds before eventually releasing a tired sigh. ”Fine. What are we doing next? More leg exercises?”

Garion shook his head as he headed toward the exit. ”Nope. We’re doing something different.”

Paren raised an eyebrow. ”Cardio.”

His expression eased slightly. ”Cardio?”

Compared to the leg-day torture from earlier, running actually sounded almost reasonable.

That tiny bit of hope survived for less than five minutes.

Garion led him farther away from the safe facility area and toward the outer regions of [Divine Star Gym Planet No.1].

The clean paths gradually disappeared.

The air became heavier.

The ground beneath their feet was cracked and uneven, while distant roars echoed from somewhere deep inside the wild zones.

Black clouds rolled across the horizon, and flashes of purple lightning tore through the sky like angry claws.

Paren abruptly stopped walking.

His head slowly turned toward Garion. ”Garion... what the hell is this?”

Garion glanced at him. ”What?”

Paren pointed toward the chaotic landscape ahead. ”Isn’t cardio supposed to be running on a treadmill? What the hell are we doing out here?”

Garion looked toward the disaster-filled horizon as though there were absolutely nothing unusual about it. ”That’s for normal clients.”

Paren’s expression worsened.

Garion casually continued, ”You, Paren, are my important client. We’re not doing your cardio inside the hall.”

He pointed ahead. ”We’re doing it here, in the [Disaster Zones].”

A violent gust of wind suddenly slammed into them, carrying dust, heat, and traces of unstable energy.

Far in the distance, several enormous beasts with armored bodies and glowing eyes moved between broken stone hills.

Paren stared at them before slowly looking back at Garion. ”The hell do you mean by that? You’re saying we’re going running here, of all places? Are you insane?”

Garion immediately corrected him. ”Run, dodge, breathe properly, maintain your pace, control your energy usage, and avoid getting eaten.”

Paren stared at him.

Garion added calmly, ”Also, don’t worry too much. I’m here.”

Paren’s face remained stiff. ”And no, I’m not crazy.”

That did not help.

Before Paren could curse at him again, Garion raised one hand.

A glowing route suddenly appeared across the disaster terrain.

It stretched through cracked valleys, unstable gravity pockets, beast nests, broken cliffs, and several visible storm zones.

Paren followed the route with his eyes.

The farther he looked, the worse his expression became.

Garion pointed toward it. ”Ten laps.”

Paren turned toward him immediately. ”Ten?”

Garion nodded. ”For now.”

Paren’s mouth twitched.

At that exact moment, a roar exploded from somewhere in the distance.

ROOOOAAAR!

One of the enormous armored beasts had finally noticed them.

Its glowing eyes locked onto Paren before it lowered its body and charged.

The ground shook beneath every step.

Garion calmly stepped aside. ”Start running.”

Paren’s eyes widened. ”You bastard!”

The beast lunged.

Paren turned around and ran.

Garion followed behind with both hands casually shoved into his pockets, looking less like someone inside a deadly disaster zone and more like a relaxed personal trainer taking a morning walk. ”Good pace, Paren! Keep your core tight!”

Paren did not even bother looking back. ”I hate this fucking gym!”