Heretic Trainer: The Gym Is My Cultivation Method-Chapter 396: You Brought One Back

The next morning, Garion stood at the center of the training grounds with his arms crossed.

Every disciple had been called.

Dahlia, Arden, Valtor, Seira, Clara, Eliza, the twins, Ragric, Rovric... everyone was there.

Even Rachel stood near the front, calm but clearly curious.

Behind her, Eldrin and the other newly human Legendary Beasts waited quietly.

The disciples exchanged looks.

"This is weird," Rynor muttered.

Dahlia stepped forward, hands on her hips. "Master," she said, "why did you gather all of us?"

Garion didn’t hesitate. "Because you’re all moving."

The entire group froze.

"...Moving?" Arden repeated.

Valtor blinked. "Like... moving training grounds?"

Seira frowned. "Or moving islands?"

Rachel’s eyes widened slightly.

Even the Legendary Beasts looked surprised.

Eldrin tilted her head. "We just arrived," she said gently. "Are you... sending us away?"

Garion shook his head immediately. "I’m not kicking anyone out."

He gestured around them. "But now that this island is fully mine, I’m going to renovate it."

Clara perked up. "Renovate how?"

Garion paused for half a second. "...Aggressively."

That didn’t help.

Dahlia’s eyes narrowed, then widened. "Wait."

She pointed at him. "You mean that magic treasure."

Garion nodded. "That one."

Rynar groaned. "So that’s why you look excited."

"When I use it," Garion continued, "the changes will be big."

He looked at all of them. "If you stay, someone will get buried, launched, or stuck upside down somewhere."

Several disciples immediately stepped back.

"...Okay, yeah, let’s move," Rovric said.

Dahlia nodded. "Makes sense."

One by one, the disciples relaxed as they understood.

Rachel raised her hand slightly. "Garion," she said gently, "how many are we moving?"

Garion answered without thinking. "Five hundred sixty-two."

Rachel blinked. "...Five hundred sixty-two?"

She looked around. "I thought we had five hundred sixty-one."

Garion glanced at her. "Did you forget about him?"

Rachel frowned, genuinely confused.

"...Him?"

The disciples exchanged looks again.

Before anyone could ask more questions, a figure stepped forward from behind Garion.

He was clearly human-shaped but not human.

Red skin. Lean but solid frame. Sharp eyes that carried a mix of caution and respect.

The moment Rachel saw him, her eyes widened slightly.

"...Oh," she said, then smiled apologetically. "Right. I remember now."

She clasped her hands together. "Velion. I’m sorry. I completely forgot."

Velion scratched the back of his head and smiled. "It’s alright, Elder Rachel. I don’t mind."

Rachel tilted her head, studying him more closely. "You’ve changed a lot."

She sounded genuinely impressed. "Last time I saw you, you were very thin. Almost fragile."

Dahlia nodded beside her. "Yeah. You were basically a pale stick back then."

She looked him up and down. "Now you look like one of the outer disciples. Solid build. Good posture."

She paused, then added, "Except for the red skin."

Velion nodded calmly. "That’s because I’m a demon."

The air went still.

Eldrin’s eyes widened slightly. Bastor’s posture stiffened. Varyn quietly shifted her stance.

Silvar’s head snapped toward Garion. "A demon?"

Cindor frowned. "How can a demon be here?"

Garion didn’t flinch. "Because he’s my disciple."

Silvar took a step forward, voice sharp. "You accepted a demon into God Gym?"

Garion met his gaze calmly. "Yes."

Silvar clenched his fists. "That’s reckless."

Cindor crossed her arms. "You can’t just bring a demon here and expect us to accept it."

Garion raised a hand. "Relax."

He glanced at Velion. "He’s from a demon race that isn’t strong."

Velion lowered his head slightly. "My race is... pitiful."

Garion continued, "That’s why I brought him back from the Demon World."

Silvar scoffed. "Pity isn’t a reason."

Garion’s eyes narrowed slightly. "Then listen to his past first."

The words landed with weight.

Velion took a slow breath, then looked up at the group.

"I’m from a demon race called Vessel Demons," he said clearly.

A few brows furrowed.

He continued, hands clenched loosely at his sides.

"Vessel Demons don’t have real combat power. No strong bloodline abilities. No terrifying talents."

He tapped his chest once. "What we have is a body that can accept anything."

The disciples went quiet.

"Our bodies are compatible with any power, any soul, any cultivation path," Velion said. "That’s why we’re called Vessel Demons."

His lips tightened slightly. "To demon nobles, we’re not people. We’re backup bodies. Spare lives. Something to use when they die."

Rachel’s eyes softened. Dahlia frowned.

Velion bowed his head slightly. "Most of my kind never get to choose their own future."

He looked up again, eyes steady now. "Master Garion saved me."

He turned toward the legendary beasts and bowed deeply. "So please don’t worry, honored elders. I’m not like other demons."

Garion crossed his arms. "What he said is true."

He glanced around the group. "I checked his past myself. His race, his history, his circumstances."

Silvar snorted softly but didn’t interrupt.

"So don’t worry too much," Garion added. "He’s not hiding anything."

Eldrin hesitated, fingers folded together. "His race is... pitiful," she admitted gently. "But I’m still a little uneasy."

She gave a small, awkward smile. "You know... he is a demon."

Garion laughed lightly. "That’s fair."

He waved a hand. "Just get to know him first. You don’t need to trust him overnight."

He glanced at Velion. "People earn trust here."

Velion nodded quickly. "Yes. I understand."

He straightened and spoke firmly. "And please don’t worry about other demons."

Silvar’s eyes narrowed. "What do you mean by that?"

Velion answered without hesitation. "If you meet hostile demons, you can kill them."

Several disciples stiffened.

"I don’t care," Velion said calmly. "I don’t belong to them. I don’t defend them. I don’t share their pride."

He placed a hand over his chest. "I belong here."

The courtyard stayed silent.

Then Rachel smiled gently. "If Master Garion accepts you," she said, "then we’ll try to accept you too."

Dahlia crossed her arms and smirked. "Just don’t be useless."

Velion smiled, relieved. "I won’t be."

Garion then looked toward Eldrin, Silvar, Bastor, Varyn, and Cindor, his gaze calm and steady.

"So," he said, "we’re good now, right?"

Eldrin let out a slow breath and nodded. "Alright. I still don’t fully trust him yet," she said gently, "but I trust you."

Bastor gave a short nod. "He stays. We watch."

Varyn tilted her head slightly, eyes curious. "I want to observe him more."

Silvar clicked his tongue. "If he causes trouble, I’ll deal with him."

Cindor laughed lightly. "Heh, rough crowd. Good luck, kid."

Velion bowed deeply to all of them. "Thank you."

Garion smiled faintly. "Good. Then that settles it."