Heretic Trainer: The Gym Is My Cultivation Method-Chapter 408: Standard Issue Disciples

Vargan stared at Raviel for a long second.

Then he let out a rough laugh.

"Fine then. If that’s what you want."

He rolled his shoulders, flames flickering lightly around his fists before fading again.

"Don’t cry later."

On the Shivera side, Sarona gave a single, calm nod.

"We accept."

Raviel stepped slightly to the side, clearing the center.

"Then let’s start, shall we?"

Rena bounced lightly on her feet.

"Oh, finally."

Rika placed a hand on Rena’s shoulder.

"Wait for the signal."

Azalira clasped her hands behind her back, smiling.

"This is going to be educational."

Aurelia exhaled slowly and centered her stance.

"Remember what we practiced."

From the Vulkran side, one warrior cracked his neck loudly.

"Four against all of us."

He grinned wide.

"Don’t blink."

Several Vulkrans activated small bursts of [Flame Burst], testing their heat output.

On the Shivera side, a faint wave of cold spread outward as someone briefly triggered [Frost Suppression Field] before shutting it down again.

The air between the sides grew heavy.

Vargan raised his hand.

"Positions!"

His warriors spread out in a rough arc.

Sarona lifted two fingers slightly.

"Engagement distance. Do not rush blindly."

The Shivera formation widened smoothly, spacing precisely.

Raviel stepped back beside Aveline and Rachel.

He looked at the four women.

"Show them."

Rika nodded once.

Rena grinned wider.

Azalira tilted her head playfully.

Aurelia gave a calm smile.

The arena fell into a tense silence.

Then Vargan dropped his hand sharply.

"Start!"

The moment Vargan’s hand dropped...

The Vulkran warriors exploded forward.

Heat surged across the arena as multiple flames ignited at once.

"Crush them!"

"Don’t hold back!"

They rushed straight toward the four women, unleashing their martial arts without hesitation.

"[Flame Punch]!"

A massive burning fist shot toward Rika.

Rika didn’t move at first.

She smirked.

"That’s it? That’s all you’ve got?"

The Vulkran warrior’s face twisted.

"You think this is a joke?!"

He pushed more power into his arm.

"Then take the real one!"

"[Flame Punch]!"

The fire intensified, roaring toward her chest.

Rika stepped forward instead of back.

Her foot slammed into the ground.

Heat flared around her body.

She swung her fist forward.

"[Crimson Flame Palm]!"

The two flames collided.

A loud boom echoed.

The Vulkran warrior stumbled backward three steps, eyes wide.

"What..."

Rika rolled her shoulder casually.

"You’re wasting energy."

Behind her, Rena had already vanished.

A crack of thunder split the air.

"Too slow!"

She reappeared behind two Vulkran warriors.

"[Thunder Step]!"

Electricity burst from her legs as she spun.

"[Storm Kick]!"

One warrior flew sideways, armor smoking.

Another tried to grab her.

She ducked and grinned.

"You guys really need to train footwork!"

Meanwhile...

From the Shivera side, a calm voice echoed.

"[Ice Lance]."

Several sharp spears of ice shot forward toward Aurelia.

Aurelia calmly reached into her pouch and pulled out a handful of seeds.

She tossed them onto the ground.

The moment they touched the soil...

Green light pulsed.

"Grow."

The seeds sprouted instantly.

Thick vines burst upward.

"[Binding Vines]."

The vines twisted together, intercepting the incoming ice.

Crack.

The ice shattered against the living wall.

Aurelia raised her hand calmly.

"Spread."

The vines shot outward across the ground, wrapping around Shivera disciples’ ankles.

One tried to leap away...

The vine snapped around his leg and yanked him off balance.

"What is this?"

Aurelia smiled warmly.

"Plants respond faster than you think." 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Not far from her...

Azalira stepped lightly to the side as frost swept toward her.

She giggled.

"Oh? Ice against poison plants?"

A Shivera elite launched another wave.

"[Ice Pulse]!"

Azalira slammed her palm onto the ground.

Dark green energy spread.

"[Toxic Bloom Field]."

Strange purple-green flowers erupted from the soil around her.

When the frost touched them...

It began to hiss.

A faint mist rose.

The Shivera disciple stepped back slightly.

"What did you do?"

Azalira tilted her head, smiling brightly.

"Relax... It’s only mildly irritating."

The mist drifted toward him.

He coughed.

His frost aura flickered slightly.

"Your breathing pattern is unstable," Azalira observed cheerfully.

Behind them, Vulkran warriors regrouped.

"Surround them!"

Heat surged again.

Rika cracked her knuckles.

"Now that’s more like it."

Rena landed beside her, electricity dancing around her shoulders.

"This is fun!"

Aurelia’s vines continued spreading across the field, controlling space.

Azalira’s poisonous flowers slowly multiplied.

The arena was no longer empty ground.

It was alive.

On the sidelines, Vargan stopped laughing.

His grin slowly faded.

"...What is this?"

One of his elders swallowed.

"They’re holding."

Vargan’s eyes widened slightly as another Vulkran warrior was knocked back by Rena’s [Storm Kick].

"How are they not getting overwhelmed?"

Across from him, Sarona stood very still.

But her fingers tightened slightly behind her back.

A Shivera disciple struggled as [Binding Vines] tightened around his leg.

Another coughed when he stepped to the edge of [Toxic Bloom Field].

Sarona’s eyes narrowed.

"They adapted too quickly."

Vargan clicked his tongue.

"They’re only four."

Another loud clash echoed as Rika’s [Crimson Flame Palm] smashed through a Vulkran’s [Flame Punch] again.

The Vulkran stumbled backward, breathing hard.

Vargan muttered under his breath.

"How can they be this strong?"

Sarona spoke quietly.

"They are not panicking."

Vargan looked at her.

"They should be!"

Sarona didn’t respond immediately.

Her gaze moved carefully across the field.

Each of the four women was positioned deliberately.

Covering each other.

Raviel stood nearby with Aveline.

He crossed his arms calmly.

"Surprised?"

Vargan shot him a look.

"...You knew."

Raviel smirked slightly.

"Of course I knew."

Sarona turned toward him slowly.

"They are not your strongest."

It wasn’t a question.

Raviel shook his head.

"No."

Vargan’s eyebrows shot up.

"Then what are they?"

Raviel looked back toward the arena as Aurelia calmly redirected another wave of ice with expanding vines.

"They are standard."

Vargan stared at him.

"Standard?"

Raviel nodded.

"Regular disciples."

Vargan barked a short laugh.

"Don’t joke."

"I’m not."

Raviel’s tone stayed steady.

"You think only the leaders of God Gym are strong?"

He gestured toward the battlefield.

"That’s the mistake."

Sarona’s eyes sharpened slightly.

"You’re saying this level... is normal?"

Aveline finally spoke, voice calm.

"In God Gym, strength is not concentrated in one or two."

"It is cultivated across all."

Vargan rubbed his jaw.

"Four regular members..."

Another Vulkran was slammed into the ground by Rika’s follow-up strike.

"...and they’re pushing back my front line."

Raviel tilted his head slightly.

"You asked for battle royale."

Vargan gave a frustrated snort.

"You’re enjoying this."

Raviel didn’t deny it.