Heretic Trainer: The Gym Is My Cultivation Method-Chapter 391: That Wasn’t Supposed to Happen

Inside the arena, Mersha and Silvar stood facing each other.

The distance between them wasn’t far, but the pressure already felt heavy.

Silvar rolled his shoulders once and stared straight at her.

"I’ll make you pay," he said flatly, "for making that potion."

Mersha tilted her head. "Okay," she replied cheerfully. "Then do your best."

She paused, then looked past him.

"Oh, and little bird," she added, waving casually. "You can join too."

Cindor blinked. "Me?"

Mersha nodded without hesitation. "Yeah. Don’t worry about it."

Cindor crossed her arms. "You’re sure? Two against one?"

Mersha puffed out her chest slightly. "Of course. I’m really strong now. I don’t think I can lose."

Silvar’s eye twitched. "...Annoying."

Cindor laughed, flames flickering faintly around her hair.

"Alright then. I’ll also make you pay for making something that tasted so horrifying."

Mersha grinned wider. "Good. Come at me."

On the side of the arena, Eldrin let out a soft sigh.

"...Sorry about this, Garion," she said gently.

Bastor nodded once. "Unnecessary conflict."

Varyn watched quietly, eyes moving between the three in the arena. "...But useful data."

Garion laughed and waved his hand. "Don’t worry too much. It’s just a fight."

He leaned forward slightly, interested. "Honestly, I also want to see how well they fight after rebirth."

Rachel nodded calmly. "I’m here. As long as I’m standing, none of them will die."

Eldrin smiled faintly. "Same here. I can heal too."

Garion smirked. "See? Perfect conditions."

On the other side of the arena, Dahlia and the others stood together, watching closely.

Dahlia crossed her arms and tilted her head. "So," she said casually, "who do you think is going to win?"

Valtor squinted at the arena. "That little girl is fighting two former Legendary Beasts," he said slowly. "That already sounds wrong."

Seira frowned, arms folded. "Strength aside, experience matters. Silvar and Cindor fought for centuries."

Rynor scratched his head. "Yeah, but Mersha’s... weird."

Rynar snorted. "That’s not an argument."

"It is," Rynor shot back. "You ever see a normal alchemist giggle while poisoning herself?"

Clara leaned forward, eyes sparkling. "I kind of want Mersha to win just to see what happens if she does."

Eliza stood quietly, hands clasped in front of her, eyes fixed on Mersha.

She didn’t say anything, but her gaze didn’t move.

Arden hesitated. "Honestly... I don’t know. We’ve never seen her train. She’s always in the lab."

Rovric nodded. "Yeah. Every time we’re bleeding on the floor, she’s mixing something and humming."

Ragric clicked his tongue. "Which is exactly why she’s dangerous."

Everyone looked at him.

Ragric smirked. "Think about it. Anyone who can casually hand out potions that push people into the second realm isn’t normal."

Dahlia chuckled. "True. And don’t forget... she survived drinking her own experiments."

Valtor shuddered. "That alone should be illegal."

Seira glanced at Dahlia. "You’re not worried?"

Dahlia smiled faintly. "Worried? No."

She watched Mersha bounce lightly in the arena, smiling like she was about to play a game.

"I just don’t think Silvar and Cindor understand what kind of monster they’re poking."

Rynar frowned. "Monster?"

Dahlia nodded once. "Yeah. Not a fighter-type monster. A mad-scientist monster."

Clara laughed. "That’s worse."

The group fell quiet again, all eyes returning to the arena.

No one spoke it out loud, but they were all thinking the same thing.

They had no idea what Mersha was actually capable of.

---

Silvar and Cindor moved at the same time.

Silvar’s body shifted first.

White fur spread across his arms and shoulders, his frame growing larger and heavier.

Claws extended from his fingers as his eyes sharpened.

In a breath, he stood there in a humanoid white tiger form.

Cindor laughed lightly as flames flickered around her.

Crimson feathers traced along her arms and back, wings forming as heat rolled outward.

Her pupils narrowed, bright and sharp.

"Now you’re dead," Silvar said flatly.

Across from them, Mersha didn’t even flinch.

Instead, she smirked and tugged open her robe.

Glass clinked softly.

Rows of small bottles were strapped inside, each filled with different colored liquids.

Dahlia’s eyes widened. "Wait..."

Before anyone could say another word, Mersha grabbed four bottles at once and drank them together.

All four.

Valtor nearly shouted. "She drank them like water!"

Seira stiffened. "Is she insane?"

Clara leaned forward. "That’s not normal. That’s never normal."

Arden swallowed. "Those weren’t even the same color..."

Mersha wiped her mouth and smiled, cheeks slightly flushed. "Mmm. Still bad."

She cracked her neck once. "Okay. Now come on."

Silvar didn’t waste time.

He lunged straight in, claws cutting through the air as he aimed for her chest.

Cindor rose into the sky at the same time, wings beating once as small bursts of flame formed around her hands.

"Don’t blink," Cindor called. "You’ll miss it."

Fire rained down in quick arcs.

Mersha didn’t dodge.

She stepped forward instead.

Silvar’s claws came down... and stopped.

Mersha had caught his wrist.

The sound echoed sharply.

Silvar’s eyes widened. "...What?"

He tried to pull back.

He couldn’t.

"How can this be?" he growled, muscles tensing.

Mersha tilted her head. "Huh. Still lighter than I expected."

She lifted her arm.

Silvar’s feet left the ground.

"What! Hey!"

Before Cindor could react, Mersha swung Silvar sideways like he weighed nothing.

She used him like a club.

His body smashed straight into the incoming flames.

The fire scattered on impact, breaking apart as Silvar let out a shocked yell.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME..."

Mersha spun once more and then let go.

Silvar flew across the arena and crashed into the ground, rolling several times before skidding to a stop.

Dust settled.

The arena went quiet.

Cindor hovered in the air, staring down. "...You just used him to block my attack."

Mersha clasped her hands behind her back and smiled brightly. "Yeah. It was convenient."

Silvar pushed himself up slowly, claws digging into the floor.

"...I see," he said, voice low. "So this is how it’s going to be."

On the sidelines, Dahlia laughed softly.

"Yeah," she said. "They’re screwed."

The fight had only just started.