Heretic Trainer: The Gym Is My Cultivation Method-Chapter 481: Another Phase, Seriously

Darius saw the change in Dahlia. But his own condition was far worse.

The battle inside his mind had already pushed him to the edge.

At this point, he wasn’t thinking clearly anymore. There was no hesitation left in him.

He looked at Dahlia and saw only an enemy. Someone that had to be killed.

Without another thought, he lunged forward.

[Crimson Talon Rend]

His claws burned with demonic flames as he closed the distance in an instant.

Dahlia didn’t move back. Instead, she smirked. "So you really have become a wild beast."

Her eyes sharpened. "...Then I’ll treat you like one."

She opened her mouth and released a roar.

[Thunder Roar]

The sound burst outward, carrying sharp thunder through the air.

It struck Darius directly, disrupting his movement mid-charge.

His body stalled for just a moment. That was enough for Dahlia to move freely.

She rushed forward, carried by the force of her own storm.

In the next instant, she was already above him.

She looked down, her expression steady. "If you want to act like an animal..."

She clenched her fist. "...then I’ll hit you like one."

[Heavenly Thunder Fist]

Her fist came down. Again and again.

Each strike landed with force, thunder exploding with every impact.

The sound echoed through the hall.

Darius roared in pain, his massive body shaking under the repeated blows.

But Dahlia didn’t stop. She kept pressing forward. Each hit came faster than the last.

The pressure kept building.

Until finally, she pulled her arm back one last time. Then drove it down with full force.

The impact struck cleanly.

Darius’ body was slammed straight into the ground.

The floor cracked on impact, the shock spreading outward.

For a moment... There was only silence.

Dahlia landed lightly, her wings shifting as she looked down at the crater.

She smirked slightly. "Don’t tell me that’s it."

Her tone carried a hint of disappointment. "That’s really all you’ve got?"

She tilted her head. "...That’s disappointing."

Then... a laugh came from below. Dahlia’s expression changed slightly. "...Still talking?"

Darius’ voice rose from the crater. "Dahlia..."

There was a pause. "...Thank you."

Dahlia frowned. "...What?"

Darius slowly lifted his head, his eyes glowing. "That beating..."

His voice steadied. "...helped me beat that stupid dragon will."

The pressure around him began to change again.

He rose slowly from the crater. The aura around him shifted.

He looked directly at Dahlia and then roared, "Now..."

His voice deepened. "As thanks..."

The energy around him surged again. "I’ll become the perfect chimera..."

A brief pause. "...and kill you right here."

---

Pelion smirked as he watched what was happening on the battlefield.

"...Garion," he said, his tone calm but amused, "I don’t know whether you’re lucky or not."

Garion glanced at him, then back at Darius, clearly confused. "...What do you mean by that?"

Pelion didn’t answer immediately. He lifted his hand and pointed toward Darius. "That..."

His smile deepened slightly. "...is what we call a perfect chimera."

Garion raised an eyebrow. "...Explain."

Pelion let out a quiet laugh, almost like he had been waiting for that question. "It’s actually tied to something above the third realm."

He paused for a moment. "... Or what most people refer to as the fourth realm."

Garion’s eyes narrowed slightly. "...Fourth realm?"

There was a brief pause. "...What the hell are you talking about?"

His tone shifted, more serious now. "That already exists?"

Pelion laughed lightly. "Oh... right."

He glanced at Garion with a knowing look. "I forgot you’re still new as a Grand Faction."

Garion didn’t react to that. He only kept looking at him, waiting.

Pelion continued, his tone steady. "The fourth realm does exist."

He spoke it plainly, without hesitation. "But it’s not something that’s openly known."

He tilted his head slightly and gestured downward, as if referring to everyone outside their level.

"It’s a secret among Grand Factions. So it’s normal that others don’t know about it."

Garion stayed silent, processing it.

Pelion leaned slightly closer, lowering his voice just a bit. "Let me tell you something more interesting."

He smirked. "Every Grand Faction..."

He paused briefly. "...has at least one fourth realm cultivator."

Garion’s expression changed. "...You’re serious?"

There was a hint of surprise now. "That’s real?"

Pelion nodded once. "Yeah. It is."

He turned his gaze back toward the battlefield. "And of course..."

His tone stayed calm. "The Black Chimera has one too."

He paused briefly before adding, "Our master, Heinkel."

Garion frowned slightly, his thoughts clearly moving. "...To think this is something I didn’t know."

He looked back at Pelion again. "So what exactly is the fourth realm?"

Pelion smirked but didn’t answer right away.

Instead, he pointed toward the battlefield again. "I’ll explain it later."

His eyes stayed on Darius. "For now..."

He let out a small breath. "...let’s just watch "The best way to understand it..."

His smile returned faintly. "...is to see it for yourself."

---

Darius smirked as his body began to change.

The massive dragon form started to shrink, its size rapidly reducing until it matched that of a normal human.

But the transformation didn’t stop there.

The dragon body shifted further, reshaping itself into a humanoid dragon form.

This time, it was different.

It wasn’t unstable like before. Everything about it felt... more complete.

The scales fit naturally over his body. His proportions were balanced. There was no excess movement, no wasted energy.

Even his aura had changed. It no longer surged wildly or leaked out uncontrollably.

This was exactly what the name suggested...

The perfect chimera, a complete fusion between human and demonic beast.

Darius slowly lifted his head and looked at Dahlia. "...Thank you, Dahlia."

His voice was steady now. "If not for this war..."

He paused briefly. "...I wouldn’t have even considered joining the Black Chimera."

He clenched his fist, feeling the power flowing through his body. "And I don’t think I would have ever gotten a cultivation path like this."

He flexed his claw slightly, testing the control. "But now..."

A faint smile appeared. "I’ve obtained it."

He took a small step forward. "And I’ve become a perfect chimera."

His gaze sharpened. "Far stronger than before."

He raised his hand and pointed directly at Dahlia. "So today..."

There was no hesitation in his voice. "I’ll kill you as thanks."

Dahlia didn’t react much.

She looked at him, her expression calm. "...You’ve said that too many times already."

She rolled her shoulder once, her stance steady. "Let’s see if you can actually do it."