Chapter 21: Trainer Dahlia Emerges
Dahlia dragged the bandit leader toward the middle of the courtyard, throwing him there.
The rest of the bandits stumbled behind, grumbling, still sore from their earlier beating.
"All of you... Come here!"
They gathered around, and Dahlia began pushing them into a line and clapping her hands together sharply.
Garion raised a brow, amused.
Dahlia stood tall and crossed her arms.
"Listen up! This is a squat. Watch carefully and try to copy it later!"
She stepped forward, planted her feet shoulder-width apart, bent her knees, and lowered her hips smoothly.
Her back stayed straight, her breathing stayed steady, and she came back up in a perfect form and breathing.
Garion’s eyes widened slightly.
"Not bad. That was quite a perfect squat."
The bandits groaned as they copied her. Their movements were really sloppy.
Their backs were rounded, knees wobbled, and some of them even held their breath until their face reddened.
Dahlia quickly frowned as she scolded them.
"No, no, no! Wrong! Straighten your back more! Don’t bend forward like an old man!"
She stomped over the youngest, pushed his shoulders back, and smacked his thigh lightly with a stick.
"Lower! Knees out!"
The young bandit hissed in anger.
"Tch, don’t tell me what..."
Whack!
Dahlia stomped the ground near his foot hard.
"Quiet! Follow my breathing. Inhale down, exhale up!"
The other bandits were startled and quickly tried again.
One almost fell backward, and another was hunched so far forward that he looked like he was bowing.
Dahlia marched down the line, correcting them one by one, smacking their shoulders and shoving their knees.
The bandit leader growled when she jabbed him in the ribs with teh stick.
"Why should I listen to..."
Thwack!
Dahlia hit his shin, hard. He quickly flinched and glared, but her sharp gaze silenced him.
Garion chuckled under his breath.
"She must be really enjoying this."
Dahlia’s lips quickly curled into a smirk. For the first time, she wasn’t the one collapsing to the ground.
Now, she was the one who made people collapse to teh ground. She felt light and so excited.
"Again! Down! Up1 Don’t hold your fucking breath! Breathe with the motion!"
Finally, one of the bandits managed to move smoothly. His squat was stiff, but it was close to perfect.
Dahlia’s eyes lit up.
"Yes! That’s it! Keep that form!"
Meanwhile, Garion also saw the system’s notifications.
[Disciple Dahlia completed one rep of perfect squat. Owner gains 10x the results]
[Guest completed one rep of perfect squat. Owner gains half the results.]
Garion smirked at teh first line but frowned at the second.
Half? That’s it?
He crossed his arms, eyes narrowing.
Dahlia gives me ten times, but guests only give me half? Damn! That’s way too little for me.
His gaze moved back to the sweating bandits.
It seems that only real gym members give me the proper multiplier. If I want more, I’ll have to turn them into members...
Garion quickly frowned at that thought.
But still, they are bandits. I can indeed register them, but I just don’t really like making them my members.
He sighed, shaking his head.
"Tch. I’ll think about it later."
For now, he leaned back against his chair, arm folded, just watching.
Dahlia quickly barked more orders, adjusted their stances, and smacked sloppy forms without hesitation.
She was rough, but she was learning fast. Teaching forced her to remember Garion’s lessons, and every correction improved her own form.
Garion smirked.
Not bad. My disciple is turning into a great and perfect trainer already.
Meanwhile, the bandits were already drenched in sweat after just a set of squats.
Their legs shook like jelly, and two of them nearly toppled over.
One of them even quickly read in anger.
"Enough! How can you do this to us! We can’t... we can’t keep going..."
Another one dropped to the ground, holding his tights while begging.
"Please... just let us rest..."
Dahlia only smirked, shaking her head.
"Nope. That was only one set. You need to do at least one more. And after that, we still have a long way to go."
The bandits froze.
"L-long way...?"
Dahlia’s grin widened.
"Of course."
She then listed all the workouts slowly, savouring every word.
"Squats are just the beginning. Next will be barbell squats, then dumbbell squats, then lungers, push-ups, sit-ups, plank, and so much more."
The bandits paled.
None of them knew what those things were, but from her tone, they knew all of them were bad news.
One of the bandits tried to crawl away, escaping, but Dahlia stopped her foot beside him, startling him.
"Where do you think you’re going? We’re still not finished."
The bandit quickly cried out.
"I-I can’t! My legs won’t move!"
Dahlia quickly snapped, smacking his back with the stick.
"It’s only a set, and you said you can’t anymore? Don’t kid me! You’re a man, how can you be so weak? Now, Move!"
The bandit whimpered and forced himself into another squat, but tried to cheat.
Dahlia quickly noticed it and clicked her tongue in anger, hitting his thigh.
"No cheating. Lower more! Straighten your back!"
The man quickly groaned, tears forming in his eyes.
"UGHHH! SPARE ME!"
The others quickly cursed her under their breath.
"You witch! This is not training! This is torture!"
Dahlia’s smirk grew colder.
"Torture? Now. This is discipline. And you’ll thank me for it when your legs stop trembling."
She then clasped her hands together.
"Everyone... Five more squats! If you collapse, I’ll make you do double!"
The bandits groaned but obeyed.
Whack!
Dahlua smacked one’s shoulder. "Straighten up!"
Whack!
Another knes buckled. "Not like that! Push through your heels!"
They cried and begged, but Dahlia showed no mercy.
"Please, no more..." one whined.
She bent down and whispered to him, smiling.
"Begging won’t save you. Only form will."
The bandit shivered, then pushed through another rep.
And by the time they finished their second set, the bandits collapsed onto the floor.
"We’re done... we’re finished..."
But suddenly, Dahlia tapped the ground with her stick.
"Nope. That was just squats. Now, we do lunges!"
The bandit groaned in despair.
"What the hell is a lunge?"
Dahlia quickly demonstrated it to them.
She stepped forward into a deep stance, lowering her body.
"Like this. It’s quite simple, and one leg at a time. Now copy me."
The bandit groaned louder, but under her glare, they dragged themselves and mimicked her.
"Hips down! Keep your chest up!"
One bandit tried to cheat, taking a shallow step.
Dahlia quickly marched over and shoved his leg deeper.
"Lower! If I don’t see sweat on the ground, then you’ll do it double!"
The poor man whimpered but obeyed.
Garion, on the side, just laughed.
"Ahahaha! She’s worse than me already. My disciple is truly growing."
For the first time, Dahlia looked more terrifying than her master.