Chapter 113

Muscles from the gym girls. And more muscles. Big muscles, small muscles, beginner muscles just starting to take shape. White muscles, brown muscles, apricot-colored muscles, black muscles. Wherever I looked in the gym, a variety of them caught my eye. The healthy skin of women in crop tops and short shorts writhed with their movements, sweat droplets scattering in the air.

Fully sculpted muscular physiques were rare. Most were just barely forming outlines. The women displaying overwhelming presence were those who'd been training consistently before, and eyes naturally gravitated toward them.

First, there was a woman holding a plank on a yoga mat. Broad shoulders and resilient thighs. Her chiseled abs trembled faintly. Sweat trickled from her temple, pooling at her chin before dripping down plink, plink. A small puddle had already formed beneath her.

Below her, a woman hung from the pull-up bar. As she pulled, her shoulder blades flared open, launching her body skyward. Her lats and traps spread wide, carving a Grand Canyon-like gorge along her spine.

A woman lifting black dumbbells had her biceps peaking like mountain summits. No pink dumbbells in sight here.

"Hoo-wook!" A woman doing squats rose with a deep breath. Her thick thigh muscles coiled like ropes, her glutes contracting with enough force to crush anything caught between them.

Meanwhile, less experienced women had tripods with cameras set up beside them.

The cameras projected human holograms mimicking their poses for corrections. Incorrect areas glowed red, while faint blue lines showed the required adjustments. They fine-tuned their form accordingly.

Everyone was intensely focused on their training. There might be hierarchies among muscles here, but not a single woman with a gut in sight. Washboard abs, uneven ladder-like abs, or just faint outlines—every woman without exception sported them, variations aside.

"Urgh!" A woman's sharp abs contracted fiercely as she lifted the barbell. The recoil catapulted sweat from her navel.

Groans like battle cries echoed from all sides. They squeezed every muscle fiber to its limit. The crisp clang of clashing equipment was the cherry on top.

Some rested on chairs against the wall. Protein supplement thermoses sat before each. The entire wall was reinforced glass, offering stunning views of the artificial lake, walkways, and beautifully planted roadside trees. This had to be one of the best vantage points in the lower district.

One woman even got a foot massage during her break. Place your feet on the machine, and about twenty robotic fingers kneaded the soles intensely. Grotesque at first glance, but addictive once tried—like a drug.

"This one's the tastiest."

A group of women stood before a display rack stuffed with protein bars, shakes, synthetic powders, pills—every muscle growth supplement imaginable.

"I like chocolate flavor." One held a jar of brown powder.

"Think we could ask the security chief for mint flavor too?"

"Just eat what's given. Greedy much?"

Before them sat five types of '0-calorie flavor enhancers'—a new product Artemis developed at Rose's suggestion to boost security team morale. Meant to mix with supplements, they were hugely popular. Nothing compared to real snacks, but beggars can't be choosers.

Other shelves brimmed with resistance bands, tape, towels, sport blocks, straps, toe-less socks, massagers, and more accessories.

Heading the other way led to a pool, sauna, and spa—bath facilities rivaling top resort hotels.

The security team's gym was more than a workout spot. The elevation and sense of achievement from training built catharsis. In this apocalypse, it might be a pleasure rivaling taste or sex.

Heavenly facilities cradling weary bodies during breaks let them forget the harsh reality of doom. A release from all mental torment.

The women knew how well they were treated. The only way to keep it? Train harder. Means became ends, ends became motivation—perfect cogs in the machine.

"Hooook!" "Haa!"

Rough breaths filled the air, overwhelming me with the scent of women's skin and sweat. But this wasn't the stench of sloth or fat. It was the fragrance of discipline, diligence, and challenge.

In one ring, two women sparred. The sturdy South American on the left boasted the gym's most impressive muscles at a glance. On the right: Nina, the fighter with porcelain skin and sleek, sculpted muscles.

"Short and snappy. Your motions are too long right now."

Nina sparred defensively, coaching between exchanges. The security team's progress exceeded my expectations—satisfying to watch. Almost filling.

I had business with Nina, but she'd wait till sparring ended. I tried slipping out quietly to avoid interrupting.

But my eyes met Echo-Sobel's, the overall supervisor. He spun toward me like lightning. Strangely, heat—some kind of fervor—emanated from the lifeless robot's face. Suddenly uneasy, I waved my hands frantically.

"Don't—"

"Officer on deck! Ten-hut!!!"

My words were drowned out by Sobel's passionate bellow.

Clatter!

Bang!

Thud!

The loud sounds of exercise equipment being dropped echoed from all directions. The women simultaneously stopped their workouts and turned to face me.

The sight of sweaty, muscular female bodies snapping to attention toward me was almost surreal.

"Ahem."

Honestly speaking, this is bad for my heart. I felt the same way when taking walks around the lake, but I really don't enjoy being the center of this kind of attention.

Lately, as the city has begun to function, I've truly started to feel the weight of my position as the Shelter Administrator.

Even when I complained about it, Artemis just chuckled.

"Good work, everyone. Next time, those holding equipment should lower it slowly. It's fine to skip the formalities."

Nina nodded in strong agreement.

"I understand how exhausting education and training under strict instructors can be. However, you are the only personnel officially granted the authority to exercise power. Your capabilities and authority directly translate to the order of this city."

I paused for a moment and scanned everyone's faces.

They all brimmed with confidence. Pushing themselves to their limits and inching that threshold higher bit by bit. They looked mesmerized by the fruits of their own magnificent self-discipline.

"I also promise to support you in every way I possibly can. That is all."

I quickly wrapped up my speech, gave Sobel a nod, and turned my steps toward the private sparring room prepared separately.

"Hi-ho! Shelter!"

"Hoo-ah!!!"

Sobel seemed to have prepared a chant just for occasions like this. When he led the cheer, the women responded with a thunderous roar.

Sigh... I wish they wouldn't do stuff like this. I grumbled internally.

Since the mood was already broken, I gave Nina a subtle look as I headed for the sparring room. She smirked in response.

Nina's beautiful physique was even more refined than when we had clashed in the past.

Her tightly coiled, whip-like body looked agile enough to step on the wind and leap.

It seemed she had gone through hellish training utilizing these excellent facilities and the strict control of the instructors. Then again, her instructor was none other than Sobel.

Was she still bitter about her previous loss? Nina bounded lightly on her feet, her eyes burning with the determination for a revenge match.

In this shelter, I was the only sparring partner who could truly draw out her full potential.

"Here, it won't hurt even if you get thrown around. Brace yourself, Boss!"

Nina said, slapping the soft mat with her bare white feet. She looked truly confident.

"Cute."

I tossed out a short comment, and her face immediately turned sullen.

Perhaps she had heated up from her earlier sparring, because she had taken off her crop top and was just wearing a sports bra. Her brown hair was tied back in a ponytail.

"Aren't you going to warm up?"

Nina asked, stretching her arms and tilting her neck from side to side.

"I'm fine."

I don't need warm-up exercises anymore. Whether it's working out or swimming.

The moment the Nectar Implant's algorithm detected I was entering combat, it immediately secreted 'Messenger' blood cells, which circulated through the muscles of my entire body, waking them up into an active state.

Even though I was just standing still, it was a bizarre sensation—my whole body's muscles naturally entered a state of tension, brimming with optimal power and standing by.

According to Artemis, the efficacy of the enhanced blood cells didn't end there.

Unlike my assumption that it would just improve my lung capacity, there were various side effects. It seems she didn't call it 'Ichor' (Blood of the Gods) for nothing.

I took off my top and faced her wearing only an undershirt.

"Wow."

Nina covered her mouth with a surprised expression.

"I noticed it before, but you have a lot of scars."

"I'm a soldier who rolled around in the field, after all."

I slightly lifted my undershirt to show her my side. A light brown, star-shaped scar was revealed. It was a bullet wound.

"Is that, by any chance...?"

"Yeah. That 'by any chance'. If it had hit just a few centimeters higher, I would've died."

I tossed my shirt into the corner.

"Alright, shall we begin?"

I puffed up my muscles as much as possible and took a combat stance. Seeing that, Nina struck a pose to show off her own muscles, as if refusing to lose.

Nina planted her feet firmly on the mat and took a defensive stance. Since she was at a disadvantage in weight class, it seemed she intended to counter me when I stepped in rather than attacking recklessly.

Following her intention, I went on the offensive.

"Hah!"

She slid back slightly to open up the distance, then launched a front kick. The target was my abdomen.

Snatch.

I caught the sole of her foot and lifted it upward. In a flash, her legs were forced apart, and she lost her balance.

I rushed in, grabbed her spread crotch with my other hand, and threw her.

Thud!

It made a pretty loud sound, but since we were on thick mats anyway, it wouldn't have hurt at all.

"Ugh, geez."

Indeed, Nina popped right back up, looking frustrated.

"Grab a little gentler, will you?"

She crouched down and clutched her crotch with both hands.

"Sorry, sorry."

I laughed and waved my hand. I didn't think I grabbed her that hard, but Nina wasn't getting up.

"Are you okay?"

I approached her out of concern, and she suddenly kicked off the ground.

"Opening!"

Nina launched a full-body tackle with all her might straight at my chest.

Acceleration didn't activate. If I left all my implants on, it would be an absurdly one-sided fight, so I had turned the acceleration function off.

Thanks to my enhanced reflexes, I barely managed to dodge, but my stance crumbled.

Seizing that opening, Nina threw a low sweep, striking the back of my knee and sending me tumbling. If you kick there, even a child can bring down a giant.

I overwhelmed Nina physically, but when it came to this kind of technique, I was only at the level of an ordinary person.

Swoosh.

As I tried to halfway get up, I forcibly twisted my upper torso. By a matter of centimeters, Nina's white knee grazed past my chest.

Nina's attacks continued fluidly. When the knee strike failed, the missing knee extended smoothly, catching my neck between her legs.

She threw her ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠entire body weight into it, taking me down to the mat.

I struggled with all my might to break free, but Nina was also pressing down with her full weight, giving it her all.

Since she couldn't overcome the weight difference with striking techniques, it seemed she intended to settle this with grappling, where the skill gap between a civilian and a pro is maximized. And it was effective.

She must have locked the submission hold in perfectly, because I couldn't slip out at all. It wasn't simply a matter of a contest of strength.

I couldn't even use half my strength, because if I tried to exert more, an immense pressure clamped down on my neck, which was caught in Nina's leg lock.

To escape, I had to use strength, but doing so meant I was essentially choking myself with my own power. This definitely rendered the physical difference meaningless.

"Ready to surrender?"

Nina said, her body trembling with exertion. Her limbs were straining to their limits, and her white face, popping with veins, had flushed red. A victorious smirk stretched across her lips.

"Don't be stubborn and just tap the mat, Boss. You're going to pass out."

Just as she said, my vision started to blur. At that moment, a specific signal from the Nectar Implant spread throughout my body.

The dizziness vanished, and I felt a burning sensation in both arms.

Pow!

I pushed off the ground with both hands, and my upper body—along with Nina's body, which was still holding the choke—was lifted straight up. For a split second, I felt like Hercules had possessed my arms.

"Huh? What?"

Nina hung in the air, her legs still wrapped around my neck. She looked shocked by this absurd, monstrous strength.

Tickle, tickle.

In that position, I relentlessly tickled Nina's white-chocolate abs and her sides.

"Kyahahaha!"

The chokehold broke instantly, and she dropped down.

Thud!

I immediately pinned her down and mercilessly tickled her belly, ribs, back, and right below her chest.

"Kyaaaaaak! S-stop! Stop it! I surrender! I surrendeeeer!"

Screaming breathlessly, she declared her defeat. That marked the end of Round 1.

The sparring continued after that.

Nina moved as gracefully as a dancer, using light strikes to disrupt me before launching surprise grappling attempts.

I stayed completely on guard, determined not to fall for it twice, but I got caught again. The grappling techniques a pro uses on a civilian pack a destructive power far beyond imagination.

Of course, part of it was that I had no intention of hurting Nina and focused purely on defense and counterattacks.

The goal of this sparring was to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠draw out my physical potential to its maximum, not to win.

Round 3.

I dodged a white fist flying at my face and blocked a low kick aiming for my blind spot with the sole of my foot.

"Eek!"

Nina's eyebrow twitched at this ridiculous counter to her low kick, but I couldn't give this up.

The sensation of the sole of my foot violently clashing with the top of her foot provided a bizarre kind of pleasure. Above all, the frustrated look on Nina's face was just too entertaining.

Smack!

Once again, the top of Nina's foot met the sole of my foot with a resounding smack.

"Come on!"

She complained with the exact intonation of a native Korean.

Round 4.

I fell for Nina's grappling again. This time, it was a headlock. Her breasts—the only fatty tissue on her entire body—pressed intensely against my cheek.

"Eep!"

I pinched and twisted her nipple, and she let go instantly.

"Y-You!"

She clutched her chest and stuttered. She seemed so pissed off her words were getting twisted.

"Don't use dirty fouls!"

She pointed an accusing finger at me.

"Look who's talking."

I replied curtly. Coming from the person ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠who faked an injury to launch a surprise attack on someone checking if she was okay, she had no room to talk.

Our sparring continued for a while after that.

Sweat flowed, we caught each other's scents during the grappling, and as our muscles, swollen to their limits, rubbed against one another, an undeniable chemistry passed continuously between us.

"Haa... Hah."

Nina was getting exhausted from the intense physical drain, but my breathing hadn't faltered once. It felt as if a steam engine had been installed inside my body; my muscles overflowed with boundless energy.

Squeezing out her last ounce of stamina, Nina let out a battle cry and charged. She kicked and punched ferociously, rushing in for one final, decisive blow.

However, her foot slipped on the mat, which was now slick with our sweat, and she fell. Sprawled out flat on her back right in front of me, she stared up at the ceiling.

"Haa... Haa..."

Her sweat-drenched chest heaved violently. With every rise and fall, beads of sweat rolled here and there.

Squinting at the bright ceiling lights, I crouched down beside her. My body cast a shadow over her face.

I brushed back the sweat-soaked bangs clinging to her forehead.

"Good work."

Nina let out a goofy, relaxed laugh.

"Are you busy today? Can't you stay a little longer?"

At the touch of my hand caressing her cheek, the corners of Nina's eyes curved like crescent moons.

"The spa here is amazing! If you dip into the hot spring, you'll just melt right away. And then, if you suddenly splash into the cold bath... it's thrilling!"

I pictured a stark naked Nina, her plump hips swaying as she dove into the cold bath.

Nina spoke coaxingly. She calls me Boss, but the way she treats me is less like a boss and more like...

"That's bad for your heart. Don't do that anymore."

"Aw, come on! It's fine, it's fine. My body is tough as nails."

Nina patted the area over her heart with her palm.

Jiggle!

Her sweat-drenched cleavage bounced violently.

"Still no. From now on, jumping straight from the hot bath into the cold bath is banned. And I have to get going today. There's a lot to prepare for the upcoming outside expedition. Weapons, equipment, operational planning, and so on."

"Got it."

Nina looked dejected. I couldn't tell if it was because the cold ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠bath plunge was banned, or because I had to leave.

We left the sparring room together. Waving at me, Nina headed toward where the foot massage machines were.

As she slid her feet into the machine and flipped the switch, her face instantly filled with pure bliss.

Her simple-mindedness brought a chuckle to my lips. I had felt a little bad seeing her so downcast, but it seems my worry was unnecessary.

I have a lot of other work to do. I need to test-fire the prototype firearms and review the operational maps. I stepped out of the gym.