Muscle Training with the PT Teacher

Whirrr! The chainsaw roared. "Be careful."

"Got it····."

"If you act up one more time, I'll expand that urethra of yours."

"Y-yeah, got it."

Once I tossed Yeoui and the chainsaw back into my inventory, Sottong's face relaxed a little.

—Click, click.

"Whew—so why'd you call me over?"

"I didn't think you'd be this much of a lunatic····."

Whirrr!

"Hup. Never mind."

"Haa—"

Scars covered his entire body. Every so often, a crazed glint flashed in his eyes. He clearly wasn't in his right mind. He wasn't just swept up by his emotions—he was addicted to them. I didn't know what had happened to him, but if he hadn't been like this, his mind probably wouldn't have held together.

"You're that old and still drowning in your feelings?"

"·····."

Every time our eyes met, his gaze looked bored, like a starving deer desperately searching for any scrap of pleasure.

"Why are you guys trapped here?"

"Can't say."

"Of course you can't."

One thing was clear: they weren't here by choice.

"Haa—"

The cigarette smoke he exhaled drifted toward the bleak sky.

"Got anything you like?"

My sudden question made him blink his large eyes.

"Food, I mean."

"Food?"

When I nodded at Heracles' question, a thoughtful look crossed his eyes. The scenery here was nice, but aside from that one cabin, there was nothing but grass and trees. Same as with Sun Wukong—this place was perfect for driving someone insane.

"·····Meat."

"What?"

He mumbled so quietly I could barely hear him.

"Speak up. Act your size."

"I like meat."

Keeping that insane amount of muscle probably took more than ordinary meat.

"Sottong."

"It's Heracles."

"Right, Sottong. Go fetch some firewood. I'll grill some meat for you."

"Meat?"

"Yeah. It tastes better grilled over firewood. Go on, hurry up."

Heracles, who had been sitting on the rock, stood up awkwardly.

"You're eating all of a sudden?"

"You've got a ton of stress built up. Eating good food helps with that."

People this mentally unstable shouldn't be left alone with their thoughts. It would only make things worse.

"There's nowhere to get ingredients here."

"I'll handle that. Just go."

"Understood."

Heracles picked up the axe leaning against the cabin and headed into the forest. In the meantime, I could prepare the food. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Something brothy to go with the meat—spicy enough to help blow off some steam.

I pulled out a bunch of cooking tools from my inventory, cluttering up the area. For the broth base, I used anchovies and kelp. I tossed water and the ingredients into a pot to simmer. While the broth was brewing, I took out a huge pile of chicken breast—the universal favorite ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠among fitness freaks. Someone his size was definitely going to eat a lot.

I mashed the chicken breast with onion, salt, pepper, and minced garlic. Finally, I added starch and kneaded it into a dough. If it tasted a little bland, a splash of oyster sauce would fix it.

Boom! Crash!!

While I was cooking, loud noises echoed from the distance. Heracles must have been working hard on the firewood. In the meantime, I rolled the dough into little meatballs and dropped them into the rich broth.

Plop! Plop!

One by one, the meatballs sank into the soup. The broth was already deeply flavored from the anchovies and kelp, so I adjusted the seasoning with anchovy fish sauce for extra depth.

Slurp.

"Mmm, perfect."

The seasoning was good. Now I just needed to slice in some green chili peppers for that spicy kick and let it bubble until the meatballs were cooked through. That would finish the clear anchovy-chicken meatball soup.

Thud!

"Easy, you're kicking up dust."

"Mm. Sorry."

I turned at the loud noise to see Heracles had returned with a massive pile of firewood—enough to roast dozens of whole cows. He looked secretly excited too.

"Hoo— hoo— ah, open up."

"Ah."

After scooping up some broth and a meatball with a spoon, I held it out. Heracles, who had been blinking, opened his mouth. All my kids seemed to have big mouths. His eyes widened as he tasted the soup.

"It's delicious!"

"Right? Start a fire with the firewood. Let's grill some meat too."

"Leave it to me."

Heracles, who had been bent over to receive the food, shot up and thumped his chest twice before heading toward the firewood he'd stacked. He picked up two thick, split logs and started doing something strange.

Scraaape!

"·····?"

He was suddenly rubbing the two logs together.

Fwoosh!

Flames burst from the wood within seconds.

"That's basic fire magic····?"

"Mm."

"Not bad."

I gave him a thumbs-up, and he returned it. For some reason, I felt an odd sense of camaraderie.

"Raise the fire high enough that it won't touch the grill and set a pan on top."

"Understood."

Heracles gathered some large rocks nearby and stacked them into a stand in no time.

"Come out, Hanwoo grade 1++."

"Ooh····."

"Pretty, right?"

"Buuurp."

"Feeling less stressed?"

"Thanks to you."

Even a 2-liter bottle of cola looked like a regular can in Heracles' massive hand.

—Click, click.

"Haa— want a smoke?"

When I offered him a cigarette, he shook his head.

"Bad for the body."

"Yeah? My master smokes like a chimney."

Just looking at his body, he was the real deal—a hardcore fitness freak.

"Master? That monkey you mentioned earlier?"

"Yeah."

"You found yourself a fine teacher."

"Sure did."

After that, a brief silence fell. Only the sound of the wind rustling through the thick grass was pleasant to the ear.

"Haa—"

"I'll teach you my technique."

I'd stayed quiet while he seemed to be organizing his thoughts, but then he said something unexpected.

"Didn't we agree on a reward?"

"It's fine. I'm already learning a lot, so I couldn't handle more anyway."

Crack.

When I refused, Heracles flexed his muscles and stood up.

"Learn it."

"I told you not to get attached. I'll shove spicy meatballs up your nose."

"I-I don't want that."

"Then we're good."

"I'm as strong as that monkey."

Heracles stared at me with a crazed intensity, his presence swelling.

"What weapon do you use?"

Without answering, he went to the cabin and came back with an armful of things, dumping them all out.

Ding!

The item information for everything Heracles had dumped out appeared before my eyes. Every single one was completely ordinary—nothing worthy of a celebrated hero.

"Weapons are nothing more than secondary tools to extend attack range."

Heracles answered as if he knew exactly what I was thinking. Just like Sun Wukong had said—he was a specialist in bare-handed combat, so I should learn from him if I could.

After that short reply, Heracles stood and faced the opposite direction.

"True power comes from a strong body."

Heracles slowly pushed his fist into the air. Slow. Way too slow. Yet an incomprehensible force coiled around that fist. The moment his slow punch reached its end, the space in front of me brightened in an instant.

Beeeeep— A piercing ring echoed in my ears.

The storm that seemed like it would never ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠end only stopped after Heracles, standing in front of me, took the aftershock that came crashing like a tsunami.

"We start with muscle training."

"·····This is what you call muscle training?"

"You're stating the obvious."

"I don't want bulky muscles."

"My muscle training technique doesn't create bulky muscles. It compresses them instead."

How much had this muscle monster compressed his to end up like that? Both of them were insane. In times like this, you had to say something sharp to snap them out of it.

"Understood, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Master."

When I opened my tightly shut eyes, a white cotton ball was rolling a ball around playing. In front of it, a sunshine-like angel was peacefully eating cake. The contrast was so extreme it felt like I'd returned from hell.

"Where did you go without saying anything?"

"Just did some exercise·····."

"What kind of exercise did you do to end up looking like that? You're pale as a ghost."

"My PT teacher is a muscle monster."

I plopped down next to Haetnim, and only then did my whole body start aching.

"Ah, I'm exhausted."

Haetnim stared at me, chocolate smeared on her lips.

"What are you, a kid?"

Lick.

When I licked the chocolate off her lips, she flicked her tongue over them.

Pat pat.

Haetnim tapped her knees.

"If you're tired, lie down."

She slowly pulled my head toward her. The moment I lay on her soft lap, drowsiness washed over me.

"Ugh. I hate muscles····."

"What exactly did you do?"

Haetnim gently stroked my hair.

"I don't want to remember. I'll rest a bit and then challenge the next floor."

"As you wish."

"The first floor's trial is notoriously difficult."

"Oh?"

"The details differ, but the theme is the same. Facing your weak self."

"I'll wrap it up quick and come back."

"Return safely."

The moment I stepped into the portal in front of me, the surroundings changed in an instant.

"Ugh."

My body lost balance and lurched forward, the ground rushing up to meet my face.

"What the hell is this?"

"It's small!"

"Eing?"