Raviel grabbed the bottle, gave it a quick glance, and downed it in one go.

The moment the liquid hit his throat, he winced and let out a short cough.

"Damn it! How can it be this hot and still taste tangy?"

Garion chuckled, watching him from the side.

"That's one of the side effects. It works great, but the flavor… well, still a work in progress."

Raviel squinted at him. "Wait... One of the side effects? What do you mean by one?"

Garion crossed his arms, looking completely unbothered.

"Yeah. The drink might make your body overheat for a bit, maybe shake your body a bit, and you'll probably see a few sparks jumping off your skin.

He then remembered another side effect.

"Oh, and also don't forget to drink some water later, as dehydration could be a possible side effect too."

Raviel blinked. "What the hell, Garion! You could've said that before I drank it!"

Garion grinned. "You didn't ask."

Sparks began to crackle faintly around Raviel's shoulders, his skin giving off a faint red glow.

He stared at his arms in disbelief. "You've got to be kidding me."

Garion laughed. "Relax. That means it's working. Feel that heat? That's your mana circulation hitting overdrive.

He tapped Raviel's shoulder. "It boosts your strength and mana flow efficiency. It's the perfect state for training."

Raviel exhaled slowly, feeling the heat spread through his chest. His aura flickered between red and yellow.

"Tch… no wonder your disciples are scared of you."

Garion tilted his head. "Scared? They should be grateful."

Raviel gave him a flat look. "Grateful?"

He sighed. "You've got insane training routines, and now you're feeding them insane drinks like this."

Garion smirked. "Exactly. Builds character."

Raviel sighed, shaking his head while sparks danced around his arms. "You're not a trainer, you're a demon."

Garion chuckled and started walking toward the squat rack. "Good. Then let's begin your infernal training, Patriarch."

Raviel groaned. "If I survive this, I'm going to make you drink one of my clan's worst potions next time."

Garion looked back with a grin. "Deal. But make sure you can still walk by the end of today."

He then began loading weights one by one, and when he finished, the bar stood heavy with a full 100 kilograms.

Raviel's eyes widened. "Wait a minute. Outside, I only used fifty! Why are you doubling it already?"

Garion shrugged. "Because you already drank that supplement. Your strength's boosted right now."

Raviel stared at the bar, then at Garion. "You're insane."

Garion smirked. "And you agreed to this. Now stop talking and squat. Ten reps."

Raviel exhaled, stepping forward under the bar. The moment he lifted it off the rack, the floor vibrated slightly.

His muscles tensed, and faint sparks ran across his arms and neck.

He lowered himself slowly. "One…"

He gritted his teeth. "Two…"

Garion stood behind him, nodding. "Good. Keep your back straight. Don't let your knees cave in."

He then shouted, cheering for him. "Feel that pressure! That's your limit being tested!"

Raviel groaned. "I feel it's all right."

Garion nodded. "Now do it nine more times."

Raviel shot him a glare, but kept going.

His breath grew heavy, heat rising from his skin as each rep made the sparks grow brighter.

By the tenth squat, small flickers of flame appeared around his legs.

He racked the bar and let out a deep breath, sweat dripping down his face. "Ten reps. Done. Satisfied?"

Garion smirked. "Not yet. Three sets."

Raviel blinked. "Three sets?! Are you trying to kill me?"

Garion chuckled. "Don't exaggerate. You're a Patriarch, not a rookie. You said you wanted to train seriously, right?"

Raviel groaned, rubbing the back of his neck. "I didn't think 'seriously' meant suicide."

Garion ignored him and pointed at the bar. "Come on. You've got one month. Don't expect me to go easy on you."

Raviel sighed and grabbed the bar again. "One month with you feels like a punishment from the heavens."

Garion grinned. "Then consider it divine training."

Raviel shot him a tired look. "You're enjoying this way too much."

Garion chuckled. "Of course I am. You're the one who said you wanted to impress Aveline. So squat like a man who's going to win his bride."

Raviel froze for a second, then gritted his teeth. "You didn't have to put it like that."

Garion leaned against a nearby bench. "Motivation works best when it stings."

Raviel took a deep breath and returned to position. "Fine. But when I collapse, you're carrying me."

Garion smiled. "If you can't walk, I'll just drag you to the next set."

Raviel groaned. "I hate this already."

Garion crossed his arms. "You'll thank me when she looks at you differently."

Raviel snorted. "She'd better, or I'm throwing this barbell at you."

Garion laughed. "Now that's the spirit. Three sets, Patriarch. Let's see if you can survive this infernal routine."

Raviel muttered, "If I die, tell the clan I went out training."

Garion grinned wider. "Don't worry. You'll live. But walking tomorrow? That's a different story."

---

Meanwhile, back at the Revalis Clan, Rendric had already returned to handle the affairs left behind by the Patriarch.

He walked through the main hall, reading through a stack of reports while several elders followed behind him.

One of them asked. "Elder Rendric, will the Patriarch really be gone for an entire month?"

Rendric nodded. "Yes. He's doing... special training with Sect Leader Garion."

The elders exchanged nervous glances. "Special training? With that monster?"

Rendric sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Exactly. Which means for the next month, we all need to handle things properly, and no one is allowed to bother him. Not even if the heavens fall."

The others nodded quickly and scattered.

Once the hall was quiet again, Rendric leaned back in the Patriarch's chair and rubbed his temples.

"One month without Raviel… may the gods help this clan."

He stared at the clan map spread across the table. "Now then… there's still one more problem."

His eyes moved to the northern area marked with green vines, known as the territory of the Avenora Clan.

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