Welcome to Hell: Sponsored by Coach

As the trio headed to the training field, Seraphine's excited voice rang out, "This is the first time I've heard about that type of plant! Do you think we'll ever get to encounter one?"

Ashen paused for a moment before shaking his head. "Tough chance. Professor Toad kept rambling about their rarity. A lightning attribute would be cool, though."

"Professor Toad…?" Seraphine tilted her head, confused yet intrigued.

Braun let out a dry chuckle. "He's talking about Mrs. McClintock. And honestly, that's on point. Just make sure you don't call her that out loud."

"Hey! Don't be rude, guys." Seraphine pouted, but the twitch at the corner of her lips betrayed her amusement.

Ashen smirked but didn't dwell on it. "Anyway, let's meet up after physical training. I've got my hands on some important info… I bet you'll both be interested."

Seraphine nodded without hesitation, and Braun added, "Then let's have lunch together, sound good?"

"Fine by me," Ashen agreed.

"I'm in, too," Seraphine chimed in.

*

After a short walk, they arrived at the training grounds, where another grueling session awaited. 

Today's workout wasn't just running… it was a full-body beatdown. Every muscle was pushed to the breaking point: push-ups, pull-ups, squats, dips.

Ashen started to see why their demonic instructor called himself "Coach".

The man was uncannily able to gauge everyone's limits with terrifying precision.

With just a glance, he could tell which muscle groups still had energy left and assigned extra exercises accordingly.

But what was truly terrifying wasn't the workout… it was the gaze.

The first time Ashen felt it settle on him, his instincts screamed at him to move. 

It wasn't an overwhelming fear that froze you in place, but rather a creeping, suffocating pressure that gnawed at the edges of sanity. 

The longer he stayed still, the heavier it became… like an unseen force pressing down on him.

And he wasn't the only one who felt it. Around him, trainees groaned and whimpered, but no one dared to stop. 

The weight of Coach's presence alone kept them moving, their bodies pushed far beyond what should have been possible.

Ashen wiped the sweat from his brow, gritting his teeth as he dropped for another set of push-ups. 

The salty sting in his eyes, the burning in his arms, the ragged breath of exhausted trainees around him… everything blurred into a single, agonizing rhythm.

He clenched his jaw.

'Training over 200 people at once while tailoring the exercises to each individual… Yeah, he definitely earned the right to call himself Coach.'

*

Ashen felt that the two hours of physical training passed at a crawling pace. 

As the last few minutes ticked by, Coach clapped his hands loud enough for everyone to hear.

As soon as he got everyone's attention, he crossed his arms and exclaimed in a satisfied tone,

"Alright, this is enough for today. On your way out, you will find drinks being distributed by our staff. Don't hesitate to take one… it will aid in repairing your body after the workout and provide essential nutrients."

The coach smirked as he left one last remark before walking away.

"For the scaredy-cats, don't be afraid. It's not poisoned."

"In fact, it's made entirely from restorative herbs and plants. You may not see such good things again anytime soon after leaving this place, so take advantage of the opportunity." 

"Besides, if we wanted to harm you, we wouldn't need such a roundabout method."

With that, he left without bothering to wait for any answers.

*

Ashen all but crawled out of the training grounds. 

As he stepped outside, he spotted Seraphine and Braun approaching, both dragging their feet like the walking dead. 

He snickered, rolling his shoulders before calling out,

"Heh, you guys look like you got wrecked by a runaway train. What happened? Hahaha."

"Haah… haah… you're not much better yourself, hmph." Seraphine shot back between heavy breaths, even sticking out her tongue.

Braun grinned at the absurdity of it all. "Guys, look around, it's a zombie apocalypse."

Ashen glanced around. Sure enough, more than 200 trainees staggered out, some hunched over, others barely holding themselves upright. 

It was a scene straight out of a horror flick.

Shaking his head, he nodded toward a small station manned by two maids. "Let's grab our Red Bulls before the line gets out of control."

The three of them joined the growing queue as more trainees shuffled over.

When Ashen finally got his drink, he took a few sips and clicked his tongue. "...Bitter. Tastes just like that nasty Asian medicine my mother used to make me drink."

Braun downed his in one go, grimacing before tossing the empty bottle aside. "Well, healthy stuff is supposed to taste bad, so there's that."

"Tastes like crushed herbs soaked in vinegar," Seraphine muttered, scrunching her nose after taking a large gulp. Tears started to pool in her eyes.

"C'mon, you're a big girl… You gotta finish your drink, baby." Ashen gave her a teasing smile as he nudged her.

"I'm not a baby! Ashen, you're bullying me again…" Seraphine shot him one of her cute glares in return.

"You two can flirt later," Braun called out as he started walking ahead. "Let's hurry, I'm starving after that workout."

"Yeah, that drink opened my appetite. Let's go." Ashen matched his pace.

"Braun! Not you too…" Seraphine whined as she rushed to catch up.