[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-heretic-trainer-the-gym-is-my-cultivation-method":3,"chapter-heretic-trainer-the-gym-is-my-cultivation-method-heretic-trainer-the-gym-is-my-cultivation-method-chapter-338":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Heretic Trainer: The Gym Is My Cultivation Method",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1633416,2099,"Chapter 338: Nothing Is a Big Problem","heretic-trainer-the-gym-is-my-cultivation-method-chapter-338",338,"\u003Cp>Two days had passed since Kravos left Grimveil City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No message.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No report.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No return.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the city lord’s tower, Baron Zathrek stood near a wide table carved with demonic symbols.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His fingers pressed slowly into the stone surface, leaving faint traces of ash behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Two days,\" he muttered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes narrowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"For a Baron, that is already excessive.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He straightened his back and turned slightly, the faint sound of ash drifting from his body following the movement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Kravos is not dead weight,\" Zathrek continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He would not disappear without reason. And he would not ignore protocol.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze sharpened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Unless something forced him to.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The air in the chamber felt heavier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zathrek lifted one clawed hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Velkyr.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The shadows near the wall stirred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A pale figure emerged silently, his form slightly blurred at the edges.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Velkyr knelt on one knee, head lowered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"City Lord,\" he said. \"You called.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zathrek did not look at him right away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Have you received any word from Kravos?\" he asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Velkyr hesitated for a fraction of a second. His brow tightened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No,\" he replied. \"Nothing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zathrek turned his head slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Velkyr continued, choosing his words carefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yesterday, I dispatched an observation group to retrace his route. Elites and scouts. They were ordered not to provoke anything.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zathrek’s eyes narrowed further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...And?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They have not returned yet.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The silence stretched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ash drifted from Zathrek’s shoulders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not even a signal?\" he asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Velkyr shook his head once. \"None.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zathrek let out a low breath through his nose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That group should have returned by now,\" he said. \"Unless they were delayed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Or restrained,\" Velkyr added quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zathrek’s lips pressed together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hm.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He walked around the table slowly, claws scraping faintly against the stone floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Kravos still has unfinished obligations here,\" he said. \"He would not abandon them willingly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stopped and turned back toward Velkyr.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And the timing is bad.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Velkyr lifted his head slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Demon Count,\" he said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes,\" Zathrek replied. \"His arrival draws near.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice dropped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If Kravos fails to appear before then, it reflects poorly on this city. On me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Velkyr’s fingers curled slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Should I send another group?\" he asked. \"A larger one?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zathrek shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No. Not yet.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He raised one hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If something strong is involved, sending more bodies only feeds it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked directly at Velkyr.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"When the first group returns, I want a full report. Every detail. Every irregularity.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Velkyr nodded. \"Understood.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was about to step back when his body stiffened slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His head tilted, as if listening to something only he could hear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blur around his form rippled once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zathrek noticed it at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...You received something,\" he said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Velkyr straightened. \"Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He lowered his voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"City Lord. The observation group has returned. They say they have... important information to report.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zathrek’s eyes narrowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So they are alive,\" he said. \"That alone is already strange.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He paused for a moment, then waved one hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tell them to wait. I will hear it myself.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Velkyr bowed slightly. \"As you command.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moments later, both demons moved through the tower halls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zathrek walked at the front, his steps slow and heavy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ash drifted faintly from his shoulders with every movement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Velkyr followed half a step behind, his presence thin and quiet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They entered a wide chamber used for reports and judgments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three demons knelt in the center of the room. Their armor was damaged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their posture was tense. One of them was breathing a little too fast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zathrek stopped a few steps away from them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Speak,\" he said. \"And be precise.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of the scouts swallowed and raised his head slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"City Lord,\" he said, \"we reached the location of Black Ash City.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zathrek watched him closely. \"And?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There was nothing there.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The room fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zathrek’s brow furrowed. \"Explain.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scout hesitated, then spoke faster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not ruins. Not debris. Nothing. No walls. No towers. No streets. The land itself was... wrong. Flattened. Twisted. Like it had been crushed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another scout quickly added, \"There were no survivors. No bodies. No lingering structures.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zathrek took one step forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What do you mean, nothing?\" he asked. \"A city does not simply disappear.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first scout lowered his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Just as we said, City Lord. There was nothing left.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Velkyr’s eyes widened slightly. \"Nothing... at all?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The third scout shook his head. \"Even the ground was warped. Mana flow was unstable. It felt heavy just standing there.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zathrek’s gaze darkened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...And the Demon Gate?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scouts exchanged a glance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s gone,\" one of them said quietly. \"Completely gone.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zathrek froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ash drifting from his body slowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Gone,\" he repeated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes,\" the scout said. \"There was no trace of it. No frame. No residual structure. Only distorted mana and pressure.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zathrek slowly straightened his posture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A Demon Gate is not easily destroyed,\" he said. \"Not by Barons. Not by armies.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes narrowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Only one thing can erase a Demon Gate completely.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Velkyr’s voice was low. \"...A calamity.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zathrek did not deny it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That explains Kravos,\" he said. \"He did not return because he could not.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scouts lowered their heads further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...He is dead.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The word hung heavy in the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zathrek clenched his fist once, ash spilling between his fingers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A calamity capable of destroying a Demon Gate and erasing a city,\" he muttered. \"This is not a simple incident.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He fell silent for several seconds, thinking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then his eyes sharpened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...So that is why a Demon Count is coming.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Velkyr looked up. \"You believe the Count already knows?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He would not move otherwise,\" Zathrek replied. \"Counts do not travel for rumors.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned toward Velkyr.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Kravos is gone. His responsibilities do not vanish with him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Velkyr nodded slowly. \"I understand.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Recruit intelligent demons,\" Zathrek ordered. \"Those who can think, calculate, and observe. Not brutes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Velkyr’s fingers curled slightly. \"To replace Kravos’ duties?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes,\" Zathrek said. \"Temporary. Quietly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He glanced back at the scouts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You did well returning alive,\" he said. \"You are dismissed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scouts bowed deeply and hurried out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the chamber was empty again, Zathrek exhaled slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Prepare everything,\" he said. \"The residence. The streets. The hierarchy.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Velkyr lowered his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And the Demon Count?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zathrek’s eyes hardened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We make no mistakes,\" he said. \"Not now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ash drifted thicker around his feet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If this calamity has truly entered the demon world,\" he continued, \"then Grimveil City must survive the scrutiny.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Velkyr nodded once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I will ensure it,\" he said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And deep within the city, unease began to spread.\u003C\u002Fp>",1084,"2026-06-06T11:12:18.542Z",1,"novelbin.me","270e0524f7fa17e4a922024bdef5ee1ea48d76878e5f2eda3e4168884ca54384","heretic-trainer-the-gym-is-my-cultivation-method-chapter-339","heretic-trainer-the-gym-is-my-cultivation-method-chapter-337",613,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fheretic-trainer-the-gym-is-my-cultivation-method-cover.jpg"]