Chapter 1407: NO．23：The Demon's Whisper

NO．23：The Demon's Whisper

As a first-rate sports school covering elementary, middle, and high school as well as college, Teresen's gymnasium is strictly speaking a fitness center; its building itself is on a scale comparable to the teaching buildings of other schools, capable of accommodating thousands of people simultaneously for strength and endurance training.

"Although that's said, we usually still recommend that students take the equipment directly to the training field, because some highly popular students often attract more spectators, which hinders the gym's operation."

The gym's registrar explained, then immediately turned to look at Aomo's side, where Xiao Lu had his back turned, craning his neck to stare at countless girls sweating profusely, a sight too much to take in, not glancing this way at all.

Indeed, that's quite suspicious.

In a gym almost entirely filled with young women, a young man looking around would surely be harshly questioned anywhere else.

But since this young man also wore a shiny trainer badge on his chest when he arrived, the female registrar, despite her dubious look, still politely asked:

"Does this trainer also need to work out? Could you show a rough physical examination form?"

"Eh?" Xiao Lu turned his head, looking at the counter and then at Aomo holding the electronic card in his hand, "What workout? There's no strength training today for the rice bath."

"…"

"She's asking you," seeing the counter silent, Aomo had to speak up, "The facilities here aren't just for Horse Girls to use; in a sense, they're also part of the Central Trainer's occupational benefits."

Although the exterior looks merely like a teaching building, the interior decoration and equipment quality are of world‑class standard, making it difficult to access from outside and moreover possessing astonishing usage value.

But at Central Teresen, whether student or trainer, the fee is a standard charge hardly different from that of an ordinary gym, so low it's shocking.

"Moreover, promotional activities appear regularly; for example, these days fall within the Opening Festival event, and we have a special two‑person three‑leg package whereby trainers and their assigned Horse Girls can enjoy the facilities at 70 % of the original price."

Having trainers and Horse Girls train together sounds like Chairman Thus we output: Thus we output: Thus we output: QiuChuan's style; I don't know whether it's due to similar thinking or simply catering to their preferences in the operational plan.

"Ah? I… I guess I don't need it then…" Jie De Ultraman, who generally doesn't understand these things and wouldn't care even if he did, tried to escape this opportunity to sweat like an old‑timer from the Showa era.

Nowadays this increasingly rare special training session is also one aspect of the new‑generation little‑twerp.

"Is that so?" the counter nodded, with no other reaction, having grown accustomed to these trainers dodging the fitness segment, "Then Trainer Lintong, your updated physical‑test data has been registered, your fitness plan has been slightly adjusted, and the relevant equipment has been unlocked for you."

"Wishing you a smooth workout."

"Thank you for the kind words."

Nodding, he took the returning member card from the other party, Aomo patted the somewhat dazed Xiao Lu on the shoulder: "Let's go, and by the way, don't stare straight at other students—even as a trainer you could easily attract the Discipline Committee."

Although petite, weak‑looking girls can effectively stir protective instincts, the Imperial Crown Prince also finds it hard to resist the sight of muscular bodies drenched in sweat.

Although it's not incomprehensible, Aomo still hopes the other party will restrain himself a bit.

"Uh… where am I staring…!" the Crown Prince's mouth is quite stiff, "I've just never been here before, I'm a bit curious."

"You've been at this school for almost half a year."

"Is it strange not to have come to the gym in almost half a year!" he still protested, "Every time I go downstairs and say something, they just tell me to go to the equipment room to fetch those big tires! No one helps me!"

"This is exactly what that young lady just mentioned—she hopes everyone will train outdoors, especially for certain Horse Girls with particular reputations."

Aomo spoke while walking, his gaze sweeping over the exercisers in the fitness rooms along the way; at a glance there were few girls from the same cohort as Suzi and her friends, but rather many who seemed to be older sisters from the college division.

This also made Xiao Lu's gaze wander, feeling somewhat sorry for his earlier excuse.

Usually wearing school uniforms is fine, but in this gym the usual sports tank tops and yoga pants, clinging attire plus rising heat, the effect of being drenched in sweat—let alone the Crown Prince hiding things under his bed, even other youths his age might not be able to keep their composure.

Of course, this does not include Aomo‑something, who makes up for combat performance with combat intensity.

Aomo‑something's gaze likewise swept over those windows, but he didn't linger; in his mind he was also pondering the strange scenery constructed by this crowd of faces.

A bunch of college students mixed into the high‑school‑division‑intensity fitness floor?

Quite bizarre, but not exactly strange.

After all, it's the second day of school following the winter break; many have gained weight and lost strength, with training standards dropping to the level of junior schoolmates—it's precisely the time to quietly strive to uphold one's dignity—provided they don't run into those junior schoolmates.

That's still pretty tough.

After all, the junior schoolmates haven't been slacking off on eating and drinking during the vacation either.

The main reason they haven't appeared yet is mostly because they haven't signed up as trainers, and they still have to honestly follow a schedule where sports and cultural classes are balanced.

Then there are those who have signed up as trainers but are still wrangling with the trainer role, stubbornly refusing to admit they've gained flesh.

These folks are likewise unable to show up here in the days before school starts; it lets Aomo feel that although he has a few girls under him who love to cause trouble and put on a p‑face, at least they dare to face reality.

Even the most willful, most likely to say 'I don't want to look! I don't want to see!'—Ailisuzhi, paying tribute to the legendary best friend Shinjou Akane—must likewise confront the reality represented by running data.

As a researcher, the very data one cannot betray is both a blessing and a curse (x).

Of course, Aomo actually has their weight data.

But those numbers, obtained from a device hidden beneath the wooden floor at the activity room's entrance, really should still be pretended not to know.

One still has to beat around the bush, using running data to argue the logic that 'training itself can optimize data,' ultimately achieving the effect of giving them a bit more exercise to lose weight.

Don't say it! Don't say lose weight!

This term is so sharp, so ugly, that merely mentioning it makes countless women change color; even if they have the courage to challenge giant beasts and fear no insects, they still waver and break out in a cold sweat.

If you use other wording to make it roundabout and gentle, this poses no difficulty for trainers at all—just the word 'training' suffices to explain everything.

But can they themselves realize that?

Apparently not.

During the first two days of school, you have many chances to witness clashes between trainers and Horse Girls.

And among those, the word that appears most often often has a place for that sharp term.

There are still too many straight‑shooters; everyone has the frank, unflinching courage, which truly makes the cunning demon feel ashamed, prompting contact with Qianming, who works in the infirmary, to indicate her position and prepare a stretcher for emergencies.

Although nowadays there are many trainers whose ethnic meaning isn't purely human, and many who use external forces to enhance themselves, but based on his observation of spending over half a year at Central……

Ordinary humans here are still too many.

Hope they all have self‑awareness when dealing with dangerous creatures.

And whenever this point is brought up, Aomo's gaze shifts back to Chao Cang Lu beside him, revealing a regret all too obvious.

"Moreover, haven't you noticed the cart beside you?"

"Cart? Yeah, but it doesn't feel very usable."

"Have you tried taking off the trainer badge and holding it up to the screen? They're transformable carts equipped with a simple AI."

"Ah?"

You don't need to operate them; they can show amazing horsepower to pull those crane tires… Looking at your expression, it seems you dragged them yourself?

"Yeah! Every time it exhausts me half to death! Why hasn't anyone told me this before!" The Crown Prince was somewhat collapsed.

"Because that was noted in the key points of the initial electronic manual, uh… it seems you didn't read it either. If you want something good, at least you've invisibly trained for half a year, so you arguably have the strength to match jumping ability… although you still can't compare to a high school horse girl."

"I really want to thank you for your comfort, but does this really count as comfort? Aomo-san."

"No, because I just wanted to remind you that it's best to get a membership like mine that lets you train alongside the horse girls."

"Why? This won't even strengthen my power after turning into Ultraman."

"It's not impossible to strengthen; at least physical strength is indeed important for us, and everyone in the Heisei Trio and the Nexus faction would agree with me on this."

"Ah…" the unwilling Xiao Lu made a resistant bubble sound.

"Actually there's one more thing, but since it's not very polite, I don't really want to say it too directly."

What is that?

A shy, timid girl with a touch of inferiority can often burst forth with extraordinary power in panic and haste, and when that power belongs to a petite horse girl with medium- and long-distance aptitude, skilled at taking the lead and even possibly trying a grand escape…

You might be able to feel what it's like to be hit by a 110‑kilometer‑per‑hour cannonball.

…

"At least there's no gunpowder, so no secondary explosion, but if she, in desperation, unleashes the 【Raging Torrent Pursuit】, that's hard to say."

"By the way, this is an orange skill that can evolve from 【Pursuit】, well suited for long‑distance horse girls; I don't know if Trainer Stuart initially had Mi Yu learn it."

"Could you accompany me back to handle the membership?"

"Of course, and please don't look at me like that; I can clearly state this business doesn't involve any commission from me."