"All right. Starting today, you'll be staying here."
Zebro led Lin Yan and the other three to the guardroom.
Though sparsely furnished, it was reasonably clean, with several unoccupied beds.
"I'll cover your food and lodging during training."
As he spoke, Zebro walked over to the enormous mahogany chest in the corner.
He lifted the lid with one hand and pulled out three sets of heavy black gear.
They landed on the floor with several clangs, stirring up a ring of dust.
"These are the weighted outfits we use for training in the Zoldyck Family. Each one weighs fifty kilograms."
"Put them on, then run a hundred laps around this clearing every day, followed by five hundred push-ups and five hundred squats."
"You don't eat until you're done."
Leorio walked over and tentatively lifted one of the vests. His arm abruptly sank, and he nearly threw out his back.
His eyes widened. "Fifty kilograms? Are you kidding me? Is this thing filled with lead? How are we supposed to train wearing this?"
"This is the most basic training."
Zebro spoke as though it were nothing. "Young Master Killua wore this much weight when he was four."
Those words struck like an invisible slap, shutting Leorio up.
Gon's gaze sharpened, his initial surprise turning into a stubborn refusal to lose.
"I'll wear it!" Without another word, Gon grabbed the heavy vest and pulled it on.
The tremendous weight buckled his knees and made him sway violently, but he quickly steadied himself.
Leorio and Kurapika exchanged a glance, then gritted their teeth and put on their weighted outfits too.
Lin Yan watched them without speaking or putting on any weighted gear himself.
For him, external weights at this level were far less effective than channeling true qi to temper his muscles and