Experimental Gains- Part 1

Dragaux is (mostly) reformed, helping train people to be at their physical best and staying positive, but that allure to get bigger and stronger is driving him to experiment with dark forces once again... Enjoy!

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Dragaux had what could be described charitably as an eventful life so far- a dragon of the Land of Always Night, he had transformed himself into a musclebound powerhouse under the tutelage of a sentient ring, been corrupted by a parasitic Dark Influence, nearly conquered and corrupted the world, had sense knocked into him, and had spent almost a year repairing the damage he had caused. He had been humbled, and spent time clearing up corruption and training the warrior that had defeated him in the first place- but now he was beginning to feel restless. He had turned his Dragaux stadiums into proper gyms, doing his best to build up clients in a positive manner, and he knew it was important work- but it was also growing dull.

The dragon knew how that sounded. He was supposed to be reformed, and he was. He didn't want to take over the world, but he did want something… more. It was hard to put his finger on what, exactly, that was, until he spotted himself in the mirror one day. Even after he had been purged of his dark corruption, he was vain. He still favored dark singlets lined in purple that hugged and accentuated his chiseled musculature, and little else. His powerfully roped arms were left bare, and although his legs were smaller, they were still sculpted pillars, holding up a truly impressive torso, with cobblestone abs and a massive chest straining the straps of his singlet. His sleek black scales highlighted every bulge and diamond-cut definition along his brawn. He still looked great- almost as good as he did when he was riding high on the Dark Influence that enhanced his strength and muscular build.

But that was the problem: almost as good. He had once been great. He had once been powerful, stronger than anyone else- and he missed it. He had been spending the year tempering himself, just aiming to maintain and train others, but his ambition had never really gone away. The dragon wanted to build himself bigger, go back on a bulking regimen, really push himself and see just how strength would go, but there was a problem. Maybe it wasn't a major problem, but he knew Ring, his old training partner, and the Four Masters, a group of fitness instructors and warriors, would be watching him carefully; they would get nervous at the thought of Dragaux wanting to get bigger and stronger again. This would have to be done in secret, and by the time his friends and colleagues noticed that his muscles had become all the bigger, well, what were they going to do about it? Force him to stop working out? Starve him?

Dragaux frowned, thinking about that last part. They had given him a pretty good beatdown after everything with the Dark Influence…

"Nah, nah. It'll be fine," Dragaux said to himself. "I just gotta keep my head this time. If they see that I'm still reformed, it'll be all good. I just gotta tell them afterwards that normal's for the birds. Why be normal when you can be ripped? Yeah! Yeah, exactly."

The dragon's plan would be simple- the Dark Influence made him bigger and stronger than ever, but dulled his common sense, his confidence, his free will, and fed off his insecurities and vanity. All he had to do was trap a piece of the Dark Influence and hold it at arm's length- sure, he knew he was playing with fire, but then, he was a dragon. Once he had it properly trapped, he could study it and harness its power. But first, he needed Ring's help.

Breathing deeply, Dragaux approached the entrance of Sporta's stadium, where he had most recently trained. "Hey, uh… Ring? Need your help with something, bro." The musclebound dragon called out, setting his jaw as he saw the sentient ring floating towards him.

"Dragaux! You did great with the training session yesterday! Keeping healthy?"

"Heh, well, what do you think?" he smirked, puffing up his muscular chest. "Listen… you've got all kinds of charms and powers, right? Well, truth be told, I've been feeling a little nervous lately."

"Oh? What about?"

"I heard some creatures near town got infected with Dark Influence… and naturally, I thought I might be a target. I know you've been working on a sort of trap for Dark Influence, so I was wondering if you'd give me one, you know, to keep around the house."

Ring hemmed and hawed for a moment. "Well… I think that could be possible- check in the box near the lockers, you'll find a ring about as big as me. Just lay it out on your doorstep, and any bit of Dark Influence that pases over the threshold will get snapped up like the last smoothie after a cardio workout!"

"Yeah, yeah, thanks, pal," Dragaux said, absent-mindedly patting Ring's head before making a beeline for the lockers. He found what he was looking for- a brass ring that hummed softly with power. So far, so good. Now, he just had to draw any bit of Dark Influence left out there to him- that part, however, should be easy. He left for the woods, in a secluded glade, and set the brass ring on the ground. If there was anyone around who knew how to draw the attention of the Dark Influence, it was Dragaux.

"Oh, wow, I just hate how everyone seems to be doing so much better than me at working out!" Dragaux called out loudly, cupping his mouth. "Yeah, I just know I'll never be good enough!" He paused, listening intently and waiting. "Did I mention I secretly hate how I look?"

The dragon frowned. He knew there were still little pockets of Dark Influence lingering around; he wasn't that good of a trainer and motivational coach. So where was it? "C'mon! Boy, I just wish someone would show up and make me into a huge jerk so everyone'll love me!"

The snap of a twig branch was all Dragaux needed. He pivoted around, tensing his sculpted quads, and delivering a powerful kick on a glob of dark, amorphous mass trying to sneak up on him. Dragaux's kick pushed it back into the brass ring, and the power sprang to life, glowing brightly and forming a small cage for the blob of dark energy. Looming over it, Dragaux smirked. "Hey, bro. Long time no see. So, I'm sitting here and thinking- I've been busting my butt for people, making up for everything I did, but you, you never really made up for all that. And the way I see it, you owe me big for making a fool out of me. And I want you to think about every possible meaning of the word 'big' as we get this party started."

Dragaux hefted up the ring, the Dark Influence wriggling to break free. The dragon carried it home, and began his work. The Dark Influence was kept in a cage, where Dragaux would prepare a special smoothie before his daily workouts- one that had just a bit of Dark Influence mixed in. It was risky, he knew it, but the results spoke for themselves. Dragaux could feel the pump like he hadn't in a year during his workouts; every part of him began to grow and flourish, smashing his personal records every day and splitting the seams of his singlets.

The weight he was able to throw around was getting truly spectacular. Dragaux was always exceptionally strong, but now, he felt like he could level a mountain. He had grown larger than the Dark Influence or draining the souls of the Four Masters had ever made him- he was a juggernaut of power, with every limb and body part swollen to a monumental degree. Dragaux grinned toothily, admiring his own engorged frame- he breathed in deep with a low growl, his mighty chest rumbling like a great furnace, his stone slab-like pecs inflating, straining his singlet. His powerful hands wrapped around a steel bar, but he was careful with his grip. His immense arms, even at the slightest hesitation, tensed and bulged, his biceps like boulders pushing higher, his anvil-like triceps hard as iron. The dragon's barrel-sized thighs tightened, and his legs planted themselves as sturdy as oak trees. The steel bar he was holding was attached to enough weight plates to flatten a tank, and with one clean jerk and a mighty roar, Dragaux lifted it over his head.

"Yes! That's what I'm talking about!" Dragaux roared again, letting his back flare out like an extra pair of wings as he threw down the bar, the weights cratering the concrete ground as he flexed his mighty arms, biceps jostling his pecs. Smirking, the dragon lumbered to grab his Dark Energy smoothie- the last for the day. This plan was working just as he had hoped- he looked great and he felt great. He kept his thoughts positive, and with only a touch of Dark Energy, he could keep the bad ones at bay.

"Heh, not so bad, eh, bro?" He smirked, turning to face the vat he was keeping the Dark Energy trapped in. Was it… bigger? Dragaux hadn't paid it much mind, but now that he looked at it, the vague mass of energy was significantly bigger- in fact, it was close to overfilling the vat. And was that a hairline fracture?

"Right… gotta get a bigger cage…" Before he could think further, however, Dragaux's own chest swelled into his field of view, and he grinned again. "And bigger clothes… bigger weights… heh! Bigger everything!"

He flexed his arms again, pumping his swollen biceps until they reached over his head, his own muscle hiding that, along with everything else getting bigger, so was the crack in the Dark Energy's vat.