"Hello there!" Polt, the hyperactive, brown-furred newcomer greeted us enthusiastically, her canine ears perked up and her tail wagging excitedly as she shook everyone's hands. "My name is Polt, and I own Sports Club Kobold! Were you the folks Smith-san said would be testing my new facilities?"

Kurusu answered warily, still wincing from her perpetually loud voice. "Y-Yes... You're, uh, quite lively..."

"That's because I'm incredibly excited about your participation!" Polt replied, a broad, unwavering grin showing her fangs plastered on her face. "Giving liminals in this country a place to exercise has become a personal passion project of mine, so anything you can do to help my dream become a reality would be greatly appreciated!"

"Alright, let's go on a tour to show you all that Sports Club Kobold has to offer!" At that, she eagerly led us back to the gym, waving us onward with a wide swing of her paw. Papi, Suu, and Cerea followed immediately after her while the rest of us exchanged nervous glances before joining in. Despite my hangover, I was excited to see what Polt had in store for us behind those glass doors.

"The first floor was designed with the larger liminal species in mind," Polt explained as we began our tour, skipping past the neglected front desk in the lobby. As we entered the main room, I was amazed by its sheer size. Giant punching bags soared above ten meters, treadmills easily wide enough for two of us side-by-side, and other supersized exercise equipment lined the room.

"On the north side, you can see our rock-climbing wall reaching the eighth floor!" Polt pointed out, "It's been outfitted with interchangeable layouts to encourage variety and test problem-solving skills!" I could tell Rachnera was already thinking of making it even more challenging. "And the south wall is solely dedicated to using for arachnes, with a surface as smooth as glass! There are hooks at different heights, meant for them to use their web to scale up!"

Rachnera folded her arms and gave the smooth wall a critical eye or six. "Is that supposed to be challenging? We can climb on sheer surfaces, and our silk can be as strong as steel if we want."

"Is that so?" Polt asked, genuinely curious, "Would you mind testing the wall out for me, then? If it's not challenging for arachnes, I must make adjustments!"

Rachnera must've sensed that Polt wasn't arguing with her, which was probably the only reason she didn't instantly shoot back some snide remark. Instead, she sighed heavily and said, "Very well, since it's no trouble."

Polt gave a relieved smile and thanked her. "Thank you so much!" she shouted cheerfully.

Kurusu and Miia joined in, cheering her on. "Good luck, Rachnee-san!"

"Rachnee-san, Rachnee-san, does whatever a Rachnee-san can!" Miia added with a giggle.

I rolled my eyes and asked her dryly, "How long have you been waiting to use that?"

Miia stuck out her forked tongue at me in response.

The other girls gave Rachnera encouraging words, though Cerea's were more muted. Rachnera looked at them in confusion.

"What's the big deal? I'm not doing anything special," she said before quickly turning away, her face hidden. Her abdomen quivered, and webbing shot up, sticking to a hook about five meters up. She gave it a test tug and, when it held, lifted a leg to the wall. However, it immediately slipped off.

"Hm," Rachnera murmured, giving it another go. This time it held for a few seconds, and then she released a few more strands, winding them around her wrist. After a few moments of contemplation, she moved forward, pushing herself up the wall.

I'd seen her move quickly, but holy wow, it was amazing to witness such an incredible feat. Someone of her size and strength moved with such speed and agility that it made my jaw drop. She was on the ground one moment and on the wall the next, her eight legs scrambling for purchase on the slick surface. Her sudden burst of speed slowed to a crawl as she cautiously advanced, one leg at a time.

"Go, go, Rachnee!" Papi and Mero cheered in support.

It was a rather awe-inspiring scene. She rarely used all of her body for anything, so it was hard to get a sense of her power. Plus, out of all the girls, she was the most restrained - seldom displaying her full strength for fear of hurting someone. But now, watching her strain and push her arms, legs, and both abdomens to the furthest extent I'd ever seen before... It was indeed an impressive sight.

Rachnera made steady progress, though it was taking a toll on her. Even with her incredible strength, she was still fighting against gravity and the weight of her own body. It didn't take long for a thin sheen of sweat to drip from her forehead and her breathing to grow uneven.

Despite all that, she did reach the five-meter mark, though it might've taken her a little longer than she'd previously thought.

"Not bad," Rachnera admitted after she dropped down, accepting an offered towel from Polt. Not even her pride could get in the way of her firm belief in honesty. "It was certainly more challenging than I'd imagined. I suspect the large arachne breeds would have a much tougher time than I did, though."

"That's incredible!" Polt replied, before tilting her head curiously, "Why do you think so?"

"They're much heavier, for one," Rachnera informed her while she wiped her brow. "Also, I quickly realized that scaling that wall requires a considerable amount of patience and precision, something that they typically lack."

"Well, that's part of the fun of working out!" Polt exclaimed cheerfully, "Learning your limits and surpassing them!"

Rachnera snorted. "Good luck getting them to agree to that."

"I will!" Polt said. "Sometimes all people need is an encouraging word, you know!"

"And sometimes an 'encouraging word' is all people need to have a good reason to toss you out of a window," Rachnera dryly commented, "But that is neither here nor there. Shall we continue with the tour?"

"Yes!"

And so we did. After passing the lush garden, we stopped at the door marked 'Track and Field.'

"And here is where our indoor track is located!" Polt informed us, leading us inside and entering a room easily as large as the one we just left. "Here, you'll find facilities most prepared for species such as centaurs, land harpies, and anyone who enjoys a good run! Like me!"

"There's nothing for me here, then," Miia sighed, her disappointment palpable. Mero nodded sympathetically.

"So far, I have yet to see anything suited for either of us, Miia-sama," she lamented.

"Oh, don't you two worry!" Polt assured them both, a warm smile spreading across her face. "Equipment better suited for lamias is on the fourth floor, and we also have a variety of pools that should satisfy any aquatic species!"

Once she said 'variety of pools,' it all confirmed my suspicions that this version of Sports Club Kobold was quite different from the one I'd seen in canon. The general workout area was much more diverse, for one, and I didn't remember any mention of an indoor track either. Add in the fact that there was now more than one pool, and I was starting to realize that it had something to do with Smith's cryptic comments earlier. The gym seemed to be far better equipped this time around, likely due to Smith's meddling, but why?

"What manner of devices are those?" Cerea pointed at the room's far end, where several metal objects of varying sizes lay. "I'm curious to know what they are!"

"Hm? Oh, those are weight carriages!" Polt answered. "You strap them on your back and pull them as you run the track!"

"Carriages?" Cerea repeated, sounding scandalized, "I'm not some beast of burden!"

"No, no, of course not!" Polt exclaimed, shaking her head vigorously. "These aren't meant for labor but for strength training. You strap them on your back and pull them as you run the track. It's a great way to build up your whole body except your arms. That's what the tackling dummies are for!"

Polt gestured towards the row of dummies, not unlike those used by football players for practice, lined up along the long side of the track. "I had those specially commissioned so that even the strongest centaur can tackle them without fear of smashing right through them!"

Cerea's eyes lit up with determination as she eyed the tackling dummies curiously. "May I attempt a test of sorts?" she asked eagerly, her chin slightly raised.

Polt's response was equally enthusiastic. "By all means! Just make sure to use the proper technique. Instructions on how to do so are on the posters next to the dummies!"

Cerea quickly trotted over and stopped to read the informative posters, quickly absorbing the instructions. She lined up with one of the tackling dummies, noting its reinforced bracing and hydraulics. With a determined stride, she began walking forward, slowly at first, but her speed started to build with each step. Soon she was in a full gallop, her upper body lowering slightly and her arms spread open in preparation.

The momentum was building, and she accelerated even faster, smashing into the tackling dummy with enough force to make me gasp. The hydraulics bent and shifted to absorb the impact, sending the dummy back half a meter.

"Wow!" I exclaimed in awe, taking in the sight before me. Cerea had stepped away from the dummy, breathing heavily as she admiringly surveyed her work. She nodded in satisfaction and wiped her hands before joining us again.

"More than impressive," I said, impressed by her skill, "The shock absorbers could be made more efficient with heavier centaurs, if possible."

"Thanks for the advice!" Polt said with a thumbs-up. "Now, let's continue the tour! Next stop, the pools!"

To be continued!