Tracking Armis to what looked like the outer part of Pompeii, Alan was astonished to see Armis running with seemingly boundless energy, as if the recent beating had never occurred.
Alan exerted himself to keep up, leaping from roof to roof as Armis dashed ahead.
Coming to a stop at the entrance of a forest on the outskirts, Armis disappeared into the dense foliage. Alan hesitated briefly, casting a glance back at the city before following Armis into the forest.
After navigating through the thick greenery, Armis cleared a path through the trees, revealing a clearing in the center of the forest. In the middle stood two huts, spaced about ten feet apart, each surrounded by fields and small silos. A shed nearby likely housed farming equipment.
Armis sprinted towards the smaller hut and disappeared inside. From his vantage point in a nearby tree, Alan observed with keen interest. As Armis emerged, Alan noticed his muscular physique, far more developed than others his age, and the dark gray mark on his chest, resembling a plate of armor.
Clad only in a loincloth, Armis grabbed a plowing axe from near a silo and began to work the field with focused intensity. Alan remained perched in the tree, watching as hours passed by, feeling somewhat uncomfortable witnessing Armis, nearly naked, toiling away in the field.
After completing his work, Armis let out a resounding cry, startling Alan momentarily, with his obnoxious cry of completion.
Armis then moved to one of the silos, retrieving a bucket of water and some seeds, which he planted and watered diligently.
Following his fieldwork, Armis doused himself with another bucket of water before proceeding to exercise with a set of weights.
Hours passed in this manner until Armis let out another loud grunt, signaling the end of his regimen.
With purposeful strides, Armis dashed towards a makeshift shrine adorned with a stone carving and a large sword. He knelt before it in prayer for a minute before returning to his hut.
Observing Armis's routine, Alan couldn't help but feel a twinge of disappointment. He had hoped to uncover some answers regarding the strange phenomena he witnessed earlier, yet all he learned was the secret behind Armis's impressive physique. It seemed
Armis remained oblivious to the strange and horrific events he had been involved in, perhaps even unaware of killing and absorbing the bullies' bodies. However, Alan knew it was premature to draw conclusions; Pompeii held mysteries at every turn.
Intrigued by the shrine, Alan swiftly descended from his perch to a nearby tree and narrowed his eyes for a closer inspection.
Etched into the stone was a likeness of a man with a beard and long hair—Armis's father, Alan realized.
Before he could inspect further, a voice called out from behind, startling him.
"Armis! Armis!" the voice rang out.
Alan swiftly leaped over a nearby silo to get a better vantage point. From above, he watched as a young woman in her twenties approached Armis's hut, clutching two papers in her hand. Armis emerged to greet her, concern etched on his face as he inquired about her hurried arrival.
Instead of answering, the woman rushed forward and enveloped Armis in a tight embrace, trying to catch her breath as she struggled to form her words.
"Arm... Armis... Armis... Armis, you passed the written test! The results came in! Now you can go to the physical test, then you'll be able to study at the Chronos Wielder's Academy, and after that, you can explore Relic Castle! Armis!"
The woman's words tumbled out in a rush, making it difficult to decipher, but Armis grasped the gist of her excitement. He responded by joyously hugging back the woman, squeezing her tightly until she protested, "Armis, let me go, you're hurting me."
"Sorry, Aunt Layla," Armis apologized, releasing her. "But I'm so happy! Now I can go to Chrono Wielder's Acad—"
Before he could finish, his expression shifted to one of disappointment, his eyes drooping slightly as a mild frown creased his face. Layla gently lifted Armis's head with her hand, concern evident in her voice as she asked, "What's wrong, Armis? Aren't you happy?"
Armis's voice held a mixture of concern and disappointment as he responded, "I am, but... I haven't collected enough money for the course fee. I don't think I can even earn enough by selling wood day and night before the physical test."
In a moment Layla's concern transformed into a smile as she embraced Armis once more, her voice warm with reassurance as she spoke,
"I have some gold coins saved up from what Adrian sends me from the 20th floor window."' She said cupping Armis's face continuing,
"I think it would be enough if you add it to what you have gathered so far."
But as Armis began to interject on the offer with raised brows, Layla cut him off,
"Don't worry, you can pay me back once you start earning from raids in Relic Castle. And," Layla released his face and looked him in the eyes, "if you happen to find Adrian on the 20th floor, please tell him I'm waiting for him."
After looking in her eyes for a moment Armis replied with a smile,
"I will!"
"Come on, let's celebrate your results with meat for dinner tonight."
"Really?!!"
"Yes."
With that, Armis and Layla returned to Armis's hut, placing the two papers Layla brought onto his father's shrine.
Alan quickly jumped down and examined both flyers. One of them read "Chrono Wielder's Academy" in bold letters at the top, followed by a passage stating,
"We are pleased to inform you that Armis Goliath has successfully passed his written exam and is now qualified to move forward with the Physical exam, which will be held in two days from now." Below the passage was a signature with the academy's stamp.
Turning his attention to the other paper, Alan read the bold letters that proclaimed,
"Learn all secrets about wielding, sharpen your knowledge with secrets and information about Relic Castle, and more to become a successful raider!" Below that, it instructed to "Contact the Academy now at the third alley after the 20th window."
As his eyes moved from papers to the shrine a plan began forming in his mind. Leaving the papers back at their place, Alan swiftly maneuvered through the trees and made his way out of the jungle.
Moving from rooftop to rooftop, he scouted the area around the Relic Castle until he located the Academy. Spotting it was relatively easy, as it stood out with its grandeur against the backdrop of Relic Castle, noting a conspicuously large board adorning a beautifully constructed building.
Waiting patiently until nightfall, when the streets were deserted, Alan sneaked into the building from the rooftop. Carefully navigating his way through the interior, he followed the signs etched on wooden plates until he found the one labeled "Administration." and sneaked inside.
Alan's actions were nothing new to him; in the kingdom of Rir, he had manipulated records countless times, whether to safeguard kingdom secrets or to pilfer them.
Locating a pile of papers containing the records of students who had passed the written test, Alan also found the list containing the names of those successful candidates, he swiftly located an average-ranked paper and seamlessly replaced the name with his own and adjusted the corresponding entry on the list.
With this alteration, he now appeared on the list of qualified students for the physical test, ready to embark on the next step of reconnaissance mission.
After altering the records, Alan stealthily slipped out of the Academy and returned to the hotel where he was lodging. Preparing for the upcoming infiltration.
Alan retrieved his hood and cape, fashioning them into an overall that would allow him to blend in seamlessly with the students.
With meticulous attention to detail, he applied powder to his face, concealing the scar etched across the top with a woman-like blush, accentuating his serene blue eyes.
Alan decided to trim his moderately long hair to a shorter length, giving him a youthful appearance that would aid in his infiltration.
After glimpsing his transformed reflection in the bowl of water, Alan barely recognized himself. muttering under his breath, "So much for a mission," before collapsing onto the bed, sinking into the soft cotton cushioning.
Staring up at the ceiling of the modest room in the shady inn, Alan pondered the unfamiliarity of this foreign kingdom.
Each step he took held the promise of a new surprise, discovery, or shock. As exhaustion began to weigh heavy on his eyelids, he couldn't help but wonder about his chances of survival in this enigmatic place.
Questions swirling in his mind: Would he make it back home with his mission accomplished? And if so, when? As fatigue began to take its hold on his body, Alan muttered to himself before drifting off to sleep,
"Not like I have anyone waiting for me."