From his cell, Aguinaldo, one of the Draco soldiers, overheard the conversation between Afghast and Dr. Englard.
"You barely know anything about us," Aguinaldo said, seething behind bars. "Looks like your facility makes for a great playground, Dr. Englard. When I break free, let's see if you can handle a game where the floor is literally lava."
Later that night, Afghast couldn't sleep. He was preoccupied with the potential consequences of being fully possessed by one of the Dracomeleons.
He got up, changed clothes, and headed to the Fitness Gym. High Periphery's Wellness Gym is spacious and fully equipped with fitness equipment, offering a 24/7 haven for those looking to pump up or pass the time.
Afghast's build is normally slender yet healthy-looking. After taking shelter with Beardman at the Agysmal Abode, he gradually developed muscle mass and transformed his physique.
Now in High Periphery, he's taking it to the next level.
After bench pressing, Afghast aimed to improve his back and arm muscles, so he moved on to using a pull-up bar. As he did bicep curls with dumbbells, he couldn't help but glance around and noticed a woman running on the treadmill.
Her jet black hair was tied in a ponytail. She wore a black moisture-wicking top and comfortable leggings. Even from behind, Afghast could recognize her just by the shape of her body.
"How are you, Ivypom?" he greeted the introverted trainee running on the treadmill.
Although Ivypom could smell Afghast's cedarwood scent from afar, she pretended to have just noticed him. She tried to hide the flush on her cheeks.
"You're here too, Afghast."
"It's already midnight, and you're still at the gym?"
"I couldn't sleep."
"Me neither. I was having trouble sleeping, so I thought I'd pass the time here."
Being close to Afghast made Ivypom's heart feel inexplicable. Whenever she caught a whiff of his scent, it gave her a strange sensation. And it wasn't just the scent; it added to Afghast's charm.
Feeling self-conscious about her reactions, she considered turning off the treadmill and leaving, but Afghast stopped her. In her nervousness, she accidentally slapped Afghast hard. Afghast was taken aback by the sudden slap.
"You left your gym bag," Afghast said, showing Ivypom her bag.
Without a word, Ivypom snatched the bag from his hand and walked straight out.
"What did I do wrong?" Afghast asked himself while touching his cheek where he was slapped.
Just as Ivypom disappeared from sight, Florchid appeared, wearing a sports bra and shorts. Afghast, meanwhile, began doing squats, focusing on his lower body muscles for his current exercise routine.
When morning came, Afghast prepared for his training. The trainees formed up in front of their Functional Fitness Class instructor, Sir Akihiro Watanabe.
Sir Akihiro was a middle-aged man, but he still looked youthful. Tall and well-built, he could keep up with the younger generation. His presence commanded respect, making you think he was an untouchable person with an intimidating aura.
"We are currently inside the Practice Range," Sir Akihiro began. "In this area, you will further hone your combat skills. Here, you will be able to effectively execute what you've learned in our martial arts class. To keep you informed of your progress, each of you has been assigned a voice assistant with artificial intelligence."
Suddenly, Afghast heard a notification sound, indicating that his voice assistant had been downloaded onto his Cyberclassical Cutthroat system.
"Welcome, Larkansas trainee Afghast Agysmal, to the Practice Range," his voice assistant greeted him. "I am Monaco, your aid from now until your retirement as a Larkansas."
"I'm pleased to meet you, Monaco."
"I'm pleased to meet you too, Afghast. Now, let's get back to the objective of your training today. In the Practice Range, you're free to hone your combat skills from various virtual worlds or the Meadowglaze realm."
Afghast waved his hand, and models of various worlds or realms popped up in front of him.
"As you can see, there are many realistic, enchanted, and futuristic location models to choose from. With one press of the model, you'll be transported there."
Afghast tapped on The Gladiator's Arena.
The room slowly pixelated and transformed into an elliptical shape, complete with tiered seating that seemed to accommodate thousands of spectators, all made of tuff stone. Afghast stood in the center of the sand-covered floor.
"Now that you've chosen a location, you'll select a practice mode: Stage Mode or Survival Mode. In Stage Mode, you'll need to defeat a specific number of Umbramen to progress to the next level. In Survival Mode, you'll test your strength and endurance."
"I choose Stage Mode," Afghast replied confidently.
"In Level One, you need to defeat fifty Umbramen. These Umbramen know basic martial arts and can summon fireballs and lightning," Monaco added. "Just a reminder that in this training, you won't have any lifelines, so it's possible you might die. However, before proceeding to the next level, I'll ask you if you want to continue. Don't worry, though - you have three healing potions in your first aid gallery on your panel for now. You can use them whenever your immune system is weakening."
After Monaco provided comprehensive details, Afghast's training began. The Umbramen emerged from the sky and burst forth from the sand.
Afghast executed his Musk channeling ritual dance, and as the smoldering Musk gathered in his fists, the dagger-wielding Umbramen charged.
Thanks to the Musk, a person's normal physical strength was amplified tenfold. One could uproot a massive oak tree or lift a gigantic boulder. Despite the immense power granted by the Musk, the Umbramen were not easily defeated.
Having grown up in the palace, Afghast had combat training from a young age and was skilled in hand-to-hand combat. Wielding a scepter dagger, Afghast unleashed a small portion of his Musk to summon blue fire and create fireballs.
He was also knowledgeable in marksmanship, and the advanced technology of the High Periphery had further honed his skills. He had created guns and ammunition, which were now stored in his panel and could be accessed with a single press. Afghast was also skilled in crafting and setting bombs.
Although his knowledge was still basic, he knew there was much room for improvement.
However, Afghast never expected his life to take this turn. His original goal was to follow in his father, King Reglorious', footsteps and become the king of Lovelrinth. Now, he found himself in the High Periphery, training to become a skilled assassin.
Each level adds 50 more Umbramen for Afghast to defeat. With each level, the Umbramen evolve, upgrading their skills and powers.
"Do you want to proceed to Level 5?" Monaco asked him. Afghast was panting, looking exhausted. "Don't push yourself too hard. If a fight becomes too much, it's okay to quit. If you quit, your progress will be saved automatically, and you can continue your training when you return," Monaco advised.
Realizing the Umbramen were getting stronger and feeling fatigued, Afghast made a decision.
"Okay, I'll quit for now."
After the exhausting training, Afghast suddenly felt hungry, so he decided to head to the High Periphery's cafeteria. There was no one serving; with just a tap, the food you chose would appear on a tray.
The cafeteria had screens for different types of menus: a large screen for appetizers, main courses, desserts, or drinks. The dishes and beverages ranged from ancient to modern to futuristic creations. Most were virtually free, but top-tier food required gold coins to unlock.
Afghast decided to treat himself to a steak and beer.
While some trainees ate in groups, Afghast sat alone at a central table, drawing attention from female trainees and whispers from males.
Afghast remained nonchalant about the comments.
''Afghast is really showing off,'' Matrix said while eating sushi. ''He acts delicate in public, but performs miracles alone.''
Gismuth and Magalang chuckled at the remark. ''Don't be like that, Matrix. You're not even involved in his business,''Magalang teased, laughing.
''Just so you know I saw him and Lotuslush together at The Landfill of Spare Parts.''
"What happened there?"
"Apparently, they weren't waiting for the tactical game to begin; he was already putting his built-in megalithic gun through its paces with Lotuslush."
"So what did you do while they were having fun?" Gismuth asked.
"I just let them be. Afghast doesn't hold a candle to my cuddling skills. He'd need to learn from me, and of course, he needed to see me execute it with Lotuslush."
The three of them burst out laughing while Agysmal continued eating.
"I don't have emotional intelligence, but I can determine what emotion you're feeling right now," Monaco said to him. "You're feeling slight anger with a big hint of annoyance, and there's a possibility that you might harm someone."
"If Matrix can't keep himself from dwelling on what he witnessed between Lotuslush and me, then I might do something inappropriate to him."
Afghast couldn't take the trio's mocking laughter and threw a beer can at Matrix's head.
Matrix felt a lump growing on his head.
''Hey, why did you do that?' he snapped at Afghast, who now had a diabolical glint in his eye.
''If you don't shut up with your non-stop chatter, I might just ram the built-in megalithic gun I'm talking about down your throat, and when your mouth's ruined, you won't be able to speak anymore.''
Matrix felt disgusted at the thought. He couldn't quite picture what Afghast was referring to, but the image repulsed him.
As he stood there, consumed by embarrassment, the other trainees snickered in secret.
Matrix clenched his fist in frustration.