Neo, on the other hand, looked like a caveman, thanks to his wild long hair, disheveled and tangled like a lion's mane.
"Why the academy?" Neo asked as the cab drove towards the towering gates of Demigod Academy.
"The order was to escort you safely to the principal," Dorothy replied, her gaze fixed out the window.
Neo closed his eyes after hearing the answer.
He made it clear he had no intention to talk.
'System,' he called out mentally.
[Status Screen cannot be opened during update.]
[Time remaining: Indefinite.]
This thing was still updating after two millennia!
He wanted to grab the system's creator by the collar and demand a software update.
Thankfully, a screen would pop up when he used his Primogenitor skill, allowing him to use the skill without any problem.
'Dammit, thinking about Primogenitor made my mood worse.'
The cab dropped them off at the academy's grand entrance.
The large iron gates stood tall, flanked by marble statues of legendary figures.
Neo noticed a crowd gathered at the gates, murmuring among themselves.
"Why are so many people here?" Neo spoke to Dorothy, but someone from the crowd answered him instead.
"We are waiting for Neo Hargraves!"
Neo blinked, perplexed.
"tsk, tsk, dude, why are you looking dumbfounded? Do you not know who he is?
"It's everywhere in the news that Neo Hargraves had entered Shadow World a few days ago!
"And today, a Wanderer returned from the Shadow World, in the same country where Neo Hargraves and Jack Hanma entered!
"It has to be them!" the guy answered with excitement. "Everyone here is waiting to see what kind of reward they received from the Shadow Trial!"
Neo blinked again, still confused.
"You guys know about the Shadow Trial?"
"Yup, but between you and me, unlike everyone here who found out about Shadow Trials today from the news, I knew since long ago."
"Anyway, why are you asking these questions?
"If you are here, you must be hoping to meet Neo Hargraves or Jack Hanma too."
When Neo didn't answer, the man shrugged and returned back into the group of onlookers.
The crowd murmured amongst themselves excitedly.
Neo turned around and looked at Jack and Dorothy, pointing at himself.
"Do I look that different? My face has two tiny scars and my hair is long, otherwise I look the same, no?"
Jack looked away, trying to control his laughter.
His shoulders shook uncontrollably.
"Why the fuck are you laughing? They didn't recognize your Alabama ass either."
Jack looked at Neo with a 'seriously, dude?' gaze.
Having experienced the Age of Gods, he understood the reference all too well.
Neo and Jack were able to speak more casually now, as Jack was starting to recover.
The pale exhaustion had faded slightly from his face.
Though he felt the ache of Emma's lost memories, he was grateful she was alive.
A significant part of his mental recovery stemmed from being a 'sane' Darkness user.
Darkness users were either crazy or possessed insanely high mental strength.
"It's fine. You don't look any different.
"It's just the air around you has changed so much that it's hard to recognize you," Dorothy said, trying to console Neo. "Jack, well, he looks older."
"Yeah, he's an old uncle now."
"Still younger than you, grandpa."
"Younger than your own kids too."
"The timeline changed, dude. I don't have kids."
"Doesn't change the facts, though. They would've been older than you."
Jack and Neo didn't feel offended by the jokes.
It was, again, thanks to the Darkness.
Every moment they could hear thousands of voices inside their head, cursing them relentlessly, telling them to die.
Compared to the voices inside their head, the jokes were tame.
"How do you even know about it?" Jack asked. "You weren't there when it happened."
"I have eyes everywhere."
Neo dodged the blame with no shame.
After all, he might or might not have had a hand in helping Gaia develop a mental attack Spell that could work on Darkness users, which she gave to Emma, who used it on Jack to hear his confession.
'Not my fault though. How was I supposed to know she would use it for that?' Neo thought, glancing sideways.
"You saw that? That's disgusting," Jack said, his voice dripping with disbelief.
"That should be my line."
"What are you guys talking about?" Dorothy said, joining the conversation as her footsteps echoed against the polished floor.
The trio talked while moving through the academy.
"Just something about the Shadow Trial. Ignore it."
"Shadow Trial? Tell me!"
She looked at him with expectant eyes.
Her curiosity was practically radiating.
Neo exchanged a glance with Jack, and the two made an anonymous decision to keep the secret of what happened within the Shadow Trial.
The information could shake the world in a negative way.
"It was an illusion training where we were supposed to resist the seven deadly sins…"
Neo started spouting random nonsense that came to mind.
The trio stopped outside the office door in the seventh wing.
The wooden door was tall, with an ornate crest carved into the center.
"My job is only until here. I'll see you guys later," Dorothy said with some reluctance, shifting on her feet.
"I'll tell you what happened next when we meet again."
"Really?" she asked with hopeful eyes.
Dorothy left while humming a tune.
Her steps were light as she disappeared down the corridor.
"Neo…" Jack called out to him.
"Please never become a story writer. Those random twists and turns will make your readers rage."
"Sure, uncle Alabama. I will leave the next part of storytelling to you."
"Are you going to keep using that name?"
"I am going to tell others the reason behind it too."
A third, tired voice spoke up from within the office, slightly muffled by the door.
"Can you two stop bickering in front of my door and come inside?"
Neo looked at Jack and nodded.
He opened the door, the hinges creaking slightly, and the two stepped into the office.