"How is preparation for the academy exams coming along? There are just a few more months until the exams," Silva said as he walked up to his sister, who was sitting at the dining table.
"Yes, I've been reading as much as I can and also practicing. I've ended my apprenticeship, so I don't have to go for magical training anymore.
That reminds me, brother, I heard that you will also be going to the academy, even though you are under the normal age," Lia said.
"Yeah, for certain reasons, I decided that I'll take the test as well, but don't worry about me, I'm preparing too," Silva assured.
"Hmm, I don't believe that. You are always adventuring; I haven't seen you study much for some time.
I know you read a lot, but you haven't read the academy-related materials, and as your big sister, I have to ensure that you do.
So from today, you'll have to come home earlier. We will study together at night before we go to sleep," Lia said.
Silva wanted to refuse, but he could see that there was no way out of this. His sister's eyes were resolute.
"Alright, I'll do that, but for now, I have something to attend to. I'll be back before night," Silva said and left.
'I'll make you see me that way, no matter what,' Lia thought as Silva left.
Silva decided to head to the labyrinth. He left the town and was on his way, but then he felt something calling to him.
His minds all went to work and pinpointed the location and the person. When they saw the figure, they all said at the same time:
The cloaked man stood a distance away from Silva, facing his direction. But there was no malice, no killing intent—it seemed he wanted to talk.
Silva decided to meet with this fella. He walked to the man, and when they were only meters apart, he stopped.
"I take it that you are here to see me?" Silva asked.
"Interesting indeed," the person spoke in a distorted voice.
"Stop being creepy and tell me what you want," Silva said. He also tried to use dragon eyes, but something was disrupting it.
"You are the one we are searching for. I can sense it from you. At first, I wondered how someone as strong as you could be born here.
I thought you would hinder me from finding the demon king candidate, but it seems you are the one. I tried to control the prophecy, but I couldn't," the man spoke.
"What prophecy? Tell me," Silva said.
"You will know in time. As it stands now, you have grown too knowledgeable and powerful for me to kidnap anymore.
It is pointless for me to try anything. I understand that you have the whole labyrinth as your army. If I started a fight with you, it would not end well.
So for now, I'll retreat from this town, but I'll be watching closely. Be careful on your path; you are on a path worse than hell itself.
In time, you'll understand. Remember, I'll be watching, and the day you slip up, I'll have you to myself," the man said and vanished into a black cloud of smoke.
Silva stayed put for a moment, trying to arrange his thoughts.
This was the person who had terrorized the village quite a bit and had also caused Mike's predicament. Yet when he stood before him, there was no longer any hatred or bad feelings.
Rather, Silva felt it was important to take the man's words to heart. Something was definitely happening.
"I have to go to the academy. Everything will start from there. The dreams have not stopped, even after the new message from Ophelia, and that means that place is still the place to go," Silva said.
This town also didn't have any avenues for him to grow stronger. He needed to go to the city and stay in the academy. He was sure he would find better ways to grow stronger, faster.
After the discussion with the cloaked man, Silva decided not to go into the labyrinth. He just wandered through the forest, going deeper and deeper while thinking.
After some time, he heard the sounds of people, swords, and magic. The smell of blood filled the air.
He decided to check what was happening. When he got there, he saw that a small battle was underway, as goblins and hobgoblins had raided a caravan.
The goblins were over thirty, and the caravan had a few knights and mages fighting.
But that was not what caught Silva's attention. No, it was the beastkin who caught his attention. She was a wolf woman, wielding a mighty sword and swinging it around like it was nothing.
If not for her, the goblins would have won by now.
Silva decided to check her stats and see what they were like.
**Intelligence:** 550
Her stats shocked Silva immediately. It was hard to come by stats , and her level was even higher than Silva's.
She was a warrior, and a powerful one at that. From the way she swung her sword to the way she moved her body, it screamed of years of experience.
But even so, the battle was overwhelming, as more goblins poured into the battlefield, and this time they even brought two giant goblins with strength around 200.
The two goblins carried a massive tree bow. One set it on the ground, pulled the string with the arrow, and another held the bow.
When the wolf lady saw this, she tried to charge at them, but the goblins kept getting in her way.
The two goblins fired the arrow, and it headed straight for her. With its size, it would rip her apart.
But just as the arrow was about to hit, a dark blade struck the arrow and exploded it into bits.