"As a Larkansas, the concept of trust is a very complicated and nuanced aspect of our lives," began their instructor, Sir Arcadio.
Arcadio Agnoli often wore leather coats, tuxedos, ties, and gloves. His clothes were always pressed, and he was meticulous about keeping them dust-free. His black leather shoes were highly polished. His long hair was sleeked back, shiny, and as hard as marble. He was one of their instructors in Mindset Development and Resilience Class.
"While we operate in a world of secrecy and deception, trust can play a crucial role in our success and survival. In today's class, your ability to discern and trust various living species you'll encounter for the first time will be put to the test."
The training room gradually transformed in structure until its floor, walls, and ceiling were replaced with black olive green grid-like textiles. This room was known as the Arcane Laboratory.
In front of Afghast were ten different breathing creatures that resembled wax figures: a royal guard in a tricorn, a three-month-old infant, a grass-like Meadow Feral, a Viking vampire, a massive reanimated corpse, a muscular cyborg, a modern convenience store cashier, a goddess, an amphibious magician, and a crustacean warrior.
"As you can see, it's challenging to determine trustworthiness solely based on appearance, as these living beings can present themselves differently than their true nature," Sir Arcadio's voice echoed in the room, despite Afghast being alone.
Meanwhile, Sir Arcadio was observing the trainees one by one through the floating panels in front of him. "However, some nonverbal cues might provide insight," he added. "Five of the ten creatures standing before you are trustworthy, and five are not. The trustworthy ones will reward you, while the untrustworthy ones will try to kill you. So, trainees, good luck!"
Afghast began to approach the first wax figure, the royal guard wearing a tricorn.
When he saw the guard, he suddenly remembered the royal guards who served the kingdom. He recalled how they had shot at him when he escaped from the palace, despite the good deeds his family had shown them.
These wax figures were alive, so Afghast had to be cautious in his assessment and decision-making. Afghast began to make eye contact with the royal guard.
"Someone who maintains appropriate eye contact that's not too intense or avoidant might be more trustworthy, but this one's eyeballs are restless, like he doesn't want me to figure out his secrets. I don't think I can trust this royal guard."
As soon as he made his decision, the royal guard suddenly sprang to life and grabbed his sword. It attacked Afghast, trying to disarm him.
The royal guard was skilled in sparring, and its sword strikes were heavy, causing Afghast's body to tremble.
The guard managed to knock Afghast down, and now its sword was pointed at his neck, ready to behead him. However, Afghast released a steaming hot musk that slowly melted the royal guard.
Afghast next assessed the infant based on its facial expressions.
"Genuine, open, and relaxed facial expressions can indicate trustworthiness. This baby seems so innocent that it wouldn't do anything berserk. I don't think it's a pesky gremlin in disguise. This baby is not only cute but also trustworthy."
When he made his decision, a floating small golden treasure chest button appeared, and upon pressing it, he discovered the reward was a gallon each of sterilized, condensed, and evaporated milk.
When he assessed the grass-type Meadow Feral Chimpunzo, Afghast immediately knew it was untrustworthy since Chimpunzos are known to be aggressive and territorial. He shot it in the head with a double-action pistol.
As for the vampire, Afghast hesitated. "Appearance can be deceiving," he said while looking at the vampire's gentle face. "If people can manipulate their appearance to create a certain impression, maybe a vampire can do the same. But his aura oozes with goodness, like he's full of ideology and could be a great leader. This Viking vampire is trustworthy."
A treasure chest button appeared, and when Afghast pressed it, his reward was blood packs.
Next, he assessed the breathing cadaver. "Nonverbal cues can vary across cultures, and what might be perceived as trustworthy in one culture might not be in another," Afghast realized while looking at the living corpse. "This one can't be trusted."
The undead suddenly growled, and with its immense strength, it almost knocked Afghast off balance. Besides its mercurial stench, it could also release sulfuric bombs.
Even if I hit it with fireballs, it wouldn't be affected," Afghast said. "Not even my Musk can melt it; it's as if it's made of a different type of wax altogether. This post-mortem entity is a hybrid from a futuristic era on another planet in a different universe.
Afghast released his Musk, and as it enveloped him, he initiated another attack. He shot the brain-eater, stabbed it with his stiletto, and hurled fireballs at it. With the Musk's help, his physical strength doubled.
In a fit of frenzy, he ripped out the monster's rotting, wax-worm-infested heart.
Next, he encountered the cyborg, but he misjudged it. As a result, he had to kill it.
"As a cutthroat, you shouldn't show compassion," Afghast reminded himself as he watched the mechanized human lie dying on the floor, clutching its neck, which was spewing out grease-like blood.
Due to his incorrect assessment, the system instructed him to adopt a more brutal approach. He shot the machine-augmented human, ripped out its wax-coated wires, and dissected its mechanical organs blended with wax-like natural tissues.
This experience made Afghast more cautious and skilled in his assessments and combat.
Following the intense training, Afghast made his way to the shower room to freshen up. It was a habit he'd developed in the palace, where he'd head straight to the shower after fencing class or any physical activity.
The warm water helped him massage out the tension and release his natural oils. As he lathered up, he remained oblivious to Florchid's flying origami, which was discreetly monitoring his movements.
While Afghast was rinsing his foamy hair, Lotuslush, wrapped in a towel, suddenly entered the shower room. She quickly covered Afghast's mouth and whispered for him to be quiet, as they might be heard by Comtalc, who had just arrived in the adjacent cubicle.
"You're not supposed to be here," Afghast whispered to Lotuslush, who flashed a mischievous smile.
"I know," she replied, removing her towel to reveal her alluring body to Afghast. "But it's more fun and exciting when we do forbidden things."
Lotuslush then grabbed Afghast's hand and pressed it against her heaving pearl. Once satisfied with the gentle massage Afghast provided, Lotuslush casually exited the shower room.
After his shower, Afghast wrapped himself in a towel, and his panel suddenly flickered to life, alerting him to a message from Dr. Englard.
Afghast's eyes widened as he stepped into Dr. Regionald Englard's office, the Data Analyst's workspace was a marvel of futuristic design.
The floor looked like a giant motherboard, and the furniture was shaped like external computer parts. Panels and screens covered the walls, while the ceiling resembled a starry universe with Morse code patterns.
Dr. Englard was typing on a massive computer keyboard, yet he seemed to know Afghast had arrived without looking up.
"How are you doing, Afghast Agysmal – or Prince Revalor Revelhearth, if I might use your real name?"
"I'm doing alright, Dr. Englard."
Dr. Englard nodded, "Good. I'm glad you're considering staying at High Periphery. But I wanted to speak with you because I have some crucial information to share."
Afghast watched as Dr. Englard walked over to a remote control and pressed it, causing every corner of his office to fold and transform. They were abruptly transported to a desolate planet shrouded in ash particles. The once-thriving world was now a barren wasteland, where every living and non-living thing had been reduced to ashes by an all-consuming fire.
A floating white egg caught Afghast's attention - the same egg his nanny had accidentally fed him when he was just five years old.
"You knew when you first arrived in my office that you'd consumed a Mythical Meadow Feral Egg, and its existence remains a mystery despite my advanced technology's capabilities," Dr. Englard explained. "Technically, when you learned to release the true scent of your Musk, you didn't unlock the egg's true ability, but rather, you unlocked the truth about it."
"This egg is a forbidden egg known as the Dracomeleon Egg. It's a prison for twenty planet arsonists and destroyers known as Dracosoldiers. Due to their simultaneous reign of terror in the universe, they were punished by the Grand Meadow Feral, Lesus Thrist, who erased their story from history," Dr. Englard added. "Now, they're trapped inside you, looking for a way to escape, but they can only get out if you let them possess you."
"How is that possible if there are twenty Dracosoldiers trapped inside me? Would they possess me all at once?"
"Not exactly. They need a host to escape, and it seems they'll possess you one by one, like they've made a deal on who goes first and who follows."
"What should I do, Dr. Englard?"
"Each Dracosoldier has a unique firepower capable of burning a planet. Control your Musk's usage to maintain the lock on their cage. Sometimes, one of them will try to persuade you to release them. Don't listen. And one more thing, due to the Dracomeleons' powers, the cedarwood scent of your Musk has a peculiar effect on those who catch its scent, especially women."
"What effect does it have on them?"
"It triggers intense lust."