"Now that everyone is here, I will tell you about your next test," Master Popo said, a smile on his lips as he glanced at the Martial Students. They avoided looking in his direction—some glancing down, others staring into the distance. He was already used to this. At first, he found it disrespectful and rude, but as time passed, he gradually got accustomed to it.
Of course, he had tried to question some of them, but they refused to answer, fear evident on their faces. When someone did try to answer, especially the women, their faces would always turn red, leaving them unable to speak.
This led him to one very possible conclusion: they were awe-stricken by his looks, by how he carried himself, and by his charm, which was out of this world. No matter what he did, they would always fall for him. Even some men didn't dare to look at him, likely out of jealousy of his handsome appearance.
"Those who have participated in the previous Advancement Examination must have realized that we test three Aptitudes," Master Popo said, raising three fingers. "Talent, Comprehension, and Combat Proficiency."
So walking up to the top of the mountain was the first test? Apollo thought.
"Being able to stand here in front of me is a sign that you passed the first test, demonstrating enough talent to cross the boundary from the Foundation Building stage to the Qi Condensation stage," Master Popo continued.
In the previous Advancement Examination, the Martial Schools only tested the student's talent for breaking through to their next stage. This meant that if a student was at the 1st-Step Foundation Building stage, and they had the talent to advance to the 2nd-Step, they passed the first test.
This time, however, the test assessed the student's talent for potentially breaking through the Qi Condensation Stage.
"Now, for your second test…" Master Popo was about to explain the contents of the second test when he looked up at the sky. He couldn't help but sigh, knowing he was about to be interrupted. "Let's wait for a moment."
Confused, the Martial Students turned to see what he was looking at, and their eyes widened in surprise.
Apollo also glanced up and, like the others, was shocked by what he witnessed. A golden chariot was flying toward them. In the night sky, it looked like a 10-meter meteor about to hit the ground. The chariot had intricate patterns and designs that even a layman could tell were the work of a master. But what surprised the beggar even more were the creatures pulling the flashy chariot.
"Dragon?" Apollo couldn't help but mutter, his eyes shining with excitement at seeing a legendary creature that was respected even in his previous life.
There were two dragons of the Western kind—long necks, long bodies, and tails, but somewhat short legs. Their wings created a loud flapping sound with each powerful stroke through the air. They were brown in color, and even from a distance, Apollo felt intimidated by their presence.
Compared to the silver-armored guards on the floating platform, they seemed like chickens before wolves—miles apart, like the difference between heaven and earth.
Apollo felt a great sense of awe as the dragons landed on the ground. Dust clouds emerged at the moment of landing, and the two dragons let out a terrifying roar into the air. The world seemed to stand still as the Martial Students fell silent, their chests heaving up and down before they broke out into a wild murmur.
"It's a very inferior dragon," someone said beside the beggar, making him turn and look up at the person.
Bel nodded with a smile. "Hello, I'm Bel."
"Hello," Apollo greeted back, lowering his voice. This was the second time someone had approached him to strike up a conversation, though he could guess why this woman decided to talk to him despite not knowing his identity.
"But they looked too intimidating to be considered inferior dragons," another person commented, stopping beside Bel before glancing curiously at the small masked man. "Who is he?"
Gail, who was standing behind them, also stared at Apollo curiously.
Nice question, Filly, Bel's smile widened. Although she had dismissed the idea that this masked man was someone she knew at the foot of the mountain, the suspicion lingered. Now, having this chance, she wanted to find out one last time to ease her mind regarding the identity of this masked person.
However, she didn't hold out much hope, which is why she came with another purpose.
"Can you tell me your name in exchange for mine?" Bel asked.
Apollo looked at Bel before glancing at the restaurant owner, then back at her. This woman still wants to uncover my identity? Why? He sighed inwardly while answering her question. "I'm nobody. But people call me Can Deez," Apollo said, trying his hardest to remain calm as a mischievous smile threatened to curl his lips.
"Can Deez?" Bel raised an eyebrow. "You have a very strange name."
"Can Deez n— Cough," Apollo coughed, just in time before he let out the 'devil' in this world.
"What?" Bel tilted her head, unsure of what he had said.
"Nothing," Apollo waved his hand, holding back his laughter. Then he asked a question he was more curious about. "You said those are inferior dragons? Why do you say that?"
Bel stared at the masked man with narrowed eyes. He's not telling the truth. But this was expected—who would give their real name when they were clearly hiding their identity behind a robe and a mask? And why was he asking something with such an obvious answer? "Do you not kn—"
"Yeah, why did you say that? Those two dragons are clearly very intimidating," Filly asked, tilting her head to the side in confusion.
Never mind, it seems like he's not the only one who's clueless, Bel thought before answering their questions.
"Look at their size—they're too small," Bel said.
"You call that small? They're at least 5 meters tall!" Filly stared at the dragons in awe.
"Haha, silly girl," Bel chuckled. "The size of True Dragons is beyond imagination. Legends say they can reach the size of a whole continent, and that's when they're still considered young."
"Really?" Filly turned to Bel with an incredulous expression.
"But you're only basing that off of legends," Apollo said from the side, skeptical.
"Right, but I'm sure those two aren't True Dragons," Bel smiled, explaining further. "True Dragons cannot be tamed, nor would they allow themselves to be enslaved and pull a chariot for humans. They are too prideful to consider humans as anything more than mere grass."
"But… how do you know all this?" Filly asked.
"Miss Filly," Gail said. "If you read some books in the family library, you'd know that the Helflick Family descends from Dragon Hunters. They have an innate ability that allows them to sense the purity of a dragon's bloodline."
"Wow! That's so cool!" Filly stared at Bel with surprise and admiration.
"Don't look at me like that. It's actually a useless ability," Bel chuckled. "Besides, there are no True Dragons anymore, and my family is just a drop in the ocean of its history—merely a name and something to talk about."
Apollo, who had been listening all this time, couldn't help but become curious, so he brought up the System Store and searched for dragon-related items.