CHAPTER - 029 - MEL APIS

As the creature fully disintegrated, a black orb fell to the floor with a resounding thud, echoing through the chamber. 

The sound snapped Alan back to reality, and he wiped the blood from his face, regaining his composure. Armis approached him with a concerned gaze and a worried voice, asking, "Alan, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?" 

Alan blinked and replied calmly, but with urgency, "I'm fine, but Lyco!" 

At Alan's reminder, Armis quickly turned towards Aurelia and Relecta, who were just beginning to stand up, still staggering. Armis hurried towards them, while Alan swiftly retrieved the antidote from Armis's knapsack and headed towards Lyco.

Alan quickly lifted Lyco's unconscious head and began to feed him the antidote, but the girl interjected, "That antidote won't work like this. Mix this in it." She extended a vial filled with golden liquid towards Alan, explaining, "This is not a normal poison. It's very potent, so it requires some enhancements to the antidote."

Alan hesitated, eyeing the girl warily. After their encounter with Tritrus and Alina, he wasn't ready to trust another stranger so quickly. "Why should I believe that you're not lying?" he questioned, his tone cautious.

Frustrated and annoyed by Alan's baseless suspicions, the girl pushed him away from Lyco. She gently cradled Lyco's head in her lap, taking the antidote from Alan's hand and mixing it with the liquid from the vial. 

"I'm Lyco's friend. He must have told you about me, right? The one from Inges Emporium," she said in a taunting voice as she began to feed Lyco the enhanced antidote. "And don't worry, it's just honey," she added, placing the empty vial down.

As she administered the enhanced antidote to Lyco, Armis, Aurelia, Alan, and Relecta watched with bated breath. 

After a moment of tense anticipation, they observed the swelling on Lyco's feet gradually subside, along with the burn wound. His feet returned to their normal state, and Lyco blinked slowly, partially opening his eyes. Observing the silhouette of the girl, he attempted to extend his hand towards her face, muttering under his breath, "My goddess…you came..."

Before his hand could make contact, Lyco lost consciousness again. Armis exchanged a concerned glance with the girl, who then placed her hand on Lyco's temple and reassured them, "Don't worry, the antidote has just used all of his energy to heal his body. He's just resting now."

Everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief as Felix approached the girl from behind. His voice carried a mixture of humility and determination as he made his request. "Can I have some of that potion? It's for my friend," he said, his gaze averted as he indicated Cesar, who lay bruised on the ground.

The girl responded with a warm smile. "Of course, why not," she said, reaching for another vial of the potion to help Felix's friend.

With Lyco now healed but resting, carried on Armis's back, and Cesar back on his feet, the group, along with the girl, stood before the gate at the end of the 10th-floor corridor, leading to the next level. As Alan attempted to push open the door alongside Cesar, the girl interjected, her voice calm yet firm.

"That's not how it opens," she explained. "You need the Lord Orb of this floor to advance further."

Confusion flickered across Alan's face, mirrored by the rest of the group. The girl paused, considering how best to clarify her words.

"The Lord Orb," she continued, "it's the orb that appears after the defeat of the Monster Lord."

Still puzzled, Alan was on the verge of voicing his confusion when Felix stepped forward, producing the same black pearl from his pouch and holding it out toward the gate.

"Is this what you're talking about?" Felix asked.

Before the girl could respond, the pearl began to emit a brilliant glow, accompanied by the sound of the gate swinging open, revealing the staircase leading to the next floor. As everyone passed Felix, casting him stern glances, he retorted sharply, attempting to conceal his intentions.

"What? I helped kill that thing too!"

Ignoring Felix's selfish remark, Armis commanded his party, "C'mon everyone, let's move forward." He began climbing the staircase, followed by his companions, including Felix, Cesar, and Lyco's friend.

As they ascended, Armis and Alan stood side by side. Upon reaching the top, they were greeted by a ray of sunlight, the scent of fresh foliage, and the soothing sound of the wind rustling through the trees. Before them stretched a lush and serene forest, with tall trees allowing the sun to filter through.

The beauty of the scene before them finally allowed the triumph over their first obstacle in the Relic Castle to settle in their troubled minds, gradually soothing their spirits.

"Sorry for the mess, I wasn't expecting guests at all," the girl apologized as she handed Armis a cup of tea. She quickly picked up her loincloth from the floor with her leg, hiding it in embarrassment.

"Don't worry, Pudoria. We're sorry for imposing on you like this," Aurelia reassured her, taking the tray from her hands and passing the tea to Alan.

Alan took a sip and instantly savored the soothing sweetness with a hint of saltiness. His smile widened as he enjoyed the flavor. Armis echoed his joy, expressing his delight, "Ohh... this tea is soooo good! What's in it?"

Pudoria smiled warmly at Armis's reaction and reclaimed the tray from Aurelia. Holding it close, she joined the group at the table and explained, "It's the Favus leaves from my farm, mixed with honey for that fresh sweetness." 

Her gaze drifted out the window to her farm, and she continued, "I farm them here in Relic Castle because they're native to this area, and with the help of Mel Apis here—" 

At the mention of Mel Apis, Alan glanced in the direction of the porch, where Lyco sat, observing Poduria's lush Favus leaf farm. Spread across at least two acres, the farm encircled her small house, with numerous beds of the leaves supported by makeshift iron platforms. The sunlight streaming onto the farm created a mesmerizing sight, a phenomenon that defied Alan's understanding. 

Never had he imagined witnessing such an independent cosmic presence within a tower along with the contrast between the lush grasslands and forests covering this floor and the monotonous labyrinth of bricks and stone below, which was striking in its own. 

Alan's glancing eyes observed the giant honey bees, marveling at their graceful movements as they flitted from flower to flower, collecting pollen in their pouches near the sting. 

He recalled how, upon reaching this floor, Poduria had graciously invited them to her home. However, Felix, in his own way, had politely declined, stating, "We don't have time to waste," before marching off with Cesar in tow. After a 30-minute trek through the jungle, across the grasslands, and over a river, they finally arrived at Poduria's small house and farm. As they took their first steps toward her home, they were greeted by one of these magnificent creatures. 

As the creature approached them at remarkable speed, Alan and the others instinctively tensed, preparing for a potential confrontation with the enormous five foot tall honey bee and its formidable stinger. 

However, before any chaos could erupt, Poduria stepped forward, calmly explaining that the creature was her pet, assisting her with the farm. Although still finding the situation strange yet intriguing, the group chose to trust Poduria's word and followed both her and the creature toward her home.

"So, Pudoria, are you a raider too? Which class?" Aurelia inquired, taking a sip of her tea.

"Oh no, I'm not a raider. I'm just a farmer," Pudoria explained, setting her cup down. "I grow Favua leaves here and sell them in Pompeii markets."

Pudoria's response piqued Alan's interest, prompting him to ask, "What do you mean? Then how come you're here? In Relic Castle?"

Confused by Alan's question, Pudoria gave him a puzzled look and replied in a teasing tone, "Because I have a license, and proper training."

"From an academy, right?" Alan clarified.

"Oh no, no. No, you don't have to attend an academy to get a license for traversing in Relic Castle," Pudoria explained. "Not all of us want to be raiders; some of us just see Relic Castle as a source of occupation. This is where most of the exotic merchants of Pompeii get their raw materials."

Poduria's answer left Alan in a state of shock as he processed the new information. Aurelia and Armis exchanged puzzled glances, noticing Alan's reaction.

"You didn't know about that, Alan?" Aurelia asked, her tone tinged with curiosity.

Still grappling with the revelation, lost in thought, Alan remained silent, prompting Armis to intervene. With a sudden realization, Armis spoke up, addressing Aurelia and Poduria, "Oh yeah, that's right. We forgot."

Turning to face Aurelia and Poduria directly, Armis continued, "Alan is from the east end of Pompeii. He mentioned that they don't have many academies there, and everything he's seen here in central Pompeii is new to him. So, it's understandable that he didn't know about that."

As Alan mulled over Poduria's words, he couldn't help but think about how much time he could have saved for his surveying, if only he had known about her method earlier. Armis's timely intervention spared him from having to concoct explanations to cover his lack of knowledge. Looking at Armis, Alan realized that Armis was one of the reasons why he had decided to enroll in the academy in the first place. 

Coming out of his reverie, Alan chuckled sheepishly and said, "Yeah, sorry about that. You'll have to forgive my ignorance here."

Realizing Alan's state of mind, Pudoria responded with a humble smile to his apology. After finishing her tea, Aurelia, appreciative of Pudoria's hospitality, offered her own theory about her kind demeanor, saying, "Oh, that's why you're actually so sweet."

Confused by Aurelia's comment, Pudoria looked at her with puzzlement. Armis, observing Pudoria's reaction, stepped forward to clarify Aurelia's remark. He shot Aurelia a disapproving glance before turning to Pudoria and saying, 

"Aurelia!... Sorry for her rudeness. She didn't mean any disrespect. It's just that on the fifth floor, we were nearly robbed by two elder raiders who pretended to be nice to us and then drugged and looted us."

As Pudoria listened to their story with a stern expression, she began to connect the dots from Armis's description of their scammers. With a sudden realization, she asked in an inquiring tone, "You're not talking about Tritrus and Alina, are you?"

Alan, Armis, and Aurelia's eyes widened at Pudoria's accurate deduction about their scammers. Armis stepped forward, surprised, and asked, "You know them?"

Pudoria nodded. "Oh yeah," she said, standing up from her seat and gathering the cups onto the tray in her hand. "They're the worst. They prey on new raiders and merchants entering Relic Castle for the first time, finding different ways to loot them."

Alan, taken aback by Pudoria's revelation, didn't hesitate to voice his concerns. "Then why are they still roaming free? Doesn't anyone report them to the authorities outside? To the holy guards? To the academy?"

Pudoria chuckled at Alan's question, further confusing him. She began to move towards her kitchen, explaining as she went, "Well, some do. Even I did when they looted me the first time. But there are no outside authorities or institutions with jurisdiction over Relic Castle."

Putting down the tray of cups on the table, and returning from the kitchen, Pudoria wore a somber expression as she continued her explanation. "I mean, there are some floors where the Raiders' Council rules, but when you think about it, this place is full of dangers and surprises. Maintaining control over Relic Castle would require a lot of money and resources, and I don't think anyone outside is interested in wasting their resources just to prevent some small-time robbery. It does sound serious, but most of the time, it's caused by the childish naiveté of the victim trusting strangers, despite being taught otherwise in their training." Pudoria finished with a taunting remark and a selfish expression.

Pudoria's blunt demeanor caught Aurelia off guard, especially considering her otherwise mature and serene appearance. Aurelia couldn't help but express her irritation with a murmur. "Well, now I see why Lyco finds her attractive."

Pudoria, catching Aurelia's murmured comment, asked, "What?" But Aurelia just shook her head, denying anything was said. Meanwhile, Armis, with a hint of pride in his voice, chimed in, "Well, we taught them a lesson. I'm sure they won't be scamming any more innocent people after what we did to them."

Pudoria raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Oh really? What did you do to them?" She asked, taking a seat back at the table.

Alan responded quickly, his gaze firm as he anticipated Pudoria had more to share. "We confronted them, beat them up, and threatened them to leave Relic Castle," he stated.

Aurelia chimed in, adding a touch of pride to their actions. "Yeah, and just to add insult to injury, we looted them, even took their clothes."

Pudoria couldn't help but chuckle at their description, her amusement evident. "Well, that's quite the childish and humiliating punishment," she remarked, her tone teasing. "But you know, I've met some of their victims who are now seeking vengeance, ready to tear them apart at the mere sight of them."

Annoyed by Pudoria's mocking tone, Aurelia and Armis exchanged frustrated glances. Alan, finding Pudoria's behavior rather amusing, smiled and excused himself, making his way to the porch where Relecta and Lyco were observing Pudoria's farm and the busy honey bees.

Noticing Alan's approach, Relecta eagerly pointed out a pair of bees. "Look, Boss! Those bees," she gestured excitedly, "are friends! Lyco told me they're making the delicious honey! I want to taste it!"

Alan chuckled at Relecta's enthusiasm. "Of course, I'll ask Pudoria for some," he assured her with a smile.

"Yeah!!!" Relecta exclaimed, leaping into Alan's arms. Alan turned his attention to Lyco, who was gazing at the farm with a lovesick expression. Amused by Lyco's behavior, Alan remarked, "Well, that's quite the expression."

Without turning, Lyco widened his gaze, urging Alan to appreciate the beauty and tranquility of the farm. In a calm tone, Lyco replied, "Well, let me ask you something, Alan. Have you ever seen paradise?"

Alan chuckled at Lyco's question. "Can't say I have. Why do you ask?"

"Well, I think I've found mine," Lyco said, taking in the view of the farm. Then he turned his gaze towards Poduria, who was laughing and chatting. Enchanted by her beauty, Lyco gazed at her with love-filled eyes and boldly remarked, "I think I'll propose to her."

Initially casual at Lyco's remark, Relecta and Alan looked at him with mouths agape, their faces reflecting shock and surprise. Before Alan could reply, Pudoria, Armis, and Aurelia approached them. As they listened, Lyco and Alan heard Armis express his gratitude to Pudoria while coming out of her house with their belongings.

"So, thank you very much from me and my team, Pudoria," Armis bowed in gratitude before continuing, "Now we should be going, c—-"

"Are we going?" Lyco's interruption caught Armis off guard, his earlier romantic demeanor replaced by frantic urgency. "We can't go."

"Huh? But why? Do—" Armis attempted to respond, only to be interrupted again by Lyco, who began theatrically feigning weakness in an attempt to delay their departure.

"Ohh…ohh..I still have some weakness," Lyco dramatically clutched his chest, feigning labored breathing as he staggered. With a theatrical spin, he collapsed to the ground, hand on his temple, maintaining the facade. "Oh…I think I need more rest."

Armis and Aurelia exchanged sarcastic glares at Lyco, fully aware of his feigned condition, while Alan and Relecta grinned knowingly, understanding Lyco's intentions.

Aurelia approached and sat beside Lyco on the ground, shooting him an intense glare, attempting to pierce through his act. She remarked, "Sure, you do."

Armis glanced at Alan with a shrug, then turned his attention to Pudoria, along with everyone else. Seeing Lyco's resistance to leaving, Pudoria chuckled in amusement and responded to the anticipating gazes of Team Goliath, "He he, I was planning on making Castle stew tonight, so I guess the more the merrier."

To her words Lyco sprang off the floor and knelt before Pudoria, attempting to sound seductive as he said, "Well, I guess if that's what you want, my lady."

There was a moment of silence before everyone burst into laughter, and they all headed back inside. Aurelia playfully pinched Lyco's ear and dragged him inside along with the others, teasing, "Well, now you feel fine, huh?"

After enjoying a delicious and satisfying dinner prepared by their gracious hostess, Pudoria, the sun unexpectedly dipped below the horizon earlier than it would have been outside. Alan and his team were getting ready to turn in for the night. The males were assigned to the main hall, while the females were sleeping together in Pudoria's bedroom.

Lyco, his eyes still shining with excitement and anticipation, called out to Alan, who was almost asleep beside him.

"Alan… Alan... are you awake?"

Alan, with his eyes shut, took a moment before responding to Lyco's call, his voice muffled by drowsiness. "Yeah, barely. What is it?"

Before proceeding, Lyco lifted his head and glanced at Armis, who was fast asleep with bated snoring, confirming his slumber. Lyco then lowered his head, fixing his hopeful and excited eyes on Alan.

"I think I'm going to do it now," Lyco whispered eagerly.

Alan instantly understood what Lyco meant but decided to have him taste his own medicine, teasing him by pretending to be clueless.

"Do what?" Alan replied, feigning ignorance with his eyes still shut.

"Propose to her, man... I told you," Lyco whispered back, adding more detail in a hushed tone.

Continuing his playful tease, Alan turned towards Lyco, trying hard to suppress a smile behind his facade of ignorance.

"Propose? Are you going to propose to someone ?"

Lyco noticed Alan's struggling attempt to maintain his teasing expression, and his disappointment turned into a stern gaze as he complained, "Dude, seriously, that's not a good look on you."

Alan couldn't help but smile at Lyco's realization and responded in an amused tone, "Okay, okay. But seriously, I didn't know you were serious back then. I thought you were just joking around."

"No, dude, I was and I am," Lyco replied firmly.

Alan shifted his expression to serious concern and said, "Okay, but are you sure? I mean, don't you think it's... I don't know how to put it, but too sudden? I mean, think about it. How do you think she'll react? I just don't want to see you getting hurt."

"You're just saying that because you already got one," Lyco replied in a playful mocking tone.

"Huh?... Oh, seriously, dude, you know that's not li—"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Lyco interrupted, turning serious as he began to explain his reasoning. "I mean, hear me out. I enjoy all of your company, and I like our party, but there are some moments when I feel kind of alone. Don't get me wrong here. I'm not blaming any of you. You guys are very nice to me despite my attitude," 

Alan furrowed his brows and smiled as Lyco criticized himself, continuing, "But I think I need someone in my life. And about her reaction, I've already lost her once, and I'm going to lose her tomorrow again. Even if she doesn't accept my proposal, I just don't want to bear the guilt of unspoken words and regrets for the rest of my life. If I have to move on, I might as well move on knowing that I tried."

On Lyco's beautiful and thoughtful words, Alan placed his hand on Lyco's head and patted it. Somewhere within him, he saw his own past regrets, long forgotten. To Alan's gesture, Lyco looked at him with a cringe and remarked, "That is so creepy, man…"

Alan pulled his hand back at Lyco's arrogant comment and matched his cringing gaze, encouraging him in opposite words. "Yeah, sure, dude, go ahead. I hope she rejects you."

Lyco quickly stood up, smiling at Alan's playful tease. He pulled a thumbs up and said, "Thanks, dude, I'm going now."

Alan, surprised by Lyco's sudden and untimely initiative, asked, "Now? She must be sleeping, and look at the time, it's the middle of the night."

Ignoring Alan's words, Lyco moved forward toward Pudoria's bedroom, commenting in a low voice, "I don't know what you're talking about, Alan. Girls love daring boys."

Alan chuckled at Lyco's confidence and replied with a mocking smile, "Sure they do."

With a smile, Alan gathered his pillow and turned to gaze out the window at the mysterious moon of this floor, an enigma in itself. As he looked at the half crescent in the sky, Alan contemplated Lyco's comment and his own feelings.

Lyco walked past the kitchen, nearing Poduria's bedroom. He stood outside the door, took a deep breath to bolster his confidence, and then knocked gently. 

"Poduria," he called out, waiting for a response. When none came, he knocked again, a little louder this time. 

"Yess…" came a soothing reply from behind the door. 

"I wanted to talk to you about something," Lyco said, his voice betraying his nerves. 

"Yes…" came the reply in the same soothing tone.

"I wanted to tell you that I think I... I love you now... no, I mean I have loved you... no, no, what I mean is I still love you... oh, now that's just weird... What I'm trying to say is... I—" Lyco's words stumbled and faltered as hesitation and anxiety gripped him during his confession. Before he could gather his thoughts, the door swung open, revealing Aurelia and Relecta standing there, laughing at Lyco's nervousness, while Poduria was nowhere to be seen. 

Aurelia, mocking Lyco's awkward attempt at a confession, said, "Damn, dude, straight to the point, no songs of praise, no lovely reasons explained, no comments, no nothing. Believe me, she's gonna reject you flat out."

Lyco clenched his teeth in frustration, his anger boiling over at Aurelia's prank and mockery. He shot a furious glare at her, while she returned a cringed look at his enraged face. Finally, she came clean, pointing at Relecta with a gesture of confession.

"Eww... don't look at me like that, she told me," Aurelia said.

Relecta looked at her with a shocked expression as Lyco's glare shifted towards her. He pointed angrily at Relecta, his voice trembling with anger as he threatened her.

"YOU!!! I'm gonna tell Alan that she made you a snitch!!" Relecta looked at Lyco with a pleading gaze, fear evident in her eyes. Lyco then turned his attention to Aurelia, his tone intimidating.

"And YOU!!! Tell me where she is before I flatten out those meatbags!!!"

Aurelia, enraged by Lyco's yelling, shouted back, "She went out to check on her farm, YOU STAMMERING TWERP!!!" Then she slammed the door in his face.

Lyco stormed through the kitchen towards the porch, his heavy footsteps echoing. Alan glanced at him, confused, but before he could ask anything, Lyco ignored him and went outside, still stomping.

Lyco, standing on the porch, gazed at the beautiful crescent moon illuminating Poduria's farm. Spotting her standing quietly, he took a deep breath and approached her. With his gaze down, he called out, "Eehhh….Poduria.."

Though she remained silent, Lyco pressed on with his heartfelt words, "Poduria, I know it's kind of sudden and certainly out of nowhere, but since I met you, I've felt an invisible pull towards you. A pull of familiarity, a pull towards your beauty and dignity. A pull to your carefree and blunt behavior, a pull towards your attractio… oh wait, they are the same words. What I mean to say is, I love you…I really, really love you, Poduria. Will you m—-"

"Fire.." Poduria interjected suddenly, her voice low and solemn, interrupting Lyco's confession.

Perplexed by Poduria's sudden mention of fire, Lyco questioned, "Eeh…what?"

"Fire…Fire!!! My farm is on fire!!" Poduria exclaimed urgently, turning to Lyco and gesturing towards her farm.

Lyco quickly followed her gaze, but in the darkness, he struggled to discern anything. Suddenly, a light flickered at the edge of the farm, illuminating a figure holding a torch in hand setting fire to Poduria's crops.