Kit woke up early the next morning, his mind already racing with thoughts of the day ahead. As he descended the stairs, a group of people caught his attention by the window, gazing out into the front yard.

"What's going on?" Kit asked, joining them at the window.

"Oh, there's this crazy man outside," Charlotte explained. "Every time we try to leave, he starts attacking us. We even tried to sneak out the back door, but he appeared out of nowhere and we had to retreat inside."

Kit let out a groan as he recognised the middle-aged man lurking outside. He had a feeling this man was going to be trouble - no wonder Mars didn't want him knowing where he lived.

"Is Mars awake yet?" Kit asked.

"I haven't seen him come downstairs," Charlotte replied.

Kit turned to leave and wake his friend, the only one experienced enough to handle the eccentric old man. As he headed up the stairs, Dove and Cadbury were coming down. "No way, it's your turn to deal with the crazy one. Remember, I had to keep him occupied while you and Mars set up the trap before we left."

Cadbury rolled his eyes at Dove's words. "Fine, I'll tire him out so Kit can take his test later today."

Kit stopped in his tracks. "Wait, do you both know the sword instructor?"

"Yeah, we went with Mars when he took his test. If we knew beforehand what that lunatic was like, we would have persuaded Mars to find someone else," Cadbury groaned.

"Trust us, Kit, it was a nightmare. We had to battle with him from sunrise to sunset for five days straight before he finally gave Mars the official test. It was pure torture!" Dove added.

Kit wasn't as skilled with a sword as Mars, and he started to worry about dying and being resurrected. "Is the respawn arch finished yet?" On his way out of town, Kit noticed that the wall was still under construction. He was initially surprised, but then remembered that it wasn't completed yet when they left.

Upon being asked why, Grandpa had explained that Leonard's goal was to create walls that were not just for show, but also for defence. This required different materials than a decorative wall, which took some time to gather. Kettle wanted the walls to be finished before activating the respawn arch, Kit thought with the amount of time he was away this task would have been done.

"No, Kettle still won't give the okay," Kit sighed as Cadbury confirmed that the arch was still not open. "But don't worry, Kit. I promise to wear the mad man down!" Cadbury straightened up and walked confidently towards the front door.

Kit's shoulders slumped, but Dove came over and patted him on the back. "It'll be okay, Kit. We have a plan for your swordsman test," Dove reassured him.

Dove gestured towards the stairs. "Let's go wake up Mars, then we can explain our idea to you."

They burst into the room where Mars was still sleeping. Kit went straight to the bed and shook him to wake him up. "Mars, get up!"

A drowsy Mars blinked at Kit. "Give me a minute," he mumbled as he slowly sat up and grabbed some clothes before heading to the bathroom.

When he emerged, he looked more awake. "Is Cadbury keeping the instructor occupied?"

"Yes, now explain the plan to Kit before he frets himself to death," Dove urged.

Mars handed a brown pouch to Kit. "This is all you need for it to be successful."

Kit pulled on the string, causing the pouch to open. A frown formed on his face as he gazed at the round objects inside. "What are these?" he asked.

"Stun bombs and firebombs," Mars replied with a grin.

"How do they relate to a sword test?" Kit's brows furrowed in confusion.

"This is your gold finger!" Mars' smile grew wider. "For level 100, Instructor Jax always has the same test. You just have to survive for 10 minutes without getting hit by his sword. And you don't even have to use a sword yourself."

Dove nodded in agreement. "Normally, I wouldn't recommend this approach, but Mars is right. With your current skills, this is the only way you can pass. Right now, you wouldn't even last 10 seconds against him in a sword fight."

Kit pondered the events of the previous night, remembering his desperate escape from the deranged individual. He believed that if he could just avoid any interaction with him, he would be fine. Kit was well aware of his below average sword fighting abilities, and after witnessing Mars and Instructor Jax's skills during their fight, he was grateful for having a unique way to pass the test.

If this had happened before his hiatus from the game, Kit would have wanted to pass the test on his own merits. But now, he didn't have time to improve his skills to meet the required level. "Okay, I'll run away and use these items as projectiles while I flee!"

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

"That's the spirit!" Mars exclaimed.

Instead of going to the training ground, they made their way to one of the lounge rooms to strategies their journey through the Devouring Ranges. Cadbury needed more time to drain Jax’s energy.

Dove cleared his throat to get Kit's attention. "To plan our trip effectively, I need to know exactly where you intend to go in the Devouring Ranges."

It was no surprise to Kit that that Dove wanted the destination, the Devouring ranges stretched across the entire Forsaken state, effectively cutting it off from the rest of the Fornax continent. Without a specific location in mind, they could wander aimlessly for months or even years.

Kit retrieved a parchment from his pouch and spread it out on the table. The bold red mark stood out against the muted colours of the map. Dove let out a soft whistle as he sucked in a breath. "Is that what I think it is, Kit?"

In a trance-like state, Dove's fingers reached out to touch the paper. His movements were gentle and deliberate, in contrast to his eyes which were frantically scanning the map, trying to take everything in. Eventually, his fingers landed on the insignia of a flying black bird.

"Holy shit! It really is a treasure map!" Dove exclaimed with excitement sparkling in his eyes.

Kit nodded and explained to Dove how he had obtained the map. Dove's eyes widened in disbelief. "Snowball really is a lucky charm for you! He traded the map for some mushrooms?"

Kit chuckled at his reaction before pointing to the red cross on the map. "How long will it take us to get there?"

Dove gathered himself and replied, "Fortunately, this mountain is directly behind Spartan Fire, so we won't have any additional traveling before we start ascending. As for how long it will take, that depends on any detours we make along the way."

He scratched his chin thoughtfully while Kit waited patiently for him to continue. "It's a shame Snowball isn't coming with us; he would be a great asset against the monsters."

Dove suddenly turned towards Kit. "We need to talk to Kettle about activating the respawn arch before we leave. If you die in the Devouring ranges, you'll end up respawning in one of five places that are a week's journey from Spartan Fire!"

Kit noticed movement out of the corner of his eye and turned to see Mars standing up. "Let's go check on Kettle now," he suggested, "while Cadbury keeps Jax occupied. We can also make a quick stop at the market on our way back to get anything we may need for the trip."

Kit was about to gesture for Mars to sit down again, as they still needed to plan what to bring. But before he could lift his hand, Mars pulled out a parchment from his pouch. "You can review this list on our way to the town hall," he said.

As Kit scanned the detailed items listed for camping, he realised that Mars was already well prepared for the journey. Trusting in Mars' love for sports, Kit couldn't help but smile wryly at his own thoughts.

As they walked, Kit finally slowed down and took in the recent changes to Spartan Fire. Beyond the newly built estates, the once dirt roads had been upgraded to smooth paved streets. Fences now divided plots of land, clearly marking the boundaries between homes. In a freshly built park, children were playing and enjoying the new additions to their town.

It seemed like Spartan Fire was finally becoming an appealing place for people of all ages to live, which was great news for its growth. Kit mentally noted that more family-friendly blueprints should be made available and added tourist attractions to his list of suggestions for Kettle.

The closer he got to the centre of town, the more impressed he became. The main street had expanded, with sidewalks now on both sides. Instead of just one block of shops, there were now three bustling blocks.

People were moving about in every direction and a smile spread across Kit's face as he observed all the positive changes in his hometown. It was a shame that his restaurant hadn't seen the same success during his absence.

As they neared the town hall, Kit's eyes landed on a familiar face. "Kettle!" His loud exclamation drew a few stares from bystanders, but Kit paid them no mind as he sprinted towards his friend.

"Kit?" Kettle stopped in his tracks, his face lighting up in recognition.

"Haha, can't believe you don't recognise me anymore," Kit chuckled.

"Oh my goodness, it's really you!" Kettle was practically vibrating with joy.

"It's been a while," Kit greeted him warmly.

Kettle looked behind Kit and then quickly ushered him into his office at the town hall.

When Mars and Dove tried to follow, Kettle slammed the door shut and apologised to Kit. "Is it okay if I speak to you in private without them?"

"Um, sure." Kit was curious about what Kettle had to say that he didn't want the others to hear.

Kettle eased into his chair and gestured for Kit to take a seat across from him. "So, you're not going away for an extended period of time again, are you?"

Kit fidgeted with his sleeve nervously. He regretted not catching up with Kettle beforehand. He had been keeping an eye out for the man at the boarding house, but they hadn't crossed paths yet. "Um, well, I kind of have to. It's the reason for my visit."

A deep sigh escaped Kettle's lips, causing Kit to look up at him. Dark circles could be seen under Kettle's glasses. "Is everything okay, Kettle?"

"Not really." Kettle rubbed the bridge of his nose wearily. "Since you left, Mars and Twix have been neglecting their duties and haven't been showing up for our weekly meetings like we agreed upon. As a result, most of the plans we discussed earlier have been put on hold."

Kit furrowed his brow in surprise at the lack of responsibility shown by Mars and Twix. "These are the approvals that require one of your three signatures to move forward with acquiring land for our industrial development," Kettle said, motioning towards a stack of papers on his desk.

As Kit scanned the pile, a sense of dread washed over him. This was not a small task. How much work had his two colleagues neglected? He felt his eye twitch as he picked up the first document, outlining the purchase of a cotton farm. After setting it down, he picked up the next one, organised chronologically by Kettle. It detailed a purchase for a blueprint of a clothing factory.

Kit quickly scanned through the next ten documents, all related to improving the operations of Spartan Fire. He set down the parchment he was holding and turned to Kettle.

"Kettle, didn't we already give you permission to move forward with creating an industry for Spartan Fire? I'm a bit confused why you need approval from one of the founding members for all of this."

"Kit, I think you misunderstand my role. I am merely an administrator; I can prepare documents for approval, but I am not authorised to officiate them myself." Kettle's frustration was evident in his tone.

Kit furrowed his brow, he was under the impression that Kettle had full authority to act on his ideas. "I must have misunderstood. I will take care of this issue today!" He made a mental note to bring Mars and Twix into his office to officially give Kettle permission to sign any necessary documents himself.

He was about to leave when his eyes caught the pile of papers once again. The next one in line caught his attention - it was a bold request for a city guard barracks. Kit thought this was already taken care of, asking for the respawn arch to be activated seemed even further away. Then another thought struck him: "Wait, have we actually hired any town guards yet?"