He caught the pouch and counted the silver pieces before replying, his voice cold, "But you have no qualms involving me. What are those babies, anyway? What is so special about them?"
"I don't know, and I don't want to. The further I stay from politics, the better I am," Max answered, shaking his hand in dismissal as he walked to his office. Politics involving the royal family were way too dangerous for a knight like him.
"I see. Why kill their parents, though?" Gaston asked, curious to learn the entire story.
"Who knows? My guess is the kingdom wants to turn them into human weapons. Having ties would be counterproductive in that case, and we can't believe those commoners not to interfere. The swiftest way to solve the problem is to get rid of the potential liabilities," Max explained, his frown deepening, annoyed by all these questions.
"Interesting theory. Last question. Where are you taking them?" Feeling Max's growing annoyance, Gaston asked his ultimate question.
"They will stay in the barony for a year or two before we send them to the capital. I still need to dispose of the corpses, which became five instead of three because of a certain someone. I have no more time to give you," Max responded.
Understanding that the discussion was over and seeing that the guards were either busy cleaning the courtyard or caring for the babies, Gaston left the guard station. However, on his way out and without anyone to bear witness, he didn't forget to pick a weird-looking gem from under one desk and then disappeared into the night.
**************
Inside his apartment in the dream place, Adam snapped his eyes open, feeling a sense of déjà vu.
"Why am I here again? Did I like this apartment so much that I'm dreaming about it for the second time today?" He questioned in confusion. He didn't know why he was brought here during his sleep again, but he was sure it wasn't a coincidence.
He hoped he would have more time and was determined to explore outside. However, before, he wanted to check something.
"Status."
Name: Adam
Talent: Unlocked at thirteen
Class: N/A
LVL (Level): 0
Exp: 0/10
HP (health point): 8/8
Vitality: 0.8
Strength: 1.1
Agility: 1.3
Intelligence: 0
Skills: None
Note: Soul is heavily damaged.
"YES! My stats aren't at zero anymore. Must be because I have a body in this place." Adam felt happy that something positive had finally happened today.
"With nothing to compare them, I don't know if they are good. Let's assume one is the average for a normal adult. If my guess is right, my stats are rather good except for intelligence and vitality. Should have quit smoking..." He theorised, trying to figure out the system's working.
Then, he pondered about his damaged soul. 'Is my existence as a ghost damaging my soul? Or did I turn into a ghost because of the damage?'
"Can't be sure about anything with so little knowledge. Might as well not think about the cause and focus on healing it." He muttered as his eyes scanned his apartment.
He didn't think he could find any significant clues here. So, he opened the door in anticipation and headed out curiously.
Instead of the familiar street he walked on daily, the door opened on a huge circular plaza. Tall buildings rose along its circumference, which spanned a few kilometres with nothing but darkness beyond. The large plaza was empty, except for its middle, where a towering building reached for the cloudless night sky as the full moon illuminated the entire place with its eerie red glow.
Amidst the bizarre atmosphere, Adam couldn't help but notice the absence of people as he stood alone.
After a brief pause, he walked towards the tower, intrigued by its otherworldly design.
As he reached its massive gates, looking to be created for the use of giants rather than humans, he felt as tiny as an ant for a second.
He shook his head, promptly recovering and put his hand on one of the colossal doors, wondering how to open them.
Following his touch, three large holographic screens suddenly covered the sky above the plaza.
[Dream place eleven's area: level Rankings.]
[Dream place eleven's area: tower Rankings.]
[Dream place eleven's area: professional Rankings.]
'Are there other places like this one since I'm in the eleventh?' He thought, unsure about anything after the stressful day he just lived.
As he pondered, a glowing magic circle appeared under his palm, drawing his attention.
Soon, the light extended, shining brightly and engulfing his entire body under his shocked gaze.
'I have a bad feeling,' he thought with fearful eyes and an ugly expression before disappearing, leaving nothing behind.
When he recovered his sight, a circular, empty room extending as far as the eye could see greeted his confused eyes. Everything happened too fast, leaving him no time to understand them.
Then, a message popped before him.
[Welcome to the tower of trials. Prove your skills and mastery by conquering its floors.]
[A reward tailored for the challenger will be awarded after each successful conquest.]
[Warning: Half the damage sustained during the trials will be carried to your body outside the Dream place. Be careful, challengers.]
After reading the messages, he breathed deeply, greed clouding his eyes for a second.
'I don't have a body outside. What will happen to me? Can I bypass the rule?' He pondered, dropping his idea of trying his hand in the trial with such incertitudes.
"Hm, excuse me? I don't want to challenge the tower now. Could you please show me the exit?" Standing in the middle of the boundless room and not seeing any way to exit, he tried to communicate with whoever sent him those messages.
His eyes lit up as a new note appeared before him. However, the answer made him freeze.
[The tower's first trial will begin in thirty seconds. Prepare yourself, challenger.]
"SHIT!" he screamed in panic. He clearly stated he didn't want to. Why was he forced?