Aster used the exit gate to leave the tower. After scanning his wristwatch, the door opened, and he stepped outside. As soon as he reached the reception area, he saw Captain Gareth waiting for him.
Seeing Aster, Captain Gareth smiled. "Hey, I can already tell you’ve become much stronger!"
Aster scratched the back of his head with an awkward smile. "We’re leaving now?"
"Yes." Captain Gareth nodded. "I already informed the General. They’re waiting for you at the flying ship station."
"Flying ship station?" Aster asked in confusion. "Not the train station?"
Captain Gareth chuckled. "So you’ve never seen a flying ship before? You’ll find out once we get there."
He led Aster into an empty white room. In the center of the room was a large magic formation engraved on the floor. "Close your eyes," Captain Gareth said. "Don’t say I didn’t warn you this time."
Aster closed his eyes. A bright white light descended from above. Even with his eyes shut, he could still see the glow through his eyelids.
A few seconds later, the light disappeared. When Aster slowly opened his eyes, he found himself standing in the same open field where he had first entered the futuristic city.
Captain Gareth’s vehicle was already waiting nearby. Captain Gareth walked toward it. "Let’s go."
In the next scene..
Far away, inside a spacious office...
A muscular middle-aged man with a black-and-white beard sat behind a large desk. Beside him stood a young woman with brown hair, dressed in a black suit.
A huge pile of documents covered the desk. The man picked them up one by one, read through each file, and signed his name. Then he suddenly paused.
One document had caught his attention.
Aster Vale
Floor Cleared: 20th Floor
Time: 7 Days
"Twenty floors... in seven days?"
The man frowned before looking at the woman. "How long did Damon Hayes take to clear the twentieth floor?"
The woman opened a holographic screen and quickly searched through the records. "Two months, President."
The man’s eyes widened. He looked back at Aster’s picture before bursting into laughter.
"HAHAHA! Our country has been blessed with another genius!"
The scene changed once again.
Captain Gareth’s vehicle stopped in front of a massive dock. Aster looked around in confusion.
"I thought you said we were going to a flying ship station. Why are we at a dock?"
Captain Gareth smiled. "Sometimes seeing is better than listening."
Aster didn’t ask any more questions and followed him inside. As they walked, Captain Gareth suddenly stopped.
"Oh, one last thing. Even if your friends come from powerful families, don’t tell anyone you’ve entered the tower."
Aster nodded. "I understand."
From a distance, he spotted General Cassius, Captain Lyra, Adrian, Alas, and Yor waiting together. "Look who’s back!" Yor called with a grin.
Captain Gareth walked over, saluted General Cassius, and quietly left.
Adrian looked at Aster. "Where have you been all this time?"
Yor glanced at Adrian with a teasing smile. "Oh? Did you miss him that much?"
Adrian’s face immediately turned red. "Tch."
He looked away without saying another word. Alas laughed before asking, "But seriously, where were you?"
"Captain Gareth told me to keep the tower a secret."
Thinking quickly, Aster summoned the Aegis Fang into his hand. "I went to a friend of mine and had this custom weapon made."
Everyone stared at the strange weapon. For a moment, the area fell silent.
Then....
"Hahaha!"
They all burst into laughter. Adrian laughed so hard he almost bent over. "You call that a weapon? Are you planning to defeat your enemies by making them laugh to death?"
Alas pointed at it. "What even is this? A sword? A spear? A hammer? It’s a little bit of everything."
Yor looked at Aster with concern. "Are you really going to use that weapon?"
Aster simply smiled. "Trust me. I’m one hundred percent sure this is the best weapon for me."
"Oh?" General Cassius walked over with interest. "That’s quite an unusual weapon you’ve got there, Aster. May I take a look?"
"Of course, General."
Aster handed him the weapon.
General Cassius examined it carefully before nodding. "I can’t tell what its main purpose is, but I can see that a lot of effort went into making it."
He lightly tapped the weapon with his finger. "And it even has a skill."
"That’s a veteran for you." Aster thought. "He figured out so much just by looking at it."
Just then, excited voices rose from the crowd. "Look! The ship is here!"
Everyone turned toward the sea. Aster looked up and saw an enormous futuristic ship descending from the sky. It slowly floated down until it landed gently on the water.
The crowd couldn’t stop talking.
"It’s huge!"
"Incredible!"
"Wow!" Yor shouted excitedly.
Aster simply smiled.
"After seeing the tower city, something like this doesn’t surprise me anymore. This really is another world."
General Cassius and Captain Lyra led everyone aboard the flying ship.
Soon, Aster arrived at the room assigned to him. The room was simple but comfortable, with a bed and a private bathroom.
"It’s nowhere near as luxurious as the room I stayed in these past few days," Aster thought. "But it’s still much better than the room I had in my previous life."
Curious, Aster walked onto the bow deck and looked down.
Below him, the endless blue sea stretched as far as the eye could see. Sunlight reflected off the gentle waves, making the water sparkle. Every now and then, a huge sea beast surfaced before diving back into the deep. A cool sea breeze brushed against his face as the flying ship sailed across the vast ocean.
Aster walked to the edge of the ship and took a deep breath.
"Ugh...!"
A wave of nausea suddenly hit him. He quickly leaned over the railing and threw up into the sea. After wiping his mouth, he hurried back to his room.
"Ahh... damn it. I spent my whole life studying at home, so I’m terrible with traveling. My head is killing me. I need to enter the Dream Realm."
The moment he entered the white, cloudy Dream Realm, he let out a relieved sigh. "Ahh... now this is peace." After resting for a few moments, Aster opened his system window.
"Alright, while I’m here, let’s level up a few more skills."
For the next week, Aster spent almost all his time inside the Dream Realm, repeatedly practicing his skills. Occasionally, he woke up to eat before falling asleep again and returning to the Dream Realm.
A week later...
System Window
Slash — Level 60
Strike — Level 50
Parry — Level 50
Bind — Level 50
Grapple — Level 50
Solar Slash — Level 50
Palm Strike (Grandmaster) — Level 50
Crab Hook — Level 25
Rebirth Palm (Grandmaster) — Level 50
Fireball — Level 50