The first test Ezkiel ran was to summon his dream UI. He needed to know if other people could see it. It was a risk, but the best opportunity he would have at the present time.
"I know that in the real world, Jason couldn't see it. But here... it could be different. There are even people who blow up gates with coins."
Name: Ezkiel Arcs
Race: Dream Collector
Body: Human
Class: –
Dream Threads: 0/1000
Stage: Soulless
Rank: –
Talents:『Tortured』『Nuisance's Flaw』
Skills:『Collect Dreams』『Dreamer Analysis』
Dreams Collected: 『The Prisoner's Anathema』
Some information is not visible to the user.
As soon as the screen appeared, he stared at Lavia. Their eyes met while the transparent interface hovered between them. She watched him for another moment, her eyes still slightly swollen from crying, and stood up, embarrassed.
"Whew! Just like the real world. No one else can see it."
Ezkiel focused on the screen again, this time reading it carefully.
"Body: Human? Why is this categorized this way? Can I change my body? Better to forget that for now. I'll focus on what I have a minimal idea about. Regarding the Class, I have no idea, but Dream Threads appeared when I collected The Prisoner's Anathema, yet they didn't increase. It must be a different way of collecting dreams, but since there's a counter, it seems important."
He paused, watching Lavia as she moved her newly stitched shoulder. He didn't want to look like a complete idiot staring at nothing.
"Stage seems to be related to Arche and Magnus, which are much higher stages in terms of power. The prisoner himself seemed to be at the Magnus stage and could kill a Soulless one with just a look. The sigils on the door were 'Arche' level and almost destroyed my mind; I only survived because of my talent. This tells me two things: first, these power levels are absurdly high, and I don't know if people are born this way or evolve over time. Second, talents are crucial. Tortured, for example, made me able to resist a sigil that should have been fatal to my stage."
Ezkiel stopped and looked at his own body. He felt a wave of gratitude for that talent. Without that body's resistance and willpower, he would have died in the cell.
"Maybe I can get more talents by collecting dreams, but I don't know how, or which ones I would get. And, according to the prisoner, not all of them are good. The 'burden' he mentioned regarding Nuisance's Flaw seems like a very bad sign."
He shook his head, pushing the thought away. One problem at a time. He needed to focus on those he could solve.
"Now for the part I've been thinking about the most: Rank. The acolytes talked about it when they were entering the prison. One of them said that a New Order ruin wasn't at his level, that he was close to Rank 2. So, there's an evolution system. Now that's interesting! I have no idea how it works, but I can ask Lavia before I leave. Even if it sounds suspicious, I'll be leaving anyway."
Finally, Ezkiel looked at what he considered his greatest assets as a Dream Collector: the skills. He had already used the first one. The second...
"Dreamer Analysis."
He activated the skill, but nothing happened. Confused, he paused for a moment. He thought that maybe there was some prerequisite to activate it. Cleverly, he reread the skill's name.
"Could that be it? Analysis... Does it need a target?"
He focused on Lavia, who was putting away the medical equipment after cleaning it. He thought about the skill and, at the same instant, saw the girl stumble and drop the bucket of dirty cloths. She looked around, confused, and her eyes met Ezkiel's. Embarrassed, she quickly gathered the cloths and left the house.
In the meantime, a new interface had appeared before the Collector's eyes.
Name: Lavia Teimos
Race: Human
Place of Birth: Ruin of Markshal
Age: 17
Class: —
Stage: Soulless
Rank: —
Talents: —
Dreams Detected: 1/?
Dreams:『Retreat from Markshal (Mission)』
Possible Information:
Lavia was born in the Ruins of Markshal to two exiles from the Darmos Empire who met in the location. After gathering enough resources, they left with an exploration group for another country, leaving the 5-year-old child behind.
With little chance of survival, she was saved several times by another child, also born in the ruins. A relationship blossomed, and they remained united for all these years. After the best explorers left, there was a change in management. New rules were imposed, and many children died to gather resources for a select group. The taxes became more expensive, reaching abusive levels. Soon, the entire Bell Tower became a dictatorial government.
Lavia's lover joined the new leaders with the goal of maintaining his position and increasing his power. He was readily accepted for possessing a talent. Meanwhile, the girl was, once again, left behind.
Barton changed, and she felt lonely again. He still made the payments for her housing and food, however, she felt like the small, abandoned child.
A child who still dreams of one day taking everyone else like her to a safe place, far from the Ruins...
Some information is missing due to a lack of absorbed content.
"This is almost a complete description of Lavia's story and the origin of her dream: Retreat from Markshal. She was a child left behind by her own parents. The UI can give me information she didn't want to tell me."
With this information, he could break her. But instead, looking at the girl, now knowing her pain, he felt closer. Close enough to get more information about the world and reach more dreams.
"It also seems that a person can have more than one dream and that there are types of dreams. The one I got from the prisoner was a 'path' type, which I still don't know the meaning of. 'Mission' seems simpler. If I complete the mission, I complete the dream. Now, what rewards I'll get is the question. Too bad I still don't know the answer about whether the person dies when their dream is collected. In any case, I won't do that to her."
A cold, logical thought arose, one he didn't even want to accept. Lavia would never be able to complete her mission alone. She was weak and not a fighter. She would need someone like Barton, a special one, to fulfill her dream, but he had no desire to do so. Or... if Ezkiel collected her dream, he could try.
"No! What a stupid idea! How would they accept being saved by a guy in chains? They would try to kill me to get rich. I can't even save myself. Besides, I can't even save myself. How can I try to save others?"
He felt bad about his own thought. The idea of saving those people hadn't occurred to him before, but Lavia's story made him reflect. The compassion, however, was swallowed by the need to survive.
— Lavia. Can I have my dagger back?
The girl, who had returned, stared at him. Conflicting emotions passed across her face: a mixture of sadness and relief. She leaned down, pulled the dagger from her boot, and threw it on the floor near him.
— It's yours, anyway! I'm not a thief.
He picked up the weapon and fastened it to his waist. His eyes fixed on Lavia once more.
— I know you're not.
There was pity in his voice. Pity for her having suffered so much, for having a dream that might never be realized. Pity for her entire pitiful life. He wanted to help her, but he couldn't even help himself. He needed to find a way to get out of this city stealthily and find a good shelter so that when he woke up, he could return to his world safely. He still had to think about how to make the whole journey through the death zone while keeping this body safe.
— Don't look at me like that, prisoner. I'll be fine. You have bigger problems to worry about.
"You have no idea."
Ezkiel began to tie the chains firmly around his arms, covering his forearms in a balanced way. The weight was enormous, but at least this way they didn't make noise and none of them were in the crook of his elbow, allowing him standard arm movement. Then, he wrapped the chain from his neck across his chest and back. He tested moving his neck and there was no pressure. His breathing became a little more difficult, but it was bearable.
Lavia watched the scene in silence, with the same pitying look he had given her. The two thought alike. She saw him as a poor, weak wretch who would be hunted down and killed, with no chance of escape and no one in this world. At least she still had Barton. She wanted to help him, but she was the one who needed help. She didn't have the strength to fight for her goals.
— I think I'll be going. Thanks for the help, Lavia. — Ezkiel walked towards the door, his hand already near the dagger.
— Wait. I think this will fit you. — She threw two pieces of clothing at him: dark beige pants, a little larger than Ezkiel's size, and a dingy white shirt that must have lost its top two buttons long ago. — I'd give you shoes, but I only have my own.
She gave a slight smile. Ezkiel changed in a corner, out of her sight. The clothes were loose on his skeletal body, but they were infinitely better than the rags. They hid part of the chains on his chest, leaving only the collar, the shackles on his arms, and a few visible links.
— You helped me much more than you needed to. Thank you, really, Lavia! I am deeply grateful.
The sincerity in his voice was absolute. The state Ezkiel had entered this place in was very different from the one he was leaving in. The information, the food, the clothes... it would all make a difference. Besides not having been killed by her while he slept.
— I hope you manage to get out of this place... — He turned to the door, without looking back. — And that you manage to save as many people as possible.
The hunger to collect her dream arose again, but he suppressed it more easily. The moment he knew it was coming, he could prepare to deny it, and his body seemed to have good control over its needs.
— Prisoner! — she called out. — If you find another explorer, run, as fast as you can. And pray to the gods that you don't find Barton. He won't let you escape.
He was aimless, but he seemed to have a plan of where to start looking. However, a bad feeling came over his body. A strange chill filled his spine again.
"Why did Lavia's warning sound less like advice and more like a premonition?"