The smell of fresh bread and fried herbs had filled the house.
There was a strange mix of warmth from the stove and moonlight shining through the small windows, creating a sense of peace.
He was discharged from the hospital around noon, and it was about a thirty-minute walk from the hospital to the association, and another hour from there to his home.
So by the time he got home, it was nearly night.
"You're home, sweetie? Go wash your hands, dinner will be ready in a few minutes!" his mother's voice came from the kitchen as he opened the door.
Alice, with bright white hair and a face that always had a slight smile, came out of her room.
She saw Daniel and her smile grew, but there was still a hint of worry in her eyes.
"You're finally back. Good job out there, hero!"
"Hero? It's still too early for that title." Daniel smiled, his usual half-smile.
"Hmph, sooner or later you will become one, though I really don't like their fake attitudes! Just don't end up like them," Alice muttered and sat on a chair.
Daniel chuckled and sat down as well, clearly understanding what his sister meant.
When she was a kid, she was a big fan of awakened people, especially the Miracle Generation.
But after some truths were revealed about them, her view changed.
She realized many of them were just fake heroes hiding their rotten nature.
"Do you remember when you were kids and tried to make me breakfast and set the whole kitchen on fire?" their mother said as she put the plates on the table with a teasing smile.
Alice laughed, and Daniel just raised an eyebrow.
"If I remember right, the main culprit in that disaster was you, Alice."
"Me?! I only cracked the eggs, and I did it very carefully!" Alice said with a mischievous smile, picking up her plate.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say." Daniel flicked her forehead.
A few minutes passed. The sound of cutlery, the smell of food, the warmth of home... everything felt complete.
"I'm going to get some fruit. Daniel, you need to eat more fruit from now on. It's good for your health."
"Mom, I'm an awakened. Especially a priest type. I'm immune to diseases, remember?"
"So what? Don't you see how many priests die in dungeons every day?"
"That's different. They're killed by monsters."
"If they ate more fruit, their bodies would be stronger, and they could escape from the monsters."
"Well, Mom's logic kinda makes sense," Alice said, pretending to think deeply.
Daniel just sighed and accepted defeat.
When their mother returned to the kitchen to get the fruit, Alice's look turned serious.
"By the way, Daniel... you still haven't asked anything about the Tower. You know only real awakened people are allowed in, right?" Alice said.
"You know I just awakened. A lot of things are still unclear to me... so tell me, what do you know about it?"
When you awaken at the age of sixteen, they send you to special classes and academies for awakened people.
There, they teach all the detailed and complete information about dungeons and especially the Tower.
In regular elementary schools, normal people only learn a few very basic facts that you could easily find online.
But the rest of the information is classified, and only awakened ones have access to it.
That's why he himself didn't know much about dungeons or the Tower.
Alice's eyes sparkled, as if she was about to tell a fairy tale.
"The Tower... it's not just a magical structure. It's a whole world. It has ten floors.
Each floor is its own world with special rules, its own challenges, and creatures you may never have even heard of."
"The interesting part is that the tests on each floor are never the same. Two people can enter at the same time,
but face completely different worlds."
"For now, the strongest awakened are stuck on the tenth floor. No one has been able to conquer it..."
She sighed. Her teacher once told her that according to the Guardian Council, conquering the tenth floor is completely impossible.
None of the races inside the Tower have succeeded in doing it.
Daniel listened carefully.
"Ten floors, huh? I've heard about it before."
"But there's still hope. The Mother System said if all ten floors are conquered,
no more dungeons will appear. Dimensional breaks will stop. It means... maybe the world can be saved." Alice continued.
"Awakened people get stronger after conquering each floor, right?" Daniel looked into his sister's eyes.
Alice nodded. "Each floor gives more power. Treasures, skills, even ways to upgrade your class or awaken hidden talents!
Some have even found treasures that let them raise their class rank."
"And what about the Celestial Domain? You mentioned it opens after the first floor is cleared." Daniel asked curiously.
He had heard a lot about Celestial Domain, but no one knew exactly what it was.
"Celestial Domain? It's a whole other world. A kind of giant lobby between worlds.
Awakened ones from all races gather there. Humans, elves, beast races, even intelligent demons." Alice explained excitedly.
"After conquering the first floor, the Mother System lets you enter it."
"Most of the big guilds have their bases there. It's full of treasures, potions, natural resources... even training you can't find anywhere else."
"So it's kind of... the real center of power." Daniel sighed.
"But remember... it shows no mercy. Power means everything. The stronger humans got, the more they took control there. But it also made them a lot of enemies."
Alice groaned a bit—her teacher once told her that humans were one of the most hated races there.
"Well, I guess we shouldn't expect less from power-hungry creatures like us. Haha," Daniel laughed a little.
They wanted to keep talking, but Liana came back with a plate full of fruit, and the atmosphere returned to that warm and peaceful state.
Alice's laughter, Liana's jokes, the soft sunlight... everything felt calm.
"So, what were you all talking about while I was gone?"