Kill the Sun

Nick explained what he had been thinking about to Wyntor, who just looked at Nick with a skeptical expression.

"So, you're actually serious?" Wyntor asked. "You actually want to improve the lives of the people of the Dregs?"

Nick nodded without hesitation.

"Why?" Wyntor asked. "They've never done anything for you. From what I've heard, all of them didn't care about you, and many of them even wanted to steal your things. Why would you want to sacrifice the stuff you earned to help people like them?"

"It's the system, not the individual person," Nick said. "If there were no taxes, the number of violent crimes would drop significantly. If the people had access to better food, they wouldn't need to fight others for valuable nutrients."

"Yes, there are many people that are unnecessarily cruel and extremely selfish. Naturally, these people don't deserve to get a better life."

"But I can't judge all of the poor people because some of them are monsters."

"Just like how I can't call all the rich people monsters because they are not helping us."

"Right now, the people in the Dregs suffer, and some of them can improve their lives."

"However, I want it the other way around."

"I want everyone to have a good life, and if they do bad stuff, their lives will worsen."

"I think everyone deserves a chance, and I want to do my best to make this possible."

Wyntor still looked at Nick with a skeptical expression. "That's a tall order, you know?"

Nick nodded. "I know. If I want to help everyone in the Dregs on such a fundamental level, I probably need to become as powerful as Albert, at least. Maybe even more powerful."

"But, at least then, my power has actual value and meaning."

Wyntor rubbed his chin as he looked at Nick.

"So, in short, you want to become much stronger. Power is the source that allows you to realize your dreams, right?" he asked.

"I guess you could put it like that," Nick said with a nod.

"Alright," Wyntor said. 

The next moment, Wyntor sighed.

"I'm happy to hear that, you know?" 

This time, it was Nick who looked at Wyntor with skepticism. "Why?"

"I was afraid that you would become complacent," Wyntor said with a laugh. "You always told me that you just want a better life. I was afraid that you would take it easy as soon as your livelihood became secure."

"But since you now have such a grand goal, you probably have no reason to become complacent."

Nick scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "Yeah, I guess so."

Wyntor nodded. "Alright. Then, let's deal with the corpses."

Nick nodded with a smile.

"I've sent Pator home for today, Jenny is currently working, and Trevor won't be here for several hours," Wyntor said. "They have also not been informed about our decision to give the Parasite a couple of corpses, and I want to keep it that way."

"Working with the Parasite is illegal, and if we are found out, Crimson Fungus City will crack down on us. I will be able to get through this thanks to my family, but you won't survive. I hope you understand how important this is," Wyntor said.

Nick nodded solemnly. "I fully understand. I also don't want to die."

Wyntor nodded back in mutual understanding.

"Bring them over," Wyntor said as he walked around the Dreamer's Containment Unit.

Nick pulled the hearse behind him and followed Wyntor.

Near the back of the warehouse, Wyntor stopped.

Wyntor kneeled down and pointed at one of the shiny metal plates on the ground. "Since we want to keep this a secret, I can't commission someone to create easy access to the sewers, which means you have to do it."

"I've already looked at the blueprints of the warehouse, and I've seen where all the important pipes and cables go through. There should be nothing important below this place, which is why I want to make this the entrance to the sewers."

Nick nodded and walked over to the plate. 

"To make the warehouse stable, the screws have been welded onto the metal plates, making it effectively impossible to remove them," Wyntor said as he pointed at one of the screws. 

"I want you to tear them out without breaking them. I don't want there to be any signs."

Nick nodded. "Of course."

Wyntor also nodded and left Nick to work.

Nick needed his ability active for this.

Over the next 30 minutes, Nick removed the screws carefully.

It was extremely difficult to remove them without destroying the welding covering their edges.

Nevertheless, by carefully rotating them, Nick managed to keep the welding on the screws while removing it from the plate itself.

When he was done, he called Wyntor back, who nodded in appreciation.

"Good work," Wyntor said. "Now, slowly remove it."

Nick removed all the screws one by one and carefully put them to the side.

Then, he slowly lifted the plate. 

The plate wasn't that heavy, which was why Nick didn't need his ability.

After removing the plate, Nick saw a small and dark crawlspace with another set of plates.

Luckily, the second set of plates was not welded shut, but the plates were far bigger and heavier.

Each plate weighed over 400 kilos.

Wyntor left so that Nick's ability could reactivate, and over the next ten minutes, Nick managed to take one of the massive plates off.

As soon as the plate was pushed to the side, the horrible stench of the sewers entered the warehouse.

'We'll have to deal with the stench,' Nick thought. 'Luckily, nobody's here right now.'

Nick called Wyntor back, and when Wyntor saw the disgusting black abyss, he took a deep breath.

Since they were not in the Dregs, there were no grates that let light enter the sewers, which meant that the sewers below the warehouse were pitch black.

Luckily, since the warehouse had many small holes in its ceiling, the light from the warehouse also reached the sewers, creating an isolated beam of light in a seemingly eternity of darkness.

"Call him," Wyntor said.

Nick nodded.