All the prisoners looked around in a dazed manner. They couldn't believe what they were seeing. A few dozen seconds age they were in a dark room and now they were in an open grass field.

  The field extended into the horizon. Nothing except grass could be seen in any direction.

  The criminals were still shocked and started talking about how this was even possible. However Julius wasn't worried about the method by which they were brought here. He was thinking of something way more important. Food.

  There were no animals to be seen and the grass obviously couldn't provide enough nutrients for them and there was no visible body of water nearby.

  "Wondering around in search of food and water will just tire us out. The lack of nutrients, the exhaustion and the fear of suddenly appearing in such a place are all things that once put together would lead to one outcome and that was cannibalism." Julius concluded inwardly. He wasn't too worried about this. He could defend himself just fine and was perfectly comfortable eating humans for the first time.

  He knew something had to happen. If someone or something built this tower then why would they "create" this field that seemed to serve no purpose. So Julius held onto the belief that something would happen, for better or for worse.

  Suddenly the entire sky darkened and dark clouds now filled the sky that was a beautiful blue just a moment ago.

  Then a massive bolt of lightning hit the ground a few dozen meters away from the group of criminals.

  Dirt was sent flying in each direction which created a cloud of dust. This dust cloud slowly cleared away and a figure was standing in the exact spot the lightning hit.

  The figure looked like an old man. With flowing, grey robes and a white beard. The figure had blue eyes which observed the criminals for a moment.

  Then the dark clouds cleared away the same way they appeared. Now only the group of criminals and the elderly man remained. The elderly man opened his mouth and spoke.

  "Allow me to introduce myself. I am the Hummin the Storm. I am a god. The god of storms to be exact. I will serve as your guide through the tower. If you have any questions then you can ask me and I'll answer them if I decide you're worthy of the answer. Now before you stop throwing countless questions at me right at the start I'll make a rule. All of you as a whole can only ask me 3 questions."

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  The criminals started discussing what this man was saying and if it was true or not. Then they started discussing what kind of questions they should ask Hummin. Suddenly Julius walked forward and was now near Hummin.

  Julius and Hummin made eye contact and Julius opened his mouth and spoke to Hummin.

  "Is this open field the only part of the tower?" Julius asked a question.

  "No." replied Hummin.

  "What is it's purpose?" Julius asked another question.

  "To serve as a resting spot between rounds." Hummin answered.

  "What are these rounds you just mentioned?" Julius asked the last question.

  " Every couple of hours I will take you all to a special location within the tower. In that special location an event will be held. If you survive the event you live and move onto the next round while those who lost will die," Hummin explained in a calm voice.

  Julius smiled. After he gathered all this information he knew what this tower was. It was a test. A competition. A competition for what? He didn't know but he did know that if he successfully completed all the rounds he will most likely live.

  So he was determined. Before when he didn't know if entering the tower meant death he accepted death as his fate. But now that there was a chance to live he had to take it. It didn't matter if others died along the way. His survival was the most important.

  Julius turned around to look at the other criminals. They were all looking at him with bloodshot eyes. He had just used the 3 questions without even discussing it with anybody. They wanted to kill him.

  Julius spread his arms and screamed at the top of his lungs so that everybody could hear him.

  "Why are all you little worms looking at me with such wrath? Do you want to kill me? If so then these rounds will be your best opportunity to do so. It's me against all of you. That seems fair to me. So how about it? Why don't we compete? The prize for all of you if you win will be the sight of my dead body and if I win then I will walk atop a hill made from your corpses."

  The group became even more agitated after Julius's provocation.

  Julius's smile grew even wider and he continued with his speech.

  "It doesn't matter what either of us does in order to clinch victory. No matter the magnitude of immoral acts or the quantity of evil acts. As long as one of us wins it is all forgiven. So I ask you again. Why don't we compete? It will be a race to the end. A competition filled with sin. But in the end the last and greatest sinner inside this place will be the one to clinch victory. So who will it be? Me or you? Why don't we find out?"

  Hummin observer all of this with interest. He had never seen someone so honest about their sinful nature. He was assured that this will be something very special.

  The entire group of criminals were bursting with rage. The very air around them seemed tense. Their minds were filled with nothing but though on how to kill Julius.

  Despite all of this anger and bloodlust being directed at him Julius had nothing but a wide grin on his face. To him this was entertaining.

  He felt like he had found his paradise.