— BREAKING NEWS: The Obelisk Organization has evoked the Obelisk Law: Act Zero, Orion Martial Law.
The Obelisk Law: Act Zero stated that, in case of a threat that concerned the entirety of humanity or the Orion Continent itself, should every ruler of each major country agree with the evocation of thew would the Obelisk Military be deployed.
***
"It''s like a virus that''s highly contagious."
Ayleen poignantly spoke, looking at the huge holographic screen where the yers'' death curve — either by suicide or murder — was gradually going upward due to the Failure Penalty, which became known, for failing to conquer the Tower of Growth.
"ording to the daughter of a Baron in Cassiopeia, our presumed yer Zero or the first tomit an atrocious act due to psychological cue of the Tower, she felt like she was asleep and had no control of herself.
"Furthermore, based on the other incident reports that followed up, we can conclude that the penalty for failing to conquer the Tower is losing the yers'' Growth Rate, but they will be given a chance to steal the others'' Growth Rate by killing them with a condition that their targets are the sessful challengers of the Tower.
"And, if by any chance, the failed yer didn''t manage to steal the Growth Rate of a sessful challenger, he or she will involuntarilymit suicide."
Ayleen summarized the details of the report.
Draxian, Leon''s and Mira''s father, was silent this time. He had sent his children to the Tower of Growth before he learned about the widespread involuntary suicide and murders. But, inwardly, he was confident that they would be alright since five S Rank yers were with them.
Thinking about his son and daughter, Ayleen''s voice entered his ears.
"Based on the live death curve, the case of involuntary suicide is higher. In consideration of the failed yers'' location, we can assume that most of the failed yers lived in the regions where they couldn''t find someone who sessfully cleared the Tower, thus triggering suicide after the given time of thirty minutes.
"Apart from that, we have already established control of the yer-popted regions, as well as the less popted ones, of the continent."
After Ayleen''s short pause, one of the High-Rank yers, below the TOP 10 raised her hand and asked:
"Is the 30th floor really random? Or the Tower assessed the challengers in the same way?"
"Thank you for asking such a question. ording to the sessful challengers that are affiliated with the Obelisk Organization, every yer Assessment on the 30th floor will face different assessments ording to the Tower''s will."
After an unknown period of time, the conference ended.
"It''s cruel..."
Ayleen whispered, not generally talking to anyone.
The failed yers were either to die by their own hands or to involuntarily murder someone to live. For the former, it could be said that it was the consequences of their own actions, while for thetter, it''s to continue to live and grow upon spilling the others'' blood.
Looking at the yers leaving the conference room, Ayleen added:
"Deaths can not be avoided either way."
Turning her head slowly to the live holographic screen or death curve, her purple eyes slightly dimmed.
Deaths: 30,017,002...
Deaths: 30,018,001...
She couldn''t me herself for ignoring the prank of the mysterious someone who told her to mobilize the Obelisk Military. Deaths could not be avoided, after all.
Everything had transpired just a few hours after Russell and the others entered the Tower of Growth.
***
[The yer Party has arrived at the 11th floor of the Tower of Growth.]
[Quest Objective: Kill 1,000 Forest Trolls from the 11th to 14th floors — 250 on each floor.]
[Duration: 50 minutes.]
Russell and the others were transported to the 11th floor. Various thoughts surfaced in his mind as he nced toward the newly added members after the Administrator transported them.
''It''s different yet the same.''
He thought. Based on his unpublished novel, it was them — Russell, Freya, Amelie, Amery, and Celine, as well as the members of Rumia''s and Elizabeth''s respective parties during the Virtual War — who were added to the party at this moment whenpared to his unpublished novel.
It means that the original members who should have cleared together the Tower of Growth were Jiho, Samantha, Anya, Elizabeth, Rumia, and the two S Rank assigned by Rumia''s mother.
''Leon didn''t even bother to join them...''
As Russell thought of Leon, he saw the S Rank women assigned by Rumia''s mother. He recalled the time when Rumia first approached them because she wanted to find someone to eat meals with.
''They''re the ones who probably investigated our background.''
"Samantha, what''s the n?"
Every party member acquiesced for her to be the leader of thebined party.
ncing around, Russell scrutinized the environment they arrived at. A rainforest with no open field, full of gigantic trees; the radiance of the Sun barely pierced the gaps in the leaves. In other words, the 11th floor, which would also likely look like the 12th to 14th floors, was a dim and cramped environment that could affect the party''s mobility.
"Since the difficulty doubled, we can assume that the floor''s size also widened twice as much, but I think it''ll be fine if Rumia''s escort splits up, too."
Samantha nced at Rumia as she answered Elizabeth''s question.
Understanding what she meant, Rumia looked towards the two women in theirte 20s before she spoke.
"Raya... Yara... we''ll split up into two groups, one of you should apany the other."
Without verbally answering, the two nodded at their princess'' words.
Whoosh-!
Without any warning, a stone spear was caught by Yara, a woman with waist-length ck hair and green eyes.
"A troll. Up to the trees."
A barrage of stone spears, meant to pierce the necks of each of them, quickly flew past the leaves as though tearing the air.
''If it''s not for these two, some of us would have our necks pierced already.''
Russell thought. Due to the environment''s dimness, it was hard for them to see the Forest Trolls, but with Russell''s profound vision and perception, he could clearly see the top of the towering trees where numerous furry figures were slowly moving.
***
Each of them scattered and hide behind some trees. After some time, the other escort, Raya, a woman with short blonde hair and blue eyes, spoke — just enough for everyone to hear.
"Do all of you need help?"
"No, we''ll handle this."
Rumia firmly said. She recalled the story of the others before they mysteriously arrived on the 10th floor.
''Jiho defeated the Boss Monster... that''s somewhat strengthened by the Tower for some reason... I need to be stronger, too!''
Rumia thought. Russell knew that these major people would be more motivated to be stronger than they were because of Jiho''s achievement.
"Let''s find them."
Rumia spoke to Elizabeth, standing beside her.
Elizabeth nodded and was just about to teleport atop the trees when they heard Russell''s voice.<novelnext></novelnext>
"Twenty-five Forest Trolls above; five together, circling us around — ten and two o''clock from where Rumia''s standing; twelve o''clock from where Samantha''s hiding, and four and eight o''clock from where Ya- Jiho''s crouching. They''re covered in brown fur so be careful of their camouge."
Russell was just about to say Yara but refrained from doing so because his tone was showing familiarity.
Rumia and the other mentioned names, who seemed in disbelief at the precise locations that came out of Russell''s mouth, looked at the directions he spoke about.
"T-that..."
Rumia looked at Elizabeth, and they quickly vanished from the spot.
Soon after, Forest Trolls'' headless bodies fell from the trees as Rumia''s Personal Weapon, "Whip of the rd (Legendary)" coiled around the monsters'' necks before they were decapitated.
***
The n to split up had been put to a stop due to the sudden attacks of the Forest Trolls. After some cleaning up of the ambushers, they decided to hunt Forest Trolls together, concluding that there was no need to split up anymore due to the arrival of batches of the monsters.
Russell scrutinized the body of one of the Forest Trolls who died with his entire body intact. A Forest Troll was around two meters tall, with long hands and feet. They''re agile as though they were natural monkeys.
Name: —
Race: Troll
Family: Forest Creature
Rank: F+
— STATS —
Strength: 199
Swift: 199
Fortitude: 199
Intelligence: 199
Magic Power: 199
''Normal monsters, if they aren''t fighting head-on, are all F+ rank, unlike the normal Orcs.''
Russell thought of the monster''s behavior before he nced toward Celine.
"Are you okay?"
''This pitiful girl.''
"A-ah, yes. T-thank you."
Celine, looking down at the ground, replied. They''re taking a break for a moment before they start their hunting. It turned out that the Forest Trolls were the onesing to their location as they might have sensed their arrival on this floor.
A momentter, Celine looked at Russell, but her expression turned grim... because... in Russell''s left shoulder, a stone spear was pierced through.
"Argh-! T-trolls!"
Russell shouted, alerting the other party members.
<I''m fine, just take care of them.>
With telepathy, he told his Chaos Companions that they shouldn''t mind him. Although Freya''s expression turned the same as Celine''s, she heed her older brother''s words.
"Argh-!"
Russell groaned, pulling out the stone spear. Celine, with trembling hands, poured an Advanced Health Potion to the wound after Russell excruciatingly pulled out the stone spear that was at least a meter and a half long, and ten centimeters wide.
''If not for me, Celine would get hit instead.''
He knew that a stone spear wasing his way with his perception, but it was toote to warn Celine.
''Well, at least she''ll feel in debt somehow. I might need her help with something in the future, after all.''
***
After an unknown period of time, Russell with the others cleared the 11th to 14th floor with the remaining duration of 10 minutes and 03 seconds. With Elizabeth''s help, some of the party members chose to hunt the iing Forest Trolls instead of waiting for them to arrive.
Arriving at the Waiting Room that''s been expanded after Rumia and Elizabeth''s party addition, Russell fell into deep thought.
''The outside must be having a crisis right now.''
***
"Do you think he knew some secret solution to this problem?"
Ayleen asked curiously as she looked at Artorious.
"He might know something, but it''s no longer a solution since millions already died."
Artorious answered with a deep, emotionless voice. Although he had a cold bearing, he cared about humanity.
"But he''s with your daughter, raiding the Tower at this moment."
Artorious'' grey eyes, simr to ss, gleamed with the mention of his daughter, Samantha.
"We can only hope that they would clear it up soon. For now, just monitor and toughen the control of the public."
Ayleen nodded before the office.
***
[The yer Party has arrived at Floor 15 of the Tower of Growth!]
[Quest Objective: Kill the Berserk Ogre, Grarth, and the Delightful Ogre, Yoorth!]
[Duration: 20 minutes.]
[Good luck, yer!]
At that moment, arriving in a wide rocky area with nothing around, two cracks appeared in space. A secondter, on each crack, a gigantic foot slowly appeared as the air vibrated, then as time passed, two enormous Ogres stood in front of everyone.
Grarth, the Berserk Ogre, was around eight meters. He was wearing a tattered brown fabric loincloth, and he was holding a giant spiky club that was at least three meters long and forty centimeters wide. Grarth had burning red eyes and an unrelenting livid expression on his face as he looked at the yers in front of him.
Yoorth, the Delightful Ogre, on the other hand, was around the same height as Grarth and wearing a tattered dark green fabric loincloth. Yoorth also had the same eyes as Grarath, and he was holding a spiky metallic mace, around the same dimensions as Grarth''s weapon.
His expression caused the party repugnance.
"What the actual f*ck?"
Russell whispered, enough to be heard by others. But they couldn''t me his reaction because the Delighted Ogre... had a huge, unrelenting smile on his face.
Without finishing to process the appearance of the monstrosity in front of them, the eight-meter Yoorth jumped from where he appeared and spun around the air with his metallic spiky mace that aimed at the party.
Boom-!