Arthur stood before an unfinished world.
Floor 5 did not exist yet—
not as terrain, not as rules, not even as suffering.
Only intent.
He rotated the core framework slowly, watching abstract layers overlap: environments, factions, fail states, psychological load. The Tower usually treated floors as isolated trials.
Arthur did not.
"Independent stories end," he murmured.
"Consequences shouldn't."
He opened a new design tab.
[FLOOR 5 — CONCEPT PHASE]
A single line blinked, awaiting definition.
Arthur typed:
• Continuity: ENABLED
The system paused—longer than usual.
[WARNING: Cross-Floor Dependency Increases Cascade Risk]
Arthur accepted without hesitation.
"What players did below," Arthur said quietly, "should shape what waits above."
He selected a new parameter.
• Persistent NPC Memory: ACTIVE
Faces would be remembered.
Betrayals would echo.
Victories would create enemies that never forgot.
Another rule followed.
• Faction Awareness: CROSS-FLOOR
Nations destroyed on lower floors would leave refugees.
Commanders killed would have successors.
Rumors would travel upward faster than players.
Arthur leaned back.
Rohan exhaled as the notification faded.
[FLOOR 4 — CLEARED]
No cheers. No relief.
Just the familiar weight settling deeper into his chest.
He opened his status window .
[Special Skill]
Name: Failed Execution
Type: passive
Cooldown: 7 Days
Effect: Nullifies any single attack targeting the user or one chosen ally
Status: USED — Cooldown in Progress (7 Days Remaining)
Rohan stared at it for a long second.
Floor 4 flashed through his mind
A soldier he had missed, buried under rubble, rose behind him in silence.
No warning. No system alert.
The blade came down.
Rohan felt it before he saw it
death, sharp and final.
Then
A dull, heavy impact echoed, like metal striking an unseen wall.
The world stalled for a heartbeat.
A translucent shield snapped into place around him, fractured with glowing cracks.
The attack vanished on contact, erased as if it had never existed.
Rohan staggered a step forward as the shield shattered into light.
He didn't hesitate.
He spun, blade already moving, and drove it straight through the soldier's throat.
No mercy.
The body collapsed without a sound.
Rohan didn't wait to confirm the kill.
His legs burned as he turned and ran.
Rohan stumbled forward and finally stopped after Floor 4 released him.
His knees nearly gave out.
He bent over, hands on his thighs, dragging air into his lungs.
His hands were shaking.
Not from exhaustion.
From how close it had been.
Rohan leaned back, staring at nothing.
"…That was close," he muttered.
Floor 4 was over.
The image shifted.
Floor 2.
Back when survival still felt shared.
his world spun. Colors mixed together into a bright, blinding white.
Then, they hit the ground.
Rohan's feet slammed onto the dirt. He almost fell over.
The air here was heavy and wet.
It smelled like old leaves and rain. They were in a forest.
Huge trees blocked out most of the sunlight, making everything look dark and green.
Beside him, Aman groaned. He stood up straight and held his spear tight.
"Everyone okay?" Aman whispered. He was already looking around for monsters.
"Yeah," Rohan said, shaking his head to clear it.
He put his hand on his sword handle.
It felt cold and real.
"Get ready," Aman said. "The system said three players are here."
Rohan nodded and looked around.
That's when he saw him.
The third person.
He hadn't stumbled. He didn't make a sound. He was just standing there.
He stood near a big tree, half-hidden in the shadow.
He was tall and very thin. His leather armor looked dirty and stained.
[QUEST: Kill 5 Goblins]
The blue box floated in the air.
Rohan, Aman, and the stranger moved deeper into the forest.
The stranger still hadn't said a word. He walked behind them, his steps silent on the dead leaves.
"There," Aman whispered.
five small, green creatures were there.
They held jagged rusty knives.
"Let's go," Rohan said.
They charged.
The fight was messy. Rohan swung his sword, cutting down the first goblin. Aman was fast, his spear piercing two of them in quick succession.
The stranger stayed back at first, then lunged in to finish off a wounded one. He moved fast.
Four goblins down. One left.
The last goblin screeched and jumped at Aman.
Aman grunted and blocked with his spear shaft.
He shoved the goblin back and raised his spear to finish it.
"Die!" Aman yelled, thrusting his weapon forward.
He was fully focused on the monster. His back was turned to the rest of the clearing.
Rohan turned to look for the stranger.
He wasn't fighting.
He was right behind Aman.
The stranger wasn't looking at the goblin. He was looking at the back of Aman's neck.
The stranger's hand moved. The dagger in his grip flashed in the dim light. He thrust it forward, aiming right between Aman's shoulder blades.
"Aman!" Rohan screamed.
There was no time to shout a warning. No time to swing his sword.
Rohan threw himself forward.
He didn't think. He just jumped.
He slammed his body between the stranger and Aman.
SHK.
A cold, burning pain exploded in Rohan's shoulder.
The dagger didn't hit Aman. It buried itself deep into Rohan's flesh.
Rohan gasped, the air leaving his lungs.
Aman spun around as the last goblin fell dead. His eyes went wide with horror.
"Rohan!"
Rohan stumbled, blood soaking his shirt. He looked at the stranger.
The stranger's eyes met Rohan's for a brief, empty second.
Then he turned and ran.
He vanished into the forest like smoke, branches snapping softly as he disappeared between the trees.
"Coward…" Aman growled, taking a step forward.
Rohan grabbed his wrist.
"Don't," Rohan said through clenched teeth. His vision swam. "Let him go."
Blood was already soaking through Rohan's shirt.
Before either of them could speak again, a blue window appeared in front of their eyes.
[QUEST COMPLETE: Kill 5 Goblins]
Light poured down from above.
Rohan barely had time to register it before the world twisted.
The forest dissolved.
The pain vanished.
They were pulled out of tower in silence.
Rohan blinked.
His wound was gone.
No blood. No pain. Only a faint ache where the dagger had been.
Aman immediately grabbed Rohan's shoulders.
"You okay?"
Rohan nodded slowly. "Yeah… healed."
They stood there for a moment, breathing hard.
Neither spoke.
Finally Aman broke the silence.
"Why?"
Rohan looked up.
"Why try to kill us?" Aman continued. "We were on the same quest."
Rohan stared at the empty air where the system windows had faded.
"I don't know," he said quietly.
[Special Skill Acquired]
Name: Failed Execution
Type: Passive
Cooldown: 7 Days
Effect: Automatically nullifies one lethal attack targeting the user or a chosen ally. Activates only at the moment of certain death.
[CONSTELLATION NOTICE]
A high-ranking constellation has taken interest in Participants Rohan and Aman.
[PROPOSAL: UNIFIED SPONSORSHIP]
Somewhere far away.
Nowhere inside the Tower.
A man stood in a chamber
A crimson window hovered before him.
[QUEST STATUS: ACTIVE]
Objective: Eliminate 20 participants.
Reward: player Points.
Above the interface burned a twisted emblem.
[CONSTELLATION: THE GRINNING ABYSS]