Elang: The Strongest Hunter in the Tower

Chapter 9 ~ 4th Floor

'Why is it so noisy?' Elang thought as everything remained pitch-black.

His head felt like it was being struck repeatedly with a hammer. His body was completely numb, while unfamiliar voices echoed faintly in his ears.

"Is this kid dead? Hey, kid?" someone's voice drifted over.

'Who is that?' Elang focused, trying to listen.

"Woah, is he actually dead? Or is he just dying? If I kill him right now, it might get rid of a competitor," the voice remarked casually.

Thump!

'Who is that? Why does he want to kill me? Damn it, I can't even move my body,' Elang complained internally.

"Then again, it feels kind of unfair to kill him while he's dying. Say what you will, but I am a grand warrior from the land of Java—the reincarnation of the White Tiger!" the voice continued, dripping with pride.

'What kind of nonsense is he spewing...' Elang strained to open his eyes slowly.

His vision was still blurry, but he could vaguely make out a skinny man squatting in front of him, holding a bamboo spear.

The man wore a red headband inscribed with the words: Grand Warrior.

He sported a leopard-print sarong paired with cheap leather armor. His overall fashion looked like a cross between a night market shaman and a failed cosplayer.

"Oh, you're awake!" the man exclaimed enthusiastically. "I knew you weren't dead, kid!"

Elang blinked slowly until he could clearly see the man in front of him, who appeared to be an old man.

"...Who are you?" Elang asked, utterly confused as he gradually pushed himself up into a sitting position.

The man immediately stood tall, striking a bizarre pose. "Allow me to introduce myself!" he said loudly, pointing at his own chest. "My name is Banyu Wijaya! The grand warrior from the land of Java! A future Ranker! The sole heir to the secret martial art—Galaxy-Crushing White Tiger Palm!"

Silence. Elang stared back with a deadpan expression.

'Who on earth is this guy? I don't remember any old geezer like him in the game,' Elang thought.

"You're stunned to hear my spectacular identity, aren't you? So, what's your name, kid?" Banyu asked.

Elang tried to stand up, but a sharp wave of pain immediately shot through his entire body.

"Ugh..."

[War Sovereign's Buff Has Expired.]

[Side Effects Active.]

[All Stats Temporarily Reduced.]

'Damn it, I've lost way too much stamina,' Elang thought, feeling as though his whole body had been beaten to a pulp by an entire village.

"Whoa, easy there! Take it slow!" Banyu quickly placed a hand on his shoulder to steady him.

Elang frowned as he surveyed his surroundings. They were in a vast, open expanse of green grass under blistering hot weather. A few trees and rock formations were scattered about, but they were few and far between.

"Old man, where are we?" Elang asked.

"Heh, who are you calling an old man? Call me Sultan Banyu," Banyu corrected.

Elang gave him a expressionless look. "I'm serious. Where are we?"

"Right now, we're on the Fourth Floor. All the Players have gathered here, but there hasn't been any Quest announcement yet. Though, according to my supernatural foresight, we'll all be killing each other this time," Banyu said, stroking his bearded chin with his thumb and forefinger.

'So this is that floor... The floor where the Sovereign met his team,' Elang thought, recalling the party members who had helped him climb to the top of the Tower in the game—even though they had all eventually died, leaving only the Sovereign played by Elang.

Elang remained silent for a long moment.

A warm breeze blew gently across the vast grassy plain. In the distance, dozens of Players were scattered in small groups, keeping a cautious distance from one another.

'So this is that floor,' Elang thought quietly. 'Is it possible I'll meet the Sovereign here?'

"Oi, kid!" Banyu's voice shattered his train of thought.

The eccentric old man was now squatting, staring directly into Elang's face from an uncomfortably close distance.

"...What are you doing?" Elang asked, startled and bewildered by the old man's proximity.

"I suspect something." Banyu narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Elang.

"Suspect what?" Elang grew even more bewildered.

"Perhaps you're actually a prince from a fallen kingdom."

Elang's face immediately slumped with exhaustion. "Hah?"

"Look at that gaze of yours." Banyu pointed seriously at Elang's eyes. "A gaze weighed down by the burdens of life. Exactly like the protagonist of a 7 PM soap opera."

"Stop talking nonsense, old man," Elang sighed heavily.

"Nonsense?! My intuition is razor-sharp!" Banyu retorted proudly. "I once guessed a goat was pregnant just by looking at its rear!"

Elang felt a spike of annoyance at Banyu's words. "That's not something you should be proud of."

Banyu merely nodded with satisfaction. "The point is, a grand warrior's guess is rarely wrong."

Elang massaged his temples. 'Why do I keep running into weirdos...'

Suddenly—

DING!

A notification sound echoed throughout the entire area.

Every Player instantly tensed up.

A Guide figure materialized on the floor. It resembled the Dragonfly Guide, but it was deep green and noticeably larger than the one that had guided Elang from the first floor.

"Welcome to the 4th Floor, Players who have cleared the previous three floors," the creature spoke.

"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Roro, and I will be your Guide on this floor."

'I see, the previous Dragonfly Guide isn't on duty anymore,' Elang noted mentally.

"Approximately 247 Players have cleared the previous floors and gathered here," Roro announced. "The Quest for this floor is simple. Please open your Stat Windows."

DING!

Every Player across the plain immediately opened their Stat Window.

Elang narrowed his eyes as a transparent blue window floated before him.

[4th Floor Main Quest — KINGDOM WAR]

Form a Team of Up to 10 Members.

Once the time limit expires, all Teams will be transported to the Kingdom Arena.

[Quest Rules:]

Minimum Team Members: 5

Maximum Team Members: 10

Players without a team will be automatically eliminated.

All teams are required to fight one another until only half of the 247 Players remain.

[Victory Condition:] Become a surviving Team.

[Rewards:]

100,000 Cash for each member of the winning team.

Instant Level-Up by 10 Levels.

Random Epic Item Box.

Right to claim Territory on the 5th Floor.

[Defeat Penalty:] DEATH.

Silence.

For a brief moment, the entire area fell deathly quiet.

"WHAT?!" multiple Players shouted in unison.

Panicked uproar erupted immediately. Some turned furious, while others grew pale with horror.

"What kind of insane Quest is this?!"

"We're supposed to kill other Players?!"

"This isn't a normal game, damn it!"

Roro smiled broadly, hovering casually in the air.

"Of course." Its tone sounded cheerful. "The Tower loves conflict. Isn't killing one another far more entertaining than killing monsters?"

"We need to find strong, reliable Players so we can win this floor!" one of the Players shouted.

Elang observed in silence. He was no stranger to this floor, as it functioned the exact same way in the game: everyone was forced to slaughter each other, and only the strong would survive until the end.

That was until Elang's gaze landed on a set of familiar figures.

'Them?'

Elang looked closely at each of the individuals who used to make up the Sovereign's original team.

'I have to get them onto my team,' Elang thought resolutely.

"Kid! You're teaming up with me. Don't worry, this grand warrior will definitely protect you!" Banyu declared with supreme confidence.

'Good grief, this old man... why does he keep sticking to me like glue?' Elang thought, thoroughly exasperated.

***