Arthur stood in the Spectator Suite, hands behind his back.
Dozens of Floor-2 feeds floated around him, but his eyes stayed on one panel only.
NULL_08
Still there.
Still untouched.
Arthur opened the global leaderboard.
The numbers refreshed.
│ RANK │ NICKNAME │ TIME │
│ #1 │ NULL_08 │ 04:50 [!] │
│ #2 │ HANUMAN │ 09:11 │
│ #3 │ IRONWOLF │ 09:47 │
│ #4 │ SHYAMLAL │ 10:02 │
│ #5 │ NIGHTLORD │ 10:18 │
│ #6 │ AKHAY@SHINE │ 10:29 │
│ #7 │ BLOODRUSH │ 10:46 │
│ #8 │ ALEX │ 11:01 │
│ #9 │ SILENTSTEP │ 11:14 │
│ #10 │ RAVENX │ 11:22 │
Arthur stared at the 04:50.
He didn't blink.
NULL_08 was sitting at the top like a wound in the system.
Arthur exhaled slowly.
"…Not now."
He closed the leaderboard with a flick of his hand.
"Whatever you are," he muttered, "I'll learn it eventually."
The Spectator Suite dissolved.
A new design space unfolded around him—endless grids, logic trees, probability maps.
FLOOR 4 – CREATION MODE
Arthur began dragging rules into place.
"Enough random slaughter," he said.
"Let's test loyalty."
New system parameters locked in.
• Solo entry only
• No party formation
• No spectator hints
• Dynamic NPC factions
• One primary mission
He paused, then added one more thing.
Mercenary Command System
When players arrived, they would not be free.
They would be soldiers.
Arthur raised a finger and typed the final rule himself.
A golden quest window formed.
[MAIN QUEST — FLOOR 4]
Title: Enemy Within
Difficulty: Hard
Type: Infiltration · Deception · Survival
Objective:
• Enter the enemy-controlled city
• Successfully blend into enemy forces
• Gain their trust and rank
• Remain undiscovered
Failure Conditions:
• Identity exposed
• Death
• Capture by enemy command
Success Reward:
• Massive XP
• Variable-grade item
Reward Scaling Rules:
The final reward will be calculated based on:
• Amount of intelligence gathered
• Quality and sensitivity of information
• Number of enemy operations sabotaged
• Rank achieved inside the enemy faction
• Damage caused to enemy infrastructure
• Survival time behind enemy lines
Arthur smiled faintly.
"Not all traitors are equal."
"Let's see who bleeds the enemy the most.
Arthur leaned back.
"Let's see," he murmured,
"who knows how to lie."
The system locked it in.
Arthur wasn't finished.
He added one last rule.
The quest window shifted again.
[TEMPORAL DISTORTION — FLOOR 4]
Time Flow:
• 1 day inside Floor 4 = 1 hour outside
• Aging is suspended inside the Tower
Clear Conditions:
• Survive at least 30 days inside the enemy city → Floor Clear (Low-tier rewards)
• Remain inside longer to accumulate higher rewards
• There is no maximum limit
Risk–Reward Rule:
The longer you stay embedded,
the greater the danger,
the greater the reward.
Arthur read it once.
Then twice.
"Some of them will hide for a month and run," he said softly.
"And some…"
His eyes gleamed.
"…will stay for years and become monsters."
The system locked the rule.
[FLOOR 4 PARAMETERS FINALIZED]
Arthur turned away from the glowing interface.
He saw a unique notification he have never seen before.
[CONSTELLATION CONTRACT DETECTED]
Arthur turned.
A dossier unfolded.
PLAYER: VIKRAM DAS
ID: #4492
STATUS: ACTIVE
CONSTELLATION: THE VEILED STALKER
Domain: Hunt · Fear · Survival
Alignment: Neutral
CONTRACT TYPE: Sponsorship
Tier: Low
Growth Potential: High
Granted Privileges:
• Stealth-type skill amplification
• Emergency concealment (1 per floor)
• Reduced detection by elite units
Behavioral Influence:
• Increased risk-taking when hunted
• Preference toward isolation and ambush
• Psychological reinforcement of fear-based decisions
Arthur's eyes narrowed.
[WARNING]
Constellation-backed players show abnormal survival curves.
Arthur closed the window slowly.
"Good," he said.
"A man who knows how to hide…"
A thin smile formed.
"…will do very well on Floor 4."