Return Of The Strongest Player
chapter-177

"Anyway, I was going to continue until I was interrupted by two very rude players. Shall we begin?" As soon as the words escaped Hudson's lips, all the players nodded simultaneously, not daring to offend the Guardian as Eleanor had done.

Not everyone was as fearless as the daughter of King Bahamut, and could not perform such antics without worrying of their consequences.

"The Second Floor is quite peculiar, as one cannot exit the floor once the trial starts until one party has emerged victorious," Hudson announced, causing a few oblivious players to gasp in shock.

"So, we can die on this floor?" One of the players shouted, his voice laced with worry and fear. The voice was more of a croak, rather than a shout.

"You can die on any floor," replied Hudson indifferently. "Although, this floor has the highest fatality rate within the first ten floors. Also, if you are in danger of being killed, there is no chance of escape."

"Why is that?" One of the other players inquired, tilting their heads.

"Nobody is aware," replied Hudson calmly, shrugging his shoulders. "It is said that during the creation of the tower, the second floor was meant to kill off those who were not worthy of progressing."

The players shuddered at those words, obviously fearful. It was naturally not their fault, as the threat of death could scare even the strongest being shitless. Death was something no one could prevent. It was inevitable and imminent.

"When the trial begins, all of you will be split into two teams," Hudson announced. "The teams will compete against each other, and the winning team will automatically progress to the next floor, while the losing team will be annihilated."

The players shuddered yet again.

"Each player will be given a flag, which will be their lifeline. One can amass more than one flag, but having none will result in one's immediate death. Think of the flag as your heart. Protect it at all costs while trying to steal the hearts of others."

"Each team will have a King, who will serve the core. Destroy the King, win the battle. The King will have a crown, which will be the lifeline of the entire team. So, make sure to protect your Kings."

The players internally decide who to appoint as the King. Such a meaningless difference could shift the entire flow of the battle, as a competent and powerful King could resist the advance of the other team by him/herself.

On the other hand, an incompetent King would like a ticking time bomb.

"The objective is to amass as many flags as you can while destroying the forces of the other team," said Hudson. "Once either the King or all players except the King are dead, the trial will come to an end."

"The more flags one person has, the more points they amass."

"The higher the amount of points, the higher their ranking on the leaderboards. Theoretically, one person can amass all 99 flags by killing every player on the opposite team, including their King, and every player on their own team."

"But that is simply theoretical."

Hudson flicked his wrist, causing lime-colored particles to escape his palm. The particles flew in all directions before enveloping the entirety of the world in a lime-colored barrier, encasing the players within.

Even spatial abilities–which were as rare, or even rarer than diamond–would not work in such an area.

"Your teams will now be assigned. When you receive your flags and crown, and when both teams are stationed on opposite sides of the world, you can begin," Hudson announced, tapping the air once.

The scenery changed, and the teams were assigned in mere milliseconds. Team A and Team B were stationed on opposite sides of the world, and there was a ten-minute grace period in which combat was prohibited.

After that, the person who held the crown would be considered the King, and the battle would begin.

'At least I don't have to kill her… Hopefully,' thought Arthur, glancing at the red-haired woman, who stood emotionlessly in the middle of the group. The crimson-eyed man was part of Team A and was on the right side of the world.

Teammates chatted amongst one another, paling at the fact that they would have to kill their friends on Team B. However, many were quick to recover, as doing so would offer them benefits.

Human relationships were worth nothing when compared to power.

Except for familial relationships.

"I think Lady Eleanor should be the King… er, Queen!"

"Yes, I think so, too! She is most suited for such a position since she is–in fact–a princess. Princesses are only fit to be Queens!"

"I couldn't agree more. She has experience with ruling, considering King Bahamut is her father. She is most suited to be Queen."

"Not only is she well-versed in such things, she is also the most powerful here."

"Agreed!"

Many players metaphorically licked Eleanor's boots, attempting to enter her good graces. Becoming her servant was a big deal, and could satisfy all of their desires for an entire lifetime. What couldn't Eleanor provide them?

With her backing, they would become the most powerful servants in history. They could perhaps ascend to the level of a Divine Ranker in the future solely by following Her Majesty. A servant that's a Divine Ranker… How crazy was that?

'Such ambitions are baseless,' thought Arthur, clicking his tongue while mocking those who wished to gather favor. Eleanor was downright psychopathic. She mostly relied on her instincts and was like a beast in real life.

Although, she truly was a Dragon.

Her red hair, crimson eyes, and her wrath… They were all qualities she'd inherited from King Bahamut.

Arthur gazed at her, realizing she was somewhat good-looking. Her silky, red hair, and her crimson eyes were strikingly similar to his own… One could truly fall for her solely due to these traits.

'For some reason, it sounds like I'm praising myself…'

It sounded weird to say such things.