Surviving in my Own Unpublished Failed Novel

[The Player Party has arrived at the 21st Floor of the Tower of Growth!]

[Quest Objective: Kill the 200 Lost Knights from the 21st to the 24th floors — 50 on each floor.]

[Duration: 50 minutes.]

[Good luck, Player!]

Russell and the others arrived at a wasteland battlefield. There were countless soldier weapons and armor scattered through the ground as though it was a battlefield that's been lost in the rivers of time. There were countless bones of different structures, but not every one of them could understand whose bones... or rather what race those bones belonged.

"Don't tell me these bones would restructure themselves again because they're undead?"

Rumia anxiously muttered. It's enough for everyone to hear. They didn't take a single step from their positions after they arrived since the battlefield was endless. Even with Russell's profound vision, he couldn't see the end in every direction that screened in his vision. It's not like the Tower of Growth's every floor had a wall, but Russell had to make sure if there was anything in sight aside from the bones on the ground.

Scrutinizing every possible direction, after some time, Russell saw something from afar. It's a temple made of sandstones.

'Found it.'

Inwardly heaving a sigh of relief, Russell thought. Then he added:

"Uh, there's a temple there."

Everyone looked at him, who was pointing in a certain direction. They didn't know what was North, South, West, or East unless they had someone in their party with navigation skills. Additionally, even though a Sun exist on some floors of the Tower, they weren't certain if it followed a direction similar to when they were on Earth.

Some of the other party members looked in the direction he pointed at, and then somewhat saw a gigantic temple that seemed to have been lost in the sands. It was obscure, not clear as water enough to be thoroughly seen with their naked eye.

"I'll teleport us there. Hold on."

Elizabeth suggested, to which everyone agreed, though some were reluctant because they weren't used to its aftereffects — Mana Vibration.

Soon after, with Elizabeth's teleportation skill, Russell and the others found themselves in front of the said temple. It was a towering, sand temple. It looked like it was used as a fortress in an ancient war of the ancient past that took place in this area.

Everyone's gazes slowly turned above, and what was revealed in each of their pair of eyes was the true measure of how high the temple was. It was around more than a hundred meters even though some low-altitude clouds were screening it.

"No one can convince me that this isn't the right place."

Elizabeth chuckled at Anya's words. At that moment, a notification entered their heads, along with the System's voice. Even though it was narrated in their heads, they still checked the System message on the holographic screen, which individually appeared in front of them.

[Temple of the Sand God.] 𝗳𝘳𝒆𝘦𝑤𝐞𝚋𝗻𝚘𝘷𝘦𝙡.𝑐𝐨𝘮

Description:

A temple that was used to offer the Sand God offerings before the Sand God's slumber. Later on, it was used as a strategic fortress due to the war in the ancient past, and after a long period, it was now lost in the sands of time. Remnants of the warriors of the past reside in the temple.

Anya fell into deep thought after reading the description of the Temple of the Sand God. She was reminded of something, but she didn't conclude anything yet until she saw what was inside the temple.

"Gods do sleep, huh?"

Elizabeth whispered.

Russell fell silent, remembering the Goddess of Night.

"I have a lot of questions in my mind right now, especially after the System's Reboot, but I guess I'll put it on hold for now. It's not like they can be easily answered or if answers even exist."

She added. Everyone looked at her with different expressions since she wasn't alone in that regard.

"I might be able to answer them, but let's go right now."

Everyone turned to Samantha, while Russell's eyes constricted after hearing her confident words.

'Just how did she know many things in advance?'

He lampooned inwardly. He had no idea why Samantha became somewhat different from what she was in the unpublished novel he had written, but it's not like he could complain since some things were already running in different directions. But even so, her change compared to what he knew, especially her knowledge about some things, was somewhat making Russell anxious.

'I'll have to think about it later.'

He thought as he followed suit towards the gigantic, dilapidated door of the sand temple.

***

What appeared in front of them were towering sand pillars. Though it was made of sand, it wasn't ordinary since it's hard as a sturdy rock. There were doors on the walls on either side of the hall, as well as a single, much larger door on the hall's endpoint.

Seeing the interior structure of the sand temple, at least what's presumed to be its ground floor, Anya, as well as the other A-1 students — Elizabeth, Freya, Amelie, Amery, and so on, before the Ranking of Exchange event during the Emergence Anniversary had their expressions frozen.

It was a familiar interior structure, which they had first seen in the virtual world, and experienced firsthand by Anya.

"H-hey... Do you remember the virtual battleground in Professor Murak's class? You know, the Desert of Luminous Scorpions. It's similar here according to what Leon said when we casually talked about it."

Anya seemed shaken. She didn't think that they would see something here that was extremely indistinguishable.

Elizabeth nodded at her words. Though Anya's and Leon's respective groups only fought some peculiar scorpions, from what was shown on the holographic screen for the spectators, it was clearly the same. Though this time, the enemies were called Lost Knights.

"But according to Professor Murak, the Desert of the Luminous Scorpion was a dungeon, and it's downgraded and restructured using program data to create it for virtual practices. I see... It looks like Professor Murak or the Obelisk Academy itself was putting in the curriculum the virtual maps with subtle or underlying mysteries in hopes we're going to stumble upon it."

Elizabeth frowned, saying those words. She felt like, even though she was a princess, they were being discreetly and mildly used for gathering intelligence.

"It's probably Professor Emmanuel's suggestion. You know he's not the kind of person who would degrade other person's intelligence even though they're kids or what."

Anya responded, feeling in awe of what was in front of them.

After some time, the doors opened, except for the gigantic one at the end of the hall, cutting off their little conversation. What was revealed were knights in sand armor, holding different kinds of weapons befitting of a person who served under royalty — sword, bow, and staff.

Name: —

Race: Sand People

Family: Sand God's Follower

Rank: E-

— STATS —

Strength: 299

Swift: 299

Fortitude: 299

Intelligence: 299

Magic Power: 299

The enemies were the same in rank as the lower floors, but the party knew that floors after every 5th floor had monsters with different behavior in consideration of the environmental and other factors... and it was proven quickly this moment. Although the ordinary monsters from the lower floors seemed mindless, these ones seemed to be another case. With the assumption that there's only one lost knight behind the gigantic door, the remaining forty-nine that appeared formed a battle formation — they didn't attack aimlessly and seemed to consider that they were still in a war.

"This will be a frontal battle."

Russell whispered as the party did the same; they formed the formation they used when fighting the troublesome Zombie Murlocs.

Seemingly getting the feeling of it, Jiho, acting like a king standing in front of the two tankers, raised his sword. With untold respect, it seemed the last being behind the closed gigantic door reacted — it untimely opened.

"Commander!"

One of the Lost Knights in sand amor shouted with joy. The party, who heard the reverberating voice, had their eyes widened. It was a fluent voice, automatically translated into their heads with the help of the ancient power of the Tower.

"You have come to the wrong place, humans!"

The so-called commander spoke, his voice was deep and exuded valor, raising the morale of the ordinary Lost Knights.

Name: Commander Cargan

Title: [Commander]

Race: Sand People

Family: Sand God's Follower

Rank: E+

— STATS —

Strength: 499

Swift: 499

Fortitude: 499

Intelligence: 499

Magic Power: 499

Apart from the fixed range of ranks of the ordinary monsters,

somewhat depends on untold factors, there were exceptions such as this moment, especially from the 21st floor and above.

"Is he a Boss Monster?"

One of the party members muttered, finishing reading the information that appeared in front of them.

"No, he's just different. It seems from the 21st floor, the unpredictability rises."

Samantha responded, to which others silently nodded.

Russell, on the other hand, was having various thoughts.

'It seems this one is the addition due to the increase in the difficulty of having two parties' merge.'

He then looked at Jiho, who was breathing calmly. Jiho's expression was a mix of anxiousness and excitement since this would be a battle with honor, at least.

"We will give you an honorable death!"

Commander Cargan spoke, looking pitifully at the intruders of the sand temple.

"We will take you up on your offer."

Jiho valiantly spoke. His tone was somewhat unusual, causing the other party members to stare at him, dumbfounded at the acting.

But Russell's thoughts were different.

'He's feeling it.'

He almost wanted to let out a laugh, considering he knew very well the destiny of this man.

Jiho looked behind, receiving permission from the other party members except for Celine, Raya, and Yara that would not meddle in any way except in an emergency, to attack.

Raising again his weapon, Jiho screamed with determination.

"CHAAARGEEE-!!"

"YOU ARE NO KING-!!"

Commander Cargan's voice reverberated as he raised his sword, and pointed it toward the intruders of the sand temple.

At that moment, the battle between the two parties of fighters ensued; one was being led by a commander, and the other was being led by someone who was finding the answers regarding his past.

***

[The Player Party has successfully cleared the 10th Floor of the Tower of Growth!]

[...rewards...]

[...waiting room...]

Leon's party, with his younger sister, Mira had just finished eliminating the Insane Harpy, Karas.

His deep blue eyes were constricted and turned black due to a certain skill he received upon successfully making a contract, after the System's Reboot, with the Constellation, "Black Dragon of the Undying Star" — Eye of the Black Calamity.

'This is easy for me. I'll surpass that Jiho soon!'

He inwardly exclaimed. Leon then looked at his younger sister with an unknown expression. Although he was weaker than her, it seemed he lost the emotion to care about her growth and solely focused on toppling Jiho.

***

In one of the dormitory rooms in the Rigel Building, a redhead woman with crimson eyes and a man with greyish hair and blue eyes were lying in bed together, both naked.

[The target has completely fallen in your charm.]

[You will now have complete control over the target's will.]

The smile of the redhead woman reached her ears, revealing two white, sharp fangs as she looked at the sleeping man.

"You're mine... and mine alone, Ken."

***

In the master's bedroom of the royal palace of the Queen of Etheria, Eliana von Etherion was sitting on her bed, looking at a portrait, being held with her supple hands, with a poignant expression.

The portrait had three people on it; Eliana herself on the left side; child Elizabeth, around seven years old, on the middle, and her husband, Elizabeth's father on the right side.

"I wish you were here to see our daughter's growth."

Eliana muttered as she hugged the portrait with longing expression.