Chapter 124
At that same time, in the upper-floor conference room.
"Hey, cat!"
"You've really climbed the ranks nicely, haven't you?"
"N-No, I haven't, nya...!"
"What do you mean, no?"
"It feels like just yesterday you were in charge of the Tutorial floor, and now you're already sitting at the same table as us."
Beneath a sky filled with stars stood a massive round table.
Chairs surrounded it on all sides.
The Administrators from the 50th through 80th floors were seated there.
The seats for the 60th and 90th floors were empty.
The one sitting beside Leon and bombarding him with uncomfortable questions was the 70th-floor Administrator.
A fox beastkin named Camella.
"Hey, seriously."
"Just be honest with me."
"How many Coins have you saved up?"
Her tail swayed gently.
As if trying to seduce him, she brushed a fingertip beneath Leon's chin.
Leon flushed bright red, squeezed his eyes shut, and had no idea what to do.
"I-I haven't saved that many, nya."
"I-It's true, nyaaa...."
"Oh, come on."
"All the Constellations watch your channel these days."
"Everyone here knows there's basically no Constellation who doesn't."
"Just tell me."
"I'll keep it between us."
"Okay?"
There was an unspoken rule among Administrators.
Never reveal how many Coins you possessed.
Not even if someone ranked above you ordered it.
"I-I really can't tell you tha-"
Camella's friendly smile disappeared.
Her expression darkened.
Then she placed a hand on Leon's shoulder.
"You're going to keep lying to me?"
Leon flinched.
A chilling red energy began swirling around her body.
His fur stood on end.
His entire body trembled.
He couldn't even force his voice out.
Unable to answer, Leon lowered his head and held his breath.
"So you're refusing to answer?"
"Getting a little arrogant after your promotion, are you?"
"Maybe I should take this opportunity to teach you a les-"
"That's enough."
Click. Click.
The sound of shoes echoed from the darkness in the distance.
Everyone seated around the round table immediately stood and lowered their heads.
"We greet the Highest-Level Administrator."
The 70th-floor Administrator hurriedly withdrew her killing intent and rose as well.
"W-We greet the Highest-Level Administrator."
"You shouldn't bully a newly promoted Mid-Level Administrator like this."
He rested a hand lightly on Camella's shoulder.
"Camella."
"Didn't something similar happen before?"
"Or am I remembering incorrectly?"
He was still smiling.
Camella tried to laugh it off.
"H-Haha..."
"It was only a joke...."
Silence.
Cold silence.
Sweat slowly ran down her back.
Gulp.
The longer the silence lasted...
The more terror entered Camella's eyes.
Like an animal moments before death.
"Camella."
"Y-Yes...?"
The warmth vanished from his smile.
His expression became cold enough to send a chill down her spine.
Camella's face had already gone rigid.
"It seems you think my words are a joke."
His thin eyes opened slightly.
Red irises appeared between them.
"Do you perhaps wish to be disposed of?"
Camella flinched.
The moment their eyes met...
She coughed up blood.
She hurriedly covered her mouth.
Drip. Drip.
Dark blood ran down her lips, gathered at her chin, and fell to the floor one drop at a time.
"Kugh..."
"I-I'm sorry..."
"Lord Ruzian...."
The pressure crushing Camella spread across everyone present.
No one dared raise their trembling heads.
Veins bulged across their bodies.
The blood vessels twisted grotesquely beneath their skin like worms.
Their breathing grew ragged enough to feel as though they might suffocate.
Only then did Ruzian seem satisfied.
He removed his hand from Camella's shoulder.
His gentle smile returned.
"It's all right."
"People can make one or two mistakes."
"But it would be troublesome if behavior like this continued."
"Do you understand, Camella?"
"I-I'll remember..."
He resumed walking and sat in his seat.
Resting his chin on both hands, he finally brought up the reason for the meeting.
"Then shall we begin?"
"The reason I summoned everyone today concerns what will happen at the upcoming Banquet..."
He smiled.
"The birth of a ‘new Constellation.’"
"Hoo...."
The ceiling and floor were shattered.
Most of the surrounding pillars had already collapsed.
Everyone was breathing heavily.
Exhaustion was obvious on their faces.
All because of Prolios's Trait.
Absolute Law.
[ Worship. ]
"Keugh!"
Once again, their bodies were violently dragged against gravity.
They slammed into the ceiling.
Then the floor.
Again and again.
Crackle.
"Cough... keugh."
Bong Taesu wiped blood from his lips.
"Hyungnim..."
"Looks like this damage bypasses defense completely."
"Huff... huff..."
Lee Yumi was breathing hard too.
"My Mana barrier doesn't work either."
"Once the effect catches us, there's no way to escape no matter what we do."
"Haa... haa...."
The reason they were being helplessly beaten down was simple.
If they jumped high, they were slammed into the ground.
If they tried to approach, they were blown backward.
And being thrown repeatedly between floor and ceiling came as an added bonus.
You literally can't get close;;
Isn't that broken as hell? No matter how hard I look, I can't see any way to approach him.
Looks like it really ignores defense. Haven't seen these guys bleeding in forever.
But can't they attack from range? The three melee fighters aside, Lee Yumi can use magic.
ㄴㄴ Lee Suhyeok can use Hellfire too.
It was a reasonable thought.
But...
[The fourth Law activates.]
[ Silence. ]
A wormhole tore open in the air.
Hellfire and every other spell were sucked inside.
They vanished instantly.
Absolute Law indeed.
[ Meaningless resistance will only displease this King. ]
[ Quietly become this King's citizens. ]
"...Ptooey."
Suhyeok spat bloodied saliva onto the floor.
Then he reviewed everything again.
There were four Laws.
Kneel.
Show proper courtesy.
Worship.
And...
Silence.
They were called absolute for a reason.
The moment someone violated one, punishment followed.
Worse...
Every act of resistance reduced their stats.
[Bong Taesu: -80%]
[Kim Hyuna: -60%]
[Lee Yumi: -60%]
[Lee Suhyeok: -40%]
The lower their stats became...
The worse their injuries grew.
The accumulated damage multiplied.
The three exhausted companions beside him were proof.
Fighting recklessly like this only puts us at a disadvantage.
I've been observing him to understand the Laws, but nothing useful has surfaced.
If this had been a formation, Suhyeok could've disrupted it immediately.
But this wasn't that kind of mechanism.
A Law was simply being imposed.
Still...
Every Law had a loophole.
Prolios's Absolute Law couldn't be an exception.
The problem was whether they'd be defeated before finding it.
...No.
There's still a chance.
There has to be.
After all...
Suhyeok himself was practically a loophole in the Tower's rules.
While his thoughts deepened...
Kim Hyuna suddenly raised one hand.
"Mister."
"I think I might know what we're supposed to do."
"R-Really?"
Bong Taesu looked at her in surprise.
Suhyeok nodded.
Kim Hyuna began explaining her idea.
"Those Laws..."
"No matter how much I think about them, they don't seem to have any openings."
