After Volkmar finished speaking, a large countdown suddenly appeared above the huge square, highly conspicuous so everyone could see it clearly.
At this point, the crowd wasn't particularly nervous. After all, they had already proven themselves as winners from their respective areas, so their mental resilience was strong. Some people were laughing and chatting casually, while others were carefully studying the rules. Volkmar had only provided a general overview; the detailed rules still required careful examination.
Sebastian was also studying, with a particular focus on the rules.
"The Star Tower has a total of 99 floors," Huo Kong looked at the projection and explained. "For each layer you clear, you earn a hundred points. The more layers you conquer, the higher your score."
"If many people fall on the same layer and end up with the same points, how will the rankings be differentiated?" Patton, who had been silent until now, asked.
"Generally, the top 10,000 won't have too many identical scores," Huo Kong paused thoughtfully before continuing. "According to this year's rules, if scores are tied, the tie-breaker will be based on time. It will no longer be decided by playoffs as before."
"So..." Huo Kong looked at Sebastian, Shia, and Patton with a smile and added, "Everyone will try their best, but it's not going to be easy. Contestants must work hard from the very beginning. Unlike past battles, this one depends almost entirely on strength."
Shia cheered, "Come on, everyone! I hope we all make it out of the line!"
"See you in the top 10,000," Patton echoed.
Once the rules were explained, the crowd fell into quiet anticipation. When the countdown reached zero, the participants in the square instantly disappeared, transported to their respective areas. Unlike before, the surroundings dissolved into nothingness, creating a more comfortable, less oppressive atmosphere.
Sebastian sat on a chair, gazing ahead.
To his left was an "Exit" button. If a participant felt they couldn't continue, they could press it to leave, which meant their run ended here.
To his right, a countdown timer displayed 24 hours, the maximum time allowed per level in the Star Tower. In other words, each layer could be attempted for up to one day. If they couldn't clear the layer within that time, they would be eliminated.
"In theory," Sebastian thought, "it might be possible to stay for the full ninety-nine days." But he quickly dismissed the idea. How could anyone do that? Especially now, with a new rule: the time taken to pass each level would influence the final ranking among those with the same score.
At the center was a point panel, displaying the points earned in real time.
"In one minute, the passage to the first level of the Star Tower will open. Please prepare yourselves," a pleasant female voice announced. A new countdown appeared before them.
Sebastian and the others were preparing for the challenge. On their respective planets, armies stood ready, waiting in front of their designated passages.
Before entry, each contestant received a channel mark for the first floor of the Star Tower. They threw this channel seal onto their planet's communication channel, enabling connection to the Tower.
When the countdown ended, the planet's passage slowly opened. A faint, pale aura emanated from within, giving off an ancient and mysterious vibe. The Astra Militarum prepared to move.
This time, unlike the preliminaries, the planet's passage could be entered and exited an unlimited number of times. Fighters could retreat and return as long as they had time remaining, making the journey more flexible.
"The Star Tower is also an ancient treasure," Sebastian's mind reflected. His gaze was fixed on the Astra Militarum.
Lando, already nearing retirement, still led the force, with Cyrus acting as his deputy.
The total troop count was 100,000, but many more served as reserves behind the scenes. They didn't need to bring everyone at once; supporting units, aircraft, and artillery were essential. Giant Kongs, guided by drones, led the vanguard into the Tower, followed by the Scarab Walkers carrying the Guardsmen.
No one knew what creatures awaited them on each layer of the Star Tower. Even Volkmar, the host, could not predict in advance. The Tower often changed the creatures within each layer, and the intervals between these changes were unpredictable.
The first layer was a barren plain. On it, a giant wild boar with blood-colored tusks was gnawing at roots in the ground.
"Crimson Steel Boar!" Sebastian recognized it immediately.
This creature was considered a relatively rare supernatural species. During five days of intensive training at home, they had studied various rare creatures thoroughly, learning to identify them.
"It closely resembles the Steel Tusked Boar," a scientist from the team said. "But these boars have blood-red tusks, and they're probably stronger!"
Based on their research, the supernatural creatures with more unusual appearances tended to be more powerful.
The Crimson Steel Boar also noticed the intruders. After a brief pause, its eyes turned as red as its tusks. It squealed wildly and charged toward the army.
Even a layperson could see that these boars had been starved for a long time. To them, everything was food.
"Crush them!" Lando commanded.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
The Guardsmen at the front raised their electromagnetic rifles and fired continuously at the charging herd.
Poof! Poof! Poof!
The Crimson Steel Boars' defenses were comparable to those of Steel Tusked Boars. Armor-piercing rounds and electromagnetic blasts left them battered and broken.
Within moments, at about 3,000 meters away, the ground was littered with the fallen Crimson Steel Boars. Recognizing their disadvantage, the remaining beasts turned and fled, vanishing in an instant.
According to the rules of the level-breaking battle, it wasn't necessary to kill every supernatural creature at each level, defeating the opponent was enough. The Astra Militarum easily cleared the first layer.
Meanwhile, the points panel updated:
[ Participant: Sebastian ]
[ Points: 100 ]
With this score, the environment around the Astra Militarum changed dramatically. The desolate plain transformed into a scorching desert, with temperatures soaring above 40 degrees. Great dunes stretched out before them, and drones hovered overhead, monitoring every inch.
What puzzled them was the absence of any living creatures. But Lando, experienced and alert, sensed something was off. Just as he was about to warn the others, a faint sound drew his attention. Turning his head, he saw a slender shadow emerge from the sand, like a phantom, and it lunged at the nearest Guardsman.
"Watch out!" Lando shouted.
But it was already too late. The Guardsman hadn't reacted in time. Suddenly, a flash of lightning struck the shadow, revealing it to be a venomous snake, over three meters long, with a triangular head, gliding toward its prey.
"Be careful!" Lando scolded the soldier, who narrowly escaped a deadly strike.
The Guardsman had been too far ahead, and the sand-dwelling viper seized the chance. If not for the quick reaction of a nearby Pikachu, the consequences could have been disastrous.
"Did our instruments fail to detect it?" Cyrus asked, noticing something amiss.
"No," a scientist replied grimly. "This snake might have concealment abilities that even our sensors can't detect."
"These snakes are troublesome if they keep hiding in the sand," Cyrus said.
"Everyone, return to your vehicles unless instructed otherwise," Lando ordered. Then he looked at the five thousand Pikachu on the ground and added, "Pikachu, it's your turn."
The lead Pikachu nodded confidently. The Astra Militarum had other methods to deal with concealed snakes, but these were time-consuming. They relied on Pikachu's swift reflexes; though unable to detect the snakes in advance, Pikachu could react instantly and counterattack.
Under Pikachu's guidance, the snakes that emerged from the sand were promptly zapped into ashes. Recognizing they weren't a match, the snakes withdrew quickly.
The force successfully passed this level, and Sebastian's points increased by another hundred.
"I wonder how many others have cleared this level now," Sebastian thought, glancing at his score.
But he couldn't see anyone else's points, only his own. There was no overall ranking visible to participants, only the live projected standings for spectators.
For this first round of the Star Tower, there was no live broadcast to the public, only the tournament organizers and team leaders could view the real-time data.
Inside a large room, the crowd gathered around a giant projection screen, watching the progress of each team.
They could select their favorite contestants, like the Lord of the Svananóg Kingdom, who was especially focused on Patton, Huo Kong, Sebastian, and Shia, those most likely to reach the top 10,000.
"Is the second floor this difficult this year?" a Level 6 Planetary Lord wondered aloud as many teams still battled the viper.
"This snake is rare," Bru replied and laughed. "Not to mention these little guys; I doubt many of us even know them."
"I should measure the special snakes born by the Star Tower itself. We definitely don't know them," the Lord of the Svananóg chuckled, shaking his head with a hint of amusement.
"No way," Volkmar, standing in the middle, replied with a faint smile. "There are too many geniuses this year, so the challenge level has been slightly raised. But this second layer is more troublesome."
"That's for sure," another interjected. "This is a star area carefully selected from a million Level 2 Planetary Lords. If the first few floors fall, that's one thing. But…"
"The first ten layers are no problem for these guys," Bru nodded confidently. "Starting from the eleventh, that's when things get interesting."
"I wonder which layer will be the first to be eliminated this year?"
"Guessing that's pointless," someone said with a shrug. "Or predicting who will take the top spot? That's even harder."
"It's tough to say. This year, five favorites are vying for the top, forming the first group. But there are also contenders lurking in the shadows, making it anyone's game."
"I'm rooting for the Ice Moon Saintess. Her strength is formidable."
"You're close with the Ice Moon Sacred Land, so of course you support her. But I think Jeffrey's creation might be even more powerful."
Once the topic shifted to who might claim first place, sparks flew. With no clear favorite this year, everyone had their own opinions, and no one could convincingly sway the others.
"Enough arguing, both of you," Volkmar cut in. "We'll settle this after the Star Tower battle concludes."
The discussion faded.
After settling the snakes on the second level, the Astra Militarum moved on to another task: sending the dozen snakes they had slain back to Terra. The scientists in the lab began analyzing these vipers, focusing especially on their concealment abilities, which piqued the curiosity of the military.
The third floor of the Star Tower was a vast grassy plain, inhabited by a herd of irritable Giant Iron-Horned Cattle. The moment they spotted the Astra Militarum, they stomped their hooves and charged forward. Their thick skin was tougher than that of Crimson Steel Hogs, yet it still couldn't withstand the electromagnetic rifles' power.
Soon, the Giant Iron-Horned Cattle scattered in all directions, allowing the Astra Militarum to pass unimpeded.
On the fourth level, they encountered a large group of dog-headed people. Numerous in number and possessing a unique talent for coordinated attacks, their offensive capabilities were still ineffective against electromagnetic shells. Their defenses were average at best, so the Astra Militarum moved through quickly.
The fifth level was home to a band of robust Centaur Chiefs. Similar to the Goblin Chiefs, these were the only super-race among the centaurs. They wielded the formidable ability to shake the earth, but it proved of little use here. Their range was limited, and while powerful in melee combat, they couldn't get close enough to harm the Astra Militarum, who remained largely unscathed as they advanced.
The sixth level was a dark, subterranean realm inhabited by a mysterious underground race, species born within the Star Tower itself, much like the vipers on the second level.
With Pikachu nearby and the fighter staying within the Scarab, these underground dwellers found little opportunity to strike. Every attempt at a sneak attack was thwarted, often resulting in losses for them. Meanwhile, the Astra Militarum's lighting equipment illuminated the dark corridors, forcing the underground creatures to retreat in fear.
"They're afraid of the light," someone remarked with a smile as they watched the retreat.
This level seemed tricky but was actually the easiest. Once the lighting was activated and flashbangs were deployed multiple times, the underground beings panicked and scattered, no longer daring to emerge. The team smoothly moved on to the seventh layer.
Seventh, eighth, and ninth layers followed, each presenting a variety of supernatural species. Yet, none posed much of a challenge.
When they reached the tenth layer, Sebastian's knowledge told him that difficulty would escalate significantly.
"This layer... should be populated by flying species, right?" Sebastian mused silently.
Having not encountered flying supernatural creatures on the first nine floors, he anticipated their appearance here. Sure enough, the tenth layer was inhabited by winged beings resembling geese, yet far more vicious.
What made these supernatural geese formidable wasn't just their ability to fly but also their impressive physical strength. Their close-combat prowess was extraordinary, rivaling melee species, though still no match for the spiked bullets.
Soon, feathers rained everywhere, scattering wildly, and the geese retreated in fear.
With the first ten floors cleared, Sebastian checked his points panel:
[ Participant: Sebastian ]
[ Points: 1,000 ]
"The next is the eleventh floor," he thought. "The difficulty will escalate once more. Starting from this level, I bet… some will be eliminated."
After resolving the threat of the Giant Goose, the environment shifted, an aura of desolation crept in. The eleventh layer was approaching.