Part 1: The Quiet Victory
The dust in the Labyrinth settled.
The massive corpse of Asterios the Storm-Burned began to dissolve into particles of light, leaving behind a glowing chest.
Elian stepped forward and kicked the latch open.
[System Notification: Dungeon Clear Rewards]
Minotaur Horns (x2) - Crafting Material (Rare)
Storm-Leather Hide (x20) - Crafting Material (Rare)
Core of Magma - Catalyst (Epic)
Gold: 500
There were no legendary weapons. No hidden skill books. Just materials and money.
For a normal party, this would be disappointing after such a brutal fight.
But the members of Eclipse stood around the chest, looking at the raw materials with a strange sense of fulfillment.
"Kael is going to scream when he sees this hide," Titan grinned, wiping blood from his nose. His shield was dented, but he held it like a trophy.
"And Luna needs that Core for the Guild Hall's heating system," Valen added, sheathing his sword.
They didn't cheer. There were no high-fives or victory dances.
They simply exchanged nods.
They felt it in their muscles—the flow, the silence, the perfect execution. For two weeks, they had stumbled and argued. Today, they had flown.
That feeling was worth more than any item drop.
"Pack it up," Elian ordered softly. "We're done here."
Part 2: The Announcement
The return to the Starter Town was different.
Players didn't block their path. They didn't jeer.
As the ten members of Eclipse walked through the main gate, the crowd parted. Eyes followed the black sun emblem on Luna's robe. Whispers trailed them like smoke.
"That's them... the ones who killed the Minotaur in two minutes."
"Look at the kid. Is that the tank?"
Elian ignored the fame. He walked straight toward the Administration Office to deposit the guild funds.
But before they reached the steps, the sky turned red.
HUMMMMMM.
A low, vibrating bass note shook the entire floor. Every player in the square froze.
The massive projection screens that hovered over the plaza flickered to life.
Usually, these screens showed ads for auctions or guild rankings.
Today, they showed a single, blinking eye.
[Global Announcement]
[System Update: Patch 2.0 - The Reality Threshold.]
The Administrator's voice didn't boom this time. It whispered, slithering into every player's ear.
"The Tutorial is boring."
Elian's eyes narrowed. He's accelerating the timeline again.
"You play at war. You play at death. But a game without consequence is just a toy."
"The Tower is hungry. It demands quality, not quantity."
The screen shifted, displaying a map of the upper spire.
[Announcement 1: The Expansion]
Floors 14 through 24 will unlock in 24 Hours.
Entry Condition: You cannot climb unless you Satisfy the Tower.
(Note: The Tower does not accept gold. It accepts Tribute. Figure it out.)
Elian's mind raced. Tribute? In the past, you just needed a key. What changed?
[Announcement 2: The Lawless Zone]
Floors 20 to 24 are designated as 'Chaos Zones'.
Player Killing (PK) Restrictions: REMOVED.
Murderer Status: DISABLED.
Penalty for killing another player: NONE.
The crowd gasped. The safety nets were gone. The mid-floors were now a free-for-all warzone.
"Chaos," Roger whispered, a dark grin spreading across his face. "Finally."
But the voice wasn't done.
"And now... the real update."
[Announcement 3: The Mortality Protocol]
Effective from Floor 50 to Floor 100.
Respawn Mechanics: DISABLED.
System Resurrection: DISABLED.
Account Lock: Upon death, your Neural Link will burn out. Your biometrics and DNA signature will be blacklisted from the server. You cannot buy a new device. You cannot create a new account.
The text on the screen turned blood red.
[YOU HAVE 1 LIFE.]
[DO NOT WASTE IT.]
Part 3: The Panic and The Grin
Silence.
Absolute, terrified silence gripped the plaza.
Then, the screaming started.
"What do you mean 1 life?!" a mage shouted, clutching his staff. "I paid 5,000 credits for this gear! If I die, it's gone?!"
"Floor 50? That's... that's the halfway point! We have to stop there?"
"I'm logging out! I'm never going past 49!"
Players began frantically opening their menus, trying to log out.
Elian watched them. Panic, he thought. The weak are filtering themselves out.
He looked at the red text on the screen.
Suspicious, he thought. Floor 50... The Mid-Point.
In the past timeline, permadeath didn't start until Floor 90. The Administrator is getting impatient. He wants to harvest souls faster, but he's giving them a running start to fatten them up first.
He's building a stockpile.
"Elian," Seraphina whispered, her face pale. She was trembling. "No respawn? If... if Valen dies... he's gone forever?"
Elian looked at his team.
Titan looked confused. Caelum looked resigned, as if he expected this.
Valen looked serious, his hand tightening on his sword hilt.
"We knew this wasn't a game," Elian said calmly, his voice cutting through their fear.
He looked at the red text on the screen.
Elian turned to his guild.
"This changes nothing for us," he lied. "We were already fighting like we had one life."
He looked at the shivering crowd.
"But for everyone else... the real game begins at 50."
He adjusted his gloves, a cold excitement bubbling in his chest. The Tower was finally showing its fangs.
"Let's go home," Elian said. "We have 24 hours to figure out what 'Satisfy the Tower' means. And I have a feeling it involves blood."