Return Of The Strongest Player

Following the muscular man's display of power, the others were dead silent. However, not all were fearful of his actions. Some simply wished to avoid trouble, or didn't care about responding. However, the muscular man didn't mind.

He arrogantly desecrated the lanky man's corpse before spitting on it. Then, he looted all the valuables the latter possessed, stuffing them into his pockets like a little rat. Finally, he let out a sigh before sitting on a nearby bench.

The hallway was silent for a few minutes.

Then, a few people began mingling with others, trying to make allies or judging whether a person was friendly or hostile, vulnerable or invulnerable. Everything was a mind game when people had somewhat equal power.

If two people engaged in a battle, and they both had equal strengths, even though one would emerge victorious, it wouldn't be without a hefty cost. The others would rush to take advantage of that situation.

So, it was beneficial to play mind games instead, and watch as they fall.

This was different from the atmosphere on Arthur's planet. During his time at Arcadia Academy, he wasn't wary at all times. He could relax, and even sleep without having to worry about backstabbing.

However, the tower changed that. 

A single second of vulnerability was enough to get one killed. It was brutal, but that was how the tower's ecosystem survived. Everyone was competing to reach the 100th floor, and no one would offer another a chance to surpass them.

That was foolish.

Suddenly, interrupting Arthur's train of thought was a feminine voice. The tower was cheery and soothing, yet the crimson-eyed man could immediately feel ill intent buried somewhere within it. Or, perhaps he was simply paranoid.

But the chances of that outcome were quite low.

Arthur turned sideways, facing the origin of the feminine voice. It was a pale-faced woman with a bright smile plastered over her face. Her eyes were a light shade of orange, while her hair was fiery red.

She was leaning in, with her butt sticking out on the other end. Many men were attracted, and were staring with their eyes peeled.

"Hello?" The woman inquired, waving her hand. "Would you like to be allies?"

"I'm good," replied Arthur in a calm, composed manner. He stared into the orange eyes of the woman before slowly shaking his head. "I am not currently searching for allies, so I will pass on that offer."

"Are you sure?" The woman asked once more, winking. "It's only beneficial for you. You can have all this if you swear to protect me."

She pointed towards her body.

"I refuse," said Arthur. "You simply wish for my protection, and in return, you offer me your body. I don't need allies in the first place, but even if I did, I would choose those who offer me their protection in return for mine."

Suddenly, the woman's face reddened. Arthur wasn't certain whether it was due to anger, frustration, or nervousness. 

"All right, I won't say this again," said the woman, calming herself by caressing her nose, which Arthur thought was unusual. "I can offer you a lot if you just protect me. There are a few people out to get me, and I need to be with a strong man."

"Find someone else," replied Arthur flatly. "And get out of my face."

The woman gritted her teeth, but couldn't retaliate. She knew the crimson-eyed man was out of her league, and wouldn't comply no matter what she did. However, judging by Arthur's demeanor, she wouldn't be making another enemy.

'All right, so that takes him off my checklist,' thought the woman. 'He won't attack, no matter what I do. He doesn't care about us, as if he's so far up in the sky, we can't see him. That's… peculiar.'

The woman didn't approach Arthur solely with the intention of having someone protect her. She also wanted to test his boundaries and whether he would potentially become her enemy. It was a planned assault.

And Arthur was aware of it. It simply didn't matter.

A few minutes passed, and a group quickly formed. The leader of the group was a man named Harry Cavil. His charisma was quite admirable, considering he organized a team so quickly, before the tutorial had even begun.

The group was named 'Stars of Tomorrow.'

'It was quite a popular group in my former life,' thought Arthur. 'Emerged before I entered, and almost became a high-ranking clan. I think the Devas cut them down after they made some bold move.'

It was quite comical, really.

But Arthur was honored, viewing the establishment of such a clan in front of his eyes. 

'I understand how they rose in popularity so fast,' thought Arthur. 'It was because their leader's charisma surpassed any other newbie in this tutorial.'

Suddenly, the man named Harry approached Arthur. He extended his arm, amused by the crimson-eyed man's casual behavior, even in such a situation. Harry was quite lean, with black eyes and black hair. 

His appearance was quite average, but his skills were far above that range.

"Would you wish to join our new group?" Harry asked, winking. "It's called, 'Stars Of Tomorrow,' and focuses on economics more than battle. Although, we plan to have a battle division. Perhaps founding members can be leaders?"

"You're offering me the position of a leader of a division?" Arthur asked, raising an eyebrow. The offer was quite tempting… to a regular person. Arthur knew Harry's potential, and considered joining… however… "I'm sorry."

"I thought so," replied Harry. "Remember, until the tutorial ends, the offer always stands. Our group is always enthusiastic in recruiting talented people."

"I'm grateful."

With a bright smile plastered over his face, Harry shook the crimson-eyed man's hand before bidding farewell. He then returned to his group, which had already amassed six people, all of whom were strangers to each other.

His ability worked like magic.

There was no doubt that the Stars Of Tomorrow would soar under Harry's leadership.