After things finally settled and everyone had rested for a while, they decided to escort the survivors back to Maple Town.
As they walked toward Maple Town, the tension slowly eased. The forest behind them felt heavier than before, but ahead—there was at least direction.
Arjun broke the silence.
"We're not rushing anything," he said. "Once we reach town, we take a full day off."
Raya glanced at him. "A break?"
"Yes," Arjun nodded. "One day to rest and recover. After that—if you want—you can divide the survivors into small teams and help them level up."
A few of the survivors looked surprised. Others looked relieved.
"That'll make them less helpless next time," Divya said quietly. "That's a good idea."
Inside, Divya was relieved because her son did not change and looking after others.
Rita exhaled slowly and shook her head. "I'm resting tomorrow," she said firmly. "I've pushed myself too hard these past few days."
No one argued with her.
"You've earned it," Tim said.
Rohit stretched his sore shoulder. "Day after tomorrow, then. I'll help the survivors hunt and get stronger."
Raya nodded. "Same here."
When they turned toward Koushik, he adjusted the strap on his crossbow.
"I won't be joining," he said. "I want to focus on crafting. If I'm going to unlock a subclass, I need time and materials."
"That makes sense," Arjun replied.
Rita added, "I won't be fighting, but I'll help heal people around town. I need more experience controlling my skill without panicking."
Divya smiled faintly. "That's still helping."
Finally, everyone looked at Arjun.
"What about you?" Tim asked.
Arjun's gaze drifted toward the distant outline of Maple Town.
"I'll be gathering information," he said. "About monsters, town rules, taxes, dungeons—anything useful."
He paused, then added quietly, "If we're going to survive long-term, we need knowledge as much as strength."
No one disagreed.
With the plan set and the road stretching ahead, the group continued walking—no longer just reacting to danger, but preparing for what came next.
They hadn't gone far when the world itself seemed to pause.
A sharp chime echoed through the air.
[DING!]
The translucent blue system window unfolded before everyone's eyes.
[ANNOUNCEMENT]
[THE HIGHEST LEVEL INDIVIDUAL TOMORROW WILL BE GRANTED TEMPORARY AUTHORITY AS TOWER ADMIN]
[DURATION: 24 HOURS]
[PLEASE PREPARE]
Silence followed.
Then—
Rohit blinked. "Tower… admin?"
Raya frowned immediately. "That sounds dangerous."
Tim's expression darkened. "Authority means control. And control means people will start killing for it."
Rita clutched her staff unconsciously. "Temporary or not… that kind of power will change people."
Divya read the window again, slower this time. "Highest level tomorrow," she said. "Not overall. Just… whoever reaches it first."
Everyone slowly turned toward Arjun.
He didn't react right away.
"…So the tower wants competition," he said finally.
Koushik let out a quiet breath. "Tomorrow's going to be ugly."
Behind them, murmurs erupted.
"Did you see that?"
"Tower admin? Does that mean the admin can do anything?"
"Can they kill us legally?"
A wounded man tightened his grip on his spear. "If someone gets that authority… what stops them from taking everything?"
Another survivor laughed nervously. "Or forcing people into dungeons."
Fear spread faster than relief.
Some survivors glanced at Arjun's group with expectation.
Others looked away—calculating.
Elsewhere in the Tower
Across the forest, inside ruined villages, abandoned camps, and half-built shelters, the same announcement appeared.
A muscular man grinned as he crushed the system window with his fist.
"Highest level? Good. I was getting bored."
A cloaked woman sharpened her blade, eyes cold.
"Temporary authority is enough to rewrite the board."
In a corner of a broken hut, a trembling teenager whispered,
"They're going to hunt us…"
Laughter, panic, ambition, dread.
All of it awakened at once.
Back on the Road
Arjun exhaled slowly.
"Tonight," he said, voice calm but firm, "no one wanders off alone."
Raya nodded. "People will start moving early."
"And some won't wait until tomorrow," Tim added.
Arjun's eyes hardened as he looked ahead toward Maple Town.
"The tower just lit a fire under everyone," he said.
"Let's make sure we don't get burned."
They resumed walking.
But now, every step felt heavier.
Because tomorrow, the tower wouldn't just test strength.
They walked in silence for a while after the announcement.
Finally, Rohit broke it.
"So…" he said cautiously, adjusting the strap of his gun. "Is anyone interested in taking that temporary Tower Admin position?"
One by one, heads shook.
Raya snorted. "Sounds like a good way to get stabbed in your sleep."
Tim crossed his arms. " Authority means enemies. Hard pass."
Rita shook her head gently. "I don't want that kind of attention."
Koushik didn't even look up. "I'd rather work on my crafting."
All eyes slowly turned to Arjun.
He shook his head as well.
Rohit blinked. "…You too?"
That drew genuine surprise.
"Why not?" Divya asked. "With your level, you'd have a real chance."
Arjun thought for a moment before answering.
"Because it's temporary," he said calmly. "The tower already made that clear."
He glanced at the fading system message in his mind.
"The system also said that at Level 10, someone will receive a permanent Tower Admin position."
Raya frowned. "Then how does it decide who gets it?"
"I don't know," Arjun admitted. "It could be first to reach Level 10. Or first to reach the second floor. Or some condition we don't know yet."
He clenched his fist lightly.
"But that's the position that matters," he continued. "Not something that lasts a day."
Divya nodded slowly. "So you're planning for the long game."
"Yes," Arjun said. "I'm preparing for that."
There was a brief pause.
Then Rohit smiled. "Figures."
Rita's shoulders relaxed. "That sounds… like you."
Raya placed a hand on Arjun's shoulder. "Whatever the tower throws at us, we'll back you."
Tim nodded. "Just don't go dying on us before Level 10."
Arjun laughed softly, genuinely this time. "I'll try."
Encouraged by their words, the tension eased.
As they talked, they dug up the monster corpses they had buried earlier, carefully hauling them out and securing them with rope.
By the time they reached the gates of Maple Town, the sun was already lowering.
The guards stiffened when they saw the survivors behind them.
"That's a lot of people," one guard said warily, hand resting on his spear.
"They're survivors from a forest incident," Arjun replied. "We're bringing them in."
The guards exchanged glances, then stepped aside.
"You can enter," the guard said. "But remember—town tax still applies. No one is exempt from that."
Rohit sighed. "Of course ."
Divya nodded. "We'll pay after selling the monster corpses."
The guard's eyes flicked to the bundled bodies. "Then head straight to the butcher's place and then the town hall."
The gates opened.
And for the first time since the screams in the forest, Maple Town welcomed them back—uneasy, but alive.