Surviving in my Own Unpublished Failed Novel

Time quickly flew by, as quickly as how a human life of the Old World withered, and a month had passed since the serious conversation that Russell and Freya had.

There weren't many notable things that happened aside from Han Jiho and Anya Amasawa, asking Russell about the issue between him and Victoria, the former Student Council Secretary.

During that time, Jiho noticed that Anya was not really interested in what they thought about the hidden nature of the Student Council President, Arthur Wolfson, instead, he thought that Anya was interested in him.

He mistakenly arrived at the thought that she maybe was interested in him romantically, but on a certain day, Anya bombarded him with questions about himself, and she also mentioned Alexander Akalchelt, the Chancellor of the Obelisk Academy.

She asked what's their connection as it became known throughout the Obelisk Academy that Jiho was a student who was recommended by the Chancellor himself, one of the Strongest Players who barely cares about how the Obelisk Academy works in itself due to the talented and diligent staff that's working for the Obelisk Academy to maintain its full function.

To Han Jiho, he didn't care about the interest that Anya have in him and Alexander, all he cared about was discovering the truth behind the possible "Dungeon Terrorism" that made their village, the Sanctus Solaris, became some sort of collateral damage that killed his parents, but when he occasionally mentioned the issue to Alexander, the Chancellor, firmly denied such a case, which didn't make sense to Han Jiho's opinion because if there's no Dungeon Terrorism that time, how came the Monster Stampede happened? That's what bothers him the most.

...

The two Princesses, Elizabeth and Rumia, during the month that quickly flew by, prepared for the Prisoners Execution that was entrusted to them after the semester. The guilty prisoners would be incomparably stronger than those they killed before for the sake of training, physically and mentally.

Although they maintained their daily academic and social life, they were somewhat nervous, not because they came to know the Prisoner Profiles of those who they meant to execute, but rather, because it would be done in front of their respective mother, the Queen of Etheria, and the Queen of Nereia.

Then, when it came to their social life, they were still the cat and dog duo that seemed to meow and bark at each other when they found the opportunity to do so. But, during the month that quickly passed by, aside from attending the classes regularly, as well as their respective elective subjects, they somewhat get more closure to the friends that Samantha Hall mostly interacted with these days: Russell, Freya, and Amelie.

For reasons unknown to the two Princesses, they felt like Samantha became more lively and became more interested in books. Then, there was a time when they saw Russell, when they occasionally joined lunch with them, reacted strangely when Samantha asked him something with a smile on her face about a book.

...

During the month that quickly flew by, Leon von Obreyon was constantly annoyed by his younger sister's unnecessary presence, Mira von Obreyon, especially when he was training in the Exclusive Public Training Grounds that were only accessible to A-1 students.

Although for some reason, he admired his younger sister's will to train in front of him to become stronger, he never complimented her, but rather just watched her sometimes.

Professor Murak's Player Physical Education also made him realize the improvements in his younger sister, as well as how strong Han Jiho was, the individual he needed to overcome before he takes on Rumia, Anya, Elizabeth, and lastly, Samantha.

Then, he took notice of the student that managed to win in the Ranking of Exchange, one of his classmates' older brother, named Russell Moon. During the activity, similar to the Virtual War that they first went through, in which he lost to Anya by getting beheaded, Leon's eyes didn't escape how Russell acted, that Russell was holding himself back, but when he checked his Status Window using a general Status Appraisal Skill, as he didn't have yet a contract with the promised Constellation by his father, he saw that Russell's rank was only at E-.

This made Leon think that maybe he was making such a wrong assumption about the individual named Russell, that he was hiding his skills.

...

Ken Raven, the Obelisk student who fought Amery during the Disciplinary Trial Exam, a commoner blood started to live his academy life in lavishness due to the privileges that an A-1 student has.

He's the only commoner who accepted the Obelisk Academy's recommendation in having a butler and two maids.

But, during the month that flew by, he never forgot to send the news to his parents about his academy life, though, for some underlying reasons, his regular action that happens most of the time, rather became often as though he was being forgetful of his family outside.

Then, after some time, he made some friends and became close with Tanya Drusilla, to the point of falling for her.

...

Azalea Vermillion, the Disciplinary Committee President, just went to her business, being the secretive owner of the Thorn of Rose, the Black Market that's running throughout the Orion Continent, making her a trillionaire at the young age of 19 Earth Years old.

Aside from one of the Four Seeds of Direction that she managed to find at the Neo-Botany Museum at Alastor, the Western country, during this month that flew by, she didn't manage to locate the remaining three seeds that she absolutely needed for her growth and her profession, even with the names of the location that Russell had given her.

She even thought that some of them have yet to be discovered, which lead her to believe that Russell was either a madman, even though she already trusted him, or he was someone who knows things that other people usually don't.

But, she didn't have any interest in uncovering every little secret he might have, rather, all she needed was to fulfill something by acquiring and completing the Four Seeds of Direction that's scattered throughout the Orion Continent.

Then, one time in her class, being a third-year or graduating student, number 1 in rank at that, after Arthur Wolfson, she asked her professor who was handling the subject, Advanced Magic Circle and System, the question she's most curious about that's not leaving her mind.

It's whether the System could show a decrypted message.

She recalled the moment when Russell, Freya, and Amelie's trait of Nihility covered her lies against the Orb of Truth when they were interrogated.

And the answer she received was:

- If you are not qualified to know, it would probably look like a decrypted message in your eyes.

...

12:01 A.M., present day, just after a month had passed.

As though a nuclear warhead emergency alarm sounded in everyone's ears, everyone was jolted awake by the ringing in everyone's head.

Freya and Amelie — who slept over in Russell's dormitory room, making him sleep on the floor over a blanket as Freya lay on his bed, while Amelie slept on the long, gray comfortable couch — opened their eyes due to the constant "Ding-!" sound in their heads that stopped after a few seconds when they began to feel awake after their little stupor.

They looked at the floor, but they didn't see Russell, instead, they heard someone stirring something in the kitchen.

Freya and Amelie looked at each other in wonder before they walked through the kitchen and saw Russell, who was making an Etherian Black Coffee.

"...Oppa, you're right. I can't believe it, although I'm really curious how you knew this would happen, I won't ask it, just... just tell me and Amelie about it, okay...?"

Russell — with his back facing his younger sister and Amelie, who was sitting on the stool — smiled at his younger sister's words before he turned around, holding two cups of Etherian Black Coffee.

"...Okay."

He replied with a smile as he put the two cups down on the table. Freya and Amelie then took each cup of it, before sipping it at almost the same time, which caused them to look at each other, prompting them to almost burst out in laughter for an unknown reason.

Russell was genuinely glad about his younger sister's approach. Although it's already been a month since the serious talk they had, she's reminding him to never left out anything, or else she didn't know what to do if he was heavily burdened by something she couldn't do anything about. At least, by sharing with her what he knew, he'd be sharing the burden, and wouldn't feel alone.

'... She's maturing...'

He thought as he recalled their previous conversation. The only way... for now... to avoid their parents becoming collateral when the situation unexpectedly escalated, and when their names became known throughout the human domain or the world, was to "intentionally" die and then let Amelie resurrect them through her Dark Resurrection skill under the Authority: Wheel of the Dark, that's granted to her by the Lady of Shaded Spade.

After settling everything, such as the news of their deaths to be known to their parents, they would then live somewhere, although dead in their parents' eyes, but probably alive in their hearts.

'...Considering everything that happened, things are somewhat still peaceful for now, but it's gradually coming to an end.'

He poignantly thought before he took a sip of the Etherian Black Coffee that he made for himself as he took his seat across from his younger sister and Amelie.

...

Ding-! Ding-! Ding-!

[World Announcement!]

For the beings of the Earth or Planet 342, this announcement is to tell everyone that a Close Mystery Tower will open in 30 days, starting from the moment this is announced.

The General Information about the Strayed and Dungeon Towers will be updated, and a section for the information about the Close Mystery Tower will then be added!

For the overview, the Close Mystery Tower that will open in 30 days is:

Close Mystery Tower: Tower of Growth!

By clearing it, the player's growth rate will increase by 10 times!

Good luck to every being in this world.

May the Constellations be with you.

...

Ayleen Mayfield was wide awake as she read the World Announcement that came true based on Lunaria's words. Numerous calls already flooded her smartwatch as she quickly tidied herself up and left her dormitory room meant for faculty due to the urgent meeting that has been evoked.

...

"...Russell, after we cleared this Tower of Growth, we'd start to raid a Chaos Dungeon, right?"

Amelie asked as soon as they read the World Announcement.

'...Right... the Chaos Dungeon, it hasn't been explored even though I acquired the True Key of Chaos a few months ago.'

Due to the System's abnormal behavior, he suspected that the Chaos Dungeon might rather be extremely abnormal or unordinary, too. It's for this reason that Russell sought to be stronger first than his current self as he just had this nagging feeling that it was suicide to enter a Chaos Dungeon without any preparation.

'...I hope this will be enough preparation.'

He inwardly thought before he nodded in response to Amelie's words.

...

<Why can't you tell me?>

The wide-awake Samantha Hall poignantly asked the voice in her head.

<...>

The dignified, womanly voice in Samantha's head fell silent.

<Tsk... why are some things very simple for you to do, and yet just telling me about it isn't...?"

Samantha responded, clearly somewhat reluctant with a mix of irritation in her tone. Occasionally, she was asking something very important to the voice in her head.

<...Why can't you tell me, huh...? About my mother's location...

<You confirmed to me that she's alive since her disappearance, and yet you couldn't tell me her location... What's the difference...?>

Samantha nagged the voice in her head which was unnaturally silent this time just like when she was talking in front of a certain someone.

<Tsk... It seems you won't answer again...>

She didn't manage to contain her patience, causing her to give up for now.

"...Mom... I miss you."

She muttered poignantly as she hugged a large pink pillow, before quickly falling asleep.