On the 42nd floor, the challenge had intensified slightly. As anticipated, some teams grew visibly exhausted at this stage. After a fierce struggle, they realized they were severely weakened and could only helplessly press the "quit" button. By now, the first contestant had been eliminated.
With the first gone, the second followed not long after. When the Astra Militarum team cleared this floor, more than ten contestants had already been eliminated, including someone from their own region.
The expression of Svananóg's leader remained unchanged. This was expected. What truly concerned him now were Huo, Patton, Sebastian, and Shia; they still held onto hope, after all.
On the 43rd floor, another group of contestants fell, and the casualties were even higher than on the previous level.
44th Floor.
45th Floor.
The difficulty increased incrementally with each level, and simultaneously, the number of eliminated participants continued to grow. The casualties were piling up.
On the 46th floor, they encountered the Crimson Minotaur, one of the most formidable species among the super medium races. Its powerful physique, massive bull horns, and wind-like speed made it a deadly threat.
As soon as a team appeared, the Crimson Minotaur's horns turned blood-red and charged. Yet, it remained no match for electromagnetic rifles. Still, many teams were already operating at their limit, barely hanging on.
"Kill! Kill! Kill! Black Flame Giants, you are the strongest!" Hess, who had fought alongside Sebastian and hailed from Giant Island, shouted fiercely in the star space, eyes blazing with madness as he commanded.
Although the Black Flame Giants belonged to a higher race within the super civilization, they faced overwhelming numbers; Crimson Minotaurs were too numerous. All giant clans shared this trait: individual strength was formidable, but their reproductive capacity was dismal.
Under relentless assault from the fearless Crimson Minotaurs, at first, the Black Flame Giants managed to resist. But as hours passed, casualties mounted. The fierce fighting had already claimed over 10,000 Black Flame Giants, whom Hess had mobilized for the battle. Yet heavy losses could jeopardize the planet's safety.
On the opposing side, casualties among the Crimson Minotaur exceeded 50,000. But their indifference to death was stark; they charged like madmen whenever they spotted other creatures.
"Charge! Keep charging! Don't be afraid!" Hess clenched his fists, rallying the Black Flame Giants. With no tricks left, he relied solely on his spirit to boost morale.
Another hour later, the Black Flame Giants dwindled to just three thousand. Hess's rallying voice grew more strained, his nails almost piercing his palms from the effort. Helpless, he knew there was only one option: surrender.
By this point, over 100,000 contestants had been eliminated on this floor alone. Hess's strength ranked among the top 300, even though he had been forced out.
The other contestants from Svananóg fared no better; more than seven hundred had fallen at this level. While expected, the sight still made the Head of Svananóg frown slightly. His gaze lingered on Bru's smiling face, his best friend, whose team was still unscathed. Meanwhile, a thousand participants from the Elves Empire sailed smoothly; none had been eliminated so far.
"Haha, it's not my fault. It's just that all our Empire's geniuses are exceptionally talented this year," Bru boasted, adding a touch of arrogance that irked the Head of Svananóg.
47th Floor.
48th Floor.
Again, countless participants were eliminated.
On the 49th floor, with more casualties from Svananóg, the Head of Svananóg's expression grew tense. His region now had fewer than fifty survivors, while the Elves Empire remained unscathed.
50th Floor. Once again, many contestants fell, many from Svananóg among them. The Head of Svananóg's face paled; after this level, only ten of his people remained. The only silver lining was that Patton, Huo Kong, Sebastian, Shia, and others with high hopes still endured within the Tower.
"The next level is the 51st," a Planetary Lord announced. "The difficulty will likely escalate sharply."
"The Star Tower has 99 floors, with each increment slightly tougher than the last," Volkmar nodded. "And every 50 floors, there's a significant jump!"
"From the 51st to the 60th floor, we might see the top 10,000 participants emerge. If progress is swift, we could spot the early signs on the next level."
Bru grinned. "After the 51st, only super-advanced species will appear."
Meanwhile, the Astra Militarum intensified its focus, reaching the 51st floor as a new battle commenced.
A fresh fight had begun.