055 : The Second System – A Voice from the Past.

Lin Tian's breath was shallow, his fingers trembling slightly as he clenched his fists. "Su Yun?" His voice was low, disbelieving. It couldn't be her. It wasn't possible. Su Yun was on Earth. She was living a normal life, waiting for his return.

Right?

But then, the voice spoke again, softer this time. "It really is you… I thought… I thought I would never be able to reach you again."

Lin Tian's pulse pounded in his ears. It was her. Not an illusion. Not a trick. This was Su Yun. But how? Why?

"Where are you?" he demanded, his voice sharper than he intended. "How are you speaking through this system?"

A brief silence. Then, she answered. "I… don't know."

Her voice trembled slightly, confusion and fear woven into every word. "One day, I was fine. And the next… I was here. I don't even know what 'here' is. It's like… I don't have a body. I don't exist. But I can still think, still feel. And now, somehow… I'm part of your system."

Lin Tian's mind worked furiously, analyzing the situation. This shouldn't be possible. The Tower was a separate world from Earth. There should have been no way for Su Yun to be affected by it. Unless…

A dark thought crept into his mind.

"Did something happen to her after I left?"

His jaw clenched. No. He had made sure she was safe before the Tower took him. There was no way anything could have touched her.

Which meant—this was the Tower's doing.

Somehow, it had reached beyond worlds.

And it had taken Su Yun's soul.

Lin Tian exhaled slowly, forcing his emotions back into control. Panic wouldn't help. Despair wouldn't help. He needed answers. He needed a plan.

"Listen to me, Su Yun," he said, his voice steady. "I don't know how you ended up here. But I swear—I'm going to fix this."

A small, breathless laugh came from the system. "You always say things like that. Like nothing is impossible for you."

Lin Tian smirked, though it didn't reach his eyes. "Because it isn't."

Another silence. Then, Su Yun's voice grew softer. "I don't want to be just a voice in your system, Lin Tian. I want to be with you again. Like before."

Lin Tian's fingers curled into a fist. "Then that's exactly what will happen."

A new notification suddenly appeared.

[New Mission Created: Reclaim Su Yun's Soul.]

[To succeed, reach the 100th floor and uncover the Tower's secret.]

Lin Tian's golden eyes burned.

So that was it.

The Tower was testing him again. It had taken what was most precious to him—and it was challenging him to take it back.

His smirk returned, but this time, there was no amusement. Only cold, sharp determination.

"Fine," he murmured. "If that's what it takes—then I'll climb to the very top."

He glanced up toward the distant ceiling of the Second Floor.

One hundred floors. One hundred challenges. A world full of dangers, betrayals, and obstacles meant to break him.

But Lin Tian had never been broken before.

And he wouldn't start now.

"Wait for me, Su Yun," he said quietly. "I'll bring you back. No matter what it takes."

The System was silent for a moment. Then, Su Yun's voice, soft but full of trust, whispered—

"I believe you."

And with that—the climb resumed.

The moment Lin Tian stepped further into the Second Floor, the air shifted. Unlike the misty void of the First Floor, this place had structure. He stood in a grand ancient ruin, massive stone pillars stretching into the sky, their surfaces covered in glowing blue inscriptions. The walls were cracked and worn with time, but there was power here. Something waiting.

Then, the System spoke.

[Second Floor Trial: The Guardian's Challenge.]

[Defeat the Guardian of this floor to advance.]

Lin Tian exhaled. Simple enough.

But then, Su Yun's voice chimed in through the system, her tone playful. "That means a fight, right? You always did like fighting."

Lin Tian smirked. "I'd like it more if I wasn't talking to my girlfriend through a system."

Su Yun let out a soft laugh, but there was an underlying sadness beneath it. "Then you better hurry up and find a way to fix this."

Lin Tian's golden eyes hardened. He would.

No matter what.

With that thought, he stepped forward.

The ground trembled. The blue inscriptions on the pillars flared to life, and from the darkness of the ruins, something massive stirred.

Then—it appeared.

A towering stone colossus, its body composed of shifting boulders and crackling energy. Its eyes, glowing like twin burning stars, locked onto Lin Tian.

[Second Floor Guardian: Titan of Stone.]

Lin Tian cracked his knuckles, his smirk widening.

"Good. I was getting bored."

The Titan of Stone wasted no time. With a deafening roar, it lifted one massive hand and slammed it down toward Lin Tian, the sheer force shaking the ruins like an earthquake.

Lin Tian's body moved before the impact came. With inhuman speed, he vanished from the spot, his feet barely touching the ground as he leaped onto a nearby pillar. The Titan's strike obliterated the stone floor where he had stood, sending debris flying in all directions.

Su Yun's voice rang out. "Wow. That thing really wants to crush you."

Lin Tian smirked. "It can try."

He launched himself forward, closing the distance in an instant. His fist crashed into the Titan's chest with enough force to send shockwaves through the air. But instead of breaking apart—the Titan barely flinched.

Lin Tian narrowed his eyes.

"So, brute force won't work, huh?"

The Titan swung again, its massive arm tearing through the air like a collapsing mountain. Lin Tian dodged, weaving through the attacks with effortless precision. He needed to find a weak point.

Then, he saw it.

A crack near the center of its core. Faint, barely noticeable—but it was there.

His smirk returned. "Got you."

The Titan roared again, lifting both arms for a devastating slam. But before it could strike, Lin Tian moved. He dashed forward, twisting midair, and drove his palm directly into the crack.

A pulse of energy erupted from his attack—and the Titan's entire body froze.

For a second, nothing happened.

Then—the crack expanded.

The Titan let out a final, deafening howl before its entire form collapsed into rubble, dust and stone scattering in all directions.

And then, the System spoke.

[Second Floor Guardian Defeated.]

[Trial Complete. You may now proceed.]

Lin Tian landed gracefully, rolling his shoulders. "That was easier than I expected."

Su Yun's voice rang out. "Maybe you just got stronger?"

Lin Tian chuckled. "I've always been strong."

And with that, the path forward revealed itself.

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