059 : When the Tower Follows You Home.

It had been two days since Lin Tian returned to Earth. Two days of calm, simple living. He had eaten real food, walked through the city without a care, and spent hours just talking with Su Yun through the system.

It was a life he had never allowed himself to have before.

And yet… something felt off.

Lin Tian stood outside a small convenience store, watching the people pass by. Everything seemed normal—too normal. And that was the problem. His instincts, honed over centuries of survival, told him that something was watching him.

Su Yun's voice broke the silence. "You're tense."

Lin Tian exhaled. "Something's wrong."

Su Yun hummed thoughtfully. "Wrong how? Everything looks fine to me."

Lin Tian's golden eyes scanned the street again. "That's just it. It's… too quiet. Too ordinary."

It was subtle, but he could feel it. A presence that didn't belong.

Then—he saw it.

A man standing at the far end of the street, dressed in plain clothes, seemingly just another passerby. But his eyes. They weren't normal. They glowed faintly with a color Lin Tian had only ever seen inside the Tower.

The man locked eyes with him.

And then—he vanished.

Lin Tian's jaw tightened.

Su Yun's voice dropped into a whisper. "Lin Tian… that man. He moved like a climber."

Lin Tian's fingers curled into a fist. "I know."

The Tower wasn't just watching him.

It had sent something—or someone—back with him.

That night, Lin Tian walked through the dimly lit streets, his steps calm but his mind alert. If that man had been a climber, it meant one of two things—either he had come voluntarily, or something had forced him out of the Tower.

Either way, Lin Tian intended to find out.

As he turned a corner into a quieter part of the city, a voice rang out behind him.

"You really are different from the others."

Lin Tian didn't turn immediately. He had already sensed the presence long before it spoke.

Finally, he glanced over his shoulder.

The man from earlier stood there, leaning casually against a lamppost. Up close, Lin Tian could see it more clearly now. The glow in his eyes wasn't just light—it was residual energy from the Tower.

Lin Tian smirked. "You've been following me all day."

The man tilted his head. "And yet, you never lost me. Impressive."

Lin Tian turned fully to face him. "Who are you?"

The man sighed dramatically. "Straight to the point, huh? Fine." He smiled, but there was something sharp in his expression. "Name's Bai Ye. And like you, I've climbed the Tower."

Lin Tian's golden eyes narrowed slightly.

Another climber. On Earth.

Su Yun's voice was filled with surprise. "Lin Tian… this isn't normal, right? He shouldn't be here."

Lin Tian agreed. "You climbed the Tower?" he asked, his tone unreadable. "Then tell me—how are you here?"

Bai Ye's smirk deepened. "That's the thing, Lin Tian. I don't know. One moment, I was clearing the 30th floor. The next… I woke up here."

Lin Tian's expression didn't change, but inside, his thoughts were moving rapidly.

This wasn't an accident. The Tower wasn't supposed to just send climbers back at random.

Which meant—something was interfering with the rules.

And if Bai Ye had been forced back from the 30th floor…

Then it wasn't just happening to him.

More could be coming.

And some of them—might not be friendly.

Bai Ye stretched, his tone casual. "You don't seem all that surprised. Guess I was right about you. You're not a normal climber, are you?"

Lin Tian smirked slightly. "Neither are you."

Bai Ye chuckled. "Fair point." He crossed his arms. "Listen, Lin Tian. I don't know what's happening, but I do know one thing—if the Tower is breaking its own rules, then something big is coming."

Lin Tian's gaze sharpened. "And you want to team up?"

Bai Ye grinned. "Hey, better to have allies than enemies, right?"

Su Yun's voice cut in, skeptical. "Lin Tian, I don't trust him."

Lin Tian didn't either. But right now, he needed information.

He gave Bai Ye a measured look. "Fine. For now, we share information. But don't get in my way."

Bai Ye smirked. "Deal."

But as Lin Tian walked away, one thought echoed in his mind.

"If the Tower is losing control… then this world might not stay safe for long."

And for the first time, he realized—

His week of peace?

Might be shorter than he thought.

The night air was cool, the city lights glowing in the distance as Lin Tian stood on the rooftop of his apartment, staring into the sky. Normally, he would enjoy the stillness—the rare moments of peace this world offered.

But tonight, that peace felt fragile.

Bai Ye's words lingered in his mind.

"One moment, I was clearing the 30th floor. The next, I woke up here."

It didn't make sense. The Tower had strict rules—climbers couldn't leave unless they reached specific floors, and even then, only for a limited time.

Yet Bai Ye had been sent back without warning.

Which meant one thing—the Tower's system was breaking down.

Su Yun's voice broke the silence, her usual lighthearted tone replaced by concern. "Lin Tian… what if it's not just Bai Ye?"

Lin Tian exhaled. "That's what I'm worried about."

If one climber had been forcibly ejected from the Tower… how many more would follow?

And worse—what if some of them weren't as friendly as Bai Ye?

The next morning, Lin Tian walked through the bustling city streets, hands in his pockets, his golden eyes scanning everything around him.

Something felt off.

It wasn't just his imagination—there were more people like Bai Ye. He could feel them, their energy signatures slightly different from normal humans. Some were suppressing their power, blending in.

But one thing was clear.

The Tower wasn't just leaking climbers into this world.

It was losing control of them.

Then—the news broke.

As Lin Tian passed by a small café, a large screen on the building flickered, broadcasting a live report.

"Breaking news: A series of unexplained disappearances have been reported across the city. Authorities have found no clues, and witnesses claim the missing individuals vanished into thin air."

Lin Tian stopped walking. His fingers twitched.

Vanished into thin air?

Su Yun's voice was sharp. "Lin Tian… what if it's the opposite of Bai Ye?"

His eyes darkened.

"Instead of climbers being sent back to Earth… what if people from Earth are being pulled into the Tower?"

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