063 : The One Who Should Not Exist.

Lin Tian's vision blurred. For a moment, he felt weightless again—then, suddenly, he was standing.

The world around him was different.

A vast, golden city, suspended in the sky, stretching endlessly in all directions. The buildings were massive, ancient, filled with inscriptions that pulsed with energy.

And in the center of it all—a massive throne.

Upon it sat a man.

Or rather—something that had once been a man.

His body was covered in cracks of golden light, as if he was barely holding himself together. His eyes, once human, were now voids of endless stars.

Lin Tian knew immediately.

This was him.

The Forgotten One.

The man who had climbed beyond the Tower's limits.

The one who was never meant to exist.

And now—he was awake.

Lin Tian stood motionless, golden eyes locked onto the figure seated on the throne.

The city around them stretched endlessly, suspended in a sky that had no beginning or end. It was ancient, yet untouched by time—as if it had been built before the concept of time itself existed.

And at the heart of it all—sat the Forgotten One.

He was unlike anything Lin Tian had ever seen.

A man, yet not a man.

His body was fractured, glowing veins of golden energy running through his skin like cracks in reality itself. His eyes were voids—endless, swirling galaxies trapped in human form.

He did not blink. He did not move.

He simply existed.

Then, his voice—calm, quiet, yet carrying a weight that made the air tremble—spoke.

"So… the Tower has sent me another visitor."

Lin Tian smirked. "Not exactly. I came here on my own."

The Forgotten One tilted his head slightly. "Is that what you believe?"

Lin Tian's expression didn't change, but his mind sharpened. "What does that mean?"

The Forgotten One slowly leaned forward, resting his arms on the throne.

"Do you truly think you have been in control of your climb?"

Lin Tian's golden eyes narrowed. "Explain."

The Forgotten One exhaled. "The Tower is not simply a structure. It is not merely a test, nor a place to grow stronger. It is a system. A cage. A construct designed to maintain a balance that was never meant to be broken."

Lin Tian remained silent, listening.

The Forgotten One continued. "I climbed beyond the 100th floor. I saw the truth of this place. And when I did… the Tower tried to erase me."

Lin Tian smirked. "Didn't work, did it?"

A faint chuckle. "No. It did not."

The Forgotten One's eyes gleamed. "And now, you stand before me. Another anomaly. Another mistake the Tower failed to remove."

Lin Tian crossed his arms. "So what are you? A god? A prisoner? Or just someone too stubborn to die?"

The Forgotten One smiled slightly. "Perhaps all three."

Then, his expression darkened.

"And that is why you must leave."

Lin Tian raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And why's that?"

The Forgotten One's voice grew cold.

"Because if you continue climbing—you will suffer the same fate as me."

For the first time, Lin Tian hesitated.

Not out of fear. Not out of doubt.

But because for the first time—someone who had reached the top was telling him to stop.

Su Yun's voice whispered in his mind. "Lin Tian… do you believe him?"

Lin Tian exhaled. "That depends."

He looked at the Forgotten One. "What exactly happened to you?"

The Forgotten One's golden cracks glowed brighter.

"When I reached beyond the Tower's limits, I realized the truth. The Tower is not a test. It is not a path to ascension."

His next words were like a death sentence.

"It is a tomb. A prison for those who seek too much."

Lin Tian's jaw clenched. "A prison for who?"

The Forgotten One smiled.

"For us."

For the first time, Lin Tian felt something unfamiliar.

Not fear.

Not doubt.

But the realization that he had been playing by rules he had never understood.

And now, those rules were starting to break.

The Forgotten One stood, his presence overwhelming.

"You have two choices, Lin Tian."

He raised one hand.

"Leave. Abandon the Tower. Return to your world while you still can. Take what you have gained and live."

Then, he raised the other hand.

"Or continue climbing. Chase the truth. Defy the Tower. But if you do—you will never leave."

Lin Tian's golden eyes burned. "You think that scares me?"

The Forgotten One chuckled. "No. That is why I pity you."

The city trembled. The space around them began to crack.

Lin Tian smirked. "Then let me make this easy for you."

He took a step forward.

"I'm going to the top."

The Forgotten One sighed. "Then you have sealed your fate."

The world shattered.

And Lin Tian—fell once more.

Darkness rushed past him, the sensation of falling stretching endlessly.

Lin Tian had felt this before. The void, the pull, the descent. But this time—it was different.

The Tower wasn't just welcoming him back.

It was watching him.

The System—silent for so long—suddenly flickered back to life.

[ERROR…]

[RECALIBRATING…]

[ANOMALY DETECTED.]

[LIN TIAN HAS BEEN MARKED.]

Lin Tian smirked. "Took you long enough."

Su Yun's voice, filled with tension, whispered. "Lin Tian… something's changed."

Lin Tian agreed. The Tower was no longer just a place of trials.

It was reacting to him.

And whatever happened next—he would be ready.

The darkness split open, and Lin Tian crashed through the next floor.

Lin Tian landed gracefully, his feet touching solid ground. Immediately, something felt off.

The air was heavy.

The sky above was cracked, shifting between colors that shouldn't exist. The land stretched endlessly, yet it felt confined, suffocating.

And most importantly—there was no announcement.

No System notification. No trial description.

Just… silence.

Su Yun's voice was uneasy. "Lin Tian… where are we?"

Lin Tian narrowed his eyes. "The Seventh Floor."

But it wasn't just the next level of the Tower.

It was something else.

And then—he heard it.

A whisper.

Soft, distant.

But growing closer.

"You should not have returned."

Lin Tian's smirk didn't fade. "And yet, here I am."

The ground beneath him shuddered.

And then—the nightmare arrived.

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