This continued for hours. Each zone presented a different puzzle:
Zone 3: Musical stones that had to be played in the Fibonacci sequence Zone 4: A riddle door that spoke in ancient Chinese Zone 5: Weighted scales that required distributing his equipment perfectly Zone 6: Mirror maze (in darkness, using only sound reflection) Zone 7: Chemical mixing using smell alone to identify components
No combat. No mind reading. Just pure problem-solving.
By Zone 10, Chen Yu understood: this floor was teaching him not to rely solely on his unique skill. What would happen if he faced mindless enemies? Constructs? Other mind readers?
[Zone 10: The Philosopher's Bridge] [Puzzle Rating: C-Rank] [Hint: Truth and lies, but which is which?]
Two stone statues flanked a narrow bridge. Words carved into their bases glowed faintly:
Statue 1: "I always tell the truth. The bridge is safe." Statue 2: "I always lie. The bridge is safe."
Chen Yu approached carefully, reaching out with Omniscient Interference out of habit. Nothing—just like everything else on this floor. These were carvings, not beings.
But wait. If one always lied and one always told the truth, they couldn't both give the same answer. Unless...
"It's a trick question," Chen Yu said aloud. "Both statements are carved by the same creator. The puzzle isn't about the statues—it's recognizing that the premise itself is false."
The statues crumbled, revealing a third inscription on the bridge itself:
"Clever. The bridge is indeed deadly. Knowing this, how do you cross?"
Chen Yu studied the bridge—stone, narrow, extending into darkness. He threw a Goblin Ear onto it. Safe. Another, further out. Safe. A third—
The entire bridge tilted 90 degrees, dumping the ear into the unseen depths below before resetting.
Not weight-triggered. Then what?
He noticed tiny holes along the bridge's sides—air holes? He held his breath and listened. Faint mechanical clicking from within the bridge structure, rhythmic, like... breathing detection?
Chen Yu hyperventilated, loading his blood with oxygen, then exhaled completely and sprinted. The bridge remained stable until he gasped for air on the other side—immediately it flipped, but he was already safe.
[Zone 10 Complete] [Reward: Skill Book - Mental Fortress (Rare)] [Lesson Learned: Sometimes the only solution is speed]
[Mental Fortress Acquired] [Passive: Immune to mind reading/control for 3 seconds after activation] [Cooldown: 1 hour] [Note: Even Unique skills have counters]
Chen Yu stared at the skill description. Immune to mind reading. His exact ability, countered.
How many climbers will have this by the time I reach higher floors?
The next 40 zones continued the pattern—increasingly complex puzzles, death traps that required pure intelligence to bypass. No experience gained, but permanent stat bonuses for completing certain challenges.
By Zone 50, his Intelligence had increased by 10 points through puzzle rewards alone.
[Zone 50: The Architect's Question] [Puzzle Rating: B-Rank] [This zone contains lore]
A massive library materialized—thousands of books floating in the darkness, glowing faintly. In the center sat a crystal formation that pulsed with unnatural light. Words appeared in the air before it:
[Tower Archive Terminal - Unit 2] [Interactive Lore System] [Respond correctly for information]
The crystal pulsed, and words formed:
"You have something I cannot take, cannot steal, cannot force from you. You can give it freely, but once given, you still possess it. What is it?"
Chen Yu thought carefully. This was still a puzzle, not a being. The answer had to be something conceptual...
"A story," he said. "My story. My experiences."
The crystal flared brighter, and suddenly information flooded directly into Chen Yu's mind—not thoughts he was reading, but knowledge being implanted:
The tower has stood on 10,000 worlds. Each floor tests different aspects: Combat, Intelligence, Willpower, Sacrifice, Leadership. The broadcast on Floor 5 isn't just about fighting—it's about becoming a symbol. Your victory or defeat shapes how your entire species approaches the tower.
Hidden pieces exist on every floor. Collect them all, and the final test changes dramatically. Speed versus completion—both paths have merit.
Zone 100 of this floor contains something special. Not a boss, but something far more valuable. Use it wisely.
[Zone 50 Complete] [Reward: Tower Lore obtained] [Reward: Archive Access Level 1]
The crystal dimmed, but Chen Yu's mind raced with new knowledge. Ten thousand worlds. The tower wasn't unique to Earth—it was a universal test. And the hidden pieces... they weren't just bonuses. They fundamentally changed the nature of the final challenge.
He pressed forward with renewed urgency. If hidden pieces were that important, missing the one on Floor 1 might have been a critical mistake.
But there was no going back now.
The zones grew progressively harder:
Zone 60: A room filled with alchemical ingredients. Combining them in the correct order would open the door, but all labels were blank. Chen Yu had to identify each by taste, smell, and texture—then remember which combinations were toxic before testing.
Zone 70: A maze with walls that shifted based on his emotional state. Anger made walls close in. Fear created dead ends. Only by maintaining perfect calm could he navigate through.
Zone 80: Three pedestals with paradoxical inscriptions that required accepting paradoxes could exist without resolution.
Zone 90: A chess board where his opponent was himself at different ages, each playing with different strategies.
Finally, after 18 straight hours of puzzles, he reached the final zone.
[Zone 100: The Sunken Throne] [Final Trial: The Weight of Choice]
A massive throne room, flooded waist-deep with black water that reflected no light. The throne itself was simple stone, but hovering above it was an iron crown. The moment Chen Yu entered, text carved itself into the air:
[Crown of Sacred Promises] [Unique Item - Cannot be traded] [Effect: Allows one absolute command to all humans who enter the tower] [The command must be 10 words or less] [The command cannot directly cause death] [The command will activate when 100 humans have entered] [Warning: Choose carefully. This shapes humanity's path.]
Chen Yu waded through the black water, each step echoing infinitely. This wasn't just an item—it was responsibility. Power that could shape or destroy humanity's chances.
He could command them to work together. But forced cooperation bred resentment. He could command them to never kill each other. But sometimes killing prevented greater evil. He could command them to obey him. But that would make him the tyrant he feared.
The crown was cold in his hands. As he lifted it, runes appeared in the air:
[Enter your command. You cannot change it later:] [_________]
Chen Yu thought about the children in the pipes who'd starved while watching soldiers feast. The families separated by arbitrary power. His mother, hanging from desperation. His father, marching to pointless death.
What single command could prevent such suffering without destroying free will?
He remembered the Grove Guardian's words: "Those who race ahead often miss what matters."
What mattered wasn't forcing people to be good. It was making sure they couldn't ignore the consequences of being bad.
Chen Yu inscribed his command:
["Remember those weaker than you exist."]
Six words. Not forcing kindness—people could still choose cruelty. Not demanding sacrifice—people could still be selfish. Just... awareness. The one thing that might make the powerful hesitate.
[Command registered] [Crown of Sacred Promises bound to Chen Yu] [Effect will activate upon 100th human entry]
The moment he placed the crown on his head, it vanished—absorbed into his being. He could feel it there, waiting, a promise that would ripple through every human who entered after the first hundred.
[Floor 2 Complete!] [Clear Time: 18 hours, 37 minutes] [Rank: SSS (First clear, Solo clear, Perfect puzzle completion)] [Rewards: 20,000 Tower Coins, +15 Intelligence, Memory Stone (Legendary)] [Hidden Piece: Crown of Sacred Promises - CLAIMED]
[Memory Stone Description:] [Records experiences/knowledge, can be left for others] [Capacity: 100 hours of information] [Cannot record Unique skills]
Chen Yu held the smooth stone, considering. He could record everything—the zone solutions, the trap patterns, the chess strategies. But should he?
If I make it too easy, humanity won't grow strong. But if I leave nothing, good people will die to puzzles I've already solved.
He made a decision. He would record the lessons, not the solutions:
"Floor 2 tests intelligence over power. Your unique skills won't help here. Trust in logic, patterns, and patience. The throne room's choice shapes all who come after—choose wisely. Hidden pieces exist—speed has a cost."
Short. Helpful without destroying the challenge.
[Memory Stone inscription complete] [Place stone? Y/N]
He selected Y, and the stone embedded itself in the throne room floor, glowing faintly for future climbers to find.
A portal materialized—crimson and radiating heat.
[Floor 3 Portal Activated] [Warning: Floor 3 - The Crucible of Will] [Theme: Willpower through suffering] [Special condition: Pain amplification 200%] [Recommended Level: 15] [Enter? Y/N]
Chen Yu checked his status:
[Name: Chen Yu] [Level: 14] [HP: 170/170] [MP: 100/100] [Intelligence: 47] (+15 from floor rewards) [Tower Coins: 30,847] [Time remaining: 22 days, 8 hours]
Level 14 versus recommended 15. Close enough. And "pain amplification"—that wouldn't affect his combat ability, just his suffering. He could handle suffering. He'd been handling it for three years.
But as he stepped toward the portal, one thought nagged at him:
What command would I have given if I'd been rich? Powerful? Safe?
He didn't know. And that terrified him more than any monster.