The light of the first floor faded behind them, replaced by a soft, emerald glow. Ethan blinked as the world solidified around him. The air smelled faintly of moss and wet leaves.
They had arrived on the Second Floor—a simple, dreamlike forest under a sky that wasn't real.The trees were tall and thin, their leaves shifting colors every few seconds, like a slow heartbeat.
Selene inhaled deeply. "Okay, I like this one. Smells better than that golden hall."
Lyra touched the ground, letting mana flow through her fingers. "The illusion is perfect. If I didn't know we were in the tower, I'd think this was a real forest."
Aeloria remained cautious. "The tower rarely gives us a peaceful place without purpose. Stay alert."
Ethan nodded and moved forward, brushing aside glowing leaves that drifted through the air. They walked in silence for a moment, until a faint sound echoed between the trees—a whisper, too soft to understand.
Selene's ears twitched. "Did you hear that?"
Lyra hugged her staff. "Yes… and it's not natural."
Ethan tightened his grip on his sword. The forest seemed to shift ever so slightly, as if the trees were watching them. Shadows moved at the edges of their vision.
Then the System chimed.
[Floor 2 Trial: Find the Echoing Path][Hint: Only the true voice leads forward.]
Ethan frowned. "A sound puzzle?"
Aeloria nodded. "The elves have tests like this. Illusions use sound to mislead intruders."
Selene pointed to the left. "I heard something there."
A second whisper floated from the right.Then another from directly ahead.
Three voices.Three directions.
Ethan listened carefully, letting Combat Insight sharpen his perception. But the voices were nearly identical—until one word broke through the murmur.
"Ethan…"
His blood froze for a second.
The whisper had said his name.
Selene immediately stepped in front of him. "Don't follow that one. That's creepy."
Lyra's expression tightened. "The tower is reacting to you again. Using your name means it's trying to tempt you."
But Aeloria shook her head slowly. "Not necessarily. Sometimes the real path is the one that feels most personal."
Ethan breathed deeply, focusing on the sound.Three whispers.But only one carried weight—a faint tremble, as if spoken by someone struggling to be heard.
"This way," Ethan said, pointing toward a narrow glade where the leaves glowed faintly blue.
They followed him. As they walked, the whisper grew clearer, no longer eerie but calm… guiding. The forest opened into a small circular clearing, and at the center floated a crystal shaped like a teardrop.
[Path Validated][Trial Progress: 50%]
Selene puffed out her cheeks. "Great. Halfway done. Now what?"
The crystal shattered suddenly, releasing a ripple of wind.The trees around the clearing twisted, forming wooden figures—living statues carved from bark, moss, and vines.
Aeloria raised her dagger. "Forest Wardens. Don't let them touch you."
The first Warden lunged toward Ethan. He slashed quickly, but the creature absorbed the hit, its wooden body barely dented.
Lyra shouted, "Hit the glowing vines on their chests!"
Ethan shifted his stance, activated Mana Edge, and sliced downward, breaking the glowing knot of vines. The Warden cracked apart like dry wood and collapsed.
Selene leaped onto another, clawing at its chest until the vines burst.
Aeloria moved like wind, her blades cutting precise arcs that dismantled a third Warden effortlessly.
But then the ground trembled.From the earth behind them rose a much larger Warden—twice Ethan's height, its body reinforced with stone-like bark.
"Boss fight, I guess," Selene muttered.
The giant Warden slammed its fist down. Ethan dodged, feeling the impact shake the ground beneath him. Lyra chanted a spell, sending blue flames swirling around the creature, but the fire only slowed it.
Aeloria darted behind it. "It's too thick! Ethan—combine your strike with Lyra!"
Ethan nodded instantly. Lyra placed her hand on his sword, channeling mana just as she had on the first floor. Ethan felt the blade hum with energy.
The Warden turned, roaring with a deep wooden groan.
"Go!" Lyra urged.
Ethan charged, leapt, and drove the glowing blade into the Warden's core of vines. Light erupted in a burst, and the creature shattered into fragments of bark that dissolved into mist.
Silence followed.
The System chimed.
[Floor 2 Cleared][Reward: Verdant Blessing — minor boost to agility]
Selene stretched her arms overhead. "Two floors down. Only… yeah, I'm not counting."
Lyra smiled softly. "You did well, Ethan."
Aeloria watched him with thoughtful, almost wary eyes. "The tower is still reacting strongly to you. More than it should."
Ethan looked at his glowing hand.
And for the first time, he wondered—not what the tower wanted him to do,but why it had chosen him at all.