The group had retreated to a small alcove on the second floor of the tower, an area sheltered by jagged stone walls and faintly glowing runes. For now, the relentless hum of the tower was a low thrum, allowing them a brief reprieve.
Qin sat on a stone ledge, the new black dagger he'd looted resting on his knee. He rotated it in his hands, marveling at its flawless edge and the faint patterns etched into the blade, like veins of liquid shadow. His body still ached from the fight with the Dread Hounds, but the exhilaration of the battle lingered.
Zhao Yue sat cross-legged nearby, her sword resting across her lap as she wiped the blade clean with practiced precision. She was silent, her face set in a grim mask. Feng Lan, as usual, seemed unaffected by the tension, reclining against the wall with her gloves off and a faint smirk playing on her lips.
"You're getting better, rookie," Feng Lan said, breaking the silence. "Still a little rough around the edges, but you're starting to look like someone who belongs here."
Qin snorted, glancing at her. "If belonging here means fighting monsters nonstop, I'm not sure I'm thrilled about it."
"Get used to it," Zhao Yue said without looking up. "This isn't a game. The tower is just a concentrated version of what's happening everywhere else."
"What does that mean?" Qin asked, leaning forward.
Feng Lan stretched her arms lazily before replying. "The barriers, rookie. You've seen how thin they're getting here, but it's not just the tower. All over Jiang City—and the world, for that matter—the barriers between our world and the other realms are breaking down."
Qin frowned. "Why? What's causing it?"
Zhao Yue sheathed her sword, her expression tightening. "No one knows for sure. Some say it's because of the Abyssal energy that leaked into our world after the cataclysm. Others think it's the natural progression of the realms colliding. Either way, the result is the same: creatures that should never exist in our world slipping through."
"Like the Shades and the Dread Hounds," Qin said.
"Exactly," Zhao said. "And it's not just monsters. The energy from the other realms—Abyssal energy—affects everything. It corrupts, mutates, and sometimes... destroys."
"What about regular people?" Qin asked. "How do they deal with it?"
Feng Lan laughed, the sound sharp and bitter. "They don't. Most of them don't even know what's happening. The ones who do? They either go crazy or get killed trying to fight back."
"That's not entirely true," Zhao Yue interjected. "There are groups trying to hold the line. The government, certain factions, and even some independent hunters."
Feng Lan rolled her eyes. "Oh, sure. The government. They're doing a fantastic job, aren't they? That's why Jiang City's a ghost town, right?"
"They're trying," Zhao snapped. "It's not perfect, but it's better than nothing."
Qin leaned back, his mind racing. "So, what does that mean for me? For us?"
"It means you've got a choice," Feng Lan said, her voice suddenly serious. "You can try to run, hide, pretend this isn't your problem. Or you can accept that the world's falling apart and do something about it."
"Not much of a choice," Qin muttered.
"No, it's not," Zhao Yue said. "But if you want to survive, you need to understand what's at stake."
She gestured toward the faintly glowing runes on the walls. "These barriers are all that's keeping the monsters at bay. When they weaken, things like the Shades and the Hounds come through. And it's not just them. There are worse things out there, creatures that make the Hounds look like stray dogs."
"Great," Qin said, his voice heavy with sarcasm. "And how exactly are we supposed to stop that?"
"We fight," Zhao Yue said simply. "We strengthen ourselves, secure the tower, and push back wherever we can. It's not about winning—it's about holding the line long enough to figure out a solution."
"Why the tower?" Qin asked. "What makes it so important?"
"It's a power nexus," Feng Lan said. "A focal point where the barriers are especially thin. If we can control it, we might be able to stabilize the area around it—or at least use its energy to strengthen ourselves."
"And if we don't?"
"Then it becomes a portal," Zhao Yue said grimly. "And everything on the other side comes flooding through."
The weight of their words settled heavily on Qin's shoulders. He stared at the dagger in his hands, his thoughts churning. The fight earlier had awakened something in him, a dark hunger for power, but now that hunger was tempered by the reality of what lay ahead.
"You said the government is involved," Qin said after a moment. "What are they doing?"
"They're trying to keep people calm," Zhao Yue said. "Enforcing curfews, evacuating areas where the barriers are the weakest, and sending teams to hunt down creatures that slip through."
"Does it work?"
"For now," she admitted. "But it's like patching a sinking ship. They don't have enough resources or manpower to cover everything."
"What about the people who live in those areas?"
"Most of them leave when they see what's happening," Feng Lan said. "But some stay. Either they don't believe the warnings, or they're too stubborn to leave their homes."
"They don't usually last long," Zhao added quietly.
Qin's jaw tightened. "That's messed up."
"It's reality," Zhao said. "And it's why people like us are needed. The System chooses those with the potential to fight back, to hold the line. Whether we like it or not, this is our responsibility now."
For a while, they sat in silence, the weight of the conversation pressing down on them. Qin's thoughts drifted to the System and the strange power it had given him. He'd barely scratched the surface of what it could do, but already it felt like it was changing him, reshaping him into something darker and more dangerous.
"Why does the System do this?" he asked finally. "Why choose people and push them to fight? What's its endgame?"
"That's the big question," Feng Lan said. "Some think the System was created by the same energy that's breaking the barriers—a kind of failsafe to keep the worlds from colliding completely. Others think it's a parasite, feeding on our struggle for its own gain."
"And you?" Qin asked, looking at her.
Feng Lan shrugged, her smirk returning. "I think it doesn't matter. All that matters is using it before it uses you."
Zhao Yue frowned but said nothing, her gaze distant.
Qin studied the two women, their contrasting attitudes both frustrating and intriguing. Feng Lan was reckless and confident, her charisma masking a dangerous edge. Zhao Yue was disciplined and pragmatic, her sense of duty unwavering.
And then there was him—caught between their perspectives, trying to make sense of the chaos around him.
"Get some rest," Zhao Yue said finally, standing and stretching. "We'll need to be at full strength before we move to the next floor."
Feng Lan grinned, leaning back against the wall. "You heard the boss. Sweet dreams, rookie."
Qin chuckled, shaking his head as he lay back on the stone ledge. His mind was still racing, but exhaustion soon overtook him.
As he drifted off, the System's voice echoed softly in his mind:
"Awakening complete.
Host's progression accelerated.
Prepare for the next trial."
Qin's dreams were filled with shadows and fire, the promise of power whispering seductively in his ears. And when he woke, he knew one thing for certain: the fight was far from over.