Eren moved forward through the endless reflective expanse, each step echoing faintly in the strange, surreal environment. The figure's words lingered in his mind, a gnawing weight that refused to settle. The Tower wasn't just a test; it was alive, and it had chosen him for a reason he still didn't fully grasp.
The reflective floor began to ripple beneath his boots, as if sensing his thoughts. The ripples spread outward, distorting the space around him until the world seemed to dissolve. Eren steadied himself as the ground beneath him solidified into a new environment.
This floor was a dense jungle, alive with vibrant colors and the hum of unseen creatures. Towering trees stretched far above, their leaves glowing faintly in the dim light. The air was heavy with moisture, carrying the scent of earth and greenery.
As Eren adjusted to the sudden change, the system's interface materialized in front of him.
Floor 14: The Verdant Maze
• Objective: Navigate to the heart of the maze.
• Hazards: Hostile flora, environmental traps, illusions.
• Bonus Objective: Locate and secure the Flux Node.
"Flux Node?" Eren muttered, narrowing his eyes. The term was unfamiliar, but the connection to the figure's cryptic warnings was obvious. Whatever it was, he needed to find it.
He drew his blade and activated the scanner he'd crafted in the Phantom Gate. Its faint hum reassured him, and he adjusted the settings to detect energy signatures. If the Flux Node was linked to the Tower's instability, it might emit a unique signal.
The jungle floor was uneven, tangled with roots and undergrowth. Eren moved cautiously, his eyes scanning for movement. The flora was unnervingly active; leaves shifted as though they were watching, and vines coiled and uncoiled like living things.
A sudden rustling to his right snapped him into focus. He turned just in time to see a massive plant unfurl, its petals revealing a gaping maw lined with thorn-like teeth.
"Of course," Eren muttered, gripping his blade tightly.
The carnivorous plant lunged, its vines whipping toward him with terrifying speed. Eren ducked under the first strike and slashed at a vine as it lashed toward him. His blade sliced cleanly through, but the plant showed no signs of stopping.
Activating his scanner mid-combat, Eren noted an energy core glowing faintly at the plant's base. "That's your weak spot," he said, charging forward.
Dodging another set of whipping vines, he drove his blade into the core. The plant let out a piercing shriek before collapsing into a heap of withering foliage.
Eren caught his breath, wiping sweat from his brow. "Great. Living death traps."
He continued deeper into the jungle, encountering more of the hostile plants and environmental hazards the system had warned him about. Spiked roots shot up from the ground unexpectedly, and clouds of noxious spores forced him to take detours.
Despite the challenges, Eren's scanner finally picked up a faint energy signal distinct from the ambient noise. It pulsed rhythmically, drawing him toward the heart of the maze.
As he neared the source, the jungle seemed to thin out, replaced by an open clearing. In the center stood a pedestal, and atop it floated a glowing sphere of energy—pulsing with the same rhythm as the signal he'd tracked.
The Flux Node.
Eren approached cautiously, his scanner beeping rapidly. The energy was volatile, swirling chaotically within the sphere. He reached out, hesitating for a moment before his fingers brushed its surface.
The moment he made contact, the Node flared brightly, and the jungle around him dissolved into a storm of light and sound. Eren felt a rush of energy flood his body, a strange mix of warmth and cold that left him breathless.
The Tower's voice resonated in his mind.
"Flux Resonance Detected. Synchronization Beginning."
Eren staggered, his vision swimming. Images flashed before his eyes—fragments of the Tower's construction, figures he couldn't recognize, and a sense of something vast and incomprehensible.
When the vision faded, he found himself back in the jungle clearing, the Flux Node now dormant in his hand.
The system interface reappeared.
Flux Node Secured. Bonus Objective Complete. Proceed to Floor Exit.
Eren exhaled deeply, the weight of the Node in his hand a reminder of how much further he had to go. Whatever this thing was, it was tied to the Tower's mysteries—and to his own role within them.
He set off toward the exit, determined to uncover the truths that awaited him on the next floor.