The great gates of the Secret Tower sealed shut with a groan that echoed like a final judgment. The world outside vanished, replaced by the stark reality of the tower's first floor. It was not a grand hall, but a vast, circular arena of cold, grey stone. The air was heavy with the scent of old steel, ozone, and the palpable weight of countless ambitions won and lost. Other aspirants who had entered before them were scattered around the edges, their faces pale with nervous anticipation.
The grey-robed guardian from the gate stood in the center. His voice, devoid of emotion, filled the chamber. "You have left your pasts at the door. Here, your name means nothing. Your lineage means nothing. All that matters is what you are willing to endure."
He raised a hand, and the floor lit up with faint, glowing lines, dividing the aspirants into random groups of three. Bu He and Jian Ming found themselves guided by the light into the same circle. A moment later, a third figure joined them: the girl with the unyielding gaze and the burn scar on her chin. She shot them a defiant look, her hand resting on the hilt of a bone-handled dagger at her belt.
"The first trial is not one of combat," the guardian announced, his voice cutting through the tension. "It is the Trial of Burden. Strength is not merely what you can defeat, but what you can carry. Your goal is not to overpower your companions, but to recognize their burden and open yourself to them. The Secret Tower rewards courage, not cruelty. You will stand together, or you will fall together."
Ci Ying—for that was her name—scoffed softly. "I don't need anyone's help."
Jian Ming, however, was already assessing the situation, his eyes darting between Bu He and the fiery girl. "This isn't a test of individual power," he whispered. "It's a test of synergy. A foundation. If we fight it alone, we'll all be crushed."
Before they could argue further, the trial began.
It wasn't a physical weight, but a crushing spiritual pressure that descended upon them. It felt like the weight of a mountain pressing down on their very souls. Jian Ming, the scholar, grunted immediately, his legs trembling under the invisible load. Ci Ying's jaw was set in a stubborn line; a faint, fiery aura pushed back against the pressure, but it was unfocused, and she was already breathing heavily, wasting energy.
Bu He's experience was different. His body, forged in the crucible of pain, withstood the physical aspect of the pressure better than the others. The ache was familiar, almost a comfort. But the spiritual weight was a new kind of agony, grinding against the defiant core of his being.
They were about to fail. Jian Ming was on one knee, and Ci Ying's fiery aura was sputtering. Seeing them falter, Bu He made a choice. He remembered the fire of the forsaken, the feeling of shared suffering. He reached out, not with his hands, but with his will. He focused on the defiant fire he saw in Ci Ying's eyes, linking his own stubborn, earthy endurance to her wild spirit.
"Together!" Jian Ming gasped, seeing the connection. He used his focused mind not to resist the pressure, but to act as a bridge, a channel to connect their three wills into one.
For a breathtaking moment, their energies merged. Bu He's unyielding, grounded resilience became an anchor for Ci Ying's untamed fire, preventing it from burning out. Jian Ming's calm focus wove them together, creating a unified front. The crushing weight did not disappear, but it became bearable.
And then, as suddenly as it began, the pressure vanished.
They were all panting, drenched in sweat, but they were standing. The guardian gave a single, slow nod of approval.
Ci Ying looked at Bu He and Jian Ming, her usual defiance replaced with a grudging respect. "You… you held on." She touched the burn scar on her chin. "My family gave me this mark because my hands couldn't touch Qi the 'right' way. I came here to prove I don't need anyone." She paused. "Perhaps I was wrong."
"A path is easier when you don't have to watch your own back," Jian Ming said, offering her a slight, scholarly smile.
Bu He simply nodded, a silent acknowledgment. A bond, forged not in friendship but in shared struggle, had been formed.
The guardian's voice cut through the air once more, pointing towards a dark staircase that spiraled up into the tower's shadowy upper levels.
"You have proven you can stand together. Now… you will learn to fight as one. The second trial awaits."