Convergence Inside the Tower

Remaining time: 24 hours 13 minutes 19 seconds.

Ryan drew a deep breath, as if he wanted to exhale all his tension along with it. He raised a hand and wiped the cold sweat from his temple, leaving a wet streak across his pale skin.

He had just survived the crisis with the swarm, and the adrenaline in his body burned like a newly lit flame, sweeping away every trace of fatigue. Although his body trembled slightly, his mind was unusually exhilarated.

Each step he took was light and steady, as if he feared awakening some unknown danger lurking in the silent passage. The soles of his shoes clung tightly to the rough stone floor, making a faint scraping sound that seemed especially clear in the stillness.

Ryan slowly made his way up the narrow passage. The walls on either side exuded an aged atmosphere, as if recounting the stories of what had once happened here.

Meanwhile—[Inside the Monitoring Room]

A prison guard glanced at the candidate-location screen and frowned. "Candidate No. 199 has appeared in the side passage at the bottom of the tower."

Another person leaned over. "The side passage at the bottom of the tower? That's a restricted area. I heard one of the paths there leads to an underground cavern discovered during the construction of Trick Tower... Someone actually came out of there? How did he get in?"

The warden sat behind the screen and murmured in a voice only she could hear, "Well... what an interesting little fellow. He actually managed to come out alive."

Ryan followed the passage until he reached a relatively spacious hall. Along the walls were more than a hundred rooms. There were no doors or windows. Some rooms were piled with industrial garbage and scrap materials, while others