Chương 369: Chapter 359 - A Generational Encounter

"Lukas, stop smiling like that. You're planning something."

"Me?" He tapped a glowing holographic node in the virtual board between them, lying flat beside her.

"I'm just admiring how confidently you're walking into my trap." Chiara narrowed her eyes.

"Your trap? That's my stabilisation ring. You can't use it."

"Oh, I already did." His voice was warm, teasing.

"Look—your entire left flank is now supporting my expansion." She jolted upright.

"You can't do that. The logic chain doesn't allow cross-branch—""It does," he cut in, grinning.

"If you hide a pivot under the secondary recursion field."

"I checked that field."

"You checked the front of it." He flicked another node. The fractal map rippled, stealing one of her territories.

"Not the back." Chiara stared at the shifting geometry, then slowly exhaled.

"You're insufferable."

"And you love it." He nudged her foot with his.

"Come on, outsmart me. I know you want to." She snapped a node with a flick—too fast for him to track—and the fractal pulsed violently. Lukas froze.

"…Wait. What did you just—""A counter-loop. You overloaded your own pivot. In three iterations, it blows up half your map."

"Ok… that is just cheating."

"It's not. I checked the rules."

"You wrote the rules!"

"That's why I know where they bend." He laughed, delighted.

"You're terrifying."

"And you're too slow."

"Oh?" He leaned closer, eyes sparkling.

"Then explain that." He touched one point. Her entire stabilisation ring collapsed. Chiara's mouth fell open.

"You— No. No, that's— you knew. You predicted my move… you tricked me."

"Obviously. You were too busy admiring your brilliance."

"You baited me." He blinked at her amused. She shoved his shoulder. He caught her hand, kissed her knuckles, still smug.

"Rematch?" he whispered. She was about to answer when—" Seven days have passed. No further entry has been registered. Limit not met. Advancing temporal state to the next entry." They both snapped upright, staring in confusion. Advancing temporal state? Was The Tower about to alter time itself? Lukas turned toward the counter on the wall. It had changed. The numbers were rising. From 6 to 7 … then to 9 in a blink. Others… had truly come? He exchanged a glance with Chiara. Her eyes were wide, almost disbelieving.

They froze as the number kept climbing, and when it hit 21 … the timer finally began counting down. And still the number grew until it stopped at 35. Meaning… 29 new Climbers had arrived. But… who? Seconds passed in silence as he tried to make sense of it, until a notification pulsed before him—one that made his heart skip. Leonie Gruber has invited you. Do you accept? Lukas went still. As he stared at that name, the world dulled into background noise.

Memories from what felt like another life surged forward, and for a moment he wondered if he was dreaming. But… no. His mind insisted he was awake. Then what was this? A joke? A trick? Some Tower-made illusion? He turned to Chiara. He needed confirmation.

"Did you… get an invitation from someone?" Chiara was about to shake her head when— Stephen Langston has invited you. Do you accept?

"I… I did."

"What… someone you know?" Chiara nodded slowly, confusion sharpening every line of her face.

"Yes. A coworker of mine at the Johnson Space Center. But… what the…" She looked at him again.

"You too? From who?" Lukas drew a slow breath as he stared at the name. His voice was low.

"My sister."

"What!?" Chiara's eyes widened.

"Then… this has to be a trick, right? Some sort of Tower challenge hidden in the waiting room?" Lukas nodded, though the urge to accept pulled at him hard. Yet the odds of this happening to both of them… and for his sister to truly be here… What were the chances? But… if she really was—"Should I send an invite back instead?" Chiara paused. If this was some kind of temptation trial… sending an invite shouldn't fail them, right? Or would it trigger something worse? A monster? A trap? Yet if it wasn't a monster…

if it truly was Lukas' sister… whatever the odds were—"Wait… let me get dressed, I mean ready, just in case," she said.

"Stay here. I'll grab my Tower items. Invite me back in a second." And with that, she vanished. Lukas was left alone. The possibility of seeing his sister again hit him with unexpected force. But he couldn't let temptation undo everything they had survived. Prepare for the worst. And if it really was her… He exhaled slowly, stood from the bed, pulled on his clothes, and magnetised his gear into place. He sent Chiara an invite.

She appeared fully dressed in Dark Stars, her expression and attire showing she was ready for either outcome—fight or first impression. He took a breath deeper than he intended… He sent the invite. His heart tightened, his fist closing on its own. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Every instant dragged into eternity. And then— She appeared. Lukas froze. It only took him a single moment to realise it.

He stepped forward and whispered, as if afraid she would disappear if he spoke too loudly.

"Leonie." She smiled. A bright, honest smile that probably no one except her brother or their parents had ever seen coming from her. She wore armour—cracked in places, scarred by battle—and the weight of hardship was written in her face. She looked so different from the sister Lukas remembered. Sharper. Hardened. And yet… there was no doubt. It was truly her.

"So you actually made it to this point," her smile widened.

"You really are one of a kind… brother." Lukas felt his own smile bloom.

"This… how? How are you here?"

"That's a long story. But in short? Probably the same way you are," she said. Then her eyes shifted to the woman beside him. Even with the slight differences from the records, Leonie recognised her instantly.

"And you must be Dr. Chiara Lin, right? A pleasure to meet you." She extended her hand. Chiara snapped out of her daze. The beautiful woman standing before her… she was undeniably Lukas's twin from her looks. But… was this truly her? The real Leonie Gruber? Not a trial, but actually… real? She glanced at Lukas. He was certain. And that certainty was enough. Chiara stepped forward and shook her hand.

"The pleasure is mine. Lukas has told me so much about you."

"Good things, I hope," Leonie teased, giving her brother a knowing look. For a moment, Lukas felt as if they were back in Munich—The Tower distant, irrelevant, the world simple again.

"Yes, he has," Chiara said.

"And… I shouldn't be interrupting your moment. My apologies." She glanced at Lukas and sent him a mental wave." Invite me if you need anything. And… I'm really glad for both of you." She stepped back and vanished, already wondering if she should speak with Stephen next. Seeing a familiar face might do her good after all this. And she certainly had many questions for him. Lukas stood alone with Leonie in the chamber.

"Well… I guess we have a lot to talk about."

"We do," she replied, eyes drifting across the room as a grin tugged at her lips.

"All those years ago, you vanishing off to God knows where to find the meaning of life… and somehow the next time we meet is inside an alien construct." Lukas chuckled softly.

"Well… I thought that was how twins were supposed to work, right?" Leonie smiled. It really felt nice letting her true self out for once. No longer having to be the leader or the example under others eyes. She threw him a teasing glance.

"And it's amazing. While I've been fighting and crawling my way up to this point, I find my dear brother already planning to extend our family tree. Quite a way to meet my sister-in-law." Lukas blushed. Of course she could tell.

"Next time I'll introduce you two properly."

"You should." She walked over and lifted the container with food, sniffing it with a raised brow.

"Let me guess. Whatever this is, it's produced on a remote island no one has ever heard of, by three old men and a goat, and you couldn't help but make it your favourite after one bite." He blinked.

"That is… strangely close to the truth." She smirked. Lukas stared at her more closely. She seemed much calmer about all this than he would have thought, at least compared to him. Had she expected it?

"How did you know I was here?" he asked, his tone finally shifting. Leonie's gaze narrowed slightly as she paced in silence. She exhaled.

"You may want to sit down for this one." Pablo Garcia has invited you. Do you accept? This… this had to be fake. Couldn't be. Impossible. And yet… He could not dismiss it. He closed his eyes as he calmed his emotions. A part of him wanted to believe, and yet… it made no sense. Why, out of all people, would Pablo be here? At the same time, it felt like a cheap trick by The Tower. Why would it try to fool them during the waiting rooms? Especially after the previous announcement?

So far, The Tower had been impartial with its prompts, and he felt… that was not something that would change now or ever. Then… Could it really be? Just in case, he magnetised his gear and swords towards him. Even if only to ground himself, and prepare for the worst. Yet he kept them sheathed. And then… with a hint of expectation mixed with nervousness, he willed his answer. The next moment he found himself in a white room very similar to his own, yet evidently untouched.

But the room meant nothing, for his eyes focused on the figure before him. Native Name: Pablo Manuel Garcia Raindo Stage 1 – 26. 632% He didn't need The Tower to tell him. He could feel it. This person, even if really different in appearance, with a leaner body, sharp features, and eyes that carried a weight much deeper than he remembered… he had no doubts. It was truly his friend.

"Alonso," Pablo said, a bit hesitant at first. Alonso took a slow breath, feeling a warmth rise inside him, as the old memories stirred once more.

"Pablo…" he whispered. For a heartbeat neither moved. Both stood frozen, as if afraid the other might vanish if they dared to blink. Then Pablo's composure cracked—just a little. His lips twitched, and he let out a breath that sounded almost like a laugh. That was all Alonso needed. He stepped forward. Pablo stepped too. And the next second they collided in a hug. Alonso let out a shaky laugh against his shoulder.

"You're real," he said, voice breaking just slightly.

"Holy shit, you're actually real." Pablo felt his own laugh escape. Short, rough, disbelieving, but full of relief.

"Look who's talking," he replied.

"You vanished on me first, cabrón." Alonso snorted, pulling back just enough to look at him.

"You look like you've been through a blender, man." Pablo smiled, the kind of smile that didn't come from duty or survival, but from something much older. Something he thought he had lost.

"And you look… damn, you look well. Did you just have a shower?" Alonso laughed.

"You could use one too, by the way." Pablo rolled his eyes, but his grin only widened.

"Damn, I missed you, pal," Alonso said, warmth rising in his voice. Pablo nodded, unable to hide how much it meant.

"Me too." There was silence for a moment before Pablo spoke again.

"I guess you have a lot of questions."

"As a matter of fact… I do. And first of them all: how are you here?"

"I was chosen by The Tower," he said.

"Same as you were, just… in the next Ascent."

"Huh?" Alonso raised a brow.

"Ascent?" Pablo sighed.

"Yeah… there is a lot to say. Might be a long story, though." Alonso felt then that Pablo certainly knew much more than him about all this. Also the fact he was here… did that mean they were not alone? That there were others too? Other humans beside them in The Tower? As his thoughts raced he got a prompt before him. Ayu Narongsak has invited you. Do you accept? Ayu? Well, she was probably worried about the change in the timer and all. Fair enough. Did she also get an invitation from someone?

"By the way, there is someone I want to present to you, and perhaps we can both hear the story from you, if that's ok?"

"Oh… sure," Pablo said, wondering who that person might be. Still, just a casual look at his friend and his Tower gear and swords told him Gen-1 had earned their right to be here just like them. Truly amazing given their lack of knowledge and preparation.

"Alright. She will find it odd getting an invite from you, so let's meet at my place. I'll send you the invite," Alonso waved and then disappeared. Less than a second later, he got the prompt and accepted. Pablo inspected the room he was in. He noticed the lingering steam and heat, and that smell. It couldn't be…

"You have paella?!" he almost laughed. Alonso grinned.

"Well, the good one, to be fair. Not the one you tried to make once and burnt the rice."

"I can't believe you rememb—" It was then Pablo froze. Another person had appeared in the room. However… He gulped down. He thought he would never meet a woman with more presence than Leonie in his whole life. He was wrong. Really… wrong. Ayu stood there with that effortless, otherworldly beauty, a raw magnetism that seemed to tilt the room around her. Her posture carried something primal, as if every line of her body pulled the eye on instinct.

She stared at Pablo in quiet confusion, unsure what to make of him, as if trying to figure out why this stranger was here. Yet she noticed Alonso remained calm, so she waited for the explanation patiently. Alonso caught Pablo's expression and grinned with proud mischief.

"So, Ayu, this is my friend Pablo. Pablo, this is my partner, Ayu." Pa–partner? Pablo looked at Ayu. Then at Alonso. Then at Ayu again. Then at Alonso a second time, slower. You have to be kiddin' me. Ayu gave a respectful nod and offered a small smile, but it was clear she was still confused about all this. Pablo returned the salute on reflex, still stunned. Then he turned toward Alonso with the slowest, widest, dumbfounded bro-smile. A smile that said it all. Alonso just grinned back.