Chapter 37: The Department of Supplies

The call didn't last long. Once he had relayed everything that needed to be said, Wen Xishu hung up.

Albert remarked, "Hmm, looks like you’re a busy man. I look forward to your performance this afternoon. Also, make sure you never tell anyone you’ve met me."

Albert Napolitano was an incredibly mysterious figure, and a large part of that mystery stemmed from the fact that no one knew his whereabouts.

Wen Xishu asked, "Will I be able to learn anything from the courses at the Slaying Tower Academy?"

Albert burst into laughter. "Hahahaha! Those kids can teach you a few brawling tricks, but it’s of little consequence. Listen to me, kid: you are not like them. You can take the courses, but don’t treat them as if they’re gold."

"The path you are meant to walk is the same one Wen Zhaohua walked back in the day."

Wen Xishu froze. "Wen Zhaohua... was he also an explorer of the Strange Tower? Why does no one know his name?"

Albert explained, "Because his Three Tower ID wasn't 'Wen Zhaohua.' And only a handful of people know his actual ID. So, even though he ranked quite high on the Leaderboard... well, you understand, don't you?"

Wen Xishu understood in an instant.

Since Wen Zhaohua used a different name and kept a low profile, he remained obscure while the likes of Wen Renjing and Xun Hui became famous. After all, people were always obsessed with discussing those in the top ten, top five, or top three. Of course, the Three Tower aliases of Wen Renjing and Xun Hui weren't their real names either, but they had been exposed.

Wen Xishu asked again, "So, where does Wen Zhaohua rank on the Leaderboard?"

Albert shook his head. "It’s been so long I’ve forgotten. You’d have to ask a Guide. But if I recall correctly, on the Slaying Tower, he was ranked somewhere in the twenties?"

Wen Xishu felt a slight sense of disappointment. In his view, even if Wen Zhaohua wasn't on par with Xun Hui or Wen Renjing, he should have been in the top ten. Anyone who could attract the attention of the Security Bureau shouldn't be mediocre. Being in the top hundred was already an achievement, but Wen Xishu still felt that Wen Zhaohua’s ranking was too low.

However, Albert added, "He didn't specialize in just one tower. He started off conquering the Slaying Tower, then found it boring and moved to the Strange Tower, and later, he took an interest in the Desire Tower."

"His rankings in the Slaying Tower and the Desire Tower are the same. As for the Strange Tower... well, the Strange Tower doesn't have a Leaderboard, but I imagine if it did, he would be the number one."

Wen Xishu’s mouth parted slightly, unable to hide his astonishment. He knew there was no Leaderboard for the Strange Tower, as a Leaderboard required a certain base of explorers to form. With fewer than ten thousand people climbing it, a Leaderboard could not be constructed. Human exploration of the Strange Tower was still too limited.

He simply hadn't expected Wen Zhaohua to be a rare "triple-doctorate" graduate. He immediately felt... satisfied.

"The Strange Tower awards academic credits not because it’s meant to serve you, but because we genuinely need people capable of exploring it."

"Since you have a talent for this, there’s no rush to explore the Slaying Tower. If you explore the Strange Tower to a certain degree first, you’ll find a pleasant surprise when you return to the Slaying Tower."

"Perhaps you already know what that surprise is."

"Alright, get out of my office. And remember, don't mention me to anyone." Albert let out a drunken hiccup; he was actually somewhat tipsy.

Wen Xishu didn't press further and left the principal's office.

Once Wen Xishu was gone, Albert suddenly chuckled to himself. "Whether it's the extra credits or the demands of the Security Bureau, neither is a reasonable justification to force someone into the Strange Tower. In fact, he could have demanded more, or even refused."

"That is the most interesting part. Even though he was perfectly aware of the danger, he barely refused, offering only a few token complaints when asked to go."

"Your younger brother is even crazier than you were back then, hahahahaha..."

...

That afternoon, in the men’s dormitory of the Slaying Tower department at the Three Tower Academy, Nissen finally came up with the perfect dance move, though in Wen Xishu's eyes, it was cringe-worthy enough to be classified as "please, just stop fighting."

Yue Yun had also finished his workout and was covered in sweat, preparing to clean up in the dorm.

After they returned and finished their respective tasks, they realized as class time approached that Wen Xishu was nowhere to be found. Only then did they notice a note on the table.

It read: "I’ve received a special assignment that must remain confidential. I won't be in class with you this afternoon. I’ll be gone for a while, but the exact duration is uncertain."

A special assignment, confidential, a mysterious disappearance, an uncertain return time.

Seeing these words, Yue Yun’s heart was no longer calm. He didn't feel jealousy, but he couldn't help but think: "Why didn't I receive such attention?"

"I must not be strong enough, not hardworking enough. I must push myself even harder during every opportunity to grow stronger."

"Wen Xun is not a simple man to have been granted an individual curriculum... Very well, in the pursuit of becoming the number one at the Three Tower Academy, this is exactly the kind of person who should motivate me."

Wen Xishu likely had no idea how much of an impact those few lines had on Yue Yun.

Nissen, however, had a simpler reaction. He just went "Wow": "Whoa, that’s so cool! Wen has such a mysterious vibe to him! I can't wait for him to get back!"

...

Wen Xishu also wanted to return soon.

But he didn't know when, or even if, he would be able to come back. He had already calmly accepted the fact that he would have to constantly test the limits of life and death; after all, that was what he did in his previous life. He had simply traded extreme sports for tower climbing in this one.

Two hours earlier, before Nissen and Yue Yun returned to the dorm, Wen Xishu had already headed to the department's supply division.

Since he only had one sequence slot and already possessed the Strange Sequence 37: Mental Barrage, he didn't borrow a tradeable sequence. He had inquired, and the academy's tradeable sequences were all numbered in the hundreds or two-hundreds. To Wen Xishu, these seemed like trash sequences, but judging by the prideful expressions of the supply staff, they were apparently quite rare.

He had underestimated the difficulty of obtaining sequences; even those numbered well past one hundred were things many people outside could only dream of.

The supply department was filled with equipment, displayed like a museum. Many people lingered there.

Wen Xishu only borrowed one item. Although he had four inventory slots, he chose to claim he only had one to maintain a low profile and avoid attracting attention.

The item’s attributes were very mediocre. Item properties could only be viewed inside the Three Towers, but the supply department knew these attributes well; they had long since written down the original owner and properties of each item on cards.

The color of the card represented its rarity. White meant common, blue meant fine, purple meant rare, and orange meant legendary. Of course, Wen Xishu hadn't seen many blue cards, let alone purple or orange ones. It was worth noting that the Truth-Telling Wine Glass, despite being a consumable, was a blue-tier item.

The supply department did have purple-tier items, but those weren't for first-year freshmen to borrow. That required additional approval from the administration and the supply department.

Wen Xishu had originally chosen a blue item, but there were too many people in line for it. In such cases, the supply staff would decide who was most suitable, and Wen Xishu didn't want to draw attention to himself.

So, he chose a white item. Its stats were very low, but its special property intrigued him. The card description read:

[Owner: Albert Napolitano.]
[Item Name: Forgot My Keys.]
[Description: If you often forget your keys, why not try this thing? Although it's a pair of gloves, it’s truly perfect for knocking on doors.]
[Properties: Attack +5. Deals massive extra damage to doors of all kinds.]

Attack +5 was as low as it got; even among white items, it was at the bottom of the barrel. Wen Xishu didn't have much of a concept for what "+5" meant. Because it was a pair of gloves with virtually no attack range bonus, no one wanted it.

But at first glance, Wen Xishu thought this item was great.

It was hard to say if it would be useful in a strange scenario, but if it were... perhaps in a scenario where "the door cannot be opened from this side," this thing might have a miraculous effect.

Furthermore, Wen Xishu felt that gloves were inconspicuous; they might even be usable in the Desire Tower. If you walked down the street wearing gloves, the police wouldn't question you, but if you walked around with a machete, the treatment would be quite different.

After finishing this, Wen Xishu didn't linger. He hurried back to the dormitory and, while Yue Yun and Nissen were still away, activated his login device.

The black wristwatch clamped onto his arm like a snapping jaw. Familiar words appeared in his mind:

[Welcome to the Three Tower Game. Entering the rest area.]
[Current maximum level accessible: 7.]
[Special item "Die of Inversion" detected. Do you wish to roll?]