Chapter Forty-Eight: The Speedrun Plan

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Wen Xishu grew interested.

The two strongest figures in the bunker were Xun Hui from the Slaughter Tower and Wen Renjing from the Desire Tower.

These two were considered the pinnacle of their respective tower systems.

Of course, Albert wasn’t just a pinnacle—he was beyond the pinnacle. There might even be others beyond the Desire Tower’s highest level.

Still, the hierarchy of the Tower Ladder was widely accepted, so in a way, Xun Hui and Wen Renjing were the most popular figures in the bunker.

If Wen Renjing owed him a favor... that wouldn’t be a bad thing.

Wen Xishu didn’t care much for the various schemes within the bunker. If possible, he wouldn’t mind teaming up with Zheng to take down some enemies decisively.

But he was still too weak.

Everything had to be done step by step. At this stage, Wen Xishu’s only goal was survival—firmly establishing himself in the bunker and forging connections with the major powers.

As for the merits stolen from him, the constructions bearing his name...

Wen Xishu believed that whatever he lost would return to him twofold.

“Thanks, both of you. At least now I know which path isn’t right. When it comes to charming people, I don’t think I’m stronger than Wen Renjing, but at least... I can try a different approach.”

He didn’t intend to linger.

After taking advantage of this strategy, he turned and left immediately.

At that moment, Ji Boda was eager to see what kind of skills Wen Xishu possessed.

Last time, he and Liu Ruyan noticed the way Wen Xishu turned and left.

But both restrained themselves.

Mainly because Wen Xishu showed signs of having an impressive background, and as the head teacher, the academy’s teachers were generally courteous to students.

As Wen Xishu’s figure disappeared, Ji Boda said, “I don’t even feel like climbing the tower anymore. I just want to rush to the principal’s office and find out what this kid’s background really is.”

Liu Ruyan replied, “He didn’t lie. There was no muscle excitement from bragging. When he learned about Wen Renjing’s regret, he actually got a bit excited—that’s the thrill of a challenger.”

Ji Boda asked, “Do you think he could be... the real Wen Xishu?”

Liu Ruyan paused, then shook her head, “It’s said that Wen Xishu’s supplies come from the Trick Tower.”

But after saying that, she suddenly recalled the furtive way that youth activated the login device.

Her gaze met Ji Boda’s, and he smiled, “If that’s true, this is a big deal. I really have to ask the principal. If I don’t, I won’t be at ease.”

“Let’s go, dear. Good luck to you, and to me as well. Hopefully, we can heal the suffering souls trapped in this Desire Tower soon.”

Liu Ruyan nodded, and the two activated their login devices simultaneously.

...

The world of the Desire Tower was a world filled with love.

But this love didn’t seem to come from the tower itself—it came from the bunker.

The Desire Tower was like a sick world, and the bunker was the medicine. The Slaughter Tower and Trick Tower were terminally ill—they needed to trace their origins and be treated with potent remedies.

As Wen Xishu stepped into the Desire Tower, this concept suddenly formed in his mind. The frequent spatial shifts made his consciousness somewhat hazy.

But compared to the first time, he had already adapted greatly. Those thoughts quickly cleared as the scenery before his eyes became sharp and clear.

The sixth level of the Desire Tower: Jiangcheng.

The differences between cities were becoming less pronounced, which was why Wen Xishu didn’t immediately recognize Jiangcheng’s location. But judging by the accent of passersby, it seemed to be near Suzhou and Hangzhou.

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Wen Xishu liked the soft, lilting dialect here but did not care for the local cuisine.

As always, upon entering the Desire Tower, Wen Xishu received a prompt.

[Tang Rui’s current happiness level: 0. Mission status: incomplete.]

[Time remaining: 47 hours 59 minutes 30 seconds.]

Thanks to his six points of luck, Wen Xishu appeared not far from his mission target.

Luck influenced many factors. Each time one entered the Desire Tower, a reasonable temporary identity would be assigned for exploration.

Whether this identity had enemies, its legitimacy, wealth, starting equipment, initial location, and initial favorability toward the target...

All these were determined by luck.

Even the timing of mission entry was influenced by luck.

Those who entered via invitation often received additional luck bonuses.

For example, last time Wen Xishu arrived exactly at a moment when everything was just beginning.

So in a sense, different luck values affected the difficulty of entering the Desire Tower—the way you opened the door was different.

This time, Wen Xishu’s luck was decent. With a base luck of six plus the invitation bonus, he appeared near his mission target.

It was a bar called “Empty Cup Sorrow” — a homophone for the lament of youth fading away.

The bar wasn’t noisy. The bartender was mixing drinks, and a few people sat casually at the counter. Nearby, a very slow and soft song played.

Wen Xishu was about to ask around who Tang Rui was—the target shouldn’t be far.

By questioning, he could narrow down the search quickly.

But suddenly, he felt he might be able to sense the target.

This feeling was new to him.

The strange sequence 37, “Mental Barrage,” had given Wen Xishu certain eerie perception abilities.

Those who possessed such abilities could, when allowed by the rules, experience faint sensations.

This sensation was very subtle; the direction was unclear, like a fleeting scent or a distant sigh.

Wen Xishu understood—it was the power of the trinity.

“Rules allowed” meant he could use the Trick Tower’s powers and tools inside the Desire Tower.

This was normally forbidden. But because of the “Mad Dice,” Wen Xishu could now use sequence powers.

No wonder, when he first met Zheng Zai, his initial thought was that Zheng’s problem wasn’t illness but sequence.

Now, he felt again that in this bar, there seemed to be someone emitting the same eerie power as himself.

Wen Xishu began to look for that person.

Suddenly, his gaze met a girl about twenty-six or twenty-seven years old.

The girl looked at Wen Xishu, and he looked back.

There was a certain confusion in her eyes, as if she sensed something but the feeling was too faint to grasp.

Wen Xishu walked straight toward her.

The girl had fluffy short hair dyed in striking pink and green tones, looking like a little street punk.

Her tattoos were extravagant, covering her entire arm.

She wore leather pants but a surprisingly revealing top, exposing a flat abdomen.

She seemed more suited to a bar blasting harsh heavy metal than this quiet place.

She smoked, and the confusion in her eyes gradually turned into a dreamy haze, as if slightly intoxicated.

“Tang Rui?” Wen Xishu asked directly.

“Yes, who are you?” Tang Rui didn’t flinch as Wen Xishu approached; instead, she raised her glass.

Perhaps Wen Xishu’s slightly roguish aura didn’t repel her.

Wen Xishu smiled as he looked at her raising the glass.

No wonder so many preferred to solve problems with a weapon at lower levels.

With a slightly higher luck at low levels, one would encounter an opening like Wen Xishu’s.

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Under the dim, hazy lights, the liquid swirling in the tall glass always seemed to stir up thunderous passion.

Moreover, this girl was exactly the type who could move Wen Renjing.

Wen Xishu wasn’t interested in such pursuits. If he messed around with women in the Desire Tower’s dungeon world... he would feel like he was about to be outdone by others and would eventually be surpassed himself.

Time was precious. As a pure story-driven player, Wen Xishu didn’t want to waste any.

He needed to understand what Tang Rui had gone through and investigate why the Trick·Tang Rui stage was connected to four distinct scenes.

Which four items were contaminated in those scenes?

Why, after experiencing the beautiful love brought by Wen Renjing, did this girl still choose to end her life?

If he took it slow, forty-eight hours wouldn’t be nearly enough.

So—Wen Xishu decided to speedrun.

He was now certain he could use Trick Tower’s tools and sequences.

Without hesitation, Wen Xishu took out the Truth-or-Dare wine glass.

“Dare to drink a few rounds from my glass? It has a magical effect. Once you drink it, you’ll gain happiness.”

Tang Rui didn’t hesitate and poured herself a drink.

Wen Xishu was now sure that this girl’s world had almost completely shattered.

Though the Truth-or-Dare glass was beautifully crafted, drinking from a stranger’s glass in this place, with almost no hesitation, was dangerously reckless.

This wasn’t blind trust like with Jack; it was total indifference to whatever might happen next.

As if convinced she was already so broken, nothing worse could come.

Wen Xishu thought this was perfect, very convenient.

Starting in a bar, using a Trick Tower tool to cheat and inquire about cause and effect.

It gave Wen Xishu a feeling like playing a speedrun game.

What Wen Renjing couldn’t achieve in seven days, maybe Wen Xishu could do in just a few drinks.

Tang Rui asked, “So you’ll gain happiness too?”

“Of course. We’re sharing the same glass. I don’t know what will happen after I drink, but fate brought us together—maybe it will bring luck to both of us at other times.”

Wen Xishu poured himself a full glass.

He wasn’t lying; the Truth-or-Dare glasses came in pairs. He and Tang Rui each had one.

But Wen Xishu understood the nature of the Desire Tower world.

He didn’t mind revealing all his truths to a soul trapped within it.

Tang Rui asked, “How do we play? Spin the bottle? Roll dice?”

Wen Xishu smiled, “You pick the rules. Just one thing—I want it as fast as possible.”

Tang Rui found this strangely exciting.

“Then roll dice, guess odd or even. Odd, I drink; even, you drink.”

“No problem.”

Tang Rui asked the bartender for dice, and they moved to a quieter spot away from the bar.

In her final days... Tang Rui wanted to go wild.

Wen Xishu liked such rapid developments.

What he didn’t know was that although he would soon uncover the full story...

This journey through the Desire Tower would be bloodier than the Trick Tower.

Fortunately, he was the architect of that bloodshed.