Chapter 32: Feeling Like Fish-Bombing

Wen Xishu had always been eager to understand what exactly had happened to the people of the Three Towers world. He wondered if these events were linked to the subsequent formation of the bunkers. Getting to the root of a problem and solving it was his habit.

Of course, the answer to this question was clearly not hidden in this *Bestiary of Slaughter Tower Monsters*. However, through these monsters, he might be able to grasp some clues.

The forms of these monsters were actually mostly similar to humans. When the apocalypse arrived in the Three Towers world—the original, vast, and boundless world of humanity—it became filled with monsters that had once been human. These monsters were classified into "Common," "Rare," "Elite," "Boss," and "Dominator" types. The guide was organized by floor, detailing monsters from the first to the over-thirtieth floors. Most were Common types, with Rare types being relatively scarce. By the time it reached Boss and Dominator types, the descriptions were filled with vague terms like "it is said," "perhaps," "conjecture," and "speculation."

As Wen Xishu flipped through the guide, he noticed that although most monsters resembled humans, the details on their bodies followed no discernible pattern. Some were Lovecraftian, covered in tentacles, tumors, and eyes. Others were of an entirely different style, as if they belonged to two completely different works of art... and some were even beautiful. For instance, Wen Xishu was surprised to see a beast-eared girl.

He continued flipping pages, but soon his hand stopped, and his expression shifted slightly. Ever since encountering the "Mental Barrage," Wen Xishu had been very disciplined with his emotions. Especially after discovering that the range of the Weird Sequence covered the entire academy, he had been conditioning himself to remain calm. Yet, at this moment, his heart fluctuated. He had seen someone he recognized.

Slaughter Tower Boss: The Stitched-Face Man.

Because many Slaughter Tower monsters attacked on sight, it was impossible to learn their names like one could in the Desire Tower or the Weird Tower. Thus, many people had to name monsters based on their physical traits. The Stitched-Face Man, for example, was known to Wen Xishu as Jack. Here, he had to be referred to as "Slaughter Jack."

Wen Xishu had not expected Slaughter Jack to be a Boss-tier entity. Boss-tier entities were incredibly powerful; it typically required the academy’s highest-level combat strength and specific strategic knowledge to even have a chance at defeating one. And based on the content of the guide... Slaughter Jack had not been conquered.

Wen Xishu wasn't actually that interested in Jack or Jennifer; rather, he had discovered that the recorder's description of the monster contained information related to the Weird Sequence. The passage read:

[It is well known that Boss-tier monsters often possess certain special powers. These powers most likely originate from the Weird Tower. The greatest trouble with the Stitched-Face Man does not lie in his first-stage horror—the 'Flesh-Stripping' Slaughter Sequence.]

[The truly terrifying aspect is that if he becomes enraged, he enters a second stage, where strange summons appear around him. It is as if they are the manifestations of the resentment within his mind. These manifestations take on physical form, serving as weapons for his offense or shields for his defense.]

[According to the description by Charles, a third-year student at the Slaughter Tower Academy, they once saw from afar that the Stitched-Face Man was surrounded by a large number of black characters. These characters expressed curses against his enemies. The most terrifying part is that these words seemed to possess a power to alter fate; the curses came to pass, and those who stood against the Stitched-Face Man died one after another.]

[We have not obtained any intelligence on this sequence from the Guides. However, we can speculate that this Weird Sequence might be ranked within the top fifty! As for the Stitched-Face Man's third stage, unfortunately, we remain ignorant. Perhaps, just perhaps, it is related to the young girl behind him. The second-stage Stitched-Face Man is already terrifying enough that we have abandoned any further intelligence gathering.]

[Although humanity's exploration of the Slaughter Tower has long since surpassed the twenty-first floor... every floor still contains a vast number of monsters, including many Boss-tier enemies. Bypassing these enemies and killing enough Common types is sufficient to proceed to the next floor. But in essence, this is merely skipping class, and we do not know if such avoidance might lead to a day... where we are unable to handle certain unexpected situations.]

[But my dear student, if you are reading this, I still advise you: do not provoke a Boss lightly.]

Wen Xishu had not expected that Slaughter Jack was a monster that humanity had yet to conquer. Moreover, according to the book, such monsters were not rare. Although Albert had reached the ninety-sixth floor, that only meant he had arrived there, not that he had defeated every monster on the preceding ninety-five floors. Each floor contained countless areas, and there were many monsters in the Slaughter Tower that even Albert was unaware of.

Of course, these were not the points that concerned Wen Xishu. His biggest gain this time was likely... the other capabilities of Weird Sequence 37: Mental Barrage. He could now be certain that this ability was truly monstrous. It seemed that when developed to its later stages, reaching the level of Slaughter Jack, it possessed a certain effect of causality.

"It seems this really is a massive gift... but there is one thing I am truly concerned about. Can Jack still use this power now?"

According to the book, this was Jack's second stage. In other words, in Jack's view, the power of Weird Sequence 37: Mental Barrage was greater than the Slaughter Sequence: Flesh-Stripping. Yet, Jack had given this power to him. Jack certainly could not duplicate a sequence. Did this mean Jack had discarded this part of his power? Wen Xishu could not help but feel a bit worried for Jack. He did not know if Jack had transferred his unique sequence to him, or if Jack still possessed the power, but it had simply become impossible for anyone in the bunker—other than himself—to obtain it. These were two different game-drop mechanisms.

The book did not say, and Wen Xishu realized... he still had not mastered much of this body's memories. Furthermore, aside from his memories, there were many common facts he remained ignorant of. It was necessary for him to visit the library more often.

Night fell without him noticing. Wen Xishu had learned some strategies for the monsters, while Yue Yun had learned about some powerful sequences. But the one with the biggest harvest of the day was Nissen.

Nissen said, "Turns out the academy is a credit system! The teachers don't hold many classes; most of it is self-practice! That means going into the Slaughter Tower to kill enemies. During midterms and finals, the teachers test our combat skills. The final score is determined by the number of times we explore the Slaughter Tower and the results of our duels with the teachers."

"The first time we climb, a teacher will accompany us. Once the climb is over, we can complete registration with a Guide to unlock a sequence slot and an inventory slot—one slot for each. The school has a supply department that provides rentable equipment and sequences. Bro, we can team up and farm credits together! I believe the three of us will be the most dazzling!"

Wen Xishu couldn't help but ask, "Only one inventory slot? Shouldn't it be four?"

Nissen shook his index finger. "Of course not, Wen. Where did you hear about four slots? Inventory slots are rare attributes that don't increase with level; they are extremely difficult to obtain. But as long as the three of us team up, I'm sure we can find anything in the Slaughter Tower!"

Wen Xishu nodded without arguing. His own inventory had four slots... but that might be related to him farming monsters above his level and achieving a Level 6 completion rate. Wen Xishu's reputation was too great now; he could not expose his identity.

Yue Yun said, "I have no problem with that. If you guys want to head to the Slaughter Tower, call me anytime."

Wen Xishu nodded, agreeing on the surface, but inwardly he felt conflicted. His login device was still the Weird Tower version. The Slaughter Tower mechanism was different; it allowed for free teaming, unlike the Weird Tower or Desire Tower, where you had to rely on luck in the rest area to find people on the same floor and in the same zone. Even so, he couldn't get by without a Slaughter Tower login device. He would have to find a way to get one from Albert.

Thinking of the Slaughter Tower and borrowing equipment, Wen Xishu suddenly wanted to make a bold attempt. For this, he was even willing to risk entering the Weird Tower again. "If I borrow four pieces of Slaughter Tower equipment from the academy and enter the Weird Tower... with the help of the dice, could I potentially use Slaughter Tower equipment inside the Weird Tower?"

Entering the Weird Tower was not even his ultimate goal. He wanted to find an invitation and then use Slaughter Tower equipment in the Desire Tower. "Seal-clubbing" was a joyful activity; it was like how students from top universities loved to go into apps for elementary school students to dominate. In Wen Xishu's view, wearing Slaughter Tower gear into a common world like the Desire Tower was essentially seal-clubbing.

Thinking this way, he suddenly felt a sense of anticipation and an urge to explore the Weird Tower immediately. But before that, he, Nissen, and Yue Yun had to first explore the treasures of the academy.