Corruptor

Wen Renjing, who ranked first in the Tower of Desire's heavenly ladder, once summarized that every floor and every area in the Tower of Desire has its own story.

Although the Three Towers people possess intelligence no different from humans, and in fact, they were originally human, they are all manipulated by their original destinies, just like NPCs.

Take Jack, Remian, and Anderson for example.

Even though Wen Xishu's appearance delayed Jack's progress, Remian and Anderson would still bring Jack despair and pain at the appropriate time.

This is their Tower of Desire trajectory.

Understanding the story content of an area is equivalent to mastering everyone's Tower of Desire trajectory, which helps in achieving a high completion rate.

And when different players enter the same area for the same mission—

Everyone will be returned to a certain point in time, repeating their destiny once more.

In simple terms—the instance restarts.

But not long ago, Wen Renjing wrote another paper that caused a sensation throughout the bunker.

The paper mentioned an existence called a "corruptor."

Unlike ordinary Three Towers people, corruptors may leave behind some memories during each mission restart.

They might remember parts of the previous "instance restart."

Over time, corruptors realize they are merely living in a game world, a world that experiences cycles.

All efforts lose their meaning; it's better to seize the day, indulge freely, and constantly destroy.

Social decay is the description for corruptors.

After all, the world will restart, and it's just a game. Finding enjoyment is the most important thing.

Parents and friends are just data. It doesn't matter whether you tease them, deceive them, or kill them.

Simply put, corruptors are like those novel protagonists trapped in the same day—

Their actions are unpredictable, they are extremely familiar with the area they live in, and they are insane.

They will try to oppose players, deceive players, and toy with players.

And the higher the level, the higher the chance of encountering corruptors.

This can lead to many differential changes when different players enter the same area and accept the same mission.

Therefore, the strategy for higher levels of the Tower of Desire has a certain time limit, because the original storyline is likely to be completely messed up by corruptors.

Naturally, the possibility of mission failure is very high.

Wen Renjing's paper also mentioned that corruptors are also bound by the rules of the Tower of Desire.

This might be the price they pay for becoming corruptors.

If Wen Xishu had read this paper and knew that the Tower of Desire prohibits all violent acts—

He would understand why this "doctor" had such a confused and bewildered expression.

Because the other party was a corruptor, bound by the rules of the Tower of Desire, just like the players.

As a result, to kill an old lady, he couldn't strangle her directly but had to use the wheelchair's momentum to push the old lady down.

In the original storyline, Jack was not diagnosed with stomach cancer.

He didn't even have the money to get a check-up at the hospital, so it was impossible for him to know what was really happening to him.

In the original storyline, Jack was indeed betrayed by Remian and deceived by Anderson, but his mother did not die.

Jack retained a sliver of humanity, and in the end, he let Jennifer go.

But with this doctor manipulating things behind the scenes, Jack's fate changed.

His mother's death was the major reason that truly crushed Jack's sanity.

Because of this, Jennifer heard Jack's words in that building—

"You have a mother, are you showing off to me?"

In the end, Jennifer turned back to her mother and was killed by Jack.

However, Wen Xishu's actions changed Jennifer's fate, preventing her from turning back. Consequently, Jack did not kill Jennifer out of jealousy.

To get back to the point, Wen Xishu was unaware of these events, but he did find a corruptor.

"This shouldn't be happening. Where did it go wrong? It's the same as last time, but why did you suddenly appear at the hospital?"

The doctor was surprised by Wen Xishu's arrival.

Wen Xishu said:

"Tell me, who exactly are you?"

The doctor gently shook his head:

"Questions like these are meaningless. I admit your appearance caught me by surprise. I must have made a mistake somewhere."

"But it's okay. Since you can use violence, it proves you are also just an ordinary person. I'll keep an eye on you after the restart."

Wen Xishu didn't understand and decided to change his communication method:

"Let me tell you a secret, I actually really enjoy playing the role of someone emotionally stable, kind-faced, and good-natured."

The doctor didn't know why the other person suddenly said that.

Wen Xishu's smile became even friendlier:

"Because only then, when I go berserk, will it feel extraordinarily satisfying, like the world is out of alignment."

Before he finished speaking, an unscrupulous heavy punch landed. This punch deformed the doctor's handsome face.

The sound of his nose breaking echoed, but Wen Xishu didn't stop.

He noticed that this fake doctor seemed to fear violence.

This punch was just the beginning. A storm of blows followed, and the doctor's face was instantly reduced to a bloody mess.

His face, like a pig's head, made him look much more docile.

Wen Xishu felt much better looking at the bruised and swollen face of the other party. The better he felt, the stronger his blows became.

His smile began to shift from kind to ferocious, his bestial nature gradually showing. This was a complete opposite to how he acted when facing Jennifer.

The doctor had never been so terrified.

In his opinion, since this person could use violence, he must be an ordinary person, not an "Awakened" like himself.

But looking at the increasingly malevolent smile on the other person's face, he wondered if this person intended to kill him?

As an ordinary person, shouldn't he be afraid of Moen City's police? Shouldn't he consider the consequences of assaulting someone?

For the first time, this corruptor, who defied laws and order, a symbol of social decay, wanted to call out to the Moen City police who maintained order.

Wen Xishu was truly intending to beat the other person to death.

His logic was simple: the purpose of hitting someone was to "obtain information" and "eliminate threats."

It had to be one of the two, right? Since obtaining information was not achieved, he would beat him to death to eliminate the threat.

Moreover, for some reason, Wen Xishu felt incredibly happy. Using violence in the Tower of Desire made him exceptionally happy.

It was like sleeping in class. Of course, a bed was more comfortable than a desk. But the forbidden thrill of sleeping in class was truly exhilarating.

Wen Xishu actually didn't need to worry about actually beating the person to death.

When he first used violent acts and pulled the doctor, he had seen the health bar.

And his own meager damage numbers.

Although the health bar was still healthy, under such a beating, the doctor began to beg for mercy.

High-level corruptors in the Tower of Desire might possess certain superpowers, like Jack.

But the doctor lacked such qualifications. Facing a brute like Wen Xishu, who could initiate an attack with zero frames of lag, he had no choice but to beg for mercy and confess the truth.

Initially, Wen Xishu had only assumed that the other party was part of some organization.

This world was about to become filled with strangeness. Some people seemed to possess certain potential, like Jack, who could transform into Deception Jack.

With people like that, there were naturally those who tried to control them.

The bad news was that Wen Xishu's guess was wrong; the other party wasn't that significant.

The good news was that the doctor's existence was even more interesting.

Through the doctor's description, Wen Xishu realized that this doctor was indeed a Three Towers person, but his logic and behavior were increasingly resembling a "player."

This was incredible; an NPC in the Tower of Desire had realized he was experiencing some kind of loop.

Wen Xishu was greatly surprised. This should be some kind of variant of the Three Towers people.

He could imagine that at higher levels, there would be many such variables, and everyone's Tower of Desire trajectory might have been messed up.

But under various twisted developments, changing the characters' endings gave Wen Xishu a great sense of accomplishment.

The incident on the top floor of the nursing home didn't cause much of a stir.

Wen Xishu had actually helped the nursing home a lot by resolving a potential crisis.

Half an hour later, Jack arrived at the nursing home.

Wen Xishu found the heartwarming reunion between Jack and his mother rather boring.

He was already looking forward to returning to the Tower of Deception, but the tasks here were not all completed yet.

Wen Xishu told Jack many things, sharing all his deductions, including those about Jennifer.

"You're saying… Jennifer and I will be attracted to each other?" Jack found this rather unbelievable.

Wen Xishu said:

"You don't like Yulia, that's the truth, right?"

Jack nodded:

"It's the truth."

Wen Xishu smiled.

"Besides, you're not a pedophile. If you're telling the truth, then you don't like other children either. So Jennifer is special."

Jack still nodded. He had explained that, outside of work, he genuinely didn't want contact with other children.

Although performing at school was mentioned, it was because he was short on money.

Thinking carefully about Wen Xishu's words, Jack truly felt that Jennifer stirred his protective instincts.

This was a strange thing. At least, he had seen many children, including some cuter than Jennifer, but none had made Jack feel the urge to get close to them like Jennifer did.

Wen Xishu said, "You might find it hard to believe, but I do know some things about the future."

"Jack, Jennifer has the same aptitude as you. While she attracts you, you actually attract her too."

"Control that power and protect her. The era of disaster will arrive soon. You must support each other to survive that era."

Jack asked in surprise, "Are you saying... Jennifer, like me, is also contaminated by something?"

"Not contaminated. Unfortunately, I've only just started dealing with these matters, and my investigation journey likely has a long way to go," Wen Xishu said.

Jack slowly nodded.

He could indeed feel that there was something strange about his body.

And as the doctor of a "corruptor," he knew Jack was about to turn into a monster, and this change might happen within twelve hours.

The essence of corruptors was to be thrill-seekers, enjoying chaos without restraint.

Thus, the doctor thought of letting Jack experience a life-shattering event before he transformed into a monster.

These events, along with Wen Xishu's arrival and the unreasonable beating, were all confessed by the doctor himself.

Wen Xishu knew the future, Wen Xishu had interrupted his own plans, and all of this filled the doctor with fear.

The doctor had originally thought Wen Xishu was just an "NPC." But he didn't realize he was the NPC in Wen Xishu's eyes.

Now, the doctor believed Wen Xishu, like himself, was an awakened one.

But this was also what he found most terrifying. Because if Wen Xishu was also an awakened one... why couldn't he use violence, while Wen Xishu could?

In the doctor's eyes, his life restarted every so often. Even robbing a bank or committing murder and arson was not a problem, as it could be restarted anyway.

But he couldn't do these things. He couldn't even resort to violence or hitting people.

Yet Wen Xishu could. The doctor couldn't help but wonder if there were even higher-level awakened ones.

This self-imagination made him fear Wen Xishu even more. Both could sense the cycle... one could use violence, the other couldn't.

This was top-tier suppression.

Wen Xishu didn't know what this doctor was thinking, but his dismissive gaze made the doctor fear him even more.

Jack seemed to have accepted his fate, and he didn't doubt Wen Xishu's words.

After all, according to the doctor's account, he was likely to undergo a mutation today or tomorrow.

Wen Xishu suddenly remembered something and instructed, "This fake doctor, I'll leave him to you. Your body will change soon. After that, you will possess great power."

"You can torment him however you like, don't hold back. When facing someone who wants to ruin your life, never repay evil with good."

When the doctor heard this, he could only pray for the cycle to start quickly.

"Jack, playing good cards alone is a weak move. If you must play them, then be a good person with an edge."

"You need to act out a little sometimes, otherwise, you'll drive yourself crazy. I suggest you try it with Anderson and Remian."

"Honestly, I quite enjoy stepping on watermelons. One stomp and they burst with juice. And it's also a good habit to store some meat in the fridge."

Wen Xishu was genuinely worried that his intervention might make Deception Jack boring and uninteresting, so he offered some reminders.

If he had enough time, he would even create a perverted test, and only let Jack leave when he could score 97.

Of course, this was just a thought. He still had to complete the final part of this mission.

Before leaving, Wen Xishu didn't forget to collect some gold coins from the "boss."

He took the money from the "doctor's" pocket.

Night.

At a high-end Western restaurant in Moen City, Wen Xishu invited Yulia for dinner.

Many notices were posted outside the restaurant – Beware of Rats. It seemed Moen City was experiencing a rat infestation recently.

However, business was still good at this high-end restaurant, and the staff had clearly put in a lot of effort to drive away the rats.

Wen Xishu knew exactly how to make Yulia happy.

This isn't a romance novel for the ladies' section; it's the apocalypse, what are we even talking about love for?

His sole objective was to get closer to Jennifer. He wasn't even interested in the leverage points most people were so eager to discuss.

Because Wen Xishu had gained Desire Jennifer's favorability during the Tower of Deception trial, the young Jennifer was very close to him.

While Yulia was enjoying her wine, Wen Xishu proposed they have a little private chat.

This made Yulia incredibly happy.

A handsome man, much younger than herself, seemingly in his prime, appearing to have some money, and willing to treat her daughter well – she felt she had met her destined one.

Not far away, Jennifer was overjoyed, beaming with happiness. But Yulia didn't know their conversation went like this.

"Jennifer, do you think turning into a monster is cool?"

"Huh? Can I really turn into one? That would be so cool!"

"Aren't you afraid of rotting flesh, bones, skulls, and things like that?"

"I am, but if it's Uncle Jack, then it's very cool."

Wen Xishu really liked this kind of girl who had double standards:

"Right? Remember your promise with Uncle Jack. He's going to invite you to see his performance."

"I remember, I remember! I really want to go, but Mom won't let me."

"It's okay. Uncle Jack is going to become very cool next. He'll appear before you in a very cool way. I believe you'll never forget that performance."

"Really?"

"Of course, I won't lie to you. Jennifer, this world is going to change dramatically, but don't be afraid, because Uncle Jack will be with you."

"That's great! I really want to play with Uncle Jack too!"

Wen Xishu patted Jennifer's head.

The data in his eyes had changed:

[Jennifer's Current Happiness: 99. Mission Status: Completed.]
[Upon completion of the Tower of Deception trial, rewards for the Tower of Desire trial will be unlocked synchronously.]

This meant Wen Xishu would receive dual rewards from both the Tower of Deception and the Tower of Desire.

He was smiling just as happily, and in Yulia's eyes, his smile had a childlike innocence.

But with a slight shift in his gaze, this smile was indistinguishable from Deception Jack's smile.