"Before the midterm exam of your first semester, you need to change your name," Albert said.
Wen Xishu instantly understood the purpose behind it.
"Are there... some noble-born students at the academy who know about the Wen family?"
Albert nodded.
"There are many major families in the Bunker. What happened to the Wen family is a secret, but a few of those major families know about it."
"I'm not going to tell you which families they are. That would be too boring. Your Sequence is so interesting—figure it out yourself."
Wen Xishu nearly had black lines forming across his forehead. This Old Principal really had the temperament of a mischievous child.
Albert continued.
"If you don't want to die by their hands, you'd better live under another name for half a semester."
Wen Xishu asked what he most wanted to know.
"What crime did Wen Chaohua... actually commit? And what crime did the entire Wen family commit?"
The Old Principal burst into laughter again.
"Ha ha ha ha ha! Your head's working now, but you don't remember a lot of things? Oh, right. You used to be an idiot. You never got involved in the Wen family's affairs, so naturally you didn't know."
Wen Xishu's blood pressure rose a little, but on second thought, the man seemed to be objectively describing things rather than insulting him.
The old Wen Xishu really could have been called an idiot. Helplessly, he said.
"It seems you should know."
"Judging by the Security Bureau's attitude toward me, I imagine... they aren't merely trying to dig up some secrets. The Wen family must really have done something that outraged both man and god?"
Albert shrugged.
"I do know. There are many things in this Bunker that I don't know, but there are probably even more things that I do."
"But then—what the hell does it have to do with me? What the hell does it have to do with you? Kid, study hard and make progress every day."
Albert said smugly.
"I've decided to explore the Three Towers and unravel every mystery. I won't ask you about Wen Chaohua's secrets."
"Likewise, if you want to know everything, use the same method."
"If you learn things through someone else's account, then the chain of events you learn will be shaped by that person's existing understanding."
"Maybe that will make you start out with a certain prejudice."
"For example, you've already concluded that the Wen family truly did something that outraged both man and god. But in truth, you don't know what happened, do you? What if they didn't?"
"Of course, I'm not implying anything with that. I'm merely listing a possibility."
Wen Xishu gave a quiet acknowledgment. He knew the Old Principal was guiding him.
He was telling him not to let other people's views become his first impression. That did make sense.
No matter how beastly the Wen family members were, no matter how heinous Wen Chaohua's crimes had been, his achievements during his first exploration of the Strange Tower had been directly connected to what Wen Chaohua left behind.
So there was no need for him to hate Wen Chaohua.
What kind of person Wen Chaohua had been was best discovered by uncovering the truth himself, not by listening to others.
Wen Xishu said.
"I understand. I'm willing to change my name too. But why only until the midterm of the first semester?"
Albert laughed.
"Ha ha ha ha ha! If you can't reclaim your name after half a semester, if you can't live under your real name in the second half of the semester... then you're still an idiot."
"And if they can't discover your true identity after half a semester, they're idiots too. But at the moment, they don't seem to be idiots."
"Some of them are your upperclassmen. Some of them also possess Sequence abilities. They might uncover your secret in less than half a semester."
"So if you don't want to become the idiot they kill, you'd better become strong enough within half a semester."
"The academy does have a way to help you grow stronger. Consider it a little surprise. But no one has ever known where it is, because everyone has been looking in the wrong direction."
"You can give it a try."
Wen Xishu was speechless. "..."
The midterm exam would determine whether he could reclaim his name and truly live as a member of the Wen family.
This test meant facing many Sequence holders. And apart from that test, he might also be forcibly sent to explore the Strange Tower several times.
Wen Xishu had to admit that his test was hardcore enough. But... it wasn't bad. He felt that thrill and anticipation of pushing extreme sports to the limit again.
He was actually quite famous now. At this moment, Wen Xishu had already become a new legend among the Bunker's lower levels.
Countless people had gained a new future because of the Level Six Hospital he brought back.
Unfortunately, the fragrance of that reputation would need to ferment for half a semester before it could be smelled.
Albert gave Wen Xishu a new name: Wen Xun.
The name was a homophone for Wen Xun.
It carried the Wen from the Wen Ren family and the Xun from the Xun family. Of course, in terms of pronunciation, it also bore the Wen of the Wen family.
Those two characters could be said to bring Albert's three proudest students to mind.
Wen Renjing, Xun Hui, and Wen Chaohua.
The name Wen Xun also contained a certain expectation Albert had for Wen Xishu.
Albert could not explore all three towers at once. He had once sighed before Wen Chaohua that time spared no one, and responsibility left him no freedom to act as he pleased.
For the rest of his life, he could only explore the Slaughter Tower. If possible, he wished to experience all three towers.
In the end, he chose to cultivate three people with different talents.
But he had divided one into three—when would there be someone who could unite the three into one? Wen Xun, in truth, carried that expectation.
Wen Xishu seemed to understand the meaning behind the name. Slightly startled, he asked before Albert left.
"To be personally recruited by the principal of Three Towers Academy, I'm deeply honored. I'm honored to become a student of Three Towers Academy."
"But... my guide had a black head. That means my exploration tendency lies with the Strange Tower."
"I'm guessing that even if you intend to protect me, the Bunker Security Bureau won't make things easy. I'll probably still have to carry out missions to explore the Strange Tower, right?"
"From your reaction when you learned of my Sequence just now, you also seem to be looking forward to me exploring the Strange Tower and collecting more Eerie Sequences with unknown effects."
"But as far as I know, there is no Strange Tower Academy within Three Towers Academy."
Albert nodded. "Of course there can't be."
"Although the Strange Tower has descended for quite a few years now, think about it: the Slaughter Tower and the Desire Tower both leave clues that can be followed."
"The Desire Tower focuses on sorting out the emotional connections between people. The Slaughter Tower focuses on combat techniques, methods, and combinations of various Sequences."
"All of that can be studied."
"But the Strange Tower truly can't be studied. Do you have even the slightest confidence that you'll survive next time? Will your experience from the last Strange Tower be useful in the next one?"
That was indeed true.
Wen Xishu truly did not have the slightest confidence. He could not even predict what mission the next Strange Tower would give him.
As for the Desire Tower, changes in human emotion—joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness—could be traced.
The Slaughter Tower was the same. Furry enemies were weak to fire, huge bodies were weak at the gate, broad bodies were weak at the chrysanthemum, heavy armor was weak to lightning. Combat could also reveal patterns.
But the reason the strange was strange was precisely because no patterns could be summed up.
Wen Xishu said.
"Since Three Towers Academy has no Strange Tower Academy, and I specialize in the Strange Tower..."
"Then how do you intend to arrange me? Will I go to Tower of Slaughter Academy or Tower of Desire Academy?"
Albert smiled but said nothing.
Before you continue