Clover

During the day, the three of them did a few things.

They investigated secret tales of past treasure hunts and familiarized themselves with the academy's layout.

As night fell, Nissen and Yue Yun grew excited.

Legend had it that the treasure only appeared at night, when the giant dome lights illuminated the area.

The three of them split up.

Before leaving, Wen Xishu said:

"If we stick together as a group of three, we'll likely be mistaken for treasure hunters. I bet there will be more than just our dorm's group hunting for treasure tonight."

"Besides, sticking together in a group of three doesn't really serve a purpose. While it's true that we can approach problems from three different perspectives when facing certain issues..."

"It also means we face three potential disagreements. I suggest we split up. Let's regroup in an hour and a half and share our findings."

Yue Yun found this reasonable. Nissen really wanted to stick with the other two, but he ultimately accepted the idea of acting alone.

And so, the three headed off in three different directions.

Three Towers Academy was bustling at night. Although many lights were on in the dormitories, quite a few freshmen were outside forming teams to hunt for treasure.

This was practically a tradition.

The senior students had long since given up, so they paid little attention to this matter.

Wen Xishu walked all the way to the edge of Three Towers Academy.

The academy's main gate was closed.

As Three Towers Academy was a region where sequences could be used, once the gate was shut, the outside world and the inside were completely isolated.

Wen Xishu chose to go to the boundary because he wanted to verify a hunch he had.

This hunch was quite unreliable, but Wen Xishu trusted his intuition.

The edge of Three Towers Academy was marked by towering walls.

If one possessed the attributes from the Three Towers, these walls naturally wouldn't stop students.

However, in the boundary area, having left the departmental zone, students could no longer use the attributes from the Three Towers. Climbing a super high wall over sixty meters tall was absolutely impossible.

Wen Xishu tilted his head back and looked around.

The "dome" was a term people used for the ceiling of the bunker.

The dome simulated day and night. During the day, it emitted strong light, making the bunker bright.

At night, it simulated moonlight, but the bunker generally became dim.

Just as Wen Xishu saw it now: dim and silent.

Other teams were searching for treasure in areas closer to the center, but Wen Xishu had come to the academy's extreme edge.

It wasn't that he believed there would be treasure here. In fact, he didn't think treasure would be found in the traditional sense, hidden somewhere waiting to be unearthed.

Wen Xishu came here mainly to test something.

"As expected, my sequence... is ineffective."

Wen Xishu had spent most of his time in the departmental zone these past few days, carefully observing.

He ultimately found that as long as he was in the departmental zone, he felt a special sensation.

It was mysterious and hard to describe, but he knew it was a special state activated by his sequence.

The biggest characteristic of the departmental zone was the ability to use the attributes and sequences from the Three Towers.

But what puzzled Wen Xishu to no end was why he could also use his sequence in the library.

"Logically speaking... that place belongs to the academy zone. In the academy zone, neither I nor anyone else can acquire the attributes from the Three Towers."

The effect of Mad Dice was targeted at the Three Towers, not the bunker. Wen Xishu didn't believe his uniqueness stemmed from Mad Dice.

At least not this time.

Furthermore, Wen Xishu didn't find it strange that sequences of the Eerie department were effective in both the Tower of Desire departmental zone and the Tower of Slaughter departmental zone.

But being effective in the academy zone was what Wen Xishu found incredible.

So, he had been contemplating one thing: could it be that the Eerie Sequence was effective in all areas of Three Towers Academy?

To verify this, Wen Xishu came to the school's edge.

And to Wen Xishu's astonishment—

His sequence was ineffective; that mysterious sensation had vanished.

This meant that at the school's edge, his sequence was in an inactive state.

It was as if he had returned to a normal area of the bunker.

Therefore, Wen Xishu concluded:

"The effective range of my Eerie Sequence doesn't cover the entire academy."

"The edges of the school are also part of the campus. Within the campus, attributes and panels from the Three Towers cannot be used. This rule also applies to the Eerie system."

"Then, when I was in the library, I saw mental barrages floating above other people's heads... does this mean that place isn't actually part of the campus?"

"But in the library, everyone was like an ordinary person, only I could use my sequence..."

"I think I understand."

Wen Xishu already had his own theories about the treasures of Three Towers Academy.

Now, he felt the truth was getting closer and closer to his own speculation.

Late at night.

Yue Yun, Wen Xishu, and Nissen appeared outside the library of the campus.

Nissen shook his head, swaying:

"Yo~ I've been searching non-stop, but the treasure is elusive. Do you guys have any clues? Let's share and discuss."

Yue Yun shook his head:

"Three Towers Academy during the day is no different from Three Towers Academy at night. If I had to say there's a difference..."

"It's that all the buildings at night, especially the campus buildings, appear somewhat hazy."

Wen Xishu admired Yue Yun's memory. It was no wonder he could score full marks in academics.

It was a shame such a person didn't go to the Tower of Deception to solve puzzles.

Yue Yun and Nissen both looked at Wen Xishu.

Wen Xishu said:

"The library is closed, but we can climb up its exterior. We need to check out the library's top floor."

Yue Yun was confused:

"You're going to break into the library? Planning to look for information now?"

Wen Xishu shook his head:

"No, I'm not trying to enter the library, but to reach the library's rooftop. Don't you think... that thing looks a lot like Three Towers Academy?"

Wen Xishu pointed to the giant brass clover at the top of the library.

The clover was constantly rotating, and to everyone's eyes, it looked like a giant fan.

It loomed over the library.

Yue Yun looked up. Nissen couldn't quite make it out, but Yue Yun had an excellent memory, almost photographic.

After observing for a while, he immediately closed his eyes:

"The clover... indeed, the outlines of the Tower of Desire Academy and the Tower of Slaughter Academy regions are very similar to the petals of this giant brass clover."

"So... what does this explain? The Tower of Desire district, the Tower of Slaughter district, plus the campus, make up the clover?"

Wen Xishu shook his head:

"That's not symmetrical. Let's assume this giant brass clover, which looks like a fan, truly symbolizes the structure of Three Towers Academy."

"Then, if you connect the center points of the three petals, you get an equilateral triangle."

Yue Yun nodded:

"Continue."

Wen Xishu said:

"Think carefully, does the campus, the Tower of Slaughter district, and the Tower of Desire district, when connected, form an equilateral triangle structure?"

Nissen shook his head:

"No, it doesn't. The campus looks more like it's enclosing the two district areas. The campus is quite vast."

Yue Yun seemed to understand:

"Meaning, there's a certain area that, when connected with the Tower of Slaughter district and the Tower of Desire district, forms an equilateral triangle structure?"

Wen Xishu continued to gaze at the sky:

"Yes. Otherwise, don't you think this brass clover is inexplicably designed? The climate inside the bunker is pleasant, and we don't know what this thing is for."

Yue Yun suddenly understood, but then fell into doubt again:

"But as far as I know, the entire academy, when viewed from a flat plane, has no area that can form a triangle with the two district areas..."

Wen Xishu smiled mysteriously:

"Not on the ground, but what about in the sky? Don't just look at the x-axis, look at the z-axis too."

Combining this with Wen Xishu's intention to climb the library, Yue Yun instantly understood the meaning of his words.

He looked up at the sky.

He discovered there seemed to be a truly strange aura, making the surrounding buildings appear hazy.

"Could it be... that in the sky, there exists a massive restricted zone? How, how is that possible?"

Wen Xishu said, "If you think the treasure is hidden in some corner, a treasure that anyone can see once dug up... then you're underestimating the seniors who came before."

"The treasure is likely invisible, perhaps only detectable when one gets close to a certain area."

Nissen let out a whoop.

Many freshmen were exploring for treasure at this time, but Nissen felt that his two companions were the most reliable.

He said, "Wen! I think you're absolutely right. Let's go, we're climbing up! I've been parkouring on the lower levels since I was a kid. Compared to my leg strength, my arm strength is even more astonishing!"

Little Black, like a happy monkey, began to climb with a bounce.

Wen Xishu noticed that Nissen's movements were so precise they could be used for motion capture in Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed series.

In his past life, he had enjoyed parkour, so he felt a competitive urge.

The show-off, Yue Yun, naturally wasn't about to be left behind.

The three quickly used various handholds and footholds, rapidly ascending the tower.

Without any safety measures, this kind of climbing is something usually seen only in movies.

But Yue Yun, Nissen, and Wen Xishu were all fearless. Yue Yun was at the back, Wen Xishu second, and Nissen first.

Wen Xishu absolutely did not expect to lose to someone else in something like parkour climbing.

Nissen truly possessed terrifying talent.

Yue Yun, trailing Wen Xishu by two body lengths, was even more surprised.

He knew Nissen had talent in sports, but he hadn't expected Wen Xishu to be so extraordinary as well.

In the darkness, the three entered race mode, heading towards the top floor of the library.

As they climbed, Wen Xishu felt... that familiar aura, the kind he only experienced after entering the Tower of Deception.

"Whatever it is... we're very close."

Wen Xishu calculated silently, his heart filled with anticipation.