Wen Xishu wasn't too keen on returning to the Bunker.
Despite the Academy Spirit's technique becoming more like Jabbar, giving him the feeling of being at home enjoying a massage from a world-class butler...
He was somewhat troubled about how to teach the students.
Pulling off the warm towel from his face, Wen Xishu said:
"How many days have I been missing?"
"Four days. If you hadn't always been on the Celestial Ladder List, everyone would have suspected something happened to you." The Academy Spirit replied.
Wen Xishu understood, considering he didn't usually take this long to clear the Deceit Tower.
Sometimes, he even returned in a few hours.
"In these four days... nothing serious happened, right?" Wen Xishu felt a bit guilty.
The Academy Spirit chuckled:
"With your safe return, there's no problem, but... indeed, there was a little issue at our Deceit Tower Academy during these four days."
Wen Xishu thought what was meant to come had arrived, and avoiding it was impossible. He said:
"Did the students' course arrangements have problems?"
The Academy Spirit sighed:
"The problem is big, very serious..."
With the Academy Spirit saying this, Wen Xishu began to feel increasingly guilty.
But it seemed he misunderstood.
The Academy Spirit said:
"Ever since you asked me to find someone skilled in persuasion and speeches, I thought about it and secretly contacted the Xishu Divine Teaching folks."
"This religion is closely related to you, eager to help you solve problems."
"A person named Wen Xiangge stepped forward, claiming he could help you solve the issue. He said Xishu Divine Teaching had recently gained a new follower, a fanatic admirer of yours, who had started climbing the Deceit Tower continuously just like you."
"Even climbing without rest. People inside Xishu Divine Teaching gave him a nickname, calling him Tower Fanatic."
Wen Xishu's expression wasn't very pleasant, feeling like the Academy Spirit was indirectly criticizing him.
"Tower Fanatic... uh, sorry, his real name is Yin Ze. Currently, he's at the highest level of Celestial Ladder, the 13th level of the Deceit Tower—it's not high, but he's climbed it six times in four days."
"In other words, his tower-climbing frequency even surpasses yours!"
"Considering such behavior equates to suicide, Wen Xiangge kept advising him, since Wen Xiangge believed your success wasn't due to hard work; surpassing your tower-climbing frequency is pointless."
"Yin Ze is someone who lacks your abilities but has your temperament, which could easily lead to his death. But being three parts like you is enough to solve the academy crisis."
"The above description is all according to Wen Xiangge; I think... it makes sense, so I contacted Yin Ze. As your fervent fan, he was thrilled to hear he was deputizing for you, finally feeling useful at the Bunker."
Wen Xishu became somewhat interested in this Yin Ze.
"How did his teaching perform?"
"Very well, but the old principal thinks... it's a little too uncanny." The Academy Spirit sighed again.
Wen Xishu frowned:
"What do you mean?"
The Academy Spirit said:
"Yin Ze noticed one thing—that is, you have achievements in both the Desire Tower and Slaughter Tower, and you're ranked high on the ladder list of the Desire Tower."
"Yin Ze believes that those who treat the Desire Tower as a place for indulgence are trash; the Desire Tower is actually a simulation of the Deceit Tower."
Wen Xishu wasn't aware of the rest, but he knew Yin Ze had it mixed up.
The Deceit Tower simulates the Desire Tower.
Yin Ze's reversal of source is likely to lead to some kind of mad thought.
He had an uneasy premonition.
Sure enough, the Academy Spirit's subsequent statement shocked Wen Xishu:
"Yin Ze believes, why should the Desire Tower talk about love? Why should it talk about joy?"
"Why were the early assessments of the Desire Tower always related to handles?"
"The reason is, all this is to hone one's skills, the skill of gaining favor."
"So in class, the core of Yin Ze's theory... is to learn to love the bizarre, to please the bizarre, and if necessary, use your body to satisfy the bizarre! To apply the practices of the Desire Tower in the Deceit Tower."
The Bunker People are still too mad. Wen Xishu realized, in comparison, he was quite normal.
The Academy Spirit continued:
"Yin Ze even provided evidence, arguing that the monsters in the Memory Record all respect you, proving you've always pacified the bizarre existences in the Deceit Tower with love."
"So, to become you, one must start by altering their sexual predilections, becoming fond of things with odd appeal."
"One must develop physiological fondness for tentacles, eyeballs, tumors, and ugly things, and hypnotize oneself."
"He even shared how, on the ninth level of the Deceit Tower, he let the famous childhood game creator, Miyazaki-whatever... feel love."
Wen Xishu remembered.
The first time he entered the Desire Tower, in the relaxation zone, he heard someone seeking a strategy.
But that was the Desire Tower relaxation area. Whereas Yin Ze was 'strategizing' the Deceit Tower relaxation area with the creator.
Considering what the Academy Spirit said earlier, using methods from the Desire Tower to strategize people in the Deceit Tower...
Wen Xishu's brow furrowed deeply, feeling somewhat disconcerted, clearly finding Yin Ze's approach excessively intense.
The Academy Spirit also hung his face low:
"His theory has merits but seems too extreme."
"However... it does seem feasibly effective. The principal says if you don't fear your enemies, you've won the first step. Yin Ze's theory is an alternate path but is indeed useful, just needs some constraints."
"Moreover, since Yin Ze is deputizing your class... your recent reputation is veering towards something bizarre."
"Students looking at the Memory Record, at those strange creatures, also start... having complex gazes."
"Are they all creatures you've strategized?"
Wen Xishu now stood perplexed. Strategizing was one thing, but that word had become unseeable.