Chapter 13: The Breaker

Wenren Jing, who ranked first on the Desire Tower’s Heavenly Ladder, once summarized that every floor and every area of the Desire Tower has its own story.

Although the people of the Three Towers possess intelligence no different from humans—and indeed, they are humans themselves—they are all like NPCs, manipulated by their original fates.

Take Jack, Remian, and Anderson, for example.

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

This is their Desire Tower trajectory.

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

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

It causes everyone to return to a certain time node, repeating their fate all over again.

In layman’s terms: the instance resets.

But not long ago, Wenren Jing wrote another paper that shocked the entire bunker.

The paper mentioned an existence known as a "Breaker."

Unlike ordinary Three Towers people, a Breaker might retain some memories every time a mission resets.

They might remember parts of the memories from the last "instance reset."

As time goes by, the Breaker realizes that they are merely living in a game world, and this world is undergoing a cycle.

All efforts lose their meaning, so it is better to indulge in pleasure, enjoy oneself wantonly, and constantly destroy.

"The collapse of rites and music" is exactly how one describes a Breaker.

Since the world will reset anyway, and it is just a game, having fun is what matters most.

Parents and friends are nothing but data. Whether it is teasing them, defrauding them, or killing them, there is no problem.

Simply put, Breakers are like those protagonists trapped in the same loop—

Unpredictable in their behavior, unusually familiar with the area they live in, and completely insane.

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

And the higher the level, the higher the probability of Breakers appearing.

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

Therefore, walkthroughs for the higher levels of the Desire Tower have a certain shelf life, because the original storyline is very likely to be messed up by Breakers.

Naturally, the possibility of mission failure is very high.

And in this paper by Wenren Jing, it is also mentioned: Breakers are likewise bound by the rules of the Desire Tower.

This is perhaps the price they pay for becoming Breakers.

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

Then he would understand why this "doctor" had that dazed and confused expression.

Because the other party is a Breaker, and like the players, is bound by the Desire Tower’s rules.

So much so that to kill an old lady, he could not directly strangle her, but had to use the momentum of a wheelchair to push her off.

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

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

Also, in the original storyline, Jack did indeed encounter Remian’s backstabbing and Anderson’s deception, but his mother did not die.

Jack always retained a shred of humanity; he ultimately spared Jennifer’s life.

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

The death of his mother was the major reason that truly crushed Jack’s sanity.

Jennifer also heard that line from Jack in that building because of it—

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

In the end, Jennifer looked back and chose her own mother, only to be killed by Jack.

It’s just that Wen Xishu’s series of actions changed Jennifer’s fate, causing her not to look back. Jack, therefore, did not kill Jennifer out of jealousy.

Returning to the main topic, Wen Xishu did not know these things, but he had found the Breaker.

"This shouldn't be. Where exactly did something go wrong? It was clearly the same as last time, but why did you suddenly appear in the hospital?"

The doctor was very surprised by Wen Xishu’s arrival.

Wen Xishu said:

"Let's talk. Who exactly are you?"

The doctor shook his head gently:

"Questions like that are meaningless. I admit your appearance caught me off guard. I must have made a slip-up somewhere."

"But it doesn't matter. Since you can use violence, it proves you are just an ordinary person. I will keep an eye on you after the reset."

Wen Xishu did not understand, so he decided to change his way of communicating:

"Let me tell you a secret: I actually really like playing the role of a good person with stable emotions and a kind face."

The doctor did not know why the other party would suddenly say this.

Wen Xishu’s smile became increasingly friendly:

"Because only then, when I go crazy, does it feel exceptionally satisfying, as satisfying as if the world were out of alignment."

Before he finished speaking, a heavy, unprincipled punch struck, deforming the doctor’s handsome face.

The sound of the fist breaking the nasal bone followed, but Wen Xishu did not stop.

He had noticed that this fake doctor seemed to fear violence.

This punch was just the beginning; a storm of beatings followed, and the doctor’s face became a bloody mess in an instant.

His pig-head-like face made him look much more obedient.

Wen Xishu looked at the other party’s bruised and swollen appearance, and his mood improved significantly. The better his mood, the more strength he put into the beating.

His smile began to change from kind to ferocious, and that bestial nature gradually emerged. This was the complete opposite of how he acted when facing Jennifer.

The doctor had never been so terrified.

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

But looking at the smile that was growing more and more malicious, he wondered: was this person going to kill him?

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

The law-breaking, rite-collapsing Breaker wanted to call the Moen City police to maintain order for the first time.

Wen Xishu was truly going to beat the other party to death.

His logic was simple: the point of beating someone is to "obtain information" and "eliminate a threat."

You have to achieve one of the two, right? Since obtaining information couldn't be done, then beat him to death to eliminate the threat.

And inexplicably, Wen Xishu felt very happy; using violence in the Desire Tower made him exceptionally happy.

It was like sleeping in class; a bed is certainly more comfortable than a desk, but the sense of taboo from sleeping in class is really satisfying.

Wen Xishu actually didn't need to worry about really beating someone to death.

When he first used violence to grab the doctor, he saw a health bar.

As well as his own weak damage numbers.

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

Breakers at higher levels of the Desire Tower might, like Jack and the others, possess certain super-powered aptitudes.

But the doctor did not have such aptitude; facing a thug like Wen Xishu who attacked with zero-frame startup, he really had no choice but to beg for mercy and confess the truth.

Wen Xishu initially only thought that the other party was part of some organization.

This world was about to become full of weirdness, and some people seemed to possess certain potential, such as Jack, who could turn into Weird Jack.

With such people, there were naturally those who tried to manipulate them.

The bad news was that Wen Xishu guessed wrong; the other party’s status wasn't that high.

The good news was that the existence of this doctor was even more interesting.

Through the doctor’s description, Wen Xishu realized that this doctor was indeed a Three Towers person, but in terms of behavioral logic and characteristics, he was increasingly like a "player."

This was truly incredible; an NPC in the Desire Tower had actually realized that he was experiencing some kind of cycle.

Wen Xishu was pleasantly surprised; this should be some kind of variant of the Three Towers people.

He could foresee that at higher levels, such variables must be numerous, and the original Desire Tower trajectory of everyone might be messed up.

But in the face of various twisted developments, reversing the ending of a character made Wen Xishu feel a great sense of accomplishment.

……

……

The incident on the top floor of the nursing home did not attract any attention.

Wen Xishu had actually done the nursing home a huge favor by resolving a potential crisis.

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

The heartwarming reunion between Jack and his mother made Wen Xishu feel very bored.

He was already looking forward to returning to the Weird Tower, but the missions here were not yet fully completed.

Wen Xishu told Jack a lot, stating all his speculations, including those about Jennifer.

"You mean... Jennifer and I will be attracted to each other?" Jack felt this was somewhat inconceivable.

Wen Xishu said:

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

Jack nodded:

"That's the truth."

Wen Xishu smiled and said:

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

Jack nodded again; he had already said that, outside of work, he truly did not want to have contact with other children.

Although he had mentioned going to the school to perform, that was only because he was short on money.

Thinking carefully about Wen Xishu's words, Jack did indeed feel that Jennifer could stir up his protective instincts.

This was a very strange thing. At the very least, he had seen so many children, and among them were many cuter than Jennifer, yet none made Jack feel the urge to get close like she did.

Wen Xishu said:

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

"Jack, Jennifer has the same aptitude as you. While she attracts you, you are actually attracting her as well."

"Master that power and protect her well. That era of calamity will arrive soon; only by supporting each other can you survive in that era."

Jack asked in surprise:

"You mean... Jennifer, she is also like me, contaminated by something?"

"Not contaminated. It is a pity; I have only just come into contact with these matters, and my journey of investigation likely still has a long way to go," Wen Xishu said.

Jack nodded slowly.

He could indeed feel that his body was somewhat strange.

And as the doctor of the "Breaker," he also knew that Jack was about to turn into a monster; it was very likely that this change would occur within twelve hours.

The nature of Breakers is that they are all trolls. They just want to watch the chaos and don't mind if things get out of hand.

So the doctor thought about letting Jack experience a breakdown of his life before turning into a monster.

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

Wen Xishu knew the future, and Wen Xishu interrupted his plans; all of this also filled the doctor with terror.

The doctor had originally thought Wen Xishu was just an "NPC." But little did he know, he was the NPC in Wen Xishu's eyes.

Now, the doctor believed that Wen Xishu was an Awakened one, just like him.

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

In the doctor's eyes, his life would reset every so often. Even if he went to rob a bank or commit arson, it would be no problem at all; he could just reset anyway.

But he couldn't do those things. He couldn't even resort to physical violence or hit anyone.

Yet Wen Xishu could. The doctor couldn't help but wonder, could there be a higher-level Awakened one?

This self-delusion made him fear Wen Xishu even more. Both were able to perceive the existence of the loop... one could use violence, and one could not.

This was top-tier suppression.

Wen Xishu did not know what the doctor was thinking, but his look of contempt made the doctor fear him even more.

Jack seemed to have accepted his fate, and Jack did not doubt Wen Xishu's words.

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

Wen Xishu suddenly remembered something and urged:

"I'll leave this fake doctor to you. Your body will change very soon. After that, you will possess powerful strength."

"You can torture him as you please; don't be polite. When facing someone who wants to ruin your life, never return evil with kindness."

When the doctor heard this, he only prayed for the loop to start quickly.

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

"One needs to act wild appropriately, otherwise you'll stifle yourself. I suggest you try it on Anderson and Remian."

"Honestly, I quite like stepping on watermelons. One stomp, and the watermelon bursts with juice. Also, keeping some meat in the fridge is a good habit."

Wen Xishu was truly worried that his interference would make the Trickster Jack boring and uninteresting, so he offered some reminders.

If there were enough time, he would even want to create a perverted test and not let Jack leave until he could score 97 points.

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

Before leaving, Wen Xishu did not forget to farm some gold coins from the "boss."

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

……

……

Night.

In a high-end Western restaurant in Moen City, Wen Xishu invited Yulia to have dinner together.

Outside the restaurant, many notices were posted—beware of rats. It seemed Moen City had been suffering from a rat infestation recently.

However, this high-end restaurant still had good business; the waiters had clearly put in a lot of effort into driving away the rats.

Wen Xishu knew very well how to make Yulia happy.

However, this was not a romance novel for women; it was the apocalypse, so who cares about love.

His purpose was merely to get closer to Jennifer. He wasn't even interested in the "exposing weaknesses" that most people loved to gossip about.

Since Wen Xishu had already gained favorability from the Desire Jennifer while in the Trick Tower, this made little Jennifer very close to Wen Xishu.

While Yulia was enjoying her red wine, Wen Xishu proposed to have a little whisper with little Jennifer.

This made Yulia incredibly happy.

A handsome man, much younger than her, looking to be at his most vigorous age, seemingly with a bit of money, and willing to be good to her daughter—she felt she had met her true love.

Not far away, Jennifer was jumping for joy, beaming with smiles. But Yulia did not know that their conversation was like this.

"Jennifer, do you think it's cool to turn into a monster?"

"Ah? 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 afraid, but if it's Uncle Jack, then it's very cool."

Wen Xishu really liked this little girl who had double standards:

"Right? Do you remember your promise with Uncle Jack? He will invite you to watch his performance."

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

"It's okay. Uncle Jack will become very cool soon, and he will appear before you in a very cool way. I believe that performance will be unforgettable for you."

"Really?"

"Of course I wouldn't lie to you. Jennifer, this world will undergo huge changes, but don't be afraid, because Uncle Jack will be with you."

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

Wen Xishu patted Jennifer's head.

The data in his eyes had already changed:

[Jennifer's current happiness value: 99. Mission status: Completed.]

[After completing the Trick Tower trial, the Desire Tower trial rewards will be unlocked simultaneously.]

This meant Wen Xishu could obtain double rewards from the Trick Tower and the Desire Tower.

He smiled just as happily; in Yulia's eyes, his smile was very childlike.

But with this smile, if he changed his gaze just a little, it would be no different from the smile of the Trickster Jack.

(End of chapter)