Chapter 74: The Usage of Luck Value

A Miao found it hard to believe, but the facts were right before her eyes; she had looked over them many, many times.

She didn't actually care what Wen Xishu looked like; after all, he was just a faith. When countless people at the bottom were in despair, that person suddenly descended, at a time when everyone thought they were abandoned pawns...

Someone had brought back a hospital, a level-six hospital at that, and placed it on the second floor.

A Miao had also heard of that hospital's wonders; the medicine there could cure all illnesses, and it had top-tier medical equipment that had only recently been put into use.

In A Miao's view, she was also one of the saved.

She was grateful to Wen Xishu, but many times when she prayed with Venerable Wen, she didn't know whose face she should imagine in her heart.

She could only focus on that name.

Now, she had finally met Wen Xishu in person, and he didn't match any of the images she had conceived. Because she had never considered that the other party would be only seventeen or eighteen years old, the minimum age to enter the tower...

Although there were all sorts of rumors outside, including claims that he was indeed seventeen or eighteen and an unparalleled genius, to A Miao, that was too counterintuitive.

It took over a minute for A Miao to accept this fact, and she said in disbelief:

"The Lord... is actually a child."

She was thirty, which was still quite young, and if not for the torture of illness, she would still have the appearance of someone drifting through the Desire Tower; but because of cancer and the anxiety in her heart, she already looked somewhat aged.

In her view, A Shu was just a child.

Wen Xishu said:

"A Miao, I am not some child; I just look young. Remember, please keep this a secret. When you return to the bunker and your body is healed, you can say the Lord has manifested, but don't tell them that I am that Lord."

A Miao was puzzled:

"Actually... actually, if you hadn't said anything, I wouldn't have thought to verify your ID... I will keep it a secret."

Wen Xishu shook his head:

"I told you voluntarily because your performance earned my trust. Rather than waiting for others to discover it, doubting it themselves, and then being unable to stop from spreading it, it is better for me to do it myself. At least now I have your guarantee that you will keep it secret."

"Besides, you are afraid, and I need a means to make you less afraid."

Yes, A Miao was afraid.

Arriving at the rest area meant that one's state was reset.

Only when returning to the Weird Tower would she revert to the state she was in after being invaded by the weird, and only then would she have that excessively amplified optimism.

No matter what kind of torture she endured in the weird world, those negative effects would disappear once she returned to the space where the guide was located.

Of course, death was the exception. Once one died in the Three Towers, they died in reality as well.

After leaving that building, A Miao's blind joy vanished, and she felt a bit of fear again. Wen Xishu always felt that this Weird Tower was a bit like the Desire Tower.

Did that mean this Desire Tower might also be like the Weird Tower?

In any case, he did not want A Miao to be affected by fear, and since A Miao's actions had indeed earned his trust, Wen Xishu revealed his name.

A Miao touched her face:

"Ah! My face seems to have recovered too!"

Wen Xishu smiled:

"It's not 'seems,' it has indeed recovered."

Wen Xishu was quite satisfied with this game mechanic; there were finally a few mechanisms that were relatively kind to players.

Once one entered the rest area, their own negative effects were gone.

Of course, those influences players exerted on the people of the Three Towers would be reset with the opening of the next instance. For example, the pendant of Wen Renjing and the gradual indifference.

Once the pendant's ability was used, it would cause a large group of people in the area to develop a favorable impression of the user, and the user's own sense of presence would be lowered, so many things they did would not attract people's attention.

But once the duration ended, these people who had been influenced would grow to dislike the user more and more, gradually becoming full of malice, and this negative effect would persist, persist... until the game ended.

However, if the instance restarted, their memories of the user would be wiped clean as a result.

"By the way, you've been to the Desire Tower before, right?" Wen Xishu asked.

A Miao nodded:

"I went when I was young."

Wen Xishu smiled:

"You are still young now; are you still afraid?"

A Miao shook her head:

"You... you are younger than I imagined, which means your talent is even higher than I imagined. I didn't expect the Venerable's prayers to really be effective! We were actually matched together, and then the Lord really is protecting us!"

"You might not believe it, but actually, at that time, it was because your words suddenly came to my mind that I took the correct action and made the comedy star, Mr. He, leave that room."

"I am no longer afraid, not afraid at all!"

Wen Xishu suddenly thought...

Could it really be such a coincidence? If he didn't count himself, there were four people in the team, all from the Xishu Divine Sect, and in so many areas and so many levels, it just happened that these four people met... Could it be that the big bald guy actually had some tricks up his sleeve?

Wen Xishu did not think too deeply about it; he said:

"What is your initial luck value now?"

A Miao did not hide it; this was actually a rather critical number:

"9 points."

Wen Xishu gave an "oh" sound:

"How many times have you explored the Desire Tower before?"

A Miao recalled for a moment and said:

"Sorry, I forgot the exact number. My login device at the time was already taken by the Family Planning Bureau, and my current login device is the Weird..."

A Miao suddenly stopped. She was not stupid, and she immediately looked around. Only after discovering that no one noticed her did she breathe a sigh of relief and whisper:

"No wonder... you told me to change into a long-sleeved shirt. Oh, I don't remember the exact number, but I should have explored about twenty times."

Wen Xishu calculated silently.

In other words, A Miao's luck value gain from exploring the Desire Tower once... was less than one point.

So the experience reward for level-six completion was actually that high. He had gotten fifteen points in two times.

Wen Xishu nodded:

"Good, what was the mission description you received on your invitation?"

Wen Xishu still had to confirm it to prevent the missions from being different due to invitations obtained under different conditions.

After A Miao answered truthfully, Wen Xishu was also convinced that their missions were indeed identical.

Both were "The Youngest Son of a Chaebol."

But whether the specific mission target was An Zhenqi was still unclear; he would only know after entering the Desire Tower.

Wen Xishu thought for a moment and said:

"A Miao, the invitation is a very rare and incredibly powerful item. It is very likely that after we return to the Weird Tower again... everything will change."

"Including the memories of the Venerable, Xiao Wu, Banana, and the others; they might be different from ours. Remember, do not reveal these things to them."

A Miao nodded:

"Don't worry, I will firmly not say what you tell me not to."

Wen Xishu still trusted A Miao. He looked around and said:

"I want to see if there are any acquaintances in the rest area. Remember to hide your watch; don't let people see it. It wouldn't actually matter if they did, but who knows, it might bring you unnecessary trouble after returning to the bunker."

A Miao nodded. She listened to Wen Xishu and changed into a long-sleeved shirt, a hoodie, and she simply put the hood up as well. The wide hood made it impossible for her eyes to be seen. In this way, there was no chance of meeting acquaintances in the Desire Tower rest area.

Wen Xishu marveled inwardly; he had been least optimistic about A Miao at first, but A Miao was truly quick to catch on.

Wen Xishu roughly guessed that the matter of allocating luck values would have to wait until the invitation was activated and they entered the Desire Tower. He also didn't know how the allocation would work. A Miao had nine points, and he had fifteen.

How would this allocation behavior manifest in a team state?

But for now, Wen Xishu had another thing to do.

He took A Miao and walked straight toward the center of the rest area.

Wen Xishu actually wasn't sure he would meet that couple; after all... how could it be such a coincidence every time? As the old saying goes, once or twice is fine, but not a third time.

But as it happened, when Wen Xishu's figure appeared in the very center area, that couple appeared once again.

"Little friend, we meet again!"

This seemed to have switched to the speaking style of the traditional Xianxia novel genre. Wen Xishu didn't even need to look to know that the couple had arrived:

"Teacher Ji, Teacher Liu, hello. This student greets both teachers."

Ji Boda and Liu Ruyan had once again appeared in the rest area with Wen Xishu.

Ji Boda sighed with emotion:

"This fate of ours, eh? Is the young lady behind you your teammate this time?"

A Miao lowered her head so the other party couldn't see her face.

Wen Xishu said candidly:

"Yes. By the way, two teachers, do you have a walkthrough for the seventh-floor mission target 'The Youngest Son of a Chaebol'?"

Liu Ruyan chuckled:

"You little fellow, you really are getting more and more direct. You're not even putting up chips this time, are you?"

Wen Xishu said:

"Haven't you two asked the Principal?"

Ji Boda and Liu Ruyan had indeed gone to ask.

"We did ask, and we also know your identity, little friend. It's a pity, a pity... why did you... go to the Slaughter Tower Academy?"

"But it's not your fault; you didn't have a choice."

Upon hearing this, Wen Xishu knew it was settled; that old madman Albert had been blunt with these two.

Wen Xishu actually wanted to see how the Principal viewed these two teachers; as it turns out, Ji Boda and Liu Ruyan are people who can be trusted. Or perhaps they are simply people who do not meddle in others' affairs.

Wen Xishu said:

"I won't say too much, but I hope you teachers can help me. If I have any good intelligence in the future, I will also share it with you. After all, you two should know that my abilities are quite decent."

They were quite decent indeed.

As teachers at the Desire Tower Academy, Ji Boda and Liu Ruyan had very high standards. Although they couldn't compare to a freak like Wenren Jing, they were still quite capable within the Desire Tower.

After hearing about "Wen Xun's" exploits from Albert, both were very surprised; it turned out this child... really had no background.

His background was, in fact, a massive burden.

Therefore, Ji Boda said:

"If it were any other student, I wouldn't be this attentive. I really want you to come to our Desire Tower Academy. Tell me first, which floor and which area is the intelligence you want to know about?"

A Miao was actually quite surprised as well; so the teachers of the Desire Tower Academy wanted to poach Wen Xishu? She now felt increasingly confident and assured.

Wen Xishu said:

"The seventh floor, Ji City, keywords: chaebol, youngest son."

Ji Boda and Liu Ruyan looked at each other, both with puzzled expressions. After a long while, Ji Boda said:

"I have actually been to Ji City, and it is indeed on the seventh floor. But I didn't receive this mission. It's strange; we have tallied the missions on the seventh floor, and there is only one mission in Ji City."

Liu Ruyan said:

"Wen Xun is not lying. It seems we missed it in our tally, which is normal."

Wen Xishu was startled and hurriedly asked:

"Teachers, tell me, what is the mission in Ji City on the seventh floor?"

Ji Boda said:

"This floor's mission is very easy to do; many people hope to be assigned to this floor. Simply put, the mission on this floor is to help six people achieve happiness."

"As I recall, there is a comedian who likes to lose his temper, causing him to lose his acting roles; a writer who has written several bestsellers but has long since lost his inspiration and is very lazy; a somewhat shut-in college student—it is said that it is very easy for girls to conquer him, and the mission is easily completed. There is also a fatty who likes to eat and knows a bit of cooking, which is easy to handle. Then there is a lawyer, who is slightly harder to deal with. Usually, no one chooses to conquer him."

"There is also a mother who is exceptionally strict with her child... We started with this mother back then. Ruyan tutored her child, and I... I was responsible for conquering the child's mother."

Pfft, Wen Xishu almost couldn't keep a straight face. This couple, are they this open-minded?

Seeing Wen Xishu's micro-expression, Liu Ruyan said:

"To the two of us, the Desire Tower is nothing more than a game. It doesn't matter if my husband plays with women in the game. It is better to guide than to block."

Although Wen Xishu didn't agree, he still had to say: What a perspective! Teacher Liu is amazing!

Wen Xishu roughly understood:

"Oh, it seems it really isn't the same mission. Then, teachers, farewell. My friend and I are preparing to head to the Desire Tower."

Liu Ruyan said:

"This time, do you also need to turn your back?"

Ji Boda also stared at Wen Xishu's wrist, and Wen Xishu said:

"Alright, if the old Principal trusts you two, I trust you too."

Wen Xishu generously revealed his wristwatch.

This time, Ji Boda and Liu Ruyan were truly shocked. When they heard the Principal talk about it, they thought it was a bit exaggerated, after all, the old madman was cynical and would prank them teachers from time to time.

But now, having truly seen the color of the wristwatch on Wen Xishu's hand...

They felt their horizons had been broadened.

"A student from the Slaughter Tower Academy, carrying a device from the Trick Tower, heading to the Desire Tower—I really... don't know what to think."

After hearing this, A Miao also realized that Wen Xishu was... experiencing all three towers at once?

Wen Xishu said:

"Alright, teachers, thank you for the information. See you again if fate allows. It seems our fate is quite deep."

Ji Boda nodded; he and Liu Ruyan were still somewhat surprised.

They knew a little secret: the old Principal's three closed-door disciples each occupied a lineage—Trick, Slaughter, and Desire.

But that student from the Trick Tower... suddenly had that incident happen.

As it turned out, that student's younger brother seemed to have inherited the mantle.

But now it seems this younger brother is different from that original student.

Ji Boda said:

"It is my honor to witness your growth. I hope you... you can avoid making any errors of principle."

Wen Xishu knew what those errors were. He didn't think he would make mistakes. He would only redefine right and wrong.

Wen Xishu activated the login device.

A Miao also activated her login device.

At this moment, the prompt that appeared in the minds of Wen Xishu and A Miao was as follows.

[Currently in a cooperative state. Should team leader Wen Xishu be responsible for allocating Luck Points? If you choose team leader allocation, Luck Points will be accumulated together. The team leader position is decided by the person with the highest initial Luck Points. It is decided by a vote from everyone.]

A Miao was moved; she had explored dozens of times, yet her Luck Points were not as high as this teenager, Wen Xishu.

She chose "Yes" without hesitation.

Wen Xishu saw in his field of vision that a number "1" appeared above the "Yes" option; he knew A Miao was willing to hand the Luck Points over to him.

When Wen Xishu also chose "Yes," the Luck Point allocation options appeared.

[Total Luck Points: 20.]

At first, Wen Xishu was puzzled as to why there were only twenty points. But he quickly realized: marginal effect.

Luck Points are not simply additive; if it were pure numerical addition, the Luck Points should be 24.

But if that were the case, the significance of painstakingly increasing Luck Points would be far less convenient than finding a teammate.

Therefore, the accumulation of Luck Points involves some kind of marginal effect algorithm, not just simple addition.

[Current Luck Point options—]

[1: Appear directly near the mission target, consumes 19 Luck Points. Identity random, initial money random, favorability random, entry time point random.]

[2: Enter the Desire Tower game with an identity trusted by the target, consumes 12 Luck Points, initial money random, distance to mission target random, entry time point random.]

[3: Obtain money at the "Wanton Squandering" level, consumes 12 Luck Points, identity random, distance to mission target random, favorability random.]

[4: Consumes 20 Luck Points, identity random, initial money random, favorability random, distance to mission target random, but the entry time point is the optimal time point. If an invitation letter is held, this effect is enhanced.]

[5: Consumes all Luck Points and permanently reduces Luck Points by three, identity random, initial money random, favorability random, distance to mission target random, entry time point random, but will activate Scorpio mode.]

Actually, there were many more options, totaling dozens.

But the subsequent options were all about how much initial money, what kind of identity, what distance, etc., only the required Luck Points became fewer and fewer, and the corresponding mission completion difficulty became lower and lower.

This was also the first time Wen Xishu had seen such a situation.

There was no such situation before, including what Liu Ruyan and Ji Boda said just now; Wen Xishu had already thought of it.

This time, all the differences in process and form stemmed from that special existence—Scorpio.

He and A Miao had received a hidden mission.

Undoubtedly, the mission mentioned by Liu Ruyan and Ji Boda was actually the six households that moved into the Miracle Building.

But in the Miracle Building, there were seven people sacrificed.

Now, Wen Xishu and A Miao were coming into contact with the seventh.

[Your teammate A Miao has chosen to give up her Luck Points. You can enjoy all the Luck Points. Please make your choice now.]

Luck Points were not a one-time consumable, so Wen Xishu didn't feel there was anything difficult to choose; what needed to be done now was simply to maximize benefits.

If there were no underlying logic problems with the three towers' mission mechanisms, then in Wen Xishu's view, the higher the consumption, the higher the benefit.

Wen Xishu quickly made his choice.

Wen Xishu and A Miao disappeared.

As always, Ji Boda and Liu Ruyan were still in their original spots.

"The old Principal once said a very strange thing," Ji Boda said.

Liu Ruyan nodded:

"I remember; I know which sentence you are talking about. He said this child hides unpredictable good and evil in his heart. Whether he ultimately falls into good or evil... is still unclear."

"But he is indeed a genius at tower climbing. I was not wrong; perhaps he really can compare to those three students."

Ji Boda agreed with this statement:

"Whether the end is good or evil probably depends on how we people treat him, right? The old Principal should hope that everyone treats him a little better."

Liu Ruyan was silent for a while:

"This time, he has a teammate. This might be a good thing."

Ji Boda said:

"What if, like last time, only one teammate survives?"

Liu Ruyan shook her head:

"I bet that this child and that woman will both return safely."

(End of chapter)