The library was vast and well-organized, but finding clues about the Mage Tower was difficult.

Ruan Xing searched keywords like "tower," "unknown," and "otherworldly," yet none of the results led to useful entries or books. Even when he checked the school's official website, the database yielded nothing relevant. Instead, all the results were about the High Tower.

There were many legends about towers in this world, but the most famous one belonged to the High Tower. Aside from the "knights" that Ruan Xing had previously heard about, this organization also included some civilians and even higher-ranking figures.

Some even believed that the High Tower was the result of divine intervention meant to save people from impending doom—similar to the old tales of Noah’s Ark. As a result, there was a certain level of High Tower worship among the public.

Snap! Ruan Xing shut the laptop.

Something wasn’t right.

He and the key had both arrived in this world—there was no reason that his soul-bound house wouldn’t come as well. If there were any traces, it would have already been noticed. There had to be records somewhere. He just hadn't found them yet. Or…

Ruan Xing narrowed his eyes. Could it be that he simply wasn’t searching enough?

It was getting late, so he had no choice but to head back. When he returned, Fu Zhi was already at the dorm. From inside, he could hear the sound of running water, indicating that Fu Zhi was showering, which stirred up a few thoughts in Ruan Xing’s mind.

He turned around and his gaze landed on the chair across from him, where Fu Zhi’s neatly folded clothes were placed.

Even while showering, this guy kept his clothes folded so perfectly.

Would he take off his pendant while bathing?

Ruan Xing hesitated for a brief moment before deciding to check.

Just as his fingers touched the fabric, the bathroom door swung open.

Ruan Xing: "How do you fold your clothes? It's pretty neat." As he finished, he even patted the stack of clothes for emphasis.

If one looked closely, they would notice his back had stiffened.

Fu Zhi hesitated for a moment before replying, "If you want to learn, I can teach you."

What was there to learn? Ruan Xing didn’t actually care how he folded his clothes!

Ruan Xing glanced at Fu Zhi and noticed the pendant still hanging around his neck.

His tone turned a little odd. "Thanks."

Fu Zhi really wore the key even while showering. Was it that important to him? Wasn’t he worried about it rusting?

—

The next day, Ruan Xing’s schedule was packed. In the morning, he took the younger students out to study plants, while his afternoon was dedicated to the graduating class.

The graduates didn’t just learn about pollutants—they had to enter polluted zones to perform cleanups. In the final six months before graduation, every student was required to intern with the Investigation Corps before they could officially join after graduation.

But it was only the first semester. That phase hadn’t arrived yet. Even when it did, it wouldn’t have anything to do with Ruan Xing.

There weren’t many polluted zones within the inner city, so they usually borrowed space from Quarantine Centers. Since those centers isolate high-risk individuals, pollution incidents happen frequently, making them ideal training grounds.

On the bus, Ruan Xing sat in the first row by the aisle, with Qian Hua beside him.

A few rows back, the graduating students were chatting nonstop.

"The Investigation Corps' sites are all outside the city, so we can only use borrowed facilities. At least the center’s equipment is decent, so the kids won’t be in danger."

Ruan Xing covered his mouth and yawned. "That’s debatable."

He was referring to the incident during the exam. He was caught up in it, but the other candidates were safe.

Qian Hua wasn’t aware of the details. After hearing about it, he sighed. "It’s never easy, huh?"

In times like these, who could guarantee 100% safety?

Even the ones who got caught up in the Unity Middle School incident with Ruan Xing had been either wealthy or powerful—and yet, they still lost their lives.

—

When they got off the bus, the reflective exterior of the Quarantine Center loomed in the distance.

Qian Hua went to handle the handover while the rest of the group waited in the lobby.

The air conditioning was a bit too strong, so Ruan Xing felt the urge to visit the restroom.

The bathroom was empty. There were eight stalls, and a faint smell of cleaning solution lingered in the air. It was clear the janitor had done a thorough job. Ruan Xing scanned the area and picked a stall that looked decent.

When he finished and tried to open the door, it wouldn’t budge. Something was blocking it.

He stepped back slightly and then kicked it forcefully. The door swung open, and something heavy crashed to the floor with a thud.

Ruan Xing pushed the door wider and blinked.

A boy was crouched over, holding his hand. When he heard Ruan Xing step out, he looked up pitifully and called out, "Teacher."

Ruan Xing looked down at him. "There are so many stalls, and you had to pick mine?"

The boy raised his head. He had a pair of peach blossom eyes—very striking, the kind that could probably charm both men and women. Right now, his eyes curved into a smile, his lips curling playfully.

"It’s just that teacher smells so nice. I couldn’t resist."

Ruan Xing glanced around. In a bathroom, talking about scent? Was this guy kicked in the head by a donkey?

The boy looked unfamiliar. He was tall, dressed in the school uniform, and rather handsome. But who would’ve thought he was a stalker?

"What’s your name?" He’d have to make a note of this.

The boy smiled gently. "Si Wu’er (斯五爾 'Sī Wǔ'ěr'). My name is Si Wu’er."

What a strange name.

Ruan Xing went over to the sink to wash his hands. Fu Gui, who had been waiting outside, perched on his shoulder and murmured in his ear, [I don’t know why, but I have a bad feeling.]

[I’ve never seen this student before.] Fu Gui turned its back to Ruan Xing, carefully scrutinizing the boy beside them. [With a face like that, there’s no way I wouldn’t remember.]

Si Wu’er followed behind them, pulling out two tissues and offering them to Ruan Xing. A faint, fishy smell reached Ruan Xing’s nose—like rotting sea creatures.

Ruan Xing remained calm, took the tissues, and wiped his hands. "Go back to your group. I won’t make a fuss about this or report you for sexual harassment."

Si Wu’er didn’t move. Instead, he smiled and stepped a little closer. "Teacher, are you new to the corps? I haven’t seen you much before."

Ruan Xing frowned. This guy was pushing his luck.

He seemed completely oblivious to the other party’s look of disdain. After all, good-looking people always had privileges. Leaning against the sink, he ran a hand through his hair and said, “Teacher, you’re so beautiful. You’d look even better if you smiled more.”

Ruan Xing’s hands paused in the middle of washing. He looked at the boy in the mirror, and the mycelium threads on his wrist were already poised to teach this audacious student a lesson.

However, at that moment, the lights flickered twice and went out.

The already worn-down restroom darkened further, becoming gloomy and oppressive. Unidentifiable stains, possibly urine or something worse, began seeping from the cracks in the tiles as if time itself had been accelerated.

The boy’s playful smile turned sinister at some point. “Teacher, smile for me. Let me see it again.”

Ruan Xing's wristband screen instantly turned red.

Even using the restroom could lead to an encounter with pollution—Ruan Xing sighed.

“I knew the Quarantine Center wasn’t safe.”

The boy didn’t seem to hear him and instead grew more excited.

His eyes turned blood-red. The charming peach blossom eyes widened so much they looked like they were about to pop out of their sockets.

“Teacher, you’re so beautiful. I want to wear you. Let me wear you.”

The muscles on his body began to wriggle, and then, as if shedding clothes, he peeled off his own skin, revealing the true form underneath—a red, sinewy membrane, like a freshly butchered bullfrog still twitching on the cutting board.

He continued speaking in that eerie tone, “If I wear teacher’s skin, I’ll definitely win the competition!”

Ruan Xing lightly leaped aside, dodging the monster’s gaping maw.

Missing its first strike, the monster pounced again.

Ruan Xing fired a shot, but the monster’s skull was tough. Though half of its head was blown apart, it still let out a furious roar.

Mycelium threads surged swiftly and wrapped around the creature to bind it tightly.

Ruan Xing wanted to interrogate it, but at this point, it had already lost all reason. The discarded human skin lay limply on the floor while the writhing creature inside thrashed and howled in madness—a truly grotesque sight.

Since it wouldn’t answer any questions, Ruan Xing shot an arrow and sent it to its death.

Strangely, despite all the commotion, no one from the Quarantine Center had come to investigate.

—

Qian Hua had finished his handover and was about to take the students to the classroom for their lesson. However, he soon noticed that his assistant was nowhere to be found.

“I can’t reach him by phone either.”

The class president held up their wristband, which was still displaying a call in progress.

“The teacher went to the restroom earlier. I don’t think he’s come out yet.”

Qian Hua frowned. “Was anyone else with him?”

“No, everyone else is here.”

“He didn’t accidentally wander into a polluted zone, did he?”

“I don’t think so—our wristbands haven’t issued any alerts, so it shouldn’t be.”

Qian Hua pressed his arm down. “Let’s continue with the lesson for now. We can’t fall behind on the teaching schedule. I’ll contact Assistant Teacher Ruan later. This is a Quarantine Center, so it should be relatively safe. There’s nothing to worry about—”

Before he could finish, a violent explosion suddenly erupted from the direction of the restroom.

People from all over the Quarantine Center rushed out to see what had happened. At the same time, everyone’s wristbands turned red.

“Pollution outbreak! Another pollution outbreak!”

The Quarantine Center had a central courtyard about ten meters high. Upon hearing the alarm, numerous patients in white hospital gowns peered out from their rooms. Upon seeing the billowing smoke, some became visibly excited and began shouting.

Qian Hua was startled. Then, through the dust and smoke, he saw Ruan Xing emerging unscathed and let out a breath of relief.

“You... Are you okay?"

Ruan Xing smiled at him. “I’m fine. The pollutant has been dealt with. Let’s continue with the lesson.”

Qian Hua exclaimed in admiration, “Assistant Teacher Ruan, you really are a battle-hardened investigator. The younger generation is truly impressive!”

—

The rest of the lessons proceeded smoothly, with no further disturbances. By the time evening arrived, the students had already returned to campus.

That night, Ruan Xing lay in bed, fiddling with a black metal shard about the size of a fingernail.

[Do you recognize this?]

Fu Gui rolled his eyes. [I’m just a bird, not some master of mechanical identification.]

Ruan Xing let out a soft “Oh.”

Fu Gui glanced over at Fu Zhi, who was still working at his desk. [Why don’t you ask the real boss?]

The dormitory lights had been turned off early to accommodate Ruan Xing, leaving only the warm glow of the small desk lamp illuminating Fu Zhi’s workspace. His broad figure blocked most of the light, creating a cozy yet dim environment for resting.

Ask him?

Ruan Xing’s gaze wavered. Thinking back to what had happened a few days ago and his own attitude at the time, it didn’t seem appropriate to seek help now.

Seeing his reluctance, the crow scoffed. [At the end of the day, you still rely on me.]

With that, it picked up the shard in its beak and flew over to Fu Zhi’s desk. It hopped twice, then lowered its head and placed the object in front of him.

Fu Zhi noticed the crow’s arrival and instinctively glanced toward its owner.

The other person was lying in bed, and the moment their eyes met, Ruan Xing hurriedly ducked under the covers. In his rush, his head bumped against the bed frame with a dull “thud,” followed by a quiet “hiss” of pain from under the blanket.

Fu Zhi’s lips curved slightly, but he didn’t did not expose him.

“Little crow, are you asking me what this is?”

Ruan Xing’s ears perked up.

Fu Zhi examined the piece carefully under the light. “It seems to be a signal jammer.”

A signal jammer? Ruan Xing’s brows furrowed slightly.

“Gah?” The crow tilted its head, voicing the question on his behalf.

“It blocks pollution signals to prevent widespread panic. Typically, we use these to isolate ordinary people from polluted zones. This particular device isn’t large—its range is about ten meters.”

Fu Zhi brought it closer for a more thorough inspection. “But this one seems to have been modified… There might be additional functions. Hmm… it seems to be a ‘baiting device’... Where did you get this?”

His last question was directed at Ruan Xing himself.

Even if he wanted to pretend he didn’t hear it, there was no way to ignore it. Ruan Xing reluctantly emerged from the blanket, his hair a tangled mess and his expression somewhat sour.

“It’s used to 'bait' pollutants, isn’t it?”

Understanding pollutants was key to controlling them, so aside from extermination, they also developed substances to attract, capture, or manipulate pollutants. These baiting agents were classified as controlled substances.

Fu Zhi got up and faced him, shaking the small device slightly. “That’s right, and the dosage isn’t small.”

Ruan Xing: “Someone slipped it into my pocket when I wasn’t paying attention.”