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Chapter 301: Ascending Tower Chronicles (Part 1)
Chapter 301: Ascending Tower Chronicles (Part 1)
The opening CG ended abruptly, without even a single word of explanation.
Feng Bu Jue immediately regained control of his body. His first instinct was to assess his surroundings.
Three other players had already appeared on either side of him—one to his left, two to his right. All four stood in a single line, facing the same direction. Each of them was male, in their mid-twenties.
The distance between the four players was nearly identical, none standing close to another. Clearly, all four had entered the scenario as solo players.
Ten meters ahead of them stood the towering building from the earlier CG.
【Main Quest Triggered】—the system prompt appeared without warning.
Without any plot introduction, the task updated immediately.
Feng Bu Jue opened his menu and saw the task bar display: 【All surviving players enter the "Reasoning Club"】.
"Haha! Never thought I'd run into a celebrity player just by queuing solo", the player on the far left suddenly spoke.
Feng Bu Jue turned his gaze toward the speaker...
This talkative fellow had the ID 【Qiu Fengse】, level 28, with the title 【Brilliant and Courageous】. Standing around 1.7 meters tall, he was lean, with short black hair and a sharp, handsome face. He wore a dark-black outfit, and the emblem on his chest marked him as a member of the guild "Shanhe."
As soon as Qiu Fengse finished speaking, the player on Feng Bu Jue's right immediately replied, "Hehe... What celebrity player? Just a fleeting reputation. But 【Qiu Fengse】 of 'Shanhe'—now that name carries weight."
Feng Bu Jue shifted his gaze to this person.
This player's ID was 【Hong Hu】 (a two-character nickname already revealing much), level 29, with the title 【Strategic Planner】. He stood slightly taller than Qiu Fengse, similarly lean, with silver-white medium-length hair and glasses (part of his Attire). His appearance was scholarly. He wore a white, fantasy-style robe with medieval mage aesthetics—no emblem, indicating he was an independent player without a guild.
As Hong Hu's words faded, the player on the far right chimed in, "Brother Hong Hu, you're being too modest... In the Class circles, who hasn't heard of the 'Strategist' Hong Hu?"
Feng Bu Jue tilted his head toward this speaker.
This one was 【Yu Zhong Jichang】, level 28, with the title 【Steady Strategist】. He towered over Feng Bu Jue by half a head, slightly more robust than the first two. His short, neat haircut gave him an unremarkable appearance—exactly the type to vanish in a crowd. His navy-blue military-style uniform likely marked him as part of a guild, and the emblem on his chest read "Tiandi."
"Hehe... When I mentioned 'celebrity players,' I wasn't referring to Hong Hu alone", Qiu Fengse interjected, "I've also heard of Brother Ji Chang's reputation."
"Hmph..." All three exchanged knowing smirks, basking in the mutual flattery.
This was the vibe they lived for.
Listening to their banter, Feng Bu Jue glanced between them, feeling like an online writer accidentally crashing a literary symposium—unsure how to interject.
He recognized the guild names "Shanhe" and "Tiandi", both hovering around the top ten in the Comprehensive Strength Rankings. But the three players' names meant nothing to him.
After all, Feng Bu Jue wasn't part of the Classplayer circles. Though he knew some big names now, his network remained limited. Like casual football fans who recognize Messi or Ronaldo but mistake "Alba" for a Hollywood actress instead of a Spanish defender.
To clarify, all three were Classplayers—renowned figures, though they hadn't cracked the level or combat power leaderboards in Terrifying Paradise.
The most famous was Hong Hu, nicknamed "Strategist." This title predated Terrifying Paradise by years. Long before, Hong Hu had cemented his "Jianghu status" as a top-tier player across real-time strategy, turn-based strategy, and virtual epic strategy games.
Hong Hu was an independent Classplayer, lacking studio sponsorship or resource sharing—relying solely on his own talent. Rumor had it his family struggled financially in his youth, but by eighteen, he'd lifted them out of poverty through gaming alone.
Even Zhao Ying Wang, a legendary solo player, was known to every Classplayer. Many had entered the field inspired by his story.
Then there was Qiu Fengse, the strategist behind "Shanhe" and close friends with the studio owner. Though he held other roles in the company, he rarely played games directly. Yet every game he participated in had claimed championship-level achievements.
Qiu Fengse specialized in war-themed strategy games, especially modern warfare. He once sparked heated debates on a Three Kingdoms-themed game forum with his famous post: As modern players, should we still use medieval strategies in medieval wargames? The arguments and flame wars continued to this day. In truth, Qiu Fengse merely wanted to prove a simple point: warfare concepts evolve with the times. Some claimed generals from World War I—or even liberation wars—would outmatch Han Dynasty strategists in command, a notion he considered utter nonsense.
Third was Yu Zhong Jichang, equally distinguished. A rare high-achiever among Classplayers (as the Class system matured, players became akin to athletes, with most entering the field between 14-18 years old, some as young as 12, resulting in many having middle school or high school diplomas). He was an overseas student at a prestigious European university, having won the Intercontinental Magic: The Gathering Championship during his studies.
At 25, he was older than the other two, but as a Classplayer with only two years' experience, he was still a junior. Yet through several weighty championship titles, he'd rapidly risen as a renowned tactician.
In short, these were all heavyweights.
After their mutual admiration session, a brief silence fell. Then, as one, their gazes turned to Feng Bu Jue.
"Ah... I'm just an average nobody. No need to mind me", Feng Bu Jue said, squinting. Though he didn't recognize these three, their conversation sounded impressively elite...
Another silence followed.
After a few seconds, Yu Zhong Jichang broke the ice, "Er... Feng Bu Jue, no need to be so humble. In a team, everyone contributes."
Hong Hu adjusted his glasses, interjecting, "Feng Bu Jue, may I ask—are you a combat-oriented player, or more of a puzzle-solver? Your title is... ambiguous."
"I'm a casual player", Feng Bu Jue replied. "Weak in combat, mediocre at puzzles."
A blatant lie...
Of course, Feng Bu Jue had no grudge or conflict with these three. This wasn't a "hiding strength" ploy. In fact, learning their identities thrilled him.
In past teams, Feng Bu Jue always took the lead. Now, encountering three tacticians (their titles alone confirmed it), all radiating pride and enthusiasm, was a rare opportunity. The "unknown" Feng Bu Jue could finally take a backseat, let others lead, and simply tag along.
"Hmm... Strange", Hong Hu muttered, stroking his chin.
"Oh? What's strange?" Qiu Fengse asked, already pondering the implications.
"This scenario gave no briefing, just a direct task", Hong Hu explained. "It feels like... 'Figure everything out yourselves.'" He shifted focus, likely checking his game menu. "And the 'Reasoning Club' in the task seems... significant."
"I see", Yu Zhong Jichang nodded. "Qiu Feng, Hong Hu, and I all lean toward strategy. If this scenario requires pure puzzle-solving to clear, logic dictates all four of us should be tacticians..."
At this, the three turned their eyes to Feng Bu Jue.
"Well... If I had to choose... I'd say I prefer puzzles over combat", Feng Bu Jue admitted awkwardly. He could've denied it, but he feared misleading teammates' judgment. Still, he added, "But don't expect much from me. I'm just average. The real challenges will need you three experts."
"Hehe... Feng Bu Jue, you're too modest", Qiu Fengse said. "In puzzle-solving, more minds are better. As the saying goes, collective wisdom prevails."
Though polite, none truly considered Feng Bu Jue a factor. Each secretly thought: In a pure puzzle scenario, I could handle it alone. Just watch me shine.
Not arrogance, but the natural confidence of strategists—those whose minds hit the mark nine times out of ten, trusting only their own judgment in crises.
Oh, and to clarify: Feng Bu Jue didn't belong to this group. His self-confidence was purely pathological narcissism, beyond redemption.
"Hmm... A scenario designed for four puzzle-solvers?" Hong Hu mused, lips curling. "Interesting..."
"From the moment we entered, information was minimized", Yu Ji Chang added. "What challenges await us next...?"
Qiu Fengse joined with a similar earnest tone, "Then let's use my military strategy to dismantle them all!"
Finally, Feng Bu Jue weakly added, "I'll support you all... spiritually."
(End of Chapter)
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