68: Chapter 68 A Letter from the White Tower: The Team Cannot Be Missing a Single Person

"Descendant of the Shen Family."

"Come to the White Tower."

The six characters on the frost shone glaringly in the night of the East Training Area.

Shen Tingxue stood in place, the ice on her fingertips losing its usual stability for the first time.

She did not approach immediately.

She just looked at that line of text.

For a long time.

Chen Ye had just climbed up from the ground, and seeing these characters, he didn't dare to speak nonsense either.

He was usually loose-lipped, but he wasn't stupid.

Descendant of the Shen Family.

White Tower.

Shen Qingshuang Ice-type containment residual coordinates.

These pieces of information, connected together, had almost placed the answer right in front of Shen Tingxue.

Shen Qingshuang, who had gone missing twenty years ago, might really have left something behind.

And it wasn't an ordinary file.

It was a residual coordinate that could actively call out to a descendant of the Shen Family.

Zhou Heng wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his expression also very heavy.

Just a moment ago, when the white palm grabbed at the emblem on his chest, he clearly felt for the first time that the thunder-type Barrier Breaker Position ability on him wasn't entirely clean.

That feeling was like something was crawling up along his profession's patterns.

It wanted to dig out another name from beneath "Zhou Heng".

Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue.

104 Barrier Breaker Position.

Adaptive route residual.

If he hadn't personally cut that bloodline anchor line himself, if the Mutual Verification Contract hadn't supported his identity, he might not still be standing here right now.

Lin Jin looked at the white frost on the ground.

The Hand of Rules was still refreshing.

[Hidden instance entrance residual: White Tower Training Ground]

[Nature: No. 9 Forbidden Zone perimeter training structure]

[Current status: Not fully opened]

[Activation condition: Within three days, all four members of the Rule Maintenance Special Class must be present]

[Warning: Missing any one member will trigger an error replacement]

Error replacement.

These four words made Lin Jin's gaze sink.

"We cannot go alone."

He said.

Shen Tingxue raised her eyes.

"I know."

Her voice was still calm.

Just a bit colder than usual.

Not towards Lin Jin.

It was towards whatever might exist behind that line of text.

Chen Ye looked at Lin Jin.

"What does error replacement mean?"

Lin Jin stared at the prompt.

"If we go in missing one person, the White Tower will fill in one itself."

Chen Ye felt his scalp tingle.

"Fill in who?"

Lin Jin glanced at Zhou Heng.

"It could be someone from the old 104 team."

"It could also be a sample shadow generated by the remains of No. 9 Forbidden Zone."

"In any case, it won't be anything good."

Zhou Heng said coldly:

"In other words, it requires the entire four-person team to enter."

"But if we aren't complete, it will stuff a fake teammate in for us?"

Lin Jin nodded.

"Pretty much."

Chen Ye couldn't help but curse:

"This No. 9 Forbidden Zone really doesn't suffer any losses."

"When the team is complete, it catches the whole team; when it's incomplete, it even sends a ghost teammate."

Gu Changye walked over with the people from the Abyss Processing Bureau.

He had been sealing the residual pollution, and his expression was not relaxed at this moment either.

"White Tower Training Ground?"

He looked at Qin Shanhe.

"Dean Qin, do you know this place?"

Qin Shanhe was silent for a moment.

"I have heard of it."

Everyone looked at him.

Qin Shanhe's gaze fell on that patch of white frost, as if recalling things from a long time ago.

"Twenty years ago, the Rule Maintenance Special Class didn't just have Forbidden Building practical training."

"The Forbidden Building was an on-campus testing ground."

"The White Tower was an off-campus training ground."

Chen Ye was stunned.

"Off-campus?"

"Where is it?"

Qin Shanhe shook his head.

"It has no fixed location."

"The White Tower hangs within the rule layer on the perimeter of No. 9 Forbidden Zone."

"The entrance only appears when a specific team is selected."

Lin Jin frowned.

"So it's not an ordinary instance."

"No."

Qin Shanhe's voice was low.

"It's more like a screening ground."

"Teams that could enter the White Tower back then were all judged to be teams qualified to contact the perimeter of No. 9 Forbidden Zone."

"But after the 104 Incident, the White Tower entrance disappeared."

"I always thought it had been sealed by the Department of Education."

Gu Changye said coldly:

"It seems now, it wasn't sealed."

"It was just waiting for the next team."

After this sentence fell, everyone's expressions weren't very good.

The next team.

It sounded like an opportunity.

It sounded more like a hunting ground reopening its doors.

Shen Tingxue finally walked towards the patch of white frost.

Lin Jin raised his hand to stop her.

She stopped, not impatient, just looking at him.

Lin Jin said:

"I'll check first."

Shen Tingxue was silent for a second, then nodded.

Lin Jin used the rule correction wrench to gently touch the edge of the white frost.

He didn't correct it directly.

Just tested it.

[Target: White Tower residual message]

[Content: Descendant of the Shen Family, come to the White Tower]

[Source: Ice-type containment residual]

[Pollution status: Low]

[Incidental risk: Bloodline response induction]

[Hint: Shen Tingxue can make contact, but must not respond with promises like "I will come"]

Lin Jin let out a breath of relief.

"You can look."

"Don't make any promises."

Shen Tingxue gave an "Mm" sound.

She squatted down and lightly touched the white frost with her fingertips.

The next second, the white frost seemed to come alive, spreading along her fingertips.

Behind Shen Tingxue, a blurry Ice Phoenix phantom emerged silently.

The white frost did not attack her.

Instead, it condensed into a thin ice shard in her palm.

The ice shard was tower-shaped.

Transparent.

Inside was a faint blue speck of light.

Shen Tingxue closed her eyes.

A moment later, she opened them.

"There is a voice."

Lin Jin asked:

"What did it say?"

Shen Tingxue looked at the ice shard.

"It's not a complete voice."

"Only one sentence."

"Do not trust the first-layer reward of the White Tower."

Chen Ye's expression stiffened.

"Don't trust it again?"

"My head hurts whenever I hear the words 'don't trust' now."

Zhou Heng frowned.

"Is there a problem with the first-layer reward?"

Shen Tingxue nodded.

"Left by Shen Qingshuang."

"At least the aura is hers."

Lin Jin looked at that ice shard.

The Hand of Rules refreshed.

[Target: White Tower Ice Key]

[Function: Hidden instance entrance positioning]

[Bound to: Shen Tingxue]

[Restriction: Requires the entire four-person Rule Maintenance Special Class team to be present]

[Additional reminder: The first-layer reward contains a definition trap]

Ice Key.

Entrance positioning.

First-layer reward trap.

Lin Jin noted down this information.

"This isn't asking you to go save people alone."

He said.

"This is asking us to go in with a complete team."

Shen Tingxue looked up at him.

"I won't go alone."

Chen Ye immediately interjected.

"Right."

"Whoever goes alone is a dog."

After he finished speaking, he suddenly felt this was a bit imprecise, and added another sentence:

"Of course, I'm talking about us."

"The Ice Phoenix Mage doesn't count as a dog."

Shen Tingxue glanced at him.

"You could have said one less sentence."

Chen Ye shut up.

Zhou Heng snorted coldly.

"I didn't say I was going."

Lin Jin looked at him.

"The entrance requires the whole team."

Zhou Heng said coldly:

"Whether it requires it is its business."

"Whether I go is my business."

Lin Jin nodded.

"That's true."

"So you have three days to think it through."

Zhou Heng didn't expect Lin Jin not to force him, and instead frowned slightly.

"Aren't you afraid I won't go?"

"I am."

Lin Jin said.

"But if you are forced to go in, the White Tower is more likely to grab at the gaps in your identity."

Zhou Heng was silent.

The feeling of that white hand from No. 9 Forbidden Zone grabbing him hadn't faded yet.

He knew Lin Jin was right.

If he kept feeling like he was being dragged in, the White Tower would definitely use that against him, writing him as a Barrier Breaker Position who was kidnapped by the team.

At that point, not only would he be in danger, but the entire team would also be in danger.

Gu Changye looked at the group.

"Seal the White Tower matter for now."

"Tonight, all related records will be filed under the tripartite review supplementary incident."

Inspector Han Su's projected voice came from the direction of the conference hall.

He did not appear, but the review formation was still connected.

"The Department of Education requests to participate in the supervision of the White Tower entrance."

Qin Shanhe sneered.

"You can participate in the supervision."

"But don't think about taking the entrance away."

Inspector Han Su said:

"The White Tower involves the perimeter of No. 9 Forbidden Zone, and the Department of Education has the right of supervision."

Lin Jin suddenly spoke up:

"You can supervise."

Everyone looked at him.

Lin Jin continued:

"But the supervision records must be written clearly."

"The White Tower entrance was generated after the perimeter positioning of No. 9 Forbidden Zone spilled over."

"The entrance specifically named the Rule Maintenance Special Class."

"Shen Qingshuang's Ice-type containment residual issued a warning."

"The Department of Education must not rewrite it as the team actively applying for a test."

Inspector Han Su was silent for a second.

Gu Changye glanced at Lin Jin, a hint of a smile in his eyes.

This kid was really skilled now.

Grab the definition first, then discuss the follow-up.

Gu Changye immediately said:

"The Abyss Processing Bureau supports this record."

Qin Shanhe also said:

"The Academy supports it."

The review formation automatically wrote:

[White Tower Entrance Incident: Generated by No. 9 Forbidden Zone residual positioning overflow]

[Entrance Target: Four-person Rule Maintenance Special Class team]

[Additional Information: Suspected warning from Shen Qingshuang Ice-type containment residual]

[Prohibited from being rewritten as a test actively applied for by the team]

Inspector Han Su did not object again.

Because objecting was useless.

The rift had just generated, the Abyss Processing Bureau had recorded the whole process, and the Academy's formation also had records.

The Department of Education didn't have time to tamper with anything this time.

The lockdown of the training area was completed quickly.

The white frost was enclosed by Gu Changye in a sealing box, but the Ice Key remained in Shen Tingxue's hands.

Because the Ice Key was already bound to her, taking it away by force might cause problems.

Qin Shanhe announced that tonight's review was temporarily suspended.

Not ended.

But moved into a three-day observation period.

Three days later, the three parties would continue the review.

It was also the final deadline for the White Tower entrance to be allowed to open.

This meant they only had three days to prepare.

Within three days, they had to stabilize the pollution.

They had to organize the evidence.

They had to study the Mutual Verification Contract.

And they had to decide whether to enter the White Tower.

When they returned to the old classroom on the first floor of the Forbidden Building, it was already near dawn.

The four student desks were still there.

The class meeting topic on the blackboard had long since disappeared.

Replacing it was a line of new course arrangements.

[Rule Maintenance Special Class Three-Day Temporary Training Plan]

[Day 1: Identity Stability and Pollution Resistance]

[Day 2: Team Collaboration and Contract Anti-Tampering]

[Day 3: White Tower Perimeter Rule Rehearsal]

Chen Ye finished reading, and his whole person slumped.

"I thought I could sleep after tonight ended."

The blackboard wrote a line of text very coldly.

[Sleep time: Three hours.]

Chen Ye widened his eyes.

"Three hours?"

"Is the Academy abusing new students?"

Qin Shanhe walked in from the back door, holding his enamel mug.

"Think it's too little?"

Chen Ye immediately said:

"Not little."

"It's enough."

"I'm energetic even when I sleep for three hours usually."

Shen Tingxue sat back at her containment seat and placed the Ice Key on the table.

The blue speck of light in the Ice Key flickered slightly.

She looked at that speck of light, not speaking for a long time.

Lin Jin walked to her side.

"Are you thinking about Shen Qingshuang?"

Shen Tingxue gave an "Mm" sound.

"The Shen Family said she died in a Forbidden Zone accident."

"The Department of Education files said she was an Ice-type containment sample."

"The White Tower residual said, do not trust the first-layer reward."

She looked up at Lin Jin.

"Do you think she is still alive?"

Lin Jin did not offer casual comfort.

"I don't know."

Shen Tingxue nodded.

This answer was actually easier for her to accept.

Lin Jin continued:

"But at least she left behind something that could warn you."

"As long as there are residuals, there are clues."

"With clues, we can investigate."

Shen Tingxue gripped the Ice Key.

"Then we investigate."

Zhou Heng stood at the classroom door, listening to them talk, and suddenly spoke:

"If the White Tower is really like the 104 Incident, it will target everyone's identity gaps."

"Then my risk is the greatest if I go in."

Chen Ye subconsciously wanted to say "You have quite a bit of self-awareness."

But looking at Zhou Heng's expression, he held it back.

Lin Jin looked at Zhou Heng.

"So for the first day of training, you are the priority."

Zhou Heng's face darkened.

"Why?"

The blackboard immediately wrote:

[Zhou Heng: Bloodline anchor pollution risk is highest, listed as the primary stability target for the first day.]

Zhou Heng: "..."

Chen Ye held back his laughter with great difficulty.

Zhou Heng looked coldly at the blackboard.

"This broken blackboard needs to be repaired sooner or later."

Lin Jin patted the rule correction wrench on the table.

"Get in line."

Qin Shanhe coughed.

"Alright."

"Sleep tonight."

"Training starts at six tomorrow morning."

Chen Ye's eyes went blank upon hearing six o'clock.

Qin Shanhe turned to leave.

When he reached the door, he suddenly stopped and looked at Lin Jin.

"One more thing."

Lin Jin looked up.

"What?"

Qin Shanhe said:

"The Department of Education will definitely continue to make moves after three days."

"There must be something in the White Tower that they want to take."

"You going in is not just to look for Shen Qingshuang's residuals."

"And it's not just to handle No. 9 Forbidden Zone pollution."

The old man's voice deepened.

"You must grab the true reward of the White Tower's first layer before the Department of Education does."

Chen Ye was stunned.

"Didn't it say the first-layer reward can't be trusted?"

Qin Shanhe looked at the Ice Key on the table.

"What can't be trusted isn't necessarily fake."

"It might also be too real."

Just as he finished speaking, the Ice Key suddenly lit up.

A blue light projected onto the blackboard.

The training plan on the blackboard was covered over.

New white text slowly emerged.

[White Tower First-Layer Reward Preview]

[Reward Name: Teammate Replacement Right]

[Description: Can replace one unstable member in the current team with a higher adaptation sample]

There was dead silence in the classroom.

Chen Ye stared at that line of text.

"Whoever wants this broken reward can have it."

Lin Jin looked at the blackboard, his eyes turning completely cold.

The first layer of the White Tower had been waiting for them to make a choice from the very beginning.

Whether to use a "higher adaptation sample" to replace a current teammate.

And this time.

In the four-person team, everyone might become the one being replaced.