F-class thief? Sorry, I can steal anything.

Chapter 270 Joining the Scavenger Society

"You've all passed. Welcome to the 'Scavengers'."

The senior's voice rang out, and that lazy air seemed to have been washed away by something.

She looked up, her gaze lingering on Chen Yifan's face for a moment.

There was a hint of inquiry in his eyes.

Clearly, Xia Nan's "whisper" had an effect.

I just don't know what this guy said to the senior.

Why would you look at him like that?

That's fine, it saves us trouble.

Xia Nan smiled imperceptibly, accepted the four brand-new silver badges, and turned to hand them to Chen Yifan and the other two.

The badge felt slightly cool to the touch, and the design on it was very abstract, resembling a hand digging for treasure from ruins, or a robot looking down in exploration, exuding a cold, technological feel.

"Wow, this thing is pretty cool!" Wang Fugui exclaimed, examining the badge like it was a precious treasure. "Fanzi, Xiaoyu, we're part of an organization now!"

Lin Xiaoyu carefully pinned the badge to her chest, a rare hint of joy appearing on her otherwise plain face.

Chen Yifan ran his fingertips along the cool edge of the badge and put it into his pocket.

Joining the "Scavengers" community means having a stable source of intelligence and materials.

They will not participate in the conflict.

As for Xia Nan, now that the deal has been made, maintaining this mutually beneficial "plastic alliance" relationship for the time being is more advantageous than disadvantageous for him.

"Now that you've passed the assessment, let me tell you the rules."

The senior student cleared her throat and resumed her sleepy appearance, as if her solemnity just a moment ago was merely an illusion.

"We 'scavengers' have a weekly group activity to explore abandoned dungeons or special areas, and we receive credits and material rewards."

"The guild has an internal material and intelligence database, which can be exchanged using contribution points. You can earn contribution points by completing tasks or submitting rare materials."

She paused, emphasizing the last sentence.

"Most importantly: we don't get involved in any factional struggles at school. If you get into trouble outside, the club can provide protection, but only if you're not the one who started it."

These rules were practically tailor-made for him.

Quietly develop, acquire resources, perfect.

"That's all the rules. You can go to the activity room in the basement to take a look, or do whatever you like." After saying that, the senior yawned again and lay back down on the table.

"Shall we... go check out the activity room?" Lin Xiaoyu suggested softly.

"Okay." Chen Yifan nodded.

The "Scavengers'" activity room is located in the basement of an old school building, where the air is filled with a mixture of dusty metal, dried herbs, and machine oil.

There are no lavish decorations here, only rows of shelves reaching the ceiling, crammed with all sorts of strange and unusual materials, parts, and tools.

"This place really does have a 'garbage dump' vibe."

Wang Fugui couldn't help but complain.

Xia Nan, however, was completely at ease. She walked straight to a bookshelf, pulled out a book that was so thick it could kill someone, and began to read it as if no one else was around.

Chen Yifan was not idle.

He activated his "Mind's Eye," his gaze sweeping across the entire room. His invisible perception permeated every object like mercury spilling onto the floor.

Many seemingly broken-down items were surrounded by considerable psionic energy fluctuations, and the structure of some of them was even beyond his ability to analyze for a while.

This place is a treasure trove.

"Fanzi, don't you feel... that there's something else important going on at our school besides classes?"

Wang Fugui suddenly leaned closer and lowered his voice.

"For example?" Chen Yifan glanced at him.

"The Tower of Ascension!" Wang Fugui scratched his head. "I hear those guys in my dorm talking about it every day, saying it's a great place where you can rack up credits, level up, and even get equipment."

Tower of Ascension.

He wasn't quite sure about that.

Chen Yifan tilted his chin toward Xia Nan.

"Ask him, he'll definitely know."

Wang Fugui immediately ran over, and a moment later, he rushed back like a gust of wind, his face beaming.

"Fanzi! Fanzi! It's the Tower of Ascension!"

Wang Fugui was so excited that he was spitting as he spoke.

"Xia Nan said that's the most important resource-contested area in the school! A special instance, each level has monsters, materials, and equipment! Clearing a level gives you credits and allows you to advance to the next level!"

"Most importantly, the school will create a leaderboard based on the number of floors climbed and the speed at which they do so! Those at the top will not only receive generous rewards but will also gain the qualification to enter the 'Blessed Land' for cultivation!"

"A blessed land?"

Chen Yifan recalled the old principal's meaningful words at the opening ceremony.

"Yes! That's it! Xia Nan said the spiritual energy concentration in there is dozens of times higher than outside, it's like being soaked in spiritual energy liquid!" Wang Fugui's eyes lit up. "Fanzi, let's go challenge the tower too! With your skills, making it onto the rankings will be a piece of cake!"

It seems that this Tower of Ascension is the core attraction of Kyoto Martial Arts University.

Credits, resources, status, privileges...

Everything is connected to this.

The "paradise on earth" that the former principal specifically mentioned is by no means simple.

"What about the rules?"

Chen Yifan asked.

"Solo challenge, but you can team up. If you team up, the rewards are split equally, and the ranking is only recorded for the team leader. Each person has three chances per day; failure deducts credits, success rewards credits."

Wang Fugui finished speaking in a rambling manner.

"Shall we go?"

Lin Xiaoyu was also somewhat looking forward to it.

Of course I'll go.

This is not just for credits and resources, but also an excellent place to upgrade your skills.

"Go," Chen Yifan nodded, "but no rush. Let's figure out the ins and outs first, know ourselves and our enemy."

"Fanzi is right!" Wang Fugui immediately agreed, then turned to Xia Nan and shouted, "Xia Nan! Do you have a guide for the Tower of Heaven? Like what monsters are on each floor, what treasures drop, etc."

Xia Nan walked out from behind the bookshelf, pushed up her glasses, and a shrewd businessman's eye flashed behind the lenses.

"Of course. However, this kind of information doesn't come for free."

Nobody gets up early without a reason!

However, information that can be bought with money is often worth more than its price.

Name your price.

Chen Yifan's words were concise and to the point.

"No rush."

Xia Nan shook her head, her smile becoming enigmatic.

"I have some internal documents about the Tower of Ascension, which the Xia family obtained through special channels. It details the monster distribution, trap mechanics, and a list of all rare drops for the first one hundred floors."

He paused for a moment, then threw out his real stakes.

"This information is priceless. I can give it to you for free, out of consideration for my roommates. In exchange, I hope you can keep an eye out for some things while you're up the tower."

That was his real purpose.

He used a piece of intelligence to hire himself as a "detector".

"What is it?"

Chen Yifan asked.

"Some special energy fluctuations." Xia Nan's eyes deepened. "They are very faint, extremely difficult to detect, but they are...crucial to me."

Are you still looking for clues about "heretical power"?

Could it be that there is one inside this Tower of Ascension?

Coincidentally, he was also very interested in this.

"Okay." Chen Yifan nodded. "Give me the information, and we'll keep an eye out for you."

Xia Nan handed over a data chip that was physically encrypted.

"The information is all inside. Remember, don't share it."

Upon receiving the chip, Chen Yifan could sense Xia Nan's caution.

"Alright! Data in hand! Let's go back for the meeting!" Wang Fugui said impatiently.

The three said goodbye to Xia Nan and went to the library.

Chen Yifan connected the chip to the communicator, and a massive data stream instantly began.

The level of detail in the information was beyond imagination.

The monster resistances, attack patterns, terrain features, and even the weaknesses of the boss's core skills on each floor are clearly marked in red.

With this "cheat code," the difficulty of climbing the Tower of Heaven is reduced by at least half.

His gaze lingered on a key piece of information:

Every ten floors in the Tower of Ascension, there will be a special "Challenge Floor" where the mechanics and monster types will change dramatically.

"Fanzi, how many stories is the tallest in this tower?"

Wang Fugui curiously peeked over.

"Ninety-nine floors. But no one has ever reached the top," Chen Yifan said calmly. "The highest record is held by a senior student thirty years ago, who stopped at the ninety-eighth floor."

"Holy crap! Ninety-eight floors!" Wang Fugui gasped. "How strong must that be?!"

"Very strong." Chen Yifan's gaze fell on the annotation in the data, "That senior was the youngest S-level professional in China at the time, and after graduation, he became a legend in the military."

Ninety-eight floors.

This number is no coincidence.

The story behind this Tower of Ascension is probably far more complex than we imagine.

But it is also more challenging.

"Fanzi, when do we start?"

Wang Fugui is already itching to get started.

"tomorrow."

Chen Yifan turned off the communicator, a playful smile curving his lips.

It's time to let the deep waters of Kyoto University of Martial Arts truly flow.

The Tower of Ascension is not just a place to rack up credits, but also a power arena at Kyoto University.

Strength determines ranking. Ranking determines status.

He needs to make a name for himself and accumulate enough capital in the shortest possible time to deal with the threats lurking beneath the surface.

The Tower of Ascension is his best cash cow and training ground at this stage.

He glanced at his identity bracelet, which displayed a bright red initial value of 100 credits.

Tomorrow, this number will change.