Chapter 63
After a moment, Su Bei nodded. He now genuinely had a Prophecy Ability and knew Prophecies weren’t easy, often with long cooldowns. Logically, he wouldn’t waste a Prophecy on this.
But he nodded anyway, curious if Feng Lan, with his vast knowledge, could find a plausible reason.
If he could, Su Bei could use it to trick readers again and gain a new ability.
If not, no loss—he’d prepared a backup plan.
Luckily, Feng Lan did think of something: "Do Prophecy fragments often flash before your eyes? That suggests high compatibility with your Prophecy Ability."
This explanation didn’t boost him much, but seeing more Prophecy fragments was good. Su Bei accepted it: "You too?"
Feng Lan nodded, familiar with it because he experienced the same.
The next morning, Jiang Tianming’s group arrived at the auditorium early. The award ceremony started at eight, and they came half an hour early.
Waiting was always boring. Mo Xiaotian suddenly said mysteriously: "I bet my progress in this team battle outshines all of yours."
"How so?" Mu Tieren asked curiously.
Mo Xiaotian grinned smugly: "My explosive cubes are way stronger now! Can’t say they’d kill someone, but at least half a person."
Wu Mingbai couldn’t stand his smugness, fake-laughing: "I think your biggest progress is in bragging."
"Half a person? What’s that mean?" Ignoring Wu Mingbai’s usual jab, Jiang Tianming chuckled. Seeing Mo Xiaotian’s eagerness, he indulged him: "Show us, then?"
"Sure!" Mo Xiaotian, waiting for this, agreed eagerly. He looked around, then showed a hint of difficulty: "But what to use as a test subject?"
He couldn’t actually blow someone up.
"Use this," Lan Subing said softly, holding an empty tin box. "It looks pretty sturdy."
Mo Xiaotian had no objections. He placed an explosive cube next to the box, and it began compressing and brewing…
At the front.
The host was passionately reading his lines: "…we gather here… overcoming great challenges… Now, let’s welcome Class F’s homeroom teacher, Teacher Meng, to speak."
Meng Huai took the stage, reading the script seriously: "Hello, I’m Class F’s homeroom teacher, Meng Huai. This time—"
"Boom!"
A massive explosion came from backstage. Everyone froze, then chaos erupted. Meng Huai stopped, thinking, Don’t tell me ‘Black Flash’ infiltrated the school?
With that thought, he followed other teachers and leaders backstage, only to see scattered tin fragments and a stunned Jiang Tianming and group.
Meng Huai’s forehead veins bulged, mirrored by Class A’s homeroom teacher. They locked onto the culprit and roared in unison: "Mo Xiaotian!"
The scolding ended at 10 a.m. Two full hours of reprimands left them dizzy, wishing their ears would vanish.
Su Bei was genuinely indignant. Mu Tieren started the topic, Wu Mingbai mocked, Jiang Tianming requested the demo, Lan Subing provided the box, and Mo Xiaotian caused the explosion.
What did any of this have to do with him?!
He was completely innocent!
Meng Huai ignored Su Bei’s breakdown. If Su Bei voiced his inner complaints, he’d earn another scolding.
With a stern face, he led the disheveled, dejected Jiang Tianming and others to the field: "Alright, let’s start class."
"Still have class?!" Mo Xiaotian wailed, thinking the scolding would let them off to reflect.
Seeing their despair, a glint of amusement flashed in Meng Huai’s eyes: "You can skip, but each day missed widens the gap with others."
They got scolded, but Si Zhaohua and the others didn’t. They probably enjoyed the show. Zhou Renjie was still smirking gleefully. If Meng Huai weren’t there, he’d likely start mocking.
This hit Jiang Tianming and the others’ weak spot, and they quieted down.
Satisfied, Meng Huai nodded and snapped his fingers. The individual battle arenas rose again, each with a Nightmare Beast inside.
Seeing them standing still, he sneered: "What’re you waiting for? An invitation?"
The students hurried to their arenas. Su Bei, having fought Nightmare Beasts in the team battle, was familiar and easily defeated the first.
But as soon as it was defeated, a second appeared. Unlike the first, which was merely fast, this gorilla-like Nightmare Beast was clearly strong.
Defeated again, another appeared. This one had a new ability, turning liquid and moving swiftly.
"So that’s the training?" Su Bei murmured. Each defeat brought a stronger beast with new abilities, training both adaptability and endurance.
Understanding this, he started slacking.
If defeating one brought a stronger one, he’d just take his time. Standing out too much only made him a target.
But he wasn’t foolish. Taking a whole day on one would get him scolded. So he slowed his pace, defeating the beast at half his normal speed. By the sixth beast, lunch break arrived.
Stepping out of the arena, Su Bei was startled. A crowd of students watched like he was a zoo animal. Class S’s formation was public, and they were curious about the selected geniuses.
Especially since several were from Class F!
Su Bei calmly ignored the stares, looking at his classmates sitting on the ground. They were pale, clearly drained from Mental Energy overuse.
Su Bei was different. He looked the same as before entering, just physically tired.
After his Gear attacks became an innate part of his Ability through the manga, not controlled by Mental Energy, his consumption dropped significantly. Plus, his Mental Energy was already strong, so a morning’s use was negligible.
But for others, continuous Mental Energy use was exhausting. This was what Meng Huai aimed to train.
Seeing their pale faces, Su Bei realized his mistake. He’d focused on slowing down to slack but forgot to adjust his appearance.
Now, he was sure Meng Huai would devise a new training plan for him.
Sure enough, Meng Huai approached, waved the others off to eat, and stopped Su Bei with a half-smile: "Your Mental Energy’s strong?"
As he spoke, he led Su Bei to a secluded spot. Some things weren’t for others’ ears, and alone, Su Bei might be more honest.
Su Bei sighed inwardly but nodded frankly: "It’s alright."
"To what extent?" Meng Huai didn’t beat around the bush, knowing his student was full of ideas.
Since it was asked, no point hiding. Su Bei lifted a hand, using Mental Energy to float a nearby water bottle to him, shaking it at Meng Huai: "Advanced Mental Energy."
Meng Huai showed rare surprise. Advanced Mental Energy was hard to achieve, even for veteran Ability users. It required both relentless training and sufficient talent—neither could be lacking.
How long had Su Bei been awakened? How did he have Advanced Mental Energy?
But he didn’t pry. Everyone had secrets, especially standout Ability users.
"Alright, starting tomorrow, you’ll train with Mu Tieren and the others against me," Meng Huai decided.
The previous plan was to train Mental Energy through prolonged output, improving both capacity and proficiency.
But since Su Bei already had Advanced Mental Energy, he didn’t need that. So Meng Huai shifted to physical combat.
Though Su Bei’s physical skills were impressive, they paled next to Meng Huai’s. Plus, Ability users’ physical combat differed from normals’, with enhanced physicality allowing more moves.
Without guidance, one relied on instinct. With it, progress was faster.
From the individual battles, Meng Huai knew everyone’s fighting style and tailored plans. In his view, except for Mu Tieren, Feng Lan, and Zhao Xiaoyu, the others relied on Mental Energy attacks.
Of course, physical skills mattered for them too, but adapting Mental Energy came first.
Su Bei had skipped the first stage and moved to the second.
Fortunately, teaching three or four was no big difference.
No more slacking, Su Bei realized. He wasn’t disappointed. Unlike Mental Energy, physical skills would stay with him even if his Ability vanished after the manga ended.
At the Endless Ability Academy, he couldn’t leave with nothing. Sensible, he nodded readily: "Got it!"
Leaving the secluded spot, the area was empty—the onlookers had followed Jiang Tianming’s group.
In a good mood, Su Bei ate out. Class S students couldn’t go home without leave, with "Black Flash" lurking. Going out was risky.
But they could visit the food street by the gate.
Afternoon was cultural classes in a separate building, supposedly shared with senior Class S students, who were out training and absent.
In the spacious classroom, they chose seats reflecting their personalities. Si Zhaohua and a few took the front row, Zhao Xiaoyu pulled the other girls to the second, Mo Xiaotian joined them. Jiang Tianming’s group took the third, and Su Bei, Feng Lan, and Wu Jin naturally sat in the back.
Fifteen people spread over four rows was odd, but it looked neat, so the teacher didn’t mind.
Class S’s cultural classes were noticeably deeper. The first was an in-depth Nightmare Beast lecture.
"As you know, Nightmare Beasts come from another world, pass through Different Spaces, and reach ours. But do you know what their original world is like?" the teacher asked.
In other classes, this wouldn’t come up. The Nightmare Beasts’ world was too distant to matter.
But for these high-potential students, it was worth explaining.
Si Zhaohua, Feng Lan, and others with family backgrounds knew the secret but didn’t show off. Mo Xiaotian, giving face, shook his head: "Don’t know!"
The teacher answered: "Ancestor Ability users explored that space. They said it’s dim, with only black, white, and gray. Even they lost color upon entering."
Showing a PPT, the teacher elaborated on that world. The happier one was there, the faster their strength declined.
This was intriguing. The Nightmare Beasts’ world banned joy? Combined with a detail Su Bei noticed earlier, it was even more interesting.
From the teachers’ behavior, Su Bei sensed they subtly discouraged negative emotions. Now, the Nightmare Beasts’ world tied to negative emotions.
What was the connection?
Su Bei vaguely felt that finding this link might explain the root of power imbalances.
As class ended, he considered asking but held back. Nightmare Beasts was a major topic; they’d likely cover what he wanted in the next month. No need to rush.
"Morning training was exhausting!" Mo Xiaotian turned, sprawling on Mu Tieren’s desk, whining.
Though no one echoed, they agreed. Endless Nightmare Beast attacks all morning—how could they not be tired, physically and mentally?
But that was because they didn’t slack. They fought each beast full force, as fast as possible. With enemies coming nonstop, of course they were exhausted.
If they’d slacked like Su Bei, even without Advanced Mental Energy, they wouldn’t be this drained.
"It is tiring," Mu Tieren replied good-naturedly. "But more practice means we won’t be clueless in the Different Space."
Mention of the Different Space piqued their interest. They’d be going to a "wild" Different Space, unlike the cleared one from the monthly exam.
"I heard undeveloped Different Spaces differ greatly from developed ones," Ai Baozhu said elegantly, turning in her seat. "Not sure how, beyond more Nightmare Beasts."
None had been, so no one answered, and the topic shifted back: "Not knowing makes improving ourselves more crucial. Being tired now means we’ll handle it better later, not relying on teachers."
Hearing Jiang Tianming, Li Shu looked admiring: "Tianming’s so right! No wonder Teacher Meng values you!"
Sometimes it was unclear if Li Shu liked or disliked Jiang Tianming. If he liked him, his words seemed divisive. If not, he seemed genuinely admiring. Plus, he’d helped Jiang Tianming instantly when asked, though with conditions.
What was the cost of that help?
Su Bei had glimpsed it in the manga—Li Shu told Jiang Tianming not to forget their deal. Knowing this deal would reveal what Li Shu saw in him.
He didn’t want this to make Li Shu notice him too. On the contrary, he wanted to avoid him. The guy seemed off—best to stay far away.
But whether it was bad luck or what, as soon as he thought this, Li Shu noticed him: "Su Bei, can I ask what the teacher wanted when he pulled you aside before lunch?"
It’d be normal if a close friend asked, but from someone unfamiliar, it felt suspicious. Didn’t others, though curious, avoid asking?
Su Bei glanced at him coolly: "Teacher told me to steer clear of overly curious people."
"Pfft!" Wu Mingbai burst out laughing, lucky he wasn’t drinking, or he’d have sprayed.
Li Shu clearly caught the jab but wasn’t mad, still good-tempered: "Sorry, I thought it might concern us. If not, my bad for speaking out."
His words carried a divisive undertone. Su Bei gave a cold "hm," acknowledging Li Shu’s admission of overstepping.
Yet, despite this rebuff, Li Shu wasn’t upset. His smile widened: "Su Bei, you’re really interesting. Coming to Class S was the right call!"
Seeing his glee, Su Bei nearly shuddered. What was wrong with this guy? A masochist?
He didn’t want to engage, but Li Shu wasn’t done: "When can we spar? I’m curious about your Ability. You must be curious about mine too, right?"
True, Su Bei was curious. But after Li Shu said this, his curiosity vanished, and he had zero interest in sparring.
Others in the class had fought him. Thinking this, Su Bei ignored Li Shu and asked Jiang Tianming: "What happened when you fought him?"
It wasn’t the individual battles anymore, so it was fine to share. Jiang Tianming recalled: "At first, it was like a psychological suggestion illusion. I felt Li Shu’s presence was overwhelming, unbeatable. Then he pulled me into an illusion world. I broke out, and Li Shu fainted."
He didn’t say what happened in the illusion—that was his secret. Su Bei guessed Li Shu’s interest in him stemmed from this secret.
If so, Su Bei was even less likely to fight him. His secrets were no fewer than Jiang Tianming’s, and he couldn’t afford any prying.
The next morning, Su Bei, Feng Lan, Zhao Xiaoyu, and Mu Tieren stood on the same arena, facing Meng Huai.
Of the four, Zhao Xiaoyu trained physically because her Ability had limited combat use, so she needed to compensate elsewhere. Mu Tieren was the opposite—his Ability was physical, requiring specialized physical training.
Feng Lan was in between. His Ability didn’t directly aid combat but could support physical fighting.
Su Bei was another case. His Mental Energy was advanced enough that the school couldn’t offer more help there, so he trained physically.
Meng Huai scanned the four. The other three, having trained with him yesterday, wisely avoided his gaze.
Despite their resolve to endure hardship for growth, getting thrashed by the teacher was too much.
Only Su Bei, slow to react, locked eyes with Meng Huai.
Seeing the amusement in his eyes, Su Bei shivered, wanting to look away like the others. But it was too late. Meng Huai pointed at him: "Su Bei, a little perk for the newbie. You’ll spar with me today to demonstrate for the others."
Thanks a lot! Su Bei grumbled inwardly. Want this perk yourself?
Though he said that, he was also eager to try. He knew his physical skills weren’t top-tier, but having trained for years, he was curious about the gap between him and a true physical combat master.
Meng Huai, with his broad shoulders, narrow waist, and powerful build, was clearly a physical combat expert.
As they fought, Meng Huai didn’t unleash his Ability-enhanced physicality. After testing a few moves, he matched Su Bei’s speed and strength.
Even so, after a few rounds, Su Bei struggled to keep up. Forget technique mastery—just his application of strength and speed was far inferior to Meng Huai’s.
In the past, this wouldn’t have been an issue. He was fully familiar with his body after years of use.
But since becoming an Ability user, his speed, strength, and physicality had grown at an unprecedented rate, leaving him unaccustomed.
New Ability users, unadjusted to their newfound power, often accidentally crushed cups.
Su Bei had felt this during fights. His strength and speed had grown, but his unfamiliarity made them counterproductive. Every move was excessive, overdoing it.
Fighting Meng Huai amplified this. Meng Huai’s ease made Su Bei feel like a clumsy bear.
That was Su Bei’s view. Meng Huai and the three onlookers thought differently.
Meng Huai thought Su Bei was indeed the best in physical combat among the freshmen. His fighting techniques were masterful. Though he was at a disadvantage, he wasn’t crushed like the other three yesterday.
His strength control wasn’t perfect but was better than his peers. Meng Huai hadn’t heard of Su Bei clumsily breaking things, unlike even cautious Jiang Tianming and Class Monitor Mu Tieren, who’d had mishaps.
Impressive, Su Bei. Mu Tieren thought. He’d lasted a while against Meng Huai yesterday but knew he was just tanking.
Having trained for years, he could see Su Bei wasn’t just enduring—he was consciously counterattacking and even landed a few hits.
Zhao Xiaoyu couldn’t see as much, but from the time alone, she knew Su Bei did well.
Yesterday, Meng Huai had held back to match their level, as the three confirmed. Mu Tieren had lasted longest, but now Su Bei had surpassed him, even trading blows with Meng Huai—a feat.
Feng Lan didn’t think much, only that he could ask Su Bei to spar during breaks. His physical skills were weak, relying on his Ability. Since he’d get crushed anyway, might as well pick someone he liked.
Once he gauged Su Bei’s style, Meng Huai shifted tactics. He first wore Su Bei down moderately, then switched from gentle to a storm of attacks.
Exhausted, Su Bei could barely defend and fell after a few moves.
But he wasn’t ashamed. He’d been floored by his dad countless times training. No way he’d care about face now.
Though down, Su Bei’s spirits were high. He adjusted to a comfy pose, propping his head: "Done fighting. Got healing, teacher? I want that life water from last time."
He meant the Life Spring water Teacher Ye Lin made with her Ability on the last day of individual battles. It was great—not for taste, but for the vibrant life force it gave.
"Dream on," Meng Huai teased. "Not tired? Get up."
"Tired, tired, tired!" Su Bei said quickly, genuinely sore. "Even if you don’t believe me, you gotta believe yourself."
Meng Huai ignored his quip and began explaining combat techniques and strategies based on their fight.
Once Su Bei rested and stood, Meng Huai paired them up. Feng Lan picked Su Bei, leaving Zhao Xiaoyu with Mu Tieren.
With only four, pairing strong with weak was fair. But Meng Huai soon saw the issue. Their strengths didn’t match.
Su Bei was too strong, making his fight with Feng Lan pure charity. Mu Tieren’s pair was strong-weak, but Zhao Xiaoyu wasn’t that weak.
After awakening her Ability, she’d begged her family for a summer combat class. It wasn’t much, but she wasn’t clueless. "Forget it," Meng Huai stopped the "harmonious" pairs. "Su Bei, you’re with me. Feng Lan and Zhao Xiaoyu, take on Mu Tieren."
This worked. Feng Lan and Zhao Xiaoyu could challenge Mu Tieren, and he could push Su Bei most. Though it was more work for him, Meng Huai was a good teacher.
By lunch, the morning class ended, and everyone was uniformly pale and drained. They didn’t rush to the cafeteria, sitting on the field’s grass to rest.
Seeing them, onlookers from other classes sympathized. Class S was prestigious but tough. They doubted they could handle the intensity.
Some were self-aware, but others weren’t. Once Meng Huai left, they started loud "whispers."
"Class A to Class S, I get. But Class F and D? How?"
"Don’t say that. Maybe they’ve got something special."
"Hah, you haven’t heard? Some of their Abilities are trash!"
"Really? That’s odd…"
They were brazen. Gossip was fine, but they went on for five minutes since the group emerged, clearly wanting to be heard.
Before Jiang Tianming’s group could react, Si Zhaohua snapped first. He’d lost to Jiang Tianming. If they called Jiang Tianming trash, what was he, beaten by trash?
Fuming, he smirked coldly and strode over: "So unconvinced? Go tell the teachers, the director, the principal. Just whispering here must be suffocating you."
The two, from Class B, froze, faces pale. They’d thought the Class F students would resent their own, saying this to both vent jealousy and curry favor.
Their flattery backfired, earning mockery instead.
Ai Baozhu, fanning herself with a pink fan, joined Si Zhaohua, smiling behind it: "They’re probably scared the teachers won’t listen. No worries, I’ve sent someone to get them."
She wasn’t lying—Zhou Renjie went. But he wasn’t dumb enough to bother Meng Huai over this, just making a show.
"You… I… I didn’t say anything!" one panicked, blurting, "Just chatting with my friend."
"Yeah, chatting," Su Bei nodded, casually tapping his phone.
The next second, their voices played from his phone, repeating their exact words.
One paled: "When did you record that? Delete it!"
His friend, smarter, knew they were caught and apologized: "Sorry, we ran our mouths. We were jealous of your excellence. Please forgive us. We swear we won’t badmouth you again!"
Wu Mingbai grinned brightly: "With that promise, I’m sure we won’t hear this again!"
Su Bei nearly laughed. This meant any future gossip would be pinned on these two.
Classic Wu Mingbai, sly as ever.
After they left, Qi Huang asked curiously: "Hey, Su Bei, when did you start recording?"
"After they wouldn’t stop for a minute," Su Bei answered truthfully. A few jabs, he’d ignore. But they were too annoying, so he acted.
He sent the recording to the Class S group chat Mu Tieren made, then deleted it from his phone. His storage was limited; no room for trash.
After that day, somehow, those two managed to reduce campus gossip significantly. Even daily onlookers nearly vanished.
In that sense, they were quite capable.
A month passed in a blink. They learned a lot. Though short, the intense training boosted their strength somewhat.
Plus, their meals shifted from regular food to carefully prepared high-grade Nightmare Beast meat, greatly improving their physicality.
Compared to before Class S, they weren’t transformed, but they were markedly different. For Su Bei, if he fought Meng Huai again, he wouldn’t be as pathetic. Beating him was impossible, but he could last twice as long.
As the month ended, the school notified them the previous morning: tomorrow, the whole class would go to a Different Space for a trial, with an indefinite return.
They gathered at the school field, arriving half an hour early. Seeing everyone out of uniform was refreshing.
Learning from last time, they’d each prepared a backpack. Seeing everyone with one, they couldn’t help but laugh.
"What’d you all bring?" Mo Xiaotian asked curiously, opening his bag. "I’ve got jelly, chips, chocolate… ouch!"
Before he finished, Meng Huai, appearing behind him, smacked his head. Meng Huai was both amused and exasperated: "That’s all you brought? Think this is a picnic?"