Chapter 64
Admittedly, it really felt like a spring outing, and everyone was quite excited. Mo Xiaotian, rubbing his head, grinned foolishly: “During the team battle, I regretted not bringing these.”
With him taking the lead, others gradually showed what they’d brought.
Wu Mingbai brought a dagger, lighter, compass, drinking water, and other essentials for wilderness survival.
Building on that, Jiang Tianming also brought several hidden weapons. These were custom-made by the Lan Corporation at great expense, small and light but extremely sharp, perfectly suited to Jiang Tianming’s Ability.
This was partly due to Lan Subing’s help but also because the Lan Corporation wanted to invest in this Ability genius who made it to Class S.
Of course, they’d also invested in Wu Mingbai with an Ability item, which he naturally didn’t show just now.
Ling You specifically brought an MP3, clearly set on being a cool girl.
Feng Lan, Qi Huang, Si Zhaohua, and Zhou Renjie, on top of the basics, also packed high-end tents, hammocks, and insulated cups—money talks.
The true “male mom” Mu Tieren brought medicines, bandages, and mosquito-repellent sachets. He said earnestly: “I figured teachers might not give us healing Ability items, so it’s safer to bring some.”
“I knew you’d bring those,” Zhao Xiaoyu laughed. “So I deliberately avoided what you’d pack.”
She brought a “Confused Walkie-Talkie,” an Ability-user brand designed for Ability users, usable without signal. With minimal Mental Energy, it could connect with others of the same model within a hundred miles.
She also had a portable water purifier and binoculars, different from the others but very practical.
Completely different was Ai Baozhu, who brought a sun hat, sanitizing wipes, skincare products, and more.
Facing everyone’s speechless looks, she argued confidently: “With teachers protecting us, we’re definitely safe. If it’s safe, why prepare that stuff? Of course, I brought essentials!”
“She’s right,” Lan Subing said softly. She hadn’t brought those, but since someone did, she’d naturally borrow some, so she wouldn’t criticize.
After supporting Ai Baozhu, she quickly changed the topic: “I brought these.”
They looked into her opened bag—plastic gloves, plastic bags… but most eye-catching was a stack of masks!
“No need to go that far, right?” Wu Mingbai chuckled. “There’s no one else in the Different Space. Why wear masks?”
“Not necessarily,” Meng Huai, who’d been letting them show off, suddenly spoke. “Except for private or newly discovered Different Spaces, the rest are open to all Ability users. Anyone unafraid of death can apply to enter. There’ll likely be quite a few people where we’re going.”
Even as Ability users, they couldn’t only deal with Nightmare Beasts; they’d eventually face others.
A crowded Different Space had an obvious advantage: it wasn’t too dangerous, or it wouldn’t attract so many.
This was a carefully chosen training ground for the first-year Class S members, allowing them to meet seasoned Ability users without excessive risk.
The real purpose of this trial wasn’t to throw them into life-or-death battles in the Different Space. They’d only trained for a month—why rush?
“Huh?” Lan Subing’s eyes widened. She genuinely didn’t know this! She’d brought masks just to be prepared, not expecting actual human interaction.
Her previously excited mood dimmed, her whole demeanor losing color. She silently put on a mask and shrank to the back, looking aggrieved.
Then her gaze shifted, noticing Wu Jin had also put on a mask at some point. His low presence made him easy to overlook. Seeing him, Lan Subing perked up slightly—at least someone else couldn’t handle it either.
Thinking this, she called out to Wu Jin, whom no one dared ask: “Wu Jin, what’d you bring?”
Her question drew attention to Wu Jin. With his mask, only half of each eye was visible, making him look odd.
“Masks, hat, dagger,” Wu Jin answered concisely, pulling a baseball cap from his bag and putting it on, the long brim hiding his face completely.
Seeing this, Lan Subing felt she’d miscalculated. She should’ve brought a cap too—what a face-hiding gem!
But on second thought, she let it go. A mask was fine, but being as fully armed as Wu Jin would draw too many weird looks.
Without his No Presence Ability, she’d stick to her current setup.
“I brought manga, novels. If you’re bored, borrow them,” Li Shu said with a faint smile, unzipping his bag to reveal a pile of manga.
With their current physicality, carrying a bag of books was nothing, but bringing these for a Different Space trial still drew side-eyes.
“Teacher, what do you think of what Li Shu brought?” Wu Mingbai asked curiously. Mo Xiaotian got smacked for snacks—weren’t manga just as frivolous?
Knowing his mischief, Meng Huai glared at him: “Li Shu needs it for his Ability. He requires ample imagination.”
An Ability like [Illusion] needed strong imagination to construct illusions. So that’s why Li Shu brought them.
“Hey? Su Bei, why didn’t you bring anything?” Mo Xiaotian’s eyes widened, staring at Su Bei in surprise, just noticing.
It wasn’t that Su Bei’s presence was low—his presence was always high, impossible to ignore in Class S.
No one noticed his lack of a bag earlier because he’d been leaning against the wall. If Mo Xiaotian hadn’t looked closely out of boredom, they wouldn’t have noticed.
Hearing this, Su Bei shrugged and raised his right hand.
His hand was fair, with distinct knuckles and long fingers, model-worthy. A silver ring had appeared on his ring finger, adding an inexplicable allure.
Qi Huang, sharp-eyed, blurted out: “Storage Ring?”
Someone recognized it. Su Bei lowered his hand, nodding calmly: “Bought from the Campus Store with points.”
After the individual battles, he’d earned a fortune—over 5,000 points. The event ended on the last day, or he could’ve doubled it.
He’d splurged on items he couldn’t afford before.
Besides this 20-square-meter Storage Ring worth 1,000 points, he’d bought several Invisibility Charms used in the team battle, each 200 points.
He also got a 1,000-point “Transformation Mask (Fake).” Worn, it could change his appearance. Normally, such a useful item wouldn’t be 1,000 points.
But as a knockoff, it could only store three appearances. Once set, they couldn’t change, making it much cheaper.
Su Bei didn’t mind—three was plenty. He didn’t need more. Upon getting the mask, he stored a figure in a black robe, taller and thinner than himself, like a stretched shadow.
The face was a mass of black mist, boldly unmasked in a way. Not hiding that he was disguised was its own kind of disguise.
This was his persona for working with “Black Flash,” unafraid of others knowing it was fake. Changing faces was normal, especially with such an organization.
As long as Su Bei “accidentally” revealed to the protagonist group that he’d bought a Transformation Mask, readers could easily guess this collaborator was him.
“Everyone ready?” Seeing them finish chatting, Meng Huai led them to the library and out the back door.
This door was always locked. Su Bei, who’d visited the library often, had noticed it. Now, getting to see it satisfied his curiosity.
Behind the door was a spacious room with a circular arch of blue light, flanked by two maintenance machines.
School Nurse Ye Lin and an unfamiliar, chubby male teacher stood inside. Seeing them enter, the man smiled: “This must be this year’s Class S? Hello, I’m Lei Ze’en, also in charge of your trial. Call me Teacher Lei.”
Ye Lin gently flicked her green braided hair hanging over her chest, introducing warmly: “Teacher Lei teaches third-years. His Ability combines support and defense, making him our academy’s top backup!”
“Wow, so cool!” Mo Xiaotian exclaimed, giving face, then asked curiously, “So what’s Teacher Lei’s Ability?”
“It’s [Teleportation],” Lei Ze’en answered. “I can teleport to specific points or randomly. This blue portal is created by my Ability.”
That was the support skill, indeed powerful. They didn’t know his teleportation time or distance, but since Ye Lin praised him, it must be strong.
“What about the defense?” After thinking, Ai Baozhu grew curious.
The next second, Lei Ze’en answered calmly: “During teleportation, those teleported are in an absolute defense state.”
Su Bei raised a brow, whispering to Feng Lan: “Teacher’s been waiting for that question.”
He wasn’t wrong. Lei Ze’en answered almost instantly, as if his earlier pause had been anxious.
Though he spoke softly, the empty classroom amplified it. To spare her colleague’s feelings, Ye Lin turned to stifle a laugh.
Meng Huai had no such tact, laughing outright: “Hahahahaha, Old Lei, how’s it feel to be seen through by a first-year?”
Lei Ze’en maintained a stiff calm, pretending not to hear: “After entering this door, we’ll appear in the Different Space’s outer hall. Before going in, we need to go over some precautions.”
He looked at Ye Lin: “Little Leaf, you handle the briefing.”
Then he grabbed Meng Huai’s neck, smiling but gritting his teeth: “Come, let’s talk outside.”
Seeing everyone’s eyes follow them, Ye Lin coughed heavily: “Alright, ignore them. Look here. The Different Space we’re going to is a state-owned open one. Anyone can enter after paying a small fee and registering.
The school’s covering the fee and handling registration. Your job is to learn the process, as you’ll enter Different Spaces alone often in the future.”
She was right. Unless they planned to leave the Ability world, Ability users would inevitably enter Different Spaces. The usual path was graduating, registering, then taking missions.
Missions to disaster zones or Different Spaces to kill Nightmare Beasts paid well, the main income for most Ability users.
Just a first-year, and they were already leaving the school’s ivory tower. Jiang Tianming suddenly asked: “Did past Class S do this too? Go to external Different Spaces in first year?”
Ye Lin pursed her lips, nodding then shaking her head: “They usually did this trial the summer between first and second year.”
She gave her usual gentle smile: “But you’ve been targeted by ‘Black Flash,’ so your learning pace is faster.”
Her logic was off. Some, like Su Bei, keenly noticed. Being targeted by “Black Flash” did speed things up, but not the learning pace.
The real response to this incident was starting Class S early to protect them with its resources. Logically, Class S’s teaching pace should match past years.
But their pace was clearly rushed. What was the hurry?
As he pondered, Meng Huai and Lei Ze’en returned. They looked the same, but Su Bei’s sharp eyes noticed Meng Huai’s waist seemed injured, and Lei Ze’en’s leg had likely been kicked.
Feeling Su Bei’s gaze, Meng Huai glared. Su Bei wisely looked down, playing blind.
“All done?” Lei Ze’en asked Ye Lin.
Ye Lin nodded: “Not much to say. They’ll figure it out there.”
“True. Our teachers didn’t explain much when we went,” Lei Ze’en said, rubbing his chin. “Just one thing: stick with the teachers, and don’t pick fights for no reason.”
“Teachers, were you classmates?” Driven by gossip, Lan Subing spoke softly despite a stranger’s presence—a rarity.
Thanks to the monthly exam, her social anxiety had improved, and she could use [Word Spirit]. But with strangers, she still clammed up.
“Yeah, we were classmates,” Lei Ze’en said happily. “And we’ve been in the same class since entering the Endless Ability Academy!”
Lan Subing’s eyes sparkled: “No wonder you seem so close.”
Meng Huai, arms crossed, snorted but didn’t deny it. Ye Lin glanced at him with a smile, knowing he wasn’t tsundere—just shy.
Amused, Ye Lin said: “Don’t let them fool you. They didn’t get along at first.”
“How so?” Lan Subing jumped in, and others perked up, eager for teacher lore.
“Ahem!” Meng Huai coughed loudly, trying to stop her.
Lei Ze’en leaned toward Ye Lin, pleading: “Little Leaf, don’t spill our secrets. We were young and dumb back then~”
Ye Lin playfully huffed, shrugging at Lan Subing: “That’s another story. Right now, it’s your story.”
She pressed a button on the machine: “Alright, it’s getting late. Let’s go. I’ll go first to receive you.”
After Ye Lin entered the blue arch, Meng Huai herded Su Bei and the others through like ducks.
Su Bei was the fourth to enter. Passing through the portal felt unremarkable, like walking through a normal door.
Emerging, it was like stepping into another dimension. The outside buzzed with vendors’ calls, conversations, and noise—a lively place.
Ye Lin stood nearby, with the others who’d come through. Su Bei joined Jiang Tianming, looking back to see he’d exited an ordinary house’s door.
“So the teleportation was set to this door?” Su Bei asked curiously.
Ye Lin confirmed: “It can be a location or a door. Teacher Lei’s Ability is very flexible. This time, it’s this door—exiting it won’t draw much attention.”
Indeed, it looked like they were residents leaving home, unnoticed.
But when 18 people poured out, it was hard not to notice. A tall, thin man approached, smiling warmly: “Hello, teachers. You’re from the Ability Academy, bringing students for training?”
The Endless Ability Academy wasn’t the only one—there were three total. On the surface, none was stronger, as Ability users were rare and usually accepted regardless of Ability strength.
Even Su Bei’s initial [Gear] Ability wasn’t rejected, right?
But since they produced the world’s top Ability user, who became their principal, it was clear the Endless Ability Academy was the unspoken top academy. Why else would Si Zhaohua and others study there?
Second- and third-years were often led by teachers to Different Spaces for training, so this wasn’t unusual.
Ye Lin, standing at the front, guessed his intent: “We’ve prepared maps for this Different Space.”
His enthusiastic smile faded but quickly recovered: “Being thorough is good. Need a place to stay? I can recommend a cheap inn. Ten minutes’ walk from the Different Space. I can get you an 80% discount.”
Ye Lin considered. They hadn’t booked a place—rooms were plentiful here. Since he offered, checking it out couldn’t hurt.
“Take us to see it,” she nodded. “If the environment’s good and the price is right, we’ll book.”
“Great, great!” The man beamed, eagerly leading them.
The inn wasn’t far, and the way was bustling with vendors. Besides food stalls, there were supply shops, Nightmare Beast jerky, and Ability items…
Many things they’d never seen. Having stayed mostly at school since becoming Ability users, this was excitingly new.
Seeing their reactions, Lei Ze’en chuckled: “If you brought money, we can let you shop tonight after leaving the Different Space.”
“We can come out today?” Mu Tieren asked, surprised. He thought it’d be like the team battle, staying in the Different Space for a long stretch.
Coming out was ideal. Wilderness survival wasn’t pleasant. Though he was ready for hardship, avoiding it was better.
“Of course, or why book an inn?” Lei Ze’en explained. “This place is far more dangerous than the Different Space from your team battle. Though we’ll protect you, it’s best to leave before night.”
Mo Xiaotian and Ai Baozhu were thrilled—Mo Xiaotian loved crowds, Ai Baozhu loved shopping. They eagerly anticipated the evening.
Su Bei blinked: “Feels more and more like a spring outing.”
Si Zhaohua, overhearing, couldn’t help laughing: “Yeah, I remember spring outings were like this—play in the morning, shop at night.”
“You’re not playing in the morning,” Lei Ze’en snorted. “Though we’re protecting you, unless it’s a real unbeatable danger, we won’t step in.”
Perhaps prompted by him, Meng Huai, who’d been walking casually, suddenly said: “Right, you 15 should form your formations now. Think about how to act if danger hits. Best to split into two teams—you might separate later.”
With so many, without prior planning, they’d hinder each other in danger, and friendly fire wasn’t impossible. They might not split, but this was preparation, lasting the whole trial.
Hearing they’d split into two teams, everyone instinctively moved toward familiar faces. If grouping, familiar people were best.
Seeing their intent, Ye Lin shook her head, gentle but firm: “Forget it, we’ll assign the groups. You’ll be classmates for three years—you need to get familiar.”